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Christopher Bancroft
Art Director
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VR & Gaming Animation
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Work from virtual reality and gaming projects
0:04-0:13
Pearl
Animator
This project was my exciting introduction to virtual reality. It was a small team of animators and technical artists partnering with Google engineers. Everything was rendered real-time using a viewer’s phone.
0:13-0:23
Pearl
Animator
Viewers are locked in position but able to look in any direction. For animation, this meant that details such as the feet on the pedals and physical interactions had to be fully fleshed out. Common ‘keep alive’ animation tricks weren’t enough.
0:23-0:31
Pearl
Animator
In addition to the primary story, each character’s performance had to engage the viewer and remain consistent. Most shots had 4-7 characters and all of the animation was key-framed, which made for complex shots.
0:31-0:37
Pearl
Animator
For this skinny dipping shot, I faked the actions as best as possible since the characters weren’t created without clothes. Clothing and rig variations were added to the CBB list but ultimately there wasn’t enough time. My rough sock and shirt model made it through to the final product. The lighting really helps and most viewers never questioned it
0:37-0:42
Pearl
Animator
This shot required a lot of constraints and physical interaction but really helps build up the energy in the story.
0:42-0:46
Pearl
Animator
View the full short here: https://youtu.be/WqCH4DNQBUA
0:46-0:47
This game was created for the the initial release of the HP Sprout, an unique dual-display touch screen system. My small team developed the game while the hardware and software was still being finalized, which made for an exciting and challenging process.
0:49-0:55
This animation would engage when the player move the characters from their default to a custom position. It helped add playful interactivity to an otherwise generic action and also disguised any latency issues with the rendering between the dual displays.
0:55-0:59
From the placement cycle, the character would drop into their new position and transition to a different emotional state cycle. Each character had 3 emotional states which would combine to create multiple stories.
0:59-1:08
Players are able to choose different backgrounds and characters, then their mood such as happy or angry, and compose the elements in the scene. The characters act out a short scene and players can share their creations online.
1:08-1:18
Each character had 3 emotional states which would combine to create multiple stories. For example, Astrid’s states were confident, angry, and sassy and Toothless’ were playful, bored, and alert.
1:31-1:38
I personally pitched over 100 story ideas for all of the characters. The team would brainstorm, iterate, and move forward on the best options. We focused on the clearest ideas with the least technical hurdles (props and effects were slated for version 2).
1:38-1:48
We focused on the clearest ideas with the least technical hurdles. The characters had a proximity limit and geometry penetrations had to be closely managed. Props and effects were slated for version 2.
1:48-1:54
In addition to animation, I defined priorities, developed feature plans/timelines and communicated vision to greater team. As the project grew, I actively recruited and onboarded new team members, ensuring quick ramp-up and immediate impact.
1:54-1:57
Some user created examples can be found at:
http://create.dreamworks.com/story-producer
1:59-2:03
I was fortunate to be an inaugural team member of VR startup Baobab’s first short film “Invasion!”, which was featured at the Sundance and Tribeca film festivals.
2:03-2:10
As my first experience in a true startup culture, this was one of the more challenging projects I’ve worked on.
The rigs were being developed until about the second to last week of animation. By defining priorities and establishing best practices, I strived to limit the impact on the animation team and schedule.
2:10-2:15
Due to the length of the short it had to be broken up into smaller sequences to distribute the workload. I streamlined the animation process so the separate pieces blended perfectly.
2:15-2:20
The story ideas changed multiple times as the director sought the most entertaining gags.
Originally, the bunny performed a series of feints and jukes while the aliens attempted to block. They were led onto crack in the ice which then collapsed. Viewer testing showed that the idea wasn’t communicating clearly.
2:22-2:30
Trying to show the bunny’s intention without seeing the face and setting up the gag about a minute before were too big of hurdles to overcome. I pitched this simplified idea as a more visual and immediate gag.
2:33-2:34
I also developed story ideas that continue exploring the aliens’ world while maximizing the unique capabilities of the VR medium.
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