Star Trek: Aurora "mini"-Update

[Auroratrek]

Just a quick note to let people know that I've uploaded the first scene of Star Trek: Aurora Part 3 to the Aurora website:

http://www.auroratrek.com/

It's not a lot, admittedly, but I wanted to let people know that, after a long year of delays, I'm finally making progress again and hope to add more soon. If you haven't been to the site in a while, you'll see that it's been redesigned, with more information and features. Check it out!

--Tim

 

[Hudson_uk]

It might be small but it's perfectly formed

 

[USS Intrepid]

Sweet!

 

[Q2UnME]

I was wondering if there has been any progress. Thanks for the update! I'll be checking it out.

Q2UnME

 

[Mallory]

As will I. I love what's been done so far.

 

[johnhazard]

Keep being awesome and I will keep waiting patiently for more.
(Did I mention it was awesome?)

 

[May 20]

Wow. Very impressive! Now I want to go back and watch the first two parts.

 

[Slappy The Vulcan]

Just a quick note to let people know that I've uploaded the first scene of Star Trek: Aurora Part 3 to the Aurora website:

http://www.auroratrek.com/

It's not a lot, admittedly, but I wanted to let people know that, after a long year of delays, I'm finally making progress again and hope to add more soon. If you haven't been to the site in a while, you'll see that it's been redesigned, with more information and features. Check it out!

--Tim

Quite awesome, This is one of my favosrite fan series to date, seeing the trek universe from the side of the "private" sector adds a lot.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Loved it...and, as before, I am still amazed at what can be done. You really have something special here!!! Can't wait for the next part...

Rob Scorpio

 

[Wowbagger]

Aurora's still one of my fav's. Just keep rolling it out, and we'll keep eatin' it up.

And, hey, you'll still probably finish before Exeter. :P

 

[Q2UnME]

Had a chance to check out the "mini" the other day and I must say, I'm really looking forward to seeing the rest. I don't know if it was my computer or the viewer I was using, but it seemed to me that the voice sync with the mouth/jaw movements was a little off. Anyone else think so or is it me?

Anyways, great job and I'm looking towards the next "release". Thanks! :thumbsup:

Q2UnME

 

[Q2UnME]

Just a quick note to let people know that I've uploaded the first scene of Star Trek: Aurora Part 3 to the Aurora website:

http://www.auroratrek.com/

It's not a lot, admittedly, but I wanted to let people know that, after a long year of delays, I'm finally making progress again and hope to add more soon. If you haven't been to the site in a while, you'll see that it's been redesigned, with more information and features. Check it out!

--Tim

Just bumping this thread to ask if there's been any progress or updates?

Q2UnME

 

[RobertScorpio]

Just a quick note to let people know that I've uploaded the first scene of Star Trek: Aurora Part 3 to the Aurora website:

http://www.auroratrek.com/

It's not a lot, admittedly, but I wanted to let people know that, after a long year of delays, I'm finally making progress again and hope to add more soon. If you haven't been to the site in a while, you'll see that it's been redesigned, with more information and features. Check it out!

--Tim

Just bumping this thread to ask if there's been any progress or updates?

Q2UnME

i second this bump!

Rob

 

[Jim Gamma]

The site does say part 3 will be out in its entirety in '09... Have a little patience.

 

[May 20]

It's hard to be patient when someone has something you want. But you are correct -- pestering them won't get it done any faster.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

Star Trek: Aurora series

I gave you a shout out here on the Future of Trek forum about your animation style being how a new Trek TV series could be done on a budget with a team.
Very nice lighting and overall camera work taking full use of the frame and not making it (4:3 TV safe).

I noticed your videos were 480x288pixels that would be a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. On your future episodes you should really work at 1.78:1 as it is the HD standard. Even if you've rendered in standard definition it could be upconverted to HD and the aspect ratio would match on a TV screen.
What frame sizes are you rendering out? 480x288 pixels? 30fps or 24fps?
At least work at 720 wide by 480 high (which is widescreen enhanced standard definition) if you are not going to do 1080/24p HD.

Episode 1
Great sound effects. The dialogue quality is very professional.
Very nice stereo mix on Episode 1 with source panning and ambiences. Nice use of reverb spaces in the space helmets for dialogue.
Really nice lighting when the doors open from the airlock and when she is in the airlock with the blue structure behind her outside. And great reflection on the helmet's glass and subtle lighting right before she wakes up.
The underexposed lighting when she wakes up is really gorgeous!


Episode 3
Very nice touches with the liquid in the tea cups moving around as well as the steam.
Great subtle lighting in the backgrounds too.


criticisms:
Episode 1 had some editing that seemed off. Like not matching up with the action by a few frames. (not lip sync but the actual action cut).

Episode 3 the framings on the closeups during tea around 23 seconds in is where you should try to match the closeups framing better.
On a feature film or traditional film when you shoot 2 closeups the camera uses the same focal length lens and is placed at the same distance to the actor to achive similar framing on the closeups.
Your shot of Tara shows down to her armpit but T'Ling doesn't have that wide of framing.
Also on closeups try to reduce the depth of field more with a wider aperture.

 

[Auroratrek]

Hey Jeffriestubes.

Thanks for the props and the tips--I'll take them both!

I actually started (first 2 eps) rendering at 720x480 29.97 non-square for television, with letterboxing (the ability to move the image up and down in the frame has been useful) but have since gone to 640x480 square 30fps, then I cut off the top and bottom and reduce to 480x288 for online, since it's really the only place anybody's going to see it.

In regards to other comments here about when the next part will be out, I'm hoping to have it out this month--I'll post here when it's out.

Thanks--Tim

 

[RobertScorpio]

Hey Jeffriestubes.

Thanks for the props and the tips--I'll take them both!

I actually started (first 2 eps) rendering at 720x480 29.97 non-square for television, with letterboxing (the ability to move the image up and down in the frame has been useful) but have since gone to 640x480 square 30fps, then I cut off the top and bottom and reduce to 480x288 for online, since it's really the only place anybody's going to see it.

In regards to other comments here about when the next part will be out, I'm hoping to have it out this month--I'll post here when it's out.

Thanks--Tim

Dude..I love your stuff. You amaze me with your ability to creat a CGI TREK story on your own..and the writing is great...keep it up!

Rob

 

[jefferiestubes8]

have since gone to 640x480 square 30fps, then I cut off the top and bottom and reduce to 480x288 for online, since it's really the only place anybody's going to see it.

Tim perhaps you could render at 180 shutter angle, motion blur on / 24fps to save render time.
As well as get the 2:3 pulldown film look by using FCP Motion to load in the entire edited video and render out to 29.97fps.

do a couple test for your next episode.
and then make the next project's project settings 24fps.

30 fps will give me that cheesy overly smooth digital look in all the motion.
The 24fps method usually works well, because it does tend to have a more film-like motion, and it saves a heck of a lot time when rendering. But it is just a preference, and not always the best solution. The smoothest motion doesn't come from 30fps, but actually 60fps. Those extra frames help produce "broadcast quality" interlaced video, from your animation.

DO NOT render in 8-bit, unless it's just low-res tests. For your final 3D outputs to AE, you should really be using 32, or at the very least, 16. I almost exclusively render 32bit PSD image sequences.

Source


The two big things to test are motion blur, 24fps, and depth of field control (f/1.8-2.8 or so for closeups)
If you choose to render your frames at 720 x480 you will at least be in 1.78 (16x9) aspect ratio to play on your own DVD player at home on a widescreen TV for the future and to give to people (DVDs) for possible animation work since you are talented.