BlenderTexturePaint Tutorial followup (Texture paint with 3ds files)

Hey guys just doing a quick follow up of last week's tutorial. Some people had questions about the model. So I go over briefly how to obtain a 3ds model, set it up, and how to use the 2d paint feature.

TexturePaintv2 from Thien Ngo on Vimeo.

Skin making using Blender's texture paint.

One of the most recent hobbies I picked up over the summer was making skins for a game called "Attack On Titan Tribute Game" by Fenglee.

A Modified Sasha

I'd take the texture map from the source files and edit it in gimp. However if it's your first time working with a texture map it can get a bit confusing. Knowing what goes where, and how the texture warps on the 3d object.

I'm going to teach you how you can directly paint onto the 3d model using a free program called Blender. 

You can use this method to add in preliminary details and refine it later in Gimp or Photoshop. You can use this method for any 3d models you find/create.

Pitching Your Idea

If you're going to shoot a movie, more than likely, you'll need a few hands to help you out and support you. But in order to do that you'll need to sell your idea to them and get them interested. Whether you're pitching to a class, to Indiegogo, or just to your friend; It is important you learn how to pitch.

First off, you don't want to bore them with the details. If you're pitching, think about the bigger picture. Introduce your character, what their goal is, what's the conflict, and how do they go about resolving it. You don't have to give too much away, but you want there to be enough that people get the general idea and get interested in it. Don't start going into details and scenes, keep it short. Most people are usually busy and can lose interest pretty quick, so if you start dragging it out, you might start losing them. Imagine if you went to the movie store, picked up a movie, and on the back it had a long paragraph explaining "this awesome shot where the robot flips the truck over and everyone's like 'aaahhhh'"

A good way to practice is watch other pitch videos. Find which ones you like and try to understand why they work and why the other ones didn't. Ask yourself what about the pitch interested you. Read summaries on IMDB and such. See how they summarize the stories. For good practice, think of a movie you like and try to summarize it up in 3 minutes or less. Compare it to the "official" summary.

Next up is confidence. You need to have just the right amount of it. It's really easy to get carried away with "this really amazing idea" you have that you overlook it's flaws, especially if it's a recent thought. Sit on it for a while, ask other people their opinions, and LISTEN to what they have to say.

Once you've calmed down a bit, grab a timer and practice your pitch. No one wants to hear a stuttering pitch. Know what you want to say and how you want to say it. It will help you with confidence as well if you know your pitch by heart. (record and study your pitch if necessary)

Sell your pitch. I know I said not to be overly enthusiastic with your film, and I still stand by it. It's a careful balance you'll need to have. A good product will sell itself, but you also need to show everyone that you are invested in it, and that you will put all your efforts into it. If don't sell your product, no one's going to buy it.

Finally, be ready for rejection. Not all of your pitches will end well, and there are various factors that go into it. It could just be who you were selling it too doesn't have a particular interest, or might feel like the production is too big. Stay confident in your pitch, listen to the critiques people give, and refine it into a gem. If it's good, then someone will recognize it. Also doesn't hurt to have a little bit of luck on your side so, best of luck everyone!

Go Shoot Movies

The best way to get better at something is to just go out there and do it. Sure you might not have all the equipment nor expertise in the world, but you'll learn. Some creative brilliance can come from constraints. All you need is a camera, a computer, and a few helping friends.

This is a great time for anyone to be a film maker. There are plenty of resources at your disposable. Free yet powerful programs such as Celtx, Blender, or Audacity can help you get started (An article about other great free resources). You also have access to the biggest pool of information ever, the internet. If you have any question in regards to making a film, there's more than likely a couple thousand tutorials out there. And you can find a camera nearly everywhere. Most smartphones these days can shoot in 1080p full HD, that's the same resolution as most of the camera's at my school.

A small short by RocketJump shot on a phone.

Once you have a good idea of what your story is, make a story board. A story board is basically a progressive series of pictures that indicate the shots, camera angles, and actions you will be recording. Think of it as making a comic that you will soon after adapt into film. Story boards can be anything from pictures of dolls, to sketches, to stick figures. Unless you have an insanely good memory, a storyboard is a great tool to help you know what you need to shoot and optimize your time.

Storyboards for short film 'A Pickle'

Once you're ready. Gather up your friends and start shooting. Bring some snacks and water to make sure everyone is fed and happy! Your first movie might not be the best, but that's okay! With each film you work on, you will get better!

(My first film)