Almost there!!!

My final scene is finally rendered, and I am currently putting all the scenes together. Nothing like waiting until the last minute eh? I will have my project finished and ready for presentation tomorrow. I did not really follow the original production plan, but in the end I will have the same results. I did however stick to the idea that I had for the video right down to the final scene, and my demo reel is not too bad. I only have so much work to choose from but I was able to pick some good examples of what I love to do. This has been a great semester, and I am looking forward to seeing everyones capstone projects tomorrow.
I do plan to continue to blog here, and use this as a place to keep me in my place, to keep me on track on what ever I plan to do. It has been a good tool, and it helps to look back at my plan and see where I am.

I still have other projects to finish, its crunch time and I gotta get busy.

Frank ( last week of school) Wozniak

Holy Jeeez!

Man o' war!

I have been so busy, that I have not blogged in a couple of weeks. I know that by now, I should be blogging 2-3 times a day but that is just not practical for me. I work and I school so time is of the essence. Its week 10 and the end is nearing ever so quickly. I have been working hard on my Capstone project lately and am pretty caught up. The original production plan that I made was way off from what really happened! I made my plan with every intent on following it to the T, but things happen, and it took me way longer to get to where I should be. I finally have my character rigged and skinned, and am able to animate him. I am creating 1 scene at a time, and am finding it easier and easier to do so as I go on. Mr.Zyla showed me a trick (again) on how to keep your place when key framing by right clicking the time line. Sweet!!! That has helped me terrifically in my animating. I am also working on a demo reel in after effects. The demo reel includes a bit of everything I have done in the last 2 years from film editing, to 3d animation, to print stuff like book covers and magazine ads. Here are a few screen shots from my project. 1. The space ship on its decent. 2. My spacey character exiting the ship. 3. A screen shot from the demo reel./Users/frankwozniak/Desktop/Picture 1.png/Users/frankwozniak/Desktop/Picture 3.png/Users/frankwozniak/Desktop/Picture 2.png
I am waiting for the last scene to render right now and when its done, I will be putting everything together and adding sound. I will have to say that I did not stay exactly on schedule, but I am back on track and will be ready for Tuesday and the presentations.
I will also try to blog again one more time when I am completely finished with the project.
Nearing the end,
Frank (don't count me out yet) Wozniak

Weeks 6 & 7

Hiya,

I missed my blog last week and am a little late on this weeks blog but I'm back with some progress finally. I completed my space ship modeling and my character modeling. Here are a couple of screen shots! I have also added a fire effect to the rocket boosters of the ship, and have created a bi-ped bone structure to the character and even animated a run sequence. Great fun!! I realize as I look at tutorials and samples of other peoples work online, that I have a very long way to go to become a professional 3D animator. There are so many things that 3D Studio Max can do, and I have only scratched the surface. But that is what I love about this stuff, as soon as you think you have a good handle on it, you find something else that blows your mind. For example, I key framed a run sequence with my character, and then found a tutorial on Youtube that shows you how "Max" can create foot steps for you and all you have to do is move the foot steps around, and your character will follow. Whooooa! It just keeps getting better and better. I am inspired by my instructors (Zyla, and Mars) and am learning cool new techniques in every class. This has been one of my favorite semesters so far, and I'm gonna be a little bumbed when its over. By next week I plan to have a short demo reel of some of my best projects put together in some exciting fashion, using After Effects. As usual I will be searching online for some tutorials, I am looking for some streak effects, as well as a way to make some comets with Text in the tail. I am feeling alot better about my work load and am getting pumped about creating something cool for my last project at this joint. Away I go......
I will be back to blog next week Tuesday!
Frank ( Back on track) Wozniak

Week 5

Man o' shevitz! This has been a long week. It seems as though every time I plan to have some time for myself to work on my project, something always seems to come up. I am tired of being governed by everyone else's situations. I am under a thumb at work, there is always somewhere I have to go for a family member, people always need this or that, and I dont get enough time for myself! Ok, ok, sorry I blowed up on you like that, I dont mean to bitch and complain like this but I am starting to feel some pressure. That being said, I did create a new space ship in 3ds max and got some good feed back from Mr. Zyla. I changed the style and gave it a little more of a futuristic look instead of an old style cartoony, disc shape. This is good for me, I need to have a little progress. I also got some tips and tricks from Mr.Zyla on the uv unwrapping. He showed me how to Pelt Map! Whoaaaa! Cool stuff, and I went on youtube and found a tutorial that I can use to go through slowly until I get it down. This is great news for both my Capstone and Animation 2 classes. I Got a quick low down on how to add a bi-ped to a character and align the correct bones with the correct area on the characters from Mars this week too. It has been a bit more productive and I feel a little relief from the stress of not having anything completed. I will have to practice these new skills this week, to get the hang of them, but I feel a new confidence. I am looking forward to spending this weeks Capstone class quiet and working on my stuff. I cant let the constant stupid conversations around me distract me from my work this week. I am going to bring in my headphones and start knocking some of the milestones off of my list. I want to get caught up, and since school is the only place I can concentrate, I am going to make this week count.
Here I go!
Frank (make this week count) Wozniak

Week 4

Week four of my capstone project was a bust! I am back to work and am having a hard time finding time to work on all three projects. Its kind of hard to concentrate on any one project when I have three to complete. I am hoping to learn how to apply a texture to a character with the uv unwrapping in my animation 2 class, as well as add a bi-ped skeleton to my guy. Once I learn how to do so, I will be able to work a little more on the fun stuff. (the animating) I had a space ship in mind, but I have looked at some other examples and I think I will try to create a new style this week. I am getting a little nervous about being behind on my project plan, although I know I can make it happen. I need to remind myself that I work better under pressure. I gotta get busy, there is only 6 weeks left.
Wish me luck,
Frank(getting a little nervous) Wozniak

Week 3

Moving right along! I have created my storyboard, made my identity package(business card, dvd cover, and disc label), and have showed them all to the instructor and got pretty good feedback. Now its time to move on to the next step which is to start modeling my main character, space ship, planets, background and projector and screen. I already have a character modeled, but I think its a bit too plain. I think I want to jazz em' up a little. The rocket ship I had in mind was kind of just that, a rocket, but I think I want to create a space craft with a little more futuristic feel instead of a cartoony shape. I already feel a little behind, because there is so much to do, but I know that if I chip away for a couple of hours a day, I should be in good shape. I am back to work now, so time is starting to become scarce for me. I will find the time, here and there. I will also take a look at some of my old projects and pick out the best ones, I figure 5 or 6 should cover all the things that I want to showcase. Gots to get busy now, this is some of the TIME that I could use for working on my project. Until next week, this is Frank (dont dare call me Randy) Wozniak blogging out!

Week 2

Heya,

Well its week 2, and I have decided on what I am going to do my project on. I made a power point presentation, and presented it to the capstone class on Monday. I got some good feedback from my classmates, and Mr.Zyla had a few good suggestions for me. I plan to take his advice which was to concentrate more on the animation of the project its self, instead of the demo reel aspect of it. I made up a project plan, and an asset list. The first part of each of those lists was to come up with a story board of how I want to project to play out. I have brainstormed and come up with a pretty good idea of what I want the project to look like, and how I want it to go. I have drawn the storyboards and am happy with the idea so far. I will try to create some of the modeling in 3ds max this week, so I can stay on track with the project plan. I am checking out some tutorials on line and practicing in After Effects to get down some skills to use later. Now I have to work on the DVD cover, the disc label, and the business card which is all due next week. I am going to research online to find out what colors stand for what, so I can incorporate the right feel for my logo and design layout. I wonder what color means serious, but silly! We shall see. I have a lot of work to do between this class, animation 2, and my portfolio class projects so I better get crackin'. By the time this semester is up, I should have a bed soar on my ass from sitting in this chair! Wish me luck. Frank(dont call me Randy) Wozniak

Week 1

Heya,

The end is finally in sight. I have completed 7 semesters and have 1 to go. Exciting stuff, including this Capstone class, where I will attempt to dazzle Mr.Zyla and the ITT-Tech staff, with some creative and professional ideas.
The task is to create a final project using the skills and knowledge that I obtained over the last 2 years. I have some ideas, but I am on the fence about how to get them across. I think I am going to attempt to create a simple low poly character in 3DS Max, and animate him to work an animated projector that will display a sort of commercial, using myself as the product. Kind of a demo reel to show what I am capable of. I will also use Premiere and After Effects, using some tutorials I can find on line, as well as the books and knowledge that I received from school.
If the project turns out half as good as I can see it in my mind, I will be very proud. I am going to start drawing up some storyboards and get some of my ideas down on paper, and tomorrow I plan to brainstorm a little and maybe create a new Logo for myself, and work on the design of my business card, DVD cover, etc. with the color scheme and layout stuff. If I work a little everyday on this project, by the 11th week I am confident I will surely dazzle them all.

Well, wish me luck, and away I go!

Frank (don't call me Randy) Wozniak