X-Wing model provided by "Mister X, TIE Interceptor provided by "Kehlan"
Things are really starting to take shape here. To start, the storyboard is 100% complete along with prop inventory and a clear understanding of expenses. With a budget of $300 I feel fairly confident I can get any additional supplies I might need (perks of making props for years).
In regards to the animated sequences, there are two scenes that will be heavily CGI. As of last night the main 3D models were animated and nearly ready for rendering to commence on Shot 1 of Scene 2. Or to put it simply, this shot to the left, as seen from the storyboard.
I did run into a slight puzzle last night however when it came to the laser beams coming from the X-Wing fighter. While I could use a 3D mesh to represent the lasers, I've had poor results in the past using this method. This got me to thinking and I believe the solution will be to animate reference laser beams being fired, which will later be replaced with hand drawn beams in After Effects. It's a bit more tedious of a process, but the results should be immensely better. This will allow me to take a finer control over the beams and their desired look over time. Including how they glow, which is incredibly important obviously.
With all that out of the way, all that will remain are the cloud of background ships swooping and firing at one another. This is something I'm considering animating as a separate element and will bring about its own set of challenges. More on that later however.