Animation
In the context of CG Animation, Compositing can offer a new level of capability for teams to fully realize their artistic vision and create stunning cohesive storytelling without compromise.
"Darius: Fear", is a bit of a chimera of techniques meant to evoke the timeless handmade quality of traditional animation and at the same time be familiar to players utilizing what appears to be simply the in-game version of our hero. As the compositor of a more than 1,200 frame single shot walkabout, there were challenges beyond the typical cg shot. The animators had a marathon task and I had to create and maintain a dynamic environment complete with a blizzard of wind gusts snow and fog which hides and reveals menacing wolves. The wolves were another opportunity to develop a cool look and technique for eye streaks, playing off an idea of a long exposure (shutter speed) when a camera is moving. Integration means color correcting and massaging hand modeled and hand painted 2.5d CG assets like trees and cliff set pieces and snow drifts and setting them into filmed and particle simulated atmospheric elements and a fully illustrated and hand painted background. The layers of hand painted background are separated into layers in 3d space, and the action is rendered through the same animated camera which the fully cg assets were generated.
In "Vel'koz First Contact", as compositor, my task was to prepare layers of a photoshop illustration for use in Nuke, to extend backgrounds and create animating layers that could react to changing lighting such as fire and lightening strikes. The final composite is achieved by placing all the layers in 3d space and rendering them through an animated camera with integrated effects elements, lighting and color correction.
Here's an oldie but a goodie. It's my Art School 2d Animation Reel.
This was part of my BFA in Animation from The Savannah College of Art and Design.