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"Digital Winston"
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| Who or What is Digital Winston? |
| "Digital Winston" is the computer-generated mascot of RTFFX and Video Services. "He" is a digital model of an Old English Sheepdog and here is a picture of "him":
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| Is there a "real" Winston? |
| Yes, the digital model is based on a real dog, named "Winston" (of course!), and here is a picture of him. |
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| What can "Digital Winston" Do? |
| Just about anything except talk. He can walk, gallop, bark, pant, bark, sit down, lie down, roll over, blink, turn his head, or even move his eyebrows. Many movements can be performed simultaneously (if the parts moving are independent of each other). He could even hop around on a pogo stick if desired. (Is there a demo you ask? YES, there is a demo of this on the animated demos page). |
| How obedient is "Digital Winston" |
| Very. In one of the demos, he rolls over which is something that the real Winston won't do. As for pogo sticks and real sheepdogs, it is just not possible. |
| Why was "Digital Winston" created? |
| RTFFX needed a mascot and a friend has an Old English Sheepdog. So far there has been no indication anyone else has created a "virtual sheepdog". This project also turned out to be a challenge. |
| In the animated demos, "Digital Winston" seems to be moving around in a real background, such as in someone's driveway. What's going on? |
| The background (the driveway) is real and was shot with an ordinary digital camcorder. The dog was added (composited) later with a 3D software package and so was not actually in the scene. The same is true about the pogo stick in the pogo stick demo. The background was shot on a bright sunny day and the lighting on the dog was matched to the lighting of the background. The shadow on the driveway which appears to belong to the dog was added digitally at the same time. |
| Can I hire "Digital Winston"? |
| Yes. You could for example, "invite" him to your party. For example, just add a scene shot on a tripod of an empty chair at the table. RTFFX will do the rest. (A stationary shot is far easier to use for this purpose than one in which the camera is moving.) |
| What about other models? |
| You can also contract RTFFX to create your own character to your specifications. |
| What type of 3D model is he? |
| For those familiar with 3D modeling, "Digital Winston" consists of "subdivision surfaces". With this type of modeling, very flexible types of movements can be simulated. |
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