Enterprise: Season 5 - Animated

[Pheon]

For a long while (pretty much since the show ended as a matter of fact) I’ve being working to produce something to continue the adventures of Captain Archer and his crew. At first I was aiming for a CGI based series, some of the fruits of which have graced these forums in the past, suffice to say after several hard drive crashes most of my efforts were wiped out. I wasn’t really garnering any help either so a few weeks ago I decided to opt for a 2D based cartoon instead.

So here it is the first fruit of labour from the new project I’ve being working on the past few hours. Please note the empty patch is a placeholder for now. Feedback is welcome, hopefully I’ll have something else to show soon.

Here's hoping you know who it's supposed to be .

[uniderth]

Looks, pretty interesting. I'm not a fan of Enterprise but the image looks good.

[Christomad]

It's a brilliant start, and you've really captured Scott Bakula's likeness.

[captainkirk]

I'm not a fan either, but you really captured his anguished expression that he always has. What did you make it in?

[SDGreywolf]

Pheon,
Nice work...It looks like what the people who did the original animated Star Trek series would do today.

[Major Diarrhia]

Wow, it's Archer but TAS, awesome idea.
His bangs looks way off, the best way I can describe his hair is he looks like he has a there, yet not there, imperceptible comb-over. His face really captures his normal expression and major features.
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/415/archerbiovm9.jpg

Are you going to use your picture as a texture for a 2D mesh and animate that way, it would allow for great sets?

[Pheon]

Originally Posted by Christomad

It's a brilliant start, and you've really captured Scott Bakula's likeness.

Yeah, that’s really the trick of efficient animation, looking at what makes the actor’s face recognisable and taking those characteristics onboard. Fortunately, Scott Bakula has such a distinct character to his features it certainly makes the process easier.

Originally Posted by uniderth

Looks, pretty interesting. I'm not a fan of Enterprise but the image looks good.

Thanks a lot, and well here’s hoping you’ll be a fan of my Enterprise.

Originally Posted by captainkirk

I'm not a fan either, but you really captured his anguished expression that he always has. What did you make it in?

Macromedia Fireworks MX

Originally Posted by Major Diarrhia

Wow, it's Archer but TAS, awesome idea.
His bangs looks way off, the best way I can describe his hair is he looks like he has a there, yet not there, imperceptible comb-over. His face really captures his normal expression and major features.
http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/415/archerbiovm9.jpg

The picture you’re referencing is out of date that’s how his hair appeared during Seasons 1 & 2. By Season 3 his hair was shorter without the comb over.

Are you going to use your picture as a texture for a 2D mesh and animate that way, it would allow for great sets?

Umm… I’m not sure exactly what you’re saying here. If you’d care to elaborate I may be willing to implement such a process if I think it will help.

But this is my current thinking.

Practically all of the animation is intended to be done by drawing in 2D then compiling in a program like Flash. I was however going to make the animation process easier by utilizing crude 3D sets to help with the backgrounds, and camera direction. Although the technique will be more crucial in space scenes involving ships specifically, so I can get an idea of the action before getting headfirst into the animation to find something doesn't work after I've already drawn twenty frames that don't work. I’ll probably use this method for some of the more complex scenes as well to save on time.

I did consider just using a 3D program to do all the space scenes, but I don’t think the cell shaders come off terribly well (at least when I try and use them) in MAX, so to keep the general feel of the cartoon linear I have for now opted against this for now.

[Major Diarrhia]

Your right about his hair, he did have somewhat spiky bangs, later on. They seem a bit much in the picture, like a saw, but I guess thinner, more random, ones don't look that good and are harder to animate?
http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/...rcher-2161.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/...divergence.jpg

The method of using what is basically a 2D cut-out in a 3D program is what, I'm pretty sure, the South Park guys use. Originally, they used actual stop motion animation with construction paper, they eventually switched to Silicon Graphics machines. I think it's why motion and depth look unusually good in certain fight or chase scenes in South Park. I think they must use that camera that makes everything have no perspective, so it all looks flat.

If you can't get cell shading right, why not just use flat looking skins?

[Pheon]

Originally Posted by Major Diarrhia

Your right about his hair, he did have somewhat spiky bangs, later on. They seem a bit much in the picture, like a saw, but I guess thinner, more random, ones don't look that good and are harder to animate?
http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/...rcher-2161.jpg
http://images.wikia.com/memoryalpha/...divergence.jpg

It may be surprising, but the hair fringe was probably the single most part I had serious problems with while coming up with the design. The current version you see must be the third or fourth (perhaps even more including the preliminary sketches) design I experimented with. The first version was probably more accurate to the real life hair as you describe, I felt it was ultimately unnecessary for practical reasons mainly, but I never really liked the look much either.

The method of using what is basically a 2D cut-out in a 3D program is what, I'm pretty sure, the South Park guys use. Originally, they used actual stop motion animation with construction paper, they eventually switched to Silicon Graphics machines. I think it's why motion and depth look unusually good in certain fight or chase scenes in South Park. I think they must use that camera that makes everything have no perspective, so it all looks flat.

If you can't get cell shading right, why not just use flat looking skins?

Seems like more trouble than it's worth to be honest. Referencing South Park doesn't make me fall in love with the idea either (no offence if you like the animation in that show).

UPDATE: Here are a few more pics of the Archer design from multiple angles. They were done pretty quickly, but I’m more or less happy with them.

I’m not sure when I’ll have something new after this. I've already completed designs for the rest on the main cast, and I'm working on an 'official' picture featuring all of them. I’m sure how much to show you of the run up work to that, as I would kinda prefer to save revealing the other designs for the final pic. But I’m also working on the design for the Enterprise herself, so I’ll put that up when it’s finished.

[uniderth]

That's really good. A very good likeness.