Blog - SinKing

0 comments by SinKing on Dec 6th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

Hello,

I don't presume anyone is following this blog, but I'm documenting the past progress here, nonetheless. Mech Override is dead as a mod/machinima, but alive as a commercial project. I am trying to raise the money we need to start a development of the ful 90+ minute feature film. With the help of some friends I found really good people to join the development, and I have recently learned that it's perhaps more important to find a good producer then to have good artists, when you are about to start a development.

It's very hard to get anywhere with this project, but it would be easy to gather a team and start a worldwide development (so that studios can work continuously 24/7). We have the organisation and the story, we just need an investor...seems this is the hard part.

There are some investors in question, most notably Rotana,, a very big production group in the middle-east. I'd be happy to say they are interested, but that I can only say after the 16th of December when we sent them our production documents and a projection of sales and benefits from this project.

I'm really  eager to finally get this over with. I have not much to add to the current script, which has been revised at least a dozen times (also with the help of native English speakers from Moddb). It's time for Mech Override to be made - we're ready, even though we are not a team any more, just a few people, who stick with the project.

While I'm waiting, I write another story, called "Plasticity", which has touches of the Matrix and Terminator, but can stand on its own. It's quite complex and I try to expand the knowledge gained from writing so many drafts of Mech Override and put this experience into the new script.

Waiting is a drag. Don't ever wait for things! Just go on doing what you do best and don't put all your money on one horse. If this works out - fine! I hope it will. However, if it doesn't, the only thing I will have wasted is the time I spend talking to interesting people. Not really a waste - the next project is always the best one :)

Take care and stay true to your dreams without repeating yourself over and over again!

0 comments by SinKing on Jan 8th, 2009 digg this super bookmark

Hello Everyone, I know it has been terribly quiet about MechOverride in the past three months.

There are many good reasons for that, because the project had to be entirely re-structured. We finally, and with great regret, took leave of the Rotoscope Filter for Unreal 3. Our project will no longer be a mod based on a game, but is "just" a normal CGI production now; all our scenes will be pre-rendered and post-produced (finalizing, color grading, effects...)
The reason, why we chose this way is because it is impossible to gather enough modders to complete this project. Another reason is that I am not into modding deep enough to lead a team on all regards. I can much better organise a film-team, as I still have contacts and knowledge about making films.

So with great relief we announce the rebirth of Mech-Override as an Episodical Shortfilm Feature, with episodes of 4 minutes duration, each. The one we start working on, starting January 20th, is the prolog, which will introduce you to the great city of Talon. All Episodes are connected, even though they are not in chronological order. It's a most challenging screenplay, which evolved from our original screenplay "MechOverride", which you can read in Moddb's Writer's Club, now!

Our team is smaller, now. I put everyone I thought fit in other mod teams, so I didn't desert anyone, who didn't deserve it. We are now eight people, have a great new concept artist and Motion-Capture proved to work flawlessly and will make it a piece of cake to create new scenes, once all the assets are done. Even though we are not a mod any more, I'd like to keep our place on Moddb, for we still feel like being part of this community.

Thanks for your patience with us. Go, read the old script and you'll surely find some quality in it's story. Expect the same for each of our episodes and don't underestimate the effects of non-chronological writing. It's my very own speciality and it ill vow you over, once you start undestanding the complexity.
See you soon, stay true to us. As a small teaser, I'll post a small update of our revamped soldier model, including a near-finished exoskeleton. That's all for now, thanks for reading!

1 comment by SinKing on Oct 18th, 2008 digg this super bookmark

Heya,

I'm updating a bit about what's going on behind the scenes. Apart from me picking up some skills in Photoshop, several new artists have joined the mod, as we can't have enough concept art (ever) and you can never find enough concept artists.

It's getting tough now, because some actual action is required by our Motion-Capture Studio, which is getting delayed by real-life projects of the studio. Most of the problems we suffer from derive from personal problems of important members, who can't dedicate their time to the project as they used to. I'm trying best to bring back the creative spark and igniting the desire to move on with the project.
We already missed two chances to enter th Make Something Unreal Competition and I really would like us see enter the third phase, even if it's only with a teaser-trailer.

Modding is no easy task at all. I find that out every time I try doing something for my project. It can be rewarding to see other people get inspired and start discussing features among each others and with me, but these pleasant situations are alway stalled by a lack of art or direction. We are only slowly moving towards a proof of concept, which has a lot to do with the difficulties of imagining the world we create in Rotoscope style.

The shader decision has still not been made, but I'm over the top with work already and I don't want to invest my available time in shader problems, when we still have trouble with the production pipeline. I know it would be better to have everything working from the start, but if we can't get the shader to fit our needs in the end, we still have the option to drop it and revert to realistic looking textures.

A lot of work and many things left to do are no reason to stop working. I can only support the team with fresh art and some artists I recently recruited. It still feels like there is a world out there to draw and I admit I didn't realise that creating a new universe entails to create a whole world, which may not fall appart after looking at it. What we do has to be believable, even in it's immensity.

0 comments by SinKing on Jul 12th, 2008 digg this super bookmark

Hi modders of all kinds!

I'm posting a little update on our project MechOverride, which has been joined by some excellent people in the field of mapping and animations, lately. So, what's going on behind the scenes?

- the new, and final, script will be released in Episodes. I'm about 40% done with it. First three Episodes are written.
- Concept Art of our first biped Mech, nicknamed "Ike" has been approved of and gone into blueprinting
- Modeling on said Mech will be done by Toast, starting next week
- Texture Artist Kraphik3d has taken up his work on Rodas face texture and delivered stunning results
- Citizen_J is remodeling the characters head, because the WIP has some geometry problems
- Fábio has finished both versions of the gun and is working on the LOD model
- while waiting for the final head version, Kraphik3d is texturing the gun
- Angelo and NPX have been busy creating environment sketches and moody takes on our cityscapes,. I'm updating our image gallery soon
- Xenobite is rigging and animating the first models
- Brian Shipp is creating the sandbox map for all our testing needs
- Andrew aka Baldemyr is creating a corporate look for a evil empire (in clothes) and also designs our female lead's stealth-suit. After that he's on to Character concepts (General Aecius).

That's what's happening in the background and we steadily work towards a first release in November. I hope you'll enjoy watching this project a lot in the future, when you get to see details of the production process and come to understand our film's philosophy. We want to entertain you the best way we can. So order your MechOverride Popcorn - Maker, today!

0 comments by SinKing on Apr 18th, 2008 digg this super bookmark

Hi! Unlike Captain Oates I have returned from the cold outside world, turning back on this ModFilm's development. 

Sometimes you only have a split second for decisions to be made. Turns out, with our machinima, we have plenty of time. Development is slow and I keep having to remind me, how important it is to keep going. However, things fall into place when necessary and we are making progress on all fields. Here is a resumee:

 Mech Override - Status update

- WIP male character model

- WIP female character model

- WIP Level 1/Scene 3 (it's the first map we are building, but the third scene from the script)

- finished Realtime Rotoscope Shader

- bought Motion Capture Equipment

The models are good to have and are essential for a test run with the shader. They are rigged to the scaled Unreal skeletons and use Unreal's own animations at this time. 

The Motion Capture Studio we collaborate with has recently upgraded it's gear and is now running on brand new equipment, which eagerly awaits testing. Thus it's a perfect situation to create some animation sequences.

I am most grateful that the shader is completed. We keep it quietly until it's public release, but once that happens, you will surely see a first media release by One Team.

 We are really happy about giving you the opportunity to see this project come about. We hope for the future that a new brand of filmmakers go out and do just the same like we do: present their own stories, their own intellectual content, to an audience all over the world.

This is a team endeavor, much bigger than what one person could do alone. We still need a hand with mapping, as we have too much work ahead to lay it down on just a few people. Our models are really turning out great and I am much in debt to our 1st modeller Citizen J, who created the male and female mesh. 

 Of course my thanks go out to everyone supporting us and to my team, who are wise in their patience and savage in their actions ;).

All the best!

SinKing 

0 comments by SinKing on Nov 26th, 2007 digg this super bookmark

Certain things always take longer than you'd expect. Writing a script, for example.

I don't recall when I started work on the first draft of MECHOverride. I don't even recall the reason, why I picked an apocalyptical Sci-Fi setting. I don't write this kind of story usually, but several years of literature study and a keen interest on the writings of Philip K. Dick and other futurologists, have left an impression on me.

I wrote at least four full drafts of the script and took several rows of correction about each of them. I must have written thousands of words on hundreds of page, yet what I came out with are sixteen pages, in essence.

The script is finished. It doesn't resemble the first draft, but this final draft is a good example for a script apt for machinima. This final draft took a lot of deep thinking on the team's side and decisions were made by us, in unison. The team greatly helped improving the script and I'd like to say thanks here: Thank you, friends!

Finally, the first day of production is drawing near. It will be the 30th of November and I can hardly wait for it. The long days of preparation are over and the feeling of letting go off the script, liberates me to turn my head to other issues with producing this film.

Until next time!

SinKing