Computer Graphics World

September 2009 32 n n n n Trends & Technologies and rendering scenes as a base layer. But, it is a well-established process in video game development. We've been painting over work-in-progress screenshots for years. So for us, it was a very natural approach." In Motion While Zombie Studios is pioneering new techniques to create traditional comic books, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Sequence Post has been leading the way in transferring static comic-book stories into motion-based experiences with full sound effects and voice acting. Ian Kirby, owner of Sequence Post, ushered in the motion comic evolution back in 2001 with Broken Saints, a 24-part online animated comic. "We've evolved from using Flash anima- tion with simple parallax to now working with [Adobe] After Effects, Apple Shake, Avid Media Composer, and [Maxon] Cin- ema 4D with I Am Legend and Batman Black and White," says Kirby. "We receive flat artwork from the studios and have art- ists cut that up into layers, separating char- acters from backgrounds. An Avid Media Composer is used to make a rough cut and l ock timing so that the artist knows where the beats are in each shot." According to Kirby, the group takes the now-layered art into After Effects or Shake, and starts blocking the scene. Next, the 3D artists are assigned certain jobs, and a mu- sic pass, sound design, and voice pass are added to the rough cut. After a few reviews, the group has a finished project. Sequence Post uses the Avid heavily for all its cutting and daily reviews, and finishes the project with Avid Symphony. After this, the studio hands the client, such as Warner Premiere, an HDCAM SR final version of the mo- tion comic in 1080p. With the advances in technology, Kirby maintains that creating motion comics is b ecoming more 3D while still respecting the original artwork. And this is done, in part, with projection mapping. Kirby's team has two different approaches to pro- jection mapping. First, the crew can start with the original artwork and projection-map the art onto a 3D scene using Cinema 4D, much like films do for matte paintings. By using this pro- cess, the group can keep the art style intact, while adding more depth into the scenes. Alternatively, the team can do quick projec- tion mapping using Photoshop, whereby t he artists use the software's Vanishing Point tool and then transfer to Adobe After Effects to make a crude 3D model. "We're able to take advantage of a variety of software tools for motion comics, includ- ing [Next Limit's] RealFlow," says Kirby. For the second season of Batman Black and White, the studio used RealFlow for the episode "Here Be Monsters," in which the villain shoots a big glass cage full of mon- sters, spewing water everywhere. "Water is the worst thing in the world to animate, so we used the RealFlow water-simulation software that movies have used, to blend with the original artwork in a 3D scene, and then we textured it in a cel-shaded style to match the art," Kirby says. Sequence Post uses a team of eight to 10 people per motion comic project. ey created 20 episodes of Batman Black and White for Warner Premiere. A typical epi- sode can be turned around in one to two months. e company's background is in motion design, and the team currently does a lot of 3D motion work for televi- sion and film, in addition to the burgeon- ing comic-book work. "ere's demand for motion comics because of the lazy reader who has aban- doned the print comic, plus it's easy to watch some motion comic episodes on your iPhone while on the bus on your way to work," says Kirby. "Studios are trying to figure out the best way to capitalize on this new entertainment medium. Motion comics allow studios to take comics that are already out in print and re-do them in a new way and potentially attract a new and different audience." Motion comics are currently available online through mobile platforms such as iPhone, and on Blu-ray disc and DVD. Kirby cautions that the market is currently saturated with "cheesy" motion comics, so it's important for newbies to research what they're going to watch. "It's a very fine line that we walk for the hard-core comic fans," says Kirby. "It's im- portant for us to stay as accurate as possible to the original artwork and not take too much away from it. We try to make the experience as cinematic as possible with ac- tors and scored music, but it's the original story and artwork that remains the center- piece of the experience." Zombie Studios has applied its 3D skills from the video game realm to the world of comics, using the tools and techniques to create compelling properties that span various media.

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