Categories
Advanced and Experimental Serra Term 3

Week 2: VCam Setup

In Week 2, we learned how to set up VCam using our phones to control cameras inside Unreal Engine. The setup was fairly easy—we enabled the Live Link VCam plugin, connected our phones to Unreal, and were able to move the virtual camera just like holding a real one. It felt really intuitive and opened up new possibilities for capturing dynamic shots.

I went home and tried it again on my own, and it worked really well on my network. It made me realise I could definitely use this for my FMP later—I love the idea of acting as the camera person and physically moving through a virtual scene. It’s such a fun and useful tool, especially for creating more natural or cinematic camera movement.

For my artefact project, I’ve now decided I want to sculpt and rig my own character. I’ll use ZBrush for the sculpting and a rigging tool in Maya to create the rig. I’m excited to explore this because I think it will help me understand characters better and give me more control in how I animate. It’s a lot to learn, but it’s a direction I really want to go in, and this project is the perfect opportunity to try.

Categories
Advanced and Experimental Serra Term 3

Week 1: Introduction to Unit

In Week 1, we were introduced to the unit brief for our Advanced and Experimental 3D Computer Animation Techniques project. We have to create an artefact video that feels like an experience—something unique that plays with storytelling, animation, and experimentation. It’s a creative unit, meant to be more exploratory, where we’re encouraged to try new techniques and push our boundaries.

Personally, because I want to go into character animation, I’m planning to explore rigging more deeply. I’d like to create a rig from scratch for my own created character and use this process to support both storytelling and performance in my work. I’m hoping that by learning more about character rigging, I can bring more emotion and realism to my animations, while also improving my technical skills.

In class, we also talked about the concept of “experience” and how important it is when designing a piece. We looked at the different kinds of roles involved—audience, user, character, and avatar—and how they interact with a piece differently. Thinking about this helped me reflect on how to make something that really engages people and feels meaningful or immersive, even if it’s abstract or experimental.