Display Monitor Issues

After a long discussion with the AV supplier, it became apparent that he thought there might be no way to anticipate how much of the animation would be cropped out when displayed on the final monitor.

Normally, DVD content that will be displayed on a variety of formats and aspect ratios (TV, Films, Commercials) has a standard 'safe areas'. The contect inside the bounds of these 2 safe areas should be able to be displayed by any professional monitor and DVD playback system.

The AV supplier advised me that some monitors can lose as much as 25% of the screen area and only guarantee to show the inner 'title safe' (see the example attached).

He suggested that our animation should work on that assumption.

This obviously has a huge bearing on how our cameras are framed, and layouts & type are set up. We were working under the assumption that we'd be OK having type and captions near (on close to) the outer 'action safe' areas (outer box).

Anyway, I hope to hear back from him, with any more information about how the monitor he has source performs.

Until/if that happens, I plan to revise our content for this 'worst case' scenario.

In the future, it is critical that we devise a means of ensuring that commissioned video content gets displayed at maximum quality, and with equipment that the supplier is familiar or has access to for testing.

In short, we need to have ordered this machine a few months ago, and got them to test some sample content - then used that as the guide to how much actual space we have to design to.

Otherwise, you have the potential to get get poor results - take a look at many museum video installations that confirm, this :-)

Exhibition Soundscape Rough Cut

Click Here is a rough mix of the assembled environments

I am very pleased with the way it's shaping up.
If you have any sounds/locations you think might be added/relevant - please post a comment.

Thought it would be fun to try and recreate the sort of sound of a Gurney Glass Organ. We dug up some period tunes and will attempt to create some snippets of glass 'organ music'.

TO: Ian/Nik/Jenny
Can anyone tell me if fog horns were around in 1860's?

Bude Castle Photograph: Notes

As discussed, If the image is going to be large, I think it might make sense to add hand colouring - which will take the emphasis off the quality of the photo, and better define the roof line and figures. The photo's varnish has 'crazed' - so I would probably restore the figures and critical areas - but let the colour hide the rest.

I would need 3 days to complete this - if we need it at the size discussed.

Slide Captions for part 2

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

Animatic for Lime Light (part 1)

Animatic showing the basic timing and lighting, events. I have used animated stills to give you an idea of the camera motion. The Pointing finger with squash the gas bag, and push down the wooden press. It will also comically bend and flex, etc...

Lots of effects (such as Lanterns Beam) are added after the 3D part is rendred.

Part 2.1 Limelight Caption text and type styling (amended)

He Shoots, He Scores!

Steve C finishes the Drag texture. Good job Sir!
Might ease off those reflections down 10%?

p3.1 Caption amendments v2

p3.1 'Heat' Caption copy for approval

Reference Guide for Drag & Steamjet Model Surface

Part 3.2 'Stink' Captions v1.0

Date: 1855

'Over 8 Million gallons of raw sewage poured into the River Thames each day...
The newly built House of Commons looked out onto a stinking quagmire of putrefying filth.'

Outbreaks of Cholera were on the rise. Frightened Londoners demanded immediate action.

[action]: smoky type drifts over houses parliament: "save us from this stink!"

[action] Gurney enters holding nose and tosses his plan towards the house of commons.

'Gurney came to the aid of government with an ambitious plan to ventilate the house, and rid Parliament of its noxious fug.'

'He first installed a Steamjet Furnace at the base of the Clock Tower.
The Jet created a powerful 'through draught', pulling fresh air into the Palace from ground level.'

'Gurney believed that burning off the 'pestilential' gases produced by sewers was the key to permanently ridding London of its nauseating stench'.

'To demonstrate the principle, Gurney once again he turned to the SteamJet...'

The Plan
[written as a title, in Gurney's handwriting]

- 'Seal off a ring of sewers surrounding the Palace.'

- 'Connect the sewer 'ring' to the SteamJet Furnace by means of a pipe...'

- 'Draw the gas out of the sewer...'

- '...into the coal fire of the furnace, extinguishing the smell.'


[captions resume]

'At first, his experiments seemed promising...'

'But Parliament's verdict was damning'

[action] silhouettes of waving order papers as quotes drift up

"Economically Dubious" "Scientifically Unsound" "Doubtful Efficacy"

'Gurney's role as government's trusted advisor ended amid much acrimony and accusations of foul play.'

'However, an inspection of Clock Tower by a rival engineer revealed that gas from a fractured gas pipe had been seeping into the base of the building.'

'Had it not been for a single trapdoor that separated the leaking gas from the flames of the furnace, Gurney may have inadvertently 'lit up' Parliament one last time...' -

[action] Big Ben blasts off into space

'...in spectacular fashion!'

[action] Camera pulls into a portrait of Old Gurney, which cross fades into a portrait of a young Gurney...

we loop back to the start of part 1 'Road to Ruin p1.1.'

END

Layout for final section

Animation rough HERE

Updated Slide

Updated Slide mechanism to two slots and added weight map for control in layout

Transition from Catherdral to Thames Embankment

The type at the end would rest on a low wall - which becomes the far embankment wall of the Thames. This gives us a bit of foreground to add some vapour rising off the river....

S.O.S Smoke Type Test

I like the idea that Gurney is 'called to the rescue' by Parliement.
The word "HELP" or 'Save us from the Stink' would drift up avove the commons...

Detailed of Image

Have a closer look! HERE

Shaded Lantern

Made some changes to silk shader and added slide mount.

Furnace Model

Still to add coals and weight maps.

p3.2 Commons Stink - Main Scene (WIP)

Thanks to hoards of tourists, and building works to the bridge, and crap on the Thames, I think it makes more sense to crop the commons - it also gives us a broader canvas (the sky) to bring the plans, illustrations and quotes to life.

here's what I had to work with :-)

Storyboard for Part 3.1 Heater (part1)

Layout for Heater section indication general lighting and mood.

Order of events:

Type Captions for the first section will appear along the top of the arches, as indicated.

1. The heater will start as an open grate, sitting on the base.
2. The Circular Water container assembles
   
3. Fills with water
   
4. The main body and Radiator Fins pull upwards into shape.
5. Finally, the top of the Heater drops down into place.
6. The Glow from the increased radiance covers the columns in a warm glow
7. Two gargoyles expressions turn to joy
8. Heater moves off towards the doors...
9. After The Heater is 'assembled', it moves off down the corridor and exits through a pair of doors.
10. It comes to rest in front of a stack of Stacked, Stone Place names which 'heat up'.
11. Behind the type will be a dark outline/silhouette of Parliament building - which will be the transition into the final section.

Click above to see a quick animated test of the end section

Notes:
I think I cam probably include quite a few more place names than I originally intended.

Sound Design Original proposal

I will publish an outline for the Soundtrack here.
The original proposal:

Exhibition Soundscape & Animation Soundtrack
We recommend producing a 5 minute, looping Soundscape, fed discreetly into parts of the exhibition space.

It will consist of a 5 minute track, featuring a series of sound recordings.
This tapestry of evocative sounds would cross-fade seamlessly from one ‘realm’ (Steam) to another (The Sea), producing a constantly evolving environment to underscore both the animation playing on the display monitors, and the exhibition in general.

Sources for the Soundscape could include:

• steam/whistles
• pistons/machinery
• sea/waves/foghorns(?)
• furnaces/fire
• house of commons hubbub,
• orchestra tuning up (theatre),
• drip drip of sewers,
• protesting crowds

Part 2.2 'Light': Drawing Board Content Animatic

Please check the content for errors, etc. Make comment for individual images on the Flickr pages. Let me know if have any problems.

War Museum Slide Viewer and Coastal Map

Very Simple mechanism for projecting slides onto a screen and a nice coastal map done in slight relief. This was done as WW1 trench Periscope, but the same principle would work in a simplified lantern. The technique allows you to 'project slides' on a monitor within a well lit room.

Kids loved the slide viewer.

Final Light Slide

Click below for Bude 'London to Lighthouse Slides'

London Lights - composite slide (in progress)

Might add a piece of Locational type...but this lamp will transform to become a lighthouse...


Here the original.

Drawing Board Panel 2

Struggled a bit with a very poor quality image. I have tried to obtain a better version, but had no luck.

Part 2 Drawing Board Slide and Blueprint

Part 2: Completed Model (untextured)

Completed Model. The Refill bag will sag down, and the Lantern has a cassette mechanism to feed the Slides in.

Part 2 Drawing Board Design and Lighting

This show how the captions will form part of the Blueprint. The side drawing will change to reflect the slide's content.

Bude Castle Lit Up : Slide (1b)

Finished Slide showing Bude Lit up from a Single Light. While I can animate the rays to give them some extra interest, it obviously undermines the idea that this is a projected slide. It is Cornwall, not Hollywood, after all!

Test Animation (lo resolution)

(very) Low Resolution Test Animation for Mechanicals. No lighting or Particles (Smoke)
Click Here

Smoke and Particle Animation Tests

Steve Cullum has been hard at work! Here are a random slection of tests showing the passage and flow of smoke, as well as a few experiments for the explosion at the end.

Half resolution test render of the Steamjjett Sequence to Follow