Looking wicked cool
Just curious, are the fractal noise flashes being done in Blender or AE? If in Blender, have you rendered the actual animation of the flash, or just rendered still images?
Without knowing how long the final animation/ video will be, it’s tough to comment on the 720 vs 1080. I suppose with all the time spent on textures and the environment process you did, I would lean toward 1080 if it is doable on your hardware. What I can just about guarantee, no matter what way you choose, probably 40- 50% of the people are going to watch it on a stinking little cellphone screen.
James_Z - Thanks! I’m hoping I can get all the remaining assets to look as good!
Harley - I completely forgot that Blender has fractal noise as well (even though I’ve used it in the past), but this was done in After Effects. I can send you a copy of the AE file if you’d like to see how it was setup.
And I think you’re right; for all the time spent on it already, rendering it in full HD probably is a good idea, especially if it’s going to be letterboxed. I agree with you that a lot of people will be watching on the “extra-small screen”, but hopefully the people who really like to see details will watch on something bigger. Also, I’d like to use this video to entice other channels to collaborate with us, so bigger should show off our work better.
Nice work James! Textures on the weapon are stand out. When are we going to see more?
The RB tests look good and it made me smile how you drove that “water wheel” with the shells 
The muzzle flashes as stills also look good. I think the third one is the best, because it is the most smooth one and it forms a nice cone.
I agree with Harleynut. The quality of the textures and the details demands for full HD, if it is doable.
When I spoke about the blurry parts of the texture atlas I was referring to this parts. But perhaps they are only blurry in the smaller version?
dantefrizzoli - Thank you! I’m working on the gun rigging and the hologram effects. I should have that work to show tomorrow or Friday.
Minoribus - I’ve taken a screenshot showing the placement of the UV islands (a crop from the 8k map at least). There is a lot of unused space, hopefully this file loads correctly, I’m only able to use my phone at the moment.
I’m working on the look for the actual “floaty gun” physics. Initially, I thought it could just be a blue-green light that shines onto the gun, reminiscent of a “tractor beam” of UFO fiction. But there are some issues with that, mostly being that this is going to be a fairly well-lit environment. Volumetric lights look cool, but the brighter the setting, the less they show up and the more they wash out whatever they hit. Here you can see the details of the gun get washed out, and because the zero-G gun effect has to take place the entire time we see the gun, I don’t think this is an acceptable option.
So, I’m now thinking I’ll pursue an effect of air distortion, and perhaps some particle effects, to give the impression of a pillar of energy keeping the gun aloft.
Looking good James as if I know what you are doing right now. Listen fellow the rendering hit for 1080 over 720p is horrendous. And, I just pulled up a HP laptop, 15.6", 750 dollars, and the screen is just over 720p but only slightly. Those of us with desktops are a minority getting smaller everyday.
And, then Harley brings up the point that really galls my ass. Those damn small screens. Can you actually believe someone would watch a movie on them. But, then that is the only Net link for some. Why render resolution only a small percentage can actually see. But, then you bought up other considerations. Regardless this project seems to be moving right along and looking good to my untrained VFX eye.
I agree with you, ghost. Unless you have a killer computer, rendering in full HD often isn’t worth the time still, since only a percentage of viewers can watch it. But, there are also options such as Chromecast and tv services which allow us to watch YouTube on our televisions. In fact, there are even larger dimensions possible on YouTube! Brandon Laatsch (the former founding partner of the FreddieW channel, now recently striking it out on his own), even has a 4K video up on his channel:
It is my opinion that, while 2K and 4K computer monitors probably won’t be at the top of many peoples wishlists, more and more people will begin choosing to watch internet videos on their TV’s over the next few years. So eventually rendering in higher resolution would be more worthwhile.
Of course, rendering still sucks presently. There is one advantage I have though; because I want the film in a wider 2.39 “CinemaScope” format, I only have to render 1920x803 pixels, rather than the full 1920x1080. This means it’s only about 3/4 the area of full HD.
So, I’m now thinking I’ll pursue an effect of air distortion, and perhaps some particle effects, to give the impression of a pillar of energy keeping the gun aloft.
This could prove to be better than the tractor beam, because we are used to think, that a tractor beam has to come from above 
and the other way round - from bottom to top - people may think you are presenting a hologram.
On the full HD topic. Of course it is better if you can manage to do it, because you are making a showcase for your business, if I understand things right.
Thanks for the new cut out of the texture. I see now that even the smallest details are pretty sharp. It’s an enviable texture quality.
You’re very right about that, minoribus, I hadn’t thought of that. I’m sure some people could be confused and mistake the energy beam for a holograph. That is another good example of the difficulties in trying to communicate effectively what is in our heads through a film.
Speaking of holograms, I just got back from shooting the images of John for the holographic targets. Even though John has no experience with the VFX software, he is very good at quickly coming up with ideas and content, which is extremely helpful for me. I will share some of the shots from todays shoot soon.
I just got back from shooting the images of John for the holographic targets
Your lucky to have a guy who’s not afraid of the camera.
So does the “hatch” open up and the gun rises somehow out of it, or is it just going to morph into existence out of particles or something?
Yes, I want the gun to feel like a very real thing, so the hatch will open up, very mechanically, and the gun will then rise up out of it. I hope even though it will be futuristic, that it will still be easy to interpret as something real and tangible. I think having very raw, visceral sound effects will help to support this.
Speaking of John, I recently had the idea to do a video to celebrate 1,000 subscribers (we’re currently at about 850). Maybe we should make him eat 1,000 chicken McNuggets?
Edit: I just noticed my post count is the same as our current subscriber count. It is uncanny how closely those two numbers follow each other, staying almost the same for months now!
Quite a lot of work getting done now! I’d like to share with you some of the great assets I now have access to, thanks to the Blender Cloud (I was finally able to afford to donate to Gooseberry last week).
These are just some of the models from the greeble library that was used in Tears of Steel. They use the same dirtmap script I’ve been using, but have custom materials nodes.
Having access to these assets is invaluable to me, as I can not only reuse them directly in my own projects (such as this video), but being able to learn how the material nodes are constructed will benefit me in future projects. I also really like the environment lighting, and might be using that in this video as well.
I thought I’d also talk a bit about the environment the gun range will be placed in. I’ve settled on placing it within a ruined city, completely devoid of any visible inhabitants. For the establishing shots, this is extremely important to establish where we are, not only in space, but also in time.
Some of these environment shots will be matte paintings, and others will be true 3D assets. I may also very likely use camera projection in some instances, depending on what camera movement is required. Here is a collage of some of the reference images I’ve gathered for this city environment:
For the shots where the camera is in the gun range, and we can only see a small part of the sky and surrounding buildings, I’m planning on creating an environment map and simply using this to render the background. This will be much, much faster than having to render real geometry and extra textures for every frame!
Edit: For a look at how the image in the lower left corner was created, check this out! It’s simpler than you may think!
This environment ouside the firing range gives a new dimension to the project. For us readers the range is “suddenly” situated somewhere. And the environment also gives a kind of background information. It’s futuristic and post apocalyptic at the same time. Very interesting.
How do you plan to integrate the props of the previous post?
I somehow missed this thread. Amazing texturing that you pulled off here, i love the grungy feel of all the props and the environment. You could maybe put some more variation on that gun, just coloring different parts using polypaint or somethimg like that.
I’m curious about all this 3d scanning. The output quality is stunning, but is it really worth the effort? Wouldn’t it have been easier to just take a few photos, roughly recreate the environment in 3d, project paint the textures on there, and sculpt in the detail?
Just want to know more about that 
minoribus - You’re right, I didn’t realize I never gave the shooting range any context with regard to what surrounded it. For a while I was undecided; should I put it in an urban environment, or a rocky desert landscape (perhaps Mars)? Ultimately, I decided on this city environment because I just felt it would look more dramatic, and also because some other videos I’m putting out this year have similar settings, so practicing them here helps prepare me for them. Ultimately, even though I want it to be polished, this is still a “test video”, to learn some new skills.
At the bottom of this post you can see me beginning to use the Tears of Steel assets. I’ll describe it in more detail below.
suboptimal - That is a good suggestion! I have not used (or maybe even heard of) polypaint before, but I’ll look it up! The gun certainly could use a little variation.
You’re also correct about the firing range model; it’s certainly not a very complicated shape, and could have been created using the steps you described! The problem is, I’m godawful at modeling, and not much better at texturing. Sculpting is still something I’ve barely got any experience with. I’m certain I could improve my skills in those areas over time, but because I try to focus on filmmaking as a whole, there’s not a lot of time to devote to it. I know that might sound like an excuse, but I’ve been working on three other scripts, speaking with actors, contacting and scheduling crew members, and helping other people on their own films; and that’s not even counting the time spent at my actual job! So I try to just focus on the things that I have to do, and the things I’m already good at, and find ways to work around my weaknesses.
Plus I hate modeling! I feel like it requires a mindset I just don’t have. Maybe sculpting will feel more natural.
Oh, and one other reason I’m using the PhotoScan workflow is because I want to get really, really good at it. I want to be known as THE channel to go to for cool 3D scans, and to collaborate with other channels, using it as a secret weapon at our disposal. Of course I still have a way to go until then, so the more I practice with it, the better I’ll get.
Here’s how I’m using some of the Tears of Steel assets:
I still have more to add, such as cable bundles and more greeble hardware to make it look a little more interesting. I’m trying out different lighting setups to see what looks best. The tricky thing is, even while one lighting scheme may not look good straight out of Blender, once compositing is added it could look completely different, and vice-versa.
What do you think looks best?
There is one critical requirement for the light, however, and that is : whatever is behind the hologram targets, it can’t be too bright. Ideally, the darker it is, the better. This is because the compositing of the hologram images uses Add or Screen blending modes, so if the background is too bright, the detail in the holograms gets completely washed out. I learned this while working on the GTA video and compositing the glowing dupliverts. In the shadows they looked fine, but in the sun they became completely washed out. So the lighting for the firing range dictates that the building behind the firing range should be in shadow, either from self-occlusion or from another objects shadow falling upon it.
As I doubt I’ve mentioned it, the basic premise of this film is that we’re in the future, in a place where humans no longer tread. We’re getting a glimpse of a hidden, fortified facility, running completely autonomously. How long the facility has been running on its own is uncertain, but the decaying, crumbling city around it tells us it’s been a long time.
Actually, now that I’ve said it aloud, there is a short film I saw last year that is very similar in premise. I found it through a link Andrew Price posted somewhere, a very well executed piece. Maybe I unconsciously stole a little from it! Here it is:
Besides the technical work required to create the environment, there is another challenge here; the movie can’t be too serious. That’s because I want it to be fun to watch as well, and I want people to (hopefully) laugh or smile at some of the jokes. The tests that the gun has to go through, and some of the poses I shot of John for the targets, require that the non-funny parts of the film (music, post-apocalytpic city, the lighting!) not overshadow the humor of the video. It’s tempting to want to go full bore and make it completely grungy and dark and depressing, but then you realize you’re not giving the other elements of the film room to breathe. So I think the lighting will be especially important to get right, as it will give a balance between the serious and the humorous.
Extra
Here is a preview of the holographic target effect. I’m still not satisfied, but currently I prefer the “glowing edges” filter on the right over the “horzontal scanline” filter on the left. I still want them to look more interesting, though.
James that video has a somewhat chilling effect given what’s going on in the world. I can only hope he doesn’t pull the trigger and a major pissing contest gone astray could very well do just that. God knows he’s on the brink.
But, that aside I’ve had a time wrapping my head around your interesting thread. What is modeled in blender and what is not I guess. But, I’m hanging in here and enjoying your effort without really understanding it all. I have keep us with the actual camera shots to some extent. But, then you are off on this VFX thing and suddenly I’m lost again. That being said it is interesting. And, visually outstanding so far.
It would be interesting to see how transparent the right hologram is. You can definitely see transparency on the left, but with no background it is difficult to see on the right. The use of scanlines and noise with a lot of blending mode experimentation seems to be a popular approach to holograms (ala StarWars). I don’t see a lot of sci fi movies, I wonder how they are doing it currently?
Have you had a chance to see any of these options animated yet?