Week 1

Start sculpting a girl character.

VSFX MA FINAL PROJECT

Candice Chou

3/27/20243 min read

Proposal

For my final project in my Visual Effects MA program, I aim to create a summertime scene inspired by the cinematic style of acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda(是枝裕和). Koreeda's films, such as 'Our Little Sister', 'Nobody Knows', and 'Still Walking', are known for their poignant portrayal of family dynamics against the backdrop of Japanese culture. I intend to capture the essence of his style, characterized by bright tones and the evocative use of sunlight.

In my scene, I envision a young woman lying on a tatami floor, her hands cradling her face as she enjoys the gentle breeze from a standing fan. This image is reminiscent of the intimate moments often depicted in Koreeda's films. To bring this scene to life, I will leverage my skills in modeling and texturing, and incorporate elements of simulated animation, such as the realistic movement of hair and the gentle fluttering of fabric around the neckline. By doing so, I aim to create a visually compelling and emotionally resonant homage to Koreeda's distinctive cinematic aesthetic.

More References:

Tokyo Story 地獄門 : Gate of Hell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdslzx_Je4s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie15LKw-3lo

Lighting Tips: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bellrodrigo_pixar-lighting-render-activity-7182058361696182272-uh5v?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Workflow

Sculpting the character and cloths in Zbrush.
Retopologizing the character and cloths in topoGun ,then UV mapping them.
Rigging and making a simple animation of the character in Maya. And bring the alembic file into the Houdini to start the simulation.
Working on the grooming and cloth simulation in Houdini.
Start doing texturing using Substance Painter and Mari.
Modeling the props that will be shown in my render view and using the Substance Suits to do the textures.
Rendering the camera movement and character breakdown.

Objective

To be flexible and proficient with multiple software.

Deliverables

One video includes camera motion around the character.
3 renders with environment pan camera rotation around the shoulder and close-up detail of assets.
One video includes a turntable of the character and assets with a breakdown.
At least 5 close-up still frames for the character and assets in detail.