Post Production: Winter Quarter 3/4
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
Details work from class ten to class fifteen (checkpoint class) of the Winter Quarter at SCAD. Blog posts arranged from newest to oldest.
Project Drive:
Project Shot List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Y1-DKGdcjgM3FcTvOirFuHcpqTPOWDmjmlm5wzcjg6w/edit?usp=sharing
Other Group Member Blogs:
Hannah Kim | |
Benji Hopkins | |
Olivia Wesling | |
Sydney Relkin | |
Charlie Ragland | |
Mia Esparragoza |
Current full cut after 75%
FX Progress - Tree Magic Effect
Most recent progress on the effect:
When thinking about how I wanted to approach the effect on the tree, I referenced our original storyboard but knew I wanted to pivot.
In the original story board, the effect of the particles goes up the design of the tree. This would more so be done in an animated texture, rather than an effect. For the sake of giving our texture artist less work, I pivoted to doing more of a growing design that I would then have particles follow.
To start my tests for the tree, I used a tool I have previously used for a frost effect that uses a method of creating points on the geometry and growing curves from those random points. After applying this tool to the tree, I felt the curves looked too frost like and I wanted the curves that the particles would follow to be more organic.
My co-director Hannah, recently started using a tool she found online that includes nodes in Houdini that help with creating organic trees and foliage for scenes. She was able to pass the tool on to me for this effect.
I first started using just the curves that the tool produced and raying those to the tree but, this was not something that felt super jagged and I did not like the effect. I also was not getting enough variation in the lines.
I continued to play around with the tool further to create a lot more lines and a more. This time, I did not ray them to the tree but rather used a peak node to have them sit slightly on top of the geometry.
I continued to experiment with just extracting the curves from this tool by poly extruding them to create a pattern on the tree but this also was not something I was happy with.
Finally, I came to the conclusion I would just use the geometry that the tool can create, and have the particles follow that geometry to have the most control and get the look I want.
Vines turned to particles:
FX Progress - Sparkles Effect - Shot 2C
Most recent sparkles comp:
For the sparkles in shot 2C and the sparkles that will be used in the environment shot, I referenced a tool made by Kat Nitti, a peer of mine. You can find out more about her method in her blog: https://kfayenitti.wixsite.com/katherine-nitti-art/post/sparkle-study-analysis-of-sparkles-in-media-personal-application-in-projects
I took pieces of the tool and the way that she used three layers of pop nets for sparkles, to create my effect. Each hand of sparkles has a different set of three simulations.
For the source of the particles, I animated a random shape with mountained geometry to create a more interesting source for the particles for some variation. I also animated the size of the emitter as well.
One layer of sparkles stays denser towards the source
One layer of particles floats up more towards the sky and continues on.
One layer of particles consists of star geometry that changes size based on the life of the particle.
Here is the first rendered pass of the layers together, using emission and color ramps to create variation in the color of the particles.
After some professor feedback and feedback form the group, I made some changes to the way the sparkles die and added a bit more noise to them for a second pass.
FX Progress - Fairy Wings
To continue developing the fairy wings, I wanted to experiment with more ways in which I could show these wings. Therefore, I started playing around with another type of layer I could do for the wings. This layer would cover almost the full base of the wings and have constant moving particles.
These type of particles and movement will be very similar to how the bunny effect and the tree vine effect will look which may help with tying all of the magic together in the story.
Going forward, I plan on figuring out a way through opacity maps and comp, to layer together the simulation tests I have done, in order to create the final product for the wings.
