First off - 3DS MAX
Setting up the scenes in Max is simple enough, just render them with no environment map, in a .png format so they have no background. This allows them to be easily edited into After Effects and adding styles specific to the characters that make them that little more different from the backgrounds.
Made some good use of the different Cat Motion layers, using the absolute layer to grab the final scene of the never ending walk cycle and allowing me to further edit it using +L Layers. Rendering sets of frames at a time, then editing as I need to. Tedious, but it works.
Extra - Blink
A problem I didn't think of previously was How on earth I'm going to make the characters blink and change facial expressions and such. My initial thought was a sub-objects material type, however the material map for the character wouldn't map around the object the same way as a standard map for whatever reason. The back up plan was making the diffuse map in a standard texture a fall off, and changing the gradient to solid each time i wanted to see a change.
This meant that I could only animate between 2 textures at a time, and a lot of renedering.. 27 frames, then swapping the textures to do the next 70 frames was called for, but if it works it works. You do what you gotta do.
Next up - Overlay
In After Effects, a variety of things happen. First off, I had a noise video of 10 seconds long created using a generation from Sony Vegas Pro 10. I put this over the top of the 3D output and the background with dropped opacity and an Overlay mode. I didn't want the video to be crisp and defined, I wanted it to be darker, the noise adds to that.
The other two edits include a brightness adjustment layer. It doesn't add much to EVERY scene but it's good to have there to keep the scenes flowing and consistent. Or so I hope. The other is a solid layer, with inverted circle feathered heavy and lowered in the opacity region to add a darker border around the edge of every scene.
And Then - Character Styles
Isaac + Adversary - Brightness + Contrast Layer that adjusts with keyframes according to scene lighting.
Plus, a Drop Shadow, and small Stroke effect to tie the characters with the style of the game a little more. The Drop Shadow helps them blend into their scene a little more.
Angel Gabriel - As an Angel (and.. Just generally being outdoors) Gabriel has a slight Brightness tweak and an Outer Glow, alongside the Drop Shadow and Stroke like the other two characters. Just to make him stand out and float away in all his holiness.
Other Assets
The Shadows are adjusted using After Effects, taking those from Max - where applicable - and using solid layers with various effects to add a shadow beneath each character where it's needed. Thankfully, there's no reflections in this composition.
The Adversary's laser is another added feature that consists of an advanced lighting generator ontop of a solid layer, adjusted with turbulence and a strike motion , adding a glow on a core for the right momentum. The start and end point of the path are adjusted and key framed to slowly burst from The Adversary when he attacks, and fades out when he's finished. With this comes a lighting adjustment for the 2 characters, a simple red solid with dropped opacity and proper positioning.
Angel Gabriel's halo is also a post-feature. Created using a simple ellipse as a 3D layer, and made all fancy with glowing effects. Parented to the 3D rendered layer so it moves as Gabriel does. Simple little things.
Final Composite
Premiere Pro is the program of choice, of course. Throwing the Scenes from After Effects in and basically lining it up with the anamatic. Some audio chopping had to happen. Certain scenes were taken out, and various SFX were unneeded or replaced. The simplest process, honestly...
Rendering the final video! New laptop is being tested..
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