Rundown of 3D Film Previs
high dynamic range
So I just accepted a week-long contract to do low poly art assets for a previs company in LA.
The making art part I get. What film previs is in terms of production workflow, I do not.
Does anyone have any experience with The Third Floor, or any other film previs studios? How do you relate them against game development studios?
Something tells me it's going to be a VERY intense week. Though if it's just an assets list with a certain, quick quality bar that I am helping knock out, then I'm fine with that.
The making art part I get. What film previs is in terms of production workflow, I do not.
Does anyone have any experience with The Third Floor, or any other film previs studios? How do you relate them against game development studios?
Something tells me it's going to be a VERY intense week. Though if it's just an assets list with a certain, quick quality bar that I am helping knock out, then I'm fine with that.
Replies
It'll vary depending on the studio, where they're at in the project and what exactly they need. It'll quite likely be animatic assets they're after - low res models that give an accurate sense of shape and dimensions of elements in a scene that they can use to quickly block out a shot. Think of the sort of art you'd do for an environment blockout, and factor in the need for getting your measurements correct and you'll probably.
It sounds like an interesting experience, but correct me if I'm wrong, not necessarily portfolio work to show off?
This is the sort of stuff I imagine you'll be working on:
http://www.cgmeetup.net/home/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-previs/
There's a little bit of detail, but it's obviously been hammered together really quickly. Segmented characters, low res models, really basic textures, corners cut wherever possible. Kinda looks like a movie I put together in my first year of uni.
This is an example of a previs.
There is also a previs of this scene [ame]
Chances are that whilst it might not provide anything sexy for a games modelling portfolio, you might be getting a chance to have a blockbuster movie on your credits list, which is pretty cool in itself.
Usually the modelling workflow is solely about rapid asset production - low poly but with good animation topology, usually diffuse-only or untextured entirely. The main thing is that characters need to be very efficiently made and animate well so that the previs animators don't get slowed down - often directors will want to make live changes in an animatic, so everything has to be as lightweight as possible so edits can be made in realtime in whatever program they're building the previs in.
Props and environment work should be essentially the same, just expect rapid iteration and potentially having to make lots of edits to assets at any time during your day should someone suddenly need a building taller for framing, or a different type of aircraft exploding, etc.
I'd imagine Third Floor would have a pretty well defined workflow by now and set out their expectations for what you need to achieve on the first day, so you shouldn't have much to worry about other than adjusting to their naming conventions and filing systems!
One idea. Overlay the final render with your draft render like this from Prometheus previs:
[ame]
Alright, so I guess get ready to learn a new pipeline and naming conventions on day one, and get ready to model and diffuse texture like mad.
Thank you everyone! If anyone else has additional wisdom, I'd love to hear it