NEIL SCHAFER

Team Leader | Space ship modeling, texturing and rigging | Acting in live action scenes | Outline writing | Truck introduction animation | Animated dialogue (Scene 27) | Helped everyone with understanding the Arnold rendering settings | Lights and HDRI wraps in all scenes that called for them | Learned MassFx and BiFrost to help Seth and Justin with their scenes | Laid out the website for Parker to complete

PARKER LAKE

Working on this project, I was tasked with being the file manager and was in charge of all the live action scenes. Being the file manager was an obvious decision for me because I keep a very organized file structure with anything I am working on. Having to film live action scenes was something I had to step outside my comfort zone for since I had no prior knowledge of filming. Filming included the duties of planning the best camera angles for the shots, giving the actors their lines and providing a location to film. In addition, I was tasked with creating the game board. I first constructed the physical game board from cardboard to give the group an idea of what it will look like. The game board image was created in Adobe Photoshop. Each square was exported as a separate file to then be applied in Autodesk 3ds Max as its own material on the corresponding squares. To give the game board a less two dimensional feel, I animated it to rise and transform to be three dimensional. I also modeled the truck, which was inspired by a Mercedes Benz G63 6X6. It was modeled in Autodesk Inventor and imported to Autodesk 3ds Max where it was rigged and materials were applied. Modeling the complex truck was by far my favorite part of the project.

MATTHEW ENCINIAS

I created the sword game piece model and the iris dome treasure chest model in Fusion 360. I imported them into 3ds Max and gave them materials and lights. I imported the game board model into the room environment in 3ds Max, updated the materials, and added lights and cameras. I imported the plane, boat, spaceship and truck models into 3ds Max, updated their materials, and added lights. I animated the game pieces taking turns moving to their spots on the game board along with the plane landing scene. I was in charge of creating backups of every file and also helped find audio files for the scenes.

JOSE LARA

My main role on the team was to gather the audio clips as well as the sound track that we used for the video. I also got the chance to create my own 3d modeled Bike in inventor, which I later brought into 3ds max and added materials to it. Also we all made an actual 3D printed model of the game pieces that were used for the live action which was cool to see. After finishing the model, I worked in 3ds Max rigging, animating and rendering five different scenes which took quite a while but it was fun to work on over the 18-week semester. Even though at times it was stressful and hard to figure out certain thing, I still had fun working on it and learning new things.

JUSTIN RACHEL

My responsibilities in our final project included all scene and render gathering of animations, using programs such as Adobe Premiere and Adobe After Effects to cut, scrub and enhance the post production side of the video. I also made the room environment, creating it first in elements both from Trimble SketchUp and Revit, then applying materials to it in 3ds Max, giving the room some life. Additionally, I was in charge of creating the Viking longship. I modeled it in about two weeks in Inventor, then rigged, animated and materialized it in 3ds Max. I also created the introductory scene for the ship coming onto the game board using 3ds Max with the bifrost system. I was involved in the production of the live action scenes along with Parker, Danielle, Neil, Pedro and Fernando. Finally, I made a physical 3D game piece version of the ship that was printed out on our 3D printer and used in the live action scenes.

PEDRO MORALES

For the final project that my classmates and I had the opportunity to work on, I made the safe using Inventor and 3ds Max. I was in charge of the materials and animation of it as well. I also created a model of a spider for 3d print with the help of my fellow classmate Neil. In addition, I was in charge of many scenes such as (7,12,17,19,21 and 36). All of these scenes were dialog animation that required some type of movement from pieces that my classmates worked on such as the Truck by Parker, Spaceship by Neil, Boat by Justin, Spider by Gary (animated by me) and Plane by Matthew. I also worked on fixing the turn table since there were some issues with it, but thankfully I was able to render out our final video. I participated in the clips that required live action that were shot at Parkers house. The introduction of the safe with the spider was also part of my work.

FERNANDO MORALES

In Level Up I participated by first creating my own game piece. I created a submarine which you will see in the scene with the turn table. I modeled the submarine, then imported it into 3ds Max where I gave it the materials needed and the animation of the torpedo. My second task on the project was the note taker. Every Thursday Gary and the students would discuss problems and solutions together and as the note taker, I was in charge of typing the important topics and shared the word file with everyone. In addition, I took several pictures of the white board that had important information that we had discussed and then uploaded the pictures in the share folder for everyone to see. During the final project, I was in charge of scenes (14, 24, 29, and 34). For scene 14, I created the animation of the truck doing a burnout. Although It was difficult, I was successful enough to do my first burnout on 3ds Max. For Scene 24, I created the animation of the truck where Danielle was asking a question. For Scene 29, I created the animation of the truck and also the Viking boat. For the last scene, I made the animation of the truck and the plane. Making the scenes required not only the animation of the pieces, but also their own camera and rendering them. I was in charge of doing my own camera on 3ds Max, capturing the game pieces moving, and also rendering the scenes my own. During the live action, I participated as one of the characters from the game pieces in real life.

DANIELLE JALOTJOT

In Level Up, I modeled the mint green teapot displayed in the beginning of the turntable scene, drew the storyboards, modeled and animated the Rube Goldberg sequence, and designed the poster. The teapot, otherwise known as the Utah teapot, is known as the standard reference within 3d modeling and as an easter egg in the computer graphics world. The storyboards required a lot of sketching for the general outline of the production, scene by scene. The Rube Goldberg sequence, consisting of three smaller scenes, took many hours to create the distortion of the truck, fade in and out both the red ball and truck, and smoothly animate the ball through the Rube Goldberg machine itself. Lastly, and my favorite contribution to this project, is the traditional movie-like poster presenting the 3D game board in a mysterious, almost eerie, light.

SEPEHR NAYERI

For the Project Level up, I had the task of creating the Gantt chart, 3d models such as the Train that I made in Autodesk Fusion 360 and later imported into Autodesk Inventor and 3ds Max. In addition, I modeled a train tunnel using Autodesk Inventor but unfortunately it was not used in the final video. Also I was in charge of rigging and animating the dice rolls, the falling rocks that destroyed the truck and the machine vise crushing the Viking ship. In order to complete those tasks, I had to do extensive research.

SAMUEL TORRES

In this project I was assigned to the creation of an air plane. I started by using AutoCAD to model a plane that I was able to use in Inventor for the 3D printing of the physical part. In Inventor, I created several custom parts for the plane such as the plane path, propeller, parts of the cockpit, gas gauge and seat cushions. For the landing path, I created a model using Inventor. I then added the lights as well as light bases in 3ds Max. I created the air plane take off, landing and crash animation as well as the renders for each. Furthermore, I used After Effects to create the animation for the plane crash explosion. We also used one of my previous projects, the V12 engine, that I designed in Inventor.