Beauty Approximations

Done with the latest shot ( updated edit ). Started working on a crystal formation setup. Again. This start to look like it will be the most time consuming part of the project. This time I'm opting for a more dynamic solution where particles will fill up a volume and push a liquid at the open borders. The trick will then be to render these so they look like one of the same, getting a smooth transition between fluid and solid.  Liquid test here, shaping a cube.   Lower picture is a test for modeling objects within a liquid simulation, something I'm thinking about as a way to really let the liquid form solid objects. This would reduce a common issue with these effects- that the motion of the transition medium doesn't match the resulting shape. Thus making the effect look like a fancy wipe and not a organic growth. As a note, started to experiment with macro footage. Hopefully that will produce some elements or references. 

Virtually done with 330 (see top image). Starting the following shot which is basically the same thing but with camera lower and further out. From this I also attached a  before/after of the manual resculpting I do to every background model in this segment. Most of my geometry is done procedurally but this is an important step to add a more organic feeling to the scenes (it's done in 'zbrush'). Got a fairly standard approach to these shots now so most of my time is spent on waiting for renders.

Base for next shot, done for now. Big chunk in the middle will start twitch, an edge crumble, let out steam and some goo will start sipping through. So just like the previous shout but a bit further in progression and clearer. 

Had to do some polish. Added more dust, fog collisions, color grading and fog interactive light. Think it's pretty solid now. For the sake of it I also post a still of the previous shot as I see the blogg is missing a final version of it.

Added smoke element. Maybe I need some more dust, but might move on. Anyway,  it's a short one. Also updated the edit . Starting to see I've got some grading issues, might be an area where I should accept my shortcomings and consult an expert. 

Done previzing the next few shots and almost done with the render of the first of them. On the outside of the crystal there's rumbling as the liquid puts pressure from inside. We're seeing a release of energy and the surface and stones and dust falling off. As the destruction and chaos dissipates, the liquid starts forming offshoots that leads away into the void. This first is a realy short shot and is done as soon as I get a white smoke element in there. It's needed to tie it together with the previous. 

Been putting together the previz for the next segment when liquid poors out and starts to draw out branches that will later grow to form the crystals. 2500 frames of 5200. Not sure I will have "story" for the full length though so might do well with editing the song but such a decision should probably wait until I decide on the purpose of the project is. 

As the film got to the outside of the crystals there's been a lot of hesitation on the next step. Think I'm getting closer though, got this simpler solution with this shader and chaotic mesh (in this case, boxes on a sphere). The idea is to create drip shapes from which boxes starting to poke out, gradually forming the crystals. 

Working on a lsystem element that will work as a closeup detail to the bigger crystal growths. I've used wheat references and it's pretty close to those but I think I want the growth to be planar so I can place it on arbitrary surfaces. Starting to work in shorter intervalls and then casually plan and meditate over the next step. I think this works well with my stressed scheduele and the testing phase the project is in.

As the goo will sipp out, I want its movements to be driven by a irregular, kinda creepy force. This is a test for something that will be a underlying skeleton in the goo. I think I'll put some twitching movements in it and then start working on it's surface. This is made by an Lsystem with an animated angle function and gravity force applied in the rules. 

Updated sequence.  Been working on the last shot. Now got a layer extremely close to the camera to help the transition but still needs to work with colours and light effects to sell that part. Will try a moment of overexposing the image as you come outside to mimic a indoor-to-daylight effect.

A composition of the transition shot, we start at the inside of the crystals and end on the outside. One is gritty, the other crisp. The first almost monochrome while the other consist mostly of deep colors. Will experiment with the different layers to get a look that works while at the same time telling the story.