Final Stages

Images from the final film for our submission tomorrow. We're very happy to see the final stages come together and grateful to all the contributors, particularly our long suffering colourists and David Falconer who did great things to the sound track at short notice.

Looking forward to the public viewing at the degree show on the 20th of May, although we have much preparation to do before then including a website revamp I think.

Over and out for now with many thanks for your contributions and support, hope to see you at degree show time.

All the best,
Team Duchess

Screen Capture

We feel there is little point in posting material so close to completion of the film when you can see it all together. I just screen grabbed this as I am working on final touches for the rendering of the jewel, this isn't a background but I think will be used as a reflection map on the jewel surface. Looks pretty anyway.

Emily dress bodge on line test

Sc17 - Emily's skirt

Ncloth Test from J H on Vimeo.

In an effort to free up Freya's tight 2D schedule, Emily's skirt is going to be digital for this scene.
This is a test to do just that using ncloth in maya.
Any advice on ncloth, or alternatives to producing a flapping skirt (in after effects maybe?) would be great.

Scene 8

Another scene keyed, inbetweened and cleaned-up in a week. I'm dead chuffed with the rate of progress but not sure if it's sustainable for the last 3 Scenes. Fingers crossed, with a bit of luck...

Scene 8! Pretty happy with how it turned out. It makes me laugh anyway. Edward gloating at the Duke and running off with the diamond - response to Scene 7. Happy days.

I should add the Jewel level is for now just a rough 2D stand-in - Johnno has decided to make it in Maya. I dont know exactly how this is going to be done so any thoughts on the best way to go about that would be appreciated.

In other news, the wonderfully talented Lila Senior handed us the first-pass of the soundtrack today. Exciting times in Camp Flying Duchess...

Scene 16

Vimeo, oh how you disappoint me.

Behold, scene 16. With rubbishy vimeo-quality. Completed in a week (takes a bow) - keyed, inbetweened and cleaned-up. Now it just needs to be synced up nicely with the voice acting and the 3D environment.

Over to someone else :D

Scene16 playblast

Untitled from J H on Vimeo.

Scene 16, where Emily breaks the coupling.
this is a first attempt, criticism warmly welcomed.

Done.

Hurrah. All cleaned-up. Totally happy with volumes now.

Scene two is now animated - just need to work on the first linking between the 3D model of Edward and his 2D counterpart.

Train Coupling

Untitled from J H on Vimeo.

This is a test for Scene 16 when Emily breaks the train coupling.

Trace Stage One Complete

Yaaaay. Have finished the rough frames for the tracing of scene two - remarkably pleased at how well it turned out. Few glitches with volume control in places but hopefully nothing that can't be fixed in the clean-up stage.

Should be up and ready for colour by the end of the week - actually on target! 'Rah!

Animatic V4.1

Flying Duchess Animatic V 4.1 from J H on Vimeo.

Contains the most up to date line tests and CG elements. The stand in sound effects and score from the last animatic have been replaced with rough cuts of the character 'dialogue'.

Sc02 Trace test

A preview of the frames which will be printed for tracing.

Attack of the Clones

A little light relief.

Scene 17 Roughs

Untitled from Freya Hotson on Vimeo.

Hello avid followers.

Has been a while since I've posted a line test so here's the rough set of keys so far for Scene 17. It's a challenging but enjoyable scene - grateful thanks goes out to all those... dedicated... people who upload countless Youtube videos of Disney characters kissing. Was useful! Timing and poses are still pretty rough, but the general feeling I'm v happy with.

Scene 2 render 21

Duke Colours

Colours pretty much straight form the model sheet, thoughts on a postcard please. Particularly is he wearing gloves or no?

Shader Test

A quick go at adjusting render layers to give a more 2D look.

Sc 7 Rough Keys

Sc05 Edward Fall Complete

Our first completed asset! Comments on lighting please.

Sc05 Edward Fall Frames

Frames coloured and lit.

Guard Carriage Geometry

Royal Carriage Geometry

Awaiting wheels.

Scene 2 test 02

Barbara Steisand?

Ooo-ooo oo ooo oo oo ooo oo oo ooo-ooooo.

This kept coming on shuffle on the ipod while I animated that scene.

That's Team Flying Duchess jiving away there at the bottom.

Yep.

Alright, I'll go do some work now.

Colour Adjustment 3

How do you like them apples? This includes a fourth distinct line colour for around the pupils. Not sure is this detail is visible without a precision lens. Some dodgy edges appearing as a result of the tweaks, please ignore.

Colour Adjusted

Any Better? In this version most of the line becomes a very dark neutral brown, this will speed up colouring a lot as only the three lightest line colours need distinguished. Comments please.

Scene Five - The Duke

Done. Ready for Clean-Up. :) That's the whole of Scene 5 ready for clean-up and inbetweens! Exciting stuff. Production meeting with the team scheduled for next week, methinks.

Coloured Frame

Only some thousand more to go. I quick go at a colouing process, unlit. Overall colour tint will be adjusted in comp depending on the scene, these colours provide a starting point.

Layout Guides Sc.6 and Sc.7

Sc 5 - Duke Level

Scene 5 is nearly completed. Another day or so mebe. With all the levels together it's getting quite exciting :D

Dawn Colours at 37000ft

Photographed from my flight down to London last week.

Scene Two

So over Christmas I wanted to finish Scene's 5 and 2 so they could be ready for clean-up and inbetweens upon return in January. According to our mega schedule, I need to complete a scene each week in January (two in the last, actually) to stay on track.

Yup, it's nearing the end of week one in January and funnily enough, that's not quite the case... however, here's Scene 2 in it's entirety - it's pretty hard to make out I suspect, because of the number of levels.

The Duke ended up causing more jip than I would've liked, but I tried to keep his movements relatively simple, so your eye isn't distracted too much between one character or the other. This is the first time I've done character interaction before, as long as it's clear what's going on, all's good, really. Feedback on timing and stuff would be appreciated. :)

Anyway, Ta Da. Both characters need cleaned-up and inbetweened, so I need to go collar two members of my wonderful crack team... :D

Scene 2 test 01

A quick pass to get a better sense of timing and camera angle with a placeholder carriage. In the finished shot the camera starts at the front of the train and ends up at the very rear, so the train will be travelling a little faster.