Animation: The Paranormal Challenge" Cesare the Somambulist

I got very sick recently so I couldn’t put too much more effort into this. As it’s a test to learn more Blender animation skills I would say it was a big help in seeing more that I need to know and will lead me to try some new things in future projects.

Outstanding issues:

• My first Blender animation (The Houund) was something I was very happy with, this one less so. I used Cycles to render over eevee because eevee was crashing my computer and it slowed things down a lot.
• I need much better facial controls I think I know how to get what I want using shape keys next time out
• I am no where near as comfortable with the Blender timeline and keyframe features as i was in Cinema 4D. It will be a challenge to get where i was before switching.
• I need to get a better handle on Blender lighting

Things I got a better hold on:

• Lip syncing, not there yet but i can see how to get there now
• Grouping and moving collections as one. Not happy with this really but I understand the limitations better.
• Planes with images using alpha channels. I had no idea how to do this in Blender and it’s working now so that is a big plus.

A second episode I am planning is a visit from Alistair Crowley who insists he is invisible. 

Animation project_ The Paranomral Challenge

 Lots of issues came up over the last week on this project. Rendering any animation crashed Blender or worse, the entire OS. I planned to use the less precise but much faster Eevee render engine but it looked pretty bad. This was a disappointment after all the new improvements to it and having found it excellent on my last animated short. Cycles, the more precise engine was going to take 14 minutes a frame over the 30 seconds for Eevee but I managed to find ways to cut that down to 1.5 minutes a frame and they look pretty good I think. 

Before I can go too much further I have to record the voices. I hope to do at least my part this week and set up a date with Mike to do his. I think the delivery box is a too smooth so I might rework that and I have written what will be a VERY complicated site gag that will involve going from 3D to 2D and I have only the slightest idea how to do that. 

Animation project: The Paranormal Challenge

 

Working on my second Blender film. I hope to make a few funny shorts about a skeptic offering 200 000$ to anyone who can prove they have supernatural powers. Of course they are all crazy and try his patience. The first I have the somnambulist for the silent classic "Cabinet of Dr Calligari" predicting the skeptic will die before dawn and they have to sit there all night to see if he is right or not. 

I have spent a good month on the street and interior set. It has taught me more about using Blender and I hope will get me farther along in using the program.