Dear Alan

I tried setting up the script you shown me from the comet-cartoon website, but I couldn't understand on how to do it.
When you get the time maybe you can explain it to me in detail, we could talk about it through Skype.

Narrative Lecture part 11: The Mist

The next film we watched for our Narrative lecture is The Mist (2007)



The film began with our protagonist David Drayton going to the nearest supermarket, with his son and neighbour, to get some supplies and tools to repair his house that was wrecked in the storm that hit his area. All of a sudden a man came rushing in telling everyone to lock the doors and don't go outside because there's something in the mist. At first the public looked in confusion but when they saw the people outside the super market disappearing and screaming. The store manager then asked his staff to lock the doors and told everyone to stay in until we know what's happening.
However this was no easy task since everyone in the store are losing their minds, some wants to leave while others believe this is the work of god.

The main focus of the film is not on the mystery of the mist but on the public's reaction to something that is unknown to them. It reveals the public's true colours that they are weak and they need something to give them meaning and a purpose. However looking for such a thing can be quite dangerous and will make you a treat. An example would be the antagonist of the film Ms Carmody, she is a very religious person who believe in a vengeful god who punishes those who steps in his territory. She points out that the events that are happening to them is what is mentioned in the bible and they need to make blood sacrifices to please god.
This makes her very dangerous because the public became vulnerable and will listen to anyone who would make sense, even if the person the public is listening to is crazy. She uses this to the full effect and started to gain followers which she can control. Carmody became their leader and she makes the decisions for them.
I felt this film really explore the human nature of finding meaning and purpose in the world, showing they will find comfort in the most unlikely places. Which is why I like this film for exploring the public losing hold on reality and on their hunt for a purpose in the world.

Maya Tutorial part 7: Cartoon Character Complete

Yesturday I have finished making the head of my cartoon character. The only things I have added is eyebrows and make his eye's more eye by spereating certain parts on the eye like the iris and cornea and colour them. As well adding an extra sphere which is meant to give the eye an shiny appearance.
Cartoon Character's Head Complete


Once I have finished making the head I them added the head to the body and my character is complete, all thats left is to make a UV map of the character, place the bones, skin the model and rig it.
Cartoon Character Complete

Maya Tutorial part 6: The Cartoon Character Head

For the past few weeks I was finishing most of the Head tutorials for my Maya Cartoon Character.

Head Stage one

On stage one I have to make the general shape of the head. This is meant to show the main spots of the head like the eyes, ears, nose and mouth, and getting it prepared to be improved in the future.

Head Stage two

Stage two is about improving the head of the character by adding details to the eyes' by making an eyelid. Defining the lips of the character, shaping out the nose and adding the ears and shaping them out two. Also cleaning up the head a bit more.

Head Stage two and a half

The third stage is about adding hair to the character. This was quite difficult to do because I had to make sure the hair is connected to the head as well giving it it's own shape. The last bit of the model to make is his eyebrows and add the head to the body.

Maya Tutorial part 5: Army General and Generic Male finished models

Here are the finished models of the Army General and the Generic Male. These two characters are made for mine, Ruben, Ethan and Chris' short trailer called The Invisible Cannibals From Beyond the STARS! I followed the Maya Cartoon Character tutorial to help me in building the two characters from making their bodies part to building their heads. Of course I had to make them slightly different from what the tutorial was showing me because I was using different turnarounds. The longest model to make was the Generic Male because he has more accessories than the General, mostly his jacket was the difficult part to make because it was long. The only hard bits on the General was his trousers and his hat. His trousers was difficult to make because I had to make them baggy and not too tight on the general. While his hat I had to make it resemble more of a general's hat because the first hat I made for him look like a block, but once I finally got them done I was very please of the outcome. Of course there are some bad geometry on the general but I will get back to it and fix it.
Here are the characters, starting with the Army General and ending with the Generic Male.

Army General












Generic Male











The reason the Generic Male has no hands is because I had to give him the Ethan so he can add them in, I could of done it but we are trying to find ways to help us work better and faster so we can get the trailer done.

Narrative Lecture part 10: Tremors (1990)

The next movie we watched for our Narrative lecture is Tremors.



The plot of the film is about two handymen who are planning to leave their home to find a better job, but while on their way out the two of them saw a lot of weird things. A woman looking at tremors that never appeared in the first place, a drunk who die of dehydration and mysterious murders. The two handymen soon found out it was a monster who was causing all of these events and it is up to them to stop it.
We watched this film as an example of another type of monster budget movie with an actual monster as the villain.
The main idea of the film is about survival, trying to stay alive from a dangerous monster who gets smarter every time.
This film is very different from what I am used to because not many of the cast died and they all stand their ground against a monster and win. The film also shows that if you have the greatest plan ever it doesn't go as smoothly as you hope it would. If you are trying to distract the monster or set up a deadly trap, the plan won't work the second time because the monster becomes aware of the plan. The animatronics really help in bringing the monster to life because of it's texture and movements as well as the overall design of the monster that you can actually believe that this can be real. That's why I enjoyed this films because of the little blocks to the characters' plans and showing how deadly a monster can be when it gets smart, as well as the effectiveness of the animatronic on the monster.

Narrative Lecture part 9: Arachnophobia (1990)

The next film we watched for our Narrative lecture is Arachnophobia


The story of Arachnophobia is about a group of scientist lead by an entomologist going to the Amazon jungle looking for a new type of bug. While on their search they end up finding a new breed of spider, which they decided to examine it when they return home to see what makes the spider unique. While on their return they unknowingly brought with them a live spider which made it's way to a small town where it will start a new colony of spiders.
We watched this film to see an example of a horror budget film which uses a creator as a monster. This films plays on the public's fear of spiders and to me it did it with great success because of how the spiders move and the way the music is used to describe the action of the spiders.
The way it plays is like a murder mystery but instead of a person, the public where looking for the illness that was killing everyone which turns out to be poison from a spider. Some of things they mentioned in the film was very questionable on the spider for example they move like an ant colony and are organised and their poison acts very fast, but then again the public are dealing with a new breed of spider so of course the spiders won't work like an ordinary spider.

Transcription part 1: For Phil the music I chosed

The name of our next unit is Transcription and we have to create an animation based on an exsiting media, for example music, poem, narrtive. For me I decided to make a music animation.
The music I chose is Carl Orff's O Fortuna, when I heard this music I imagine a wizard or alchemist working in his tower mixing his potions.
Here is the music sorry if the quality is bad.
Orff's O Fortuna(O Fortune)


When I read the translation to this music I could imagine my wizard/alchemist working on a spell in saving his worlds since the music ios about the sorrows and evil in the world. Aleast thats what I think.

Also Phil what is the name of the music you gave me over the summer holidays?
here's the link
soundscape 30