Going...from Start to Finish

2010-10-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

This is a starting point for a texture I was working on a long time ago.

Photorealism with Mental Ray - Week 06

2009-10-14T21:43:00.001-07:00

Photorealism with Mental Ray - Weeks 04+05

2009-10-06T10:17:00.001-07:00

1. Break Disc no MR Approximation using ward shaders for highlights
2. Warpped highlight because of the approximation(need to fix)
3. First test at rendering the wheel with FG and Physical Light on Cyclorama
4. Seconde attempt at lighting the wheel with FG and Physical Lights on Cyclorama
5. Testing Chrome of headlights and Patterins of the glass.

1. Testing Final gather of Key Light in a completely diffuse environment on Cyclorama
2. Testing Final gather of Fill Light in a completely diffuse environment on Cyclorama
3. Testing Final gather of all lights in scene including Reflector acting as a SoftBox in a completely diffuse environment on Cyclorama
4+5 Frist Render of car on Cyclorama with studio lighting. Used FG and Physical Light, the lights were pointlight acting as MR Area Lights. There was a piece of geometery on top of the car reflecting light simulating a Soft Box.
6. Revised Studio Lighting Render added directional light to fill in the shadows of the flood lights.

Photorealism with Mental Ray - Week 03

2009-09-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

This week we worked with a "Mirror Ball" image and the Mental Ray Matte Shader material. With the Mirror Ball, the reflections only work if the object is in the exact spot that you shot the mirror ball.(or close enough) The reflections are off in the animation but I was still happy. l like what little effect I could get right and hope to learn how to execute this properly in the future.

This is a couple of screen grabs stacked into one image so you can get a better idea of how much of the scene was really CG. As you can see the only pieces built in 3D were the ball and the plane that it interacts with through Dynamics and Raytracing

Here is the final product of the animation with Mirror Ball Environment and Matte Shader Raytrace reflections.

My Light Pencil

2009-09-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be cool if a crayon made of light
fell out of the sky.
Like a star bored of space hoping for a little
mischief.

Photorealism with Mental Ray - Week 02

2009-09-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

This week we concentrated on Fresnel Reflections, refractions, Chromatic Aberrations, Specular + Glossy Highlights, Brushed Metal, White Balance, wave lengths and visible spectrum. There is more but its just getting redundant listing all these topics.

Using MIB Blinn Mental Ray Shader node

Using MIB CookTorr Mental Ray Shader node

Simple Brushed Metals method

Mib_Blinn + Mib_Reflect + Mib_CookTorr --> Mib_Mix_Color Shader

Photorealism with Mental Ray - Week 01

2009-09-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

This was the class work from the 1st week of my on line course
"Photorealism with Mental Ray"

Here you are looking at a Spherical/Environment Map projected through the camera for the background, and then a blurred version of that map is projected onto the ball. There is a floor plane that is reflecting the sphere and has a bump to give the reflection qualities similar to the water.

Sphere Shading Group

Floor Shading Group(reflection)

Camera with Environment Map(background)

A sketch I inked

2009-06-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is Oi's BearFriend.

Si Se Puedu!

2009-05-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

I can, You can and We can.
lets go do it.

Sitting on the Green.

2009-05-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sitting on the Green.
A Little Bored A Little Excited.

Experiment.08.

2009-04-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

The product of testing different ways to do footsteps on water. I composited the man on top of the water in after effects. For the final I won't be so lazy. I'll use the rig in the scene. For now though I need a better was of manipulating the water instead of using only wake deformers. I'm also going to see If I can add a texture to the water.

Sketching over Easter Holiday.

Pat's Cut Out Project.01.

2009-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Project: Take images of Pat's Munny and create a cut out template like the ones from Cubeecraft.com

Oi and I took a bunch of picture of Pat's Munny last weekend. We tried shooting with indoor light and a hand held flash but it didn't work to well. Oi suggested we use natural light so we set the Munny up next to a window and shot it. I put together this sample sheet of all the angles I will be using to make the cut out. The problem is to take a pictures of a round surface and flatten them so that they fit on a flat surface.

Today I built the 3D model and set it up to be textured. I used the Mario cut out from Cubeecraftube as a guide for my UV's(texturing) and final Cut out template.

The 3D Model, or the part that 3D plays in this project is really just a tool to aide me in making a better cut out. Instead of printing and testing numerous cut outs I can manipulate the texture for my 3D model because it's layout for texturing(Uv's) are fitted to the cut out template.

Experiment.07. - Flickering Shadow effect.

2009-02-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

This was going to be hooked up to a spotlight in maya to create shadows for a flickering candle. The project was put on hold -=[. The flame is more like that of a gas stove but it was just the beginning stages.

Experiment.06. - The Drips

2008-12-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

I don't think that watching paint flow across the screen will be very interesting. I think I'm going to drip it over a mask or an intricate object of some sort.

Experiment.05. - Wake to Trip segment

2008-12-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

I didn't eat lunch for the third day, I will now start my own religion.

Experiment.04. - Guan Long Roar in HD

2008-12-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

Still trying to find the best format to show video so far its a tie between Blip.tv's ability to show good flvs and the original quicktime or Vimeo.com's HD video in Flash.

Click to play

Hit the "Show Full Screen" button to the right of the volume meter so you can get the full experience. Let me know what you think of both the full screen player and embedded video.

Guan Long Roar

2008-12-12T15:21:00.001-08:00

I can't find my keys?

This clip is some of the work I did, for the National Geographic website's, Dino Death trap section.

Many thanks to Kyle Gray who did the sound for this clip.

For those having trouble with the flickr video embedding, I'm trying accounts out at some new video hosting sites. I have an account at Veoh.com, which if I have to, I will continue to use. I dislike veoh.com because the owner is a snob and an elitist. He doesn't care about your content reaching "some of the poorer nation" who's people can't afford higher bandwidth or simply the internet. He blocks his content to 165 Nations in the world who he doesn't believe he can make money off of or that the internet was not made for them. Please tell me what you like using the most. THANX-=].

Click to play

Walking HealthProgression Rough pt.02.

2008-12-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

My tail bone is hurting me because my calf fell asleep. Why do I have a bone for a tail, when I don't need to balance on branches.

Experiment.03.

2008-11-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Was helping Pat out with the new APW Flyer(nov.28th). These are some of the versions we didn't use.

The Giraffes, Melanie and Whiplash.

2008-11-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

Nov. 15, 2008 : The Giraffes at Mercury Lounge, Prime Motivator, record release party.
That night was like an emotion that you never want to stop feeling. Now that it has passed, you want to go back and feel it again and again, but you can't because it was only possible in that brief moment.
This band is above the rest. Going to see the Giraffes is like going to see a band like System of a Down. They don't sound the same, they are not the same, but the quality and skill of these individuals is on par with them. It is mind blowing that I only paid ten dollars to hear them. WTF?!?! I see no weakness when they play. All four members are strong and make you feel their music. I don't know if Andrew the drummer or Jens the bassist get as much recognition from fans but never sell them short because they are fucking amazing. Damien on guitars and Aaron as vocals, usually steal the show with their antics, but everyone plays/sings better than almost any Nyc band out there.

First off, I have to say Sohail is the man. He trekked all the way up from D.C. to see The Giraffes Record release party. And then the next day with a hang over, starving and sleep deprived, he went back to D.C. to do a full shift of work.

Secondly, none of the content of this blog would be here if it weren't for my girl Oi Ling Hu. Her online handle is IHugLion. She is a great photographer and one day hopefully a professional one. She took all the pictures and the video, and even though I barked at her while making Melanie she still was good to me. I wouldn't have enjoyed the night with out her. Check out Oi's Blog and her Flickr page.

If you didn't get to see The Giraffes dominate at Mercury lounge you should be able to listen to them soon on Archive.org

If you didn't get to see The Giraffes dominate at Mercury lounge you should be able to listen to them soon on Archive.org. On a happier note Archive.org has a recording of the very first time Sohail and I ever heard The Giraffes. Another bonus was that show was the only time we have ever heard them play the song "Twin Sisters" live.

The Making oF Melanie "Cum Dumpster"

It was like giving birth to a cellophane goddess.

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As the Giraffes started playing, I blew her up and danced around the place.

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We were having a wonderful time bonding as her barren crotch rubbed against my neck. Her sedated smile won the hearts of the people around her.

Then she made a play for Aaron. That slut left me high and dry.

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After seducing my sweet airhead, he proceeded to tear the head of that filthy whore off. If only she had lived a little longer.....naw, she talked too fucking much anyway. That little bitch, I almost popped a fucking lung blowing her up. Where’s my night of plastic filled passion now, tramp?

Disco Warts Never Sounded so Good!

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Andrew & Damien played perfectly. I would stop pushing and slamming into people for a random moment here and there just to pause in awe because I couldn't believe how good the band sounded that night. I felt like the sound was better there live than on their CD.

We ain't too brite.

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Slammed, thrown on the floor, kicked in the face .... good clean fun

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We slammed into people all night. I really gotta thank Sohail again. If it weren't for him pushing me into people, he would have never got his little mosh pit going and I wouldn't have had so much fun. I had a great time slamming into people, especially innocent spectators. I also want to say thanx to the crowd. That was some good clean fun. Nobody had a shit attitude and no one got upset. Everyone had a blast. No fist fights or intentional maiming of others. Sorry to all those people I head butted. I ended up wrenching my neck pretty bad and was nauseous all day Sunday and Monday.

And so he was grabbed inappropriately.

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Damien surfed the crowd while still playing some great riffs. Oi wanted to get other pics of the rest of the band crowd surfing, but some loud cunts smoking weed and a random dick asking her who band this was, fucked it up for her.

Andrew the Hidden Backbone

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Andrew needs to Gorilla hump all those shitty bands who think they can exist without a drummer and just use a beat machine. When he spits on the rest of the band its like he's inspiring them to play crazier as he beats the drums harder.

Damien on Guitar, his improvisations are so good, it depresses me.

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This fucking guy. I mean I don't even play guitar but if I did, I know I would never play it that well. I fucking wish I could. It must be cool being able to cook people's adrenaline by plucking your guitar.

Aaron burns himself while on mic, what an artist.

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Aaron was really great on stage. He sang well, he really solidifies their sound for me. When I listen on my headphones, I always think of drunken bikers in black riding through Death Valley at twilight. He took the time to burn himself and generally abuse his person. I think it touched everyone.

Fuck'em in their bloody tear duct....Aaron once said

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"I Fuck In Jail" the words rest firmly on the Amp behind them.

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Crimson's Touch

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Medicaid Benefit Applique' - Andrew said they would play it for the first time in Nyc for their record release show. It's one of my favorite songs. It has a really dirty sound and great mood. The last part of the piece has one of their best builds, the energy of the music evolves - the sound gets coarser, wreaking of desperate rage.

The restitution of Melanie.

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The band is always in great spirits. It seems they didn't mind me pleading to sign the floppy decapitated corpse of my lover. I felt it gave her some purpose or at least an end to her treacherous ways.

AfterMath

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I hate you Melanie, I fucking hate you, I love you, why did you go so willingly to your death. The hole where your head was is like the hole in my heart.

I ate her so she would stay with me always......

Tv taught me something.

2008-11-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

I was watching PBS on a Sunday and I caught a preview of the documentry, Frontline: The War Briefing. The complete piece can be found on the PBS website. I didn't know how bad things were in Afghanistan, its so hard to keep track of what the old administration is doing. This gives you a better idea of what is really happening across the ocean, no smoke and mirrors like Fox news. 2008 was the bloodiest year in Afghanistan since the war started, and we still have the majority of our troops in Iraq, where the majority is not needed.

I'm not pro war but I'm definitely against the unnecessary loss of life. With inaccurate smart bombs, bad intelligence, undermanned and underfunded troops it seems like the negligence in Afghanistan is creating a blood bath.

Experiment.02.

2008-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

I don't do drugs so I have to make my own stars.

Walking HealthProgression Rough

2008-10-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

My parrot is secretly poisoning me with his feather dander and bird poop particles. It wants my chair at the dinner table, that brilliant bastard.

I'm in the process of finishing this animation right now its pretty rough. However, I think its at an interesting point to record and later reference.

Experiment.01.

2008-10-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

The fluid in my sinuses and inner ear make me feel like i'm walking around in a giant swimming pool. I wish i could pull the plug and let all the water out.

This was an idea that I had, the video is a short sketch of that idea that never went anywhere. I still like it though, makes me feel good when I watch it.

Exercise.01.

2008-10-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

something smells like metal and wires burning.

metal tastes interesting, you can't ever know what your really tasting.

Painting Process . Pat and I .

2008-10-04T00:25:00.001-07:00

my eyes itch.....that is not my problem.