 the process diary is a blog and a podcast about Paul Caggegi finding out how to get his story told.Primary Format :
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aspects of ratio
Fellow independent artist and animator, Michael J Dowswell called me out on the flight forums about the aspect ratio I was using on the storyboards. This post and podcast is dedicated to him, and his unholy obsession with AR. Check out his work at Studio Tacitus. His work on "the rescue" is particularly good.So Aspect Ratio is just a number to express what the frame of your film is, expressed in width to height ratio. There are two ways that are mostly used: interger or decimal - 4:3 or 1.3 ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Work in Progress - July 2008This month's work in progress video: the first of the animatics based on a piece of dialogue I've had edited for over a month. I've just gotten to this page of the storyboards so I thought it appropriate to use it as a showcase of the work to date.This edit took me less than half an hour. This is due to so much work that has gone before. The rest won't be so cut-and-dry, I know.When story-boarding, I try to think of each most important shot to show. I am considering many things here. Aziz i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Slow ride, great viewThe past few weeks have been a bit of a slow roller coaster. I've had some hurdles, as I've blogged about, but I've also caught up in other departments.More and more, however, I am realizing it is a slow but steady race to the finish line. Some people I have been talking to over the past few months have begun to doubt the validity of their own stories, and this week's podcast is a short cheerleader chant to them, as well as a quick essay on the importance of story.I haven't got much to show ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
3 Steps forward...There are some setbacks, but at the same time, some leaps forward. This week, I want to take pause and review what I've just attempted and the results of what's gone on this past fortnight.The biggest hurdle I thought I had leaped was completing the vocal recordings.I'm not there yet. Personally, the quality is not that good when compared to what I've received from the actors in the US. So I am taking stock, regrouping, and I will be doing it again. I guess this is the advantage of having a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Recording Session IYes folks - recording was commenced in Sydney on the 28th of June 2008. The cast and I had brunch, then got down to some character discussion, and finally, a four hour recording session.Yes, for a 15 minute pilot.In this week's vidcast, I show a few behind the scenes shots, and you can see my shoddy home-made recording booth. Here are the materials: 1x shag-pile carpet; 1x threadbare wool blanket; 1x curtain. 1x Samson condenser microphone; 1x Eurorack 812 pre-amp and mixer; 1x Macbook pro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Thumbnailing details for the sandboat cockpitI'm on a role. I've been sketching some brief concept pieces of the sets I have created so far, but I want to continue showing you the sets as they are conceptualized. This week: the Pilot's cockpit. This is a complex one, as it is all about steering and control. It is also about being tied to a vessel, so that subtley, the control comes at a cost, and that cost is freedom.The Sandboat Pilot is the most highly revered position for a Dweller to attain. It is also the most perilous. This trad ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
2008 Kicks offAnd a happy new year to all you freaks who read my blog, and are downloading and listening to my podcast. I hope you all had a wonderful break, and are now working off the extra pounds you put on over Xmas. Or did you make those pounds some new friends?I'll keep the personal updates brief: I got married shortly after the podcast's hiatus, to Anh, my partner of 7 years. The wedding was quite literally the perfect day: the ONLY sunny day in Sydney in a fortnight of torrential rain. We left fo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
The Pilot IIAfter re-reading the first draft, I immediately began to redraft it. I felt it was successful in providing an outline for the scenes I wished to use for the pilot, but it lacked real conflict, the right amount of exposition, and dialogue that allowed the characters to really express their... well, um... character?So in this draft, you might notice considerable changes. One major change is the introduction of a new character called Minauld Wallace. She is Corben's illegitimate, estranged dau ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Jason BlairI apologize for being a day late on this one, but I have been flat out at work. I am using this opportunity to showcase some character sketches for Character Development from a few years ago.They are of Jason Blair - one of the main characters in the story. The pictures here are an evolution of sorts, from his first incarnations as I drew him years ago, to what he has no become. His look has evolved as my story has changed.Jason Blair is the son of a Sand Boat pilot, Marcus Blair. His strug ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
The Showreel
This is the current showcase of work I have done to date. It is mainly 3D animation, which is one of my main passions. Most of the work was completed while I was as Steam: Motion and Sound over four years. I currently work at KFilms in Ultimo.The programs I utilize most are Maya and Blender. I started out in 3D using Blender, and it was surprisingly sufficient for the tasks at hand: I created many CD covers, animated logos, and pack-shots that were photo-real. But... my ex-boss had a "th ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
StoryboardsLadies and gentlemen, story-boarding has commenced!
The great thing about doing the boards now that set and character concepts have been done is that I have references for what things look like and how they work. This means that I can focus on choosing angles to express what should be seen in a better frame.
I won't bore you with the theory - you folks can Google that yourselves and take what you will from it. I will, however, tell you a bit about what I am discovering while going through ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
StoryboardsLadies and gentlemen, story-boarding has commenced!The great thing about doing the boards now that set and character concepts have been done is that I have references for what things look like and how they work. This means that I can focus on choosing angles to express what should be seen in a better frame.I won't bore you with the theory - you folks can Google that yourselves and take what you will from it. I will, however, tell you a bit about what I am discovering while going through thi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Work in Progress - June 2008The main character concepts are complete and I am satisfied with the visual direction. In this week's vidcast, you will see some of the sketches leading up to the final design. I will post the final color sheets below:Here is a side-by-side comparison so I can see the proportions of each character in relation to the other characters:This final step is important, because I need to see, for example, that there is good contrast and complimenting between characters that interact. I spoke a whil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Concept Sketch - Marcus BlairBlair - it took a while to get his design right, but the trials were well worth it.This character has been in my head for some time, now. Along with the rest of the sand boat crew, he started off as secondary to the main plot, but when I made the decision to focus on the sand boaters for the pilot (and the first story in the series) I knew I had to delve deeper, and construct a convincing character you are going to care about.His history is a long tail of woe, but the important bit is that ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Hark - I hear voicesAnother week, another revision on schedule and script. But this week - a quantum leap forward for Character Development as I managed to get a couple of test voices recorded, and cast three of the five main roles.Ladies and gentlemen - in the role of Aziz and Marcus Blair: Steve Ogden. In the role of Minauld Wallace: Jane Newton.It has truly been a big change from listening to voices in my head, to then hearing them come out of other people's mouths. The best lesson anyone can learn here is ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Status report - JuneOooh I could have called this post so many things, but there are so many things I need to cover here: Script is complete; voice recording is scheduled, and character designs are underway.First off: I have indeed finished the script for the pilot episode! Yay! I am very satisfied with the twists, turns, information and characterizations presented in it. It is VERY different from the initial scripts I posted on this feed, but still retains the basic structure and plot.Without giving too much ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Just a ThoughtSpecial bonus to tide you guys over during the hiatus: My first EVER animation - JUST A THOUGHT.The inspiration for this came from an ex-school teacher who would disguise his 'Nam flashbacks as a fondness for terrorizing students. Ex army man, great bloke, and could not tolerate nonsense.Pity really, otherwise we would have gotten along famously.So when unsuspecting student would exclaim "But I thought..." he would quickly counter with "Thought? You know what THOUGHT did? He stuck a feather ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Gearing UpHooooh boy - what a couple of exciting months it has been! I have produced pretty much all the rough concepts for the sets that will be used in the pilots. I am about to commence building them in 3D, which will require a few new approaches to thinking about how everything looks, feels, and is related to everything else.One point that is a concern on my mind is scale. In order for a six foot tall human to look correctly scaled in any environment, the environment must be built to measurements ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Cargo BayI feel that these past few weeks, I have made more progress in visualizing sets than in four years of script-writing. It's almost cathartic, as if that world is saying "okay, NOW we're ready to show you what we look like" and it's all coming out in one big hit.While my artistry is not the best, the sketches provide me with the means to get those ideas out, and therefore explore the world on an entirely new level.I am almost done with the set conceptualizing. Beyond this entry, I only have A ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Thumbnailing details for the sandboat cockpitI'm on a role. I've been sketching some brief concept pieces of the sets I have created so far, but I want to continue showing you the sets as they are conceptualized. This week: the Pilot's cockpit. This is a complex one, as it is all about steering and control. It is also about being tied to a vessel, so that subtley, the control comes at a cost, and that cost is freedom.The Sandboat Pilot is the most highly revered position for a Dweller to attain. It is also the most perilous. This trad ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Thumbnailing MarketWell, it's finally time to get into it and begin producing some concept art. Yes, I know it's been a long time coming, so I hope you're all excited to begin this process with me.This week, I began thumbnailing sketches. This process is used to rough out ideas, brain storm any thoughts you have and get them down on paper. The brief for Market is simple, but can be interpreted in many ways:A hive of trader activity; a port; an ancient structure, modified for current use; blends into its surro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
A Steady HandI apologize for the delay in getting last week's vidcast to the iTunes subscribers, but it took me a while to figure out a compatible video format to upload, be read by a feed reader, itunes, and be able to post on the blog.I won't go into details, but if anyone knows a good way to get ogg video converted in Linux to something like mp4 (with Audio!) so I can have it hosted at ourmedia.org or google video AND have it readable in iTunes if it's linked as an enclosure on a blog post - let me k ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Practice Practice PracticeSo important, even three times isn't enough to emphasize the importance of this word. Anh got a ticket to see Bon Jovi on Tuesday night, on account of her sister being sick, so I got the apartment to myself. I made myself some dinner, read the usual double-whammy of "Linux Format" and "ImagineFX" magazines, then poured myself a port, and settled in for a night ofWacomintimacy.It was time to progress from the artist's mannequin, so I looked at my shelf of toys, and thought I'd have a go at B ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
expanding on thumbnailsFirst off, thanks to all those who sent feedback on last week's vidcast. I am really encouraged by feedback in general, but sometimes there is a stand-out email I can hardly believe, such as one I got from David Gallaher:"Paul,My named is David Gallaher. I just discovered your excellent blog and podcast series through the 'I Should Be Writing' podcast series.I am the writer behind the werewolf western webcomic series "High Moon" with artist Steve Ellis.We are also process junkies and have d ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Budgets and DeadlinesI began to draw out an outline of work I have to do based on the notes found in the animation producer's handbook. I can appreciate why animations are created by teams, and not crazy individuals.Here's a brief list of things I must accomplish before I animate a single frame:Concept art for characters, sets and vehicles.This includes creating each character (so far, a cast of 6 major characters, and possibly ten extras (to be replicated or at least templated for crowd scenes).Also: One major ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
2008 Kicks offAnd a happy new year to all you freaks who read my blog, and are downloading and listening to my podcast. I hope you all had a wonderful break, and are now working off the extra pounds you put on over Xmas. Or did you make those pounds some new friends?I'll keep the personal updates brief: I got married shortly after the podcast's hiatus, to Anh, my partner of 7 years. The wedding was quite literally the perfect day: the ONLY sunny day in Sydney in a fortnight of torrential rain. We left fo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Some positive feedbackIt seems this little project of mine is gaining some serious popularity! Thanks so much to you who download the podcasts and view them or listen to them. Thanks especially to those who catch me when I make a mistake.Take the first Blender vs Maya comparison video. Thanks toBlizfrom theblenderartists.orgforums, who wrote:"Paul - I've just started listening to your podcasts. The last video podcast about modeling in Maya and Blender contains a mistake.You used Maya's 'append polygon tool' inef ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Poly-Modelling technique comparison: Maya vs Blender IIWelcome to part 2 of my ten-tip comparison between Maya and Blender: second of a special vidcast comparison between the basic modelling techniques of Maya and Blender.The next five techniques I showcase in Part II:* Creating Springs/Coils* Vertex Snapping* Revolves* Arrays and Duplicates* BooleansI delve into the pros and cons of Maya vs Blender when it comes to each technique, just so you can see the differences in how each handles the same task, and when one is quicker at performing it.Pr ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Ryan Estrada InterviewI like to sometimes see what other artists are up to online. I'll open up iTunes music store, or one of the podcast directories, or browse the local comic book store to see if a random artist catches my eye, and is sensible enough to leave a website or blog address on one of the pages so I can further research them.That is how I stumbled onRyan Estrada- a cartoonist and adventurer who has travelled the world, and keeps a blog of all his freelance cartoon work.Ryan talks about how he got int ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Poly-Modelling technique comparison: Maya vs Blender IThis week is the first of a special vidcast comparison between the basic modelling techniques of Maya and Blender. If you haven't already subscribed to the podcast via iTunes, you can do so now byclicking here. If you don't have iTunes, the enclosure should show up on your feed. If you can't see it, clickthis linkand download it directly.I have been a Blender user for about 7 years, and a Maya user for a fraction of that. I find both exceptional tools when it comes to creating 3D work. Maya ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Seth Harwood InterviewThis week's podcast is an interview with author and podcaster,Seth Harwood. His crime-action novel about a down-and-out actor who gets mixed up in an underworld drug war,Jack Wakes Upis about to be published via Amazon.com on March 8th 2008.Shownotes:We discuss his varied career from commodities trader to bartender - all to support his writing careerInfluences and short stories leading up toJack Wakes UpDiscussion on his short story,WhiteLook out for his collection of short storiesA Long W ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Sandboat - An EvolutionThis week, I wanted to take you through the process of creating this vehicle. You would have heard me speak about how I didn't like certain elements of its design while sketching, and even when I'd modelled it in Blender, I was still wondering if I needed to change things.This is the rough model I came up with from the sketch. The main body, the clamp, wheels and swivel for the tank tracks are all extruded curves. The front part is a mesh I created by spinning a half-circle mesh 90 degrees, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
BlendermaniaI've entitled this blog entry "Blendermania" because it deals with my re-education in the ways of this fabulous (and totally free) little tool.Shownotes:Some discussion on the history of BlenderMy history in incorporating Blender into professional workLinks to some excellent blender stuff can be found here:BlenderNewbiescheck out the cool Blender toolbar and install it for your web browser. Works on any platform.Examples of early work:Botboy - a small robitic character walks across an early ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Two CampsThis week's episode is a reflection of what I've done, and where I am going. Life has gotten a bit in the way, I'll admit, so this is really a milestone ep. This entry: basically show notes. I am working on some designs for the sandboat which I hope to go through with you next week, as well as some new storyboards and the like.Shownotes:Reflection on the road so farTwo camps of creativesAirports are a terrific place to writePromo for technofodderHow character can be derived from plotCheck o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Concept Art IIIThis week's podcast is all about how to create culture for your characters. The simplest way is to take an existing culture, and modify it for your own purposes.I've done this for the race of nomadic traders in my story, using the history of Turkey as a basis for their rich and ancient culture.Take a look at some of these pictures:These are some examples of architecture from Istanbul. I am basing the designs for Market on images such as these. Notice the bustling crowds in the bottom one? T ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Fictionality - interview with John and ScottI am excited to bring you an interview with John and Scott from Sympodius Studios. They are attempting to make their own "open source" or as close as you can get to it) movie. If you like the interview, why not check out their blog here:fictionality.Shownotes:We talk Blender and the open source animation revolutionScott and John talk about the lack of "how tos" on making your own budget project on the net.Exclusive insight into what Fictional Fiction is all aboutDifficulties in following a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Concept Art IIThis week, I focus on the creation of one of the characters from the pilot: Corben Wallace.Here is a quick outline of the character's appearance and some of his characteristics:Corben Wallace is 8 and a half feet tall. He is broad shouldered, thin, and athletically muscular. He is has platinum blonde hair, cropped short. It recedes in a sharp, widow's peak. He has a strong brow, and a large, patrician nose. His chin is strong and square, with a groove in the center of it. His eyes are ionic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Concept Art IIn this entry, I would like to discuss the next step in the process: producing concept art. With the script in a suitable state for production, it is now time to begin sketching what the characters, the sets and vehicles will all look like.Much goes into thinking about concept, and for this story, a lot of background must be considered in the creation of each detail.So let's consider some things before drawing the first lines. Let's take Market: the set that most of the action takes place i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
The Pilot IIn this week's entry, I begin the process of producing a pilot. I will outline below the script, as written for the production of a graphic novel. The reason for this is because a storyboard is essentially a comic strip. I have also heard that this format is being used more and more often to show more than just the basic camera moves and plot: it is used to show design concepts, mood lighting, set ideas, etc. It is also sometimes handed to a producer at pitch time to assist them to visualis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Setting the SceneI am ready. I have drafted a 13 episode outline forCharacter Developmentand am prepared to move onto scripting. I have shown it to a couple of people I trust, and mentioned it to some artists I respect, and the advice I have received in return has urged me to make one further step before scripting: A Pilot.While my friends are excited and enthused by the story, all said the same thing: "are you sure you can pull it off?"It's going to be hard, that's for sure. Think of all the work I have to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Many BiblesI was in Melbourne on the weekend for work.I was sent down to edit and composite on site for a client promotion. I only had to work three hours a night, which left me free during the day to explore, shop, and catch up with Jason Badower - graphic artist currently working on the Heroes Graphic novels for NBC, and on Zero G for Top Cow comics. We had a great lunch in Topolino's, and Jason brought his A3 portfolio, except in his hands, it looked like an A4 for anyone else. The guy is pretty ta ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Secret StashSo when I was just 15, I stumbled across a hidden stash of comics in my grandfather's house. Fate, the universe, God - insert your belief in higher power here - works in mysterious ways, because I had two uncles, with VERY different tastes in collectibles, and a grandfather who cleans house like a hurricane.One uncle collected comics while the OTHER had a pristine collection of Penthouse and Playboy that spanned from the late 1950s right through to the mid 80s. When both uncles had moved ou ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Tools of the TradeWelcome to this week's entry. In the accompanying podcast, I outline a bit of my history, and technology I work with. I wish to supplement the podcast with some further information on the programs I mention.First off: OS. I run theUbuntuversion of Linux. This is adebian based distrothat is extremely popular world wide. I find it does virtually everything I need an OS to do: recognize my hardware, update software regularly from online repositories, and heck: justwork. I switched from Windows ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
High Moon - David Gallaher Interview"The nights are cold in Texas as Werewolves secretly haunt the town, but Macgregor has a supernatural secret of his own. When the sun sets it’ll be a showdown at High Moon."A couple of weeks back, David Gallaher wrote to tell me he had discovered my blog, The Process Diary, through a promo played on Mur Lafferty's show, I Should Be Writing. He sent me some links to his work, and naturally, I followed them... I then discovered that the blog he was keeping was for a commissioned web-comic a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Budgets and DeadlinesI began to draw out an outline of work I have to do based on the notes found in the animation producer's handbook. I can appreciate why animations are created by teams, and not crazy individuals.Here's a brief list of things I must accomplish before I animate a single frame:Concept art for characters, sets and vehicles.This includes creating each character (so far, a cast of 6 major characters, and possibly ten extras (to be replicated or at least templated for crowd scenes).Also: One major ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
using the rulesWell the fifth draft is now complete, and not a moment too soon. It is my favorite draft so far, and while I don't want to give too much away, I will detail below how I used the standard 3 act structure in order to make it easier for me, while still maintaining a coherent and original action story.I don't shy away from structure, despite the trend I was subject to throughout my university career. I did alot of textual analysis at university, and the subjects on narrative were always the mos ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
have faith, peopleThis week, while I am working on finishing sets, I thought I would take some time to discuss some things that I have been reflecting on as I redraft the pilot script. Each time I redraft, I up the stakes. Recently, however, I found that I kept writing myself into a hole. I kept changing character's actions to further plot rather than allow them to be what they naturally are.Conflict is a fickle thing. If you do not properly, you will find that you have created a plot in which your character ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Aziz' Cave - linking in props Yet another short - but to-the-point post this week... oh - and it marks my 50th post to the Process Diary. I supposed I should have a beer or something...I got some feedback this week from David Gustafson. He writes:"My name is David and I live in the United States. I just wanted to email you and let you know how much I enjoy watching and listening to The Process Diary podcast. I found your podcast one day when I was looking for podcasts about Blender on iTunes. I have found i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website
Cockpit MechanicsI apologize for getting this vidcast out late this week. I had an opportunity I could not pass up on Friday night, and that meant all my plans for the weekend had to be pushed back. Luckily, my wife is the best person in the world, and let me have some extra "Paul time" on Sunday, and I decided I would show you guys what I've been doing with the cockpit set.Now - according to the script, we only see parts of this set, but I have something very specific in mind for how it all works. I have b ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | |
