My name is Miron Lockette (aka Teviniii in the forum). I'm an actor, singer and songwriter, so the elements of theatre come naturally to me. Transferring those skills to animation is something that I never dreamed of doing but I am having the time of my life! In addition to writing the script, music and lyrics, I also acted and sang every role. I generally collaborate with a very talented filmmaker named Christopher Leo Daniels but unfortunately for this project, he was only able to supply the face of Etta James.
The Best iClone's Tribute Video to Famous Movie
Q: When did you start to use iClone? How do you know iClone?
I began using iClone about a year and a half ago. At the time, I had just started experimenting with a very primitive form of 2D animation that proved to be too tedious. After a couple of weeks, I started searching around on the internet for a more modern and computer driven way to animate and that's how I discovered iClone.
Q: Why did you choose the movie "DreamGirls" to join this competition?
Dreamgirls is a show that I saw twice on Broadway. I know it very well. I also own the DVD to the film version. Basically, it was familiar territory. In order to make the satire more reflective of current events, I totally deconstructed and recast the female leads. Beyonce is the only actress from Dreamgirls who "appears" in Screamgirls but even she was assigned a different role.
Screamgirls Music Video (tribute to Dreamgirls)
Q: How many design bases you have? G2 or G3? What's the benefit about using CloneCloth?
I only own the G2 cloth so I am looking forward to getting my hands on the G3 update!
I'd have to say that the greatest benefit of Clone Cloth is the ability to quickly drop a generic texture or hue over an established template. Although it can't compare to creating your own opacity layers and customized textures, it does save a lot of time.
Q: What's the most difficult part in producing this video?
The most challenging issue was trying to figure out how to effectively voice the Whitney Houston character. She ended up sounding like equal parts Tina Turner, Joan Rivers, Bette Davis and Jack Klugman.
Q: How did you make exaggerative facial animation? Where's the idea from?
Because Screamgirls is a musical, it required facial animation that would accommodate the extended open- mouthed vowels that occur when a singer is holding a note. From what I understand, iClone 4 has that dexterity but at the time that I animated Screamgirls, Crazy Talk was the only solution. Crazy Talk also gave me the opportunity to fine tune and customize very vivid facial expressions to match the over-the-top spoken text.
Q: What will you suggest to the new beginners in iClone?
I would advise anyone who is new to iClone to learn to manage his or her time wisely because the software is ADDICTIVE. It's also important to choose themes and projects that you love - and HAVE FUN!!!
