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Mount Tai Shan
It is considered a deity itself and has been venerated by the Chinese as their most sacred peak since at least the third millennium BC. The emperors of ancient China regarded Tai Shan as the actual son of the Emperor of Heaven, from whom they received their own authority to rule the people. The mountain functioned as a God who looked after the affairs of humans and who also acted as a communication channel for humans to speak to God. Mt. Hua Shan
The five peaks of Hua Shan are thought to resemble a five petalled flower, hence its common name, the 'Flowery Mountain.' Originally it was called Xiyue - meaning 'Western mountain' - because it was the westernmost of the five Taoist peaks. In order to reach certain temples and the caves of the sages great courage is needed. Pilgrims must scale cliffs with only a linked chain for support and to fall is certain death. These routes have been given the humorous, but quite accurate, names such as 'Thousand Feet Precipice' and 'Ear Touching Cliff'. |
Puji Si Temple, Pu Tuo Shan
Putuo Shan, the lowest of China's sacred mountains, is located on a small island of only twelve square kilometers, five kilometers east of Zhoushan Island in Zhejiang province. The peak of Putuo Shan, meaning 'beautiful white flower,' is 291 meters above sea level and is reached by a stone staircase with 1060 steps. A holy place before the arrival of Buddhism, the island is full of mystic caves, tranquil valleys, overhanging cliffs and golden beaches. The three major temples on Putuo Shan, Puji, Fayu and Huiji, are among the most impressive and elaborate temples in China. The mountain is a deity of mercy and gentleness, and its association with Putuo Shan indicates that the energetic character of the site is conducive to the development of compassion in the human heart. WuTai Shan
Because of its isolated location deep in the high mountains of north China, Wu Tai Shan was mostly untouched by the destructive machinery of the Communist Revolution. Perhaps nowhere else in all of China may one so clearly view the traditional ways and the superb temple architecture of old China. The center of Chinese Buddhism for two thousand years. |
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In the Pre- vis stage I stared to experiment with some camera movement.
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To get these results I used a simple displacement map on a 48 x 48 subdivided square plane, I then played around with the attributes to try and get the final effect I wanted. Once I was happy, I simply converted the Displacement map into Polygons. Although I really liked the effect I feel that this technique is quite limited as I can't produce the rock formations in the exact way I was looking for, as well as a hefty render time! So I am really happy at this stage that I done these experiments because It has allowed me to rethink my idea, and given me ideas on how to restructure my narrative. All in all these experiments I found really interesting because it has taught me how to use displacement maps, which I had absolutely no idea about before I started.
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I then incorporated the first test model I made into a scene with the displacement map, and although I really like the effect, I feel it is restricted as the displacement map is going through Building mesh too much. Therefore if I wanted to use displacement maps I would need to model my buildings around the displacement mesh to achieve a nice realistic effect.
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So What is a Chinatown?
A Chinatown is an area in which many ethnic Chinese lived or work. In most cases, these ethnic Chinese are migrants and minorities in their host country or new homeland. Chinatowns can be found in most cities in South East Asia, North America, Europe, Australia and Africa. Most Chinatowns have an archway that marks its boundaries. These archways are often sponsored by individuals or institutions in honor of rulers, dignitaries, individuals or events. Other common symbols and sites of Chinatowns include stone Lions, icons of dragons and phoenix, restuarants, pavilions, Temples and monasteries, and clan associations Chinatowns are usually named after the city they are located in for example, London Chinatown or San Francisco Chinatown. |
This is my first storyboard, It is a simple idea to show off the environment. Camera starts by slowly panning through my Chinatown, then fades out to cityscape shot , the background being a matte painting and the foreground being a 3D model, to really sell the sense of depth. However there is something missing from this storyboard so I am going to go ahead a draft up some ideas.
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Chinese Lantern |
Building One
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Chinese Monument |
Building Three
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Street Lamps
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These are Two photographs I took late one evening, These are a great couple of ideas of how I may want my final scene to look. They both have a different aura surrounding them which I believe could fit in perfectly. I captured these pictures because I thought the sky looked ideal for my kind of environment. The Left photo has a beautiful contrast between the Blue of the sky and the purple of the clouds. The photo on the right was a photograph taken shortly after the first, however at the moment I prefer the kind of dark and atmospheric feeling which this photo captures. I think the clouds could also represent a metaphor for the evil which is coming over, ie The Villain.
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