Screenshots! (finally...)

Sorry for the lack of the screenshots, the last few days have been hectic and confusing.
Anyway, here are 3 screenshots from each of the two characters

• Storyteller
• The evil

There is place for improvement, as you see the storytellers hair through the hat. This obviously won't be the case in the machinima, but I have to find out a way to stop this from happening. 

Another problem is the kid's model wouldn't load properly, for some reason his feet were missing. The model viewer is still in beta, therefore bugs occur. The model always worked before, so I hope this will be the case here as well... Anyway, here are the two characters!

Sorry for lack of screenshots!

In the previous post I promised some screenshots, but before I got to it, I realized that I was missing an important part in my Geography essay, and therefore forgot completely about the screenshots.
I will upload them when I get home today!

Screenies...coming soon!

Just a very short update, to let you know that ill be uploading the screenshots of the storyteller, the kid and the evil in about 15-20 minutes!

Time time time... Is an issue.

Wow, I never imagined making models (or "dressing up" characters) would take this long!
An hour and a half resulted in 2 models done for the movie...
I was thinking what would speeded up the process, but I can't think of anything!
I thought that having a basic idea in my head what the character should look like would help, his race, the color and style of clothing, the weaponry, etc...
But If this is what I was thinking:

Mysterious human, dressed in dark blue robes, face covered by a dark blue/black hat

In WoWmodelviewer, isn't so easy.
See WMV has the entire database of WoW inside it, every model, every armor (with several categories) so you choose a race, then gender and then click on one of the slots you would like to equip to your character
(head, shoulder, shirt, chest, belt, legs, bracers, gloves, feet, right hand, left hand, cape, tabard, quiver... I THINK that's all of them)
When you select which items you want to look at, a list pops up with all the items you have in WoW for that slot (e.g. every armory piece which can be equipped on the "Head")
You also get tick boxes for which category you want to be displayed in the list (cloth, leather, mail, plate, etc) Then you have the list. Simple list in order, with a search box... Now the search box WOULD be great, as I simply type in
"blue"
Hoping to find all the blue head items, to help me quickly "equip" them onto my model.
Nope.
5-6 items show up... The thing is, they keep the names from WoW, so instead of being called
"mysterious looking blue hat"
It would be something like
"The Everlasting Anguish of Agony"
So I had to skip through all the items, to see which would truly fit in with the character, which ones fitted together, etc. And that takes a lot of time...

Anyway, the two important characters are done (It WOULD be three, but the third important character is a child, and WoW has a pre-set, average looking child, so no gear fitting on him...)
If it helps, the two characters are
"The storyteller"
and
"The evil"
(Very innovative names......)
The names will most likely change later, this is just for me right now...
That's pretty much what I accomplished today, I'll see whether I'll upload some screenshots today or tomorrow...
Once that's done, I can write up my script (I usually don't write down things like this, as I get better ideas on the go, but I can make an exception...)
And get to some serious work! This weekend is pretty much full up though, so I'll see how that goes.
I have to figure out a way to work faster with WoWmodelviewer... It will be really useful if I did...
For now, good night!

Busy weekend!

During this weekend I will try to create the basic 4 characters I need for my machinima;
-The storyteller
-A young child
-"The evil"
-Possibly a couple by-passers/extras
I do not know if I will be able to do it this weekend, as I am literally drowning in homework and projects... I will try! :D

Erm...prezi?

Well I have done quite some plot, and I am actually proud of it!
*surprise*
However, on Prezi when I pressed save, it changed into saving... and won't change back or let me know it's saved! D: I think it's been stuck on it for like.. 5-6 minutes now.
I hope I will be able to save and not loose all the work or I will not be a happy person at all.
*crosses fingers*

But hey! If it doesn't work, I'll use something else, thanks to prezi I actually managed to make a plot so meh.


[EDIT]
After waiting for 3 minutes, I closed and reopened the prezi... Took another 3 minutes to open.
It saved pretty much half of what I've done. Odd. *sigh*
Internet Y U NO FAST?
Apparently our village is getting faster internet on the 22nd... please. Please? PLEASE.
Right so that's my rage for the day.

Maybe I'll just make a powerpoint (which I don't have YET on my macbook)... but the couch is so comfy :3

Prezi

Currently using prezi...
Well like I feared, it is rather laggy and annoying due to my internet. but hey, it works... just need to get used to it!
Working on the plot right now, will post a link as soon as it's doing a bit better and neater!

Plot coming soon!

Well hello there,
(writing this from my new macbook ;))

Like the title says, I'll be able to start working on the plot right after dinner (should be in about 30 minutes). Till then I am setting up my new laptop, making it ready for school; which is the purpose of me buying this. Schoolwork. Just transferring all my research and files, etc. onto the laptop so I can work on my project from both (come to think of it... I might just make a network between the two so I can quickly share PP files... hmm...)
Anyway, that's it for now!
Stay tuned!

Awful ailing and amazing alliteration!

(for those unknowing, ailing means sick or ill)
Like you can guess from the title of this blog entry, I am amazing in alliteration.
But the important thing is, I'm ill.
It's sunday today, so I'll update this blog with a quick rundown of everything that happened in this weekend!

• Friday:
• Had a meeting with my supervisor, we discussed the plot of the machinima, the tools, the people who will voice act for it, and a timetable/schedule.
• He showed me prezi (a program with which I could more easily set-up and organize the plot of the movie, which is still in the works. Prezi is a simple program kinda-ish like powerpoint, which creates a huge canvas, and lets you make small notes (images, text, video etc) which can all be laid out as a presentation, or to zoom around it.
• This will help me organize all my thoughts, possible plot ideas, characters and settings
• We then discussed the voice actors, so far four people will voice act
• Me (main character(s))
• My sister (female characters)
• My dad (narrating voice)
• Lorenzo (villain)
• All the people agreed to do so, and the basic character voices are set (note, characters have NOT yet been created)
• We also set a time plan for the project:
• September: finish plot and script
• October (there is a 2 week brake): create all the characters in WoWMV, possibly save every animation required as a file
• November: in Adobe Premiere add all the animations, with the backgrounds, special effects, animate, make it look good!!!!
• December: Record voice acting, sound effects, music and add to the machinima
• January: TRY HAVE IT FINISHED!!!
• So yeah, then I came home really excited to do the plot...and ended up with Tonsillitis. It is pretty damn painful, but only in your throat.. Unfortunately along with it came 39 degrees of fever and an exploding headache, forcing me to stay in bed all for the remainder of the day.
• Saturday:
• Woke up still in pain everywhere, went to the doctor, confirmed Tonsillitis, ordered by my parental unit to stay in bed, no electronics.
• Sunday:
• Now its only my throat, headache comes and goes, but today was the day I had to install our new router which arrived in the mail a couple days ago, finished that half an hour ago (it is currently 16:35) and now updating this blog before lunch/dinner.

I'll try to get the plot onto Prezi as soon as possible, I know I'm not going to school on monday, so I have today and at least tomorrow to do so! A good thing though, is that on monday my macbook pro (which I ordered) will arrive, allowing me to work on it from anywhere! THE COMFORT! I can finally work from my bed, so I'm sure I'll be more productive there (as most good ideas come when you are in bed. True fact. Or shower, but I'm not taking my laptop there!)

That's pretty much it so far, I'll keep you updated as soon as I know anything!

Cheers!

First image of actual character

Well hello,
Although the idea of me writing the script got wrecked, destroyed and exploded violently (PEP project due tomorrow), I talked about the idea with my mum and sister, and they helped me improve the little mess inside my head.
So yeah new idea, I actually really like this one, I feel like it can tell a simple story, and yet enables to viewer to submerge into the fine details for a deeper expierience.
Having said that, the name is no longer "Rescue is inevitable" as it has nothing to do with the script. I'll see if I can change the blog name tomorrow (I'm on a really awful pc at the moment, thus all the spelling mistakes.. the keyboard sucks!)
Anyway, here is most likely what the main character will look like, thsi is not final, I have to discuss this on a meeting with my supervisor
(Mr. Rawson how about friday lunchtime? I *hope* your free! :))
Without further audieu, here's the mysterious character! (No, I won't tell you his name!)

Storyteller.jpg (thats not his name folks)

Teaser ;)

"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning"
Maya Angelou

Inspiration!

Oh my god oh my god oh my god!
I have a brilliant idea for a script (you took your bloody time creativity.. disappointed in you!)
This one isn't exactly a comedy, but it fits in even better with my goal
(showing machinima as an art of movie making and not just some silly video game stuff)
Im off to write it!
Wish me luck!

Models/Characters created so far in WoWmodelviewer

 This is the fully armored version of the human character below

 Side view of fully armored human

 Facial view of fully armored human

 A simple blood elf girl

 Simple blood elf girl - facial view

 Simple Draenei girl

 Simple draenei girl - facial

 Simple human female

 Simple troll female

Goblin male - possibly a pimp or some rich character

 Goblin male side view

 Orc male - possibly a lumber jack.

 Worgen male - possibly main bad guy

 Worgen male side view

 Worgen male with sword

 Worgen male with sword - other side

 Human (as above)

 Side view of human

Human facial view

Not sure how many of these I would use, just uploading to show you the art/style/clothing type that the characters would have.
Cheers!

WoWmodelviewer and why its amazing.

I love that program. End of.
For the past hour or so, I have been making characters in WoWmodelviewer (have 5 so far - a human male, a female blood elf, a female troll, a male worgen and a male orc)
Since there are no creative script ideas in my head at the moment, im just making characters that I could use in the background, looking at their animations and playing with lightning.
My sister is currently making one for me, but when she's done I'll upload screenshots of those characters.
Whether I end up using them or not doesn't matter, I'm at the getting used to the program stage, as it's been a while since I used it, and it's been updated A LOT.

Also in regards to Mr. Rawson's comment, I'll buy Adobe anyway since I always wanted to make machinima, and will probably continue even after the personal project, and because I prefer to work from home, and not at school (can stay up all night if the creative juices are being produced)
Right, back to models!
*sarcastic woohoo*

Checklist

What I need:
[]script
[x]WoWmodelviewer (working)
[]Video editing program (Adobe ~500chf)
[x]audio editing software (Audiacity - free and advanced
[x]screen capture program (WeGame/fraps)
[kinda]microphone (built in mac, iphone, or borrow from friend)
[x]WoWmapviewer (not yet working)
[x]voice actors

So I need to work on my script, once thats done create all the characters that appear in modelviewer, before that download the free trial of Adobe and the other programs.

The glorious moment of sweet victory

Guess what?
Finally, thanks to my amazing, awesome supervisor, the windows computer downstairs has WoW and WoWmodelviewer working! :D
This means that;

• I can now make the character models
• Once done I can animate all their actions, anything they do in the movie, from a simple drop-down list.
• Then I add the animation to fit in with the background
• Add voice acting, sound fx and music
• and BOOM machinima is done

This means that throughout the next week or so, I'll be creating the characters (sounds like a long time, but there are trillions of combinations. Trillions. And the characters have to look good, wear fitting clothing, be eye-catching and not too fantasy so that everyone can watch and enjoy)

When the characters are done, I can take my script, and record the movement of every character, as I need it. When all the animations are recorded, using WeGame client, I can record the world inside WoW (or use the map viewer, if i get it to work) and add the characters (animated) to the background.

Then all I need to do is ask the people that I need to voice act, look up some awesome sound effects (or use the ones from WoW... massive library of effects right there) add some music... possibly made by myself, I'll see how that goes

and it's done.

Sounds easy, but its a hell lot of work.

Excited nevertheless, 

Let the work begin!

What's been going on

Well well well,
I'll be straightforward. Copying the WoW folder failed. I have no idea why, it works usually, the friend said he wasn't sure how to do it, and that his computer froze or something like that.
Anyway, the point is our little town's government or whoever controls this place, was meant to get fast internet for this village at the beginning of the year.
This obviously didn't happen as it still sometimes takes up to 15 minutes to get one song.
Anyway, after many many (and I do mean MANY) delays, we are scheduled to get this fast internet on the 22nd of this month. So I have two options;
1. Wait till the 22nd, download WoW properly onto Windows, start machinimating outside the game using custom animations, greenscreen, posting the animated characters into an animated background, etc
OR
2. Use this tool in-game:
http://pxr.dk/wmt/
This free, downloadable program lets you play around with the models, environment and camera inside World of Warcraft. Its best explained in these 3 video tutorials:
http://pxr.dk/wmt/?page_id=18
This is a really amazing program, with so many possibilities to do in-game without ever having to close WoW that its amazing.
This however is also a huge limitation. As it would be filming the world from my character's location (or free flying, but that's not useful for characters) Meaning that I wouldn't really be able to use more then one real and one fake, NPC character (which doesn't really move)
This form is quite limited, and requires it's own script.
And that's what I'm stuck on. Do I wait for the internet, hoping that it makes my life all happy and rainbow filled, or do i go ahead with this?
*sigh*