Collabration Project - Reflective Statment

For the Collaboration project we were assigned into a group consisting of three members, Michael Brook, Michaela Cernejova and myself. At the briefing we got giving a theme/guideline of “Failed / Forgotten Superheroes”.

I took us several weeks to arrive at our refined idea that we went with. I feel like we’ve wasted those week but it couldn’t be helped and I’m glad we did because otherwise we wouldn’t have got to the concept we went with.

I strongly feel that this project was a success. It gave me the opportunity to learn to animate in Maya 2018 and also gave me the opportunity to work as a park of a great team, with Michael being good team leader and keeping us organised and Michaela being a good modeller for sets and props. I really enjoyed working in a team where we all flexible enough to change idea when need be. This project has given an insight of what it would be like working in the creative industry.

If I could go back and do this project again I the only I’d change would  be to communicate more with my team and be more clear with what I was doing and keep them more up to date with my progress throughout the project.

Collaboration Project - Final Animation - "Hero's Journey"

In this story we see a scenario where superheroes are no longer in the prime and what they're up to in their spare time.

Collboration Project - Hulks Scene Final (no audio)

I've yet to edit some audio into the scene but here is the complete scene for the hulk.

Collaboration Project - Hulks Scene - Rendered Shots ( 2 & 4 )

Here are the final render for shot 2 and 4 of the Hulks scene.

Collaboration Project - Hulk's Scene - Shot 04 Renders and Playblast

Collabration Project - Hulk - Blendshape Test

Collabration Project - Hulk scene - Shot 3

This the part where Bruce Banner can no long supress his anger and transform into the hulk.

Collabration Project - Hulk's scene - Shot 02 update

Animating the Body



Here I've added a few more movements and gestures to the hand and shoulders to try and not make the character look too robotic.

Character Design - Storyboard Exercise - Kung Fu Panda

Collaboration Project - Hulk's Scene - Shot 02 Update

Animating the Face



After blocking in the animation for the neck movements, here I've gone in and put in key frames of the movements of Bruce Banners facial features. The next step is to work on timing of poses and then start putting key frames for the body to add more life to the character.

Character Design - Puppy - Expression Sheet

Collaboration Project - Hulk Scene - Animating Shot 1&2

Hulks - Shot 01 from Douy on Vimeo.



 Shot 2 - Basic rough outs

Collabration Project - Hulk's Scene - Lighting

Camera 1

 Camera 2

HDR Dome Texture

For this scene I decided to light it with a HDR dome to give it a global lighting and I also used a directional light to get strong casted shadows to show the time of day (afternoon).

Character Design - Puppy - Final Head/Face

Collaboration Project - Matte Painting and Texture

Collabroration Project - Flash Articles

Collaboration Project - Flash News Article Test

After exploring different looks for the news article for the flash's scene we've decided to go with the third one as it looks simple and the there's no colours to distract the views from the headline. 

Collaboration Project - Matte Painting

Here are 2 variations of the matte painting for the background of Superman's scene. we're not sure whether to have to dotted texture on the or not. 

Life Drawing Yr2 - #6

Character Design - Props and Sidekick

Here I've designed some props for Wreck it Ralph and putting him in a scenario where he's about to go into battle.

I was given 'medieval' as a theme and had to design a sidekick character. Below is a young inexperienced knight who has to live up to his family name and was forced to become a knight. 

Collabration Project - Concept Art

Here are two concept paintings depicting the last scene of our animation. We weren't sure whether to set it at a beach or a park so I did paintings of both.

Charcter Design - Puppy - Head

Collaboration Project - Thumbnails - Props

The Hulks Car

  I like #4 the most because the edges are squared off which will give more contrast to when old Bruce Banner turns into the hulk where the car will be inflated and rounded.

Drawing #3 is the best choice out of the three as its easily recognisable as one of Batman's gadgets.

Life Drawing Yr 2 - #5

Film Review - Hero's Journey - Hercules

Hercules (1997) is an animated feature film released by Walt Disney Pictures. The movie is loosely based on the hero Hercules, son of Zeus, in Greek mythology.

Hercules is a great example of The Hero’s Journey as the story is about a legendary hero having to complete tasks to earn the rights to live amongst the gods. Below is a chart of Joseph Campbell's version of the Hero's Journey.

1 Call to Adventure – The Call to Adventure in this film is when the young Hercules visits the temple of Zeus looking for answers and finds out that that Zeus is his long lost father. Zeus then tells Hercules that In order for him to return home and live amongst the gods Hercules would have to become a true hero.

2 Refusal of the

3 Supernatural Aid Call – After speaking with Zeus, Hercules goes to find the most famous hero trainer (Philoctetes). What he found was a perverted old goat spying on a group of nymph as they were bathing.

4 Crossing the Threshold – As Hercules spoke with Zeus he found himself in-between to world, the ordinary farm boy and the young demi god. He then decides to go down the path of becoming a hero.

5 Belly of the Whale – When Hercules was tricked into freeing the hydra, he got swallowed by the beast and so he cuts the hydra’s neck from the inside. Moments later he finds himself in more trouble as the hydra comes back to life with more heads.  

6 Road of Trials – After Hercules defeats the hydra and the citizen of Thebes begins to recognise him as a hero. The music starts and we see the heroic Hercules goes through the literal “Trials” of the “Twelve Labours”.

7 Meeting the Goddess – Hercules met Meg for the first time as she was in the hands of a monstrous centaur. At this part of the film there are two meanings to the term goddess. One being Meg as the physical meaning and the other being the opportunity Hercules to become the hero and save the damsel in distress.

8 Woman as temptress – After Hercules saves Meg from the centaur he cur comes to Megs charms and begins to like her.

9 Atonement with Father – Hercules and Phil have a falling out and Meg persuades Phil to go back and help Hercules.

10 Apotheosis – Meg gets hurt thus breaking the deal with Hades and Hercules’s strength returns to him. As she lies the in his arms Meg confesses her love to Hercules which gave him a boost of motivation.

11 The Ultimate Boon – With the noble act of self-sacrifice to save Meg, Hercules has become a “True Hero” thus returning his god hood and becomes immortal.

12 Refusal of Return – With his powers taken away Hercules refuses to stay out of the fight with the Cyclops.

13 Magic Flight – Hercules regains his strength and flies off on Pegasus to rescues the gods.

14 Rescue from Without – Meg pushes Hercules out of the way of a falling column which results in herself getting badly injured.

15 Crossing the Return Threshold – Hercules defeats the titans and successfully save Olympus.

16 Master of Two Worlds – In the end, Zeus offers Hercules a place in mount Olympus to live amongst the gods.

17 Freedom to live – Hercules refuses the offer because he wants to live his life as a mortal with Meg.

Maya Tutorial - Moom - Weight Lifting

moom from Douy on Vimeo.

Character Design - Week 3 - Environment

In this lesson we got given 3 things (mad, water treatment plant, wild west) that we're supposed to base our environment on. I made up a story of a sheriff going insane and kills his family and hangs them from a water tower.

Life Drawing yr 2 - #4

Character Design - Week 2 - Fabric

Here I'm trying to figure out how characters would look if the were in a world made of fabric.

Character Design - Week 1 - Puppy

Studies from Reference