Gustavo Rodriguez Digital Portfolio
This is a teaser for a Miniseries I’ve been working on for the past few months. It feels like the natural move after years of cataloging and posting images on Instagram of landmarks/locations that are “Along the Way”. I hope you enjoy it once the first episode comes out July 5th.
More information can be found here: https://grstudios.net/atw/
I was tasked in the beginning of June to film a book reading of Ocean Vuong’s new book. Video edited by Elizabeth Wilda
Sample Size was originally created as a final project for an Animation Class. The animation was created under a month due to this time constraint most scenes were rushed and rendered half of the intended resolution (1080p). This plus the noise created in the scenes degraded the resolution to a point were some scenes are not as clear as they should’ve been. When shown to an audience both physically and online I received a lot of feedback specifically regarding the editing and noise.
I focused during the remastering process on rendering the scenes at full 1080p and added more details to some scenes. I learned that the cause of this noise was due to how the scene’s lights were setup, I abstained from modifying this as it would’ve added more to the “to-list”. Instead I worked on replacing every material to a PBR material and updated the skybox which in my opinion adds more than to have a plain color sky. I also replaced some models, these include the Human and Earth models to add more realism and continuity. Particle effects were added and deformations to create a more realistic environment.
There could have been more done to this short but this acted as a place to experiment and to learn from my early mistakes. I am pleased on how it came out.
As this year comes to a close I will be preparing for a new project for next season. I will expand more on the details once Winter comes to a close.
Planet-9x is my thesis animation as part of my requirement for a BFA in Animation at Umass Amherst. Planet-9x applies the techniques that I have learned in my years in college as well as new ones that I learnt throughout the creation of this animation. Some of the new techniques I learned include using Mocap Data, Satellite Data for landscape creations, and methods to decrease render time for smoke simulations. Planet-9x was screened at the Herter Annex Gallery for their Senior Thesis show and for the Animators’ Collective Festival at the Umass Amherst Campus in May 2018.
For my thesis in Spring 2018 at Umass Amherst I worked the project Planet-9x. Planet-9x explores the achievements of Space Technology and Space Communications. The animation was screened at the Herter Annex Gallery on Campus. Along with the animation four images were presented to set the mood of the short and a handbook to provide more background about the animation. The animation was shown as part of my Thesis Show, below is my Artist Statement for the show:
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Planet-9x is a 4-minute animation that explores space navigation and communication with outer space beings. Along with the animation there is a series of four images. Three of them express the ideas of the animation and help set a mood. These three ideas are: Exploration, Communication, and Innovation. The other image is concept art that helped as inspiration for the creation of Planet-9x. Planet-9x is a 3D animation created in Blender and Maya 3D software. It uses Motion Capture data for the animation of humanoid figures and data from the ASTER-Terra Satellite to generate Earth locations. Three of the images were created specifically for this show to highlight the main ideas of Planet-9x.
The main concept is that communication enables the need for exploration which pushes innovation forward. This sequence is on a loop in this closed system – it feeds into itself. Generating new innovations to then be used again for even newer and better innovations. These innovations come from the innate curiosity within human ambition, however, this is not limited to human beings. Any sentient being, when given the opportunity of innovation, will evolve to find a way to make itself comfortable in its new environment. Like the cells and organism living within us we are opportunistic creatures by nature.
The idea of communication is of equal importance in this animation. Ever since humans developed radio communications in the late 1800’s, we have been emitting our signals into outer space like capillary waves. These run alongside other emissions from stars and galaxies lightyears away. This gibberish of overlapping signals travel lightyears away into foreign places we have not seen yet. In this animation, we explore the possibility of sentient beings responding to our messages through the same medium.
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Images Displayed at the Gallery
Planet-9x Trailer:
More Info after May 5th.
Times is constantly moving forward and it does not care what it leaves behind, it aids the creation of the universe, galaxies and their demise. As long as it keeps moving so will the Everlasting Expansions of our Universe. Made in 2017
Tube Transistor
Steam Engine
Ocean Foam
Neutron
Boston Progress Personal Computer Model II
I had the opportunity at my job to manage the filming, lighting and editing for a video for Umass Amherst about a series of Student Made pianos across campus.
Previously In summer of 2017 I worked on a Mini-Documentary for the Umass Magazine to celebrate the History and Reopening of the Old Chapel at Umass Amherst. I worked on the filming and lighting of the interviews as well the filming of the chapel on-site as well climbing the tower for filming. I also worked in the research of this project along with my supervisor and Director Elizabeth Wilda. I previously uploaded the direct link to the Umass Magazine but due to fear of it being unavailable in the future I obtained my own copy for record keeping. Below is the backup link:
During my work at Umass Amherst; I had the opportunity to work on a Documentary Project regarding the Old Chapel at the Umass Campus. We went through archived records at the university to collect the images, this one being one of the earliest photographs of the Chapel. I colorized it based on its current colors to have an Idea what this chapel would look like when it was newer. Minimal colorization was taken to avoid over saturation, final products looks more akin to a postcard of the era.
http://www.umass.edu/magazine/summer-2017/something-old-something-new
An abstract sequence of visuals and audio might affect those sensitive with fast flashes of light.
Made in 2017
