Simulating a real-time 3D network clip

[beau]

http://www.astucemedia.com/Project_NDTV_Elections_ASTUCEMEDIA.html

I’m about to apply for a job as creative director over a 3d department of a major network! I’ve been using Blender for over a decade, a little bit at a time. Over the past three weeks, I’ve been training in VIZrt - the software that’s used by most major networks to deliver real-time animations (CNN, ESPN, hell, ALL of them really).

The link above gives you an idea of what I’m shooting for in a reel - I’ll probably throw something together this weekend but was curious if anybody’s used Blender for applications like this?

Really, all I need is probably 3 or 4 clips, from 5-15 seconds each. This stuff looks very very easy in Blender because the details are far from realistic, there’s a whole lot of lens flares, reflections, lots of sparkly things.

Have you had any experience throwing stuff like this together? Has anybody HAD any experience doing this kind of stuff?

[cekuhnen]

I actually worked as a student making those graphics in Germany.

When you are shooting for the Art Director position I would assume
that this would not be a position where you just make content on
a daily basis. Don’t they hire media designers for that?

For and AD position I would simply like to see concept development.

Making good looking animations is one, but the more important part
of it is how are information transported in it.

Here in the US for example CNN right now tries a new way with being
modern by using a huge touch screen for the weather display and
instead of blending in information inside a studio using green screen
they just video tape the anchor man woman right in the studio and
also move the camera to displays which show things like blog entries.

In my opinion a shot into the foot because it is all about being techy
but the readability of those news are bad - it is even stressful to follow
the weather news.

Lens flare and too distracting animations are not really what I would
consider a good format.

The German ZDF channel uses now a new 20 million studio. Information
and 3D graphics are very reduced in use and function mainly only to
illustrate concepts instead of trying to over power with effect design.

They format might be stiff and plain in contrast to CNN however at the
same time one has to keep in mind that this a news report and not a
video art project.

Now for you applying for the job it might be nice to show that you understood
they format and maybe can also contribute some suggestions in your reel.

Maybe shooting some fake news and making a concept report on your own
could be a very unique idea.

[beau]

Thanks SO MUCH for your reply.

I agree - I’m not going for a job as a 3d animator, but yes I need to show that I get the concepts and use contemporary design ideas.

My goal is to storyboard my ideas with pencil and paper, then take it to Flash to do a rough mockup, and then go to Blender to show a more refined idea. I’m definitely not trying to put together the perfect animations.

[andycircus]

Cambell Brown and the situation room with wolf blitzer on CNN, they’re going pretty crazy with the cg.
Cambell Browns show is almost garish with the popup buttons and 3d text flying around everywhere with the ‘bleep bloop bleep’ sound fx.
I don’t even know what kind of effect this is, some kind of cmyk effect: