Acquiring and Customizing the Bird Models
The bird models were purchased online, and to give our female bird a distinct identity, I redrew the textures to differentiate her from the male. This customization was a new experience for me, and it added an extra layer of detail to our animation.
The Complexity of Wing Animation
Animating birds was uncharted territory for me, and I quickly discovered that the structure of bird wings is incredibly complex, with numerous controllers to manage. This part of the process was genuinely challenging, and it made me appreciate the skill of animators who work on animal-themed films. The intricacies of movement and the need for lifelike motion are truly impressive.
The Rendering and Compositing Process
When it came to rendering, I faced another set of challenges. Blender’s incompatibility with FBX format animation files forced me to export in Alembic format. However, the ABC format files lose materials and textures, which meant I had to reapply these in Blender, adding to my workload.
After compositing the characters and scenes in Blender, I quickly added props and rendered the current shot. I then exported the render sequence and edited it in Adobe Premiere Pro. It’s worth mentioning that the red thread of Yue Lao was hand-drawn by me, using the software Calliipeg.
The Hand-Drawn Touch: Yue Lao’s Red Thread
The red thread, a significant element in the story of Yue Lao, was hand-drawn by me using Calliipeg. This added a personal and unique touch to our animation, distinguishing it from others and adding a layer of artistry that cannot be achieved with purely digital way.