Medieval dam

[Horg]

Hello everyone,
Someone showed me this website today and I thought it was pretty interesting! Lots of talent in here! So I thought I would post my first matte painting I just finished for school. Hope you guys like it :)
So here it is, click on the image or the link to download the movie (3,8 mb, divx)

http://www.suckerpro.com/horg/images/jonala_demo4.jpg

Matte painting - jonala_demo4_divx.avi (http://www.suckerpro.com/temp/horg/jonala_demo4_divx.avi)

[Haman]

Very nice environment... Good work. I would say work on the reservoir water some... it kind of disappears in the image. The line dividing it from the rocks above is too crisp and unbroken. I also think the shadows being cast throughout the scene are a bit too sharp, considering how foggy the air is. The sky in the upper left is hinting that there is a sun back there trying to shine through, yet the shadows are coming from the right side of the scene. Those criticisms aside, I'm very drawn to the image... you're obviously very talented, and I look forward to seeing more of your work on the site... welcome! :D

[kaz]

very nice work, question what music is that? I have a friend here in LA thats from Canada nice work u guys are doing keep it up

[Danka]

Very nice! I think (my humble opinion) that the water would appear more flat because it is almost at the horizon line. In the picture it looks like a climbing water...
However,it's a nice work! :wink:

[Horg]

Hey thanks a lot for the comments !
Everyone here has been telling me about the water hehe, I`ll have to work longer on that in my next project(s).
kaz : This song is from the Akira soundtrack.

[jamesvfx]

it's a great idea and a great animation , the only thing I suggest is to put more reference of scale , how about some more little towers whit whindows and balcony in it, so it tells the viewer how big this thing is ,

[Horg]

it's a great idea and a great animation , the only thing I suggest is to put more reference of scale , how about some more little towers whit whindows and balcony in it, so it tells the viewer how big this thing is ,

Thanks for the comments :)
Actually several people suggested that same idea to me, and I wanted to do it, but then I didn't have enough time (had a deadline for school) so I decided to keep it like it was.

[Novalism]

very nice image

but I dont get it
how do you make movie of this.
I kno you can map it on geometry ...
camera mapping.
But there are so much strange shapes ... i mean camera map on a box ok .. but these are rocks etc .. How can you make it move like this.
advice anyone?

and the passing clouds. is this a extra painted layer on top of your movie?
or 3d clouds?

[Horg]

... how do you make movie of this.
I kno you can map it on geometry ...
camera mapping.
But there are so much strange shapes ... i mean camera map on a box ok .. but these are rocks etc .. How can you make it move like this.
advice anyone?

and the passing clouds. is this a extra painted layer on top of your movie?
or 3d clouds?

Hehe cool someone wonders how I did it, mission accomplished :P

Well to answer your question... you are right. The painting is projected on basic geometry. The dam itself is built in 3d (very simple geometry as you can see) with camera projected texture onto it. Same thing with the rocks. The only place where there is more geometry is on the edge of the foreground rocks, where I had to match the edges of the texture using roto. The clouds are actually parts of cloud pictures I found somewhere on the net mapped onto grids with transparency moving slowly in front of the camera. Hope this answers your questions :)

[Novalism]

tnx

i can folllow 100% with the clouds etc

but the mapping i still dont get.
could you like post a wireframe?

If you made it in 3d .. do you mean that you like actually made the geometry of the plants, rocks, dam etc
You put the painting in the background than? and try to make objects like the one you painted?

Seems almost impossible
the water that flowing out od the dam is an 3d particle layer than?
I appriciate the help plz tutor me :wink: :)

[Horg]

Here's a wireframe with a simple XSI render region to show you that it doesn't take much geometry, just for you Novalism ;P
As you see it's pretty minimal, the only place with more polygons is on the left of the first rocky part. Oh and the falling water is a very simple particle system, nothing fancy there. Enjoy!

http://www.suckerpro.com/horg/images/jonala_demo4_wire.jpg

[Novalism]

yeah tnx m8

i get it
But do you need that extra geometry there so the projected image woudnt "go nuts" when making the camera move?
its probably not for fun ey :p

and akira music (just noticed it now) is 8)

[Horg]

The added geometry is to prevent the video game effect that would arise if high resolution texture was applied to low resolution geometry.

[Milos Fehir]

Very cool work. You have done a lovely job with the painting and the composition works almost flwalessy. I like the cinematic feeling of it all. Shows how much textures can do. That shot built in pure 3D would take aeons :D. The only thing I can crit on is the water in the dam, as mentioned before. But other then that, its great work.

[Horg]

Thanks for the comments! The water is polluting my work it seems ehehe!

[Luxo_Jr]

Love it! Good to see some tips and techniques on how to do camera matching too.

[Horg]

Hey no problem, this is what a forum is all about :)