Dynamic Storyboard Generation in an Engine-based Virtual Environment for Video Production

Amateurs working on mini-films and short-form videos usually spend lots of time and effort on the multi-round complicated process of setting and adjusting scenes, plots, and cameras to deliver satisfying video shots. We present Virtual Dynamic Storyboard (VDS) to allow users storyboarding shots in virtual environments, where the filming staff can easily test the settings of shots before the actual filming. VDS runs on a "propose-simulate-discriminate" mode: Given a formatted story script and a camera script as input, it generates several character animation and camera movement proposals following predefined story and cinematic rules to allow an off-the-shelf simulation engine to render videos. To pick up the top-quality dynamic storyboard from the candidates, we equip it with a shot ranking discriminator based on shot quality criteria learned from professional manual-created data. VDS is comprehensively validated via extensive experiments and user studies, demonstrating its efficiency, effectiveness, and great potential in assisting amateur video production.Comment: Project page: https://virtualfilmstudio.github.io

A Comparative Study of Physical Cinematography that Influences Layouts in Animated Production

What makes good cinematography? There are many examples of cinematogra- phy that stand out in the minds of viewers, yet many cant exactly say with certainty why these shots are considered great. Is it because they convey the visual and emo- tional content of their stories successfully, the technical brilliance of the frame, or both? Whether realistic or exaggerated, the range of cinematography tools and tech- niques are proof that creativity and an eye for detail are the most important elements in great cinematography. Cinematography includes composition, movement, lighting, and other visual information within the frame. This is true in both live-action and animated productions. The purpose of this thesis is to study cinematography on a technical and creative level with an emphasis placed on composition and camera movement for animation-related layouts. To this end, techniques from two renowned, traditional cinematographers will be analyzed to figure out why they are effective, and then create a 3D scene within Maya with cinematography inspired by these two artists using 2-3 sets of scenes, cameras and lighting setups. This thesis will also discuss the physical aspects of these techniques, how to achieve them technically in a 3D environment, and what aesthetic purpose they fulfill

A Night in the jungle

The 3D short film A Night In The Jungle is a character animation piece that tells the very simple story of a monkey trying to enjoy a good night\u27s sleep in the deep of the jungle, only to be interrupted by a snoring sloth that falls near him. The project was completed using Autodesk Maya and Adobe Creative Suite. The film is purposely dialogue-free, and has the straightforward goal of entertaining its audience with classic animated physical comedy in the vein of the MGM and Warner shorts from the golden era. Although all of the imagery in the film is computer generated, traditional 2D techniques were used for both storyboards and art direction. One of the project\u27s challenges was creating 3D assets that truly captured the essence of the 2D artwork. A lot of research went into building comprehensive 3D character rigs that allowed the expressive, snappy and exaggerated animation style that was required for the film. During post production, the focus of the rendering and compositing phase was making sure that the final frames had a rich look that differentiated them from standard out-of-the-box Maya renders. The hope was that the final look and feel of the film would help the audience immerse themselves in the story. The following paper describes the creative and technical processes employed in the making of the film. Appendices include concept artwork, storyboards, and Autodesk Maya screen captures

The Prose Storyboard Language: A Tool for Annotating and Directing Movies: (Version 2.0, Revised and Illustrated Edition)

International audienceThe prose storyboard language is a formal language for describing movies shot by shot, where each shot is described with a unique sentence. The language uses a simple syntax and limited vocabulary borrowed from working practices in traditional movie-making and is intended to be readable both by machines and humans. The language has been designed over the last ten years to serve as a high-level user interface for intelligent cinematography and editing systems. In this new paper, we present the latest evolution of the language, and the results of an extensive annotation exercise showing the benefits of the language in the task of annotating the sophisticated cinematography and film editing of classic movies

Cleft Lip

Cleft Lip is a feature film and constitutes practice research located within the field of narrative independent film and world cinema. The film forms part of Knudsen’s ongoing critical and practical exploration of transcendent narrative forms and the impact of technologically inspired independence on the telling of prototypical stories. What happens when fertility becomes a commodity in a fractured society? Oedipus reborn. Sophocles' classic of classics adapted for the 21st Century by Erik Knudsen into a contemporary tragedy about the unravelling of the most fundamental of relationships in society; that between a father, a mother and a child. Cleft Lip is set in the context of a world where donor eggs and sperm are freely traded as increasing numbers of people are having to resort to fertility treatment as a consequence of social changes, individual decisions and biological imperatives

The Reality of Bipolar Disorder: A Dance Film to Bring Awareness to the Misconceptions of Mental Health

For my project, I researched bipolar disorder to create a dance film highlighting the associated symptoms and emotions of hypomanic and depressive episodes. The purpose of this research is to bring awareness to and educate on the reality of these mental health symptoms to reduce mental health stereotypes and stigma. I researched academic texts and peer-reviewed articles about bipolar disorder written from the perspective of those diagnosed with it and used the symptom criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to compose, choreograph, film, and edit my dance film. The completed film showcases what daily life could look and feel like to those with the disorder. The film highlights pedestrian activities and symptomatic behaviors as well as the internal thoughts and emotions expressed through modern dance choreography. This film was presented in two Western Kentucky University Dance Program student choreography shows; Last Chance to Dance and The Dance Project. This dance film will also be uploaded on the internet for public access, creating a research archive and allowing the message to spread beyond its initial release

Advancing Film Through Art & Design: A Study of the Influence that Film and Fine Art Have on the Independent Film Market

The Influence of Graphic Design and Fine Art in Film is a exploration into the impact that an investment of the arts has on film and more specifically the independent film market. Most independent filmmakers have to develop their productions with little to no budget. In doing so they must work to create a marketable film to the best of their ability. There in-lies the issue; they are doing it to the best of “their” ability. The issue that is in focus with the notion of ability is that a major component that is left out of the equation to produce a successful film is the much needed (and much rewarded) investment in the arts. By utilizing such things as concept art, storyboard, image boards, computer graphics and design, you will garner a stronger and more efficient production than that in which get your the closest to your desired results and success