Hello everyone! Without resorting to the already worn-out refrain of apologizing for the lengthy gap between updates, let’s just get to it, shall we?
First, take a quick peek at the brief animation/motion test video embedded below; for optimal results (and to best appreciate what I was testing), make sure the HD button is on, and click the ‘full-screen’ arrows icon in the lower right corner to view it as large as possible before hitting the ‘play’ button. Ready? Here we go:
I know, I know; it’s only about 12 seconds long (which is just the right length to be frustratingly not long enough), but I wanted to share a brief glimpse of what I’ve been working on, and offer the following explanation as to why this piece of the puzzle is so important:
This little clip represents the validation of a concept that began forming several years ago, while I was agonizing over how on earth to fund a fully computer-animated short film. Going through traditional channels had only yielded increasing despair as each response I received from investors/producers/distributors more clearly defined the conundrum I faced: computer animation costs a significant amount of money, and short films don’t tend to make any.
Even after the discovery of Kickstarter and the tantalizing potential of crowd-funding, I still couldn’t figure out how I could minimize the budget (back in “those days,” no Kickstarter project had come anywhere close to raising the amount I was considering). If you look at published production costs for recent animated feature-length films, you can begin to appreciate how large those numbers can get. Here’s a brief sampling of reported production budgets (in millions):
How To Train Your Dragon: $165
Wall-E: $180
Brave: $185
Toy Story 3: $200
Tangled: $260
Even one of the ‘bargain’ films like Hotel Transylvania at $85 million is fairly pricey to produce: running 91 minutes in length, that breaks-down to approximately $934,000.00 per finished minute. (Tangled clocks in at an even 100 min. which works out to a jaw-dropping $2.6 million-per-minute!!!)
Trying to sit through the end credits of these movies reveals one of the main reasons for the exorbitant costs — a never-ending parade of digital artisans that can easily number in the hundreds. (I can’t even begin to comprehend the technical and mechanical forces required to enable an army of people that size.)
Now apply those kinds of figures to my little production; even if I was able find a very small team that could manage to make it all work at $50K per minute, The Price (at just under 20 minutes in length) would still require a budget close to a million dollars! There was simply no feasible way to make it happen.
Until…
I started thinking about how effective the relatively crude animatic was at telling the story. Even though there were a few fully animated shots (featuring only a single character in a single environment), most of it was created with still images cross-fading into each other. I began to realize that I could try a similar approach with the final 3D models, and only render the parts of the image that were actually needed (rather than every frame, and every element within each frame). I figured with this kind of process, I could drastically reduce my projected budget — which I did — and even then, my Kickstater project was looking to raise (at that time) an unprecedented amount of money. (And all of you know the happy ending to that story!)
I began to develop methods and test techniques for realizing these ideas, and was greatly encouraged. Until I had my actual models, however, I wouldn’t know for sure — and that’s why I am so excited by this little, 12-second clip!
Instead of rendering all 288 frames, I rendered a single ‘hero’ image along with a few individual parts, like the eyes blinking or changing position, and the slight smile at the end. Even the background was created from a single still image, making the clouds appear to move across the sky with a little help from Adobe After Effects. Both Neil and the background were positioned in 3D space, and a virtual camera was created that pushed forward during the shot, changing angle and focal distance. If you watch closely, you can see motion in Neil’s throat as he swallows and even the nostril dilate slightly as he takes a breath (again, courtesy of the magic that is After Effects).
These details and others, like the suggestion of a breeze through the hair and adding some moving film grain to the final composite, all helped bring ‘life’ to what is essentially a still image. Even while adding music and sound effects, I was inspired to go back and add some birds flitting across the screen for a little extra movement.
And I think it all works really well! Consider these numbers: it took about 3 hours for my computer to render the two dozen elements needed to create this shot, as opposed to the hundreds of files that would have been required by going the standard route for all 288 frames (I shudder to think how long that would have taken).
There are many more advantages and developments that have sprung from doing the film in this way, but I hope this helps you understand more clearly what I’m attempting, and that you can see and feel the same level of excitement that I do in those 12, satisfying seconds.
Now, back to work!!!
That’s super cool! I had to watch it again after your thorough description, and even for someone that’s spent as much time as I have looking at this sort of thing in various forms, it was hard to notice. I’d never have had the slightest inkling had you not told us.
Always fun to see more. Still looking very forward to release! Now that I’ve started back to school I’m slightly concerned about how I may manage to get myself out there for it (I am now decidedly broke), but I’ll find a way. Am looking forward to shaking your hand at the end of all this. I feel like I know you well due to your passion for the project, despite having only corresponded with you briefly.
Keep at it! Everything you post is always impressive, and I have no doubt we’ll all be awed at the final product.
Hey Michael — I feel the same way, brutha — looking forward to that manly handshake, for sure!!!
Glad to hear you are back in school, but sorry for the financial woes — ugh! Hang in there & we’ll figure it all out come Premiere Night, okay?
I always look forward to your incredibly positive comments, and I can’t wait to see the look on your face when we ALL finally get to eat some serious popcorn & watch this thing right!!! You’re the best!!!
Right on dude! Can’t wait!
Christopher,
I can’t tell you how awesome it is to see this post. ‘The Price’ had popped up in my head over the last couple of days. I was wondering what you had been doing, and it looks like you’ve been doing a lot. Very good work. Can’t wait to see your final product!
-Matt
Thanks Matt — so glad you liked it!!!
Very impressive! It looks wonderful. Keep up the great work Chris!
Thanks Stacey, I will!
Good to see you coming back up for air! I’m glad the project is getting back on track, and I’m excited to see how your film does at Sundance!
And yes, you are totally right…it may not be as “movey” as a million-dollar-a-minute film, but it definitely has life and I certainly felt as satisfied as a 12-second clip could make me. You stinker.
Looking forward to more
Sorry for the brevity, buddy, but I can’t be opening the whole kimono though, right?
This just keeps getting better and better. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’m dealing with some health issues right now, and things like this give me a future to focus on rather than the stuff I deal with on a daily basis. I am so looking forward to seeing the final magic you’re creating!
Thank-you, Suzi; very sorry to hear about your health, and will keep you in our prayers.
Interesting. Essentially, you’ve (re)invented something between “static animation” and the layered cell approach.
I have mixed feelings about suggesting this, but you might want to check whether there’s anything patent-able here. The basic concepts all have clear precedent but I think the combination may be new. In the US, you have one year from first public demo to file, if you’re going to.
(In your place I’d be tempted to file just to make sure nobody else tries to play dog-in-the-manger with the idea.)
Wow Joe, I hadn’t considered that! One of the pleasures of using these wonderful digital tools is how malleable the process can be. After working with them for a time, it becomes readily apparent that there are often multiple ways of solving problems and achieving the results you are striving for, enhancing the creative potential of your work.
What impresses me most, Chris, is your dedication to quality. In the time you have had, you certainly could have put out a completed film, but it’s not just about having a finished product. You get that, and that’s why as time flows on and you gain only inches here and there in your trek, I grow more and more excited. Every hard-fought inch matters. Labor on and know that we are all pulling for you!
Again, your understanding and encouraging words mean more than I can express, Tim; thanks so much for taking the time to share them!
It looks amazing, I am no expert but I’d never have believed it had been done as you described it if I hadn’t read it from you, it looks so good! Congratulations for the idea and for the results! Keep up with this, it’s going to be great and the waiting is definitely worthwhile! It is so cool to see The Price coming to life bit by bit!
Miki
Why thank-you, Miki! I’ll be posting some more detailed behind-the-scenes stuff later on, but I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Very slick. I always get excited when I see an email in my inbox telling me of another update on this fantastic project. You are very smart to do this the way you are doing, and I think it’s going to work very well to your advantage. Keep it up, it’s looking great.
I appreciate that, Court. It always seems as though the effort of having to deal with less than ideal circumstances and restrictions only boosts creativity.
This is much more subtle than the Flash movie method of the 90s. As well as the zoom factor, can the method be able to pan side to side and up and down? A drop down from the sky with a zoom in would be a grabber for the right scene.
I agree, Mark. And yes, there are many cinematic conventions that I can use or even simulate with a combination of techniques, so I’m quite excited!
The animation is almost chillingly cool. After having read what to watch for, my admiration grows for your skill at your craft. But more than that, now that I begin to understand your approach to animation and the resulting reduced render time, I’m excited. I know you’re focused on getting “The Price” done, and that’s as it should be, but my mind is racing ahead to several possible futures. For those of you just tuning in, “Yay!”
Great Doug! I’m so pleased that my ramblings made some sense, and that you can see the potential there as well! The feeling of seeing something you had thought-through in your mind actually come together and work the way you hoped is beyond thrilling!!!
Excellent creative solutions! Another example of how, if your heart’s in it, the most revelatory creativity is born from what seems to be painfully harsh constraints.
Amen to that, my friend! Thanks Trevor!
How wonderful to get your update email last night. Your detailed description of the process was interesting and informative. Thank you for this happy update!
You are very welcome Kathi! (Honestly, I’m a little surprised so many people actually read through this thing — that’s pretty cool!)
That is wonderful. My daughter just took an animation class at BYU and so I have a tiny idea from what she told me about her studies what it takes for you to produce such wonderful images.
That’s pretty cool, Andrea! The BYU animation school is a tremendous program — you’ll have to let me know if your daughter stays with it! A good friend of mine (and fellow Kickstarter contributor) had a daughter who took some classes there as well, but decided the amount of personal sacrifice required was just a tad too high. She put it something like this: “The people who really excelled literally lived in the class & labs! It was almost like the worse you smelled, the better an animator you became!” Funny, but profoundly true… 😉
Hi Chris!
I too am very excited for the final film. It’s amazing what you’ve done!
I’m not that regular coming here but every time I see in my inbox an update am reminded that you keep working and giving all your effort to make this film. Thank you so much for doing it!
You are most welcome, and I thank you in return for your kind words, Roberto!
I know it isn’t terribly articulate of me to say, but here I go: EEeeeeEEeee! YAY!
That was the authentic response. The less authentic, but more articulate version goes like this:
I very much enjoyed that clip. While maddeningly short, it’s full of promise. Thank you for the update, and good luck go with you as you continue your work.
I love it!!!
Nothing better than an authentic response, Della — I appreciate the enthusiastic encouragement!
omg!!!!!!!! that is awesome sauce, that 12 seconds is incredible. it looks like I can walk around in that breathing world and Neil Gaiman looks really alive and like his charming self. keep it up, don’t give up what you doing this is remarkable.
Nice, Dwayne!
Having a bit of awesome sauce is always a great thing! Glad you are liking what you see (much more to come)!
12 seconds of amazing subtlety!
All other more obvious achievements aside – I love the way Neil’s expression slowly, almost imperceptibly changes from a not-quite-completely serious expression to the more positive look of a man sensing something in the wind and enjoying the mystery of it…or maybe Neil is just pleased that you managed to do that amazing 12 seconds without a building full of equipment that “would make Pixar cry” (paraphrasing a little there) rendering 24 hours a day on images crafted by enough gathered talent to fill a large town.
Expertly done as always, Chris! I enjoyed everything from the scudding clouds to the ghostly water markings on the lens of the camera. The framing is superb and the overall artistry outstanding.
Your work continues to inspire me, as it has since we were teenagers (I just wanted to get that out there in case I get hit by a bus tomorrow, or my head gets blown up by an evil psychic).
Like everyone else – I can’t wait to see the final product, but I will wait for as long as it takes!
Ah, David; those were indeed the days…working on tandem sculptures in the basement for a horrific Halloween project, or using battery-ignited gunpowder bombs to blow yet another kit-bashed spaceship model to smithereens (along with some part of our collective anatomy).
And you are buttering the bread pretty heavily, my compadre (but I can’t say I don’t enjoy your exceedingly generous compliments)! I love that you notice every little detail (as usual), and your approval of the artistic choices means a lot to me. Technically it’s still a little crude, but the basic process was validated, and it was exciting to see how far I could push it! I have several other ideas for multiple scenes in the film that will ‘add life’ and movement to what could be a pretty static shot, and am eager to show you! Take good care, mon oncle!!! 😉
Hey! Your comment system liked my message so much it posted it twice! Lol!
… not any more! Heh, heh, heh…
That was an exciting twelve seconds. Looking forward to seeing many more. I had to laugh about the “old days.” If you had just waited and called it the Price of Veronica Mars you could’ve had millions.
Hah — that is pretty funny, Lynne !
I feel extremely fortunate for the support I did receive, and am very glad you enjoyed those 12 seconds — much more to come!!!