Author Topic: Space: 1959 - A Lunar Odyssey (Read 72055 times)

tea monster · « **on:** 07/13/2021 10:26 am »

EDIT 22/12/2021: I've put a link to the final film here for those landing here for the first time.

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Way back in the 1950s, Disney did a series of programs on what the future could hold for manned spaceflight. One of these proposed a piloted survey rocket that circumnavigated our satellite, prior to a manned landing. The film detailed the construction and flight of a survey rocket that was adapted from the hull of an orbital shuttle plane. In what could be considered a precursor to Apollo 9 (or more accurately, 13), they do one loop around the moon. Oddly, they decided to do this recon mission when the far side of the Moon was in darkness. Oh well, I suppose it's more dramatic that way.

The dude who designed the proposed system was a guy with a funny accent called von Braun. His name comes up later

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I always wanted a model of the lunar reconnaissance rocket. Being that there isn't a lot of room in a pokey English terraced house, I decided that a digital one was an acceptable substitute. So off I went. I had previously made a bottle suit and a space wheel from the same era. So, at some point, I decided to create a small video to show off some of my work. As is usual for my animation projects, it got out of hand quickly

So currently, the idea is to reconstruct that 1950s Disney video, but with CGI spaceships and slightly less overly dramatic music. My human animation skills are still developing, so most attention will be placed upon the vehicles and locations.

I have a basic version of the animation completed. I'm on my second modelling pass for the vehicles and I'm closing in on being scene-complete for the first version of the film.

Work on the film has been hap-hazzard recently due to work coming in and taking precedence. But it's continuing to progress, if in spurts.

Here are some stills from the production:

laszlo · « **Reply #1 on:** 07/13/2021 11:03 am »

What's your graphics package? it's mind-boggling to think that an individual hobbyist today can now recreate a major studio's work for comparatively next to nothing (hobbyist labor being free). Nice job.

tea monster · « **Reply #2 on:** 07/13/2021 01:11 pm »

Thank you. I use Blender for modelling, animation and rendering. I use the real-time Eevee renderer due to the number of frames. The character faces were sculpted in ZBrush. All texturing is done in Substance Painter and Photoshop.

Yeah, I'm excited at what I can accomplish in my 'studio' with just a computer and some software. It's amazing.

Here is some moving images:

And I recently added this to the pile of models.

daedalus1 · « **Reply #3 on:** 07/13/2021 01:13 pm »

Excellent!

electricdawn · « **Reply #4 on:** 07/13/2021 01:57 pm »

This is awesome! Please continue on your endeavor. I'm really looking forward to this.

libra · « **Reply #5 on:** 07/13/2021 03:27 pm »

I second the post immediately above. I've long been fascinated with people gifted for CGI (something I'm not, unfortunately) re-creating old sci-fi shows.

mike robel · « **Reply #6 on:** 07/19/2021 11:56 am »

Excellent work. I have trouble drawing straight lines, even with a computer program. A graphics program does not make one an artist if one has no talent or training.

tea monster · « **Reply #7 on:** 07/21/2021 07:06 pm »

Thank you all!

Here is a test reel of the first few shots. It's in half-resolution, no sound and there are one or two shot missing, but it's moving images and pretty complete for what it is.

tea monster · « **Reply #8 on:** 08/18/2021 01:21 pm »

We are shot complete - all the shots are in at a near to complete readiness. Just tweaking post-pro effects and animation timings.

I've included a few shots and an Easter egg!

tea monster · « **Reply #9 on:** 09/03/2021 01:07 am »

Still editing shots, re-rendering backdrops, compositing effects and all the tiresome technical BS that occurs between being 96% complete and ready to release.

This is my first real 'film' after doing years of still renders, so I'm learning a lot about compositing, post-process effects and all that cool jazz.

punder · « **Reply #10 on:** 09/03/2021 01:23 am »

Good grief, this is so cool. I’ve been working for years on an accurate CAD model of the Soviet Sukhoi Su-15 interceptor, even going so far as purchasing a lidar scan of a museum example. It’s really difficult stuff. Your work blows mine out of the water. Awesome.

tea monster · « **Reply #11 on:** 09/04/2021 07:38 am »

Thank you! It helps that none of my models were actually built, so I can take a lot of liberties with how they were put together. Also, all of the models in this film are constructed for appearance and not for actual function. To me, doing an accurate CAD model of a real piece of aviation history would be way beyond my current talents. Making anything for film requires a lot of modelling 'by the seat of the pants'.

tea monster · « **Reply #12 on:** 10/23/2021 05:42 pm »

Hello! Glad to report that I have a trailer to show off! We are in post-production and are waiting on a few shots before I release.

Enjoy!

libra · « **Reply #13 on:** 10/24/2021 05:50 pm »

Very nice !

Elvis in Space · « **Reply #14 on:** 10/26/2021 05:15 pm »

Dang, Bubba! Nice job. Wish Walt could see this. Glad I did.

tea monster · « **Reply #15 on:** 12/18/2021 09:19 am »

Last effects shots have arrived and final edits are happening.

Here are some shots of the models used in the production.
The lunar recon rocket, bottle rocket and space station.

tea monster · « **Reply #16 on:** 12/18/2021 09:26 am »

Here are some shots of the compositing and editing, where shots were rendered in different layers and stacked on top of each other with different effects added post-process. This way, I can control the lighting and exposure for each element in a scene. Some effects, such as the attitude jets, were done later in After Effects and then added as layers in the editing process.

Apart from a few shots done in Resolve, all the compositing and editing was done in Blender.

tea monster · « **Reply #17 on:** 12/18/2021 05:09 pm »

Here is the lander, which is seen at the end of the film. Again, modelling all in Blender, texturing in Adobe Photoshop and Painter.

AS_501 · « **Reply #18 on:** 12/18/2021 05:18 pm »

Terrific work Tea Monster! These designs were burned into my 9-year-old brain....well remembered to this day. Von Braun's concepts were so convincing I thought these craft actually existed.

tea monster · « **Reply #19 on:** 12/18/2021 06:09 pm »

Next, the shuttle rocket. This is the ship that the recon rocket has been adapted from.