I Want to Make Short Film!

[ThryllSeekyr]

A trailer really.....

Can you guess the subject matter?

Well...lets just say I want make a trailer to rival this one

Without offending anyone, I would like to try doing this with the southern influences, and other things I found counter intuitive to what to how I believe it works.

Just my opinion.

Anyway, I don't want or can't really afford models/actors and the expensive camera, and other equipment.

I was looking through the Steam Ultilites looking at all those cheap  animation software. A lot of it's more to do with game design, but I think there is stuff that would help with making films as well.

Of course, stuff this cheap is never perfect, and I have no formal education in this area.

I aiming for something close to the quality of this....

Advice PLS

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Will there be nudity!

[ThryllSeekyr]

Possibly......maybe in the same vein that Glen Fabry would have heaps of them running in to battle the Fomorians Skyclad.

Unless you to talk me out of it!

You know, it would be a shame to omit nudity from a film more well known for it's essentially violent content.

Of course, I could just have as it is in the comic.

Appearing here and there when you least expect it and almost miss it and otherwise just have as implied nudity.

Kind of like some of my You-Tube videos where I'm not wearing a t-shirt and sitting at the computer half-naked with the camera rolling.  People may not be sure I'm fully clothed. (Yet, I was!)

In a lot of those videos, You may nto have any idea wether I'm wearing pants/shorts and undies. Simply because I always have the camera on my face/head and upper body. (Yet, I was in my lower clothing!)

Well, running around Skyclad was supposed to be second nature to them.

So it's not just about being pervy and attracting all the perves to watch this.

Even, if I am that way myself.

I think it may be okay to show p0le naked in some scenes, if not all the time.

Over use of gimmick might spoil it.

Simply not having it because of the prudes way of looking at things goes against the type of freedom I though Slaine was about.

Yet, I won't be relying on this simply because people suddenly get curious if there is chance to see a well known celebrity in the buff with nothing left to the imagination.

No, I'm going to make porn film, if that is what your thinking. I'm not going to show nude women or just without panties with their legs spread wide open and nude guys with full on erections.
 
Unless you have a great argument for this.

A Spencer Tunick event...definitely NO!

Simply, I just want to make short trailer that is Pre-Horned-God, and there will be no body well known except that they would be my own variants of the well known characters from saga. (So, I won't trying to make animated facsimile of Slaine look like Harry Styles or a facsimile of Niamh look like Cara Delevingne or any other the famous actor/actress's I pointed out on the thread I commented on several times in the General section.

That's sound like the type of risky business I want no part of just yet!

Anyway, I don't want to make full featured film, just a small trailer...as I'm really unsure of my ability to commit myself.

I doubt there could be enough nudity in any sort of quadrilogy to warrant seeing that sort of thing in my trailer.

[Skullmo]

I am looking forward to seeing this!

[The Legendary Shark]

If you're not used to animation software my advice would be to keep it as simple as possible. Use the graphics software you're familiar with (say Photoshop or GIMP) and build your animation one frame at a time.
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Maybe use cut-out images or really simple drawings limited to basic movements - think Terry Gilliam's Python animations or South Park, or even Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog.
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Plan it, script it, storyboard it. Go through the process and break it down into steps. If you just sit down in front of your computer and immediately start working on Scene 1, Frame 001 you'll soon get horribly tangled and either give up or take months longer than you need to.
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Just my two penn'orth! Good luck with the project.

[ThryllSeekyr]

If you're not used to animation software my advice would be to keep it as simple as possible. Use the graphics software you're familiar with (say Photoshop or GIMP) and build your animation one frame at a time.
.
Maybe use cut-out images or really simple drawings limited to basic movements - think Terry Gilliam's Python animations or South Park, or even Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog.
.
Plan it, script it, storyboard it. Go through the process and break it down into steps. If you just sit down in front of your computer and immediately start working on Scene 1, Frame 001 you'll soon get horribly tangled and either give up or take months longer than you need to.
.
Just my two penn'orth! Good luck with the project.

Thanks for those sage words....

I have ben thinking about this on and off and sort of have a beginning or intro to my trailer based on the famed words of the author, Pat Mills writing for Ukko.

Who might be the most obvious choice as voice of the narrative and after some thought on this, I've come to conclusion that the all the main characters could be narrators in almost the same sequence they would appear to arrive in the story.....

Or is this a bit lame? As it could just get tedious if I stick to that system.

Naturally, in this system elderly Slaine would be the best person to begin with...or the Danu herself. Starting with a wall of flowers parting to reveal feminine mouth.

I could also alternate between Ukko (Since he was responsible for the chronicles of his larger companion for a large chunk of both their lives!)  and Nest. She did help him as it was seen in the Horned God and Grail-War!.

What if the story was told from the mouth of Slough Feg (Assuming he speaks in a dialect that sounds a lot of the common tongue of Tir-Nan-Og and the very same language used in the first printing of ever Slaine prog!). On the grounds that he has somehow scryed on Warped-One since he was born or should a that have been Myrddin. The entire sage has never hinted at such power at both they're disposal. Yet, if I were to chose the former, it may start with something like close of up his eyes


CONTINED LATER......

[ThryllSeekyr]

If you're not used to animation software my advice would be to keep it as simple as possible. Use the graphics software you're familiar with (say Photoshop or GIMP) and build your animation one frame at a time.

Last time I checked, my local computer store were only selling Photoshop to students who were learning to use it. Otherwise, I'm not sure how to get around that restriction without enrolling in some course where they are going to squeeze even more money out of me while teaching me everything I never need to know.

BTW, I did put my name down for the college of filmography. Yet, failed to make it to their meet and greet earlier this year.

I might try find something real cheap for now.

Back to the grind stone and scrolls......

[The Legendary Shark]

The GIMP software is free and there are many tutorials online (also free).
.
www.gimp.org/

[ThryllSeekyr]

After a quick browse through the Gimp sit. I came to the conclusion to not download it. Not sure about downloads from unfamiliar sources these days with the problems I had already with my machine this year (So far!) and ever since I brought it home.

Although, I know of several applications/ultilities that fulfil the roles I may need for my small venture.

You know, software for making films, models and animation!

So, I downloaded the Source Engine (It's Free) via STEAM and here's the Wikipedia entry for it.

While it look likes it does lot of stuff, including making movies. I'm nature sure if it works alone or  if I need to build on a supported game. Yet, it is free and though it seems huge, I shouldn't expect much.

That is, a person who doesn't have the skills to get a lot of this or nay similar application shouldn't expect much.

More advice needs if you know how to use this application.

One of the supported games is that online shoot game with graphics that look very similar to the work of MacMahon's. Not that I wanted borrow any one artist signature style while doing so.

[The Legendary Shark]

The Gimp's been around for years and, so far as I'm aware, is a well-trusted free program. I've used it myself and had no problems whatsoever with it that I can remember.
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I know nothing about the other software.

[Karl Stephan]

Blender is as good a 3D animation tool as you can get and it's open source. It's got its own rigging, rendering and texturing tools. www.blender.org

You can use Gimp to paint the texture maps.

Sounds like a hell of a lot of work, though. Why not do something in 2D with a cheap copy of Flash or After-Effects?

[ThryllSeekyr]

The Gimp's been around for years and, so far as I'm aware, is a well-trusted free program. I've used it myself and had no problems whatsoever with it that I can remember.
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I know nothing about the other software.

As I have been sampling numerous tutorials on the Source-Game-Engine and when I wasn't so sure I could do with it what I want. I finally found video that showed what somebody else was doing to get it started and what other applications it needed to be used for what I want it for.

So, I looked for Blender and 3D Coat. The latter had what appears to be permanent demo. Which I down loaded last night. After checking it out, I seem to be very involved and I will need to consult some very in depth getting started with You-Tube videos before even getting remotely started. I can't even locate this in my Steam library and so cannot consult the community pages on this one

I also reinstalled my copy of Garry's Mod, (As I had played around with it briefly when I first got it!) and after watching a tutorial of where to start with that one.  I found that it to have a lot of prefab props (With no sign of a editor!)not related anything I would like to use in Slaine. So, I uninstalled that one again and practically every Steam game I had to make room for the others applications I think need. 

I also finally decided to download the free copy of Gimp you linked for me and after finding my way through to the download page. All I got was two pages of Katakana-script when I tried to open the manual and launcher it self 

Blender is as good a 3D animation tool as you can get and it's open source. It's got its own rigging, rendering and texturing tools. www.blender.org

You can use Gimp to paint the texture maps.

Sounds like a hell of a lot of work, though. Why not do something in 2D with a cheap copy of Flash or After-Effects?

That's just what I was looking for and have downloaded and started looking at as well. It was one of the programs that can be linked with 3D-Coat and others, while using the Source-Game-Engine. If I need to use it like that.

I also download the demo for Fuse, in case it would be a effective contribution. When I first noticed that Steam had this and other software I could purchase and download.

Some things that would allow me to build models either from a pre-fab 3D-polygon (Is that what I they are called these days?) or from scratch.

Animate the above models, also build backdrops, props and other scenery and do the same with them.

Manage voices, sounds, soundtrack music and other audio effects.

Make movies using all the above together.

Make games.....(Although, the last one isn't what I intend, it's nice to know that it's there as a option!)

Now, if I could afford to use all this software. (Some of the more expensive ones, are up to $500 alone!) I would feel spoilt with the amount of tech wizardry I could achieve just working alone after I familiarise myself with their use. It's staggering what I have noticed that some of these applications are what the big brand game developers and film computer artist use as well. Not, That I'm expecting to be using Massive and what ever else Weta-Digital used in six of those films about a Ring and a Hobbit.

It almost seems criminal, should the authorities demand that I have a licence to use this stuff or  they feel safe in their prediction that I will never learn to use this to be........blah, blah blah!

So, I was looking for application that would allow me to at least draw my characters and back drops free and find some software to manipulate my own images and animate them fully into some sort of simple cartoon or realistically detailed 3D-Polygons. (There is that word again!) So, I not really riding the shoulders of greater artists and developers who had suffered more for their art in the past.

I was also looking into Roto-Scoping, as I love some of those animation techniques used in many of the works of Ralph Banski.

Does anybody remember this

I digress, I would need expensive hard ware to use that and lots of further education to use it.

Right now, I'm jut looking into getting this short film/trailer fro Slaine done and with no insult intended towards Miguel Mesa.

I will ask again, if I need permission from Pat Mills (Even though I have read numerous times he doesn't own the licence or rights to Slaine and any of his other work if that's true!) and 2000AD/Rebellion. I don't want to purchase any licence, I just want permission to do what I have proved this far.

I don't have money, talent, or clout to attempt anything bigger.

That being said, I understand that most times, less is more!

I just want to see what I capable of right now!

[Jon]

Not to be disparaging, well - not entirely - but I've been making games and 3D art and animation for twenty years, and would consider myself expert in the software necessary to undertake something like this. Even with that expertise I would baulk at taking on something quite this ambitious, never mind as a first project with no prior exposure to the software or processes.

I'm not entirely sure about modding as I've never done it, and I don't know what sort of useful assets you can derive from that quarter.

This kind of work can quickly spiral out of control - the time and effort that goes in to creating, painting and rigging an avatar alone is huge. Even if you're not aiming for the heights of ILM, even quite simple stuff can be fiddly and throw up problems you weren't allowing for.

What I would suggest is to start with a very clear idea of what you're trying to achieve. Script and storyboard first. Break down times as precisely as possible, and from your boards get as complete an idea of assets as possible. Stick everything in a spreadsheet, and consider the tasks needed in each case to create them - aim to reuse as much as possible. Don't build an entirely new scene if it's not entirely relevant, and will only occupy three seconds of video.

When it comes to creating the scenes, put your cameras in first, and animate them. Treat everything like a movie set - no point building a throne room if you only ever see one corner. Sort your lighting out early, so you can make sure everything's seen to optimum effect.

It's probably worth saying, that even with a working knowledge of the software, everything you see in films and games is still created with great skill, and that can take longer to achieve. A lot of the tricks in using software well, especially with lower order stuff where you don't have teams of coders to make new toys for you, is knowing what not to do, and knowing how to fix or work around issues that crop up monotonously regularly.

Anyway, there's a lot to discover, and I hope you have a lot of fun trying. It's just a lot of work.

All the best!

[ThryllSeekyr]

I started to learn Blender through a Video Tutorial I found on You-Tube last night and almost complete the cup they were teaching me to make. Yet, their version of the application was different from mine ad not all the key binds were the same. So I stopped and then started going through the online manual.

[ThryllSeekyr]

About to get back on this......

Resuming my education of  Blender (Without losing any fingers )  but, might just mess around with it since I know it a little already, just thinking about going through the entire manual gives me a headache.

The night before the last, I was able to find free download of this audio software that allows me to take any video or audio file and mess around with it.

Echo's and other effect that make it sound like the voices are being heard from inside a large cave or concert hall.

I merely wanted to hear this.....

Anvil of Crom

Played backwards receiving advice from Lord Weird Slough Feg himself, but it just sounded dumb. Even when the wizard narrator was speaking and might settle for the reversed sounds of The Beatles receiving advice from Satan himself. When I can afford it. As it was, I had to fork out about fifteen dollars AUD for the collectors Conan the Barbarian soundtrack. Yet, it's worthy purchase with some of the most inspired sounds from over thirty years earlier.

Still I had some fun watching some of my own videos with me in them and distorting my voice any which way it would allow me.

Or I could play some Elite Dangerous.