Stereoscopic 3D Images

This project was pretty awesome. I never knew of the simple measures needed to create a 3D image in Photoshop. 

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

Orignal

My Render

Building a Scene in Maya

Last term paper

To whom it my concern, I achieved the required grades needed to opt out of the last term paper (89 and 85). So I will not be writing this one. Thank you for this chance.

Special effects in Animation and Live-Action Outline

Introduction – Movies have been notorious for going big, and in sometimes ridiculous when it comes to special effects. One of those effects that can often times be portrayed wrong is magic, but how the hell can someone make magic feel right in the first place when there is no real world example of such effects?

• Introduce two movies that have done magic effects correctly. (Fire, wind, water, even plasma like effects.) Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

Body one - What makes magic feel real in movies and how did Lord of the rings approach it.

• Did the movie succeed, or fail in that aspect.
• When it comes to physical manifestations of effects did they match real world physics.
• Example – The effect used to portray the realm between the dead and the living, and light emitted from Gandalf's staff.

Body two – How did the Harry Potter series approach magic, how was it different than the Lord of the Rings?

• Did the series create a believable world? What flaws where there if any in the execution of the effects?
• Again did the manifestations match real world physics.
• Example – Specifically from the last few films. The fight between Voldemort and Dumbledor, and the Last struggle between Harry and Voldermort.

Body three – Other examples of magical effects in movies before and after these films where released.

• What did Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter take from previous films, what where they influenced by?
• What films took inspiration from These 2 film series?

Conclusion - Thought wrap up.

Stop motion Character animation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcpwSdJYFOg&feature=youtu.be

For this animation, the idea was to have fun with the project. For me there are few things as fun as cooking, so I wanted to come up with a little pancake magic a la Disney's Sorcerer apprentice. With less chaos, and more syrup.  It was very challenging to get the shots, but with the help of Uriel Martinez and Kai Nguyen I think it looks amazing.

Science fact or cinematic fiction Paper #2

Cameron Seibly

Phys 123

Prof. Garcia

Science fiction or Cinematic fact

Ever since the late 50's, with the dawn of the Space Age, audiences across America and the world have been enamored with space. So, it would follow that movies made with space as the back drop have mostly always done well. Considering the time when many classics came out, between the 70s and late 80s, most people knew very little of what space actually was, and most knew even less about the laws of physics while in a zero gravity environment. So, in turn, many movies where spiced with a good dose of Hollywood fakery to enhance what would in actuality be a very bland environment.

Three movies that have gathered large followings come to mind. The first is Aliens, a horror action thriller that is a squeal to Alien. The mood is tense and their motto was correct, in space no one can hear you scream, except when your on a planet surrounded by hundreds of the Aliens. The you mostly hear machine gun fire. The second is a movie that fell rather flat with the majority of those who saw it, but I find it charming, and that is Mission to Mars. This movies follows the exploits of a crew sent to Mars on a daring mission to save a missing group of explores and unravel an ancient secret that is as old as we are. Lastly is the widely acclaimed Gravity, a space thriller so intense and realistic that I am sure I lost at least a decade of my life from stress while watching it. Gravity, unlike many, uses real space physics to enhance the terrifying scenario of being adrift in the vast emptiness of space.

The first Alien movie did stick to reality fairly well and so too did its sequel. The final menace in the second movie was dealt with in almost the exact same way as the first, however the physics of the ending of Aliens is dubious at best. Our hero Ripely battles an enormous Alien queen while in a loading dock mech suit before throwing it into an open air lock hatch. Ripley is dragged in as well when the Queen grabs the mech's leg as she falls. Despite the tumble Ripley manages to open the second airlock door hoping to throw the Queen into space. Right as the doors open though the Queen manages to grab Ripley leg, but the vacuum of space eventually pulls the Queen off Ripley. It is a tense end to a tense movie, but it simply couldn’t happen. I am no physicists, but I do have a small understanding of pressurized environments, and I know that on Earth we live under a constant 14 psi. So it would stand to reason that the ship, like an airplane, is pressurized to that amount. When Ripely opened the door to space the rush of air that flowed past her would not have been enough to rip her from her grip, but the weight of the Alien queen added to that would have been more than enough to rip Ripley's leg, or arm from her sockets or at least rip her from her grip. The queen alone must have weighed 500 lbs or more, and could withstand several blows to the head from the large mechanical suit.

Mission to Mars, a film with less focus on killer aliens, is a recent film being shot in 2000 that followed more closely to what would happen in reality, but one moment in the film can be called into question. About midway through the film as the rescue team enters Martian orbit their vessel is struck by a micro meteor shower that eventually leads to the explosion of on of the fuel cells that sends the crew fleeing into space. The explosion of the fuel cell was a spectacular fireball that left much of the debris in and around the station, but would that really have been the case?

When it comes to explosions in space what really takes place? It has been show that fire from an explosion can be seen in a vacuum, however it has no fuel after the initial flash, so all one would see is instant bright flash of light then nothing. The debris shown in the film should fly past the camera faster than the eye can see given that in space there is no resistance. Smaller debris would not linger around the station as it would have been blow too far away from the gravity attracting mass of the space craft.

Hollywood is notorious for depicting explosions wrong on Earth, and so it follows that FX's in space suffer the same short comings. However, one film shot recently in 2013 had its research done and was made into a masterpiece. That movie is the best seller Gravity, a film about a crew of astronauts whose space shuttle is destroyed by a cloud of space junk traveling faster than bullets sending two survivors into the cold dark of space to try and rendezvous with a different station in Earth's orbit. As they travel the films atmospheres is cranked up with the claustrophobic fleeing you receive by hearing what it is like inside the space suit. That is the strongest part of the film by far, because there is no loud audible sound in space. There is nothing for the sound waves to travel on, because air is not concentrated enough in the vastness of space.. In most space flicks we hear the whizzing of space ships, the zing of laser fire, and even the percussion of massive Hollywood fireballs. None of that is possible though, but since sound can literally make or break a movie things will most likely not change anytime soon. Gravity stand out as a great of example of what reality sounds like and using that as an advantage.

Our fascination with space will not end, and neither will our obsession with space and futuristic adventures. Though, as time progresses the general publics understanding of space will increase. This is helped by the amazing shows on the Science Channel, the Mythbusters, and the numerous other TV shows that explore the wonders of space. From Aliens to Mission to Mars, and then to Gravity we see how that increasing understanding has lead to more believable science in movies. Overall audiences wont opt out of seeing movies because of less than believable physics, but good space movies will be made better with an increasing audience appreciation.

Science fact or cinematic fiction OUTLINE

Cameron Seibly
Phys 123

Outline Science fact or Cinematic Fiction

Introduction :

• What makes a good space movie / why are things often embellished
• Introduce the the 3 movies (Aliens, Mission to Mars, Gravity)

• The science of the laws of physics in space and how often they are shown wrong, but also sometimes right in Hollywood.

Body 1:

• Aliens – what is it, when was it filmed
• Break down the last fight between the Ripley and the alien Queen, when Ripely opens the airlock to jettison the Queen into space.
• Compare forces between reality and what the movie portrays.

Body 2:

• Mission to Mars – what is it and when was it filmed
• Detail the scenes that depict the interactions of space and pressurized environments. The leak in the ship and the whole in the space suit.
• Explain why though the movie may have been a flop, it was based in fact. Though some things may have been embellished.

Body 3:

• Gravity – what it is and when . . . again
• Explain the overall movie and detail its action scenes that take place in the vacuum of space.
• Go over the extensive work the film crew and director did to ensure a believable portrayal of the astronauts in space.

Body 4:

• Compare this film to the others and show the overall progression of space believability over the decades.
• Show how an increasing understanding, for the general public, of what the laws of physics mean for us while in space has forced a change in the way most space based films are executed.   

Reverse Video Reference

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

Well its super late, but here is the reasoning behind my animation. I wanted to do something fun and challenging so I went with a pen. It's a long object so it tumbles when it falls and I had to figure out how to make it convincing as it traveled. That and I had to figure out fast / slow it would need to be once it entered the pen well. Anywho it was a fun project and I learned a lot on how to make it look convincing. 

The laws of physics in Highlander's universe

The 80's was a decade that gave us some of the most momentous moments in pop culture history. The bulk of which is comprised of action  movie classics like; Robo Cop, Return of the Jedi, Predator, and Aliens. Many were flavored by the time and consisted of sometimes ludicrous action scenes with laser guns, massive explosions, sword fights, and enough ammo to outfit small armies. Then there was Highlander, an action film that satisfied with its down to earth sword fights and totally awesome Queen soundtrack. However, music aside, Highlander is a dramatic story about an evolved subspecies of humans that are born immortal tied to the very life force of the earth, no it's not Avatar, and to understand more of what their power holds they fight each other. It is never stated why they must kill each other, perhaps a test from on high to see if mankind is worthy of their gift, but that is beyond the point. They fight and absorb the souls of the defeated and with each victory they gain power. That is where a conflict occurs in the movie. Like their destiny, it is never stated that these chosen are superhuman, just that simply they can not die unless the head is severed. So, why is it then that some of the feats they perform are so insanely powerful, and inconsistent? 
The first major test or display of this power, and physics, comes a little after the first third of the movie. The main villain Kurgan tracks down McLeod's abandon stone tower home hoping to kill our hero so Kurgan may adsorb his soul. However, he finds a man named Ramirez's and McLeod’s wife as Mcleod is away. A fight instantly ensues upon Kurgan entering. Like many other things it is never stated how old Kurgan is but it would be likely that he is at least two hundred years old at this point in the movie. Ramirez on the other hand states that he had lived for over a thousand years as an immortal, and that he has traveled the world. He taught Mcleod to fight so it would stand to reason that he is far stronger than Kurgan. Kurgan even calls him by name, so  it is implied that Ramirez and Kurgan have fought before. Mid way through witty dialogue a frustrated Kurgan is is out matched by Ramirez, and with the help of rather explosive lightning, is pushed off the steps of the tower. Kurgan then falls at least two stories to the floor and is then buried by large stones from the wall. Kurgan immediately emerges from this seemingly no worse for ware and continuous the fight with a new rage. He overpowers Ramirez and with a single blow destroys a large section of the tower wall. Kurgan then knocks Ramirez off  balance and smashes him in the chest before killing him.
Many castles of the day in Scotland where built of sedimentary rocks; limestone, sandstone, conglomerate, etc. These rocks, while solid, are easy to carve and place so they made for good building materials. Kurgan sword, and Ramirez’s sword, which McLeod later uses, are specially crafted but still are made of forged iron. The force needed to break apart several hundred pound blocks would have shattered or at least cracked Kurgan's sword, and even if it had not, the blow he delivered to Ramirez’s chest would have transferred to the stone steps he was laying on  if his strength was consistent.. Not to mention completely collapsing Ramirez’s rib cage.  

To the fall that Kurgan took, when talking about force and reaction, you would think that the sudden stop as flesh met stone floor would have killed him, if not rendered him incapable of action for a long period of time. The movie never seems to clarify the line between reality and what magical force is in place. It is understandable that these immortals are more than average, they can harness a power and live long enough to gain near superhuman skills. Still a human body falling from 20 feet would be more than enough to break most bones in your body. It is not far enough to reach terminal velocity, but still the end result is not in anyone’s favor. Lets not forget the several hundred pounds of rock that landed on Kurgan after he hit the ground.
Another issues of force is the energy imitated upon felling a foe. With each kill the souls is absorbed causing intense light and energy strong enough to lift or move the victor. Often times it causes shortages in cars and electronics nearby. Light objects are moved as if by a gust of wind and heavier objects are jostled, but given that this force can easily lift a man there should be more impact upon the environment. Glass would / could shatter, and cars would / could be shoved to one side. We see examples of this throughout the movie, often times the effect is tied to the importance of the kill. The final fight, called the Quickening, is the greatest display of this power. Though by the light show and wind it produced you would think that the entire building it occurred in would be reduced to rubble, or at least knocked off its foundation, instead of just breaking the glass of the windows.
Other examples of rule breaking physics fall into place along the lines of well established Hollywood tropes. Guide wires and one way reactions to bullets have been used to the umpth degree to achieve desired levels of action. In the first fight of the movie, between Mcleod and a french immortal named Fasil, we see Fasil nimbly jump from car to car with ease, with hardly any physical contact before launch. and flip backwards at least 10 times before jumping again onto a car to pursue Mcleod. While the ladder is not extremely physics breaking it is surely beyond normal human capacity to not vomit from vertigo.
Before the last fight of the movie we see Kurgan fighting a long time immortal friend of Mcleod and after Kurgan's victory is witnessed by a gun totting Reagan patriot, he is literally blown away by an entire Uzi clip load of bullets. Kurgan's chest is riddled as he falls back, but the shoot is barely affected be the force of the unloading clip. However, a 18th century duel is shown where Mcleod is shot several times by a flintlock pistol. Upon impact he simply reacts and falls to the ground. While the shape and impact power bullets has changed significantly in the past two hundred years, the difference in action / reaction would not have been that stark.
Lastly, another example of action and reaction not quite adding up, there are at least three moments in the movie where sword strikes have landed in such a way that it would normally knock the wielder off balance. The best scene is in the last fight where Mcleod saves his new love interest from a viscous downward strike by Kurgan. By his double gripped over the head pose it seemed that flush with ecstasy and rage Kurgan was intending to cut her in half, and if Kurgan could blow apart stone with single gripped strike the blow would have indeed been devastating. It was not be though, because our hero managed to block the strike by extending his blade to intercept Kurgan's strike. However, again if Kurgan could smash stone how strong would Mcleod have to be to stop his strike cold. If the rules of reality had been followed more closely McLeod sword, which is Ramirez's iron folded katana would most like have been shattered along with Kurgan's blade. Given that the McLeod’s sword cracked after a blow to a concrete pylon it would stand to reason that both blades would break. That or the blow would have been stopped but not before both swords smacked her in the head. 

Highlander is a great popcorn flick full of 80's tropes and action. It followed along the vein of mystical movies that where popular at the time, but much like those other movies it failed to dictate the fine rules of what “magic” was in the movie. Other movies, like the Harry Potter films, handled magic very well. It was a core piece of the universe so it could not be flung about without issue. With any movie really, magic or mystical forces must be dealt with in the same way any other force / energy is dealt with. There must be rules that keep it in balance. In Highlander's case there seem to real lapses in just what the limits of the power  are they hold. If not magic than just plain simple physics must be put in check. When you watch the movie you’ll see it best in Mcleod only lodging his sword into concrete with a two handed grip, where Kurgan manged to blow apart a castle wall with only a single griped thrust. 

Outline for first Term Paper

Laws of Physics in “Highlander” - Outline

Introduction -

2. What is Highlander.
3. Highlander and 80s special effects / early computer graphics and practical effects.
4. How does Highlander's world deviate from “real” physics – they are immortals but the still must adhere to human levels of physics.

Body 1 ( Impact and Gravity )

1. The affects of weight and force in fight scenes – breaking stone with steel and fist/face. Implying levels of superhuman strength inconstantly. The Fight between Kurgan and Ramirez – Kurgan was strong enough to shatter stone walls, yet his sword was undamaged. He then smashed Ramirez’s chest yet Ramirez was not severely wounded.
2. The affects of impacts on flesh. How strong are these warriors. If a sword strike to the neck is the only sure kill, but not a rock to the head, how superhuman are they.
3. With each kill souls are absorbed into the victor, the victor is lifted by this force which must be strong enough to lift their weight. Why is the force pushing out not affecting the environment more. - Every kill in the movie shows light materials movie easily with little effect on more substantial objects.

Body 2 ( Weightlessness and Inertia )

1. The ability for the chosen to defy gravity with great jumps and avoid death due to high falls, and seemingly endless ( at times ) stamina. - Kurgan falls 3 stories and has large stones land on his head. They are supposed to be more than average, but again, how superhuman are these fighters.
2. The ability to accelerate forward with very little effort. There seems to be no opposing force being exerted upon movement. - The fight Between Mcloead and Fasil, how many times can Fasil flip backwards before he gets dizzy, and the jumps from car to car with retaliative ease.

Body 3 (Action and Reaction )

1. Being shot has the strength to move them back while not moving the shooter back equally, but in the same sense some gunshots don’t move individuals. How strong are modern guns compared to 17^th century ones. - Kurgan is shot multiple times and is pushed / stumbles back from an Uzi, where as Mcleod merely falls when being hit by a 17^th century flintlock.
2. Off angle blows that are withstood so that there is no effect on the fighters or their weapons. - Tying back to ( Impact and Gravity ) there are several off angle blows that should have rendered the fighter off balance but instead they stood firm. Again how superhuman does this movie want them to be.

Conclusion -

1. The debate of what magic can and can not do, or what is should and should not do.
2. When using magic effects in movies what laws must it follow, despite it being nearly limitless at times.
3. Special effects taking real world physics well beyond anything believable.

Video Analysis of Path of Action

I'm so graceful.

Tracker Video Analysis of Falling

Shooting Video Reference

Mini-Portfolio

I am currently in my 4th year of SJSU, and my last 2 semesters of the Animation/Illustration program. (BFA) It has been a real trial by fire so far, and even though the end is in sight there are a lot of things that I need to take care of before then. I have come far, skill wise and even mentally, in these past 4 years due to the help from all of my teachers and friends. However, since it seems like a great idea I have made sure to take the courses required to achieve a minor in Geology. When I graduate in 2015, I wold love to land a job modeling assets or characters for movies, television, and/or video games. 

 I used to be, and still sort of am, an avid gamer and one of my kryptonites continues to be World of Warcraft. I do not play anywhere near as much as I used to, but I am still invested in the lore. Lately, the direction that Blizzard has taken the game has annoyed me to a certain degree, but who am I to argue with them. Rather, I use the skills I learned to create an image (above) of what I would like to see in the game.  For those not in the know her name is Queen Azshara. 

I have a ton of ideas flowing in my head every day. Some of them I have been fleshing out on the side, by myself, for years. The above sculpt is a character I have envisioned for an action adventure game, would be cool to see it made. At first I was intimidated by Zbrush and Maya, but now I can't see a life without them. Being able to bring my ideas to life in 3D is all kinds of awesome.

This little intro is a slice of my childhood. Oh the 1990's, such an innocent time. This, aside from Toy Story, was one of my first introductions to the then potential 3d animated world. I remember sneaking Starship Troopers behind my mothers back, and being even more excited when I found out they had made it into a Saturday morning cartoon show! Roughnecks Starship troopers holds up to this day, with surprisingly good visuals, deep and complex stories, and (lets face it) bad ass bug action!

First post!

Here is hoping it will be a smooth semester!