Glad to be back to work, after more than a year not able to touch this project for multiple reasons, and loosing the handful of freelance animators I had in Oregon. I am now sitting down in front of the computer to finish this project, or I should say asset for the big project (the film). Check it out here.

I will post a couple of videos that did not make it on the last update (over a year ago) ASAP, like, today if possible. But want to finish and rig this vehicle, add the textures and paint the parts. The interior is looking good. One of the animators I hired as freelancer in Oregon took a good direction with the idea of an “all purpose” security vehicle and added some good ideas on seats and benches. The command area is also interesting and no, I did not think of that part. But good place to continue the work.

It speaks volumes to letting the creative minds come out and play. She thought she could not do it and I said, “see you later, let me know when you have something.” And she called me the next day with the edits. See, trust yourselves people. You can do it.

I am proud of the young animators I worked with in Oregon. They landed great opportunities with other animation studios. But of course, it means I need to make contacts here in Indiana now to expand the studio in the future. That is another reason why I am glad to be back at work. To think I can help another couple of animators start their careers in coming months.

In Indiana I have made good contacts in the Architecture and Engineering field for visualizations, but they take for ever to make decisions (I blame the permitting system 🙂 ). No, really, I don’t blame the permits system of Architecture or Engineering. Besides, I do not have anything pending of permitting -I work in visualizations.

Why I am glad to be back to work.

This vehicle was one of the first I tackled back when I was pursuing my Master of Fine Arts degree. It started as a police “swat” type of vehicle and ended up as a security vehicle that can deal with ambulance service and such. This society I created for the film is void of police force. Yes, there is security and authorities, but not like we know it in real world scenarios.

Over the last year I have learned many new techniques that now I can implement on this vehicle to make it more believable. Notice I did not say realistic, that is not the goal of this film. After all, it is a science fiction story. But this is a massive vehicle and it won´t feel believable if I don´t add some realistic features like suspension on the wheels, functions on the parts – like doors that open – and textures.

Because it is a security vehicle and not a “police force” transport, I want to use colors that are not related to the emergencies we see in real life. No, it is not cartoon type but a light trustworthy feeling should be accomplished by the time it is all done. Most of the vehicles in Alatia are automated. A combination of robotic and remote control for their use.

Another part I am looking forward to tackle is the interior. The animator that I had working on it, despite the fact that she just wanted to animate and I put her to model, did an excellent job of thinking outside the box. Now it is my turn to add more details to the interior and rig the parts. That is what makes me glad to be back to work. I get to move this project forward while working for clients on CAD, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and other fields that benefit from 3D modeling and animation.