IN SEARCH of HUMANS: my little project

[wesball]

Hi all.

Having learned on Lightwave from the Video Toaster 4000 days, I'm constantly inspired by the cabilities of this little app
I often visit these forums (and others like it) to admire everyone's work. Not content to stay a passive observer forever, I've decided to put my filmschool training to good use, and actually start making something.

I'm setting out to create an independent TV show -- short form, serialized, and distributed online. (I suppose you can't really call it a TV show at all, but because of certain gadgets coming onto the market recently, I'm hoping anything by anyone can be watched on your TV soon) In any case, it's going to be an adventurous sci-fi comedy, using full CG characters, and set in a photo-realistic environment . I know -- sounds ambitous. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

My goal with this thing? To put Hollywood to shame. I want to do it cheaper, more efficient, and up to at least the same quality. And I think this is possible with today's software and hardware, along with the ability to leverage the talents of other independant artists out there. Thank god for the internet! Lets hope those tubes aren't clogged anytime soon.

I've recently finished a teaser. I'll call it "in beta" since there are a few things that may change. Done in Lightwave and After Effects.

I've also posted a little making-of for anyone interested. You can check it out at the blog homepage. I'll be posting more stuff on my little journey as I go along.

Hope you'll check it out, and would love to hear any reactions (negative or positive).

http://www.insearchofhumans.com/blog...trailer-is-up/

Cheers!

[voriax]

Looking pretty professional so far!
The camerawork goes a long way to selling the visuals, which are great on their own anyway..
I look forward to seeing more..more..more!

[bobakabob]

Nice work! I really like the descent to earth and the cloud layers are superb. Any insight on the techniques you used in Lightwave?

[wesball]

Originally Posted by bobakabob

Any insight on the techniques you used in Lightwave?

You can check out the little screencapture session where I walk through one of the shots.

http://www.insearchofhumans.com/blog...1-teaser-shot/

[serge]

Looking good, Wes! It's great to see ambitious talented people working on personal projects. I hope you won't get a job offer anytime soon, cause I'd really like to see more of this!

The music is great and at Hollywood level. Can you tell a bit more about the music?

Good luck and I hope to see more soon.

And thanks for the "Making of" movie. Well done.

[wesball]

The music.

Weeeeelllllll.... there's a reason it's sounds like hollywood. It is.

Sadly... when I mention it's beta, the music is the one thing that will have to change. Which is too bad, because I think it works really well. It's from an existing movie soundtrack -- pieces of 2 movie scores actually. Any soundtrack-buffs out there know which two movies?

Unless I can get the rights to use this music, it'll have to be replaced at some point.

I have -- officially-- used movie music before in a student production, but it was something of an ordeal to get the rights. It was a lot of paper work and dead-ends, only to get festival and non-commercial rights.

I'm toying around with getting some form of rights to lesser known classical works and incorporating that style of music into the show. I've got one in particular I'm using for the full trailer I'm working on now. We'll see how it works out.

I LOVE big, orchestral music and I'm determined to use it. However, I think it will probably be the biggest challenge on the whole project. How do you get an orchestra sound without the expensive orchestra? But even if I have to learn how to play the violin myself, I guarantee you we're gonna hear some non-synthesized strings in there!

[LW_jackn]

oh my... a "Making of..." the entry shot would be nice...

That Earth image looks familiar... Apollo?

[Weepul]

If the earth in the first shot is rendered, I'd be very interested to get a breakdown of how you did it, especially the clouds.

[Thomas M.]

To put Hollywood to shame.

Don't you bother. 90% of all Hollywood productions are already a shame. No need to go any further.


I want to do it cheaper, more efficient, and up to at least the same quality.

What kind of a wired approach is this? Are you a student who desperately wants to get into business? Making it cheaper will get you a job once or twice, but will lower marketprices in general with the same client expectations. So in the end you are just making the business harder for everybody, yourself included. Because one day the china man will be even cheaper and pushing you out of business. Can't you guys just think around the next corner about the consequences of your crusade?

[serge]

Geez Thomas. He's only talking about the production. What's wrong with producing Hollywood level work for a fraction of a Hollywood budget?

Now Wesball, be sure to ask an unreasonable amount of cash when you sell your work, so you keep us all in business.

[wesball]

Originally Posted by Thomas M.

To put Hollywood to shame.
Don't you bother. 90% of all Hollywood productions are already a shame. No need to go any further.

I wouldn't sell Hollywood so short. Their quality is nothing to balk at. It's usually better than anything else out there ... foreign or independent. If you're talking about story, then I'd agree with you. But in terms of quality of production, Hollywood still sets the bar.

Originally Posted by Thomas M.

I want to do it cheaper, more efficient, and up to at least the same quality.

What kind of a wired approach is this? Are you a student who desperately wants to get into business?

Actually I'm already in the business. I was a student about 4 years ago, which is where I made my calling-card short that won a bunch of awards, most notably a Student Academy Award. Yes - I've got a mini oscar sitting on my shelf collecting dust. This short opened the door to agents and managers and lawyers and all the excesses of the film biz.

My day job is doing freelance VFX and animation work for Film and TV.

About two years ago (I was around 23 or so), I sold a pitch to Warner Brothers for an original movie. It was a great experience whie it lasted. I worked with writers and various producers and executives. We developed the hell out of it for a year and half and the project went absolutely nowhere. It died a slow, agonizing death. So now, I've decided I don't need to go through that again. I don't need Hollywood. I will at some point, but not starting out. I think I can create a product, gather a loyal fanbase, and wait for Hollywood to come to the project. Then I'll be holding the cards, and I can tell them how its going to work.

Originally Posted by Thomas M.

Making it cheaper will get you a job once or twice, but will lower marketprices in general with the same client expectations. So in the end you are just making the business harder for everybody, yourself included. Because one day the china man will be even cheaper and pushing you out of business. Can't you guys just think around the next corner about the consequences of your crusade?

Well.

I don't know how familiar you are with the business, but costs are drastically inflated. Things simply don't need to cost as much as they do... especially with cheap, advanced tools like Lightwave at our disposal. Producers and Studios make most of the money. Not the creators. Simple as that. So if we cut out the middle man, that means we can remove a big chunk of costs. And the creators can make the same amount they've been making... maybe more.

I don't think I'm hurting anyone's business. There will always be a financially viable place for talented artists. Period. The business models may have to change. We may have to wait for audiences to embrace alternatives to mainstream content, but I think the future is birght for talented people, working together on a project from the comfort of their own homes, not driven by silly release dates.

You're right, there may be consequences to my "crusade". But the web and broadband has opened up a new world to all of us, and I'm exctied to experiment with doing things a little differently.

[CourtJester]

Originally Posted by Thomas M.

Making it cheaper will get you a job once or twice, but will lower marketprices in general with the same client expectations. So in the end you are just making the business harder for everybody, yourself included. Because one day the china man will be even cheaper and pushing you out of business. Can't you guys just think around the next corner about the consequences of your crusade?

So the solution to foreign competition is to keep our industry dominated by large, inefficient centralized organizations with huge budgets -- because small one-man operations wreck everything with their economic efficiency?

Somebody better tell this guy that he's all wet,then.

The 1930's called, they want their economic theory back... along with its results ;(

[LW_jackn]

Originally Posted by weepul

If the earth in the first shot is rendered, I'd be very interested to get a breakdown of how you did it, especially the clouds.

Hey Weepul!



I think our question got aced out by the ruckus over "cheaper -faster -better".

God, let's not get started in a "No Spec work" thread again...

The shot and angle of the Earth looks awfully familiar to me, I don't think it is an Apollo shot when I think about the quality, early shuttle missions maybe.

If you look at the edge of the Earth it looks like a possible post work...



Now I could be wrong... (wouldn't be the first time... )

Definately makes the shot very nice!

[TRCC]

Your earth texture is the best I have seen yet, the depth of the clouds is absolutly photorealistic, I especially love the jittery camera as the craft enters the atmosphere. Was the shot of trees a composite or CG? Amazing work.

Luke

[wesball]

@LW_JackN and Weepul...

Here ya go! Made another one just for you guys.

http://www.insearchofhumans.com/blog...o-based-earth/

@TRCC

Check my reply #4.

Or just go here. http://www.insearchofhumans.com/blog...ry/making-ofs/