Hi
Here is what I've done so far about the Yoop Castle.

I wasn't sure about where I'm going with this castle ... so it's time for comments and critiques
I'm posting a picture and the project files , if someone wish to add things or want to go further in the modeling go ahead... take the files.

Maybe I'm totaly out of the track with this design so... lets discuss it

I've made a tree, not completed NB:I pose it in skeletal mode by moving bones with manipulators and the ctrl key ...to move geo at the same time.

I'll work on the Yoop kitchen proxy... it'd be better use at this time.

Thanks
Al

Well, it's looking good so far.

I don't know what exact shape the castle should have, but I feel it should reflect Mrs Yoops character. So, that would be large, sprawling, forboding, badly kept? Then again, if it's so forboding, would our friends dare to go into it?
Maybe the dombed roof isn't angular enough to make the castle seem forboding?

Only questions Bob can answer I guess.

PS Another point....maybe the door is too large (and welcoming?)? It needs to open and close quickly so that the group can't escape when Mrs Yoop goes outside.
If not, I feel making the door smaller will make the castle seem even larger.

The size of the door worries me. Is this a castle for Mrs Yoop or just a bungalow? Scale seems wrong - is it tardis like (from Dr Who) - bigger inside than it appears from the outside?

Cheers

Shouldn't the battlements go all the way around the top of the castle walls?

Really nice job, I like it. Loos like you spend some quality time on that.

The castle itself reminds my slightly of ancient middle eastern castles. The dome suggests a mosque-like design. In the current international mood, I think it might be a bit unwise to link an Islamic architectural style to the movie's "bad guy", even if inadvertently and innocently. Other than that, I like the building so far. Maybe a more angular dome might help.

I agree with comments about the door - it looks very large for the size of building. A door big enough to let in an army is a bit pointless if the building isn't big enough to hold an army. Changing the scale of the door might be a bit tricky - it'll bring its top way down below the line of the windows, which would look odd. Maybe some step, or a ramp could help. Ever considered a moat and drawbridge?

I must admit, my first impression of the castle (from reading the script) was of towers upon towers - not quite fairy tale, not quite mediaeval Scottish stronghold. Your design suggest to me a more dusty environment than the rolling, lush countryside I consider Oz to be. But who am I to complain? This is still an excellent start.

I know this movie isn't a strict interpretation of the book, but for what it's worth, here's the book's description of the castle:


I've always envisioned it as looking square and monolithic, a bit like the Nazi architecture of Albert Speer.

Well,
I've based my work on the design of the animatics ... but there's not much draw of it so...
I think more sketches would be necessary to build such big model.
IMO, bigger the model , more details and design is needed to avoid dissipate in all direction.

The details are not completed on each side and on every building...I'm still not fix about lot of things so it was a kind of basic model.
I think like you about the door and it size ... also the reinforcements plank on the door don't help
It would be better with something else ? iron plate or ?


Al

PS : of course it should be a forest all around ...

Let's stop and think for a second about whether there should be battlements along the tops of the walls. Consider what the function of battlements is: they're not decorative, they're supposed to provide cover for archers on the roof. So there would need to be a walkway behind the battlements for the archers to stand on, and a door in the top floor that would allow access to that walkway.

But there's one more thing: everything in the castle is supposed to be made for Mrs. Yoop-sized giants, and so you have to wonder, would Mr. and Mrs. Yoop have wanted to use an army of regular-sized people to defend their castle? Or if the castle were attacked, would they shrink themselves to become smaller targets? If you assume they didn't, then to provide adequate cover, the height from the walkway to the top of each merlon on the battlements would have to be the same as Mrs. Yoop's height or a bit more.

Alain, just for inspiration you might want to look at a couple of very rough scribbles that I did for Yoop Castle some time ago. They are the first two images HERE.

I Love this Alain I just saw it .I never worry about world situations or politics its omnious and strange.Nice job
BobT

Here is yoop castle2 proxy

NB: The castle should scale up to 200% to fit with scarecrow size.
I haven't do it for now cause I didn't want to resize my camera and lignting setup.

There is 3 cameras that show 3 scenes in the animatic...they can be split in 3 choreo further.

Thanks
Al

Great stuff you're doing. I'm already getting a feel for the story. In pic three, the scarecrow is standing in front of the castle gate and the scale looks pretty good to me. When you mention that the castle needs to be scaled 200%, does that mean the castle will be even bigger in relation to the scarecrow in pic three? Just wondering.

No, In fact in the proxy choreo , the scarcrow has been scaled down to 50%.
Yoop castle mesh should be scaled up to 200 % so character will be ok at 100% in choreo.

I've put some bones in the proxy model , element like trees and building can be move and adjusted.

Thanks
Al

Wow! That looks fantastic, Alain! I even like the lollipop trees! If these others become too much trouble it's good to know that moon trees fit in Oz. ;-)

Looking great Alain! Lovely lighting too. Can't wait till all the guys are rigged and we can put them in there.

Magnificent Alain
BobT

Alain, I made a "Distant Haze model" and put it into your set. I think it came out OK. It's just a circular set of patches with a transparent alpha map on it. It can be put into any set and scaled to taste.

Hey. Upload that thing!

Here it is. The transition to the background at the top isn't as smooth as I'd like. But it all seems to be set up right as far as I can see.

Thanks Ken. That'll come in handy.

Here the latest Yoop outside castel thread...

Al

...first render of the yoop castle final set

...that leaf texture is cool cause it create a small darker outline who add a nice touch.
...come from Mark tree

Al

Very nice. The leaves could use abit of bow perhaps. They seem very ridgid. My eye is caught by the path near the end where there's a wobble in it. Either there's going to be an obstacle there or the path maker had abit too much to drink.

Looking good!

Although the trees next to the path don't have quite the same appeal as Mark's

Thanks for the update Alain. The castle looks great. Will you be working on the landscape more?

It's just a start...lot to add
I'll post more soon

Al

a new update...

still a lot remain to do

Al

I like the added little bushes or grass spots that borders the path. This is looking cool. Nice touch. I think the castle still needs some more details on its surface.

A:MPaint comes out today. Give it a spin on this baby.

Hmm... as it'll be a movie for the big screen don't we have to model the leaves? They look very flat and texture like (which works for the background trees).

Hi
this render is bigger than the camera size...
the leafs and tree in front will be in the cut , maybe blur by the focal lenght ?.

Since a couple of scene happen in that set, I have to fit different texture resolution in different spot like nearby the front door...under the tree upper the trail etc.
also I try populate the set only where it's really needed ...

At this time :
-special map used for the hair plant and tree and not final, I would edit them into photoshop further.

-I will add more forest etc...I want to have tree with just a few leafs in as we approach the castle...kind of semi-desert.

- I would modify the castle so it fit better with Ken inside stuff...a part collapsed wall.more detail around window and roof.

-improving the light setup and effect to get more scary/strange mood



Where can I get this A:M paint ?

Thanks for feedback
Al

I like that idea, very much - very appropriate for that self absorbed Mrs. Yoop.

This would be a nice abrupt change in scenery from the lush woods & forest seen so far - desolate, neglected, bad taste landscaping, ill formed unloved plants.

Sparse, weeds - a waste land - quicksand - la Brea tarpits, bones, skeletons? bubbling toxic ooze, discarded tires - lots of quirky possibilities for ugly landscaping acoutrements

Or cactus - prickley type plants with very foreboding thorns - in fantastical shapes.

Or better yet, imagine Vern's yard that his neighbors were complaining about (I am so cheeky)

Vern's yard war
grrreat!



Al

Something that just occurred to me - is that there should probably be something in the scene that serves as some enticement for them to WANT to go to the castle thru this foreboding VernScape.

Like maybe a sign "FREE Eats served everyday" - maybe not that - but something like that..

I can't remember what's in the script that would describe the motivating factor for going to Yoops place.

On first seeing the image, I thought...."It looks like alot of it has been "drag 'n dropped" in there". I just know you can do better! And I'll leave it up to you to figure out what needs to be done. But as a WIP it shows alot of promise.

Hi ,
Here my latest update of the Yoop castle outside.


-a neon vacancy sign,so the guys would have a reason to go there !
-the building has been re-build from the ground
-a new door
-new landscape
-mountain ring
-new texture everywhere
-a hair tree and a hair branch in the foreground (camera 1)
(tree and branch are directly drop into choreo)
-hair plants are growing on the castle walls
-a layer is used for the moon
-light and camera(3) setup in the choreo
-an dessing action
-forest and other hair plants models are availbale in the project (folder)but not used for this render.
they can be used as necessary.
-I've put a volumetric spot falling on the castle roofdome but it doesn't work ??
-I've uploaded all the files to SVN.

Maybe someone else would like to add and improve this setup... Fab ? Yves ?
it would be good to have other's touch on it too...

Thanks
Al

Now that's more like it! I'm not sure about the bright lights though. Just the moon should do it.....maybe there could be torch lights in the windows. My understanding of the reason for going in to Yoop Castle is because it's a stormy night and they're getting out of it.

PS Perhaps some stars/clouds would add some depth to the background. I have a cloud scene (I think it's on the svn.)
http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23109

That looks pretty good, Alain. Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Woot are stopping for the night at Yoop Castle because of eerie surroundings then they hear scary noises. Plus, it's evening and Woot's hungry.

Ken I can't get this movie..don't have the right plugin....do you have another version ?

Thanks
Al

I'm having problems with the project at the moment, so I can't. Sorry.

I love it Al! - the sign is great - very funny!

Castle & landscape - also terrific.

I think it has just the right mix of eerie & fun.

Makes me smile! Maybe cause I'm wicked?

Alain...I got it fixed and am now rendering. I was having problems getting the images to save with the models. (I think it was because they were on the desktop as when I put them in a folder it worked.)
Anyway, I'll post the new movie as soon as it's rendered.

Ok Thanks Ken, I'll add it in a sky layer.

About the neon sign...I got this idea in a flash so I've added it right away. I found it funny .
... maybe with an electric buzz sound , some flashing and a couple of bugs turning around.?

...You know , once the characters are inside the castle the "no vacancy" would light up ?
It would be a trick used by the Yoop to fool stranger and catch them...


Al

Definitely good ideas & definitely more fun!

Well, if we do use that idea.....anything but neon.

I think neon is the whole gag Ken.
It does pull you out of the storyline a bit but if there are similar moments in the movie, such as in Ku Klip's Workshop with the occasional out of Oz technology in it it might work.

Very good gag. Not sure how well it fits myself.
It might be one of those things to earmark for possible inclusion/addition?
The decision would have to be made about how much Kansas will be seen in Oz.

If the feel of 'Shrek' humor is a goal... the neon would fit perfectly.
I tend toward the serious adventure myself.
Glad we got funny gag people working on this movie.

I love the idea of neon - it's so funny - it helps make the setting timeless, adds more humor with creative anachronism.

It's in this sort of situation a Director would come in very handy. In an early 1900-esque world neon doesn't sit right IMO. If we're going down that road, why did we lose the rabbit that tags along with Woot?

HAH! Very funny!

The mood is nicely set by the moon and droopy trees. When the "guys" are on this set it will need to be lighter than your render, just FYI.

The castle set is getting a lot of character. I'm looking forward to seeing your next update.

...and what about that kind of landscape ?

I use layer mount...
layer moon
a spotlight is aiming to the mountain at the back
Also a fog image


thoughts: layer image are faster than a real landscape...that's for sure


Al

looks great to me - really great

Only thing about the layer for the mountains - just a bit too crisp - especially at the edge - perhaps a depth of field would help - or an actual blurring of the image or a "graduated" alpha

I LOVE IT