3D Artist for CA Scanline             
www.scanline.de
 Modelling, shading, matchmoving, compositing for CA Scanline
3D artist is a relative inaccurate description of the various jobs and assignments of a VisualFX firm. In reality the daily tasks vary greatly.
Ranging from 3D modelling (buildings, objects) to shading (fixing pictures on objects), to lighting (lighting of a scene), to compositing (integrating and blending of digital effects with live action elements), "everything goes".
Here is a small selection of projects :
  • Held der Gladiatoren (RTL TV movie)
  • Wunschbaum (ZDF TV movie)
  • (T)raumschiff Surprise (HerbX feature film)
  • Haialarm auf Mallorca (RTL TV movie)
Among others, these task had to be realised :
  • 3D modelling of an ancient roman arena (Held der Gladiatoren)
      • The climax of the movie finds the hero (Ralf Möller) fighting in a roman arena as a gladiator.
      Since a real arena is hard to find and the coloseum in rome is somewhat dilapidated, one needed to be added digitally (Digital Set Extension). The greatest difficulty with this is that the arena has to be able to blend into the live action setting as exact as possible. For this the set has been digitally measured.
      It did not work out perfectly, though, because measurements were missing or the camera positions had been changed once more, or it simply looked better another way.
      So the arena was constructed procedurally. This means instead of modelling the arena set on all aspects, an approach copied from the automobile industry was developed. Spline curves defined the shape of the arena, the distances between the gates, the height of the rows of seats and a lot more details. A script then used these informations to construct an arena automatically to about 90%. The remaining changes (smaller adjustments, adding of statues and ornaments) were done manually. This allows for the construction of an entire, new arena in one day.
  • Use of digital swords (Held der Gladiatoren)
      • At the end of post production it was decided that a “Hero Shot” was needed in which the hero picked his sword back up.
      The sword used in the movie was not magnificent enough for the scene, however, so the original sword had to be replaced entirely. Since the sword was lying in the sand and the protagonist picked it up with his hand it had to be animated and lighted (shaded) just like the original sword. Due to the movement of the camera a matchmoving was necessary as well. So these 4 scenes incorporate everything: modelling of the sword, shading and lighting, matchmoving, animation and compositing. And all of that was done in less than a week.
  • Preview animation ((T)raumschiff Surprise)
      • Scanline had been involved in (T)Raumschiff Surprise since pre-production. All animations, for example, were animated more or less basic as a previz to determine the timing for the cut, insuring exact information about what was needed during the shooting.
      The longest digital sequence (and the most challenging) was the taxi’s flight through the canyon with the three heroes of the Traumschiff and the taxi driver (played by Til Schweiger) on board.
      This previz was adopted into the final cut of the movie almost without a change.
  • Animation and MotionControl (Bibi Blocksberg 2)
      • Bibi and “Kartoffelbrei“ (her broom) posed a challenge in the first movie. But the sequel called for even more scenes with a flying broomstick.
      The flight scenes were created by first animating the flight on the computer. This happened in parallel with the shoot so that the film material the animations had to be integrated in only became available bit by bit. In the animation the camera remains fixed (or moves like the live action camera) and the witch is moving.
      This animation was then rehashed through scripts for the MotionControl camera (a several tons heavy robot arm for the camera), in which the camera then moved and the witch remained motionless.
      An especial difficulty presents itself here because if Bibi revolves around her own axis during her flight, the huge robot has to move around the witch in the green screen studio. Therefore close attention has to be paid during animation to ensure that the robot can actually perform that kind of movement. Tools especially developed for this ensured that every possible robot movement was under control and translatable from animation to live action.
In addition, smaller daily tasks were required in all areas, be it for commercials or other productions. Some rain here, a butterfly there, and a reflection in the water over there. Or even the simulation of water itself. (see Software -> FlowLine)









   
 DeepSpaceNight Intro Animation
www.deepspacenight.net
 Concept design and realisation of the entire intro (without sound)
The DeepSpaceNight is a show in the disco Babylon in Munich. For more than 10 years now it takes place every Saturday night. At around 1AM the show starts with the intro animation in which the show’s DJs are on an approach to Earth.
Every step of conception from concept design, to modelling, shading, animation, compositing and editing where completed in approximately 3 weeks. The video was rendered in the standard PAL format. In addition to the show, the video can also be found on the newest CD of the DeepSpaceNight
DJ L.X.R.’s ship also has the starring role in the game DeepSpaceRace (see Software). 		   
 Music video I AM THE SOUND
www.djlxr.de I AM THE SOUND – music video DeepSpaceNight
A simple but elegant music video for the DeepSpaceNight CD - The Sound.
The video was developed last minute. After the official presentation of the CD, the wish for a video arose. So the video concept was deliberately simple and depended on text effects.
Despite the simplicity of the effects, the video was extraordinarily well-received by the audience with it’s straight graphic style and the effects that fit the music perfectly.
The video was made in less than 8 hours.
The original video deliberately did not use any background graphics, they were added at a later stage by a different team.
Since the original video unfortunately doesn’t exist in a high resolution any more, both videos can be found here (the original, and the new version in high resolution). 		   
 Tydirium
www.tydirium.tv Star Wars fan film - Tydirium
7 years ago now, a few film fans and graphic artists got together to make a movie as professional as possible.
It wasn’t about making a Star Wars movie, or wanting to be Jedis, it was about learning and experiencing how to realise a movie project as professional as possible. That it turned out to be a Star Wars movie was purely incidental.
The originally planned 10-15 minutes have now developed into an almost Feature Length Film due to the huge support of the many people involved in this project. Among those are Star Wars fans but also studio bosses, movie rentals, costume designers and make-up artists, special FX crews, set designers, lighting technicians, directors, professional actors, sound technicians, musicians, and many more...
This huge participation also contributed to the project still not being finished because it grew with the possibilities that kept opening up... the goal still is to make the film as good as possible. So scenes were added and re-shot, animations re-done, effects were tweaked, the sound was remixed and changed as well as the editing... because the movie is FOR the team... and they want to make it as good as possible.
So it stands ... it's done when it's done