Proposed animation clips for characters.

I have started to list the animation clips I need or may not need for my characters.

MOVEMENT
idle (hovering cycle)
walk (slide / fly)
run (quick slide)
boost / teleport
fall

PHYSICAL ATTACKS
quick attack 1
quick attack 2
strong attack 1
strong attack 2

LASER ATTACKS
charged release

DEFENSE
shield
block
glance

Cel Shaded 3D

Just plugging a few cel-shaded 3D games/artwork, as reference for my texturing work.

Terrain Reference

I have aquired some nice references for the terrain of on the surface of Europa, courtesy of wikipedia.








The image above is an approximate natural colour image of Europa, taken from the Galileo spacecraft. This image is a good reference for the general colour of the scene. I will not go into detail how the colour and the features of the satellite emerged; it is not relevant in terms of the context of the machinima, majority of it is only suggestion/theory anyway.



















The image above is a close-up of Conamara Chaos. It reveals craggy 250-metre high peaks, and a jumble of smooth plates of ice.





The final image is an enhanced-colour representation of part of Conamara Chaos, revealing ice 'rafts' as wide as 10-kilometres across.

Although Europa is smooth in relation to other satellites in the solar system, its surface still seems to be chaotic and hazardous. In saying that, it will provide a nice environment for the characters to traverse through; and it shouldn't be too difficult to create.

Proposal

REAL-TIME 3D PROPOSAL
My machinima is going to be an opening sequence or a trailer for a video game, which will involve futuristic high-speed robot combat. It’s hardly a groundbreaking idea, but it’s an attainable scope for the skills and time I have.

SYNOPSIS
Title: Conamara Chaos
Within the theme of biodiversity lies our curiosity for inter-planetary exploration. We explore our solar system in search of planets, and/or their satellites, that could breed and sustain life. We do so in hope to dig a deeper understanding about our existence here on Earth, but to also investigate just how unique we are in the universe.


The search for sustainable areas for life in our solar system is essentially the search for liquid water. The most promising place for this is Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. It has an ocean twice the size of all of our Earth’s oceans; but it is hidden underneath a thick, icy surface (scientific magnetic field and geological research suggests). Regardless of the process, it is sustainable. This gives humanity a reason to gear our resources, for future generations, towards Jupiter instead of Mars; Mars does show a glint of promise for signs of life, but it is now geologically too dormant in comparison to Europa to provide sustainability.


Image source: http://bambam131.com/


VISUAL STYLE
I am going for a visual style similar to the Zone of the Enders games series on the Sony Playstation. Being edgy and fast-paced, the visual style will work well; and it will also help for rendering and texturing time.




Source images: Zone of the Enders 2: http://i.neoseeker.com/p/Games/Playstation_2/Action/Mech/zoe2_profilelarge.jpg
http://pixelverdict.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Zone-of-the-Enders-2-7.jpg
http://www.habboi.co.uk/uploaded_images/%5Blarge%5D%5BAnimePaper%5Dscans_Zone-Of-The-Enders_killy-est(0.69)__THISRES__222803-749577.jpg
http://www.the-nextlevel.com/reviews/ps2/zoe_2nd_runner/zoe_2nd_runner_2.jpg





Teknoman Shara: http://rivendell.fortunecity.com/cyberpunk/543/sharaupgrade.jpg
Teknoman Blade and Sabre: http://otakuism.animeblogger.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/1177507611587.jpg
Teknoman Blade: http://ctrlaltkill.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/teknoman111gb.jpg

With respect to the orbital frames’ appearances, there will be a strong reference to the robots of the Gundam, and Teknoman anime series and, once again, the Zone of the Enders games series. The robots in the mentioned series are appealing for my animation since they are light-weight, agile and appear more humanoid, compared to the hulking mechs of the Armored Core games franchise.

The animatic will most likely just be a first draft of what the orbital frames will look like; the main focus is the composition of the frames with the camera angles, whether they are static or dynamic shots. The battle scene will be reminiscent of scenes from the popular anime series Bleach; I have been watching the latest episodes recently and have been inspired by its edgy and agile style of action.

SETTING
Source image: http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week265.html

The scene will be set on Europa, the sixth moon of planet Jupiter. Being a relatively young moon it has a relatively smooth surface, which is made of ice. The surface of Europa is best described as looking like a cracked eggshell. The beige/cream colour of Europa gives the setting some form of atmosphere, compared to surfaces of other satellites that are usually grey and dormant. The thickness of the icy crust is unknown, but below it is a vast body of water.

The majority of the scene is set on the region of Europa known as Conamara Chaos; a fast-paced battle is ensued by the two orbital frames (robots). Conamara Chaos is a landscape produced by the disruption of the icy crust of Europa. The region consists of rafts of ice that have moved around and rotated. Surrounding these plates is a lower matrix of jumbled ice blocks which may have been formed as water, slush, or warm ice rose up from below the surface. The region is cited as evidence for a subsurface ocean below Europa's icy surface.

Although the surface is relatively smooth, the criss-cross lines showed in the satellite image above are actually long valleys that can be as wide as 20 kilometres, and 250 metres deep. Since no one has actually been on the surface of Europa, it would be safe to generate terrain without a worry of geological accuracy.

To close the end of the scene, the two orbital frames crash through the icy surface and reveal the deep blue ocean. Little that the two orbital frames know, that there is something lurking a close distance away…

CHARACTER DESIGN
I am uncertain if character history is relevant for such a short piece; for my own interest I want to give the characters some form of backgrounds as I design them.

Corporation: HELLION
Orbital Frame: Zero

Corporation: Annexion
Orbital Frame: Mirage

SOUND DESIGN
With no atmosphere on Europa, it would be un-realistic to make environmental sound effects. I am considering creating a dark yet energetic soundtrack for the battle scene, with the help of a workmate; he studies a Bachelor of Popular Music, in his final year. This is the reason for me not posting any information about my project to Sound Design students at QUT.
Some references for the soundtrack include:
Devil May Cry: Original Soundtrack – Phantom Battle
Devil May Cry 3: Original Soundtrack – Cerberus Battle
It may not suit the animation; it will be announced when the animatic is placed with it.With respect to the introduction of the animation, the intro music will still be dark; but it will be more ambient, before gearing into the energetic score.

I have been extremely slack in regards to updating my work. Stay tuned.