Atlanta underground Film Festival

I have good news to report.  Lost Light has just been accepted into the Atlanta Underground Film Festival!  While there are still changes to the lighting I wish to make, (I have been delayed in making those changes due to some computer problems I have just managed to fix), I will be submitting the film as is to the festival.  According to the email I received, only about 10% of the films submitted were accepted!  I am very proud of everyone involved in the film, and can't wait to see it on the big screen.
The festival runs October 11th-13th, 2014.  See you all there!

Finished

So the film has been finished for what the class requires.  I would love to go back and re-light a lot of this, since I didn't get the time to really focus on lighting with all the deadlines I had as the director.  If I find the time, I update many of these scenes and post updates.  I have received good feedback at SIGGRAPH about what I can do to improve the film, so when I have the chance, I will work on this some more.  Hopefully I'll find some time and be able to implement these changes to the lighting.  If and when I do, I will post updates.

Picture Lock

Well I've gotten to picture lock.  Technically the look of the film, all animation and textures and such, should be done.  In reality, I have lots left to change, including animation and timing, textures, lighting, and more importantly setting up for render passes.
I need to have render passes for the next steps because I am compositing visual effects of the ocean and particle trails into the film and need to have the elements separated.  I also have long render times for a lot of this, and need to make the scenes more efficient, and separating things into passes will help me get them rendered on the render farm (which has a 2 hour per frame time limit).
So for now I have the new animatic with timing and textures, but I have a long way to go in the next few weeks.  Also, I got in touch with a guy, Chris Klaxton, to compose some music for me.  Can't wait to see what he comes up with!

Texturing and Other Changes

I am finally in the final stage of development.  In these last few weeks, I will be texturing, lighting, rendering, compositing, and adding special effects, as well as color grading and finalizing my credits.  I am really excited about this film, but this quarter got off to a slow start for me thanks to an unexpected illness.  Luckily, I'm back on my feet now and ready to hit the road running.
During the short break between quarters, I worked with Michelle and Nora (Art Directors) to redefine a look for the short to get a better sense of what I want it to look like.  I am shying away from the completely photo-realistic look and trying to go with a stop-motion inspired stylization with believable textures.  I will be posting the new mood boards soon.  I also have to make adjustments to my backgrounds.  (I apologize now if anyone has seen the current backgrounds, they are only placeholders.)
One of the changes I am making is adjusting models to fit the elongated and eschewed look.  We have also pulled references from films in the 1950's to get an idea of the colors, look, and styles they used.
I wanted to share one of the images I've been working on.  While this is only a test with preliminary test lighting and a simple checkered environment, I can see the direction I am going for in this one and I really love the look of it.  I will post more soon!

Style Frames and MoodBoard

For the past few weeks, I have been busy working on organizing my team and getting my texturing and animation under way.  One part of this was to prepare an updated mood board that shows inspiration and reference material.  I also made 3 Style Frames, which are sort of like making a goal for where you want the look of the film to go.  So without further ado, my Style Frames and Mood Board.

Some inspirations come from Pixar's Blue Umbrella, Laika's Paranorman, and Sony's Monster House.

Opening scene where the sun sets and "Ray" is born.

Ray ends up inside this office before getting frustrated at the desk lamp.

As Ray gets exhausted, he gives it one last chance.

Breakdown sheet

Shot #	Shot Description (Char, Props, BGs, Action, FX)	List of Elements / Assets COMPLETED	List of Elements / Assets NEEDED	Other Notes (including additional things IF you have time)
1	Opening shot, forested mountains and sunset with rays of light and particles.	Modeling finished: forest, mountains, sun. Sky/BG painted. Staging finished. Blocked animation.	More rays of light. Particles and Lighting. Adjustments to bg. Texturing. Sound adjustments. More animation.	Repair any penetrating geometry in the forest. Environment Fog.
2	Character close up as Ray comes to life.	BG painted. Blocked animation. Staging done.	Character animation. Particles. Adjust BG painting. Adjust texture. Sound.	Add more elements in background. Consider camera shake.
3	Ray travels toward the city past a coastline and lighthouse.	Modeling character and lighthouse done. BG painting done. Staging done.	Character animation. Particles. Add more foliage to cliffs. Water and Water effects. Texturing. Lighting. Sound.	Adjust BG painting. Add more elements in background. Consider camera shake. Environment Fog.
4	Ray sees street lights as they get lit up by the other rays of light.	Models finished. Blocked Animation. Staging done.	Character animation. Particles. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Add more objects in BG. BG painting.	Add more geo to background. Consider camera shake. Fix Sidewalk.
5	Ray tries to light up the street lights himself but is beaten to the punch.	Modeling finished. Staging finished. Blocked Animation.	Character Animation. Particles. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Add more objects in BG. BG Painting.	Add more geo to background. Consider camera shake.
6	Ray tried one more time but the light turns on by itself.	Modeling finished. Staging done. Blocked Animation.	Character Animation. Particles. Lighting. Textures. Sound (electric light). Add more BG objects. BG painting.	Remember to make electric light green and add sound. Fix sidewalk. Consider camera shake.
7	Ray sees traffic light.	Modeling finished. Blocked Animation. Staging done.	Character Animation. Add BG painting. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles.	Consider adding geo in the BG. Consider camera shake.
8	Ray misses the green light.	Modeling done. Blocked Animation. Staging.	Character Animation. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles. BG painting.	Consider geo in background. Consider camera shake.
9	Street scene where Ray tries to light up a car headlight but is blasted by the light instead.	Modeling done. Background done. Staging. Blocked Animation.	Texturing. Lighting. Sound. Particles. Character Animation.	Make sure no BG matte painting is needed. Consider camera shake.
10	Church scene, where Ray is beaten to votive candles by his brethren.	Modeling done. Blocked Animation.	Staging adjustments. Character Animation. Lighting. Texturing. Sound. Particles.	Consider adding more candles in background for lighting. Consider camera shake.
11	Office Scene where Ray sees the desk lamp but it flickers on and he gets frustrated and throws it off the desk.	Modeling done. Blocked Animation.	Character Animation. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles. Staging.	Use particles as sparks to show frustration. Consider camera shake.
12	Diner Sign scene	Modeling Done. Blocked Animation.	Character Animation. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles. BG element.	Consider building of some kind in BG. Consider camera shake. Fewer particles now.
13	House scene, where Ray is trying to light a candle.	Modeling Done. Blocked Animation.	Staging. Character Animation. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles. BG Sky (darker)	Consider camera shake. Consider adding sparks as he hits the glass.
14	Theater Marquee scene.	Modeling done. Blocked animation.	Staging (add building) Character Animation. Lighting. Texturing. Sound. Particles. BG element.	Remember to animate lights. Consider camera shake. Fewer particles still. Darker sky/environment.
15	Ray runs into a guard in an alley with a flashlight.	Modeling done. Blocked Animation. Staging.	Character Animation. Guard Animation. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Particles. Posters.	Fix rig on guard if possible. Fewer to no particles. Darker still. Consider camera shake.
16	Bug Zapper gets Ray.	Modeling done. Staging done. Blocked Animation.	Sky BG (very dark) Lighting. Texturing. Character Animation. Sound. Sparks effect (zapper).	Keep Ray at the same point in the start of this scene as where he ended in the previous shot (transition). Consider camera shake. Darkest here. No particles from Ray here. Ray flickers.
17	Ray travels by the coast and sees the lighthouse.	Staging. Blocked Animation.	Sky BG. Lighting. Textures. Character Animation. Sound. Water Effects and Water.	Figure out the water here. Consider camera shake. No particles from Ray here. Ray is dim and flickers. Environment Fog.
18	Ray flies up the side of the lighthouse.	Staging. Blocked Animation. Modeling done.	Sky BG. Lighting. Textures. Character Animation. Sound.	No effects here. Consider camera shake. Ray is dim and flickers.
19	Ray looks around and cautiously goes inside the broken glass.	Staging. Blocked Animation.	Broken Glass needed. Lighting. Textures. Sound. Character Animation. BG Sky.	No effects. Consider camera shake. Figure out broken glass. Ray is dim and flickers.
20	Shot of the lighthouse as Ray’s light slowly dims down to nothing and the scene darkens drastically before a single flash of light emits from the lighthouse.	Staging. Modeling.	BG Sky. Lighting. Textures. Sound.	No effects. Consider camera shake.
21	Final shot as the lighthouse lights up and illuminated the dark cold environment with a bright warm light.	Staging. Modeling.	BG Sky Water and Water Effects. Lighting. Textures. Sound.	Environment Fog. Consider camera shake.