In addition to the weekly official meetings with Ana, Klaus and Luke (on Friday mornings), we decided to meet between us (VR, VFX and Animation) on Monday afternoons. In this way, we can prepare for general meetings and cooperate more closely. We also recorded all our meetings in Microsoft Teams and kept notes from them on Miro.
Student Meeting (06/02/23)
Following last week’s tasks, we focused on choosing a scene to edit. We were all mainly interested in creating the final act (inside the Departure Lounge) as it felt the most emotionally engaging and allowed us to be more creative in constructing animations, environments, and interactions. We discussed where the experience should start (outside the building – more complicated and time-consuming but better from a storytelling standpoint or inside the building – more realistic to complete).
In the end, we felt that starting with the last room/cell and then creating the rest of the building (without the exterior) seemed the most feasible. VR came up with the idea of adding a control room to the experience where viewers could interact with multiple objects and explore the world/story more deeply. My reservation was time constraints, so we decided to put it aside and add to the environment later in the project. We also updated the official Miro board, set up Trello and created a presentation for the mid-crit.
Some of the topics we discussed further focused on software and interactions. Both VR and VFX approached different solutions to the challenges that could be done in Maya, Nuke, and Unity. We thought about creating hologram effects in Maya and compositing memories/projections in Nuke. However, after talking to VR teachers, they confirmed to us that these effects cannot be transferred from Maya to Unity, so it would be better to create this effect directly in the game engine.
This meeting allowed us to better understand the script, expectations and visuals of the projects. This ensured that we all had a similar approach and discussed the possible challenges we would face with the software and divided the project between the three main majors.
Additionally, I helped present slides for the VR and 3D Animation mid-crits to introduce the visuals and better explain the VFX part of the project.
General Meeting (08/02/23)
The main focus was on presentation slides explaining our ideas and contributions to the project. In more detail, we focused on the graphics, animations and interactivity of the environment. Ana, Klaus and Luke also provided us with curated moodboards.
The Characters
We discussed what ghosts will look like (vague features, hologram effects). Nira took up the 3D character modelling while Jess and I decided to concentrate on the environment/props.
The Props
Receiving information via interactive/non-interactive objects. These include posters, warning signs, holograms of people, visitor suits, sunken/floating objects, photos and surveillance footage. We agreed that there will be almost no plants and animals as extinction due to climate change will occur. However, we can still have moss and crawling insects to add an old-world feel to the experience (and avoid a fully industrial look).
The Departure Lounge
The world we encounter at the end will have a memory of colour and faded murals. It represents hope, to some degree, in the face of catastrophe. The building is designed to be an open space with a high ceiling and cracked walls. It should stand out from the landscape and be visible from a distance. The surrounding water has partially flooded the interior, and a thick fog covers the entire scene. In the last room, the viewers will encounter the skeletons of a mother hugging a child (ghosts from the story). Natural light coming through broken windows can be used to tell a story and guide the viewer through the space. We should also consider artificial lighting. The goal is to create a place that contains the memory/emotion of the place where people used to gather.
As 3D modellers, we’ve been asked to think about what they can realistically achieve in the next two weeks. Since we didn’t have concrete visualisations of the building, I decided it would be best to focus on creating a few moodboards/concepts and the shell of the building (test version) before the next meeting. In this way, we were able to discuss the final version of the space and start adding details as soon as possible.
Research on the VFX:
3D Models World (2018) Creating a Hologram Animation In Maya and Arnold – Holographic Projection. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_td0Kvh4e8Y (Accessed: 06 February 2023).
CG Artist Academy (2020) Maya Holographic HUD Effect. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68fceb23T10 (Accessed: 06 February 2023).
CG Knight (2021) Houdini Hologram Quick Setup With Simple Nodes. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixP8l3yk-OQ (Accessed: 06 February 2023).
CG Plugins (2019) Houdini Hologram | Tool for Creating hologram effects in Houdini. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShKO6AjMo_s (Accessed: 06 February 2023).
Helloluxx (2021) Houdini. In Bloom – Training from Rich Nosworthy. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Ccta-6YC8 (Accessed: 06 February 2023).