This is the project thread for the osu! OP.
Suggestions regarding the active project stage are encouraged - feel free to post any comments, suggestions, or concept drawings or storyboards of your own!

The project will move much more smoothly if more people are able to help! We would need people experienced with animation in After Effects as well as animation in general, 3D modelling, and digital painting, but even if you do not consider yourself an artist, you can still help! Please post here stating your interest in helping, and be aware that you may not be called upon for quite some time depending on what you want to help with and the speed of production.


Project stages - animation:

> Storyboard
> 3D modelling references
> Proof/rough animation
> Lineart
> Solid colors
> Backgrounds
> Detailing

Music will be made concurrently with the Storyboards and Proof/Rough Animation
The music would have to be developed and finalized during the proof/rough animation stage, and cannot be altered significantly after that. I would also appreciate that nobody map the song until the animation is finished.


Storyboards:

For now, I'm going to draw them out as follows, according to Loginer's idea:

> Pippi entering dark room.
- Crosses arms, holds chin.
- Grins.

> Starts setting up stuff. The order to be determined.
- sweeping the stage
- raising curtains
- turning on/setting up spotlights
- Placing down equipment (smoke machines, teleprompter, etc.)
- painting (stuff)
- opening boxes

- amps
- piano
- drums
- bass/guitar plugs
- computers

> Pippi putting on headphones.
- smiling, pan up or zoom out
- osu! logo

From here, a gameplay trailer could be made by extending the song and putting gameplay footage after this point, inturrepted by pippi performing on stage, with possible references to gameplay (virtual sliders she runs her finger across, etc.).

Also, an extended opening could have her standing, facing the stage (in the pit or somewhere close), with the camera facing her, the swing around to show the stage, which would cut to her performing a verse or two, then panning up into the stage lights and showing the osu! logo.


Storyboards and concept sketches:

Sounds interesting. I'll start stalking this thread.

Or maybe a short (pre-rendered) animation of the logo that fades in to the menu at the end.

Someone with pro video skills could take tidbits of gameplay and screenshots and splice them together in a neat OP fashion

I'd love to help, but I doubt I can contribute usefully... How about...

I'll pledge $25 to a charity of the choice of whoever gets this done. Or an osu! yearlong subscription, take your pick.

i'm not much of an artist, but i wish you the best of luck

If the format of the opening will be hand drawn, I can lay down all base colors to any provided lineart for every frame.

I'm also experienced with basic to intermediate 3DSMAX (can't make medium to high-poly custom models, but can skeleton and animate) as well as video editing, text animation and AfterEffects. However, I still find that a hand-drawn (or skilled flash animation) opening would be better suited for the game than a 3D one.

My idea for the animation is that Pippi is sitting in her room listening to music or maybe playing osu!, then puts down her headphones and steps outside. She's walking in regular clothes, but then sees a pulsating osu! logo on a wall. She looks at it for a while, then presses it, and the music starts (or the music is all tinny like you'd hear from headphones, but it becomes full once she presses the logo). From there, she sees hitcircles start popping up, and she proceeds to run around pressing them. Every now and then there will be a cut to a shot of her performing the song with a band on stage, and toward the end, Pippi will press a hitcircle and look up, to see that she's on a stage, and is given a microphone. From there, and the song's last verse or something is sung in this context.

... o.o

It looks great but... Good luck for doing such a great opening xD

AI WO, KOMETE, SURA SUUURA TO NE

Yeah, this could be a lot of fun if it gets off the ground. 3DCG's my forte, which makes me best suited for creating backgrounds if we're going for something hand-drawn. Reposting idea from the other thread:

Loginer wrote:

The video [could] focus on Pippi preparing for her next performance. It'd be something like the loading screens in Rock Band 3, except much longer.

Daru wrote:

My idea for the animation is that Pippi is sitting in her room listening to music or maybe playing osu!, then puts down her headphones and steps outside. She's walking in regular clothes, but then sees a pulsating osu! logo on a wall. She looks at it for a while, then presses it, and the music starts (or the music is all tinny like you'd hear from headphones, but it becomes full once she presses the logo). From there, she sees hitcircles start popping up, and she proceeds to run around pressing them. Every now and then there will be a cut to a shot of her performing the song with a band on stage, and toward the end, Pippi will press a hitcircle and look up, to see that she's on a stage, and is given a microphone. From there, and the song's last verse or something is sung in this context.

Sounds great

OzzyOzrock wrote:

AI WO, KOMETE, SURA SUUURA TO NE

moe

If mine and Loginer's ideas are the only ideas, should we start discussing which one to use and refinements to each?
Any more ideas are welcome as well.

Loginer wrote:

If the previous fifteen community projects are anything to go by, everyone will just spend two weeks working on ideas before losing motivation.

See what I mean?

I'll post something constructive in a few hours.

Daru wrote:

My idea for the animation is that Pippi is sitting in her room listening to music or maybe playing osu!, then puts down her headphones and steps outside. She's walking in regular clothes, but then sees a pulsating osu! logo on a wall. She looks at it for a while, then presses it, and the music starts (or the music is all tinny like you'd hear from headphones, but it becomes full once she presses the logo). From there, she sees hitcircles start popping up, and she proceeds to run around pressing them. Every now and then there will be a cut to a shot of her performing the song with a band on stage, and toward the end, Pippi will press a hitcircle and look up, to see that she's on a stage, and is given a microphone. From there, and the song's last verse or something is sung in this context.

This idea is very nice , but how do you want to make something like this , it will take years to make this.

Make Pippy sing bad apple.

you shoud better use some remix of the osu! tutorial song !

Roga-don wrote:

you shoud better use some remix of the osu! tutorial song !

nice idea , but who would remix the osu! tutorial song...

The osu! community is really big, i know some computer music composers in its players. if there aren't, I could do a remix, but I'm not a good composer xD

I could try making a rmx i have peepz tht can help out but ill work on it when vacation is over

AyooxPsycho wrote:

I could try making a rmx i have peepz tht can help out but ill work on it when vacation is over

nice , but now we need an idea that is easy to make , but also good

Okay, so here's what I have in mind. Pippi enters a gray and empty locale wearing something generic, like a warm jacket and jeans. She flips a switch, and the lights in the roof turn on, one section at a time. She walks/dances through the building, doing things like adjusting spotlights, switching costumes and messing with dials on a mixing console. Subtle references to gameplay mechanics could be sneaked into these parts, such as buttons shaped like hit circles and hand cranks resembling spinners.

Every action Pippi performs affects the environment in some way, making it more lively and colorful. Every sound and every footstep follows a specific rhythm, and once she plugs a bass guitar into an amp and a bass track is added to the mix, it becomes obvious that this is the intro to some sort of osu! theme song.

Once everything is ready, the music stops for a few beats. Awaiting the audience, Pippi sits down on the edge of the stage, puts on a pair of headphones, and shuts her eyes. The camera moves back, and the main menu materializes from the smoke of a nearby smoke machine as the first verse begins. In the background, the osu! logo is pulsing to the beat on a huge concert screen. The overall length of the opening video would be something like 20-30 seconds.

The genre most closely associated with osu! is J-pop, so that's the kind of sound we'd want for this song. Some of the MIDI files in this thread might come in handy as far as composing the song goes. Hit sounds could be used in the drum track to give the song a distinctive osu! feel. A remix of the tutorial theme is an absolute no-no; the song sounds less like J-pop material and more like something a Final Fantasy marching band would play.

What's next, a commercial for osu?

Loginer wrote:

Okay, so here's what I have in mind. Pippi enters a gray and empty locale wearing something generic, like a warm jacket and jeans. She flips a switch, and the lights in the roof turn on, one section at a time. She walks/dances through the building, doing things like adjusting spotlights, switching costumes and messing with dials on a mixing console. Subtle references to gameplay mechanics could be sneaked into these parts, such as buttons shaped like hit circles and hand cranks resembling spinners.

Every action Pippi performs affects the environment in some way, making it more lively and colorful. Every sound and every footstep follows a specific rhythm, and once she plugs a bass guitar into an amp and a bass track is added to the mix, it becomes obvious that this is the intro to some sort of osu! theme song.

Once everything is ready, the music stops for a few beats. Awaiting the audience, Pippi sits down on the edge of the stage, puts on a pair of headphones, and shuts her eyes. The camera moves back, and the main menu materializes from the smoke of a nearby smoke machine as the first verse begins. In the background, the osu! logo is pulsing to the beat on a huge concert screen. The overall length of the opening video would be something like 20-30 seconds.

The genre most closely associated with osu! is J-pop, so that's the kind of sound we'd want for this song. Some of the MIDI files in this thread might come in handy as far as composing the song goes. Hit sounds could be used in the drum track to give the song a distinctive osu! feel. A remix of the tutorial theme is an absolute no-no; the song sounds less like J-pop material and more like something a Final Fantasy marching band would play.

This is also an nice idea , but a single person will need years to do something like this

I think this is a great idea. Maybe one of those things that plays when you open up osu/when you're on the menu for more than 30 seconds...Seems awfully complex, I definitely can't do anything in this project, but I wish you guys luck xD

Loginer wrote:

Okay, so here's what I have in mind. Pippi enters a gray and empty locale wearing something generic, like a warm jacket and jeans. She flips a switch, and the lights in the roof turn on, one section at a time. She walks/dances through the building, doing things like adjusting spotlights, switching costumes and messing with dials on a mixing console. Subtle references to gameplay mechanics could be sneaked into these parts, such as buttons shaped like hit circles and hand cranks resembling spinners.

Every action Pippi performs affects the environment in some way, making it more lively and colorful. Every sound and every footstep follows a specific rhythm, and once she plugs a bass guitar into an amp and a bass track is added to the mix, it becomes obvious that this is the intro to some sort of osu! theme song.

Once everything is ready, the music stops for a few beats. Awaiting the audience, Pippi sits down on the edge of the stage, puts on a pair of headphones, and shuts her eyes. The camera moves back, and the main menu materializes from the smoke of a nearby smoke machine as the first verse begins. In the background, the osu! logo is pulsing to the beat on a huge concert screen. The overall length of the opening video would be something like 20-30 seconds.

The genre most closely associated with osu! is J-pop, so that's the kind of sound we'd want for this song. Some of the MIDI files in this thread might come in handy as far as composing the song goes. Hit sounds could be used in the drum track to give the song a distinctive osu! feel. A remix of the tutorial theme is an absolute no-no; the song sounds less like J-pop material and more like something a Final Fantasy marching band would play.

This sounds great, and admittedly sounds easier to animate than my idea is.
The biggest thing at this point, I believe, would be to get a song to actually animate to. I can draw up some storyboards regarding this idea, too, and those would be synced to the song once it is willed into being.

TraXXed22 wrote:

Roga-don wrote:

you shoud better use some remix of the osu! tutorial song !

nice idea , but who would remix the osu! tutorial song...

just stop fucking posting

Every time you post you include the word but, and have a negative connotation. The people interested in working on this project know that it will be very time consuming, and you're just cutting ideas down.

osu! OP? That's quite interesting and will be looking forward to this fan made OP.

foulcoon wrote:

TraXXed22 wrote:

nice idea , but who would remix the osu! tutorial song...

just stop fucking posting

Every time you post you include the word but, and have a negative connotation. The people interested in working on this project know that it will be very time consuming, and you're just cutting ideas down.

^

Like Daru said, the song is the biggest point.

As for a more detailed outline, I think storyboards would be the first step since it would give whoever would take up the duty of song composer cues for how to prep and set up his song. It could be done the other way around but I think if it were done with song first and storyboarding second, it would be more likely to cause scenes in the animation to either be rushed or have to be dragged out.

A sketch of Pippi's "casual" clothing. Suggest stuff for it.
Storyboards to come soon, when I'm done with all my packing.

For now, I'm going to draw them out as follows:

> Pippi entering dark room.
- Crosses arms, holds chin.
- Grins.

> Starts setting up stuff. The order to be determined.
- sweeping the stage
- raising curtains
- turning on/setting up spotlights
- Placing down equipment (smoke machines, teleprompter, etc.)
- painting (stuff)
- opening boxes

- amps
- piano
- drums
- bass/guitar plugs
- computers

> Pippi putting on headphones.
- smiling, pan up or zoom out
- osu! logo

From here, a gameplay trailer could be made by extending the song and putting gameplay footage after this point, inturrepted by pippi performing on stage, with possible references to gameplay (virtual sliders she runs her finger across, etc.).

Also, an extended opening could have her standing, facing the stage (in the pit or somewhere close), with the camera facing her, the swing around to show the stage, which would cut to her performing a verse or two, then panning up into the stage lights and showing the osu! logo.

3D models would be of enormous help by providing references for the various poses or actions that Pippi would perform.
The animation itself would follow a few stages:

> Storyboard
> 3D modelling references
> Proof/rough animation
> Lineart
> Solid colors
> Backgrounds
> Detailing

The music would have to be developed and finalized during the proof/rough animation stage, and cannot be altered significantly after that. Furthermore, we need more people if this is to be done in a timely manner. Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, helping to fill in solid colors and cels would be of great help. We also need people experienced in After Effects or other compositing software to help with the actual putting together of the animation.

Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, helping to fill in solid colors and cels would be of great help.

Does this mean people who don't know the first thing about animation can pitch in? If so, sign me up!

akrolsmir wrote:

Does this mean people who don't know the first thing about animation can pitch in? If so, sign me up!

If you know how to what is essentially "color inside the lines", then you can be of great help.

An update to the move-in thing: I am now officially moved into my dorm at college and everything is working (sorta) like I want it to.

Daru wrote:

If you know how to what is essentially "color inside the lines"

My kindergarten teacher told me that my coloring needed improvement; that said, I'd like to think I've improved in the meantime

Daru wrote:

A sketch of Pippi's "casual" clothing. Suggest stuff for it.

Cute casual clothes but I think Pippi's clothes should have some flare to it to create a more attractive appearance. Something like her jacket being a little less generic and having something like flared-out sleeves would be nice.

Nekoroll wrote:

Daru wrote:

(image)

A sketch of Pippi's "casual" clothing. Suggest stuff for it.

Cute casual clothes but I think Pippi's clothes should have some flare to it to create a more attractive appearance. Something like her jacket being a little less generic and having something like flared-out sleeves would be nice.

Well, the point was to make it kinda generic - everyday clothing.
Here's a version with flared out sleeves, though - it looks kinda like a raincoat to me:


Here's a possible storyboard for the beginning portion:

I don't get the third panel. If the switch is next to the left side of the door after entering, why would she turn around in the dark and flick it with her right arm?

As for the outfit, I prefer the first variant. And do you think you could elaborate on this:

Daru wrote:

3D models would be of enormous help by providing references for the various poses or actions that Pippi would perform.

Loginer wrote:

I don't get the third panel. If the switch is next to the left side of the door after entering, why would she turn around in the dark and flick it with her right arm?

As for the outfit, I prefer the first variant. And do you think you could elaborate on this:

Daru wrote:

3D models would be of enormous help by providing references for the various poses or actions that Pippi would perform.

Oops, that was my mistake - the box in her left hand in the fourth panel is also something I randomly put in to vary the pose a bit.

As for the 3D modelling, I was hoping to do something similar to rotoscoping, except instead of directly tracing over them, they would be used as reference. For example, if you or anyone else could animate certain actions that require difficult camera angles, it would be easier, I believe, to do it in 3D instead of trying to film reference in real life. They wouldn't be used for every last scene, just ones that involve difficult camera angles that would be annoying to make stock reference for, like aerial or panning/rotating shots.

Daru wrote:

The music would have to be developed and finalized during the proof/rough animation stage, and cannot be altered significantly after that. Furthermore, we need more people if this is to be done in a timely manner. Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, helping to fill in solid colors and cels would be of great help. We also need people experienced in After Effects or other compositing software to help with the actual putting together of the animation.

I can help for the music (i compose as amateur) don't know if i can compose like this (i mean in collaboration with the animation) but i can try and / or help with mixing/mastering if someone have to sing onto a music track. Just pm me when needed i'll keep an eye on the thread.

Although off-topic, I think it'll be nice if osu! had its own menu theme, and the theme will be changed into a song at the Song Selection Screen.

About the Daru's ideas: It's preety good. I hope it'll go into full motion and get added to the game :3

Daru wrote:

My idea for the animation is that Pippi is sitting in her room listening to music or maybe playing osu!, then puts down her headphones and steps outside. She's walking in regular clothes, but then sees a pulsating osu! logo on a wall. She looks at it for a while, then presses it, and the music starts (or the music is all tinny like you'd hear from headphones, but it becomes full once she presses the logo). From there, she sees hitcircles start popping up, and she proceeds to run around pressing them. Every now and then there will be a cut to a shot of her performing the song with a band on stage, and toward the end, Pippi will press a hitcircle and look up, to see that she's on a stage, and is given a microphone. From there, and the song's last verse or something is sung in this context.

Sounds like the opening of project diva 2nd

nice bump

Haseo wrote:

Although off-topic, I think it'll be nice if osu! had its own menu theme, and the theme will be changed into a song at the Song Selection Screen.

Aye, it would give osu! a theme song, rather than having the menu play a random beatmap. peppy might have to change a bit of code to make this work.

But I love the idea, and all the proposed storyboards sound great

palion wrote:

nice bump

Someone had to do it, we can't let an awesome idea like this go to waste.

Great idea! Storyboard so moe!

How ''bout just peppy's facial expression slowly evolving into a demented grin as he gets the idea for osu!.

^ good idea. That could be a good part of it, though I also love the previous storyboard with pippi. ♥

Well I lend you my caffeine ridden hand if you need help.
I specialize in 2d reproductions, derivatives, Line rework and shading as a lazy hobby not very active with it but its here if you need it...
Last good pieces I did http://goo.gl/sfnMH and http://goo.gl/vqNI9

opening needed to be with 3D or nothing.

Kurisuchianu wrote:

opening needed to be with 3D or nothing.

Bah... With the abundance of anime themes on OSU its only natural to have an opening done in limited frame animation, 3d for cheating on elements and BG's. Having it all 3d just wouldn't sit right...