Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

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LeonRegis
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Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by LeonRegis »

Hey folks, we need a animation contest and we already got the thread just need to make the rules, matters and basically it.
So let's go, first we need to put the rules here. Who will open and choose the first animation contest? Will be a free subject or the winner choose it?

Cya
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Karthogen
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by Karthogen »

Sounds interesting

I like open concept for the first one. Or the MMC winner could do both.
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by LeonRegis »

Sounds like a good alternative for the first animation contest Karthogen!

A preview of the rules (Looks like the MMC ones), feel free to modify to try get it better:

Use your own work, no pre-made or free models.
Start a WIP, no limits.
Any 3D or 2D tool can be used, TS, Blender, Vue, etc. Photoshop, Gimp, Movie Maker, etc.
No duration limits on the video
Need to last one month, including 5 days to vote and 1 for the winner do the next.
Always extend (just if needed) from months to months
Give references to softs used to create the animation
Mix reality with virtual is allowed
Post Process allowed
You mustn't post the same animation in two different contest, just if you do a big change in it.

If I forget something just post here.

Special rules that could be added: The winner needs to make a fast explain of how he did the animation, so we can all learn.
Wireframes of principal models in the animation

Cya
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by Steinie »

May I suggest some thoughts for this contest?

Post your entry on you tube.

Start the Challenge with short animations first so more people may
get interested and you wont bore the audience if it is really bad! :lol:
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by noko »

Interesting start for a contest. Some thoughts.

Since this is more towards animations which is a movement of objects choreographed and or morphs why not be able to use premade objects?

For example a turntable animation I could see producing the whole animation, modeling, texturing and animating. Now if animation is a person walking, talking, smiling etc.. or maybe two characters or more the rule would pretty much rule out that scenario. Just making the characters may take up all the time and them some except for some of the simplest cartoon like characters (nothing wrong with that as a note).

I recommend concentrating on the art of animation and not worry so much about the models and textures if all created by same person. How it is done in the real world in most places, modelers do their thing, texture artists theirs and then the animators their thing. Rarely does one do it all in the professional market.

Animations leads more into telling a story which some have a gift in doing but maybe not a gift in doing all the modeling, texturing and then having time yet to make an animation.

My two cents.
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by LeonRegis »

Thanks for the additions Steinie! Just about the second... I think that will be a normal behavior in the first months be simple animations with in the max 5, I think that will appear animations with 10 min just in next year, it's difficulty create a good and long animation.

Thanks
Cya

Edit: Noko, you can use any object created by YOU doesn't matter if you do it in the month of the contest or two years before... Besides maybe you're right, here we want to see your animation skills not modeling... So we need to discuss it!

Many thanks noko
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by DesignDevil »

First: very interesting idea.
noko wrote:I recommend concentrating on the art of animation and not worry so much about the models and textures if all created by same person. How it is done in the real world in most places, modelers do their thing, texture artists theirs and then the animators their thing. Rarely does one do it all in the professional market.

Animations leads more into telling a story which some have a gift in doing but maybe not a gift in doing all the modeling, texturing and then having time yet to make an animation.
I agree with you. It is a animation contest. That means it should be no matter if the model is pretty cool textured and/or the scene has a pretty cool lighning. All these "extras" should be weighted because in my eye's it is a ANIMATION contest so that the main skill is the animation himself. So, i would prefer:

50% animation (technic, realisation)
35% idea, concept, story
15% modeling, light, texturing, sound etc.

If this would be a pure tS contest i would agree with noko it should be allowed to use any (free) model. But if you also allow to use any other software packages like blender etc. i also would prefer to use just the own created and rigged models. Because for tS are no complete rigged models available. For blender as example are a lot. This would be no fairness for the tS users. So the easiest solution woudl be: just use your own stuff.

And one big point (for me the most importend thing). It is a ANIMATION contest. Motion Capturing should not be allowed !!! Except that this is the challange of the contest - could also be a interesting challenge ;)

If i think about such a contest i have the 11 second club in mind. For these challenges a 11 second wave file is given (mostly a cut from a motion picture film). Then you have 1 month to created a animation to this 11 seconds of sound. You also get prerigged characters to create your animations.

Ok, this is a big restriction, and for the tS users maybe a big problem. Especialy facial animation is one of the hardest parts of animation. i have no concrete idea for this.

For the technical aspect i would also give a few rules.

1. The animation should be min. 640x480 px in size
2. The animation should be uploaded to youtube OR should compressed by XVID / MP3 codec

...and for the "right" side: just SFX / Music etc. without copyright is allowed.

ok, this was my part.
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by LeonRegis »

Good points DD, we need to wait more opinions to see if people agree with all those things and maybe add a few ones. The 11 second club could be a special challenge made two times per year or something like that. We need some specialist to define it...
Or we will need to make another thread with a pool to choose some essential parameters.
Cya
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by Karthogen »

I aggree with both sides on that, I do not like the idea of someone being able to rush out and by a 200 dollar model already riged for the contest, but it is about the anamation so a 200 dollar model poorly anamated should lose to a blob of a model anamated perfectly. but, in the real world with everyone voting it would be hard to just judge by animation alone and not be impacted by the modeling, lighting, textures... so I agree with the limits on models, but Some people's portfolio's are bigger than others:)
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Re: Let's Set Up Animation Contest!

Post by noko »

Interesting discussion. As usual with past tS community challenges the winner can set the rules which can vary. So an animation contest for an animated logo scene it would probably be appropriate a 100% modeled by participate and any morphs or animations as well. For a facial animation rules could allow use of premade models and morphs. Just having premade models and morphs does not automatically lead to a flawless facial animation, plus choosing the right model and working the morphs can be a full time month long project in itself. What should be done is that if any premade model or morph was used then it has to be clearly stated and how used for the final vote. BVH or use of motion capture, once again I would recommend it is up to the challenger to allow or not. Motion capture is a tool for animators to use when needed and when it makes good sense to use, other times motion capture will not help or achieve the animation goals. A generic set of rules could be setup which goes into some of these areas, like a list for example shown below maybe included in each contest.
  • Premade/bought models allowed - yes/no
    Motion capture motions - yes/no
    Premade morphs allowed - yes/no
    Animation outside of tS created and rendered yes/no
This I think would allow a great variety of animation types to be relistically be challenged on a monthly or bi-montly period.
So lets get animating :bananacool2:
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