News update - Animation - Storyboard (Patreon)

 “A Tight Spot” update

The render process is 85% complete, up to the point where the fluids enter the picture. The fluid simulation is not yet complete and so further rendering is suspended. Fortunately that does not mean I cannot proceed with further preparations for release as there are a fair few things to be done still.

Normally I would wait for the entire render to be completed but there is a lot that can be done ahead of time since I have most of the animation complete. I’ll begin post-processing and create the video clips that I can which I can then weave into the interactive player. This means the delay between the completion of renders-with-fluid-sim and release will be minimal.

On the new “Fine Dining” animation

I have completed the outline for the animation “Fine dining” (working title) through the creation of a exquisitely and professionally rendered storyboard. The storyboard is all spoilers, so click on the following link at your own discretion. 

Storyboard 

You can’t really tell because I never really learned to draw properly (Which is also the reason why the panels change from hand drawn to renders halfway through.) but the scene takes place in another section of the facility that “A tight spot” takes place in. A kind of resort / spa where critters can engage in all sorts of activities, from playing games to… “playing games”.

There will be at least three loops in the sequence, one additional camera view (for one of the loops) and I’ll start using hard cuts as well, which is what the black panels signify, the switch to another camera. In the past I would have done everything in one single camera shot, but as you might imagine that makes things harder when it really doesn’t need to be.

Before I can begin animating. the orca will require a model update. A new tongue and throat are desperately needed as they haven’t been upgraded in years and they look kind of pants right now. Other than that, I’ll build up the scene and props as we go. 

In closing

That’s it for the update! There are a lot of moving parts right now, between finalizing “A Tight Spot”, prep work for “Fine Dining” and catching up on owed renders there’s no shortage of work to be done. I will keep you in the loop as things progress. I might do an impromptu stream this Sunday, which I’ll announce on discord if it happens to take place. Take care!