Carrara Challenge #40 NOIR WIP - A warm welcome to our PA sponsor, Fenric

Persona Non Grata

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Diomede

@Stezza - Le Chasseur de Sang has so many little details, like the date stamp, that I just love.  I'm having the same trouble trying to upload images to the forum.  Not always sure if my image has loaded.
@Selina - thanks for the tutorials on saturation screens and gel maps.  I really appreciate the explanations.  No need to apologize to this old dog.  I need more tricks.  
@head wax - interesting post effect render pass.  I think I remember getting multiple post effect render passes when I had used multiple GMIC filters.  Could be a lot of opportunities to explore there. 
@Bunyip02 - Oh no!!!  I hate the end of file error.  Hope you can reconstruct the scene from individual elements because I liked where you were going with that. 
@Philemo - Casablanca is a great choice.  The visual style is perfect.  Can't wait to see more.
@th3Digit - thanks for the video link.  Wow.
@DesertDude - I'm trying to figure out if I have the old Eovia user's guide.  Which version are you referring to?  Can't wait to see your model.
@UnifiedBrain - I just took the time to read the first page more carefully.  Cool set of categories.  Have to think about which category to focus on first.

EDIT:  UB - forgot to address your question.  You had asked about the shader for the gun barrel.  For my previous challenge, I just threw a metallic preset.  Assuming people will be going for a B/W image, my intuition is that the shader should include a high highlight, but I'm not sure.  Curious what others think.

UnifiedBrain

head wax said:

@UB

here is the contents of my sand.txt

 

COMP {
RsID 198
Strg "Sandy filter"
Strg "SDK Examples"
}

 

I think I must have made a copy of it because I experfimented with cchanging the number 198 to others - not make any difference??

I also have a sand.mcx and sand.dat

Mine was set to 12.  I changed to 198.  Still doesn't show in the dropdown.  All other sand txt parameters are the same, and the mcx and dat parts are there as well.

I think I have bad karma regarding this filter. :)  But the B&W part works, so please don't spend any more time on it.  Maybe I'll ask down the road when timing is better, thanks.

Persona Non Grata

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Diomede

Here are a few more props.  I've included a couple tries with B&W GMIC filters.  Not really what I'm looking for yet.

UnifiedBrain

With all the talk in the GMIC thread, I thought that I would post some other experiences here related to noir.

The render I used at the top of this thread was done with 5 filters in a stack.

The 5 filters, top to bottom, as they were stacked in Carrara: (4 were GMIC)

1.  Black and white - Ink wash:  applied primarily to affect the backdrop (the backdrop is a render from Phil's product store).  In this position, Ink wash allows you to do some very interesting things to the backdrop without affecting the foreground objects.

2.  Colors - Basic adjustments:  used for changing the hue and lowering the brightness.

3.  Toon 3:  this provides some outline, and "constrains" the other filters into more "toonlike" set parameters.

4.  Comix color:  enhances contrast.

5.  Black and white - black and white:  used to drop the color saturation to zero (-100).

Lighting - no GI, no gamma, and no ambient.  I used a distant light on the Noir text.  All else was bulbs and a single spot.

The first render attached is the setup in Carrara.  The second is the result before the filters were applied.  The third is the final result.

0oseven

EDIT I see unifiedbrain just referred to this but I'll post anyway

I dont think anyone mentioned yet but for BLACK & WHITE render WITH Carrara, Philemos plugin will do it and a zillion other effects - well maybe not a zillion !  Its the GMICPlugin  Its Free

In Carrara select 'scene' in right panel - there will be a 'Filter ' tab,  open and click Edit. Find the 'Film Emulation' option and pick black and white. 

 

Happy Rendering

0oseven

Removed duplicate post

UnifiedBrain

Ooseven, see this thread for the B&W render issue (including GMIC) regarding this Challenge..

Hope to see you enter!

Diomede

Thanks for the walk through for your settings, UB.  Unfortunately, because I used dynamic hair, I get bad results if I include Carrara's native Toon filter in a stack of GMIC filters.

Here, I am just getting in the mood.  Her expression is supposed to be very scornful and unafraid of the man with the gun.  "Is that all you got?  Won't even make me drop my cigarette."

NOTE - was a test of the blinds gel with the spotlight pulled way back.  Only gives one shadow of the blind (the top angle). 

DesertDude

Well, I haven't  yet decided on a theme/compostion/movie, but I know it's gonna be...

Lego Noir!

(This is just a generic model for the moment to get my foot in the door)

 

 

 

 

DesertDude

Diomede said:

Thanks for the walk through for your settings, UB.  Unfortunately, because I used dynamic hair, I get bad results if I include Carrara's native Toon filter in a stack of GMIC filters.

Here, I am just getting in the mood.  Her expression is supposed to be very scornful and unafraid of the man with the gun.  "Is that all you got?  Won't even make me drop my cigarette."

NOTE - was a test of the blinds gel with the spotlight pulled way back.  Only gives one shadow of the blind (the top angle). 

I think that's pretty close Diomede - love the shadows and camera angle.

Diomede

Lego Noir!! - That is Fantastic.

Great models, DesertDude.

Seriously, I was considering modeling lego figures myself, before deciding on a completely different theme.  I will only say that my theme involves extortion and a character I think will be known to everyone.  So, I abandned the lego theme.  However, here are some of the reference pics for legos, if they can help you.

 

DesertDude

Thank you Diomede. And thank you for the reference images.

Lol, that's funny you considered using a similar subject. I was trying to save myself some time, but it was actually challenging to model (I followed a tutorial on YouTube). I thought it would be pretty simple.  

0oseven

I haven't used the GMIC plugin filters before so I've been exploring it and very impressed. Here are a couple renders in black n white - one spot and a couple of bulbs in this scene using tStone Masons' Mediteranean Streets set. Some fine tweaking needed [ light on V4's nose -steps too bright etc]  and some experimenting with effects. No gel in these.

Any suggestions ? ie DOF perhaps, blur ? 

 

Vyusur

Carrara's native render, G'MIC BW, no post work.

 

 

Headwax

Vyusur said:

Carrara's native render, G'MIC BW, no post work.

wowza that' s superb Veronica!

 

Vyusur said:

 

 

 

DesertDude said:

Well, I haven't  yet decided on a theme/compostion/movie, but I know it's gonna be...

Lego Noir!

(This is just a generic model for the moment to get my foot in the door)

 

 

 

 

ha ha love it, love your style and panache!!

 

 

Diomede said:

Thanks for the walk through for your settings, UB.  Unfortunately, because I used dynamic hair, I get bad results if I include Carrara's native Toon filter in a stack of GMIC filters.

Here, I am just getting in the mood.  Her expression is supposed to be very scornful and unafraid of the man with the gun.  "Is that all you got?  Won't even make me drop my cigarette."

NOTE - was a test of the blinds gel with the spotlight pulled way back.  Only gives one shadow of the blind (the top angle). 

that little bit of shadow adds a stack of drama

 

Vyusur

Andrew, thank you so much!

Vyusur

Diomede said:

 

Very clever composition, Ted, and the girl is very charming.

 

Persona Non Grata

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Vyusur

Some more BW:

DesertDude

@Ooseven -  those are great. I especially like the second and third images - the second because it looks super mysterious and the third because of more detail/light balanced?...I don't know, a blend betwen the two? Mere suggestions only. Have fun with the GMIC filter, can't wait to see more.

@Vyusur - that's an incredible image. The composition, lighting, and subject are beautifully mysterious.

@Selina - thank you Selina!

Vyusur

@DesertDude, thank you very much!

UnifiedBrain

Diomede said:

 

Clever and well-done.  I like this shadow image even better than your toon Challenge image.

 

 

DesertDude said:

Lego Noir!

 

 

Heh heh..  Amazing that you and Diomede had a similar inspiration.  To quote a rather obscure movie, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." :)

 

 

 

0oseven said:

Any suggestions ? ie DOF perhaps, blur ? 

Maybe add a machine gun?  :)  Seriously, you are moving in the right direction.  What is the story you want to tell?

 

 

Vyusur said:

Carrara's native render, G'MIC BW, no post work.

OK, you just set the bar higher for everyone, Vyusur.  Great composition, perfect style.  You must be feeling better. :)

Diomede

Thank you for the comments and suggestions, Vyusur, Head Wax, DsetDude, and UnifiedBrain.  

@DesertDude - the models look great.  Forgive me if you have already finished, but when I was considering creating Lego figures, I gave weightpaintng some thought (see my struggles with a certain saber tooth tiger).  In my opinion, it would be better to just parent the parts of a lego figure on each other and use movement constraints.  I would not use a bone skeleton and weightmaps.  

Speaking of a certain saber tooth tiger, I thought that was a pretty good hint to have the theme be the Stone Age, but I love film noir so all is OK.  

@Vyusur - the train tunnel is magnifiicent.  I love the singer.  Great atmosphere in both images.  I was thinking that this challenge might be a good excuse to use one of Tim's sets, the Parthenon Club, and have a sultry singer with a jazz band or a big band.  

@Ooseven - hats!  Film noir is all about the hats.  And shadows.  Love your hat and shadows.  

 

Mistara

Diomede said:

Thanks for the walk through for your settings, UB.  Unfortunately, because I used dynamic hair, I get bad results if I include Carrara's native Toon filter in a stack of GMIC filters.

Here, I am just getting in the mood.  Her expression is supposed to be very scornful and unafraid of the man with the gun.  "Is that all you got?  Won't even make me drop my cigarette."

NOTE - was a test of the blinds gel with the spotlight pulled way back.  Only gives one shadow of the blind (the top angle). 

 

the classic cigarette

DesertDude

Thanks for suggestion Diomede, I was definitely leaning in the direction of parenting the parts. Isn't that how they are anyway, not real 'bendable'? I never owned a Lego figure. When I was a kid we only had 'block' Lego pieces, not the fancy sets available today. The kids these days have everything, geesh.  

Diomede

@Mistara - a classic cigarette, but I forgot the smoke!  Place palm in face.

@DesertDude - as I mentioned, I've decided to go for a different theme involving extortion and a character that everyone knows.  The guy with the brown mustache and gray outfit and the cavegirl are figures I modeled previously. Maybe you remember Don Coyote, the man from Laredo?  He dueled windmills.   They are basic toons with simple shape bodies, three fingers, etc.  They will need new outfits.   I just modeled the fat fellow with the white beard.  Hopefully, you know who he is intended to be.

 

The cast.

DesertDude

@Diomede - those look great! Hmmm, is it Santa Claus? And a theme involving extortion, sounds excellent.  Wonder who will be doing the extorting... 

Oh and those old reference guides...I seem to remember black and white pictures between the chapters. One a train station, another some gothic buildings, maybe one was a factory belching smoke into the sky? I had them for versions 3 and 4, but they went in the recycling bin years ago (maybe I shouldn't admit that...). I am the opposite of a pack rat, I hate clutter.

UnifiedBrain

Diomede said:

  I just modeled the fat fellow with the white beard.  Hopefully, you know who he is intended to be.

Is this the guy?

 

It comes from a fairly famous noir comic.  The first chapter is here.  Just keep clicking the right arrow - slowly.  Very creative.