CHARACTERS 

 

 

 PRODUCT SCANNING

TNG Scans Sony's PS4

 RIDES

Nick Tesi

Ending the 2nd quarter, we are doing more in  all areas to make our presence known, and to service the local markets in entertainment. It is a challenge, but a well worth effort to move forward in our business, and to share the skills and technology we have to offer. 

We are always researching new technology and software to keep the quality of our service at the highest level, and to accelerate our pipeline. We do our best to provide a great product to our customers. 

We continue our search for partners who are synergistic to our service. Together we can help our customers save more while using better products. Contact us for more information.

 Visit our website at TNGVisualEffects.com

• TNG Visual Effects: Behind the Scenes 
• Scanning for Facial Expressions
• 5 Ways to Prep for a 3D Scanning Session
• Creating a CG Character 
• New Investment: Shopify 
• 51 Companies that are Changing the Way We Shop
• A New Wave of Technology: Presenting Your Merchandise in 3D
• What Else Can 3D Scanning Support?
• Luma Pictures
• Luma Founder, Payam Shohadai
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters Trailer
• Luma Gives
• Luma Projects
• Luma Feature Films
• Luma Commercials
• SIGGRAPH 2014

Building a Character in Their Best Light

Happy belated 4th of July to all of you. We hope you spent it with lots of family, friends, food(!) and time off. As you can see in the example of our Patriot above, she is still busy getting some of the "barbecue" out of her teeth (we'll giver her the benefit of the doubt). But getting back to the topic at hand, how do you build a character to meet your exact expectations?

During production, we all know how one can run around multitasking like a mad person leaving little time to really focus on the detail. Here are some tips to help keep your projects on track.

Tip #1: When using outside resources, the feedback we often receive from our artists is the lack of art direction from the start, helping them get it right the first time. So our first tip is to really map out what you expect out of the character that will be 3D scanned and/or 3D modeled.

Tip #2: Give details about the clothing, hair, facial detail, props, etc. For instance, if the character is wearing a jacket, does it need to be open, zipped up, buttoned up, partially open, etc.? If you will be scanning the head, will cyber hair be used or will they be wearing a hat, helmet or other device that will cover the hair? Next, how close to the camera will the character need to be for detailed work to the face? Will their whole body need to be in the shot? There is a great deal to consider when 3D scanning characters,especially if they are up close. We will always ask about the topology for the rigger as well to make sure it works for them the way they are used to.

Tip #3: Don't get stuck in the valley of assumption. If there are other specifics you have, be sure to inform your team or outsourced team. The more you express your expectations, the fewer conversations you'll need to have.

Our Patriotic Vampire above had a completely different position and different clothing. She received a new texture map for her outfit and her head received a newly modeled hat. We added the knife and axe from our inventory and repositioned her hands and fingers around them.

Shopping Online: The Craze is Building!

We use our smart phones, tablets, laptops, and computers more and more to shop for our favorite products. As consumers, we are are getting used to the instant gratification we get from shopping online. As a business owner, looking for that edge that will keep you always one step ahead of the curve.

One way to do this is to create cyber products that showcase your merchandise in every color, shape, material, etc. you have available to your customer.

If your product is a watch, for instance, each customer can build out their own creation by choosing the band, color of the face, overall finish, etc. essentially creating a one of a kind treasure.

Taking it one step further, what about creating a cyber body that can morph into specific measurements, letting your customer see in real-time what the article of clothing will look like on them? It is a new world of representing your products where the sky is the limit.

As the evolution of technology pushes us into a more virtual world, our only request is that you shop from the safety of your home, and not while driving your beautiful new car that you customized on your mobile device while you sat in traffic. :)

Highlighting Our Clients

Luma Pictures

We've been immersed in the entertainment industry for many years and have been fortunate enough to work alongside talented studio's such as Luma, Blur, Stargate, Zoic, The Mill,  MPC, Warner Bros., and the list goes on. Today we're highlighting one of our clients that has been a pleasure to work with and who we've extended our services to on a few projects. They have done phenomenal work in the areas of feature film and commercials and are pushing new boundaries every day.

Luma Pictures, founded in 2002 by Payam Shohadai, has been in the business for more than a decade and has worked on over 80 feature films. Proven by their immense portfolio, it seems there is nothing they can't accomplish. With facilities in Santa Monica, CA and Melbourne, AU, Luma has delivered a wide variety of VFX to a broad range of audiences.

We've worked with Luma on projects including Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Underworld: Awakening, and Heart of the Sea, a film still in production. We admire the hard work and dedication Luma puts into their work while also maintaining a work-life balance. "Work Hard, Play Hard" are words they live by, and ones we plan on adopting into our own culture.

Witch from Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Understanding that the world can sometimes be a difficult place to live in, Luma generously gives time and effort to those in need, and in December of 2012 founded Luma Gives, an organization that gives to children and animals that are less fortunate. Since its inception, Luma has raised and donated over $70,000 to different charities around the world from clean water initiatives to animal welfare programs. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Luma Team

Luma is currently in production on Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and has recently completed visual effects for blockbuster hits such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Oz: The Great and Powerful and Iron Man 3. Here is a partial list of the projects  they've worked on over the last 12 years.

Films:

• Guardians of the Galaxy
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier
• Saving Mr. Banks
• Thor: The Dark World
• Prisoners
• Iron Man 3
• Oz: The Great and Powerful
• X-Men: First Class
• Underworld: Awakening
• Full list of feature films

Commercials:

• Nike: Winner Stays
• Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
• T-Mobile: Helicopter
• Acura: Thor
• Ford: Kuga Landscape
• Toyota Tundra: Dependable
• FIAT: 500L Crab
• Full list of commercials