About Multimedia...

Fantasy Olympics Rational

2011-12-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

The second project in this term is to design a promotional advert for a fantasy Olympic bid, we had to create our character, sport,environment all in 2D but using Adobe After Effects to animate a 30 second 3D animation . This is my first time to work with After Effects software.

At the beginning of the project, when I read the brief there are several ideas came out, I've chosen the hurdle race as the Olympic sport, then I sketched those design ideas. To using a dog for my character in the project, I thought dogs are human's best friends, and we are quite familiar that lots of designers are using dogs in their animations. After completed the character design, I scanned those sketches into my computer, then using Photoshop to separate the character in different layers. I also made the environment scene in the same process. All the things are ready, I started import them to After Effects.

Before watch the tutorial, I have no confidence in this software. It is a little bit like a software that combination of Flash and Premiere. So I decided to work with the tutorial step by step.The tutorial is really helpful, puppet tool is amazing which brings me a lot continence in controlling the character action. I have found that I still got some problems in this project, the most serious one is background, I've failed in creating the 3d environment space, so I only keep it in the flat view.

Throughout the project, I feel that I have done quite well in creating the character expression and action parts, but created a 2D animation is much harder than 3D one, especially in the environment part. I have to say I really enjoyed in doing this project it gave me a chance to learn new software and explore further into actual animation side of the program.

Fantasy Olympics-Character Design

2011-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Different side view of my character.

Character with his expressions.

'The Chess Player'

2011-11-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

My chess player animation.

This term the project was to create 'The Chess Player' animation.Firstly, when I read the brief, I found the chess game is unfamiliar for me, so I did some research on-line. I also made a quick storyboard for my animation idea. My story is quite simple but easy to understand, also I am focus on the player's action, and trying to present the story clearly.

About the design of the robot arm I keep the shoulder part as the same as the tutorial given, but change the hand part. The shape of the robot palm is trapezoid, and close to the human palm. The chessboard design is to keep the original look, but the chess pieces got some changes.
I have use some warm colors in my texture, especially the robot arm, I added the light bronze and mottled pattern on it.In addition, I have to say the tutorial is extremely helpful, not only learned how to create the models, but also helps us solve the movement, animating and lighting problems.
I am quite like the lighting in the scene, shadows are helps the viewer more prominent the light area.This time I tried to use 4 camera and shot from different view, such as long shot, close-up, full shot and so on. The curve editor is really useful, it makes the movement more smooth, but I am not good at control of the gravity action, so still need more practice. I have used the mental-ray for my rendering, it makes the texture and lighting effect feel more realistic.
Overall, I really enjoy doing this project, after finish this project my creating and animating skills improved are lot and brings me more experience. The action part and camera view both animated successfully. If I practice more on the 3d animation , I think that I could work in the part of the 3d pipeline.

500 words rational and review

2011-05-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Finally finished my Design Practice 3 animation，there were many little stories happened when I was doing this project，such as my computer crushed twice，the Adobe premiere didn't work...hu...but I still enjoy doing it.
For my project I've choosen to using the 'dojo scene', I am quite interested in the action story, therefore, I hope that could be related with my work. This is not my first time to create characters, however, it still tricky for me to work with. At the beginning, my plan is to create three characters, a man , a woman and a mouse. When I making the woman character I made some silly mistakes, so I decided to change my plan at the last minute, then the role become to two character, but the main storyline stay the same. The man character design is based on my boyfriend, I also record his voices to add the animation sound effects. The mouse is the other role in my animation, I did lots of research about it, I want to make it different and act like a 'Kung fu' mouse.
Comparing this piece with last Robot animation,there a little bit improvement, like the environment I put lots of elements, such as trees and surrounding things, which to make it more rich and diverse. The characters looks more flexible. On the other hand,I am not happy with the camera set at this time, the angel shot is strange, which made the screen moving too fast to watch, also, the action is still not consistent. I will keep practicing and improving my personal technical skills perfect.
Overall, through produced this project I've learnt lots of different skills such like add bones to character is really good for them to move, also the skin modifier, and thoes tools all can use in my 3rd year porject.

Dp 3 nimaion and animatic.

2011-05-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

The Art Of Seeing

2011-03-23T16:15:00.000-07:00

www.flickr.com/photos/shelleytu

My website of Portfolio

2011-03-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

www.shelleytu.weebly.com

DP3 Project 2

2011-01-20T04:55:00.000-08:00

Compare to last project this one seems more interesting. My inspiration is from some action movies ,such as 'Green Hornet', 'Spider man',etc.

My idea is around 'A Pizza', two characters are grab for the last piece of pizza and they think to duel for it, during the process characters both have different kind of action and they also use tools. And I use my boyfriend and me to become the characters in this project,we will also act some famous action inside the scene.

'Of Bots and Bananas'

2010-12-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Finally, I hand in my work today, I'm quite happy with my animation,but still have some part need to improve. In this project I learnt more things, such as how to make the mirror effect and also practice well in 3ds max software. At first, I used to create my robot story inside the factory, later I found I can't handle with the robot action and scene,so I try to make another one. The new idea is about the robot with the mirror, that robot walk out from the factory then he go alone with the houses, on the way he found a mirror house...In this work I am not satisfied with
robot action and materials. The robot action looks not nature, I really need to work out it afterwards. Through this project,I think only learn and practice more in 3ds max that really helpful in our works.

Animation

2010-12-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

Animatic

2010-12-07T04:37:00.000-08:00

Key poses

2010-12-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Storyboard

2010-12-04T04:37:00.000-08:00

I've changed my environment, before I decided to make a factory ,but now the story is outside the factory, around it there are some houses.

Dinosaurs series.

2010-11-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

2nd year！

2010-11-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Back to work already for few weeks, our first project is to design a robot and creat a story about the 'of robots and bananas'. I started to think about the storyboard and character.So I did some research of images that will relate to my character.

I prefer to create a cute and smart robot, I like the robot which in the middle of the image, and I will borrow some design ideas from that robot. I also look at some comedy and cartoon,such as Chaplin's comedy and TMNT,that helps I think about the actions of my robot.Secondly is the environment I would like to create a robot factory.

Final week！

2010-05-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's time to do the editing. I found some suitable songs and soundeffects, I think it will be better if could put the loud music on the background. The music which I choose are ‘Black Hole Sun’,' My way','Batman Theme' and 'Chop Suey'.

week four

2010-05-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

We are starting shoot this week, when we filming is hardly like that we imagine. As some external conditions, the content of the film needs some improvements, like the balloon part, before shot we thought to pop the balloon,and now we decided to let the actor cut the line of it.

Except those tiny problems, we are still got a quite smooth filming. One of the part is about the actor blow the tobacco to a girl, that scene I thought is very successful.

week three

2010-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

After determining the content and details of the film. We also need to have some more knowledge about using the video camera, such as the mic and sound contorl, zoom and lights.
And this time we are going to filming in DV mode. In the film we need to use the camera, tripod and microphone.

week two

2010-05-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

This storyboard is drawed by Charlotte, one of our groupmate.

The story shows very clearly in this image. And it also showing the shot sequence.

Moving image-week one

2010-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

This project is about group work, there are four in our group. We started by reading the brief, the name of this short shot is 'Poor Adhesion Site',and it's about a man who has strange behavior and mentality. We all have our own jobs, mine is editing. After discussion we decided to add an extra scene in order to explain his behaviour.

Super Mario Quiz

2010-05-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Super Mario Quiz by ~shelley1129 on deviant ART

That is my final piece for my interactive media, the document when I upload has make some mistake, some of part for my flash quiz cannot be showed when audience play, but it's all right in my computer...so only I can do is put the image for the lost parts. Sorry about it.

A 500 hundred word rational describing my Interactive Media design.

2010-05-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

My idea comes from the Mario games. Mario is not only my favorite cartoon character, but also my favorite protagonists in the most of games. Before to do this project I did lots of research, such as review Mario's game, read some introduction and storys about Mario. Except my own ideas I also looks some other examples, 'The impossible quiz' give me a deep impression.Finally I decide to make the flash quiz about Mario's histroy, and the video part need audience to watch it carefully then answer the question.
The process for the quiz design is interesting but quite complicated. In order to make the screen layout looks more rich and varied, I add some colours also put in some animations. As I have a quite good sensitive to the colors, then choose the right color is much easier for me. In animation part I stuck and editting for so many times, when i finish my first quiz, I found except the color the screen seems too monotonous. So I think if I could add some dynamic things and it will make lots of fun. In fact to make the imagine become reality things is more difficult. There are only few problems about the Actionscript, but I found is a little bit tricky to control the videos and sounds. Background music and video sound are always come out at the same time, and when I press the silence synbol all the sounds closed. Audience do not need to know more about Mario, but need to use their imaginations. After editting thousand times I thought my flsh quiz is successful, the screen layout has animation and coordination of colors, questions are not boring so it will have a good interation with audience.

About research

2010-03-11T12:48:00.000-08:00

'The impossible quiz' is a such a great flash quiz I've never seen before. The soundeffects is interesting, also the questions. Some of the question seems quite easy, but it will takes time to let you think about it. When you choose the wrong answer you will lose a life. After fail five lives you need to start the game again.
http://www.notdoppler.com/theimpossiblequiz.php

Flash-Quiz!

2010-02-18T12:06:00.000-08:00

Last term we all did some basic works in Flash,and my final project is a cat flash,and in this term we are going to make a flash quiz.Flash quiz sounds very interesting,to answer different questions are making lots of fun,but when I thought the details on making the quiz I suddenly feel headache.Anyway hope I can make a good flash quiz.

New term!

2010-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

The new term has been past almost a month.The target for this term is to make a desicion of what we will doing for next two years. I am quite worried about to choose the pathway, as I have no experience and lack knowledge of those three pathways. I hope through the seminar practice it will help me to know more about the pathways.

My Final pixilation work!!

2009-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Pixilation

2009-12-08T14:58:00.001-08:00

In fact,the way to do this project is quite similar to the white board one,the tools they both use a digital camera.Pixilation is one of the stop-motion animation,but it use the live to instead of puppet or others and performances recorded with the freeze-frame mode.It sounds quite boring,but when you work in pixilation you will find it's really a interesting thing.We had our introduction with Adrew in the first week,after watch the pixilation examples,he divided us into different groups,then give each group a digital camera and ask us to create a story by keep taking photos.I am in the group of four,we took our photos in the Botanical Garden just next to our studio.In our story,we tried to make gliding,free movement effect,and also we think about to make some magic effects.
After class I have a look around some pixilation works by others,I am quite interested in the way by using shadow to create stories.The film below is one of the example which I thought is very interesting.

Interactive Narrative-Research,idea,process.

2009-11-19T17:39:00.001-08:00

Before I start to create an idea for this project,I did some research about it.There's an example I found is very interesting.http://www.abc.net.au/arts/strange/animations/testimony2.htm This Interactive story is called 'A Story Machine', it's an interactive comic strip, a non-linear fiction where the story may be rearranged randomly to give the viewer an infinite variety of sequences. It is a story to be played with. The user may click where s/he pleases, causing images to be replaced, or characters to animate and change position. I like the way the designer let the viewer to choose the frame they want to watch,and it also like to play an Interactive game. My idea is about a cat searching food,the pic below is my Interactive Narrative chart. Finally，I done the project!
The Cat by ~shelley1129 on deviant ART
The process of the Interactive Narrative is quite tricky.I did some research in it.I hope to make the work like an animation by using Flash,but so complicated.As I have lack knowledge of using Flash,so I only can work with the introduction in lecture notes.The story is revolves around a cat in search of food. There are 11 frames in my work,the first page is the cat's expression image,use the expression image because I think in each frame the expression is the critical thing to show the audience how the cat looks like.In order to make the flash looks more interesting,so I give it two endings.After you finish watch it you will figured it out.

Interactive Narrative

2009-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Interactive Narrative is the new project which we will been doing these three weeks,before we start I think is very important to understand what the Interactive Narrative is.We had our lecture at the first week and I think is more helpful to let us know more about Interactive Narrative.It's relies on a series of inter-linked scenes being shaped to form a greater understanding,in the perceprion of the viewer or reader.
In this project we're going to create a story by at least 10 images, use Flash to develop it,add text or sounds on it in order to make them looks more interesting.

Our film-An apple a day.

2009-11-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

The video above is our first one shot film.The story is very clearly to show in the film.After editting, the sounds and pictures have become more fluent,but we still need to improve,such as the effect,it could be more smoothly not just comes out suddenly.I will try to edit another one in these few weeks,hope I can do better.

'Surgery'

2009-11-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

We decided to started the short film last monday,the equipment which we need were
a HDV camera,a tripod,a light and some blue gels.To make the short film a more proffesionalwe also brought some props,especially Kieron,he went to Primark and bought some candles,a white curtain,and a 'doctor's cap'.So funny that the cap is actually a shower cap.When he asked us that did he need to wearing that cap when shooting,and someone ask 'Are you going to take a shower?'
After everything arranged,we began to shot.The sound was not recording when we shot at the first time,we feel a little bit upset.So we trying to slove the sound problem and to take the second time.It is more successful.In the film I was to play a supporting role who is internships with the doctor.My role is not important in the film but I've learned a lot from the filming process.In the filming session
I've learned more about the equipment which we were using, cooperation is also important in the group work.The short film is going to editing on Thursday,and I am looking forward to seeing the results.

DP1:One Shot Film

2009-10-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

To create a single short film with classmates in the group is our first assignment.

We need to discuss what kind of story is it,how to shot the film,and also the dialogue.

I am really enjoyed this project,because it's a new thing for me,and also I can learn more things I've never learned before. We had introduction about how to use the equipment,after that we done a film in the lesson.

It's about gallery droll, very interesting. I am responsible for the equipment with another classmate.In the film we tried use different ways to filming,change the focus,the light,and so on. This's just to practice before we start our assignment.We have several ideas in our group, one is 'Bus Stop', the second is 'Shop Incident', another is 'Surgery'.As the space is limited, we decided to shot 'Surgery' at last.

Everything start from now.

2009-10-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

I am Shelley Tu and I've just started my Multimedia at NTU.

We had our introduction,whiteboard and made pinhole camera this week.

Whiteboard is that many frames taken from each drawings,put then all together we will find out it just like

a short animations.This is my first time to making a pinhole camera,it's not hard but a new thing for me to try.

After using pinhole camera to take photos,I found that the photos taken were good and different for other normal pics.

The beginning of the new term!

2009-10-07T04:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first year I come to Notthingham. I am so glad to join the NTU and meet so many new friends!!