If at first you don't succeed, failure may be your style. - Quentin Crisp

Thanks to a few friends I have done some research on style, research and editing. Now, something that could make a bunny cry is the fact that there are very few 3d films which uses artistic complexity in the shape of pen strokes and such, even on the filter level. Luckily I was able to find one which did so, and it is one of my all time favorite 3d shorts. How the design allows for the lack of action and the overall simplicity/well lowing story is just amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi_TQ_cg1e8

Back to what I am doing, now, I am trying to develop a sketch style of 3d. Now, you don't have to jump out of the roof just yet. It is still at a research level, however there are some things which must be highlighted in terms of the research I have made so far. One of them is the fruit, I think there is something here, and that's an achievement in itself. I think the style can work in both a neutral, fast and slow pace. There are however a few difficulties, but none which have stopped me so far. I will mention some of them.

Uncomfortable eye complexities - A sketch style of 3d could, if it was at a feature length movie. Tire the eye down or make it seem dull after some, if not a short period of time. How do one get away from this? Well, the style I am thinking of does not necessarily have pen strokes all over itself, but where there is movement the matter might be different. One way to 'trick' the viewer is to have a highlight which features less of this and which is sure to catch the viewers eye.

Style in terms of cinematography - It might look a bit like a comic if it is stiff. So the trick is to make it very flexible. Not necessarily in terms of camera speed, but in terms of the object placements, camera perspectives and how things play out.

Style in terms of the abstractness itself - Figures would have to be very morphable. I would want to have characters who would change proportions in a way not just necessarily supported by the camera angles itself, but also in terms of the very figures we speak of. Now, it would have to be comfortable to the eye, so that does not mean that characters rapidly grow while on scene, it would have to work hand in hand with perspective. Fool the viewer, but not so much they know they are being fooled.

I have made a short previs, now, I know the last shot in particular is a bit messed up since he would have to be closer, the gun is quite some distance from his arm in that scene though, which is a bit of a warped perspective. I will post the edited and unedited version of the shots. This is a half a day project though. I have seen google mess around with the edited versions of these though, filtering out effects and such. When making this I wanted to check if the slow style would work. Poses, the line of action and so fourth. That was the intent at either rate.

http://img531.imageshack.us/img531/6605/editeduu6.flv

http://img531.imageshack.us/img531/7517/uneditedsmallbh6.flv

Aside from them, I also looked into a bit of perspective. You can find a few examples here.

http://www.3dartist.com/3dao/s/16/daynigh4.gif

http://www.artuproar.com/uploads/skins/previews_m/warpedperspective.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Fpnostalghia2.jpg

http://www.cis.nctu.edu.tw/~whtsai/France%20Tour/New-Summary_of_Trip/Webpages_of_Summary/originalimages/03-30-05-02%20Beautiful%20road%20trees%20in%20perspective%20of%20Champse-Elysees%20Boulevard.jpg