My project will be a live action short film with a CGI character. The CGI character will be a robot that interacts with the live action environment opposite a human character. The film will be about an inventor that creates a robot prototype after many previous failed attempts. The robot will be constructed from scrap and household objects. giving the character a homemade feel. The film will question whether technology is an appropriate substitute for human interaction. I will focus on character animation, bringing the personality of the robot character to life through the animation. The film will be around 5-10 minutes and could serve as a proof of concept for a potential feature film.
This project will involve writing the script as well as storyboarding. I have already cast the main human character, which will be played by my sister. To create the robot character, I will use a combination of practical effects and CGI. When filming on set, I will use a stand-in for lighting reference. Taking what I have learned from my character design class, I will design the robot character before 3D modeling and texturing it. My inspirations when conceptualizing this project include Star Wars, Wall-E, and various other short film which include robot characters. The design of the droids and various robots in these films will serve as inspirations when designing my robot character. I will then model and animate the robot in either Maya or Blender. I will use Premiere Pro to edit the film as well as After Effects for additional compositing. I will also include sound design, potentially recording my own sound effects.
Other thesis projects have showcased 3D models or animations, even 3D animated films. I have yet to see any that blend both 3D animation and live action. My project is unique in that it includes a 3D character interacting with a human character in a live action environment. This project will combine my knowledge of film with character design and 3D animation. In the future, I aspire to work in the film industry in post-production/VFX. This project will allow me to improve my 3D modeling and animation skills while also showcasing my storytelling ability. It will also stand out among my other work in a demo reel.