Week 5

On the fifth week I began experimenting on the different camera angles I could use and the different ways I could get my model to interact with the objects. The first time i began shooting, i didn’t use a green screen; so when i began test the scenes in After Effects, i had to use the rotobrush tool for every frame, which did consume most of my time but it did what i needed, which was to mask the background, so i only had the model. Taking what I learned from the first shoot, i brought the green screen with me when i did another shoot; and this time when i was editing in after effect, it was quick and easy to do because i only had to use key-light, which removes the colour green with in the scene, hence the use of a green screen.

 

This scene, shows my dad stomping his foot, i asked him to do this because i believed i needed a way to activate the bag, but in the end i didn’t use this scene, because it was at the wrong angle and i couldn’t find a way to bind this scene with the others and find a effect that would make the shield appear.

This is a scene that i might consider using; it took me awhile to use the rotobrush for each frame in this video. I wished i had thought of using my green screen for this to make it look more effective which is why i am reluctant to use this shot.

 I liked the camera angle in this scene, however i couldn’t make it fit naturally with the 3d background because it was stationary, so the shot would be cut off and glide across the screen; i had this same problem when i did a 360 around the model, the camera would shake and the tracking would effect it because the scene would float into the air.

Finished Products

 

 

Science-Fiction

Though out the years science fiction has been a big part of our culture, and the most common appearance in genre. The first appearance of the word science-fiction was in 1851 in a book called “A Little Earnest Book Upon a Great Old Subject” by William Wilson; who describes science fiction as the truth of science within a pleasing story that ‘itself may be poetical and true’. Many believe we take for granted the rapid advance of technology, creating the superstition of the supernatural ruling our world, which is were the idea of robots is persuaded into stories. 

Science-fiction goes far back to the early greek civilization when the idea of superhuman beings resided on the Mountain of Olympus, and distant lands that inhabited one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters and other imaginary things of the impossible. But times have changed since then and the idea of the supernatural has rising to fantasy, films such as Mary Shelley’s frankenstein, to x-men. Though the idea of Science Fiction is based on technology, it still branches into other genres, such as horror, fantasy and romance for example: 

WALL-E, directed by Andrew Stanton (2008) Disney – PIXAR. The film is about the distant future where a small collecting robot learns emotions and begins a journey to decide the fate of mankind. This animation has several genres including science fiction; he was a normal robot that turns into an artificial intelligence, by learning over time. However this film is based on the fantasy side of science fiction, unlike the film Matrix.

Matrix directed by the Wachowski Brothers (1999). is a more realistic film about a super AI that has taken over the world, and a man who helps to rebel against these forces by using coding against coding. This film was inspired by the y2k bug, when the computer systems crashed, sending many into a panic, believing the assumption that computer will take over the world.

These two films are different due to the way they represent the idea of science fiction, WALL.E represents the more peaceful yet still action packed side of animation, where the robots try to help the humans. Matrix is filmed in front of a green screen, and the technology is trying to destroy humankind by controlling their minds.

Behind the Scenes

This video has nothing to do with my final major project, however it is the blooper reel of the many hours I spent filming.

Technical Robot

I came up with the idea of an Artificial Intelligence, due to the fact that i like the idea of a robot that can assist you and keep you safe without the fear of walking alone.

Scientists from Honda have created; over many years of research (1986 – ) A robot called ASIMO, this robot does’t have a will of its own but it is aware of it surroundings  through advanced coding that sends information to the camera, commanding the robots movements. It all started with Masato Hirose (the Chief Engineer of Honda R&D) when he applied for a job at Wako research lab; which performs research in four main areas, such as aircrafts, gas turbines, lightweight/ driverless automobiles and of course robots. When Hirose was hired he was sent to the project described as a dream of the Honda, but we know it as ASIMO. The dream was to create a two legged assisting machine, that can keep the lonely in company and help the many, however for Hirose, it was a long and unrealistic dream. Every test the machine would take its first step and topple over, but Hirose never gave in and eventually the prototype E1 was completed, it was the start but still not enough as the machine would walk at a slower pace than a person would, sending Hirose back to the drawing boards. He began to study the walking cycle of every being that could walk, from animals, super models to sumo wrestlers and even turned his associates into mummies, learning which part of their body would contributed to walking with each step. After learning the complexity of walking, Honda was finally able to create a robot with dynamic movement, that could shift its center of gravity. In 1996 Honda announced their development and research on the humanoid robots, and in 2000 ASIMO was introduced live in Aoyama, Tokyo. The Journalists cried out in surprise, amazed when the small robot walk out onto the stage beside the president of Honda Motor, Hiroyuki Yoshino.