Creating Stereoscopic 3D Images

 

In front of MLK Library:

Recreating Cameras and Lights in Maya

Original Copy:

Maya Copy:

Extra Credit: Lighting a Scene in Maya

 One Point Lighting

 Two Point Lighting

Three Point Lighting

Building a Scene in Maya

Special Effects in Animation and Live-Action

My first two term paper scores were 90 and 87; I will not be writing a third term paper.

Outline for the Third Term Paper

I. Introduction

A. Introduction to fire special effects in animated films
B. 2D animated films require drawing fire frame by frame
C. Comparison between fire in the 2D animated films Bambi (1942) and Howl's Moving Castle (2005)

II. Body

A. Bambi (1942)

-Introduction to Bambi, and specifically the forest fire scene
-Fire created by cel animation, drawn frame by frame
-Unrealistic mass of fire
-Unrealistic flickering, static fire sometimes, broken particles should snap away from the main fire
-Timing of fire
-Color
-Believability

B. Howl's Moving Castle (2005)

-Introduction to Howl's Moving Castle, and specifically Calcifer, the fire demon character visually seen from the fire place.
-Calcifer is a character portrayed as a fire.
-Characteristics aside, animation of fire is mostly realistic, though there are some technical areas
-Fire flickers are sometimes drawn round, and not sharp.
-Timing
-Color
-Believability

III. Conclusion

-Both films are hand drawn cel animation, yet they both have fire drawn differently.
-The believability of fire is still there despite technicalities of the animation drawings.

Stop-Motion Character Animation

A curious tiger discovers a junkyard playground.

For this assignment, I looked around the house for toys and stuffed animals to use. I gathered what I found and took the story from there. I set up a "playground" with the toys I found and set up the camera as well. The stuffed tiger was the most articulated of all the plush animals I found, but even then the tiger had a hard time holding itself up and kept flopping over. I had the most fun with the tugging of the cloth. I used tape behind the tiger and the objects in the set to hold the objects in place especially when objects were tipping over, or if I had to stand the tiger up in some way. I tried giving the plush tiger a bit of a curious and playful personality. For the Tiger's scampering and pounce away, I used objects to hold the tiger up underneath. The cloth the tiger was dragging was convenient in hiding the Tiger's body and the objects used to suspend the Tiger in the air. I grew more confident in animating as the scene progressed. Overall I had a lot of fun!

Science Fact or Cinematic Fiction?

Action scenes in movies have always caught our attention with dramatic actions, comedic effect, and its exciting for many viewers. What makes action films so popular is that action is the purest form of tension. Watching these fight scenes raises up the adrenaline in viewers, and it is exciting to see the outcome. Fight scenes are realistic when action forces during the fighting also have believable reaction forces, but in movies, the action and reaction principle can be exaggerated or end up non-existent during fight scenes to exaggerate movement or slowed down, for either a comical or a dramatic effect. The action/reaction principle is when there is an action force, there is always an equal reaction force in the opposite direction. Kamen Rider, Man of Steel, and Shaolin Soccer, are all three different live-action action films, but they all share moments where the action and reaction principle is clearly broken. While these films are all vastly different from each other, the believability of the fight scenes in these films range from film to film due to the bendable physics presented in these films.

The Kamen Rider Series is a popular series consisting of manga (Japanese comics), a Television series, and Film. The low-budget Japanese Television series and films are aimed mainly at kids, but its dark storyline makes it suitable for adults as well. Because it has low production values, the special effects and physics in the TV and films is questionable especially during the fighting scenes. However, the humor is held up in this cartoon-like fighting, despite the dark storylines. Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Fourze & OOO: Movie War Mega Max is a 2011 film in the Kamen Rider Series  and is used here to show how the action/reaction principle is broken many times. Many of the punches and kicks seem soft-hitting, and as the action/reaction principle states, for every action force there is an equal reaction force in the opposite direction. The Kamen Riders in every fight scene, ends the fight with the monster(s) with a “finishing move”. Near the end of the movie when the legendary Kamen Riders kick and punch enemy opponents, whenever the fist or foot made contact with the enemy, there should be a reaction force of the enemy’s body parts back to the incoming action force. Instead, there is no sign of recoil or any force pushing back against the incoming final punches or kicks. In fact, its like the Kamen Riders “land” into that pose and holds that pose there, while the enemies disintegrate and explode on the spot. If this were more realistic, there would be a rebound of forces back onto the those that initiated the punch or kick. And yet, because the Kamen Rider Series is low-budget, not to mention aimed at kids and teens, the physics of the fighting moves of Kamen Rider may not be real, but they are comical and “playful” to watch.

Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Superman, a Kryptonian man who displays superhuman abilities that he resolves to use for the benefit of humanity. Man of Steel is definitely on the higher end of production with flashy special effects and attention to detail for this realistic live-action film. However, it can be noted that the action/reaction principle is still either exaggerated or non-existent for an emphasis of power or a very dramatic force in some fighting shots. Superman, during his fight with the Faora, who also hailed from the planet Krypton, is shown that, thinking about it realistically is shown not to be realistic at all. As that they both hail from the same planet with superhuman powers such as superhuman strength, it would make sense if they would exert similar forces on each other. However it is shown multiple times in the movie that whenever Faora punches or throws Superman, Superman is shown to fly at extreme speed, and at a very far distance, due to the force of Faora’s punches or throws. Faora's physics, in itself doesn’t make any sense, despite how “cool” the actions are and how desperate it makes Superman looks. When Superman goes flying after being punched or thrown, Faora’s actual punches and throws don’t match up to the speed that Superman flies away, perhaps due to the actress’s human movements that constraint otherwise what really would be “superhuman” strength. The action/reaction still applies here as that Faora is shown not to move from her spot with no recoil or follow-through in her body after punching or throwing Superman into very far distances. Also, if she were also to realistically not move from where she stood, the pressure she would exert onto the ground would equal the amount of force she exerted with her hands. Man of Steel definitely showed very cool fight scenes, but looking closely, the physics of the fight scenes were definitely pushed for dramatic moments.

Shaolin Soccer is a 2001 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film, and due to being a comedy, definitely shows the impossibility of physics through many of the fights and soccer scenes. Because the physics of this film is so obviously noted, it makes it even more humorous to the audience because of the sheer impossibility of the gags. Humor aside, there are plentiful of scenes that break the action/reaction principle. During the soccer match against the last opposing team pumped filled with steroids, when the main character kicks the soccer ball aiming for the goal, the ball is shown to have incredible speed like a raging tiger through special effects. However the opposing goalie stops the ball with merely his hand, perhaps to dramatically show how resilient he is. The soccer ball literally comes to a stop by his hand. Realistically, the action/reaction principle would cause the ball to bounce backwards with the same force, from the hand that came up to stop it.

Also during this last game, when the goalie for the protagonist team goes flying, tearing through the soccer net and into the walls of the bleachers due to the force of the ball kicked into him by the opponent, it once again shows the unrealistic physics. Even if the opponents have all been pumped with steroids, the amount of force the kicker exerted into the ball would cause the same amount of force back on him. However, the impossibility of this shot also amplifies the dire situation the protagonists are in for that dramatic effect.

While Kamen Rider, Man of Steel, and Shaolin Soccer are three separate live-action films, they all contain several examples of incorrectly following the action and reaction principle. However, all three films break these physics but in the end, serves the general feel of the respective films well. The directors for each film may have chosen to exaggerate or eliminate the action/reaction principle, but overall it payed off for the effect they were going for with the actions.

Outline of the Second Term Paper

I. Introduction

A. Introduction to fight scenes in films
B. Laws of physics are pushed during these fight scenes for various reasons especially during "air-time", like jumps, or being thrown in the air.
C. While these films are different, the believability of the fight scenes in these films range from film to film due to the bendable physics presented in these films.

II. Body

A. Kamen Rider

-Low-budget Japanese Television series that has a lot of questionable physics especially during the fighting.
-Punches and "air-time" is meant for either comical effect or slowed down for emphasis.
-Many of the movements also feel weight-less.

B. Man of Steel (Superman)

-Humans with super human abilities do extreme fighting moves
-Faora's physics throwing other humans, and even superman, is questionable as they fly faster than her arm is shown to throw them.
-Some of the computer graphics are awesome, but noticeably "fake" especially when characters get smashed into walls and grounds.

C. Shaolin Soccer

-A HK martial arts comedy that has impossible physics during "kung fu soccer" and outside of soccer as well.
-Much of the air time is impossible, but slowed down for effect or for gag humor.

III. Conclusion

-While all three films are complete different worlds, they still portray incorrect physics for reasons such as extending a moment or exaggerating an ability.
-Without these imaginative bendable physics, these films would not be as enjoyable as they would be, for they tap into the creativity of the human mind.

Reverse Video Reference

 ClipA

ClipB

ClipC

ClipD

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

 

I made this animation with a lot of planning beforehand. At first I had a hard idea of what to do for the project, but once I figured out that I had a lot of coins laying around, I went into execution for this assignment. I knew I wanted to use a mass of coins, not just several. I also tried giving the coins a bit of personality before their "jumps", using the 1, 3, 5 principle. I simply had the rest of the coins fall in a mass after the completed jumps. I shot the frames on my camera, and edited it in Adobe Premiere. I had a lot of fun!

The Laws of Physics in an Animation Universe

The Mario video game franchise, created by Nintendo, is one of the best selling video game franchise of all time. With Mario serving as the company’s mascot and the main protagonist for the majority of the game series, he has become a popular icon well recognized in society. Many Mario games have simple plots, typically with Mario rescuing the kidnapped Princess Peach from the primary antagonist, Bowser. This is generally a typical Mario game, however there have been many variants of Mario over the years, ranging from creative game mechanics, new break-through animation, or even in the case of Super Mario Galaxy, it’s unique physics is what makes Super Mario Galaxy a game that can stand alone for being very memorable. Another variant of the typical Mario games would be Paper Mario. The second game in the series, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, originally released in Japan as Paper Mario RPG, is one such spin-off variant of typical Mario games. This game shows its uniqueness through its paper-themed environment where the flat, paper look and nature of objects in the paper world of Paper Mario, makes the player's mind accept things that we normally view as impossible, due to the whimsical charm, humor, and the physics handled in this game.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has a unique visual style. The graphics consist of a mixture of three-dimensional environments and two-dimensional characters who look as if they are made of paper. At different points in the game, Mario is "cursed" with abilities that enable special moves in the universe, all of which are based on the paper theme. Mario can fold into a boat or a paper airplane by standing on a special activation panel, and roll up into a scroll of paper or become paper-thin. Mario is even able to "gently" float down like actual paper (due to real life air resistance) from a great height, and not gain any collateral damage from the fall. These paper abilities of Mario would be normally impossible in reality, however because players understand that the world has a paper theme, they are viewed as plausible for “paper” Mario to be able to roll up, fold, or crease into paper planes and boats. This is also a contradiction in itself. Mario being "paper thin" means that he is easily flimsy, and in the real life would not be able to stand or move upright on his own.

The game's environments also follow the paper theme such as when illusory objects that conceal secret items or switches can be blown away by a gust of wind due to the environment's paper-like qualities. The gust of wind is this came is generated by one of Mario’s teammates who blows air from her mouth. The physics in general for this move is unrealistic for any creature to be able to blow paper peelings off the background. The animation is smoothly animated however, down to the paper peeling away thus giving the players the illusion that it is believable. There are many other mechanics in the world for the player to explore and experiment with as well. One environmental mechanic that was noted was the bubble mechanic located during the Great Tree stages which worked by having normal transient bubbles floating from the ground is somehow dense enough to carry 101 solid animals called punies across a large gap on the floor. This stood out to me because the idea of bubbles being able to be dense enough to carry solids inside them and also being able to float is unrealistic in the real world, however we believe it because of the whimsical feel of the mechanic along with the realistic animation.

The classic trademark of going in and out of green pipes (and toilets) continues in the Mario franchise, however the plausibility of being able to warp through places via pipes is not unfamiliar to viewers, and is easily accepted for what it is. Still, the idea of plunging into a toilet and coming out on the other end perfectly fine, is a gross concept if it were possible in real life. It is interesting to note that even though green pipes will all always appear in Mario, only in Paper Mario does the entire screen scrunch-up like paper, to reinforce the element as being part of a paper universe.

Perhaps the most defying real life physics in this game are the move-sets of Mario and his fellow teammates. For example, Mario can shoot his turtle teammate, Koops, outside of battle over gaps on the floor to obtain hard to reach items on the other side. In real life, the shell will not travel in a straight line and back like a boomerang over a gap on the floor, and would instead fall due to gravity. The same can be said for the dinosaur Yoshi character on the team, who can float across gaps in the floor by rapidly moving his legs in the air. In real life a dinosaur, even a baby dinosaur, no matter how hard he runs, cannot float in a straight line while carrying Mario on his back across an open gap on the floor. Mario himself has his classic moves transferred over from other games. It is impossible for Mario to do a "spin jump" realistically which allows him jump, spin, and land on his butt causing a hole to rip in the ground because his body is mimicking the likeness of paper, and he cannot simply break a panel in the floor. However, despite how unreal these physics all are, the overall animation of the "spin jump" is executed well enough as if Mario was never made out of paper in the first place, and therefore causing the overall action to be believable. Being believable is what sells what one normally wouldn’t perceive as realistic to be so.

The concept of a "paper world" was pushed throughout the game causing many laws of physics to be broken especially with the idea that these paper characters can move on their own. The paper mechanics in the world is what makes this game so entertaining, fun and challenging for players turning a typical Mario game into something new again. Without the whimsical characteristics of the paper-like quality of the environment and characters, as well as the overall smooth execution of the animation in the game, the physics of this world would not be as believable as it is.

First Term Paper Outline

I. Introduction

A. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
B. Adventure Role Play Game
C. The flat, paper look and nature of objects in the paper world of Paper Mario, makes the player's mind accept things that we normally view as impossible, like folding oneself to be a paper boat, due to the whimsical charm, humor, and the physics handled in this game.

II. Body

A. Paper Abilities of Mario

-Mario is able to "fold" himself into a paper airplane and be able to fly short distances.
-Mario is able to "fold" himself into a paper boat and travel on water.
-Mario is able to "turn sideways" to slip his paper thin body through cracks between fences or even sewage drains.
-Mario is able to "gently" float down like actual paper (due to real life air resistance) from a great height, and not gain any collateral damage from the fall.
               1. Contradiction: Mario being "paper thin" means being flimsy, and in the real life would not be able to stand or move upright on his own.

B. Interactive backgrounds and environments help establish the paper elements and exploratory mechanisms of the universe.

-One of Mario's teammates has the ability to blow wind gales out of her mouth that can rip off "fake paper walls" to reveal things underneath.
-The bubble mechanic located in the Great Tree which worked by having normal transient bubbles floating from the ground is somehow dense enough to carry 101 solid animals called punies across a large gap on the floor.
-The classic trademark of going in and out of green pipes (and toilets) continues in the Mario franchise, however the plausibility of being able to warp through places via pipes is not unfamiliar to viewers, and is easily accepted for what it is.
-Even though green pipes will all always appear in Mario, only in Paper Mario does the entire screen scrunch-up like paper, to reinforce the element as being part of a paper universe

C. Mario and his teammates' moves, special skills, and attacks have tendencies in defying the laws of physics.

-Mario can shoot Koops's shell outside of battle over gaps on the floor to obtain hard to reach items on the otherside. In real life, the shell will not travel in a straight line and back over a gap on the floor, and would instead fall due to gravity.
-The same can be said for the Yoshi on the team, who can float across gaps in the floor by rapidly moving his legs in the air. In real life a dinosaur, even a baby dinosaur, no matter how hard he runs, cannot float in a straight line while carrying Mario on his back across an open gap on the floor.
-Mario himself has his classic moves transferred over from other games. It is impossible for Mario to do a "spin jump" realistically which allows him jump, spin, and land on his butt causing a hole to rip in the ground because his body is mimicking the likeness of paper, and he cannot simply break a panel in the floor.
              1. Contradiction: The overall animation of the "spin jump" is executed well enough as if Mario was never made out of paper in the first place, and therefore causing the overall action to be believable.

III. Conclusion

-The concept of a "paper world" was pushed throughout the game causing many laws of physics to be broken especially with the idea that these paper characters can move on their own.
-Without the whimsical characteristics of the paper-like quality of the environment and characters, the physics of this world would not be as believable as it is.

Video Analysis of Path of Action

The Jump Tracking:

5 Jumps of Reference:

Tracker Video Analysis of Falling

Shooting Video Reference

Mini-Portfolio

Hi! My name is Katherine Chung. I'm an animation major at San Jose State University. I'm currently taking 128b which is an intermediate animation Maya course. I have already taken and completed most of my lower and some upper division Animation/Illustration courses at SJSU. I have completed Ani 115 last semester. I am very fond of 2D animation, but I admire 3D animation a lot, and am trying my best to learn and take in as much information as I can about animating. I am looking forward to apply real life physics to my work as an animator with the knowledge I'll gain from this class.

This first image was my Charcoal Reversal Project for Ani 112

This second image is an acrylic still life for 113A

  This is my Ani 114 Sack Pantomime Final Animation

The First Post :: Physics Animation 123

This is the first post for Physics Animation 123 course! I'm Katherine, an animation major and I'm really excited to start physics 123!

Yay!
I like cats.