3D Production Pipeline Notes PDF - Grade 12 Multimedia

Grade-12 Multimedia UNIT 1: 3D PRODUCTION PIPELINE Notes 1. Storyboard is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip. 2. Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many...

Grade-12 Multimedia UNIT 1: 3D PRODUCTION PIPELINE Notes 1. Storyboard is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip. 2. Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. 3. The Production phase is often the longest and busiest phase of the animation project. 4. Storyboard is a visual reminder of the plan and can be referred back to throughout the production stage. 5. Character design involves developing the appearance and features of characters in an animation. 6. Expression Sheets may also be developed as a guide to character facial expressions, such as, smiling, laughing etc. 7. An Animatic is a timed moving version of the storyboard made up of individual frames taken from the storyboard and is often accompanied by audio such as dialogue. 8. Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline. 9. Animatic is one of the major components of pre-production 10. Texture refers to the way something feels, or looks as if they might feel like something. 11. Character Line-up Sheets are also produced to compare the Scale. of the characters against one another. 12. Rendering is the option in 3D that regenerate your final image for animation. 13. During Production stage director is the person who approves camera moves, depth of field and the composition. 14. The sheet which indicates the timing of the scene and individual character movements is called as dope sheet. 15. Stop motion is the form of animation that captures one frame at a time, with physical objects that are moved between frames. 16. The process of adding bones to the character is called rigging. 17. The department which is responsible for bringing together all of the 3D elements to create the final rendered film is Compositing. 18. The process of creating a progressively altering image that gives the appearance of continuous motion is called animation. 19. A sheet which has pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make is known as model sheets. 20. Layout Artist is responsible for producing the 3D version of storyboard. 21. Character TD is responsible for making test animations showing how creature or character appears when deformed into different poses. 22. Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline. 23. Effects Team is responsible for producing the elements such as smoke, dust, water, and explosions. 24. A layout is a visual map that instructs the various artists on a scene where the characters are to be positioned and how they are to move. 25. The Layout Artist produces the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper. 26. The Scanner Operator is responsible for scanning drawings prepared by the Clean-up Artist. 27. Onion Skinning is a method used to view several frames of an animation simultaneously, that allows the animator to check the changes occurring within each frame and how they flow together. 28. Walk Cycles are a common form of Loop animation. 29. In most companies, lighting TDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shades and textures into the final scenes. 30. Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object 31. Compositors are responsible for constructing the final image by combining layers of previously-created material. 32. It is at editing stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. 33. Rendering is part of Post-Production process. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING 1. Explain 2D animation Ans. 2D animators create poses on a series of still images that are referred to as frames. By creating a series of poses and playing it over a certain amount of frames you can create the illusion of movement. 2D animation figures are created or edited on the computer using 2D bitmap graphics or using 2D vector graphics. This includes automated computerized versions of traditional animation techniques, such as interpolated morphing, onion skinning and interpolated rotoscoping. 2D animation has many applications, including analog computer animation, Flash animation and Power Point animation. Wick Editor, Synfig, Pencil2D and Adobe Animate are few examples of 2D animation software. 2. Explain 3D animation A 3D animation is essentially a digital version of 2D animation. 3D animation is digitally modelled and manipulated by an animator. The 3D Computer Generated Image production process emphasizes the importance of a smooth production path. It covers design, modelling and rigging steps through touch up and final output in the form of a video or film. In 3D animation, the animator usually starts by creating a 3D polygon mesh to manipulate. A mesh typically includes many vertices that are connected by edges and faces, to give the visual appearance of form to a 3D object or 3D environment. Sometimes, the mesh is given an internal digital skeletal structure called an armature that can be used to control the mesh by weighting the vertices. This process is called rigging and can be used in conjunction with key frames to create movement. Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, Blender are few examples of 3D animation software. 3. What is the purpose of Model Sheet, expression sheet and Character Line-up Sheets? Ans. Model sheets are precisely drawn groups of pictures that show all of the possible expressions that a character can make, and all of the many different poses that they could adopt. These sheets are created in order to both accurately maintain character detail and to keep the designs of the character uniform while different animators are working on them across several shots. During this stage the character designs are finalized so that when production starts, their blueprints can be sent to the modelling department who are responsible for creating the final character models. Expression Sheets may also be developed as a guide to character facial expressions, such as, smiling, laughing, sad, shocked, startled, sleepy, alert, thoughtful, concerned, etc. Character Line-up Sheets are produced to compare the scale of the characters against one another. 4. What is Animatics? Ans. An animatic is a timed moving version of the storyboard made up of individual frames taken from the storyboard and is often accompanied by audio such as dialogue, sound effects and music. Each frame of the animatic depicts a certain key point of the scene or movie. The running time should match the intended running time of the final animation. Animatic can assist with decisions regarding scenes to include or exclude. On commercial project this is very important as it avoids wastage of time and money during production. These help the Director plan how they will go about staging the sequences, as well as how visual effects will be integrated into the final shot. 5. Write note on Story boarding? Ans. The storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualise the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. Storyboards often include notes to describe the frame in more detail, such as mood and lighting, as well as camera moves. It details key events and scene changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing what is occurring in the scene such as camera movements. It is a visual reminder of the plan and can be referred back to throughout the production stage. Storyboards can be especially useful when working in group environments. 6. Name the major components of a pre-production process Ans. The major components of a pre-production process are 1. Story Boarding 2. Layouts 3. Model Sheets 4. Animatics 7. Write note on Layout stage in the Pre-Production. Ans. Once the storyboards have been approved, they are sent to the layout department which then works closely with the director to design the locations and costumes. With this, they begin to stage the scenes, showing the various characters' positions throughout the course of each shot. 8. Describe the major activities that are undertaken during the production phase.  Ans. Some of the major activities that are undertaken during the production phase are the layout, modelling, texturing, lighting, rigging, and animation. 1. Layout A layout is a visual map. It instructs the various artists on a scene where the characters are to be positioned and how they are to move. The timing of the scene and individual character movements will be indicated on the “dopesheet”. A Layout Artist set the stage for each scene of animation. The Layout Artist produces the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper. Each layout is a vital piece of reference for all those involved in the production process. The layout determines lighting and camera angles as well as where characters and props are placed in the scene according to their start positions. The Layout Artist will often work closely with the Director and other specialists such as a Scene Planner and Special Effects Supervisor to work out the scene layout. 2. Modelling Working closely with the Art Directors, Visual Effects Supervisors and Animation Supervisors, Modellers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes (a sculptor's small preliminary model or sketch) into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back tok the Modeller, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required. Modellers are usually split into two or more departments. Organic Modellers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, Hard-surface Modellers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props, and buildings. 3. Lighting Lighting Artist do lighting the individual scenes, also they bring together all of the elements that have been created by the other departments. In most companies, lightingTDs combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shades  and textures into the final scenes, and render out an updated version every day. Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as colour theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfil the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors. 4. Texturing Texture paint departments complete the final stages in preparing the model for animation and rendering. Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, the Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shades and painting textures as per the scene requirements. Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model. 5. Rigging Rigging is the process of adding bones to a character or defining the movement of a mechanical object, and it's central to the animation process. A character TD will make test animations showing how a creature or character appears when deformed into different poses, and based on the results corrective adjustments are often made. The rigging department is also involved in developing cloth simulation – so as well as making a character able to clench their fist or rotate their arm, the rigging and cloth department is responsible for making their costume move in a believable manner. 9. Write a note on the post production phase. Post-production is the third and final step in film creation and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. It involves exporting or rendering out the animation frames and then editing the pieces of animation together using video editing software. It includes the editing of raw footage to cut scenes together, inserting transitional effects, working with voice and sound actors and dubbing to name just a few of the many post-production tasks. The three main phases of post-production are rendering, compositing, sound editing and video editing. 10. Describe the major activities that are undertaken during the post production phase. 1. Rendering The rendering stage is usually associated with computer generated animation, although rendering can also refer to the process of creating final animation frames in traditional hand drawn animation. Rendering is used in both 2D and 3D computer animation. It is the process of getting the final assembled animation scenes or pieces out of the computer in the format of a sequence of individual frames. The aim of rendering is to generate a series of individual pixel based frames or a video clip. 2. Compositing The Compositing Department brings together all of the 3D elements produced by the previous departments in the pipeline, to create the final rendered image ready for film. After the animation has been rendered it may be necessary to add some special effects or to combine separate rendered elements together into one final animated sequence. This process is known as Compositing. Compositors are responsible for constructing the final image by combining layers of previously-created material. They receive material from various sources including rendered computer animation, special effects, graphics, 2D animation, live action and static background plates. The compositor's job is to assemble the different characters and backgrounds into single frames and sequences and so is often the first to begin to see the animation as intended for the final audience. The compositing stage also allows for the addition of other elements such as special effects which have been created using other equipment and processes. General compositing tasks include rendering the different passes delivered by a lighting department to form the final shot, paint fixes and rotoscoping, as well as the compositing of final elements and general colour grading.  3. Editing The editing stage of post-production involves putting the rendered pieces of our animation together in the correct order of events. In this modern digital age this means the use of digital non-linear video editing software which allows a great deal of flexibility in the editing process. In the past the editing process would have involved the use of video-tape or film based methods which were considerably more time- intensive and less flexible. Digital editing offers the benefit of being able to work in a completely digital environment regardless of the final output format. One benefit of digital editing is that it is achievable using any latest desktop computer. Editing is a crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves the initial goal. Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text. Post-production sound editing primarily involves preparing the sound track for import into the video editing software, this may involve adjustments to the sequence or occurrence of particular sounds due to changes made in the editing stage. Editing the Sound track can be a separate process to editing the video track, although these are combined together within the video editing software. 4. Animation Animation is always done after rigging has been complete. Animation is done before lighting as lighting and other effects takes a while to render, so when something that changes often such as animation occurs, lighting would slow it down. 11. What is a Dopesheet? Ans. A dopesheet looks a little like a spreadsheet with rows and columns but its purpose is to provide instructions concerning the time duration of individual character movements, scenes, camera moves and audio details. It ensures that each and every person working on a production is working to the same basic instructions. 12. Describe the process of Ink & Paint Ans. Ink and Paint, which is the process of colouring the drawn frames is used to transfer drawings over to cels which are then hand painted. However, in the digital age the term is often referred to as Digital Ink and Paint as the process now involves scanning the finished drawings into a computer where they can be coloured using a software package. The scanned cels can be coloured in or 'inked' using simple tools such as the ‘Paint Bucket', a tool which is common to many software packages. It is also possible to touch up the scanned line drawings using tools such as the Paintbrush. 13. Write note on the following 1. Line Test A Line Test is a process used to check hand drawn frames prior to them being used for final artwork. Frames are captured either via a video camera, frame by frame or by scanning them into a computer. The resulting sequence allows the animator to assess how well the sequence is flowing. If the result is unsatisfactory then the animator can simply re-draw, add or delete frames and then create another line test. 2. Onion Skinning Onion Skinning is a method used to view several frames of an animation simultaneously, it allows the animator to check the changes occurring within each frame and how they flow together. Traditionally this process involved comparing drawn frames on a light box but many animation software packages include the ability to preview frames with several previous and upcoming translucent frames visible. 3. Walk Cycle / Loops The 'Walk Cycle' is a form of loop animation, where the sequence of frames used to show one foot moving in front of another can be repeated continually and gives the effect of continuous walking. Walk Cycles are a common form of 'loop' animation, they consist of a sequence of frames which together make a continuous flowing loop. They help to make repetitive movements simpler to animate. 14. What are the many specialist roles in the animation studio 1. Modeller Modellers turn the 2D concept art and traditionally sculpted maquettes into high detail, topologically sound 3D models. They then assist the Technical Animator and Enveloper as the model has a skeleton put in place and the skin is developed. Following this, the model may be handed back to the Modeller, who will proceed to sculpt facial expressions and any specific muscle tension/jiggle shapes that may be required. Modellers are usually split into two or more departments. While Organic Modellers tend to have a sculpture background and specialise in building the characters and other freeform surfaces, Hard-surface Modellers often have a more industrial design or architectural background, and as such they model the vehicles, weapons, props, and buildings. 2. Layout Artist A Layout Artist set the stage for each scene of animation. The Layout Artist produces the 3D version of what storyboard artists had previously drawn on paper. Each layout is a vital piece of reference for all those involved in the production process. The layout determines lighting and camera angles as well as where characters and props are placed in the scene according to their start positions. The Layout Artist will often work closely with the Director and other specialists such as a Scene Planner and Special Effects Supervisor to work out the scene layout. 3. Background Artist The Background Artist creates scene settings. A background is essentially a static setting upon which the animation takes place in the foreground. Background images can be very simple and drawn in a similar flat style to the characters. 4. Key Frame Animator The Key Frame Animators draw the images that determine the beginning of a movement and the end of movement. 5. In between Animator The In between animators draw the images or frames inbetween the key frames to complete the movements prescribed by the Key Frame Animator. 6. Clean-up artist Clean-up Artists are responsible for re-drawing the Key Frame and Inbetween Animators drawings which are normally of a rough line quality. 7. Scanner operator The Scanner Operator is responsible for scanning drawings prepared by the Clean-up Artist. 8. Digital ink & paint artist The process of colouring of animation frames is carried out by Digital Ink and Paint Artist using specialist ink and paint software. 9. Texturing Artist Whether creating a texture from scratch or through editing an existing image, the Texturing Artists are responsible for writing shades and painting textures as per the scene requirements. Working hand-in-hand with the surfacing and shading departments, textures are painted to match the approved concept art and designs which were delivered by the art department. These textures are created in the form of maps which are then assigned to the model. 10. Lighting Technical Directors Lighting Technical Directors make sure there is consistency in lighting, colour balance and mood between the various elements of a shot or scene. When appropriate, they ensure the computer generated imagery looks photorealistic to match the live action plates. They combine the latest version of the animation, the effects, the camera moves, the shades and textures, and render out an updated version every day. 11. Lighting Artist Lighters have a broad range of responsibilities, including placing lights, defining light properties, defining how light interacts with different types of materials, the qualities and complexities of the realistic textures involved, how the position and intensity of lights affect mood and believability, as well as colour theory and harmony. They are required to establish direct and reflected lighting and shadows for each assigned shot, ensuring that each shot fits within the continuity of a sequence, all the while aiming to fulfil the vision of the Directors, Production Designers, Art Directors and VFX Supervisors. 12. Compositor Compositors are responsible for constructing the final image by combining layers of previously-created material. They receive material from various sources including rendered computer animation, special effects, graphics, 2D animation, live action and static background plates. The compositor's job is to assemble the different characters  and backgrounds into single frames and sequences and so is often the first to begin to see the animation as intended for the final audience. 15. Write a note on UV Mapping Ans. UV Mapping is the capability to pull every surface of the model apart and have it as a 2D image — This is known as UV unwrapping. What can be done with this 2D image or ‘UV Map’ is the capability to colour specific parts of a model a certain way. When applying a UV Map back onto a model, it stitches the individual parts that had be texture into their respected faces. 16. Differentiate between Video Editing and Sound Editing. Ans. Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging shots to create a seamless final product, and it is at this stage that any unwanted footage and scenes are removed. Other tasks include titling and adding any effects to the final video and text. Post-production sound editing primarily involves preparing the sound track for import into the video editing software, this may involve adjustments to the sequence or occurrence of particular sounds due to changes made in the editing stage. Editing the Sound track can be a separate process to editing the video track, although these are combined together within the video editing software. 17. Write a note on the Sound and Music Score (Soundtrack) Ans. The sound and music score or soundtrack, is an important part of the animation production process. The use of audio, such as music, sound effects and vocal dialogue all play a big part in telling the story. Altering the type of sound used, particularly the choice of music or background ambience will have an effect on the mood of an animation. The editing department is responsible for selecting and assembling the sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mix, ensuring lip sync and adding all of the sound effects required for the final film. 18. Explain the 3D Production Pipeline? Ans: A production pipeline is the set of processes that are used to convert an idea, into a finished product. In terms of 3D, a production pipeline can typically be broken down into 3 different stages, including Pre-Production, Production and Post- Production. 1. Pre-Production: The major components of a pre-production process are as follows: (i) Storyboarding  (ii) Layouts (iii) Model Sheets (iv) Animatics 2. Production: The Production phase is often the longest and busiest phase of the animation project. Some major activities that are undertaken during the production phase are: (i) Layout (ii) Modelling (iii) Texturing (iv) Rigging (v) Animation (vi) Lighting 3. Post-Production: Post-production is the third and final step in film creation and it refers to the tasks that must be completed or executed after the filming or shooting ends. The three main phases of post-production are: (i) Rendering (ii) Compositing (iii) Sound editing and Video editing 19. Define Modeling Ans. Modelling is the process of converting the visualization or the art work in to the 3D. Once the model is ready then only the other departments may proceed with their work like Rigging and texturing.