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Renée Brown
Scene Planner & 2D Rigger
Organization
First I communicate with Production and get the green light to start setting up an episode. This means that all the elements needed (BGs, REFs, setup cuts, characters, etc. are complete and in the library.
Initial Setup
Each scene for the episode is created in Harmony. All of the elements are then added to each scene, and once everything is in I then add the episode to the project management software.
Set-Up
Each scene is set up individually. First I set the scene display mode and select the correct camera. Then I organize the background and reference elements. Depending on what the scene requires, this could take a little or a lot of time. There are four basic BG setup methods:
Regular Setup: The BG and REF elements are organized and then sized to fit the scene camera. The BG elements are pushed and pulled forward in z-depth as needed by the acting happening in the scene.
2BG:The 2BG setup method is used when two (or sometimes more) different backgrounds are needed in the scene. They are separated and put into their own groups and then organized and sized to fit the scene camera.
An example of this is whenever a zip pan is needed in a scene along with the background.
(Double BG example with 3 BGs)
Double BG: Not to be confused with a 2BG! A double BG (sometimes triple) is used when a camera zoom in/out occurs in the scene. There are two BGs added into the scene, one of the close-up and the other of the long-shot. Both are identical to each other, however the close-up usually has clearer details in its image.
To organize this type of scene, each element in the close-up and long-shot are paired with their match. Then an element of the close-up image is sized to match that of the long-shot image. That sizing is then used for all the other close-up images.
Light On/Off:This method is exactly what it sounds like. This setup method would be used if a character walks into a room and turns the light on or off. The light on/off method is almost identical to the double BG setup method, however two composites are added at the bottom of the network (one for lights on and the other for lights off). This makes it easier for animators to switch between the two.
Sometimes scenes can be a bit more complicated to set up. Here is an example of a scene that is a double BG that also required a light on/off setup. You'll never know what you may run into!
Adding Characters/Props
This step is as it says. The length of time it takes depends on how many characters and props are needed in the scene. After everything is added, the character and props are sized, pushed, and pulled in z-depth, then placed wherever they need to be in respect to the BG.
To speed up the process of adding character and props, PNG images are used as placeholders as much as possible. Once setup for the entire episode is complete, the PNG'd characters are then swapped out for their builds.
Finishing Touches
Prior to swapping out the character PNG's for their builds, I go over everything by comparing the rendered images I take of each scene to the analysis document. I check to make sure that the correct characters and props that are listed in the analysis are visible in the rendered image. If anything appears to be incorrect or missing, I'll return to the scene to add/fix the issue(s). Once everything is complete I then update the status of each scene in the project management software and send the episode off to animation.
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