The Art of

Renaissance

Renaissance

By Samantha Butler, Steven Payne and Llogari Casas Cambra

Contents
Introduction 4

Production
Character Modelling Prop Modelling Environment Modelling UV Layouts Character Textures Prop Textures Environment Textures Character Build-up 37 39 41 45 49 51 53 55

Pre-Production
Influences Character Design Costume Design Colour Design Simon Tist Carl Folic Hang-glider Design Boat Design
Environment Concepts

Final Script Final Storyboard

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10 12 14 18 20 22 24 30 34

Animation
Animation Stills 58

The Art of Science and Religion

The Brief
Art and Science shows the Renaissance era from a metaphorical view. Simon, who represents Science, and Carl, who represents Religion, find themselves stranded together on an island and have to work together to survive.
Created as part of a 15 week narrative focused project for CG Arts and Animation at the University for the Creative Arts. Developed by Harlequin Productions

Introduction

The Story
The studio was set the task of creating an animation that represented the early Renaissance era. We discussed the significant events of the era and begin developing ideas around those events. We decided that the introduction of greater scientific thinking and its challenges with religion was what encompassed the effect the renaissance era had on history. The renaissance saw science take major leaps forward and as such, meant that it began to be more widely excepted. However, this created fiction with the religious powers, such as the Roman Catholic Church, as the scientific discoveries contradicted their religious teachings.
Our animation takes place in a white space island, a blank canvas that represents the blank pages of history before it was written. Our two characters, Simon Tist and Carl Folic, are personifications, one of science and the other of religion. The two boys find themselves stranded on a island. They race each other through the forest and tackle challenges separately until they come to a challenge they have to face together. As they travel through the island they leave a coloured trail behind them. This represents the mark that science and religion have left on history as they pass through it and the challenges represent historical events both have had to overcome in their own way. By showing them working together we aimed to show how each despite their differences the two combined have help shape our modern world into the way it is,

PreProduction

PreProduction
Renaissance architecture and drawings of the Commedia DellArte.

We started off by researching images of the renaissance era. The art, theatre and architecture are so distinct as being from the renaissance that we wanted the animation have clear design influences from these works.
Renaissance Art.

PreProduction

This lead to the decision that our characters should take inspiration from renaissance art but art that was synonymous with either science or religion. We felt that Leonardo da Vinci, with his inventions and scientific theories, would represent science. For religion we chose Michelangelo, painter of the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo
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Influences

Leonardo da Vinci

PreProduction

Our characters are made of the same build up in terms of structure. We thought that this would suggest that the characters are identical except in their beliefs so when they tackle the obstacles before them, how they do it is inspired by their belief.

For the characters face we explored the style of animation we aspired to create. What level of complexity and realism did we want him to have. We decided to go with somewhere between realistic and basic.
In order to create an affectionate bond between the audience and the characters we chose to go in the direction of a cute looking character.
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Character Design

For the body we first had to establish and age. We didnt want our boys to be too young as this would suggest a naivety, but too old and they become an individual with set ideas. A young teenager suggests someone able to hold their own ideas but still young enough to be learning new ones.

After deciding the age we needed to cater the body to the style of animation. Our story involves a lot of action and movement to we exaggerated the limb length and made their hands and feet large so they would seem weighted which would create a nice rhythm when running.
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PreProduction

Our characters would only differ in their costume so the decisions made for the design of their costumes would have to represent the two beliefs.
The research for science focused on renaissance fashion at it would represent new ideas. These designs mostly had poofed sleeves and interesting shapes.

For religion we searched for traditional dress and ceremonial wear as well as the robes of religious figures. This all tended to be apron like and long.

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Costume Design

Sketches of initial costume ideas.

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PreProduction We began testing the theory of the two styled characters by creating a quick concept of how each of these designs might come together.

Sketched style character.

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Character Colour Design

Painted style character.

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PreProduction

Name - Simon Tist Age - 12 Height - 5'2" Nationality - Italian

Biography - His father was a

philosopher and inventor. Since the age of five he's studied under da Vinci as his apprentice learning about the science of invention. He has an outstanding understanding of physics and mathematics.
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Simon Tist

Front

Side

Back

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PreProduction

Name - Carl Age - 12

Folic

5'2" Nationality - Italian

Height Biography - He was raised by monks

in an orphanage. He can recite his favourite passages from the bible by heart and is currently painting a mural in his home town Cathedral.
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Carl Folic

Front

Side

Back

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PreProduction

Da Vincis sketches of a flying machine.

Scale model of the design.

Our story called for two large props, a Hang-glider and a Boat, both of which where to be in the style of da Vinci as it represented scientific innovation. This meant the designs needed to look practical but also have the finesse of a da Vinci invention.
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Hang-Glider Design

The Hang-Glider is a replica of da Vincis design for his flying machine except that the materials that make are all things that could be found in the forest and a look that suggests its been put together using minimal tools.

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PreProduction

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Boat Design

For the boat we went with something more conventional. We took a typical boat shape and adapted it to be in a da Vinci style. The boat has two large floatation logs on either side to allow the boat to float.

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PreProduction

For the Environment we originally where planning to create a realistic setting but with block colour textures. The forest was going to be dense with trees and twisted roots and the sea and river realistically splashing the edges of the banks.

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Environment Concepts

Beach Scene
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PreProduction

Forest Scene
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Environment Concepts

River Scene
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PreProduction

Examples of simple forests

However, as our characters were metaphorical the environment needed to be too which is when we chose to create a simplistic environment of just base shapes and white space, all that would exist would be enough to suggest the setting.

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Environment Concepts

White World

da Vinci World

Michelangelo World 29

PreProduction

Final Script
Logline: Two boys find themselves stranded on a beach and have to work together, in spite of their differences, to survive. Premise: What if two polar-opposites where forced to work together? Step Outline: Step 1: Beach EXT. Two boys lie unconscious on a island beach, alone. Their capsized ship can be seen in the distance. One boy (SIMON) has been raised by a scientist while the other (CARL) was raised in a catholic church. Step 2: They both awake disheveled and find themselves stranded. The boys spot smoke from what appears to be the other side of the island. They figure this must be where the other surviving ships passengers ended up. Step 3: Forest INT. They set off together into the thick forest to make it to the other side. It appears to become a competition between the two as they race through. Step 4: They reach a valley that seems too wide to jump across. SIMON disappears into the forest and returns after having built a hang-glider; he glides across. Step 5: CARL kneels and prays for a moment then stands and leaps across making it safely to the other side. Step 6: They continue again through the thick of the forest, this time they wait and aid each other. Step 7: Lake Bank EXT. As the forest thins they come to a lake bank. The smoke seems to be coming from the other side of the lake. The lake is too wide to swim across. SIMON enters the forest and returns with wood, he has begun to build a boat. CARL fetches some rope and together they build the boat. Step 8: Once completed the boys open the sails of their boat and kneel to pray. Step 9: Wind begins to blow in their favour and carry them to the other side of the lake. The other survivors can be seen on the opposite bank.
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Final Script
FADE IN: WHITE FADE EXT. ISLAND BEACH Day CAMERA: POINTED AT BLEACHED SUN THEN PANS DOWN TO BEACH ANGLE: FACING OUT TO SEA STYLE: 3D SET Silhouettes of two figures can be seen lying on an island beach. In the distance a capsized ship half sunk in the water. ANGLE: FACING ISLAND The figures are two unconscious boys, SIMON, a boy raised on science, wears glasses and has odd gadgets clipped to the belt of his explorer style outfit; he looks like a sketch book drawing by da Vinci. CARL, a boy raised on religion, wears a traditional robe and a crucifix around his neck; he looks like a Michelangelo painting. They roll over and, bumping into one another, they wake up. Slowly they stand. SIMON picks one of his gadgets of the floor, noticing their outlines imprinted in the floor. The outlines are silhouettes of their separate influence on the world; Simons revealing a scientific, Vitruvian-esque world, whilst Carls is more like the religious works of Michelangelo. The boys do not look comfortable with one another. They look out to sea at the sinking ship then towards the island. CARL points to the sky where there is billowing smoke coming from somewhere within the forest that is growing in the centre of the island. This is the camp of the other survivors of the ship wreck; the smoke is a signal for rescue. They look at each other with a look of distain and race into the forest, forcibly pushing past one another.
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PreProduction

INT. FORREST ANGLE: SIDE ON TO ACTION CONTINUSLY. CHARACTERS CENTERED. STYLE: 2.5D, SIDE ON The boys race, side by side, through the forest. The camera moves to show them side on, as the sun passes from east to west above them, indicating that they must make haste, or risk being stranded at night. They jump, dive and roll over the natural obstacles of the forest, leaving a visual trail of their influence on the world behind them. STYLE: ONE SCREEN SHOT FROM ACROSS VALLEY The boys arrive at a large valley. Simon stumbles on the edge, as the rock face crumbles under his foot. Carl grabs Simons collar to stable him. SIMON disappears behind a tree. SHOTS CUT BETWEEN CLOSE UPS of Simon working on various things, branches broken, objects assembled etc, and SHOT FROM ACROSS VALLEY, as Carl patiently sits on a tree stump. Eventually, Simon emerges with a rudimentary flying device. He uses it to reach the other side. On landing, he turns and waits to watch CARL. CARL simply kneels into a praying position; a soft white glow surrounds him. He then stands, taking a run up, and leaps across the valley and lands just about on the other side.

The pair then continues through the forest together this time.
They reach a lake as the forest thins out.
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Final Script

CAMERA: ZOOM IN EXT. LAKE BANK STYLE: 3D SET CAMERA: MOVABLE The boys now stand on the edge of a vast lake. Across the lake they can see the bonfire that is creating the smoke that signaled them there. The lake is much too wide to swim across. SIMON enters the forest and returns with wood. He begins to build a boat at the lake side; again the blueprints, plans and calculation surround him. CARL enters the forest and returns with rope and large leaves. He helps SIMON build the boat. TRANSITION: TIME-LAPSE MONTAGE

The boat is floating in the water and the boys climb aboard. Then release the sails. Carl kneels in a praying position, who then beckons Simon over. Simon kneels behind him, as they both begin to pray.
The wind begins to blow through the forest and picks up the sails blowing them towards the other side of the lake. CAMERA: STARTS FROM IN THE SKY ABOVE THE BOAT THEN FLYS TOWARDS THE BONFIRES BRIGHT FLAME

FADE OUT TO WHITE THE END

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PreProduction

34

Final Storyboard

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Production

Production

At this stage the project could move into production. The studio began work modelling the Characters, Props and Environments in Autodesk Maya 2013 and Autodesk 3DS Max 2013. The characters started out as the same model to ensure they were identical, then they were separated and the clothes were modelled for each. As the model came into 3D life it became apparent that there were certain details about the designs that didnt in this format. The ankles were too thick which made them seem as if theyd fall over so this was altered on the models. Carl
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Character Modelling

Eyes
Hair and Brows

Simon
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Production

The hang-glider was altered from the original design to have an extra limb in the wings to be even closer to da Vincis design.

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Prop Modelling The boat was built with the intention of looking believable as something that would float. The float logs on the side help keep the boat afloat and upright as we imagined the boys would be unable to build a water tight contraption with limited resource.

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Production Here are the finished snapshots of the modelled environments.

Beach Environment
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Environment Modelling

Forest Environment
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Production

Valley Environment
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Environment Modelling

River Environment
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Production

The next task was to layout the UVs in a way that would allow our textures to wrap cleanly and seamlessly around the models.

Simon
Character UV Layouts

Carl

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UV Layouts

Hang-Glider UV

Boat UV
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Production

Sea/ River

Sand

Rocks Forest Floor

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UV Layouts

Trees

River Banks

Tree Tops Valley Floor

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Production With the UVs layout our the models were now ready to receive their textures. In order to achieve a realistic painted and sketched effect we decided the best method would be to print out the UV maps and paint/sketch the textures by hand before scanning them back in, adding additional effect of Adobe Photoshop and placing them on to the models.

Simon

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Character Textures

Carl

For the Sketched textures we altered the grey colour of the pencil to a brown one that mimicked the wore pen in da Vincis notebooks. For the painted effect we sharpened the colour of the paint. After this they were fitted back to the UV maps.
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Production

Hang-Glider Texture

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Prop Textures

Boat Texture
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Production

Forest/ River Bank

Sea/River

Sand
Valley

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Environment Textures

Tree Trunks Rocks

Tree Tops

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Production The next stage was to rig the characters to make them come to life. First the joints are put through the body making a skeleton then these joints are connected to the actual model and told how to control it. These images show the build-up turnarounds of how our characters went from sketch to smoothed model.

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Character Build-up

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Animation

Animation With everything ready we were able to begin animating. Using the storyboard as a guide we started to make our story. First we blocked out the animation and created a pre-visualisation of how the animation would look when completed. It meant we could plan the timing and see what could be added or left out of the final render. Then we could animate our characters in detail. Giving them little individual quirks and making sure they blink at the right time and making sure we create a connect between the two characters that will make it enjoyable for an audience to watch.

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Animation Stills

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Thank-you for watching our animation and reading about how it came to be. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we enjoyed creating them.

Renaissance

For more information on us check out our blogs Samantha Butler sammybutler.blogspot.co.uk/

Steven Payne stevenpayneuca.blogspot.co.uk/ Llogari Casas Cambra llogari.blogspot.co.uk/

harlequin-productions.blogspot.co.uk