Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

  

Self-Portrait from New York City

 Santa Cruz Boardwalk

 

 Winter Park near the Aquatic Center

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This is my personal work I've done during last summer. I used a toy figure to create these turtles through maya.

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

IMG_5933

 

Maya IMG_5933

 

45 Degrees IMG_5933

 

IMG_5871

Maya IMG_5871

 

 

45 Degrees IMG_5871

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extra Credit: Lighting a Scene in Maya

One Point: Directional Light

Two Point: Ambient Light

 Three Point: Spot Light

 

Building a Scene in Maya

This is my original non-lighting project

 

Outline for the Third Term Paper

Special Effects in Animation and Live-Action

I. Introduction

a. This essay will explain how explosions are created in live-action films.
b. Star Wars and Jaws are visual presentations that will also illustrate the different special effects methods in each film and describe how they were successfully used in the creative process.
II. Body


         1. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

a. Miniature model of Death Star was painted black and expertly constructed in great detail with explosives put in certain places to achieve maximum visual effect.
b. A computerized dolly was develop to help cameras film at various levels to enhance depth and perception involving the destruction of an evil space station.c. Gun powder and explosive chemicals exactly measured were combined by pyrotechnic experts to illustrate a realistic nuclear explosion of the Death Star.          2. Jawsa. A mechanical shark that had realistic feature was motorized and operated by remote control with pyrotechnic devices placed in the head area.
b. Small amounts of gun powder was use by technical experts to create an explosion as a shark moved into camera position for the final scene.III. Conclusion

1. The Star Wars explosion consisted of computer generated images and new technology that provided film quality to the destruction of Death Star.

2. Jaws mainly use mechanical devices and robotics that gave the explosion a surreal quality encompassing the death of a killer shark.

3. Both films were made and used technology from the 1970s that would be considered outdated by the film industry of today.

Stop-Motion Character Animation

Bucky O' Hare and Toad Air Marshall Soccer Game

 

    The video presentation depicts two characters named Bucky O’ Hare and Toad Air Marshall playing an animated soccer game. There were several steps taken to create the visual animation project. First, I gathered 6 or 7 background characters with cars to be an audience and used green construction paper to mark off lines for a soccer field. Second, the two main characters were placed in the middle of the soccer field. Third, a background of white boards were placed to the left, right, and back of the playing area. Fourth, photos were taken of each movement of the toy cars. Two characters on foot were photographed as they moved into the back area of the video. Fifth, the two main characters are moved a little at a time and end up in the middle of the soccer field. Photos were taken displaying the characters doing a spinning and flipping action as they got closer to each other for their athletic confrontation. Sixth, photos were shot using a start and stop technique to show a soccer ball progressively moving down the middle of the field. Seventh, the action on the soccer field begins as the characters get closer to one another and start kicking the ball. Various shots were taken as they progressively move from position to position in the presentation. Eighth, at the end of the video, Bucky O’ Hare scores a point by kicking the ball into the goal. Ninth, he spins around and is elated, while Toad Air Marshall feels disappointment and falls flat on his face. The last photos show Bucky moving to another animated position in the playing area. Finally, a flag appears as Bucky stands in victory on the soccer field.

Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction

 

The Physical Law of Kinetic Energy for Feature Films

   The physics laws of kinetic energy has been prevalent in visual presentations since the 20th century. These laws are constantly misused or broken to maintain the interest and action of the viewing audience. In my opinion, the three types of media that demonstrates the incorrect way kinetic energy is illustrated encompasses cartoons, live-action films, and graphic animation features. Cartoons are mainly designed for children and young adults from 5-25. The presentations contain outlandish events over a short period of time. In cartoons, kinetic energy involving speed are always shown and the audience doesn’t care whether or not physics laws are broken. People see cartoons as funny and the action that takes place as unreal. Live-action presentations are major films and the kinetic laws are designed  to stress the imagination of the mind. Car chases, supersonic speed employed by individuals and objects, and armed conflicts between opponents are depicted in a dramatic and comedic way. Kinetic laws demonstrated in these films are usually fantasy that can be possible in the future but modern technology has not been develop at the present time to accomplish these ideas. The audience is not concerned with whether the scene of kinetic energy is fact or fiction but only as a way to heighten the excitement of the film. Graphic animation sometimes combines with live-action films and uses 3D and visual effects that usually are not employed by other media. It presents graphically produced individuals as real people and places them in situations where kinetic energy is used inaccurately to escape danger or enhance superheroes in a positive way. In many scenes, the images presented are continuously breaking the law of physics by animation techniques that defy reality and could not be done in modern society. This paper will describe the physics laws of kinetic energy in a cartoon, live-action film, and graphic animation feature and demonstrate why these visual presentations could not be adopted in real life.
    The physics laws of kinetic energy are usually inaccurately illustrated in cartoons. In a scene from “Fur of Flying,” cartoon character Wile E. Coyote is depicted at a secret military base constructing a rocket that will help catch his prey the roadrunner. He finally completes his project, rolls it out to the desert, ties himself to the top of the rocket, starts and accelerate the projectile to supersonic speed, and begins to chase the roadrunner. During this pursuit, the roadrunner stops, while the rocket continues to pass him crashing into a mountain. The physics laws of kinetic energy are broken and cannot be applied for several reasons. First, a rocket slightly above the ground traveling horizontally at supersonic speeds would develop friction, which will create intensive heat and any living human being tied to the projectile would be burned beyond recognition. Second, the supersonic speed generated by kinetic energy would prevent Wile E. Coyote from remaining motionless in the center of the rocket, which would cause the projectile to veer off course and thus not capture the roadrunner. Finally, the wind force created by kinetic energy would blow into Wile E. Coyote’s body with such a velocity that it certainly will disintegrate him. Therefore, the scene that depicts Wile E. Coyote riding on a rocket breaks all the physics laws of kinetic energy, which makes it impossible to apply in real life.
    “Back to the Future, Part II” is a film that incorrectly gives many examples about the physical law of kinetic energy and their possible use in time travel. In one scene, the time travelers are making final preparation for their journey into space. Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) is packing some scientific equipment into the trunk of this futuristic car. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his girlfriend Jennifer are loading boxes of personal items necessary for the trip. The travelers then get into the car, back out of the driveway into the street, accelerate at supersonic speed, and disappear into the stratosphere on their way to their objective. The plan is to proceed towards their future destination of Oct 21, 2015 and return to earth with new discoveries that would beneficial to mankind. However, there are several factors encompassing the physics laws of kinetic energy that would make it impossible for this to happen at the present time. First, kinetic energy would have to accelerate the velocity to the speed of light or a 186,000 a second, which would increase heat and causing the vehicle to break apart or be destroyed in space. Second, should the vehicle and the occupants survive this ordeal, there is still the relativity factor. In physics, kinetic energy changes both relative speed and time. For example, if an automobile continues towards its destination, the travel time of the individuals is much slower while the people on earth would not experience any change at all. Thus, the time travelers would arrive on Oct 21, 2015 believing their time reference is the same on earth. When they return to earth, they would discover that thousands of years have elapsed and the world and people would have changed for better or worse. Therefore, kinetic speed, relativity, and time distortion are factors that would make it impossible for modern day travelers to embark on a space odyssey like the journey depicted in the film.
    “The Incredibles” is a graphic animation film involving superheroes, who use the physics laws of kinetic energy to fight for truth and justice. During the film, kinetic energy enhances their special powers to destroy evil individuals, who want to rule the world. In one scene, superhero Dash is running through a forest pursued by villains that want to capture him. Eventually, he stops at a lake with his pursuers close behind him. Sensing danger, he employs his superpowers to run across the lake to escape his antagonists. However, while animators can create graphic characters to run across the lake, the physics law of kinetic energy cannot generate enough speed allowing human beings to perform the same task. The reason excessive speed is important is because every step taken by the runner must be done in a microsecond to distribute the weight, which will enable the surface tension of the water to support his body as he crosses the lake. Without supersonic speed, the weight of individual would cause him to sink into the water almost immediately. This is similar to a swimming pool covering that is supported by surface tension when spread out over the area but would sink to the bottom when rolled and thrown into the water due to the lack of weight distribution. Thus, kinetic energy depicting an animated character crossing a body of water could not be applied to individuals in a modern society.
    Cartoons, live-action films, and graphic animations have inaccurately used the physics law of kinetic energy to provide the vitality and dynamics in each scene and maintain viewer interest of the storyline. For example, cartoons encompass kinetic energy in its characters that allows them to commit beatings, explosions, and other acts of violence on its adversaries in a comical way that will be acceptable by young audiences. Despite the aggressive acts, the characters are never killed or harmed that might detract from the comedic content of the story and the loyalty of cartoon fans. Live-action films use kinetic energy mostly to provide some understanding of a futuristic world and a plausible way the physics laws of nature that are not acceptable today may become a reality through new technology for the next generation. Graphic animation uses the physics laws of kinetic energy as part of its special effects and digital processing department to enhance the storyline that usually provides fictitious characters with magical powers and an unreal world that will never exist in real life. Thus, the physics laws of kinetic energy serves the purpose of film producers, who are more concerned with the profits of motion pictures then providing understanding and knowledge about the scientific principles that govern our world.