BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Well... here it is.. barring any alterations that still might hit me.

I've uploaded it to youtube in two parts as there is a 10 minute maximum.

Part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMfY4...er_profilepage

Part two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVBZ...er_profilepage


I still have to update the credits with everyone's name (and last names) and if you see something in there by someone that I missed please let me know.

There are parts I'm very happy with, and parts I could be happier with. I did this as an attempt to see what can be done in a relative short period of time, especially for one person doing it. I would like more full 3d motion in the characters, but instead I am thinking of this as a cross between animated CGI and a graphic novel.

Of course being so close to it I could nit-pick it to death, but if I do that it will never get finished. I hope you enjoy it and it fits somewhere with our beloved BSG timeline.

Let me know what you think!


Dave


***And Ernie/Daniel, going to finalize everything up and get a disk out to you in the next couple weeks for your site. It will be nice as it won't have to be split into two parts as it is on youtube.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

wow at last a completed animation yeahh!!!!!! and thanks for using my landing bay .. I am honoured ..

5 star award mate

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

That bay is a beaut! If I do another episode I'll try to get more of it in there. Thanks for making it and sharing!

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Pretty neat David congratulations! :thumbsup::salute:

I know i'm a BSG fan movie whore, especially your vids but damn not bad.

Recognised Taranis' Landing bays heh, he always struggled to make'em less flat looking, but i knew it right off that it was his though. Depends on the software you used to make this in the short time you said you got around to making it.

And under the short fan edit flicks rule of thumb, the story good enough to be squeezed in there and make sense etc. like it very much and i appreaciate all you did in making it, can't say any more than that.

Hmmm, Battlestar Cerberus! Would've loved more stories from her. I.E. can you do an alternate version where

Spoiler she doesn't buy it?

etc?

:D

Would've liked to have seen a 3 headed Dog/Lupus design ornament on the Viper helmets, ah no biggie just a minor fan quibble is all.

Dug the flashing 'voice communicator receiver' its got that Glen Larson sci-fi styled design feature from all his series productions. Neat little Viper cockpit addition there.

Hope your next fan edit shows more of your work in this detail David. Since we know the Colonial military isn't all about just Viper pilots flying about, how about setting the next one on a outpost or Colonial Base or something where Landrams or other such Colonial military vehicles are used and the character interactions are more challenging to do in another kind of story.

Just an idea.

Anyways, liked it and thank you! Always something to enjoy when its one of your edits. Really looking forward to seeing one, where you get as much time to spend on it, as you'd like.

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

David that was really fun!

Congrats on a job well done.

:)

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

I had to make a quick response last night as I was on my my out . now a longer one..


I was riveted to the screen seen the amount of work you went through ..

what programs did you use and the laser effects where great and the Battlestar engine effects .. how did you do them .. spill the beans mate :)

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Just away on a business trip, but made time to watch this. I'm speechless, osBSG is back and has a future.....

Its brilliant, an absolute asset to the fanbase and a wonderful contribution to the fanbase. Thank you David.

I'm speechless and amazed......

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Taranis you can do most of what David did with effects through Adobe after effects. There are multiple programs available to do so.

:)

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

I'll have a look and see if I can get it next year.. I am finally getting a new more powerful PC .. were I can consider some animation in the future where as with my present one it would be impossible. render times alone where prohibitive at best.

David did stunning work .. I watched it and loved it more the second time..

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Say David, you wondered before about giving Glen Larson your Galactica fan edits in another thread. Now here's me thinking, what about actually giving them to Tom DeSanto or Bryan Singer instead? since the big budget live-action BSG movie supposed to be around the corner?

I mean if we're truly amazed, imagine the responce they might receive from watching your CGI BSG fan edit. Respectful, and honors the original '78 series and comes with an interesting standalone Pre-Colonial holocaust story of its own. In 2009 it does say alot that this show has inspired so much from its long time fans like yourself, which inspires others even moreso.

Inspirational work! :cool::salute:

Just passing on a theory of mine. Anyways, well done again. I'll spread its youtube links out to those i know who like sci-fi.

Laters. :)

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Wow David,
This is absolutly fantastic! I'm amazed that you were able to all this in such a relatively short space of time. Truly an awsome achievement, bravo!

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Hey there Taranis,

Titon is right that After Effects is a huge key in getting things done in this manner. Awesome compositing/animation program that can be used for so much. I used it at work constantly for commercial and promotional motion graphics as well.

To do this in a timely manner I kind of think in the style of the effects of the original series and how they were made. They made numerous model passes and then mixed and recomposited them for different shots. So for most of these I created various passes and angles (in Cinema 4d) of the ships moving by with an alpha channel (matte). This way each new pass I render adds to the library of shots. I can then take these into After Effects and composite them with other ships, backgrounds, add lasers, add explosions and any other kind of effects.

Shots would look a hell of a lot better and allow more motion if they were set up more completely and rendered out in the 3d program, but that does take a lot more time (but does give you a lot more). For this I focused more on wanting shots to help tell a story, and they did not have to reinvent the wheel... just move the story forward.

Also, in my opinion, to get it done in a decent amount of time, you can't be a perfectionist. I know that there is always something I could go back and change, add to, re-render, etc... but I have to get a shot where I'm happy with the feel of what's happening in it. There is nothing wrong with being a perfectionist, except when it stops something from ever being completed because its never quite good enough. Eventually you have to say "This is it."

Now there are certainly a hundred and ten thousand things that can be criticized in the Adama Journals project, and things that could have been better... but for what I am trying with this, well, this is it. I think it does show a fan story can be done in a short period of time. And for the next one (if/when I start it) I know the things that worked really well for me in this, and the others I want to improve. I actually do have a story in mind for another that I kinda like.

I'm really glad you are all enjoying this. I've enjoyed working on it and seeing each piece come together like a huge puzzle. As a fan of the show from the beginning, its an amazing way to still enjoy and play around a bit in the BSG universe.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

That... was AWESOME!

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

First things first David, never ever apologize for being an artist. This is probably my biggest mistake not moving forward with projects i've wanted to create because of my passion to make everything perfect. What you've done here is great and getting what you want out of it is the "most" important thing. That's what counts, nothing more nothing less.

Again congrats on a job well done and i envy you for doing what i've strived to do for a very long time.

Don

:)

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Speaking of which Titon, how's DeSanto's CGI bridge coming along?

Haven't forgotten about that one of yours. Still curious to see how it'll turn out.

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Quite a bit of it's done but i've been so busy with my kid's i have not much extra time to do anything as of late.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Just finished watching the video. Man I wish I could do this. It was great. Thanks for doing it.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

WOW that was AWESOME :girl:
that was a real treat to watch... :salute:

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Say David, if you are to do another one.

How's about your old 'The Sentinals' story, this time with a feature lengthed fan edit short running, as you've done now with 'Adama Journals' rather than a trailer as it started out as?

Yeah, where is the full Battlestar Millienia fan movie by the way! ;) :nervous: :?:

Heheheh..

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

WOW! These are great! I really enjoyed watching them. I can't wait until you do some more shows like these. I enjoyed the quality of the effects and the dog fights.

Spoiler Even the destruction of the battelstar.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

The Sentinels would be fun to do as well. I think I'll try another Adama Journals first as I have a story I like that should work well for the format. Also going to make a few changes to this one before I send it off to Ernie for the battlestarfanfilms.com site. That way he will have an updated version and not split into two parts. They are just minor updates to a couple scenes but things that are bothering me.

And huge thanks again to everyone giving this thing a watch and letting me know what you think. Really glad you are liking it.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

That is great!!! I really enjoyed that. I'd watch an entire season of that.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

We are liking it David and thank you again very much!

I for one hope you do eventually put out the edits you've envisioned with as much time as you like in the long run of things, and in the high-end graphics artists yourselves desire etc. Maybe one day it'll lead to that thing we've talked about far as bigger BSG projects *wink* ya know! Hope you take all the inspiration from your CGI posters art too, as they've got some very interesting conceptualised ideas in there in abundance.

I promise you, i'll give you a heads up if i find or come across some computer related design programs or hear of anything PC/Mac-wise, that could help you out in the creative process in animation/mesh building & crafting etc, also through any contacts i get in touch with. Cos i know many would kill to see what you'd do with a high-end CGI product that rivals anything on the big or small screen by studios/networks.

Bout time i got involved in something creative, as my desire to do something PC related grows.

All the best DK.

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

I'll look forward to it......please keep me updated.

:salute:

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Made some alterations and I think its set to go. Going to watch through again and see if anything else jumps out at me..

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Made some alterations on things that bothered me and uploaded the updated videos to...

http://www.youtube.com/battlestar1999

They should be the most recent videos there and each are tagged with "UPDATED" in the title. They're not changes to the story, just some visual tweaks. Main change is one conversation between Adama and Tigh where they're now facing each other a bit more while talking.

This should be it for changes, as I want to get a disk together to send off for the battlestarfanfilms.com site. That way it can be posted and shared without being broken into two parts.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Sweet, means those of us who have the first cut now have two versions!

;) :cool:

KJ

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

Dave;

I agree with KJ. You should consider sending this to DeSanto and Singer, or at least sending them a link to view it from. I think they will be equally as impressed as we all are. Could lead to bigger and better things???

I am honored as well for the inclusion in your project. Thank you.

Awsome work Dave. Keep it up.

Folkrm

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

I would love to send this to Larson, DeSanto and/or Singer, if only for sharing the appreciation of the spirit of the original series. There's part of me that would love this to be an on-going web series in some official/approved capacity, but of course that's the pie in the sky ideas (which is dutch apple by the way). But you never know. If anyone has suggestions or contacts of who we could share this with to bring a bit more attention I'd really appreciate it.

And Ray... ever so appreciative that you let me use the battlestar model. Love seeing that thing fly by. For the next one I'm going to change the name plate text I used as it is too small and thick a font. Its different from the one you had (yours was more correct), which I changed as part of the conversion to Cinema 4d. Not sure why I went thicker, guess that's how I always saw it in my mind.

Re: BSG Adama Journals animated fanfilm online
 

David,

I'm late to the party on this one.

This is a remarkable achievement. As you've noted I could make a long list of things I thought should have been done better or differently but I'd also have to make a list of things I thought were quite good. I also recognize that if you were to follow my concepts of how things should be done, this production would likely have never seen the light of day. Yet, you did it and you got got it out the door for everyone to see and enjoy.

To say this is a good effort would be to undercut the compliment that you fully deserve. I've always said that anyone who finishes a fan film ought to be sainted and you have proven yourself to be among the elite of the saints in this case. You've done something quite incredible with this. Its a product I doubt few people could have pulled off no matter how motivated they might have been.

How long did it take you overall. Given that this is a 15+ minute animated film, have you figured out the time it took for each major stage of the development and do you have an idea of how much that time will be cut down now that you have more source material to work with from the start of the next one?

All my best,


Russell