Creating Sterocopic 3D Images

Using green magenta glasses

 Behind the art building

In my living room

In the art quad

Lighting a Scene in Maya

Key Light

Key light and Fill Light

3 Point Lighting

pixar museum!

Building a scene in Maya

Science Fact of Cinematic Fiction?

Movies in general tend to exaggerate, manipulate, and modify the laws of physics in order create a more dramatic cinematic experience, but the laws of physics are sometimes broken without a conscious thought. This leads to unrealistic movements that do not heighten the movie experience. Instead, it brings the realism and athletics of the movie down. I will discuss the physical errors in the movie Harry Potter, during a Quid ditch scene; Final Fantasy: Advent Children, the fight scene between Tifa and Loz; and Wall-E, the scene after Wall-E is ejected from an exploding capsule. I will also discuss whether the manipulation of physics help or hurt it the movie.  In these movies, I will call attention Newton’s first law, the law of inertia. The law states that whatever is in motion stays in motion. Each movie breaks that law in some way or another, but each is broken with a different purpose. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe_BecE68DM

First I will discuss the physics during a Quid ditch scene in the second Harry Potter Movie, The Chamber of Secrets. In this scene, Harry and Draco both chase after the snitch in order to win the game. Both are pushing and bumping into each other as they try not to lose sight of the snitch. They are both led under the Quid ditch stadium in an underpass crowded by the wood and skeleton supporting the stadium. As they fly deeper, Draco (3:55) suddenly hits the front of his broom on a perpendicular piece of wood that sends him flying up and over the ground of the stadium where he slides to a stop on the grass. In reality, Draco wouldn’t fly up in an arc if he were to really be moving at that speed. Instead, he would fly forward in a shallow arc and would not have been able to fly above the stadium ground. Furthermore, Draco’s body would continue to want to move in a forward motion the moment his boom hits the wood railing. Real life examples similar to this situation are bike and skateboard crashes. The impact of these crashes would send its riders flying forward in shallow arcs. A rider would not be sent 45 degrees up into the air unless the vehicle began moving in that direction before the rider flew off.

This part of the scene did not seem like a decision meant to better the overall action because it does not seem realistic or meant to enhance the movie experience. The physics in the particular scene does not create believable action; instead it created an awkward ending to an exciting chase. In addition, it doesn’t create consistent action throughout the scene. In my opinion, the movement was unnecessary. Draco’s failure would have been much more dramatic if the directors created anticipation of who was going to rise from under the stands. They should have shown Draco hit the wooden beam and fly across under the stands and only have Harry emerge after the snitch. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rCb1noPltQ&feature=related 

Final Fantasy: Advent Children is a movie based on a game called Final Fantasy 7 in which the characters use their skills and strength to help save the world. The movie is similarly based on the same concept where the same groups of people fend of enemies to protect society. During a fight scene, Tifa, one of the main characters of this story is fighting with an enemy called Loz; in which each character defy gravity as they show off their fighting skills. During their fight (1:40), Loz grabs Tifa by a limb and throws her into a wall at an incredibly fast speed, but instead of hitting the wall and breaking her neck, Tifa manages to stick onto the wall in a Spiderman like pose. Aside from gravity, the speed and momentum at which Tifa is traveling at would not have allowed her to stop safely. The law of inertia would have caused Tifa several broken bones and probably a broken wall especially at the speed at which she was being thrown. Since the law of inertia states that all things keep doing what they are doing, objects will wanted to fall due to gravity, which means that Tifa would not be able to hold herself up in that position for that long of a time, especially in that position.

The laws of physics were definitely bent for cinematic purposes to create an exaggerated action scene. In addition, the laws were bent throughout the entire scene instead of just that action, which brings unity and believability to the characters. The way in which Tifa landed was purely unrealistic, but the Spiderman pose she strikes creates an aesthetic appeal to the fight scene. In addition, the directors even created a kind of wind after her pose to show that in that realm, momentum can be absorbed and pushed out. The details put in after the initial action creates an overall scene that makes sense. The viewers really believe she has this ability even though people really do not have that kind of power. The believability is there because the bent in physic is done with a purpose, and the purpose is to convey convincing characters with super human strength.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odhaj7rpXco 

In the movie Wall-E, I will discuss a scene where Eve and Wall-E are in dancing in space right after Wall-E ejects from an exploding capsule. In this scene (3:00), Eve flies by Wall-E using her jet pack but stops abruptly as she catches up with Wall-E. Due to the vacuum in space, objects stay in motion if they are already in motion unless it is acted upon, but with Eve, she stopped abruptly without any outside force. In the movie, Eve flies using her internal jet pack which sends out a blue beam, but during her abrupt stop in space, she did not use a jet pack to stop herself because it was not shown that she did. This means that she would have continued in the direction she was flying. Furthermore, in order for Eve to stop the way she did she would have had to direct her jetpack in the other direction to slow herself down. Outer space satellites, for example, travel in space without the need of fuel after take off. In fact, the only time fuel is used is when these satellites need to change direction, but that requires the rocket to shoot out small burst of fuel in order to gain momentum to change directions.

The way in which Eve is animated during her abrupt stop was meant for cinematic purposes because although the physics were wrong in this situation, it exaggerated and enhanced the scene in a convincing and playful manner. The way she stopped looked as though she was skidding to a halt within an ice ring, but that particular action gives Eve personality. Without this little action, the message of the movement could have been lost. The directors want to show Eve stop and change directions in a quick manner and the little skid is enough for the viewers to understand her intentions. In the same scene, when Eve gives Wall-E a kiss, Wall-E lets go of Eve and slowly floats away. The physics of this action was wrong, but the message conveyed in that movement expressed an emotion that Wall-E was feeling.

      Many laws of physics are broken in movies for purposes to enhance the scene. In Wall-E and Final Fantasy, the scenes were thought out purposefully. In Final Fantasy, it was to create a dramatic fight scene where both Tifa and Loz have super human strengths and can defy gravity. In Wall-E, Eve’s abrupt skid was to create a kind of movement that can be easily read as a quick change in direction. Again, when Wall-E was floating away from Eve, it was showing his change of emotion. On the other hand, it wasn’t quit clear what the purpose of Draco’s dramatic fly off his broom was supposed to signify. Although, it could have been for comical purposes, the way it was present was unrealistic and unconvincing. There was no need for Draco to fly 15 feet off the ground when the audience already knows he was going to fail. The ways in which action is exaggerated should be done with a clear purpose especially when physics is involved. When actions are not thought out clearly, the message becomes unclear. Overall, any property of physics can be broken, but way in which it is broken is what makes a scene successful or not. 

Outline For Second Paper

Outline

First law

Movies in general tend to exaggerate, manipulate, and modify the laws of physics in order create a more dramatic cinematic experience; but many times. I will discuss the physical errors in the movies Harry Potter, Final Fantasy: Advent Children, and Wall-E.

1. Harry Potter : Chamber of Secrets – The quidditch scene where Harry and Draco are trying to grab the snitch, Draco hits the tip of his broom on a piece of wood under the stands. It sends him flying in a parabolic arc onto the floor.
1. If something like this were to really happy, Draco would fly forward instead of upward. Like a bike crash, the moment Draco leaves the broom, gravity would send him falling forwards and towards the ground.
2. With the law of inertia, Draco’s body and broom would want to continue moving forward after a crash instead of up.

2. Final Fantasy : Advent children – During Tifa’s fight with Loz, Loz throws tifa at an incredibly fast speed into a wall, but Tifa manages to stick onto the wall in a spiderman like pose.
1. In real life, if Tifa was actually traveling at that speed, she would either hit the wall and break it or be crushed into a million pieces due to the law of inertia.
2. She wouldn’t be able to stop herself and stick to a wall all on her own. Gravity would force her to fall to the ground. Because law of inertia states that objects keep doing what they do, all objects will fall due to gravity. If nothing stops an object from falling, Tifa would not be able to stick to a wall.

3. Wall –E – A scene where eve and wall-e are in space dancing around each other. Eve floats by wall-e using her jet pack but stops abruptly in space as if there was friction.
1. In space, due to the vacuum in space, whatever is in motion stays in motion unless acted upon.
2. Eve would have stopped only if she directed her jet pack in the other direction, but even if she did she would start moving in the other direction instead of stop abruptly. The only way an object would be able to stop abruptly in the angle she stopped in is if there was friction under her.

4. Conclusion –
1. restating thesis
2. resolution

           

Stop-Motion Character Animation

 

This stop motion animation was a collaborative effort between me and Luis Wong. Luis basically handled the camera work and edited the frames while I moved the figurines. First, Luis and I decided what story we wanted to create. He then set up his tripod and camera. I only had the red stuffed animal so we also used his knight figurine. 

Reverse Video Reference of Walking

The Laws of Physics in an Animation Universe - Bolt

 

The movie Bolt is about the adventure of a dog who tries to find his way back home while finding new friends and the truth about him. Although the world of Bolt similarly mirrors the reality, some laws of physics are pushed and bent purely for movie and entertainment purposes. The movie Bolt is set in around the same time period as our present time and the similarities between our world and the movie cues the viewer that the laws of physics should also mirror our reality, but the main characters like Bolt, Mittens and Rhino, do no follow the proper laws of physics in many ways. Parabolic arcs are also exaggerated or incomplete to create a comical or appealing affect for the viewers. Lastly, the speed at which objects and characters move are incorrect mainly to create dramatic effects. Like in any form of art, things need to be pushed, exaggerated and bent in order to create believable effects.

The story of Bolt is set in a world similar to ours with a dog named Bolt that believes he’s a super hero. His job is to protect Penny and save her from the dangers of Dr. Calico. Growing up in the studio all his life, he believes that the danger put upon Penny is real. One day, as Bolt frantically looks for Penny during a film shoot, he gets lost and is apparently shipped to New York. This is when Bolt realizes something isn’t quite right with his world. Thinking all cats are evil, he forces a cat named Mittens to help find Penny and his way back home. Along the way, they run into Rhino the hamster that is apparently a hug fan of Bolt’s. Over the course of their adventure, Bolt realizes that he isn’t a superhero with extraordinary powers, but just a normal dog.

            As the movie open Bolt is given supernatural powers which shows his ability to bend and manipulate the laws of physics in order to protect his person Penny. Bolt has the ability to bend steel, run faster than cars, burn objects with laser eyes and has the ability to obliterate his enemy with a single bark, the Super Bark. Yet as the movie progresses, it is revealed that Bolt really doesn’t have super powers. Although it is revealed that none of the animals have superpowers, they do indeed break and exaggerate a few laws of physics. The rules that are bent are more subtle and are used to enhance the story. One example is during the scene when Mittens runs up a tree and Bolt tries to super bark her to come back down.  Rhino the hamster decides to grab a ladder. Moments later we see him pushing a heavy ladder while still in his ball. Hamsters, in general, are so light that they could barely push rocks around. Furthermore, Rhino is able to run as fast as both Bolt and Mittens, yet he is clearly a lot smaller than both. No matter how fast Rhino is running, he would never be able to run as fast at Bolt or Mittens if they were running, unless Rhino’s ball was rolling at the same speed. If this was the case, then he would be spinning incredible fast in his ball, yet he is seen clearly running alongside Bolt and Mittens within his ball.  In another scene, Bolt, Mittens and Rhino tries to hitch a ride and decides run after a truck driving on a freeway. All three manage to catch the vehicle in time to hop on. In real life, animals wouldn’t be able to catch up to a vehicle traveling that fast on a freeway. Maybe a dog or cat would but a hamster definitely wouldn’t be able to. Unless the animal was fast like a greyhound or a cheetah, they wouldn’t be able to chase after something going 50 mph on the road.

            Throughout the movie, there have been inconsistencies regarding paths of actions and parabolic arcs. In one particular scene, Bolt attempts to jump over a construction zone while still thinking he has supernatural powers. As he jumps, he begins to move in a parabolic arc but doesn’t complete the full path of action. Instead he falls short and straight down into the construction zone. Many of the Wile E. Coyote cartoons have these incomplete arcs which are meant to exaggerate bad luck or change of what is expected. Bolt expected to easily complete jump over the construction zone, but because of his ignorance of reality, he fell short of his goal. Another example of an exaggerated arc is during the scene where Bolt decides to jump off a bridge and on to a train with Mittens tied to his leash and Rhino in his hands. During this scene, Bolt grabs on to a banner connected to the bridge and falls in a normal parabolic arc but as he swings back up, he actually swings up higher than the bridge and back down again. It is obvious that this exaggeration was meant to show the intense danger Bolt put this companions in and the ignorance he still has about himself.

There are many other physics flaws that are used to clarify and exaggerate a particular action such as the speed of objects and characters.  During a scene in which Penny and Bolt are together, Penny throws a penny to distract the enemies as Bolt comes around to take them down. As Penny throws her penny down, it rolls close to the camera in slow motion and continues to roll on while gaining speed. It eventually slows down and stops around one of the enemy. The penny rolls slower than it should in order to show the viewers that it’s actually a penny that is being rolled. Another case in which things travel slower than naturally is when Bolt and Mittens jump out of the moving van after a pile of Styrofoam fall onto Bolt. The rate at which Bolt and Mittens fall out of the moving vehicle is too slow when compared to the speed at which the vehicle is traveling. Furthermore, Bolt and Mittens are actually rolling in the wrong direction when they jump out of the car. They should be rolling in the same direction as the vehicle, but instead they travel perpendicular to the vehicle. Not only is the speed at which they are tumbling wrong, but the direction in which they fall. They should have at least travelled and rolled a good amount of distance after jumping out of the vehicle. In another scene, Penny is riding on a scooter while Bolt is running next to her. As the enemies close their distance on them, Penny tells Bolt “Zoom Zoom”, which means to grab on to a rope from Penny’s scooter and run at an incredibly fast speed to get away. As Bolt is running, he is weaving through traffic at an incredible fast speed. So fast that both of them should have hit a car, yet both Penny and Bolt are still able to dodge traffic. Furthermore, the enemies are able to gain speed and catch up to Bolt and Penny. All of these characters are traveling at incredible fast speeds while still being able to avoid traffic, something that could never happen in real life.

The movie Bolt has many aspects where the animators bent the laws of physics to create a more entertaining movie experience for the viewers. The examples explained above are just a few of ways animators bend the laws of physics in ways that still seem natural. Having animals perform humanistic tasks helps the viewers connect with these characters. Other times, objects move too fast and need to be slowed down in order for the audience to grasp what is going on. Bending the laws of physics also creates an appealing and even comical aspect to the movie like when Bolt falls straight into the construction zone. In many movies, not all, but many, the laws of physics are bent intentionally and purposefully to enhance the story. Bending laws of physics in subtle ways can create a very appealing movie when executed in the right way, but bending physics too much severs the connection from the views and makes the motions look fake and tacky. The movie Bolt has done a great job in placing areas where they pushed, exaggerated and bent the laws of physics and in doing so helped the movie positively and created a more believable world for many viewers to be apart of.

Outline - The Laws of Physics in an Animation Universe

Movie – Bolt

1.              Introduction- The movie Bolt is about a dog who, along with companions found along the way, tries to find his way back home to his owner and realizes the truth about himself.

a.       Characters do not follow normal laws of physics

b.      Parabolic arcs are exaggerated

c.       Speed of objects and characters are exaggerated for dramatic effects

2.              The main characters have somewhat super animal strength yet they live in a world similar to real life.

1. In the beginning, Bolt is shown to have genetically enhanced super animal strength.

                                                              i.      Bend steel, run extremely fast, super bark, laser eye, etc.

2. Rhino the hamster is able to push a heavy ladder and run as fast as the rest of the animals without falling behind.
3. The scene where Bolt, Mittens and Rhino run after a truck traveling at full speed and are still able to catch it.

3.              Parabolic arcs are exaggerated

a.       As Bolt, Mittens and Rhino jumps off the bridge on to the train, they are thrown into a higher apex before they land on the train.

b.      Bolt doesn’t move in a parabolic arc when he jumps over a construction zone, instead he jumps, arcs half way then falls straight down.

4.              Speed of objects and characters are exaggerated also for dramatic effects

a.       The penny that Bolt and Penny throws down at the enemy rolls longer and slower than it really it

b.      Bolt and Penny zoom through the traffic at an extremely fast rate compared to the cars.

                                                              i.      The enemies also travel at fast rate without crash into other cars.

c.       The speed at which the characters fall off vehicles is too slow.

5.              Conclustion

a.       Thesis

b.      Summary

c.       Reflection

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

In my stop motion, I decided to used my phone for the drop. My goal was to make my phone bounce once, then break. It was hard to get the settle completely right as it was breaking because it was harder to break the twinning than actually having the two pieces twin. I had a plan of how I was going to shoot this but I pretty much shot it straight ahead.Then, I went back to change and tweak anything that needed to be tweaked.

Video Analysis Path of Action

Tracker Video Analysis of Falling

Video Reference

Mini Porfolio

Hi! My name is Christina Chan and I am an Animation/Illustration major. I recently got into the A/I program and is currently taking Art 113B, Art 114 and of course Phys 123. I've always wanted to become a concept artist in the video game industry, but I'll pretty much work anywhere that involves art. 

Here are a few projects that I have done so far.

Here's a short leaf drop that I did in art 28.

The First Post

Yes! got into this class thanks to kevin!