ITV April 6th - Page 4 - Simply Maya User Community

# 46 18-04-2008 , 07:10 PM

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NICE ONE DUDE!! Get the VCR out man!!!

"No pressure, no diamonds" Thomas Carlyle

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# 47 09-07-2008 , 10:14 AM

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character design/ Headcases

Originally posted by R@nSiD
So really you were doing a Supervising Character Artists job, whilst being a Character Artist.

Tough break, but at least you learnt a lot and saw the quality of work from others. Get it on your CV and get an entry into IMDB m8

Originally Posted by

Mark Reeve here - Character Designer for Headcases.
I have been intrigued by comments posted here and on other websites by jason edwards regarding his time as a 3D character modeller on the show. I should like to offer some of my own :

1. About halfway through the production i decided that a 3D modeller was needed in the london studio. Up to that point I had been designing the characters in 2D and sending them up to Redvision in Manchester, then correcting them by telephone, scribbling on print outs and sending them back with notes; an exhaustive and frustrating process. What I required was someone I could sit next to and direct. Enter jason.

2. The whole point of this was to be able to realise my drawings as accurately as possible, since these designs were arrived at in close consultation with the writer and originator of the show Henry Naylor, Saurabh Head of ITV comedy and matt Holt ITV producer. Once a character was approved by them in 2D, this was what they wanted to see in 3D.

3.The face- on and profile drawings were scanned into maya and the features modelled directly over them. Sometimes the modellers ( including jason) would get it pretty much right, obviating the need for extensive alterations. usually what would happen is that after the first couple of versions I would have the models sent down the line and then i would sit next to jason and direct the changes by pointing at the screen with a pencil,down to microscopic levels, often 8 hours at a time, sometimes even 2 or 3 days, depending on the complexity of the physiognomy. I'm not a computer artist, but since i was a caricaturist and sculptor on Spitting Image I know what i'm after.

4. At no point was jason a 'character supervisor', not least since that was part of my job.

5. In spite of my credentials as 'a funny guy', one could be forgiven for thinking, reading some of jason's comments, that my
role on Headcases was rather peripheral and inconsequential. While I would not wish to detract from his talents ( he is a wizard modeller and it was a pleasure working with someone who really knows his stuff - as indeed are the Manchester guys), at no time was any artist asked to produce characters autonomously ( leaving aside generic ones ).

6. I hope this resolves any ambiguities or inaccurracies. anyone wishing to see some of the original drawings can visit the itv Headcases website or try https://www.myspace.com/markreeveart

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# 48 09-07-2008 , 12:03 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

Haha Mr Reeve welcome sir!

Hope all is well. I just enjoyed reading your stuff. All true but with
regard and no disrespect to your comments heres my ten pence.

Alot of the guys here are in college and schools so terminology for certain positions in the 3d industry may seem or come across as unclear, in some cases being that there is or are alot of different areas that that deal with just character work alone, ie, character artist. This does not relate to someone with a pencil and paper, but believe it or not an animator, rigger, modeller and texturer.

The design aspect, that would be a character
concept artist or Character designer...step forward yourself

Character Supervisor would be in the technical side, so that most likely would have gone to Graham Fothers in Manchester or even Steph as he was in charge of the VFX side. I certainly wasnt a character supervisor, but in essence for my part I would/should have been a lead Character modeller especially after modelling my own 30 out of 64 main characters and topping that with the corrections we did on the other stuff that were pretty severe, redoing meshes and christ knows what else.

Yes, I was intially employed to correct the models, Ive never denied that, but as Ive stated elsewhere after two weeks I went on to model the characters full from scratch...and again the amount I did was pretty damn high in the 4 months I was there considering how many of us were building them, wasnt it four in the end...? err me a lead character modeller...yeah I think so!

And I honestly was severly p*****d off at the fact that this wasnt recognised at all. that i wont deny!

The funny guy stuff isnt supposed to make you sound peripheral and inconsequential as you put it, its merely a descriptive part of your personality which for me stood out, unless you want me to make you out as something else, the job was made fun, and I certainly wouldnt want to work with a miserable so and so. I think an idiot would have understood that user added image

My colleagues and friends here who know and have worked with me will tell you I love a good laugh in the work place...it lets me out of my being 'dad' shell.

I think you may have read between the lines there. You know where Im coming from. Nobody here would think any less of you either, especially when you work on a TV production etc, you would in fact be a hero so to speak...

anyway I hope that clears that up too.

So are you here to come and join our fabulous community, learn some Maya and download some of the awsome content we have up for grabs.
Pop by the forums and comment on the work around by all means even put some in the 2d section yourself. but watch your language, I moderate a tight ship so I may have to ban you LOL

by the way you need to credit me on the 3d images on your myspace page, the Condo Rice, Sarkosy, Ahmadinejad....

Cheers
Jason....Lead Character Modeller LOL :bandit:

oh and sitting with me for 8hrs a day...I didnt need my hand holding for that long.

PS: get a proper website done, myspace is a waste of your work!

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# 49 09-07-2008 , 03:02 PM

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Sweet. That link you gave wouldn't play the vids saw them on YouTube though. When I saw Madonna bash down that door I just couldn't help cracking up lol.

- Genny
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# 50 09-07-2008 , 08:42 PM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

there is a link to some stuff over on ITVs site I think.

try here https://www.itv.com/Search/?mode=General&q=Headcases

enjoy
Jay

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# 51 10-07-2008 , 09:33 AM

Lead Modeler - Framestore
Join Date: Feb 2003

Location: UK

Posts: 6,287

and just for good measure a quote from another website by myself regarding working with Mark over at redvision....

Ah cheers Wayne but the character design work goes to a real cool guy called Mark Reeve who worked on the original Spitting Image series as a sculptor. I was the only character modeler in the London Studio working with Mark and the others were in Manchester. I did about 30 in all out of 64. I'd say I built 20 from scratch, and the others were 'rebuilds' of models by the other dudes. No disrespect to them but there were days when the models didnt match Marks sketches so they would get handed to me to sort out with Mark telling me the problem areas, sometimes it would take me longer to sort out a head than it would to actually build a whole figure from scratch. Some of the topology was also a bit of a 'no no' in some cases which would actually be the root of the problems, basic edge loop stuff and all that you know. Some of the rebuilds included Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, Gordon Brown, David Miliband, Bono (above) was a total rebuild except the glasses, and a quite a few more that I cant mention until they are aired. It was a fun time doing them though thats for sure. Some of the best people Ive ever worked with in my life...a great experience.

Originally Posted by

if thats not a compliment I dunno what is!

anyway back to the burning the midnight oil....

Jay

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