Production Pipeline for a 3D film « Concepts, Principles and Limitations 3D Research

Production Pipeline for a 3D film

Posted on October 11, 2007 by collgran

Conception
Every new film begins with an idea. It may be original or inspired by other sources including books and comics.

Script
The next part of production is the written storyline.

Storyboard
Script pages are given to the storyboard animators and with pictures and animations they visualise the story. This is done in in a series of illustrations like a comic strip.

http://teachable.org/200617073/images/storyboardflowchart/storyboard_flintstones_48k.jpg

Approval
When the directors and producers approve the drawings they are digitally copied and put together like a flip book. To this is added temporary music, sound effects and dialogue, the whole process lasting over a period of 18 months.

Visual Development
An artistic approach to every scene and every item and character is planned determining the style. tone , colour and overall approach.
Thousands of drawings, paintings, blueprints, sculptures and models are made to create the characters and sets for the fantasy world.

Casting
The voices for the characters have to be cast and then videotaped as they perform to visualise the key expressions and movements which will help in the next stage of production.

Modelling
Wire frame sculptures (Armitures) of models are made. This enables each design to be broken down into workable geometry, allowing the animator to rig the 3D figure as required for future animation. Surfaces can then be added to the model whether real or digital.

Layout
The movement of the characters in the scenes are marked out. This determines camera movement, character placement, spacing, lighting, geography and scene timing. The entire movie is mapped out and a digital picture made of each scene.

Character Animation
When the sequel is working well with layout and movement of the characters, the animators bring the characters to life and synchronise them to voice performances.

http://animated-views.com/2004/shrek-2/

Effects and lightings
Effects artists then add textures, lighting and special visual effects to enhance the movie. In a film it is easy to photograph for instance a stormy sea. In 3D graphics this would require overlapping wave animation on a heavily subdivided plane surface, texturing, gradients, shading, lighting and colouring of the surface. It would probably also require a stormy sea to be filmed so that the animator can see exactly what a stormy sea looks like so he can reproduce it realistically.