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3DWar of the Worlds CGI

prefimprefim0 Posts: 0Member
edited August 2010 in Work in Progress #1
Ages ago I was in contact with someone about permissions for doing my own CGI version of The War of the Worlds. The idea was it would be my visuals running in sync with the album. This would mean a near two hour animated piece with only a few people on it and no budget (and I mean zero pounds!)

I was given permission to create it but had to run it by management before it could be released (as it would have included the full album as a sound track). Strictly for non profit mind!

As I realised fairly soon into it that in order to not make a complete pigs ear of it all, the amount of character animation in it would require a full mocap setup (something I don't have!) the project ground to a halt. Spaceships and machines are no problem, people! they're tricky!

Months have gone by and I've not looked at the project but I would like to release online what little did get done. the first album track was animated and part of horsell common was done.

Most of what I had was prep work so animatable rigged fighting machines etc.

Ok so here are the test clips I wanted to release. Ollie records have cleared these and the two album tracks have had their audio tracks stripped so no issue there! This is all first pass stuff so it never got the effects polish I would have liked but at least you can see some of us want a CGI war of the worlds so bad we are prepared to try and make it ourselves!! If you want to get the full effect, play the first two tracks of the album while watching the first two videos below!

The Eve of the War
[video=vimeo;13710152]

Horsell Common
[video=vimeo;13710906]

Fighting Machine Pose Test
[video=vimeo;13711313]

Fighting Machine Articulation Test
[video=vimeo;13712432]

Fighting Machine Walk Test
[video=vimeo;13712869]

Red Weed Test
[video=vimeo;13711185]
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Post edited by prefim on

Posts

  • AresiusAresius359 Posts: 4,171Member
    I remember the old vinyl album. Scared the heck out of me when I first heard it with 8 years...
    Looking forward for anything there, I really love it.
  • AresiusAresius359 Posts: 4,171Member
    I remember the old vinyl album. Scared the heck out of me when I first heard it with 8 years...
    Looking forward for anything there, I really love it.
  • PagrinPagrin171 Posts: 0Member
    nice work. This seems like a project worth keeping.
    Have you considered the options of sourcing other fans to help out. There might be people here at SFM who can do some of the character stuff for you.
  • prefimprefim0 Posts: 0Member
    Thanks for the comments,

    It had crossed my mind but with the knowledge that it isnt something we could ever fully release I didnt want to get peoples hopes up. I have already had to remove the audio track from two main clips as Sony are involved as well!

    I'd be open to suggestions if anyone wants to help out. or has a shiney mocap suit they don't mind being without for a while! ;-)
  • SanderleeSanderlee1 Posts: 0Member
    Odd question. Why not release it silent (or with sound effects) and let the user play the music track on his own?
    That'd solve at least part of the problem re: Sony and licensing, wouldn't it?

    I agree w/ Pagrin. This is too spiffy to just drop ... says the guy with three unfinished novels on his HD.
  • ChrisTOPherChrisTOPher0 Posts: 0Member
    i love that you are doing this man, i remember when i was a kid my dad would play the Album on road trips and the like, i would sit and listen the whole time while playing a movie in my head of what i was hearing.
    for you to be putting the effort into bringing the original telling to life just tickles my fancy hahahaa
    hope you get back to work on it soon, would love to see a finished product! :P
  • Polaris 004Polaris 004199 Posts: 752Member
    I love this, and would really like to see you finish it. I don't know the album, but the Book is an all time fav of mine, and the scene plays out exactly like it was written. So many adaptations of this work feel they have to jazz it up to make it work. There are few mortals who are better story tellers than HGW, so invariably they screw it up. Good luck, hope you finish!
  • JamesAprilJamesApril0 Posts: 0Member
    Funny coincidence Aresius:
    I was eight too when I first listened to it.
    And I watched Mars Attacks the same day.
    I was so damn scared that I wnet to my parents' bed to sleep that night :S
    It wasn't the voice of Curd Jurgens it was that Martian howl.
    Nonetheless great video which fits the music.
  • ArmondikovArmondikov0 Posts: 0Member
    Cool idea, and I'm sort of surprised it hasn't been done officially before now - although, as you say, the "fat cats" in music management would make it as difficult as possible. Although if you're having trouble animating people, you could step back a little and avoid the problem by making it far more stylised - kind of like an animated comic book. It would mean you could easily keep the CG that's already done, but avoid the issue of providing believable animation for your characters. The other obvious solution would be to grab some fans or amateur film-makers and have costumed characters on a green screen.

    Now, from an model point of view, the Fighting Machine is looking awesome, but I think you might want to look at the animation again. It's a tripod, so it's not exactly the greatest thing for balance, especially taking those long, slow strides there. The body really should glide forward like that (although it does give it a very creepy vibe, which works) but jump about, trying to get into a place where it can balance on two of the legs while the third moves quickly.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User]2 Posts: 3Member
    What I like about your efforts, is the level of detial you have in the ladies dresses. It will be real interesting to see how far you go, with simulating their moment over rough ground.

    A suggestion, if I may. Treat them like how you would treat hair blowing in the wind, but connected together, instead of single strands...
  • publiusrpubliusr550 Posts: 1,746Member
    Such a classic.
  • lennier1lennier1913 Posts: 1,280Member
    I know Martok is gonna kill me for this, but ...

    In case the Thunderchild used on stage looks familiar to some: http://www.prdobson.com/gallery/hms-thunderchild-wotw/
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