Comments on: Security Cruiser – geometry done

By: mathias

mathias — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:46:00 +0000

I get your idea about detail and I fully agree about it. You seem to in my opinion be able to balance that very nicely in your model design, so my comment was in an positive spirit. Keep up the great work!

By: Sardtok

Sardtok — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:35:00 +0000

The gaffer is what we call the light master in Norwegian, he is responsible for electrical stuff (cables) and for setting up and controlling the lights used on a set.
Usually does a layout of the lights by drawing them into a floor plan.
So the gaffer's quite important, and I guess in big animation productions, they have a "gaffer" as they often have their own lighting department.

Heck, you'll get to be grip too, they are some cool guys, wish I could do what they do (at least a dolly grip, but I do like cranes too).

Nice to hear the texture is coming along.
And considering that a lot of what makes this model was in the textures (looking at the design sketch now really reveals that).
Looking forward to seeing it when it's done.

By: steve

steve — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:27:00 +0000

Sardtok – I’m ashamed to say I don’t actually know what a Gaffer does (although I’m rather fond of their tape ) Although of course if it’s designing and laying out the set, I have been doing that for 20 years, so perhaps I have tried on the Gaffer’s hat after all?

The texturing/surfacing of the cruiser is greatly improving it. I didn’t think anything would ever compete with the Moon Shark for sheer coolness, but I think the security cruiser is going to give that design a run for its money.

Update for those who keep track of such things – the back insulator/antenna thing is textured, and the top rear section. The front “football” is 65% done. Another couple of nights, and that ship will be complete.

By: Sardtok

Sardtok — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:24:00 +0000

Steve -
I guess you won't get to be the gaffer until you start setting up your scenes or something.
I guess you could sit down with floor plans, and draw in the lamps and stuff, but that is more like what you do in live action productions.
But, I must admit, I did enjoy being the gaffer on the one multi-cam production we did when I studied Film & TV. (We always had it set up so that photographers would head the lighting department, as we didn't work with the people who studied lighting(they mostly did concert and theatre stuff anyway), so that was one of the productions which I did photography on).

Anyway, the ship looks great, but like you said, parts of it is sort of empty.
When I saw it from the front, the first thing I though was that I couldn't wait to see it textured, as right now there's not a lot to look at in the front of the ship.
I really like the engines, they look great.

By: steve

steve — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Paul – I haven’t tried Gaffer yet. But I am the guy who brings the coffee to the director. And he’s so demanding, wouldn’tcha know I always get it wrong?

Mathias – Without getting all speechy about it, I do actually view detail the way I view music or pacing in a film. It can’t all be detail, and it can’t all be lack of detail. You have to have dynamics, pacing, variation, whatever you call it. So, some places have detail, some places don’t, and you hope that the object will be seen overall, not just in the study of its parts.

Thanks for the link to ShortOfTheWeek. Very cool site. If they ever get a forum up, all us former AnimWatchers oughtta go over there and hang out.

By: mathias

mathias — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:11:00 +0000

“And the Pearce Sisters is just BRILLIANT. I’m so envious of that sort of totality of vision. Ugh.”

That is so true. At the same time I think you got a good thing going here with Moon Town. The shipdesigns so far are both whacky and cool. The simple shapes combined with the details in right places does wonders for the designs overall imho. Can’t wait to see the model textured. I also guess totality of vision is something one got to fight for in order to get it done “right”. I stumbled over a website called, Shortoftheweek.com where they interviewed Luis Cook in a profile of The Pearce Sisters the other day, much in the spirit of animwatch, and it seemed to take quite a bit of time and experimenting to get where they got in the end. Keep up the great work!

By: Flawedprefect

Flawedprefect — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:18:00 +0000

I totally know what you mean… altho I’m discovering the details by entering “the 3d dimension” and making new stuff up… but I love that freedom of being everything from the grand overlord to the best boy. Are you gaffer on your production, too?

By: steve

steve — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:49:00 +0000

Thanks, Paul. Right now, it’s an odd mix – without the textures, it looks like all the detail is bunched up in a couple of locations and the rest of the ship is oddly flat and white with no detail.

I’m hoping when I add all the textures and normal maps, everything will look more like it belongs together. Then again, if it doesn’t, I guess I’ll just live with it because that detail stuff turns me dials. It has ever since I saw my first sci-fi film. It’s an odd coincidence that all that stuff is in the places you couldn’t see in the design sketch for the security cruiser… heh heh This is one place I benefit from being the guy who designs it, builds it, and approves it. I don’t think anyone else could have guess what I wanted inside those engines or between the engine pods and the body…

I’m glad you like it.

By: Flawedprefect

Flawedprefect — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:54:00 +0000

It’s the little details that make this. You mix simplicity (the body’s just a sphere) with some intricacies like the bolts and braces that hold the guns onto the body, and the fan things on the boosters. The result is something that looks seriously cool. I can’t wait to see these ships battle out.

By: steve

steve — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:17:00 +0000

And the Pearce Sisters is just BRILLIANT. I’m so envious of that sort of totality of vision. Ugh.