:rolleyes: How could they be able to do that??? :confused:


About live-action video, I think it should be ok if it is used in conjuction with 3D, to a certian degree.

Example: If the foreground is composed mostly of live-action people, and the background is all CGI that is comparable to FF and SW, then I would have to say that, in my opinion, it can be considered animated.

Even better, having live-action people in contact (I know there is a better way of saying that but I can't think of it right now) with CGI caricters.

Example: The scene in Episode II when OB1 is hugging Dex.

This thread is turning into a "let's bash 967 for winning" sour grapes fest.
Let's all back up for a minute and think about how to air our grievances without attacking a team that did nothing wrong than submit in a work. Just becuase it doesn't meet your standards does not give everyone licsence to beat on these kids.
Let's remember gracious porfessionalism please.

I Agree with ED. There is no reason to insult anyone. As long as my previous post was, I tried my best to not insult anyone. I hope I succeeded, please have the same cutesy- As we can all find issues with each of our animations. I know we have issues because we ran out of time and couldn't re-render the final changes we actually made. Show me any animation and I can tell you how to improve it. So no stone throwing.

Thanks ED and all!

I tried editing my other post, but it wouldn't let me attach.

I agree with you <EDIT>On both of your posts</EDIT> totaly, stevek. The only major problem is the camera angles.

I have attached a pic of two of our team members where the background has been removed and replaced by a CGI background.

<EDIT>

I hope I didn't offend anybody with my posts.

</EDIT>

Well....
 

Thanks for the narrating comment, the narrator by the way is the man from the jeep commercials, he did it for FREE. As for not being worthy our vid crew was amazed we won because of the lack of animation, but as I pointed out to them the idea was solid, narrating was good and the maybe the 10 sec of video was very high quality compared to others. The chain on the robot and the tubs were hard from what I've heard. And like it said, Expect the Un-expected, how often do you see complete animation in any kind of serious video? Autodesk in my opinion is one little tool in many. For example the video and sound that was in the video came from tons of hours and hard work. I think the award has risen the bar, now teams must think of things like cinematography, live video, GOOD narrating, etc. Not just 30 sec. of animation that looks cool. Any way that is one of my points of view. I'm still kind of shocked we won it too!

6.3 Scoring Criteria
Content Communication (40pts) - Distinction in the use of design and animation to illustrate
and communicate a specific aspect of what FIRST means to your team.
Entries are measured in terms of how well your team clearly and accurately articulates that
aspect of FIRST.
Drawing from your team members, your school and corporate partnership, your community
involvement, and/or your robot: Illustrate and communicate a specific aspect of what FIRST
means to your team. Using graphic imagery and animation developed with 3ds max™ (as well as
other Autodesk products if you wish), create an informative and clearly focused 30 second spot
about a particularly appealing or effective aspect of FIRST. You must include a statement in
your animation as to what “appealing aspect of FIRST” you are trying to communicate. Think of
what you are producing as being a 30 second “spot” that might be intended for use on national
television to inform viewers about FIRST and to illustrate a specific aspect of the benefits of the
FIRST experience. Examples of Appealing Aspects of FIRST: Mentorship, Collaboration,
Leadership and/or Community.
Compelling Creativity (40pts) - Distinction in the use of design and animation to generate
excitement about your team’s experience with FIRST.
The challenge is to tell a compelling, creative story about what FIRST means to your team, about
your team or your robot, or about your team’s participation in The Competition – and to make
that story memorable. We measure in terms of how well your team identifies a concept and
organizes the content for your 30-second story, and by how well your team executes on that
concept and creates a distinctive and memorable spot – one that stands out from the rest.
Technical Execution (20pts) - Distinction in the application of Autodesk software.
The challenge is to demonstrate how skillfully you use specific Autodesk products and how your
final animation is brought together from storyboard through design, production, editing, adding
FX and sound, and post-production to final product.
Entries are measured in terms of how well your team uses modeling, materials application,
lighting, camera motion and angles, sound effects, texture mapping, color, special FX, character
animation, editing technique, voice over, music, photography, or live video.or live video.

I know our team (75) tried really hard to work on content communication with a creative twist. ( http://stage.itmediaco.com/roboraide...le=Team75_2003 )

Team 967's was really good, but I just don't know if their 3D was ambitious enough. We attempted a fully CGI character that would be on screen for 25 seconds! Lots of voice acting! Do you think autodesk would not consider us because we won inventor? Honorable mentions should be back next year, because all the other teams that worked hard on their animation should get some recognition.

Anyways, congrats to team 967, it was still an awesome clip!

I already mentioned this but I will be concise- It says you can use live video. But it also say in the previous paragraphs that it must by 30Sec of Animation. There is only one way to have both rules work together and that is to mix live action with animation. That means on the screen at the same time. Otherwise you would never full fill the previous requirements. We used video in ours as well, and that was a half day of shooting on a greenscreen sound stage so that it could be incorporated in the 3D environment. SEE OUR MEDIA PAGE

That said- I do want to congratulate your Entire Team. You entered, you were judged, and you won. So CONGRATS

i didn't go to nationals but i did see this great animation that won at west michigan regional. team number 74. they had the best animation i have ever seen for FIRST. the textures, shading, lighting, and animation itself was excellent. the stuck with the theme of theirs and with the theme of FIRST. I don't think anyone was angry about them winning. they were the best and i would have been angry if anyone else won...even my team. they were that good.


Team # 74

YOU GUYS DID AN AWESOME JOB ON YOUR ANIMATION!!!!!!!!!

from all of team 902

Does anyone have a copy of the winning/runner up animations?

Autodesk pretty much asked for a commercial. I would definitely say the animation that won was one hell of a commercial.

heh....thanks sooooo much. But did you see team number 103, team number 192, or team number 75's animation? I think there are links to them on the "Post a link to your animation here" thread, except for 192, which is on their web page(just go to www.usfirst.org and look for them). Our animation was not the most seamless of them all, and it definitely had some flaws. 103 was basically perfect in this regard. 75 had awesome content + creativity. and 192 had a lot of cool stuff too. We dont think we put as much work into our content communication as we needed too, and maybe our message was a little too similar to the winning one last year. Thanks for the compliment though!

oh yeah, I hope we can finally upload ours somewhere....

Aside from the winning animation lacking 3d stuff, it brings up an interesting idea. Maybe next year FIRST should have a commercial contest. Autodesk makes combustion which would be perfect for doing a real professional job. The benefits could be that the commercials show people on FIRST teams and the commercials could be used as promotions for FIRST. 967 definitely had a great commercial, a little more so than an animation.

uhm yea but its missing more than half of all of those

T967, is there any way you can post a copy of your animation? Some of us poor mentors weren't able to make it out to Houston..