"Rogue" Concept: rolling flyaround test animation

[mzungu]

Hi all,

This is my first post here, so not quite sure where to put this. Its not really a WIP, as I'll not be doing anything else to it, but I am interested in critique. (Admins, feel free to move this thread if you need to.)

Without further adieu, the animation. (9.15MB, DivX 6)

Still frame from the work:


Other shots, including the original contest submission images are here.

Purpose:
I created this animation simply to test a concept: if one were to take your average "flyaround" car animation, remove all visual cues and references from the background, then turn and spin the wheels, would it look as if its actually rolling along? I'll let you be the judge as to whether or not this experiment was successful.

History:
I re-visited an old design of mine (from the '04 Peugeot contest) to create this work, mostly since it was probably my most complete design, and I thot it looked pretty cool - altho excessively impractical and lacking in many crucial details. The only changes I made from the original were to add the driver and animate the camera/wheels.

Software:
This project was modeled & animated using Blender 3D and rendered with its internal engine.

My appologies in advance for the musical accompaniment... if anyone has a good source of royalty-free music, please let me know. Since I know y'all are "car nuts" here, feel free to "trash" the design as well, but know that I'm not planning on returning to it, so don't expect much. I am interested in improving my present and future projects, tho, so any thots can only help.

-mzungu

[anthonymcgrath]

nice work! love the shape and form altho it might not be truly practical but its very cool! And I personally think it is moving along the surface

[Spirit]

Nice model and animation :buttrock:

I can't decide whether it looks like its moving :P sometimes it does, then it doesn't

[dan]

hey modelling is very nice, your sound adaption is also really good, but some different camera angles would be nice always driving in a circle sucks
but anyway very nice and clear concept

[mzungu]

Thanks for the kind replies and compliments, guys...

And I personally think it is moving along the surface

I can't decide whether it looks like its moving :P sometimes it does, then it doesn't

I think I'm still divided on how effective this is, too. I do know its better than just a plain static flyaround, but not as effective as a series of slow dramatic-perspective pans combined with flashy high-adrenaline-rush "action" scenes, which might show off both the quality/elegance of your design and the excitement of it. I just haven't come up with a model/design that's worth putting that much "sales" effort into.

... some different camera angles would be nice always driving in a circle sucks

Agreed. I was considering creating a "zoom away into the distance" ending to it, but got too sick of it to have the motivation for that.

Thanks for the thots! Keep 'em coming!

-mzungu