my showreel: what would i improve?

with my showreel i wish i had the time to polish off a few things in my environment the most disappointing factor was trying to make the robot that went in my environment i never allocated myself enough time to properly model my robots so that they appeared more damaged and worn and torn.

all in all im pleased with my environment on the whole considering how far i've come in the last 3 years, im aware i may not be the best artist but i tend to take the long way round on things but eventually i will reach my goal regardless of the outcome. This is something i plan to show in any representative interviews i may get for studios.

specialism in weapon modelling

when it comes to modelling weapons i've found that its good to have a strong stance on hard surface modelling when it comes to development aswell as realtime rendering seeing as the weapon will be seen close up its good to show as much detail as possible and really get in to see any relative engravings that might be applicable to the weapon.

the other thought would be to develop my skills in zbrush mainly because i would also like to touch on fantasy based weapons like swords, axes etc. this would mean detailed engraving and texture development which in my mind can only be done through zbrush or mudbox or any kind of 3D sculpting package

sources of learning and practice

in terms of my sources of learning and practice i consult many websites but my main source would probably be 3D motive mainly because in my opinion they are the best at teaching in a wide variety in software and even down to the basics such as UV mapping even though this is considered a basic skill i still think its good to recap some of the basics because their can always be something to miss even if its just the simplest of things.

other sources include eat3D and CG tutor both of these websites and their forums have extremely helpful tips and tricks


https://www.3dmotive.com/

http://eat3d.com/

http://www.digitaltutors.com/11/index.php

choice of technology

in my portfolio i will be demonstrating the use of basic 3D software packages which are autodesk maya and 3ds max both of which i hae experience with aswell as using other software like photoshop but the biggest choice of software i will be stressing is my use of different engines of which i do spend my spare time exploring but only on a basic level this includes the next gen engines such as UE4 and cryengine.

Others would include unity, udk and brief exploration of the havoc engine, i want to try and be as versatile as i can with my software used so that any potential employer will see that im open to learning new things

showreel process

the process of my showreel will consist of two camera angles seeing as my environment is a very small space but there will be a lot to see within those camera angles because they are rather extstensive.

the camera will start with the same position as to where the viewpoint is set within the concept idea, the camera will then pan around the front of the environment getting a close up of where the robots will go aswell as some other props, the camera will then go round in a circle viewing the circumference of the bottom part of the level.

the second camera will start on the upper level of the enironment panning around the walkway giving the oppurtunity to see the lower level from a different perspective.

the general narrative of my camera work is to give off the impression that the person is walking around the level as oppose to just the camera gliding around the level.

a3d module

as per my a3d module im in the middle of making an environment based off a concept in my case my concept is from metal gear rising reveangence, as a part of my environment we have to have some form of dynamic effect so that the environment isnt static and dead so i decided to make an industrial sized fan in order to blend in with the environments rustic aesthetic

the fan only has a basic animation to it with the fan blades rotating one way then the other indicationg they are malfunctioning

being that i have never touched animation in udk before this was probably one of my biggest challenges the animation itself was done in maya but it was just the matter of bringing it into udk and setting it up in unreal matinee and cueing it to play in time with the camera sequencing

eventually i managed to solve the issue and the effect plays out very well in the showreel

previous module success

in the last semester at the end of our game development module our teams game splash dash had a rather positive reception of which im pleased about so much so that andrew gahan had developed some interest in it and given his success this in my mind is a good thing because it means i can develop connections in the industry and in my mind this is just as important as a good portfolio

heres a trailer of our game that we made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsn5B4o_ALY