<< The Muffin Project >>>> RELOADED!!

Apollux

Don't it ever happen to you that you have a good idea for a 3D project, start with it and in the middle of the road you just lost motivation? I'm tired of that, that's why I'm asking if there is people here willing to work in a small team to finish an animation idea.

The think goes like this:

* We peek a general plot.. perhaps a short joke.
* Then someone skilled on 2D develop the concep for the characters and scenary.
* After we agree on the concep, the 2D guy start working on the staging (you know, the small tumbnails describing each scene, I just forgot the name), while the 3D guy(s) start modeling the characters and props.
* The 2D guy(s) submit the sketches for aproval, the 3D guy(s) finish the modling and rigging.
* The 2D guy(s) start texturing, the 3D guy(s) start animating
.... lighting and rendering (Yafray?) .... sound editing...

We end with a small animation (no longer than 90 or 120 seconds) to show in festivals and the next conference... everyone learns, everyone keeps motivated. If the end-product is good enought, we may even help Blender gain popularity.

Of course I'm talking about a proyect to be done in our free time and with little time-pressure.. it is about having fun a making something as a group that you couldn't achieve as an individual alone.

[size=6]Anyone interested on such project?

[color=red]UPDATE: [/color][/size]

This project is really atracting a lot of attention and collaborators.. so now we have a web-site devoted to The Muffin Project . http://cardiffhigh.cardiff.sch.uk/~d...ok/muffin.html (thanks L13

).

There is also an almost-official page at http://www.freewebz.com/apollux/. This page host the story board, character design sketches, the finished and wip .blends of the project.

All disscusions about the project are keept here on elYsiun and some times on IRC.

[color=red]UPDATE: [

[size=7]The Muffin Project is back in the race!!!!![/size][/color]

Please visit the new project page at: http://aberdeenjetman.co.uk/muffin/veiw.php
(thanks to scotland for the hosting) :P

Fweeb

Quote:

After we agree on the concep, the 2D guy start working on the staging (you know, the small tumbnails describing each scene, I just forgot the name)

That's a storyboard.

Sure... I'm in. Not sure how much time I'll have to contribute, I'm definitely interested.

Enos Shenk

I cant animate anything...

Although i am set up for video editing.

SkeLeToR

im alright at modeling a scene, and some video editing, as long as you are a good leader

WeirdHat

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollux

Don't it ever happen to you that you have a good idea for a 3D project, start with it and in the middle of the road you just lost motivation?

That about sums up the fate of almost every idea like this (been part of one or two myself :-?). However, a 90 to 120 second animation seems possible, and since you suggested that it seems like you know not to be too ambitious.

I can't help, I've got projects of my own, but I wish you luck.

Alltaken

LOL

with my experience these types of things don't always get finished.

i have been doing the exodus project for over a year :P
(i mean it will get finished but it will be a while still LOL)

ha ha ha

anyway good luck i hope it works

banana_sock

sounds like a good idea. I'm just coming up with 2 months of holidays, so that means i will get some guaranteed free time, so i'd like to be involved. I'm still pretty stupid about some things, specially animating characters and such, but i could definitely help.
If we stick to something simple, then it will get completed.

kane

yep i'll be in for this, i'm ok at modeling and animation but what i really rock at is particles

. i can also use yafray pretty well.

L13

I would be willing to help i will be able to contribute quite a bit of time to the project. But i can only model at a good standard. Nothing else really. O wait i do Media Studies so i can contribute to framing and shots, but not the actual drawing of them.

lemmy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollux

Don't it ever happen to you that you have a good idea for a 3D project, start with it and in the middle of the road you just lost motivation?

Yeah, that happens to me all the time. Anyone know a cure or remedy for this? :-?

Apollux

Wao !!! The responses are better than I expected

So far this is the team:

[color=blue]Apollux[/color] Modeling, rigging, animation and maybe do some lighting work. Also some very limited 2D.
[color=cyan]Fweeb[/color] ... can do stuff !!
[color=blue]luckybreak[/color] Good at 2D stuff.
[color=cyan]Enos Shenk[/color] Video Edition.
[color=blue]skeletor[/color] Modeling and Video Edition.
[color=cyan]banana_sock[/color] ... also can do stuff.
[color=blue]kane[/color] Modeling, Animation, Particles and Rendering.
[color=cyan]L13[/color] Modeling and pre-rendering stuff.

[size=6]So... let's get started!![/size]

Months ago I saw this joke on CGTalk, and I think it could do a good plot-line.

Quote:

Originally posted by Jbo123
2 muffins are baking in the oven. One muffin says to the other "Hot in here, isn't it?". The other muffin looks at him and says "holy shit, a talking muffin"

What do you think? -- Also, I'll like to see other ideas.

SkeLeToR

im definately in! hah, i thought that joke was funny as hell, lol, but PLEASE, spell video edition correctly? it editing

L13

Right ok, that one liner looks cool.

If we stick with these this is what we need:-

luckybreak: we are going to need mock ups of:
muffins that have mouths(so they can speak).
inside of an oven
inside of a kitchen

I propose we start with a shot of a kitchen, with something in the oven then we cut straight into the inside. Then the action with the muffins takes place.

Any other suggestions?

SkeLeToR

i think thats a great start, but once the punchline comes in, the camera zooms out real quick outside of the oven, but u gotta still be able to see the muffins ( they also should have eyes also)

L13

Yes i was thinking about eyes, but i wasnt sure.

I dont think that a muffin with huge cartoon eyeballs sticking off the top would be very good. Maybe they could embeded sort of in the dough.

Maybe we could ask the guys in traditional to help? I know that 2D is not alot of people strong point but maybe there would be some willing artists in there

Fweeb

Great joke... but I dunno, I think the mouths can be formed out of the natural crease in the muffin's side (like when you cut into it sideways. I'd stay away from obvious-looking eyes, maybe some blueberries (assuming that they're blueberry muffins) that behave as eyes.

For better timing, it might be good to do a series of quick cuts of the process of making muffins as an intro. When the batter is placed in the oven, the camera follows. The muffins rise (quickly), and the actual joke takes place.

As far as the "stuff" I can do, I can pretty much fit anywhere/everywhere. I've done everything from pre to post (and the stuff in-between as well) in 2D and 3D, and I like to think I'm better than average at it.

L13

Good idea bout the blueberries for and for the placing of the batter in the oven and that.

Ye this is how i see it so far.

Fade in, to shot of kitchen.
Quick cut to batter in oven,
Quick cut to more developed state and then watch the muffins rise.
Then the joke.
Fade into credits.

Enos Shenk

I must admit, that is a really funny joke.

Apollux

I just came from work. This is really taking off

Here is my vision:

Just like Fweeb said, we start with some quick cuts showing a pair of female hands pouring the muffin paste into the mold (muffins are baked in a mold, right?). The camera is placed where the cook's eyes would be, so that her face nevers shows up in camera, only her hands and bits of her dress. (Remember the parents on "The Cow and the Chicken Show" ?).

The plate with the mold and batter goes into the oven, the cook walks away... then a quick cut to a wall clock / stove clock... then quick cut to inside the oven.

The clock again .. into the oven the muffins are already grown... the joke takes place.

Afther the "Holy shit" line, the surprised muffin kind of take a step away from the hotie muffin (or moves himself to the next empty mold) with a nervous look on his face ... and the hotie muffin gives him ood look, kind of thinking "What' s wrong with you?"

The camera zooms out.

I totally agree about the eyes and mouth.. they should NOT be obvious the first time you see the muffins. About where to place the mouth... it depens if the camera will be seeing the scene from above or from the front side.

Apollux

hmmm... perhaps the "show clock -> raw muffins -> clock -> cooked muffins" thing is too long.. the accelerated cooking time inside the oven could be a better choice.