Short Film Production Analysis

Credit list:


Directed by Colin Levy
Produced by Ton Roosendaal
Screenplay by Esther Wouda
Inspired by an original concept by Martin Lodewijk
Art Director David Revoy
Music and Sound by Jan Morgenstern
Sintel Jalina Reijn
Shaman Thom Hoofman
Character Modeling by Angela Guenette
Character Rigging by Nathan Vegdahl
Character Animation by Lee Salvemini, Beorn Leonard, William Reynish, Jeremy Davidson
Enviroment design, lighting, compositing by Soenke maeter, Ben Danssie, Pablo Vazquez, Dolf Veenvliet
Software development, scripting, studio pipeline by Brecht Van Lommel, Campbell Barton


Why i chose this animation?


I chose this animation because I was like the realistic environment and the very realistic style character. I have always like the smooth finish of animation although I am broadening my exploration into more experimental techniques. I also really like the mythical story and the originality of it. I also really like the use of little details that you might not notice, but would notice if there were absent from the scene. The concept and the story is breathtaking and I love the score also. The textures used are also what caught my eye, and I endeavour in my own works to create something so realistic.

What role I would like in the film and why?


The role that I would like in this short film would be Modelling or the Story/Art and Design aspects because that is what I am most interested in. I like being able to explore ideas and be creative and I believe that I would be able to do this to a greater quality in those job roles. 


What skills would I need to acquire this role?


I would need to explore more with creative thinking and would need to learn hard technical skills to be able to produce something of that standard. Here is some research into the top of the market job specification and what skills I would need to get there: 

Modellers

Weta Digital is currently looking for experienced modellers, please note - you must have at least 3 years feature film experience.
The Model department is responsible for the creation of the digital assets across all shows. These tasks include organic models, hard surface models, environments, hi-res models for displacement map extraction, low resolution models for previs or crowd simulation, facial blendshapes, fur and hair.

Qualified candidates must have proven experience in production environments, demonstrating ability with high-end 3D modelling tools to create complex models, and the ability to create accurate models from 2d reference, previs or scan data.

Additional Requirements:
• An impressive reel showing a wide range of organic and hard surface models with clean and efficient topology
• Demonstrate knowledge and experience using Maya in a production environment (please note that due to our pipeline Maya knowledge is considered a must). Additionally, an ability to script in MEL and/or Python is an asset
• Experience with Mudbox for detailing is preferred
• Experience with Cyslice and UVlayout is a plus
• Ability to take direction and work independently while being an effective team player
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Knowledge of Linux desktop and system commands to perform daily tasks comfortably
• Excellent organizational and communication skills

Character Animator:

You'll be working on a few shots of a human character talking to camera, typing, and moving between sitting poses. 

Ability to animate facial movement is a must. 

The 3D model we are working from may need some adjustment. 

Maya expertise required

Must be comfortable with rigging and modeling.

Must provide examples of past work demonstrating a strong understanding of shape, perspective, texture, color, and lighting.

Must be self-motivated and able to excel with minimum supervision

Must have experience with mouth morph target.

What influences were there?

I'm not completely sure on the influences for this animation, but am looking through all of the blogs to see if I can find direct influences I would say that the smoothness is influence from the anime style animations and the main character is similar to the Final Fantasy Characters. This film also reminds me of How to Train a Dragon due to the content, and also DragonHeart because of the story.



Email


Dear Sir, 


I am a student from the UK studying Animation Arts at Plymouth College of Art.  I was given a task to find a short animation, Sintel immediately caught my eye. I think it is an amazing animation with fantastic intricate use of textures and concept. I would be really appreciative to know what the influences were for Sintel. 


I aspire to create such works in the future and the work in Sintel is a great inspiration and I would be grateful if you could send a DVD of the short film for my colleges film archive.    



Yours faithfully,






Kerry Whitehead
(Animation Student)




The making on Sintel
http://www.3dworldmag.com/2011/02/09/the-making-of-sintel/1/


Blog
http://www.sintel.org