3D Animation – Research & Theory/Application of 3D (Task 1) – KCIMDD

Task 1 – Research

Animation Research:

Nationwide Insurance ‘Brain Games’ Animated Promo

This 30 second animation is very clear and simple which is what drew my attention to it. The animation depicts the narration which in occurring at the same time for example when the narrator mentions the word ‘ball’, a ball is animated and displayed. The structure of the advert is identifiable as first introducing the issue, then mentioning how to resolve the issue and after this is done the product is introduced.

The animation is promoting memory to help people who have been robbed to remember what items have gone missing as Nationwide is an insurance company. They are therefore promoting memory games to train people. The animation is well done by first starting with a 2D animation of a robber trying to break into a house and then it catches the audience off guard by changing into a 3D animation when the house is lifted off the floor into the sky, rotating and becomes transparent. By cleverly transitioning between subjects they make the animation very attractive and appealing to the viewers.

What will I use from this?

By holding on to the audience’s attention and keeping them on their toes I will be able to produce an excellent and interesting animation, this can be done by starting slow and then increasing the pace of the scenes. In addition, I will apply structure to my animation in order to replicate the same effect of this animation.

Battlefield 3 – Video Game Promo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPDjKWQm5Ic

This one-minute-long promo falls into the category of action adventure which is what I plan my own animation to be. The promo overwhelms the audience with relentless action to engage the audience. What’s more interesting is how the promo is displayed, by using the correct music for the action they were able to amplify the trailers overwhelming nature. This is a result of the music being un-easing and suspenseful.

The action also doesn’t go at one pace, it is both slowed, speeded up and cut for dramatic effect which I found to be exceptionally good. The pace was dictated by the music that was playing for example when the music is slow, the action is slowed and vice versa when the music is fast.

Another aspect worth mentioning is the reviews which are displayed throughout the promo which can sway audience to be more interested in what’s is being presented. This makes the audience see that the game is well liked and appreciated making them ask themselves why the game is so popular and encourages a purchase of the game.

Finally, like brain games the animation is ended with graphics and is displayed at the end with the available platforms and the release date along with it. Also an aesthetically pleasing background image is displayed with the games title presented largely.

What will I use from this?

By applying appropriate music and dictating the pace of the scenes by the music my animation will be more effective in its message. Also by including a small poster including a background image, release date and game title I will have a similar effect as many promos. Another thing that can be included in the animation is small quotes from reviewers, this will give the impression that the game is well liked.

3D theory and applications:

3D applications vary, they tend to be models, product design, animations, TV, film, web, games.

3D modelling is a way of designing a desired object in 3D form, this is a mathematical representation of the product which is created by making polygons in accurate and co-ordinated locations. This is done through software which is specifically for this purpose. There is many different software that hold this ability which include: 3D Movie Maker, Aladdin4D, Anim8or, Art of Illusion, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk, Autodesk Softimage, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Blender, Bryce, Carrara, Cinema 4D, Clara.io, DAZ Studio, Electric Image Animation System, Demoware, Houdini, K-3D, Messiah, Poser, Shade 3D and Source Filmmaker.

The applications give you the ability to create your own polygons using images as references. This gives users the ability to create more accurate duplications of products. This brings us to the geometric theory side of modelling.

Lines – A line is a point that meets with another point.
Faces – A surface of an object.
Curves – A curve is just a line that ‘bends’. Curves are more realistic as they make the 3D object look smoother.
Vertices – These are also called corners and are the points where two or more lines interact. A vertex permits you to pull and stretch out parts of the shape to create subtle differences to the primitive shape that you begin with.
Edges – A line that is put together by two vertices.
Mesh – Mesh or wireframe is the shape that is made by manipulating a primitive shape for example a sphere or a cube.
Polygon – A polygon is a 2D shape with 3 or more sides. These are connected in order to model an object.

Also by using textures you have the ability to colour and provide the correct surface of a model for example you can make something appear to be metal and gold.

Animation is a way of making it seem like something is moving when in reality they are simply images that presented one after the other in order. In the case of animating a modelled object first a virtual camera needs to be set up and then the product will be animated preferably using key framing. Key framing is an animation technique which animators use to define the start and end point of a movement and the software will do the animating in-between. For example, if someone needed to animate an arm raising then the key frame will be placed when the arm is down and then also key framed when it is fully raised and the complete movement will be simulated by the computer. After which it must be rendered which is the process of finalizing an animation or image.

Experts in modelling and animation tend to use API’s (Application Programming Interfaces). This is a way of manipulating hardware to the user’s advantage. Here are a few examples.

Direct3D (by Microsoft) This is when performance is prioritized over quality.
OpenGL (by Silicon Graphics). OpenGL uses the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) computer to deliver hardware accelerated rendering.
RenderMan (by Pixar Animation Studios) This is used to create CGI visual effects.

Games all use 3D programs to animate and create an entire environment and they tend to look better and better at each passing year due to the increase in technology at their disposal. They become more immersive and cinematic because of this and is used by companies such as Activision, Blizzard, Naughty Dog, EA and Ubisoft.

Films use animation and 3D models constantly, even excluding fully animated films such as Toy Story, Hollywood films are almost never made without including them. Marvel films for example are constantly using CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) to their advantage as they need to promote the idea that their characters are super heroes. Pixar and Dreamworks films on the other hand are fully animated studios and have made successful films such as Shrek completely using animation.

(In the Hollywood film Terminator: Genisys a technique called “synthespian” is used in order to create a visual effect that recreates an actor when they were younger.)

Architecture makes use of modelling to high degree. Instead of drawing blueprints, sketches and creating stick models of what architects want their building to look like, they can now create a model of whatever they desire in immersive 3D and add textures to it and so forth. This helps architects envisage their ideas exactly and makes it easier for them to be pitched.

Advertising and Marketing use 3D for various reasons, for example when needing to pitch their idea to making an advertisement for TV. A watch company for example have their ideas of what they want the product to look like, then they are able to create a model of the watch in 3D to pitch it before it gets to manufacturing, they are also able to modify it to their liking. After that, animation is also useful because you will not need to spend money on camera crews and equipment and instead of investing a great deal of time in filming for an advert, a 3D model can be produced instead.