星海搖頭丸

May

2009-07-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Time is non-stoppable. Memory could become burning burden. Happiness could be sheer mirage. Close bonds can easily being transformed into the strings that hang you. Love could be treated as dirt. Comforting companies could vapor like never happened. Those little things you thought were so special could end up being worthless to others. Precious things are not meant to be relied on or owned, they are just some haze flavor floating in the air. I stop taking pictures, at the end of May.

Those lie in the peripheral

2009-04-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

I breath, I shrug when shit happens. I've learned to appreciate all the tiny good things. I'm trying to treat love ones the best I can. I learned to be grateful. I try to accept things are how they are. I've been trying to be fair and more easygoing. I've been listening but trying not to complain. I try to show only the bright side of me. I drink instead of dropping tears. I smile when heart breaks. I try to be better; in those peripheral things.

Test Shot

2009-03-26T12:37:00.001-07:00

so thats what ive been working on.....need a better quality live action footage....

好孩子火速Rigging破處班

2009-03-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

Wing_Flapping_Early_Test from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.
從完全不會，自己看光碟...摸索...實驗...到終於出想辦法架出鳥和鯨魚的骨骼.....花了足足兩週半
雖然很快了，但是還是遠遠落後應該有的進度
但靠自己多學會一樣東西，心裡踏實了點.....
放上rig完各花五分鐘做的動作測試,很多細節可以再修，但是大架構完成了...超高興的~~

It took me 2 weeks and half from knowing nothing to complete rigging a crow and a whale....
not bad but not fast enough for the crazy schedule...Anyway it was a good experience. Now I can pretty much rig anything...at least thats how I feel~
These are 5 mins quick tests for the rigs of my creature, didnt animate all the joint, just to see if them work.

Work_In_Progress

2009-02-18T16:05:00.000-08:00

So this is the rig I been working on.....it's really weird that rigging a bird wing is such a demanded topic but has little useful information of "how to" on line. Especially for Maya, it is really hard to find a good tutorial. I did found some MEL script but not sure how or where to put the syntax and make it work. I ended up using several basic built-in functions of Maya to achieve the wing flapping task. So far I'm still in the middle of rigging it and am not 100 percent sure if this methodology would work. Will update and give more details once I got on the stage confirming everything does. As for the modeling, it's actually easier than I expected, only took me 2 days to do the whole body, not bad for a one year 3d rookie like me~

Mocap初體驗

2009-02-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

情人節去了在Astor Place附近的Curious Picture上Motion Capture,雖然說時機不是很討喜但是有機會玩玩mocap畢竟是很難得的體驗,一套設備可是幾百萬上下的阿~~ 時間有限簡單編輯了一下影片~ 做個紀錄

mocap@Curious Picture from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.

Review: Motion Capture is the process of analyzing and recording real world movement and transferring that data onto rigged character models in 3D software. There are two stages of mocap: hardware and software

Hardware: there are several types of mocap systems. They are all either opticalor non-optical ( delineated into Active and Passive)

Optical---Active:
Positional data on each marker is independently triangulated so the computer always knows which marker corresponds with each joint. This feature makes the labeling process easier. However it also cost a lot computing power.
Can be marker or marker-less
More processing power needed during capture, especially for real time data
Example: marker-less optical system, semi-passive imperceptible marker
Does not require fixed camera positions. So sessions can be move to different locations.
Outdoor direct sunlight shooting is possible

Optical---Passive:
In most cases, positional data is taken as a whole so computer cant identify joints with corresponding markers. Therefore this system often requires more post-shooting work. However, since data is taken as a whole, less computing power is required during shooting.
Can be marker or marjer-less
Less processing power needed while shooting, more processing power needed after capture
Example: reflective marker system( like the one we play with),
usually confined to one space, need fixed camera system, therefore limited in location
ususally sensitive to external factors, like light and metal during shooting.

Software:
Raw data typically taken after shooting is cleaned and tracked. This process is also known as "dot-farming". It's a process of assigning unlabeled marjers a labe that correspond to the placement of real-world marker. Data is then transferred to a 3D package, such as Motion Builder, for further refinement of motion. This process is called "retargeting".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_capture

夾緊30!!

2009-02-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

這兩個影片是搭車去上學在MTA車上做的, 本來是因為motion graphic2作業忘記做所以不得不用噴射快手模式亂弄一番, 但連續兩次都被我混過去之後.....發現其實這是個不錯的練習方式,限定30-40分鐘內連rendering一起坐完, 對於和AE聯絡感情滿有幫助. 決定開發一個30min MG label, 繼續這個比暑假最後一天才寫作業還緊的練習！！

This is a quick practice I did on my MTA ride to school. It was a last minute fix for the assignment that I forgot to do, but turned out I kinda like the 30-40 min constrain. It's relatively short amount of time so I can force myself focus on the technical practice. Improving the skills without spending too much time on it~~ will try to keep up with this new convention~

30minMG_week1_Expression from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.
Another motion graphic practice done on MTA train...rendered between 42th st and 34th st

30min MG2_week2 from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.

WinterBreak-Tokyo

2009-02-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

A bit of Tokyo from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.

以下是倒敘法

WinterBreak-Taiwan

2009-01-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

50 people 1 question

2008-12-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

Fifty People, One Question: New York from Crush & Lovely on Vimeo.

This is a project that I adore the most recently. Simple concept, beautiful shooting, wonderful editing. I can't pull off the smile on my face while watching it. This clip is the previous featured question of their project. According to the website, there are more coming up~ This project reminds me those little simple, trivial things in life that make life worth living. so good.
Visit the website here for more detail if interested.

Look&Feel+Technical Prototype

2008-12-18T06:08:00.000-08:00

Implementation Prototype from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.

This is an test rendering I did last night. Another attempt to find out the look and feel of my PSA.
Using MAYA particles and After effect to render. I like the way the particles flow, however the less realistic look of the head makes me concern if my target audience can still have the feeling of "getting into the subject's world". Well....gotta do some user testing. Except that...I'm kinda happy about how this look regard the short amount of working time and light workload. Not a bad option for production at all.

StyleFrame prototype

2008-12-14T01:02:00.001-08:00

The final presentationof this semester is tomorrow, so basically I'm killing myself preparing that.
This is a quick style frame I did as an attempt to find a good/suitable art direction for my animation. I also shot some live action footage, that was a fun experience however I haven't have time to post it online. Will update more after presentation. Oki, that's that. Have to go back to my presentation slices~~~hope for the best!!

Eyeball info: Great Art Direction!

2008-12-07T23:31:00.001-08:00

Art direction很對我胃口的公司

Mato Atom is a guy that I found while surfing online. The taste of his art direction is compelling and really close to the ideal status of how art direction should be done in my mind.

小動畫

2008-12-05T00:10:00.001-08:00

接觸3d將近一年以來，第一支跟商業有稍微沾上一點邊；也稍微比較接近成品的動畫。在Vizrt實習的兩個月，我和Frank兩個人主要的時間就是做這個。今天Kenneth終於丟了成品link出來。

看來在我們走之後因為人手不足，後面的製作銜接不太上，成品自然有很多遺憾....原本在我理想中的storyboard裡面會花多一兩cut把氣氛營造出來，最後銜接也會多花一些功夫在細節上面，比如說長出玻璃感覺的角膜然後整支transform為真正live footage的眼睛with vcs logo 反射在真正的瞳孔之中.....　vizrt是很屌的公司但...專長並不在動畫上面。加上這不是幫公司賺錢的東西，除了像我這種死實習生，正職們沒辦法也沒理由花太多時間在上面是很合理的。考慮到資源分配，能put together其實就不錯了。　總之雖然成品不盡理想，但是個不錯的學習經驗....實際做了就發現自己製作面上還有好多不懂~還要好好努力長大才行~~

感謝kenneth aka 001提供的機會~

Credits

Kenneth: Art direction, lighting and texture, editing, animate shot 5
Frank: Modeling & Animate shot 2, shot 3, shot 4
Kerra: Concept drawing
Me: Modeling& Animate shot 1, shot 2, modeling shot 5

watch it here

Eyeball info: VFX post-production company

2008-12-02T22:16:00.001-08:00

VFX的世界中最難進的一種公司....
以前常聽到人家說...阿不就好萊鎢特效而已沒啥好看....
年紀小的時候還傻傻的跟著點頭看一些文藝青年有看沒懂的片
現在想想....屁咧
這就跟"這女的還不就是腿長腰細胸型勾人比例完美加上臉很正，有什麼好的"這種屁話一樣
是啦
電影故事最重要
真的鳥的故事好特效也救不起來
真的屌的故事沒特效還是嚇嚇叫

但是當內涵差不多或是根本沒差多少的時候
不看視覺看個雕阿.....要不要聽聽原聲帶就好...
要說這種話的同時首先要有差不多的能力吧...
不然不就像宅男說"我今天很宅"或是窮人說"我今天很窮"醜人說"我今天很醜"一樣
只是難看而已...
btw
這次海角七號特效還滿成功的
能不能帶動產業只能看造化了....
向台灣為特效付出的幕後英雄致敬!!!長久以來被漠視還是有人撐著.....辛苦了阿!!
大腕影像

一些我作夢也進不去的屌公司....
Double Negative
光看製作過的名單就不用介紹了
dark knight
harry porter
hell boy....
FUEL
正要上映的Australia的後至特效公司
妙就妙在前陣子亞當山德勒的鳥片 you dun mess up w ZOHAN也是這家搞的

 Animal Logic
沒弄錯的話十面埋伏和英雄似乎是找這家做
這兩片爛歸爛
特效可猛的很

I'm still revising my storyboard (finger crossed: for the last time...please). In the current version I plan to have live action in it. Fringe is overall a kool precedent of the combination of live action and visual effect( okay to be honest, a great entertainment as well) for me to look at. For the episode 9th, they also provide a making of on FOX's website. It's kool to be able to see how they shot the scene.

precedent: for dosomething

2008-12-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

A good example for cowper/ian/me to look at. I don't really like the way they sell their t shirt, but the components in there are pretty close to what we are planning to do....anyway...just take a look!

D-STURBED

Joel-Peter Witkin

2008-11-29T20:12:00.001-08:00

Joel-Peter Witkin
some works from him
One of my favorite contemporary photographer...I liked his work a lot when I was a college boy.
Also, a good resource site about photographer.

Good stuff....a bit over due~

2008-11-29T17:55:00.000-08:00

Although I'm not really a gamer, metal solid 4 still shocked me by it's amazing real-time render image quality when it first appeared on a HD tv of my friend. (yes, Kenneth,AKA 001, that's you) couple months ago. Here is a great essay disclosing a lot info about the work flow of production. More or less it's kinda like a promoting essay of XSI 7, however the descrition of design process and work flow defenitely worth your time to read. At least I really enjoyed reading it. It gives me a general concept of how these amazing works were being created and done.

I am.....

2008-11-29T02:00:00.000-08:00

重力不用加速度
自我壓縮的極限非自願性體驗中

Another technical test

2008-11-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Technical Prototype: MotionTrack+ParticleExpression from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.

A simple practice, using tracking speed as the element that determent how much particle can emit from the tracking point. Technical Prototype 01.

Technical+Look&Feel Prototype

2008-11-22T19:44:00.000-08:00

Implementation prototype:Partical Instance+Softbody, Look& Feel from Jason Magic Tseng on Vimeo.
This is another test for my ongoing thesis. I didnt separate the meteor smoke and the ocean in different layers. So the smoke of the meteor looks kinda funky. For now it's alright. As for the technical part, it was a good practice on softbody and particle instancer. It took me quite a while to get the softbody(the surface of the ocean) react to particles when they collide. However I haven't find a decent way to generate the splash...that should be my next step.
tool
MAYA 2008 + AEcs3

Rockn'Rolla

2008-11-19T23:13:00.001-08:00

因為trailer留下的視覺印象太強
明明忙到快死了
周二晚上還是硬去看
Old school, new school, street bunch, junkie, military criminal, 愚蠢的，剛烈的，老謀深算的，媚惑勾人的.....有知覺的，沒知覺的加上後知後覺的...通通上了賭桌狠狠玩上一把
偷拐搶騙沒問題，只是代價自付
一切都那麼理所當然

Guy Ritchie 的鏡頭依舊碎念，但也依舊讓人驚豔
各家演員的演技通通到位
Art Direction可圈可點
女主角半點都沒露，但是色氣流轉到幾乎可以殺人
尤其是跳的那支詭異的怪舞讓我簡直想買DVD

從以前到現在都沒辦法抗拒這種壞胚子勾當的電影
是因為潛意識我喜歡這種破格的公平嗎......
anyway
it was a good waste!

website

Cultural Material: LStudio from imaginary forces

2008-11-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

L studio is a new website Imaginary Forces created for Lexus. Normally I'm not a fan about sponsored web because 1,most of the time they are just bunch of empty, no soul content wrapped up with good looking visuals. 2, creating that kind of crap was my old job and I know too well how fake and boring this kind of stuff should/can be.

However this one is pretty different. The site basically is consisting of bunch of great quality narratives. From comedy series , short urban love story to PSA animation about environmental issue. It's like a small channel with selected short films without having annoying commercials jumping around trying to brainwash you how awesome Lexus is. I really enjoyed watching the hilarious Web Therapy series as well as the PSA visual effect piece. For me its a great precedent that having fun to look at.

In terms of thesis, this site shows how narrative can play a powerful role in branding, so, take a look guys!!

Learning RF4: one small step, more questions!

2008-11-15T16:23:00.001-08:00

I've been learning MAYA dynamic for a while and so far I've found it although powerful and handy, having a lot issues when it comes to simulating/manipulating fluid and particle events (i.e...collision detection). So learning RealFlow4 is my new thing in order to make my already falling behind thesis happen.

It's great to find out that RF4 can generate splash when objects colliding with the RealWave surface, unlike maya softbody has really limited practices. However the performance of doing it is really not rendering friendly. Besides, I haven't tried out if this can work with dynamic instance. It's such a drawback that MAYA doesn't allow dynamic instance behave like rigid body....it's SUCH an obvious need AUTODESK!!!

Anyway....technical questions are popping out like hell...

How to make dynamic instances behave like rigid body?
How to create splash when the object ( likewise, dynamic instances) hit the ocean surface?
How to rig a soft-body creature...in my case, an octopus?
How to create underwater kinda look?
How to rig a whale?( this one I think I already found some potential solution...need to test it though)

BTW...I heard MAYA2009 improved the particle system (nParticle) and fluid dynamic a lot...
hope that will help me eventually~

DoSomething!!! Cowper擊發!!!!

2008-11-12T21:06:00.001-08:00

好兄弟Cowp!開個展了!!!這也是Dosomething這概念成形之後團隊成員的第一砲!!!
創作戰鬥力一向都朝賽亞人邁進的他，一路走來始終都維持著不滅的熱情~
我也常常被Cowper的熱血激勵而能繼續堅持做自己該做和想做的!!

常有人說"請多多支持本土創作者!~~"
我雖然愛台灣，但不認同這樣的口號，因為本土不能成為作品不夠水準的藉口!!
近年來氾濫的創意市集裡面，就是因為混雜太多這樣的作品而造成水準良莠不齊的慘狀!!
好的很好，但是爛的更多!!混在一本本編排不良的大雜燴裡面，黃金也看起來像狗屎!
有這麼多人追求創作很棒，但是不代表作品不能被評價!
很多人都說藝術是很主觀沒辦法說好說壞
我認為這是放屁!!!
沒錯在某個水準之後，的確很難去評斷
但是創作絕對有嚴謹的評判標準!!!
不管怎樣的作品都有人會支持，但是身為創作者
用不用功騙不了別人的，創作的多不代表你就努力! 勞動和努力是兩碼子事，追求品質和自我的提升以及維持創作的習慣，背後需要的除了天份和大量的研究、練習，還有能夠不被現實磨滅的熱情!!
真話很難聽
我也慢慢學會少講以免惹人厭
但是以上的文字句句屬實!!
若有冒犯那是你家的事~

所以

我熱烈精神支持 cowper 不只是因為他是我兄弟，更不是因為他本土
而是因為他優秀!!! 雖然人在號稱設計X創作聖地的紐約，但我不論何時回頭往台灣看Cowper
感想都很一致:
這樣的創作者，到哪裡都絕對能有一席之地!!!
我不會胡亂吹捧說他是頂尖
但是他的創作
絕對值得大家的關注和期待!!!

2008年11/15日 14:00~18:00 開幕會，現場展出歷年來繪畫創作、動畫創作、玩具創作、聯名商品，局部內容18禁，請自行判斷年齡參加，如有不良影響概不負責...
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