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I've been following the amateur video series, Aurora Trek since it first began in 2006. I wondered if the creator would ever have the time to finish such an ambitious project, what looks to be about a forty minute sci-fi animation. I was relieved to see part three of four came out a couple of days ago, and it looks as though the finish will be something special. While it's obvious at times that the creator isn't a pro, (feet sliding when walking sometimes, characters too still a hair too long, lip syncing a bit off) but overall, it's pretty damn good and, most importantly, it's easy to get lost in what is a darn good story.
The software he uses is a mix of professional and amateur, but it could have been done with practically any half-way decent software package nowadays, including a free one, Blender. 3d animation is quite involved, time consuming, and has a very long learning curve, but I foresee a time in the not-too-distant future when 3d software will become easier to use, and animations will become more plug and play.
Aardvark
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Pretty Good stuff
I had to go hunt it down and it's not bad at all. It really has an old Trek feel to it and I rather enjoyed it. That last scene in part three had me almost falling out of my chair.
You are right about the future of CGI. Folks like Cameron might be pushing the technical boundaries with upcoming movies like Avatar, but look at some of the amateur efforts. Everything from game shots played to music to complete from scratch stuff like Aurora.
As a certain Vulcan said, "The possibilities are limitless Captain."
grover
It's about competition and posterity ...
... as well as improving technology, I think. I heard from a publisher that the written word is less popular that it was (Duh!) and that decent graphic novels were in high demand. The video demand must be even greater considering Youtube, Vimeo and others. Writing an amateur novel nowadays is pretty haphazard; on BC, you might get a few thousand reads for your trouble -- more on other sites, perhaps -- but as far as posterity is concerned, that's small potatoes. An excellent amateur vid would be a lot more trouble to make, but it would also garner a whole lot more bang for what you put into it.
What if a really good TG story, say, "Under the Moons of Eden," by Christopher Leeson, were made into a CG movie? How many hits on Youtube would it get, and how long would it be remembered? Heck, how old is the short, "Bambi vs. Godzilla," and how many people have seen that?
Can you think of any other stories that should be made into a movie?
Aardvark
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi