Ryan was “a Canadian animator. A gentleman panhandler. One of the pioneers of Canadian animation. Oscar nominee. Poor beggar. An artist unable to create. God observing the world. Fallen angel. Arrogant. Shy. Broken. Not destroyed.” 30 years ago, Ryan produced some of the most influential animated films of his time. Years later, plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse, he was destitute on the streets of Toronto.
In this rather captivating and haunting short, called simply “Ryan”, Chris Landreth animates a tribute to Ryan Larkin.
In Ryan we hear the voice of Ryan Larkin and people who have known him, but these voices speak through strange, twisted, broken and disembodied 3D generated characters… people whose appearances are bizarre, humorous or disturbing. Although incredibly realistic and detailed, Ryan was created and animated without the use of live action footage, rotoscoping or motion capture…but instead from an original, personal, hand animated three-dimensional world which Chris calls ‘psychological realism’.
The Sphere Project is a place “dedicated to the evolution of technical and creative 3D sphere design”, where 3D creatives can go to show off their handiwork.
The goal is to create a captivating and visually appealing sphere from the provided sphere scene using a 3D program and renderer of choice. Anyone is allowed to submit, provided they follow the rules, and a voting system brings the best submissions to the top. Clever ideas, thoughtful execution, technical expertise, and dazzing presentation are all considered, and the making the front page means you’re among the best of the best.
Submitted spheres can focus on modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and compositing modifications, or a combination of any of the above, though above all, creativity and cleverness will win over most of the judges.
Why a sphere?
The sphere is arguably one of the most basic and fundamental primitives in computer graphics. Its uniformly curved structure allows for wide field of view coverage, as well as full diffuse tonal range shading. When reflective, its convex shape can reveal more of it’s surrounding environment than any other primitive, and when refractive it can bend surrounding light into a single concentrated caustic point. The sphere is an inherent form chaotically evident in nature and continually apparent in man-made designs. From the smallest atomic structures to the largest planetary globes, the sphere continues to be perhaps the most common geometric form in existence.
