Post 31: Plodding Along

   The week has gone by very fast, and I have been working hard on several sequences. I have made good headway on the Cabinet of Curiosities, the Church Altar, and on the Time Travel Sequences. I have also made a simple Title Sequence, and am now trying to work sequentially, so everything does not have to be moved in the final Premiere edit when sequences length change.
  I spent a good deal of time animation the ivory scrimshaw eyeballs in two different ways, and used them in the Church Altar Sequence.
  Just to give you an idea, here is the Time Travel Sequence still a little rough, but close to completion: 
       TIME TRAVEL TEST 3-12-SMALL
       TIME TRAVEL TEST 3-12-MEDIUM
   
   Here also the current stage of the Cabinet of Curiosities Sequence:
      CABINET OF CURIOSITIES TEST 3-13-SMALL
      CABINET OF CURIOSITIES TEST 3-13-MEDIUM

Post 30: Progress, sort of...

        This is one of my favorite "Transformations" of the building, and I decided to start over the sequence based on my early test, adding a number of new ideas and colorful details. I made a musical "contraction" of the Presto Organ Finale of Saint Saens Organ Symphony, and and attempting to time everything to it's strong and dramatic tempo.

  I added a second set of brass "Trompettes en Chamade" at the top of the case, a big drum in the middle with and arm and hammer beating it, a singing monkey skull, two veined black marble "bénitiers", home to a collection of green frogs("grenouilles de bénitier"), and the green snake. 

  The body of the organist was reassembled in After Effects from all its separated parts so it could be animated, with 3 frames of hands pounding the keyboard as it sways back and forth. The sequence was divided in several compositions to keep the number of layers reasonnable. 

  It is rather awkward to work in After Effets, as one has to constantly use Ram previews to play the animation with the music and check the timing. It is rather slow, even with CS5, which still leaves a lot to be desired. To help wit the timing, I created a special null layer of beat markers, that was then duplicated into all the compositions. After a day of work, I still only have a very partial rough animation, but that gives a better idea of what I am trying to do:     In the last few days, I worked on the organ sequence, which I started over from the short test, adding a set of trumpets and a drum beaten by an arm and hammer, green frogs bloating, a monkey skull singing, and animated the body of the organist. I also worked on the clock sequence yesterday, but both are very difficult to time,and I am not happy with the results yet.
  To change my mind today, I built all the drawers for the cabinet in 3D in After Effects, but am having some difficulties getting the camera to see them properly when they go in and out.
  To make me feel better, I got an e-mail yesterday from the lone student I thought was working for me on the ball sequence, telling me he was dropping out...

Post 29: Getting this thing finished pretty much on my own

   It took me way  to long to finally recognize that I would have to do most everything myself after all. I tried and tried to find help and thought at one point I did, but in the end, nobody has come though with anything at all, so I am re thinking the whole concept. I was going for the most sophisticated animation possible, but it would probably be a waste of time. There are so many unknowns and things I cannot control: weather, ambient light, other shows nearby, degradation of image in projection.
  I went to the technical meeting at the new Red Cross building Monday, and was told I would have a 20000 lumens projector and a big sound system, and will be able to use a scissors lift the day before the show to set up, but that I would have to find funding for the foam panels and tape to board up the doors and windows. I was also told we would have a dress rehearsal the night before with the projector, and that is a big relief... We should be able to get all the adjustments taken care of in advance, and be operational quickly on Saturday night.
  Randall Crow, a local professional Photographer, Videographer, Movie Maker and Artist was just now recruited by PTTR, and is going to try within tight time constraints to come up with a short show to play on the same building, and share the projector with me. 
  I believe I will take a more cartoonish and stylized approach to the animation, and play up the strength and originality of the images, the surprise factor, the colors, the movement, alternating "mapped" sequences of the building itself in various guises, and fantasy images.
  I will work up the main sequences to an adequate stage and put together a playable movie. Then, if time remains, I will go back refine the details, and possibly add more sequences.