Evaluation
For my first project in term 2 I was assigned to create an animation using 3ds Max. I was given the task to build a rollercoaster with a set theme; the theme was horror, which was ideal for me because most of the films I have produced so far have been based on the horror genre. I was excited about beginning this project because I have become more interested in the animation side to my multimedia course. I was given 5 weeks to produce my rollercoaster, creating my animation was time consuming in comparison to the animation TV Ident I produced in term 1. I think this is because of the detail that was going into this new project, I believe making an Ident is a lot more simple so to me making this rollercoaster was an interesting challenge which I thoroughly enjoyed.
My idea for the theme of the rollercoaster was to create a dark, gritty atmosphere around the rollercoaster building; I wanted to create something that looked like an abandoned hospital. I was inspired by a recent theatre show I have seen called ‘Ghost Stories’, the show plays with scare tactics using set themes that are known to scare the audience, there were such characters such as delusional mental patients, deformed malnourished humans, evil kid like creatures or monsters and twisted manikins able to move twist and crawl. I wanted to create a similar intensity and impact on my own audience as if they were about to get on this scary ride themselves.
My rollercoaster is aimed at a specific audience, obviously this rollercoaster would not be suitable for younger ages because of the fear it might create problems and affect other people’s experiences on the ride if children were allowed on this particular rollercoaster. My target audience are male and female’s aged 15 and over.
What I enjoyed the most was learning new ways of using 3ds Max, I am eager to increase my skills with the Autodesk programme, so this project was perfect as it allowed me to experiment with different tools , gizmo’s and textures. I learnt how to use textures and materials for objects such as inserting backgrounds onto the objects, for example I added an old brick background on my building to make it look more realistic. I think my modelling skills have improved as I now know that I can also use lines to build something such as a prop, for example at first I didn’t know I could shape something using the line tool then extrude to make it a solid 3d object. I used lines to create the outline for my rollercoaster cart. What I found hardest was my attempt to make the characters I designed, I believe my drawings were too detailed and complicated that were too hard to create in 3ds max because of how new I am to this programme. However I am determined to increase my animation skills and I aim to be able to create detailed and realistic animations in the near future.
