Administration: Skinning Tasks

Today, Me and Ethan decided which characters each another will be Skinning.
In order to remember us this post will be up.

Skinning Tasks

Ruben


-Assistant
-Soldier
-Generic Female
- General


Ethan

-Spaceman
-Scientist
-Generic Male


As you see Ethan as less one character as he after skin the 3 characters will help Shahbir with the facial rigging and blend shapes.


So let's it begin!!!

Administration: New Timetable for the Next 6 Weeks

Hello guys, here is an important anouncement:
In this post is the timetable for the next 6 weeks, where we will attempt to reach the final stage of our animation trailer. However, I hate to be the one saying this but due to one of our members be away from doing project work for a couple of weeks and where he failed to complete the task given to him last week. we had a meeting and decided to redo the timetable with only 3 members, this doesnt mean he is excluded however the project management and administration of the project are skeptical if he will do anything, though if this is proven wrong, we will quickly give him some work to do.

If any of the members got any questions just ask!

So here is the timetable for the next 6 weeks, where B3D Studios, have to work 100% or even more to achieve the animation at the studios standards, So I wish you all good luck and a Merry Christmas! !


 

Legend:

Shahbir-     
Ethan-        
Ruben-       
Ethan & Ruben-       

Administration: Skype Meeting @ 4PM

It is just to inform, due to weather conditions we will be hosting our meeting online via Skype at 4PM , as tested before, we will be speaking to each and update ourselves with what has been done so far, in terms of modeling, also some important choices to be made, and what is the next step.

For good Project Management purposes, we will record some of the conversation.
We will be using the normal Skype and try the BETA Version of the Business Skype only before Christmas due to its trial time.

Any questions just ask !!

Administration: Timetable for the Following Weeks

After knowing clearly what is left to do in our project, I put this timetable up with the help of my colleagues. This timeable is to be followed strictly, because if things are not done on this time, the trailer wont be presented. So I ask you to give 200% or more of your commitement to make this happen smoothly.

 

 Legend: Chris 

                Shahbir

                Chris/ Ruben

                Ruben/ Ethan/Shahbir

 

 Legend: Chris 

                Chris/ Ruben

                Ruben/ Ethan/Shahbir
                 Ruben/Ethan

 

 Legend: Chris 

                Ruben/ Ethan/Shahbir

 Legend: Shahbir

                 Ruben

                Ethan

  Legend: Ethan

             Ruben/ Ethan/Shahbir

So here is the timetable, I think it is clear enough, but if any questions arise, don't hesitate in asking.

Finally a note to Chris.

I'm not sure if you come here often but here it goes!

I have known what happened to you on the 2 past weeks via Shahbir, I'm sorry to hear that your computer died. and despite the turnarounds being o the blog, we won't be using them. I dont know if you noticed but the post before you posted was already the head of the scientist modeled. Unfortunately, we wont be using them, and we had to come up with other plan to move the project along.

Also, I dont know what is your situation with the computer, so I'm not taking the risk of giving you for at least for a week any Maya work. So as the timetable reads you will be doing the poster design, and then help me with modeling the environments.

If you have any questions just ask, please !

Administration: Modeling List

Here it is the discussed list of the things that still have to be modelled. It is more detailed to help our group understand what really has to be done.

 Modeling (UV Mapped and Joint Placement) List

Character Modeling:

- Astronaut ( Check hands)
- Scientist ( Body)
- Soldier (All & Gun)
- General (tweak body and do face)
- Generic Male (All)
- Generic Female ( Finish Body and Head)
- Assistant( All)

Environment Modeling:

- Metropolis Modeling
    (-Landing Scene, Establishing Shot Scenes, the pursuit scenes Sets)
- Lab Modeling
-Spacestation Interior
-General's Office
-Tank Interior
- Pod Scene Exterior set

Prop Modeling:

-Tank Treadmills

Administration: Mission Skype Meeting Accomplished!

Indeed, yesterday, we did our first meeting online via Skype and it was a success. We tried most of the features that we will be using to communicate over the Christmas period, such as conference calls and screen sharing. The most important thing and the whole point of this meeting was to try the microphones, and I can say we can hear each other loud and clear.
The whole downside was that we can't screen share with 3 or 4 people at the same time, unless we get the BETA version of Business Skype, which has a trial period of 28 Days.

So to sum up, we will be using Skype to communicate with each other as well as the blog, and over the Christmas Period we will try the BETA Version of Business Skype, to efficiently share our work with the other group members.

Announcement: Online Conference Meeting Beta 17th November @ 7PM

On the 17th of November at 7 PM, we will have our fist online meeting, this will regularly be used over Christmas Holiday Period, in order to have an efficient communication within the group over this time away from uni.

We will be using Skype as the the Beta program for this as it is easily compatible either with PC and Mac. The download for the program can be found here. When you download the program you will have to create an Skype account which later we will have to share the account names to add each other contacts.
And that's it !!!

We are ready to try the online meeting, on the meeting we will literally discuss at what point we are with the modeling and the other tasks.

Administration- Checklist for the 22nd of November

Also, I already did a checklist for next week, although I'm counting on things to be delayed as other projects are priority, as they due first. However, If we can model these things, we are already a good way ahead for this project. Also, as a group we decided to work over Christmas, to complete this project successfully, so some tasks can be done that time such as texturing.


Checklist:                                       22th November


Most Modeling Done: 

-Props modeled and UV Mapped

-Characters Modeled and UV Mapped

Administration- Checklist for the 14th of November

This checklist is to quickly move things in this project quicker, although the character design project is due in a  couple of weeks, this project can't stagnate, otherwise things wont get done in time.So for this purpose, I created a quick checklist to set a due date to finish this still pre-production jobs, which are delayed .

Checklist:

14th November

All Pre- Production Done:

-Concept Art finished

-Character Designs finished

-Characters Turnarounds done

Administration- Timetable for Modeling Stage (Week 7 & 8)

B3D is entering production stage, so as the project manager, I decided to create a timetable for the next 2 weeks, where we going to enter the modeling world. firstly, note that this time may vary as Maya can be quite unpredictable, however I am asking you if you could the best to meet these deadlines, it would be grateful and easier for our animation and even for our individual projects.

I decided to carry on with a 5 days schedule where no weekends have been added to it, however, if anything is off schedule try to catch-up on the weekend.
My tip for the following days is to catch-up with other projects work and maya tutorials, as the first few days of week 7 is to catch-up with the models already started.

Alongside this time table I have also done a project plan for this stage and and the only thing I can tell you things need to go smoothly at this stage otherwise things wont get done. Because it is a lot to do in the following weeks.

Any questions just ask.

Administration- Production Roles

We are about to step into production stage, so more tasks have to be divided.
In today's meeting, we delegated the production roles, in order to get things efficiently done, we agreed to choose the strongest people in each tasks based on last year's projects and the beginning of this one.

So here are the roles:

Also, my colleague, A Flock of Pixels and the new administrator of the group, came up with a detailed list of the jobs that overall we have to do. also mentioning, any side notes that we need to know. This specific list was also delegated and jobs attributed to different people.

All group members please note your tasks, and if any questions don't hesitate to ask Ruben or A Flock of Pixels.

Administration- Timetable for Week 6

Here is the timetable for week 6, for better work and to be on the top of things, i will address a time management issue with a weekly timetable, so instead of a 5 weeks one, we will have a weekly, upon which we can change if needed. Also, me and the new administrator Ethan, will be scheduling the maya tasks individually, so we will have an accurate timetable of modeling , texturing, rigging, etc, needs to be done.

So far here for next week, where we finish the Pre-Production stage and start the Production.

Week
6

Last week of Pre-Production and beginning of Production

Monday  

Discuss Characters, choose final concepts

Discuss Production Roles

Chris-Design all of the chosen Characters on Monday.

Ethan-Finish any Pre-viz scenes, and start modeling the Props. (Spacestation
Exterior)

Shahbir-Finish Business Cards,Forum Banner and Publish our studio on the
forum.

Ruben- Finish Spaceman Concept and help on the Character Design.

Tuesday

Chris-Painting Character Concepts

Ethan- Prop modeling (Finish Space Station Exterior Start Pod)

Shahbir-Poster Designs ( teaser poster example and a final poster example). Update
forum thread.

Ruben- Environmental Design

Wednesday

Ethan Away!

Shahbir- Prop Modeling (Cars)

Chris- Paint Character Concepts

Ruben-Environmental Design

Thursday

Ethan-Character Modeling

Shahbir-Prop Modeling (RAD device)

Chris-Finish Character Paintings

Ruben- Environmental Design

Friday

Shahbir Away!!

Ruben Away!!

Ethan- Character Modeling

Chris- Refine Poster Designs

Administration- New Management Roles

After not so successful presentation at the pitch, it was clearly visible that our group was having some issues in terms of communication, management roles, etc. To not leave these factors damage our project, we decided to address them straight away.
So as the producer and administrator, I decided to change a bit the management roles, in order to our group to work more efficiently, something that has been lacking lately.

Administration- Project Timetable Changes

Knowing that the pitch is next Wednesday Afternoon, the administration decided that was need to make some changes to speed up the project and to be able to present professional concepts and storyboards at the pitch next week.

This changes will be applied principally until next Monday, however if the project is still delayed, They will maybe continue.

Pre-Production Roles Changes:

Ruben- Finalizing all the props and environmental designs.

Shahbir- Working closely with Ethan to finish the storyboards ( it means work on from the rough storyboards to the final ones). And put Sound on the Animatic when done.

Chris- Finish Character Design, and Sound Design, Work with Shahbir and Ethan to find the appropriate sound for the Animatic.

Ethan- Finalizing the Storyboards and Animatic.


Here is the update, later I will upload an update on the project plan, to inform how the things are going.

Administration- Project Plan 2nd week Update

Every week, the time management and project managment director will update the project plan, and inform the fellow colleagues of what is going on schedule and what is not. So here to mark the beggining of this trend is the first update.