Final Video
Breakdown
Part1 Pre visulize (effect draft)
Turn the storyboard into a 3d animatic
During this team project’s production process, my responsibilities included 3D character rigging, animation, camera tracking, and partial compositing
Critical Reflectiion
This micro-film project aimed to explore themes of social justice through visual storytelling, calling for a reduction in prejudice and the practice of “labelling” others. Within this challenging project, I was primarily responsible for the 3D rigging and animation of a stylized character, as well as camera tracking and compositing for several shots. This experience was not only a comprehensive test of my technical skills but also a profound exercise in teamwork and workflow optimization.
On a technical level, I encountered several anticipated challenges. Firstly, during the rigging phase, the character’s unique design, which included missing limbs, meant I could not rely on standard bone templates. I had to manually adjust the skeletal structure and weight distribution to ensure its movements were both physically plausible and possessed a unique dynamic aesthetic in the subsequent animation. In the camera tracking stage, some shots filmed with wide-angle and sports cameras introduced significant lens distortion, which required me to first accurately reverse the lens parameters in the compositing software to achieve a stable tracking solution. Overcoming these technical hurdles honed my abilities in problem analysis and precise execution.
However, the most profound lesson from this project stemmed from a planning oversight in our teamwork. In animation, my core task was to simulate the character struggling in a storm and to ensure a seamless integration between the 3D character and the live-action performance. However, because our team failed to establish a clear consensus on the specific transition points between CG and live-action shots during pre-production, this led to several shots being unable to connect effectively in post-production. Ultimately, we had to make the difficult decision to cut these shots, which not only affected the narrative pacing but also inadvertently increased the complexity of the compositing work. This mistake taught me that a successful project relies not just on the technical skills of its members, but fundamentally on meticulous planning and thorough communication.
Despite the challenges and setbacks, my greatest takeaway from this project came from observing and learning a new workflow for visual effects (VFX) production. Previously, I was inclined to treat a simulation effect as a single, monolithic entity. However, a team member demonstrated how to break down a complex effect, such as the storm elements, into multiple, independent parts before integrating them. This modular approach not only enhanced the depth and controllability of the final effect but also significantly improved production efficiency. While fully internalizing this new knowledge and applying it to future projects will require considerable practice and thought, it has undoubtedly opened a new door for me, sparking a passion for exploring more optimized workflows.
In conclusion, this group project was an invaluable growth experience. It taught me that while pursuing artistic expression, one must build upon a foundation of meticulous planning and effective communication. In the future, I will place greater emphasis on detailed communication during the pre-production phase and actively apply a modular approach to my work, aiming to achieve a higher level of creation in both the technical and collaborative dimensions.