Another Contest...From Film?

[Mohawk20]

You do realize they used enormous miniatures (called bigatures because of the size) for all the things you mentioned about LotR...

The Tree, the Towers, the Statues were all real objects. So we would need those to incorporate in our scenes.

[Esgalachoir]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the 'bigatures'  Tremendous amounts of detail!  I dunno, somebody called for ideas, and I did a bit of audible brainstorming.  It'd definitely be quite awesome to see some LOTR successfully recreated in T2, though.  We'd need a very experienced, time-efficient modeler at hand.

[PG]

Well I don't know about the two pointy bits at the top but you could use a power fractal or two restricted to that spot with the painted shader and then use either twist and shear shaders or use the same technique as someone employed with function nodes for procedural hurricanes to get the twisty effect. That way it's 100% TG2

[rcallicotte]

This is not meant to be a party poop sort of statement, but I don't think we'll have as much buy-in, if we do an animation contest right now.  Yeah sure, it would be fun, but I'd bet creating a still scene to rival what we've all seen in some epic film would be a lot of creativity by itself and rendering an animation would take loads more time and work.  Anyway, I'm only interested in a stills contest.

I'd prefer just choosing one scene to keep the contest clear.  With one scene (like Helm's Deep's final battle) various points of view can be created and lots of creativity can still produce a number of different scenarios.  This brings the focus to the same scenario so voting is clearer, in my observation.  What do you think?  DandelO?

The idea for doing an animation is a grand one, but I still think we should wait for TG2's animation tools to be completed beforehand.

Since this would be a TG2 contest, I think we should keep the final render in TG2 only.  This is a fitting goal, seeing this is a TG2 site.  Eh?

[cyphyr]

... I think we should keep the final render in TG2 only...

But TG2 is not meant to be used on its own, no software really is. By allowing other apps we'll all learn something new and important in how to work between softwares and come up with an integrated whole.
I agree that an anim is going to be too time consuming for now although I doubt the anim tool set will change in the near future if at all.
richard

[PG]

Yeah I'd go with what cypher said here. But there'd have to be a line that we could agree on for post processing and models. There's no point in doing it if the entire render is packed to the gills with 3d objects and lens flare but populations and some well chosen buildings could work very well. Especially as it's to compare with renders from movies and TV.

[rcallicotte]

I agree about learning other apps.  Am I being a stickler by saying the render should be done in TG2?  This keeps us within the integrity of TG2...doesn't it?  Otherwise, would it really be a TG2 contest?  Exporting a terrain from TG2 into another app might say more for that app than for TG2.

Or not...?  I'm listening.

[PG]

Well exporting to another app would but importing stuff into TG2 wouldn't.

[dandelO]

You shouldn't postwork any extra objects/items/stuffs/etc's, I agree that the main render should be TG generated but I think that because TG imports objects then it's a legitimate TG aspect of the scene.
I think postwork should be allowed as far as it was in the last contest, no more than say 30%ish and only to improve already existing elements of the original TG render, I say; If you can get it in there and TG can render it, get it in there and render it. How could we possibly create the battle for Helms Deep without a shitillion objects?

Calico: Sounds good. I'll go with whatever we all agree on, be it a set scene or a choice of options. But you're right, fixed is probably best and it wouldn't lack in variety, not with the amount of imagination that's present in this corner of the net.

[rcallicotte]

I just watched LOTR: Two Towers and Saramon's Tower under attack by the Ents is pretty cool.

I'm all for imported objects into TG2.  The renderer in TG2 is superb and, though still in flux, could do a fine job on many possible ideas.  I think any amount of postwork should be allowed, unless we can think of specific types of postwork that would defeat the idea of accomplishments within TG2.  I'm for whatever it takes to duplicate the movie scene(s). 

Let's talk this out and then, if we think we have a consensus on doing this, we could create a poll to vote for one scene for the contest.  We'll need a lot of ideas for scenes, though.  I'll start here.  Oh...and let's make the deadline sometime in January (the 31st?) to allow anyone in school or work to do some work on this during the holidays without taking away family / friends time.  What do you think?

Some ideas -

• LOTR - Gandolf's fall into the deep pit
• LOTR - Destruction of Saramon's Tower
• LOTR - Mordor, after the destruction of The Ring
• LOTR - The Final Battle in Return of the Ring
• Multiple Star War's scenes come to mind
• Underground scenes from the novels of Myst
• Multiple scenes from Harry Potter come to mind

[Mohawk20]

Great ideas.

Don't forget island scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It seems those were made in Vue.

[rcallicotte]

Hey, I'm open to any and all ideas.  I think the battle scene in Return of the King could prove to be too ambitious with all of the possible imports involved.  More ideas, the better.  Feasible ideas would be better.  And then we'll vote.

Anyone out there interested?  We have the usual core.  Surely, some lurkers might be interested.  It's a good opportunity to learn new things and try something you've never tried.  No perfect artisans in the bunch.  Let's have fun.

[PG]

How about the Day After Tomorrow. That's got some cool scenes.

[cyphyr]

Are we trying for an "inspired by" or "copied from" art work? I would think that "copied from" would be considerably harder since the production of decent, relevant models would be difficult to achieve to a reasonable level. There was a thread over at CGTalk about making a model of Minas Tirith, proved very much harder and time consuming than initially expected and a lot of peoples egos got hurt in the process Interpersonal politics eh 
I would go for "inspired by" but have a codicil that it should be obvious which movie and scene the inspiration came form so although not an exact copy it should retain recognisable elements of the original scene.
richard

[rcallicotte]

@Cyphyr - What if we just choose a location from a great scene from a certain movie - choices could be from locations rather than exact scenes?  For example, what if we chose Helm's Deep and then whichever scene we want to emulate we can.  Or maybe we could make up our own scene.  But, I think the location should resemble the scene from the film.  I know this sounds difficult, but I'm persuaded I'll be challenged.  That's what I (and perhaps others) need to learn more about TG2 and graphics in general...and we're a pretty friendly group.  I don't even think I'll place very high (look at the last contest here), but I'll have a blast with it.

Film locations rather than specific scenes...how does that sound?  The possibilities are nearly endless and it could be real fun.

@PG - I agree about that movie.  It had loads of cool shots.