Sex and The Socket: The Socket Story

By Cesar Alejandro Montero Orozco

What was it for?

My final project for the Digital Design program at Vancouver Film School .
To learn how to create animations, this was my first time creating an animation.

How was it produced?

Everything in 3D was created and rendered on a single machine (Dual BOXX 3.4 GHz)
Just a single machine was used to produce, and render it all...oh, and to do homework.
However, I did use the school computers to create the audio elements, because I don't own the software licenses.
The process of producing the piece was the following: render at home while I was at school, come home animate, more rendering by night, wake up early, refine the scene, start the render, go back to school. I did that for about 3 weeks...I think.
450 hours went into this project, as well as attending regular classes.
Production started January 24, 2006 and ended March 7, 2006 (42 days)

Who participated in the project?

Sound mastering help was provided by Chad York and Alan Wong-Moon.
The voice is Andee Frizzell.
Music is property of VFS.
Electricity effects based on Steve Warner's tutorial.
Jennica Harper helped me with making the monologue read more feminine.
Web support provided by Brett Forsyth
The rest was all made by me (Cesar Montero): research, interviews, audience analysis, concept creation, planning, documentation, production, lighting, modeling, texturing, animation, soundfx.....etc.

Are you in a 3D program or what is the Digital Design program?

No, I choose not to take the 3D Program at VFS. I took the Digital Design program. The program does not include classes on Lightwave 3D, or more than a couple classes of 3DMAX. I taught myself Lightwave 3D in the last year and a half. For the department to accept a final project based on 3D, I had to design an idea/concept/solution that would work even if produced in print, and that would satisfy a certain brief defined at the beginning of the project. I decided to enter the Digital Design program since I realized I was able to learn 3D by myself, but it would be harder to understand how to use 3D as a tool to deliver a message/emotion. This was something I learned how to do while in Digital Design program.

Project Brief

OVERVIEW:

BCHydro is a government-owned organization that exists to provide electricity for British Columbia, Canada. They want people to conserve energy, and make people save electricity costs by offering services, products and tips. These are mainly promoted nowadays at their website (www.bchydro.com). One of the products they promote is the use of CFL-Lights (Compact Fluorescent Lights).

BCHydro needs an animated piece to promote CFL-Lights. They need to communicate how CFL-Lights are better in many ways to traditional light bulbs.

They need to make people remember the piece, and talk about it with others. They want to increase the popularity of CFL-Lights, so that more people will buy them.

* BCHydro will be referred in the animation as “VanHydro” to avoid legal issues.

The solution will be an animated 3d piece. It will make people remember it and talk about it. It will communicate the superiority of CFL-Light bulbs. With it, the popularity of CFL-Light bulbs will increase, so that more people will buy them.

DESIGN PREREQUISITES:

The piece must be developed to include the following 3D creative and technical guidelines:

  1. Mastering in Lighting and Texturing in Lightwave 3D.
  2. Use of camera animation on all/part of the whole piece.
  3. At least 45 seconds of animation, it could be more.
  4. Engage an adult audience into the animation.
  5. It should be original and have impact.
  6. Creating controversy is not a must, but desired.

STAKEHOLDERS:

  1. Cesar Montero - It should enhance his abilities as a 3D lighting/texturing artist as well as a communicator. The objective outcome is to develop and enhance the existing lighting/texturing skills in order to tell a message/emotion to an adult audience using 3D imagery.
  2. Chad York - Will be the advisor in this project, and should be comfortable with the overall result regardless of the use of 3D elements to deliver the message/emotion.
  3. Audience - It will be an adult audience living in British Columbia. By watching the piece they should be able to realize the superiority of CFL-Light bulbs. They should also enjoy the animation and cause laughter.
  4. BCHydro
    What makes them great?
    They are concerned for the conservation of energy. They want people to save money by using products and services superior to the average.
    What is their problem?
    Their products offer what they promote, but they lack of popularity among people.