Journal entry # 10 6-25-07

Hey all here's a quick update on my progress. This weekend I spent soley focused on my background design for the rodeo. The progress that I made was very productive. I have what I would say 90% of the construction done. I need to do some nip and tucks here and there on the wood planks and some wiring stuff. What I have though is the look that I wanted to achieve for the project. Need to start working on textures in the next few weeks but I'm planning on keeping them simple as to cut down on render times also that is not my focus, I did take to heart what Boaz Livny said not to total forget about textures and lighting because even if you are doing animation the backgrounds still count. One last thing that I'm playing with is doing the whole animation in black and white, reson being is tring to achieve that old Western genra look from the John Wayne years. still up in the air on that one, I have time to think about it. I have loaded up some early test renders of what the background looks like. Next on my dead line list is the modeling of the characters, I plan on, I need to start them this weekend, the bull has gone through redesign so he will be next. If I don't get bothered I could knock a good portion of him out. Wells thats it for today, I'll have some more in a few days take care all and watch those ticks!!!!!!

Days Left 6-17-2007

Reminder, as of 6-17-2007 that is today. There are only 185 days left until our theis projects are due, so for all you lollygaggers. get to f#@%ing work!!!!!!!!!!

redesigned charaters 6-16-07

EL Toro Rowdy Rusty

These are the new designs, sort of a cut and paste and some hand drawn images combined. Hope you like, and yes that is the Chicago Bulls mascot logo, It's simple and seems as though it would be easy to model. Was the only head that was perfect from the front. The new Rowdy is a lot meaner and more sinister, harder to model.

Journal entry # 9 6-17-07

Tom here, to update everybody, sorry first I hope everyone is having a great summer, doing your thesis projects! Any hoo, to update whats going on with my project, for the most part I have spent the better part of the last month shooting referance video for my project. Every Sat night I'm at some rodeo in the state shooting referance. So far I have a good 25 minutes of bulls kicking the crap out of cowboys, I have gotten some ideas that I did not even think of using. What else I reworked the script for the 20th time it seems, I'm done working it until I start doing animation, I'v gotten it down to four pages which is good, I'm not touching it any more. On the character modeling front I'm behind at least 2 weeks, I went back and redesign both the bull and the character Rowdy, I'm really happy with the new look of both, the redesign was do to the referance video that I have shot over the past month. The last couple of things that I have done is stick to my deadline list which over the summer is a pain in the ass! I need money so I have to work around work which at times does not really work. I also broke down and did a production schedule month by month it helps to plan out what you want to get done this week or next, and it's really good to be able to cross stuff off that are completed. Well all hope everything is going well I'm putting up some revisions I have done to the charaters, take a look and post some thoughts, are class has to be better then the last, we certainly have the talent to do it..
Best Tom......