The Secret Universe - 3D animation

Good luck !
Which software do you use for a talking head? Several years ago i made virtual figures reading any txt with POSER and speech software or plugins. Don't remember the real process, but wasn't very difficult because phonemes and face/mouth moving were automatic combined. But so or so a time-consuming process when a concret imagination shall look perfect as possible.

Oh sorry .. it's not animated talking head, it's a real guy, and trying to do cloning/masking of his eyeballs so it doesn't look like he's looking at the notes by the camera ... I only got far enough to enjoy the comical results ... NOT what I am going for. Give it up or reshoot the whole thing.

What do you think about the Video CoPilot stuff? Is that a lot of flash/useless or is it more for assembly/integration of models later?

Not sure what you mean with Video CoPilot. I googled videocopilot.net for AE. Is it that what you mean?
Till now i never worked with AE. I really wish i would be able to create such cool effects and get practice with AE, but unfortunately my time is restricted by a main job. Can't do all, but hopefully i'll find a day and possibility to get an easy start with AE. Also for understanding english tutorials needs me 3 and more times longer than others.

Sorry for the time-out delay .. just got busy.

Yes, the AE plug ins and pre-built (but modifiable) models and effects packs, etc. Seems like it's hard to make sense of.

What I would hope is that one could use these to gain an understanding WHILE making useful sellable clips. I detest all that hard sci-fi techno flash stuff as it seems quite shallow (not that I dislike a decent sci-fi flick but this stuff smacks of American style "blockbuster" films, and not enough variety).

AE is a starting point for cloning flaws and color correction for me, but obviously it's so much more. I'm hoping to decide on a modeling application or three that allows me to import, animate, modify models to augment my clips. Let the weird ideas out!

How long have you been modeling? Would you say it is better to start by modifying models or creating from scratch?

AS plugins? You mean AE plugins?!
Just had my entry to AE by your videocopilot site. Puuuuhhh, used a main impressing tutorial, stressed myself nearly the whole night with dictionary and searching german equivalence in the software, had only 3 hours for sleeping, stressed again in the morning and coming too late to my office, but last not least realized that i need Elements3D for this tutorial and stuff what i like to create. :( :) Now, nevertheless it was a deep insight in AE, it's functions and possibilities, so that i can create some first simple animations. Last not least, it's 3D possibilities is definetly that what i ever would like to know and practice. Don't know if there's a sense for stock footage, but learning and ability first!

Don't know when i started modeling. My first 3D renders are from the beginning of the 2000s. The Alien in the video is a product of this time. I took a free 3ds model from any library, imported in a free C4D software, broke his arms to create this handheld position, imported the new model as obj in Bryce3D, where i created the scene with planets, Saturn ring etc.
So step by step it came that i needed any objects to model for my still pictures, tried out several software without a concrete bigger plan. The real kick came with Zbrush, but for a whole while i used C4D to compose my figure bodies with tooth, eyes or spikes etc..
So let me say, decision for 1,2 or 3 applications isn't the way. See the big picture and always use the software which offers the possibilities of that what you just need. And go the easy way ;) Last not least the question is "what you want to create". When you have a concrete idea you will find the way.
In Zbrush first i startet to form curious crazy heads from scratch. Later i created first own fantasy figures also from scratch, but today i would prefer to modify a pre-defined body, especially if it's a human figure.

How you doing with those tuts? Do you have enough sense of it yet to be able to say whether I should, or should not get into it (the VideoCopilot plugins)

Reason is that many times I do not know what I specifically want to shoot/create, but rather want to be ready to do it when I do have the clear idea. Other times, it seems, if I need a specific result, I buy a product (physical gear, lens, or software) and then later use it for other things. However, sometimes this results in stuff sitting around that I do not use, and therefore is a waste. Other times, it's great, to finally have good tools.

But not knowing what I want to do (overall) and not knowing how all these things really work together is making me hesitant, as I do not want to waste - time or money, or effort.

Here's a fun question (and a moot point now, as I cannot, yet), but, say I managed to create a person walking through a scenic ... and if they looked almost recognizable, and not animated ... would Shutterstock require a release? Almost a joke question, but half serious ...

I don't know if you have experience in AE. So for me i must say, although i had absolute none experience in AE and also have to study english tutorials and work with german software, ..... the 1 tutorial i tried out was very clear to follow for me. The only problem was that i didn't note before to need this 3DElements plugin. I think these tutorials are great.
Surely i will follow it, but in the moment i've no time for it. I constant produce more content than i'm able to prepare and upload here.
To be creative is never a waste of tools or time !!! Especially belonging software for creativity, it's quite normal that by time there's more and more on the harddrive as we can use. But every step in our learning curve is necessary food for our creativity .............. and suddenly there's an idea and you have knowledge and tools how to realize it ;)
Ok, about money, that's another point and question of personal possibilities. And for example Zbrush needs a strong regular learning curve to get ideas working.
Last not least, time cannot be wasted by being creative. Time can be only wasted by looking TV or playing with Xbox or so. The trick is how to manage our short possible time for maximum success. I have no master plan for this. It's like chaos with it's own rules of regularity.

Basic AE use, that is, many clips of mine have been created with and repaired by use of it. Basic animation, but more "practical" such as the attacking devices and all the compositing in this video were shot on greenscreen and then keyed and animated. Very primitive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdnRwJrahOo

Kudos to you for diving in! Your command of English seems quite good, but I will say a lot of those tutorials are Greek to me. Some of it is that I get annoyed by the kids mumbling and the crappy music in some, but mostly that I refuse to stay with the basics and learn the rudimentary stuff. So I'm learning quickly all that I don't know as I animate this here silly UFO chasing a Canadian floatplane across a lake. Doesn't help that it's a handheld shot, either. But I like my UFO (made from Video Copilot Motion pack)

I'm now trying to decide what the best program for modifying obj files to my own desires, without having to spend a month learning ...

Primitive? Your video works is very well. Nice video, i don't know what you could make better within this one.
Of course different styles needs different technics. I'm very ingrained in the real 3D animation, so Elements3D is an absolute "must have" for me, but first i need practice in AE and understand the basics. Just working at my 2nd composition, combining a POSER figure animation with scifi flashes and soft pulsing fractal background. So long so good till now. Have more or less concrete ideas for the following 2-3 scenes. Where is an idea, there is a way ;) Or like the bible said "Knock, and it will be opened" ;) Last not least i will combine 3 different softwares and finish it in AE and PP.
Dry tutorials are usually absolute not my thing and especially when people talking in english so quick i become bored and cannot follow. I learn best when i've a concrete idea what to realize. There's always a way.

For modifying obj files i think Cinema4D is the standart and works also together with Adobe software and all others. But before spend tons of money take a look at SILO http://nevercenter.com/silo/
Maybe this fits your needs.
If you need software for pure figure animation (human and animals) with endless library of predefined realistic high end figures you need POSER. Must not be the newest version. I have all up to v10, but prefer working with v7. You can also modify these figures, for expl. change face and body shape as yours.

Well I think if I had not been constrained by "guessing" which way a spinning cell phone, for instance was going to fly, and being limited by the motion of it, and of course having better luck with keying and masking, I could have spent time with models of the devices (especially as I was trying to hide logos!) making more dynamic motions. It is basically for these kinds of things I could use modeling.

Of course, unlike you, I feel I am going at it backwards, but in the end, as long as "it" gets done, great. However, it is overwhelming seeing how many levels of detail can be messed up, especially when going for a certain level of realism in my fiction/fantasy ..

Now .. I am interested by Poser, and wonder, why do you say version 11 (which is now available) is bad? But, interesting as it is, most of the examples still look "fake" in motion ...

I do seem to like Silo a bit, but also wonder how that compares with KeyShot?

Finally, I am in email back and forth dialogue with Video Copilot to find out "for sure" if using, for instance, a clip of say, a natural scene, with a UFO going through it made by assembling parts from their model packs, is that OK for stock? If that is not OK, then I wasted some money (and unlikely they are going to give it back!) Their terms of use are very vague ... I read them many times!

See below:

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