margaret line test

This post shows a quick line tests that displays how my character Margaret would move and walk.

jousting animation (final outcome and module reflection)

Jousting match animation (Final outcome)

Evaluation and reflection

At the beginning of the Innovative animation module, I worked with a number of people on different projects throughout the first five week period. The techniques we learnt through course of each one included the Artist BLU street art animation which we did through the form of chalk; Lotte Reiniger’s silhouette style; time-lapse method through photography; multiplane method of using multiple frames going over on top of each other and Caroline leaf’s oil painting style of animation through using sand materials.

What’s worked best through all groups I’ve been with is working with different people, building confidence on leading, helping and communicating at times with other members; planning, executing and finishing the main scenario before deadlines. Even learning many ways animation can take form from through useful experimentation that would help build ideas to make my animations unique and different.

What didn’t work well in groups was in some case the lack of communication, mostly online and worrying that myself or other members aren’t contributing enough towards the projects as other group members.

In the last half of the module, our task was to create an individual animation inspired by the group projects we did at the beginning. First approach was planning decent ideas that would fit the outcome. The main ideas include faces that morph into different emotions or features and the other was a jousting match. The idea I chose was the joust as it fitted the criteria I want for the outcome. My original though was to use the silhouette technique as it was a method I enjoyed when filming. But to make my animation more interesting I decided to use mixed media elements, comprised of drawing, puppeteering stop motion and multiplane. For starters I produced character designs for the puppets and a storyboard to form the main scenario of the scene. Then I started to rotoscope footage from internet research of the jousting scenes I needed which was done on TVs paint; drawing the outlines of the jousters then filling the colours in with backgrounds. Next, I used after effects to form multiplane backgrounds to move with certain scenes in the animation which once each background is positioned in the right time length, it blends into tv paint with the scene.

Next was filming the puppets, which were made from black card for body parts and white paper to create different emotions for each character. Once each scene of stop motion was done, the next thing to do was blend them in with the backgrounds which were both done in tv paint aswell as placing them in between rotoscoping scenes based on the storyboard. Once that was done, the last thing was blending the puppets with the rest of the animation, by using the drawing tools to sketch the shape and shading onto the puppet images using only black and white colours.

The final thing after exporting was putting a decent soundtrack based on sounds that would be normally heard in a jousting match through adobe Audition then placed with the footage on premiere pro from the free sound website and YouTube.

The best part of this piece was creating my own technique by mixing drawing with stop motion. What I could improve on is mainly time management when planning and executing the production stage and being able to do all scenes I planned from the storyboard; and I would like to improve my sound making skills to make the animations more interesting.

references, puppets and backgrounds

 Reference links
This section shows the links to the rotoscoping references and inspirations I used within the animation. But only four were used in the production stage. The asterisk * links to what was used.

• Amazing galloping horses 1080p hd (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OapMBWNgTzU)
• Arabian horses by felix redkov YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNF6kI5slI) *
• Full metal jousting s01 e01 the ultimate extreme sport YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48BS6mM8vd4) *
• Full metal jousting the biggest hits YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWVZgp-eQG8)
• Greg robinson horsemanship intro to the turn around YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihXYcwQgX_g)*
• How to fit horses with english saddles how to hook the girth of an english saddle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DOpH7p_2oE)*
• Most beautiful horse film ever (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apXGSzStESI)
• ser loras tyrell vs gregor clegane tournament (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcnFPp2mFoc)

original main background drawing

This is original drawing of the main background used in most puppet scenes and some rotoscoping scenes. This was sketched through pencil then pen using a set of three A3 paper sheets.
Edited main background

This shows the edited version of the background which was done through adobe photoshop which was then used for most of the scenes in the animation and was used for some scenes that had multiplane elements to it.

Puppets 
this images show what some of the puppets look like before the filming process and the editing within tv paint.

 

Margaret 30 second scene storyboard

This post shows the storyboard of the Margaret scene I want to represent my character in through personality and characteristics towards other people.
But this might be change as the outcome for the module would need to be a line test and it should mostly concentrate on drawings of margaret which in turn can save alot of time towards the deadline.

Advanced 2D module summary (part3)

This post shows the spider animation outcome and the reflection on the overall scenario of this module

Final outcome
This display shows the final edit of the animation with the name changed to 'Breeding cycle of spiders', formatted further with clean drawings and colour. For the most part I used TV paint's smearing paint tool after applying rough colour schemes on each frame. This would allow me to be3lnd the colour in and make it look more of the animation style of a painting. After it was further edited through Adobe Premiere, added with the music from the YouTube reference link which was slightly modified to suit the feel of the scenes within this short clip.
Click here to go to my uploaded version for better quality on vimeo.

'Breeding cycle of spiders'

Module evaluation and reflection

For this module, the main scenario was to learn and understand the ways of advancing 2D animation within the boundaries of software methods like TV paint and after effects; and drawing methods including cel animation and rotoscoping.

First I researched the main topic I would base the 30 to 60 second animation which was originally the life cycle of spiders but was changed over time to suit criteria’s requirements and suit the amount of time I can complete the outcome before the module’s end. This was eventually changed to the theme ‘Breeding cycle of spiders.’ Next I produced initial sketches to show my understanding of the theme. After that I started with the pre-production stages of storyboarding and animatic based on the research elements of the reference footage from YouTube. But like the titles, it was changed drastically to avoid doing too much work when in the production stage. Once I was in that stage, the main formatting and method I used was TV paint and rotoscoping based on comprised research footage, sliced and put together on TV paint to suit the story I want to tell from the theme.

Once the line test for the short spider documentary was done, I then proceeded to clean up the frames and add the suitable colour I wanted for the outcome. This was a great opportunity to let the audience understand each frame with the selected colour schemes to represent each drawing. For example, to know which spider is which, I decided to use the colour schemes of reds for the female and blues for the male. To make it feel less of a rotoscope, I decided to further use the TV paint features of blending the colours to look more like a painting, mainly using the smear paint brush tool.

Once the production stage was done I edited the footage with the sound on Adobe Premiere Pro. Once this was easily done, I exported it to an AVI file to be ready for publishing.

What’s worked best in this module is learning more methods and productive ways of using after effects, Photoshop and TV paint. Even though I’ve only used more methods in TV paint, it’s useful to have this sort of preparation and knowledge to help further my animation skills when put onto digital formatting in future.

One thing I would change is work better on my time managing skills to get the right results on time, produce the right length for the animation, planning ahead on research, tasks and stages; and produce the best out of the animation aswell as the other production stages when cleaning them up.

Animatics and other line tests

Line tests (mutliple scenes

This video shows multiple scenes I expereimented on the tv paint software to practice my skills and to prepare the best out of ther main scene I want for the main prodcution and the cleaning stage

Animatic

This post shows the pre-production stage of an animatic through the length I want the animation to be through static pictures. This has also been Combined with the soundtrack I want for the post production stage.

As you watch, the sketches are based on the footage I have found on the internet which have bern organised, cut and compressed together to form what I want for the outcome and be based on the storyboard at the beginning of the pre-production stage.

4th December 2014 character development presentation

Initial sketches

This section shows the initials I incorporated to produce ideas of how I want my character Margaret to look like, mainly to show off her vicious personality and show off her false exterior of thinking she is beautiful whereas she is actually ugly.

Head and Feature shapes

This slide shows the initial steps I had to produce to make my character more appealing, mainly shapes on eyes, mouth and head shapes. When I chose the right features and shapes, I experimented with facial expressions and poses to see if the features are suited and grounded to what my character should look like.

 

Body Shapes and General poses
This slide displays my experimentation of producing different body shapes to suit best for the personality I want for Margaret. Once I've chosen the best shape I further experimented with how the shape can do well with different poses.

Character Sheets and Turn Around sheets
This slide shows sketches of a turn around sheet which is comprised from different angles to get a full picture and perspective of the character. The other sheet of drawings display the sort of personality and characteristics she would normally display on screen to show what can see do when being portrayed with other characters and other setting she would be in.

Marquette Model
This slide shows the production stages of how I did the main figure of my character through a 3D modelling perspective through using plasticine modelling clay and carving equipment to produce all the shapes right before putting in the detail. For the face I simply created skull to easily stabilize the features especially when creating the cheek bones and eye sockets to look like a female face when the full head is produced. What these images also show is that I used simple equipment of pencils to wrap the material around to stabilise the shape when all parts are put together to avoid collapsing.

Concept Art
This last slide shows intitial concept arts I've produced to get an overall feel and visual development of the character mainly through colour schemes, styles, refining the detail and developing it through different perspectives to show characteristics and personality.