Knitwit

Wahey, it worked!
The pictures have loaded at last.
Notice my hand painted button (saves on polygons).

Knitwit's body bending with a simple IK chain.

Knitwit lives...almost

I've spent the day ignoring all the other stuff I know I'm supposed to do for college, but instead modelling Knitwit. It is early days, but thanks to a chance chat yesterday with Alex, I think I have the limbs well on their way. Instead of the usual polygons the simple solution is twisted nurbs cylinders. I will animate them with Spline IK Chains. The reason for this is that I envisaged a "hosepipe" type style because of Knitwit's construction. A single jointed woolen arm just wouldn't seem right.
Texturing is going to be my biggest headache. I'm reasonably happy with the shape of Knitwits head and body, but they will need a decent knitted or, at the very least, cloth finish.
I have also begun looking into deformations. There is a picture here showing how the body bends. It's working out quite well. And then of course there is the mouth.
Hmmm, it's not liking the pictures. Will try again.

A better picture of Fred

Good Morning Dan.

Saturday Morning

Hey, it's sarturday afternoon actually. I've been studying a tutorial about polygonal modelling, and it's proving very useful. I appear to have "learned" things - which is nice. Yesterday I guided Julian with much of the storyboarding. He now understands what exactly I'm envisioning. Also useful. He was having a lot of trouble drawing, which made us both laugh a lot. Well, you've got to enjoy yourself.
I've been smoothing Fred (Joseph's name for Red Oxide), and he is looking mighty fine. Of course he still has no legs or anything (Julian's drawing of a gay metaller just wasn't doing it for me).

Here is knitwit

An improved Knitwit, courtesy of Julian. So he's not totally useless!

Let's get started

So....I am returned from an amazing trip to Reyjavik and am raring to go. Today I built the shop bought tin robot. I have given him wheels but these probably won't stay! The colouring is also temporary. I thought of a name for him when I was on the train....."Red Oxide".
I really like it. Firstly it sounds a bit like a superhero. Secondly it is actually suggestive of rust, and thirdly I can picture it on a box. I think we will have to design that aswell.

Julian has done a fantastic redesign of Joseph, which I am more than happy about, as I am not a good designer. I have however contributed a profile drawing which should help him along. He has also done a great design for Knitwit. It should be fun animating a knitted character in CG. We'll manage it somehow!
Also, while in Iceland I think I managed to convince a group called Amiina to create an original score for the film. They are an Icelandic, female four piece who make gorgeous music with wine glasses, bells, violins, cellos and just about anything they can get their hands on. I have requested some music involving recorders and a glockenspiel, and anything else which is generally accessible to small children. I hope very much that they will have time to do this. They are very keen.

Script Time

So it is time to write the script. That is what I am attempting right now, and it's proving to be difficult. For a start I've got this idea that I want the film to be narrated by a small boy. It is a great plan in my head, but the application may prove rather more tricky. The script need to be spot on, and I also need to find a kid who can do the voice-over for me. I met my half-brother's half-sister at the weekend and she was a successful actress. She gave me good advice about it. For instance she pointed out that when she was a child actor she responded very well to imagery and visual guidance far more than being told. Makes sense. She also said that she has many actor and actress friends who would be happy to help me out if necessary. Which can only be a good thing.

I always saw the real beauty of this film as being in the incidentals, rather than the main "plot" (if you can call it that). My hope is to evoke a real feeling of childhood and of a more innocent age. The (vaguely) 1950's setting allows me a scenario free of any of the modern SHIT that pervades the lives of today's kids. And no, even I wasn't a kid in the 50's. I want there to be a tangible rapport between the three of them. And the robots should have a relationship that involves squabbling all the time, whilst actually being the best of friends. I suppose the ultimate aim for any film maker is for the audience to leave the film believing that somehow those characters exist somewhere.

Anyone fancy writing my script? Thought not!

im stupid

time for honesty

yes, joseph is based on this little chap (me)
even lollies were cool in the 1970's!
"hmmm, an unhealthy obsession with his childhood"

probably

animatic maya roughs

here we see the toy robots alongside Joseph's little suitcase

mummy saves the day

if there is one thing guaranteed to scare away a monster, even a horrid, huge one, it is mummy


time for tea

the monster looms...

once at the seaside

time to build sandcastles...
but beware the huge monster rising out of the sea behind you

it is formed from old wood pilings, concrete, rusty iron, seaweed and seawater

it's not all fun - especially with a small boy's imagination

it's nice to look at the pylons and stuff out the train window...
except when they become monsters!

the train journey

lots of fun to be had on the train!

early concept type stuff

tough-nut is a shop-bought tin robot.
he thinks he's tough, but really he's a big nancy!

knitwit is a rag-doll robot
when he isn't "alive" he is totally floppy
when he is, he will be far more sturdy and human (i may opt for hosepipe animation on his arms)
this whole design is open to change, but not the concept

the main character in this short film:
Little Joseph - 6 years old

A trip to the seaside - a film by Ritchie Hoyle (me), and some talented friends

So here we go. Only 9 months of student life to go. And then......oh no, it's the real world (again!).
My film is called A Trip To The Seaside, or possibly My Trip To The Seaside, dependant on whether I elect to have it minimally narrated in the first person.
I will stick the script on here at some point rather than write the story out now. It involves monsters and robots, so must be good!