Following on from a post I wrote earlier this month, I found this tutorial that Alex Grigg made to explain the process of animating on Photoshop, with the different techniques he uses.
Photoshop Animation Techniques (Redux, Creative Cloud) from Alex Grigg on Vimeo.
Some of the points he made I already use in my own work, but as he said himself this tutorial isn't for new Photoshop users.
However he has some good tips on using video layers and how to speed up the animating process in Photoshop!
I will use what I've learnt here to improve upon my own work in the future!
Wednesday 31 December 2014
Sunday 21 December 2014
The Art Of Tangled
In the form of an early Christmas present I received one of the best books I have ever owned... The Art Of Tangled! This is one of my favourite films, and now I can read further into how it was made, and how they developed the elements that make this animation great.
I found the development of Flynn Ryder's character particularly interesting, since originally he looked very different until the makers held a survey among women to see what they find attractive. It's small changes like this that make me realise how different the film could have been, and make me appreciate the final product a lot more.
Along with gorgeous artwork from sketchers such as Glen Keane, this is a book that I feel I will take inspiration from time and time again as I develop as an artist.
I found the development of Flynn Ryder's character particularly interesting, since originally he looked very different until the makers held a survey among women to see what they find attractive. It's small changes like this that make me realise how different the film could have been, and make me appreciate the final product a lot more.
Along with gorgeous artwork from sketchers such as Glen Keane, this is a book that I feel I will take inspiration from time and time again as I develop as an artist.
Thursday 4 December 2014
BAF 2014 - Boxtrolls Behind the Scenes
My favourite event at BAF this year has got to be the behind the scenes talk about the recent success: Boxtrolls!
Mark Shapiro talked us through the process Laika go through to create a stop motion film; from 4 years of concept art to 2 and a half years of production, plus using 3D printers and machine-controlled puppets to make the characters, hand-making and animating every single prop (including the clocks!), using a countless number of different materials to create the right textures on each character, prop and background in between the concept and animating stages, it's safe to say they put a lot of work into each film they make.
He also spoke a lot about the marketing of the film; things are done differently in the US then they are in the UK. This is an interesting factor because I didn't realise how different the campaigns are in different countries, they had to find out what appeals to different people and create a series of posters instead of one for worldwide.
They have been a huge inspiration to me, have taught me a lot about stop motion and animating in general, and I hope to be in a successful company such as this one day!
Mark Shapiro talked us through the process Laika go through to create a stop motion film; from 4 years of concept art to 2 and a half years of production, plus using 3D printers and machine-controlled puppets to make the characters, hand-making and animating every single prop (including the clocks!), using a countless number of different materials to create the right textures on each character, prop and background in between the concept and animating stages, it's safe to say they put a lot of work into each film they make.
- All of this work takes about 20 departments per scene to perfect every detail.
- They used a mixture of practical and natural lighting - the natural lighting being in the tunnels but a lot of practical everywhere else.
- All together it takes about 10 years to make a film!
- They use Maya to build the characters faces and print them, to then move onto Dragonframe to record their stop motions - the same software that we use in college!
- It's all mechanical animation instead of claymation (they're all about the future) - their armatures are made from aluminium/steel, since other materials such as tin don't have as good stability. The largest puppet on set was 5ft tall!
- People on their team have strange backgrounds - were previously teachers, carpenters, actors, jewelery makers etc. - this gives them a different outlook on how to build sets and animate.
- All together it cost them about $85 Million to create the Boxtrolls
He also spoke a lot about the marketing of the film; things are done differently in the US then they are in the UK. This is an interesting factor because I didn't realise how different the campaigns are in different countries, they had to find out what appeals to different people and create a series of posters instead of one for worldwide.
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| US |
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| UK |
They have been a huge inspiration to me, have taught me a lot about stop motion and animating in general, and I hope to be in a successful company such as this one day!
Wednesday 3 December 2014
BAF 2014 - Aardman
The first day of BAF was one of the best in my opinion, mainly because I got the chance to attend an inspirational talk by Peter Lord from Aardman studios!
He showed the cinema behind the scenes photos of the crew, clips from episodes and films they have made as a company, and he described the process from founding the company, to where they are today.
The company is split into 5 main areas; Feature length films, TV commercials, Series for TV, Apps/games and the Rights department (who make money for all of the other areas).
An example of one of their earlier commercials was shown, which proves that Aardman can create clever concepts that are humorous:
One of the main focuses of the talk was the fact that the infamous Morph was to be revitalised as a Youtube series. For the past few months there has been a kick starter campaign to earn enough funds and an audience to welcome the character back, since Peter couldn't sell the idea to anyone.
Morph was first created in 1976, at a time when no one else was really making claymations, so the animators involved had to teach themselves how to use the technique. The two characters, Morph and Chaz, were made with terrecotta plasticine, which involves chalk in the mixture. No CG was involved in making these short films, only clay and clever tricks.
Another major asset to the company is their next feature length film which will be released 6th February 2015, developed on from their popular children's TV series - Shaun the Sheep. That brings their total to 2 CG and 4 Stop Motion animated feature length films. This and some of their other works require no dialogue, but instead brilliant sound design and actions to describe what is happening. Here's one of the trailers for the film:
He also discussed another recent blockbuster success, 'Pirates, in an adventure with scientists'. They had their biggest crew yet working on this film, with more special effects and characters then ever before.
It's so impressive that Peter Lord started out graduating with a different degree, to then just sell a simple animation to the BBC to kickstart his career and company.
He showed the cinema behind the scenes photos of the crew, clips from episodes and films they have made as a company, and he described the process from founding the company, to where they are today.
The company is split into 5 main areas; Feature length films, TV commercials, Series for TV, Apps/games and the Rights department (who make money for all of the other areas).
An example of one of their earlier commercials was shown, which proves that Aardman can create clever concepts that are humorous:
One of the main focuses of the talk was the fact that the infamous Morph was to be revitalised as a Youtube series. For the past few months there has been a kick starter campaign to earn enough funds and an audience to welcome the character back, since Peter couldn't sell the idea to anyone.
Morph was first created in 1976, at a time when no one else was really making claymations, so the animators involved had to teach themselves how to use the technique. The two characters, Morph and Chaz, were made with terrecotta plasticine, which involves chalk in the mixture. No CG was involved in making these short films, only clay and clever tricks.
Another major asset to the company is their next feature length film which will be released 6th February 2015, developed on from their popular children's TV series - Shaun the Sheep. That brings their total to 2 CG and 4 Stop Motion animated feature length films. This and some of their other works require no dialogue, but instead brilliant sound design and actions to describe what is happening. Here's one of the trailers for the film:
He also discussed another recent blockbuster success, 'Pirates, in an adventure with scientists'. They had their biggest crew yet working on this film, with more special effects and characters then ever before.
It's so impressive that Peter Lord started out graduating with a different degree, to then just sell a simple animation to the BBC to kickstart his career and company.
Phantom Limb - Alex Grigg
This beautiful animation was introduced to me by one of my classmates last year:
Phantom Limb from Alex Grigg on Vimeo.
The story has been told very well through the style and fluidity of the animation; you can tell the arm is a part of the man's imagination due to the liquid-like edges compared to the rest of the animation, but it still looks real.
The smooth change between scenes also contributes to how well the story is told, allowing it to run smoothly and pass through time efficiently.
The lack of dialogue allows the viewer to become more emotionally engrossed into the film as they are imagining what it would be like to feel how the characters do.
Alex Grigg uploaded all of his work, the development process of this piece, to a blog, and explained how he got from point A to point B:
https://medium.com/@joyybox/making-phantom-limb-1eef3f6d085f
Phantom Limb from Alex Grigg on Vimeo.
The story has been told very well through the style and fluidity of the animation; you can tell the arm is a part of the man's imagination due to the liquid-like edges compared to the rest of the animation, but it still looks real.
The smooth change between scenes also contributes to how well the story is told, allowing it to run smoothly and pass through time efficiently.
The lack of dialogue allows the viewer to become more emotionally engrossed into the film as they are imagining what it would be like to feel how the characters do.
Alex Grigg uploaded all of his work, the development process of this piece, to a blog, and explained how he got from point A to point B:
https://medium.com/@joyybox/making-phantom-limb-1eef3f6d085f
Flight of Stories - Aardman
Here's a recent film made by one of my favourite animation companies, Aardman:
Though they are primarily a stop motion/claymation company, they have proven they can animate using other techniques as well. This animation in particular was made to advertise a gallery opening last July dedicated to the First World War; which is why this has a simple yet effective concept behind it, keeping the audience engaged until the end to find out what it's about.
Though they are primarily a stop motion/claymation company, they have proven they can animate using other techniques as well. This animation in particular was made to advertise a gallery opening last July dedicated to the First World War; which is why this has a simple yet effective concept behind it, keeping the audience engaged until the end to find out what it's about.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Cravendale - The Making Of
Yamination Studios recently created an advert for Cravendale Milk. Here's a short documentary on how they made the sets towards it:
Cravendale - The Making of Barry The Biscuit Boy Sets from Yamination Studios on Vimeo.
The thought of being able to build a set and animate in stop motion is one of the main reasons I became interested in animation in the first place. Seeing behind the scenes footage on films such as this one only fuels my inspiration, whilst giving me a glimpse of how professionals create amazing pieces of work.
Seeing how much detail goes into making simple objects in a scene and the techniques that are used to get the right textures of materials (such as burning a piece of wood to develop the old, rustic look of the building) shows me that there are many ways to be creative in achieving the look you want.
At some point during my time at university in the next 2 years I would like to try building a set, for the purposes of discovering new materials to work with and figuring out the best ways to animate with certain tools, so I can develop a better understanding of what can be achieved with stop motion when thinking of my own stories/animations in the future.
Cravendale - The Making of Barry The Biscuit Boy Sets from Yamination Studios on Vimeo.
The thought of being able to build a set and animate in stop motion is one of the main reasons I became interested in animation in the first place. Seeing behind the scenes footage on films such as this one only fuels my inspiration, whilst giving me a glimpse of how professionals create amazing pieces of work.
Seeing how much detail goes into making simple objects in a scene and the techniques that are used to get the right textures of materials (such as burning a piece of wood to develop the old, rustic look of the building) shows me that there are many ways to be creative in achieving the look you want.
At some point during my time at university in the next 2 years I would like to try building a set, for the purposes of discovering new materials to work with and figuring out the best ways to animate with certain tools, so I can develop a better understanding of what can be achieved with stop motion when thinking of my own stories/animations in the future.
Social Media
Today we started considering more thoughtfully how social media can help us in the future;
'Pinterest' is another website I've been introduced to, which is all about pinning work or photos that I see that impress and inspire me, which could be useful for sourcing reference material.
- Networking
- Showing off your work - getting it noticed by potential clients or partners (to collaborate with)
- Finding job opportunities
- To gain inspiration and knowledge from others
- Keeping up to date with what's happening in the world
It would be more beneficial to me if I start creating accounts and following the right people/blogs to gain more opportunities by the time I graduate next year.
I set up a Twitter account in PPP last year, but we've been taught today how to section accounts we're following into lists to keep the website more manageable:
I've been introduced to other websites such as 'Feedly' and 'LinkedIn'. 'Feedly' is a good place to gather all information from blogs and websites to list their most recent updates in one place - this saves time instead of going onto all the different websites you can just look at 'Feedly' to see everything.
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| My 'Feedly' Homepage. |
'LinkedIn' is similar to 'Facebook' except simple and more professional. So far I've seen a lot of companies with accounts so it seems to be a good place to contact them and gain opportunities.
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| My 'LinkedIn' Homepage. |
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| Potential subjects to follow |
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| 'Pinterest' Homepage |
There are also ways to document my own work on various websites such as 'Flickr', 'Vimeo', 'Tumblr' and a 'Facebook' page. If I keep the same username for all of my accounts then I can maintain a professional manner and it will be easier for people to find me and stay updated.
I already have a couple of Tumblr accounts - one for Photography and the other for my drawing/animation - I will set up accounts on the rest of the websites I just listed and start publishing my work professionally.
Thursday 6 November 2014
Animated Shorts of the Year (Oscars)
http://www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/10-animated-shorts-make-the-2014-oscar-shortlist-105293.html
Since I follow Cartoon Brew on various social media websites, I can see regular updates of their articles and keep up with what's new and relevant in the animation world.
Here I found an article published yesterday about animated shorts that are nominated for an Oscar award. I've seen trailers for them and they all look outstanding; there's a variety of techniques that have been used, and it's clear that every animation deserves to be on that list for their innovation and experimentation with hybrid techniques.
There are a countless number of articles on Cartoon Brew that I have yet to explore, it's very useful to have them all in one place to flick through at my pleasure to learn more about animation and how it is represented in the media, only then can I get a full understanding of how to represent myself in the future.
Since I follow Cartoon Brew on various social media websites, I can see regular updates of their articles and keep up with what's new and relevant in the animation world.
Here I found an article published yesterday about animated shorts that are nominated for an Oscar award. I've seen trailers for them and they all look outstanding; there's a variety of techniques that have been used, and it's clear that every animation deserves to be on that list for their innovation and experimentation with hybrid techniques.
 |
| Screenshot of the article |
There are a countless number of articles on Cartoon Brew that I have yet to explore, it's very useful to have them all in one place to flick through at my pleasure to learn more about animation and how it is represented in the media, only then can I get a full understanding of how to represent myself in the future.
Tuesday 4 November 2014
The 3D Animation Process
It's interesting to see the same sequence through each stage of it's process before the final piece; Here you can see an animatic version of the sequence, then each body part added on and animated in stages:
Ballet Animation Process from Kyle Kenworthy on Vimeo.
I had not realised how important every body part is in an animation, and how each part works together to bring a character to life.
I'm particularly impressed with the secondary action in her skirt in the final couple of tests; the fluidity of the character's movements are brought to life with the skirt bouncing up and down.
Her body language - the way she holds herself - suggests a graceful person who can leap and bound smoothly; Kyle Kenworthy, the man who made this, presented that language very well.
Ballet Animation Process from Kyle Kenworthy on Vimeo.
I had not realised how important every body part is in an animation, and how each part works together to bring a character to life.
I'm particularly impressed with the secondary action in her skirt in the final couple of tests; the fluidity of the character's movements are brought to life with the skirt bouncing up and down.
Her body language - the way she holds herself - suggests a graceful person who can leap and bound smoothly; Kyle Kenworthy, the man who made this, presented that language very well.
Saturday 1 November 2014
SWOT Analysis of Myself
SWOT stands for:
Strengths: What are you good at? Consider what experiences you've had, resources you have access to, your unique skills that you can show off, and how you can use your location to your advantage.
Weaknesses: What improvements can you make? Do you have any gaps in your knowledge, is planning everything to a timescale difficult?
Opportunities: What can you gain from your experiences? You can start networking and researching to get different opinions and feedback on your work and on other life experiences to replenish your own experiences.
Threats: Are there any barriers between you and your end goal? Working with different clients and for different audiences for a deadline might be challenging - you have to consider how you manage your time and resources. Other people working in the same field could prove to be a threat of competition.
I have considered all of these points in my own life and come up with these points:
I believe that animating something is my strongest skill; it's the part of the process I enjoy the most and would like to consider going into in the future. This is what I primarily want to focus on this year for each brief, I think keeping in mind an end goal will help inspire me to start tasks that I will enjoy and will benefit me later with decent pieces of work to improve my skills on (hopefully!)
Strengths: What are you good at? Consider what experiences you've had, resources you have access to, your unique skills that you can show off, and how you can use your location to your advantage.
Weaknesses: What improvements can you make? Do you have any gaps in your knowledge, is planning everything to a timescale difficult?
Opportunities: What can you gain from your experiences? You can start networking and researching to get different opinions and feedback on your work and on other life experiences to replenish your own experiences.
Threats: Are there any barriers between you and your end goal? Working with different clients and for different audiences for a deadline might be challenging - you have to consider how you manage your time and resources. Other people working in the same field could prove to be a threat of competition.
I have considered all of these points in my own life and come up with these points:
I believe that animating something is my strongest skill; it's the part of the process I enjoy the most and would like to consider going into in the future. This is what I primarily want to focus on this year for each brief, I think keeping in mind an end goal will help inspire me to start tasks that I will enjoy and will benefit me later with decent pieces of work to improve my skills on (hopefully!)
Saturday 17 May 2014
Starting My Final Piece
Before starting my final piece, I experimented with a few different lighting situations:
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| Natural light with bulb |
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| Natural light |
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| Bulb |
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| Bulb with flash |
After reviewing these, I decided the best one to go with was the third down, because that would be the most consistent light that I would be able to work with through the day, and I feel it gives the model a nice even glow, which will allow viewers to see all of the features clearly.
Whereas the other pictures either flash and give a dark shadow in the background or rely on natural light which changes throughout the day, limiting my time to work on it.
Now that the camera is set up and the lighting sorted, it's time for me to start animating!
Wednesday 14 May 2014
My Actual Final Storyboard...
I made a few changes to my storyboard since I started production... Because some of the ideas I was going to use didn't work out as well as I had hoped, so I generated some new/reused old ideas to create this:
I think this story flows a lot better, and tells the story that I want it to in a slightly more humorous and easier way then what I had created previously.
I had the clock zooming towards the character because I wanted the audience to get a glimpse that it's a clock, so that they know what's happening when she's pushing it away.
I decided adding in a showreel of my work over the year was appropriate to show my classmates what I have achieved, and it ends with the phrase 'animated by Alex Neild' which fits in nicely to end the presentation.
I think this story flows a lot better, and tells the story that I want it to in a slightly more humorous and easier way then what I had created previously.
I had the clock zooming towards the character because I wanted the audience to get a glimpse that it's a clock, so that they know what's happening when she's pushing it away.
I decided adding in a showreel of my work over the year was appropriate to show my classmates what I have achieved, and it ends with the phrase 'animated by Alex Neild' which fits in nicely to end the presentation.
Tuesday 13 May 2014
Inspiration for My Exhibition
I found the whole process very interesting, and took pictures at each stage of the development of my character.
After seeing all of the photos next to each other in order, I realised I could create a stop motion piece of an armature model being built, and then animate a turn around of the model, doing actions with his arms (such as pulling out a gun/waving/putting on his hat?)...
It would inform the audience how a model is made, and imply that I am interested in developing my character designing/animating skills in the future; which will also give me a chance to practice using stop motion!
Pictured to the left is part of the process I blogged about for another project, which you can see in full here:
http://a-neild251171-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/ceramics.html
Wednesday 7 May 2014
Final Idea
This is my final idea:
I decided doing a time lapse would be the best way to show that I want to develop my character designing/model making in the future, because it shows the process of making a model.
I will set up a white sheet of paper as a background for my 'studio' at home, which will allow the focus to be aimed on the model.
This is my final character design:
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| Blue Lines = Wire |
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| Black gun on left hip... |
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| Side view |
I have decided adding hints of colour (red and black) will make the piece more interesting and vibrant rather then just a white model on a white background.
Monday 5 May 2014
Animated Self - Research
I decided for my exhibition I would explore the fact I want to develop my model making/character designing skills, for stop motion animation and generally. Recently I have been inspired by several artists who use stop motion, such as:
Mackinnon and Saunders. After watching a lot of films such as 'The Corpse Bride' and 'Frankenweenie' using the models that they created, I have been intrigued to look at how they make their work.
Mackinnon and Saunders. After watching a lot of films such as 'The Corpse Bride' and 'Frankenweenie' using the models that they created, I have been intrigued to look at how they make their work.
Aardman are also a good company that have inspired me:
Both of these companies are two of the best in the business; the facial features are simple yet describe the character so well, and their armatures are very advanced.
I will take inspiration from them to make my own work.
Animated Self
The most recent task we have been set is 'Animated Self', which is all about exploring any technique/topic that you want to develop next year.
I knew straight away that I wanted to do more stop motion, since I haven't done a lot of it this year. This doesn't mean I'm narrowed down to doing stop motion for the rest of my time on my course, but it is something I want to develop further.
After I had established this, it became about deciding what to do with stop motion...
Another area I want to improve upon in the future is character designing/animating. Because I feel if I can give a character a personality and bring it to life, I can do the same with anything and start to think about other elements that go into an animation (inanimate objects, backgrounds, audio, etc.)
Here's some ideas I sketched after coming to this conclusion:
After considering these I decided the best way to show development through my year on this course is to take a character design I have already done and refine it.
I could also take this opportunity to display the process of how a model is made, from applying the milliput to coating it in plasticine... I think this will interest audiences who don't know a lot about animation since they will get to see the process.
I knew straight away that I wanted to do more stop motion, since I haven't done a lot of it this year. This doesn't mean I'm narrowed down to doing stop motion for the rest of my time on my course, but it is something I want to develop further.
After I had established this, it became about deciding what to do with stop motion...
Another area I want to improve upon in the future is character designing/animating. Because I feel if I can give a character a personality and bring it to life, I can do the same with anything and start to think about other elements that go into an animation (inanimate objects, backgrounds, audio, etc.)
Here's some ideas I sketched after coming to this conclusion:
After considering these I decided the best way to show development through my year on this course is to take a character design I have already done and refine it.
I could also take this opportunity to display the process of how a model is made, from applying the milliput to coating it in plasticine... I think this will interest audiences who don't know a lot about animation since they will get to see the process.
Thursday 24 April 2014
Final Storyboard
After some deliberation and deciding using the hand drawn digital technique, I came up with this storyboard:
I kept the first page of my storyboard the same as my original idea, because I think it flows well and introduces my story appropriately.
I think this storyboard works better, because it outlines the highlights and struggles throughout my year in smooth (hopefully interesting) transactions.
Wednesday 23 April 2014
Storyboard - Presentation
After deciding that I wanted to make a stop motion animation, I created this storyboard to present my years progress:
After reviewing it I have decided that it's too complicated to be a presentation; I also need to focus more on the questions asked and think about a simple yet entertaining way to answer them.
I will go back and change some parts of the story - I will keep the beginning sequence and some aspects of the ideas I've used, but I'd like to simplify it by using a looped walk cycle to represent myself moving forward through the year, and allow myself time to narrate over the top presenting it to my piers.
Sunday 6 April 2014
Reflect
The idea with my latest project 'Reflect' is to create a presentation of some sort to show my class how I think my year has gone.
There are lots of different ways I could co-operate this; a powerpoint, a series of images, storyboards, an animatic, character designs... But I decided the best way to show my progress through this year would be to make an animation!
After reviewing my year [in my previous blog post], I have sketched a series of thumbnails which I could explore further in this presentation:
There are a few ideas here which I can see flowing together and making a decent storyline!
There are lots of different ways I could co-operate this; a powerpoint, a series of images, storyboards, an animatic, character designs... But I decided the best way to show my progress through this year would be to make an animation!
After reviewing my year [in my previous blog post], I have sketched a series of thumbnails which I could explore further in this presentation:
There are a few ideas here which I can see flowing together and making a decent storyline!
Thursday 3 April 2014
PPP Presentation - First Year Progress
These are the points I have to consider when making a presentation:
What have you learned and also what do you want to learn?
I have learnt how to use different software such as Photoshop and After Effects; as well as using a graphics tablet with it. I have been developing my animation skills and using reference to develop the quality of my work.
I would like to explore other techniques such as 3D (which we are doing next year!), and to carry on drawing and designing to develop my skills in that area.
What have you enjoyed during the year and why, also what have you disliked and why?
I have enjoyed the process of animating, and drawing out the steps on Photoshop with the graphics tablet. I have preferred the specific animating tasks over the others, because that's the area I enjoy the most (not that the other projects were bad!)
I have disliked completing the writing tasks involving research - I can never think of how to phrase what I want to say! I thought the essay would be difficult but after I started it, it became easier and more enjoyable. I find it hard to draw some things, so I found that frustrating at times.
What mistakes have you made (in and out of college) and how have you learned from them?
My biggest mistake throughout the year was not starting my briefs straight away. For most of my projects, I left the majority of the blogging until a few weeks before the deadline - which isn't fun when you have more then one deadline!
Has this made you consider how you do thing or will approach things in the future?
I will try to motivate myself to start my work sooner, so I can fit in more research and develop my work better, so I might actually get better outcomes at the end!
What are your strengths and how will you develop them further and begin to apply them?
I would like to apply more photography to my animations, since that is my general hobby anyway, it would be good to incorporate my particular interests into my work. The best way to do this would be through stop motion, which I have done a bit of before, so I am looking forward to using that in the future.
What are your weaknesses and how do you intend to address them?
My weakness is my presentation-giving skills. I'm very shy, so talking in front of people makes me nervous. Next year we will be set more presentation-orientated tasks, so hopefully giving more presentations will help develop my confidence and preparation in what I'm saying.
I need to improve my drawing skills, so constantly practicing will help; this will allow me to develop my designing skills and making my work look better.
What did you want to get from the year? Have you achieved this?
I didn't have any particular goals for the end of this year, except to try out as much as I can and not to be afraid of using new techniques. I think I could have experimented further with different software, rather then just sticking to Photoshop.
What have you learned and also what do you want to learn?
I have learnt how to use different software such as Photoshop and After Effects; as well as using a graphics tablet with it. I have been developing my animation skills and using reference to develop the quality of my work.
I would like to explore other techniques such as 3D (which we are doing next year!), and to carry on drawing and designing to develop my skills in that area.
What have you enjoyed during the year and why, also what have you disliked and why?
I have enjoyed the process of animating, and drawing out the steps on Photoshop with the graphics tablet. I have preferred the specific animating tasks over the others, because that's the area I enjoy the most (not that the other projects were bad!)
I have disliked completing the writing tasks involving research - I can never think of how to phrase what I want to say! I thought the essay would be difficult but after I started it, it became easier and more enjoyable. I find it hard to draw some things, so I found that frustrating at times.
What mistakes have you made (in and out of college) and how have you learned from them?
My biggest mistake throughout the year was not starting my briefs straight away. For most of my projects, I left the majority of the blogging until a few weeks before the deadline - which isn't fun when you have more then one deadline!
Has this made you consider how you do thing or will approach things in the future?
I will try to motivate myself to start my work sooner, so I can fit in more research and develop my work better, so I might actually get better outcomes at the end!
What are your strengths and how will you develop them further and begin to apply them?
I would like to apply more photography to my animations, since that is my general hobby anyway, it would be good to incorporate my particular interests into my work. The best way to do this would be through stop motion, which I have done a bit of before, so I am looking forward to using that in the future.
What are your weaknesses and how do you intend to address them?
My weakness is my presentation-giving skills. I'm very shy, so talking in front of people makes me nervous. Next year we will be set more presentation-orientated tasks, so hopefully giving more presentations will help develop my confidence and preparation in what I'm saying.
I need to improve my drawing skills, so constantly practicing will help; this will allow me to develop my designing skills and making my work look better.
What did you want to get from the year? Have you achieved this?
I didn't have any particular goals for the end of this year, except to try out as much as I can and not to be afraid of using new techniques. I think I could have experimented further with different software, rather then just sticking to Photoshop.
Thursday 27 March 2014
Presentation Research
For the end of the year, we have the task of creating a presentation to show to our class, talking about our progress and experiences through the year.
This can involve pretty much any technique I like, whether it be animation, a powerpoint, performance etc.
I have decided I want to make an animation, because I want to keep practicing physically animating, to further explore and show the techniques I have learnt so far.
Since I have mostly been drawing for all the projects set for me this year, I want to use the stop motion technique to complete this presentation; It will allow me to practice using a camera and making models.
So the first thing I have decided to do is some research into other stop motion projects, to see how they are portrayed and will hopefully start generating ideas of my own.
This is the first animation I have found that uses a wooden model:
It has an interesting concept, where the model is interacting with the animator. I could use this to demonstrate how a project sometimes doesn't go to plan, or turn out exactly how you imagined it.
This animation in particular moves very fluently, with a simple concept that is still entertaining to see.
I also like the concept behind this piece:
The worlds smallest animation, made by Aardman, is the film I showed to my class in the introductory week to this course.
Using advertising in the commercial world is a growing industry, and animating for it is increasing in popularity.
This can involve pretty much any technique I like, whether it be animation, a powerpoint, performance etc.
I have decided I want to make an animation, because I want to keep practicing physically animating, to further explore and show the techniques I have learnt so far.
Since I have mostly been drawing for all the projects set for me this year, I want to use the stop motion technique to complete this presentation; It will allow me to practice using a camera and making models.
So the first thing I have decided to do is some research into other stop motion projects, to see how they are portrayed and will hopefully start generating ideas of my own.
This is the first animation I have found that uses a wooden model:
It has an interesting concept, where the model is interacting with the animator. I could use this to demonstrate how a project sometimes doesn't go to plan, or turn out exactly how you imagined it.
This animation in particular moves very fluently, with a simple concept that is still entertaining to see.
I also like the concept behind this piece:
The worlds smallest animation, made by Aardman, is the film I showed to my class in the introductory week to this course.
Using advertising in the commercial world is a growing industry, and animating for it is increasing in popularity.
Friday 21 March 2014
Ohh Deer
'Ohh Deer' are a company who support illustrators world wide, selling products and artworks from 35 illustrators who work for them.
I have been following them on Twitter for the past few months, and find a lot of their work interesting and quirky! Their illustrators explore all sorts of different techniques to create marks and patterns, including:
Thursday 20 March 2014
Festivals
There are lots of things happening all over the country (and World!) involving animation; festivals, screenings, talks, much like BAF that I went to last year!
These are some that have caught my eye, and potential places I could visit in the summer/year to come:
Klik is a festival taking place in Amsterdam, Holland 4th-9th November 2014. This was the trailer of 2013:
It looks really interesting, crazy, and they seem to cover a range of animating techniques. The trailer suggests there's lots going on, which sounds really exciting!
I will find out my schedule for my second year of university and see if there's a chance I can go there for the week.
http://www.klikamsterdam.nl/
Canterbury Anifest is said to be a good festival for budding film makers to go. It's starting from 30th September - 5th October, which is the week I start back at university after the summer holidays.
This trailer from 2011 shows lots of great animators, companies, films, special effects and much more to enjoy, so if the 2014 festival is anything like this one then I think it's definitely worth considering going to!
http://www.canterburyanifest.com/about-us/what-is-anifest/
http://www.animation-festivals.com/festivals/canterbury-anifest/
http://www.fmx.de/
These are some that have caught my eye, and potential places I could visit in the summer/year to come:
Klik is a festival taking place in Amsterdam, Holland 4th-9th November 2014. This was the trailer of 2013:
It looks really interesting, crazy, and they seem to cover a range of animating techniques. The trailer suggests there's lots going on, which sounds really exciting!
I will find out my schedule for my second year of university and see if there's a chance I can go there for the week.
http://www.klikamsterdam.nl/
Canterbury Anifest is said to be a good festival for budding film makers to go. It's starting from 30th September - 5th October, which is the week I start back at university after the summer holidays.
This trailer from 2011 shows lots of great animators, companies, films, special effects and much more to enjoy, so if the 2014 festival is anything like this one then I think it's definitely worth considering going to!
http://www.canterburyanifest.com/about-us/what-is-anifest/
http://www.animation-festivals.com/festivals/canterbury-anifest/
http://www.fmx.de/
Thursday 6 March 2014
Aardman Animation Studios
Aardman are one of the top stop motion companies out there right now.
All of their work uses a similar style, which is simple yet brings out their characters so well (which I think is partly down to the animating/movements of them) and defines them as a company.
The most memorable for me is Wallace and Gromit, which has been the most popular amongst audiences around the world.
I like this style and I think looking at my own work, I have been sub consciously inspired by their style for years...
There's an exhibition, being opened 24th May 2014, called 'Wallace & Gromit From The Drawing Board', which will display development work and memorabilia from the iconic series of short films.
It's taking place at the 'M Shed Museum' in Bristol, which is very close to the actual Aardman Studio!
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/forum/read/52546/1/
Even their website is quirky and interactive, with animation on a constant loop running along the bottom:
All of their work uses a similar style, which is simple yet brings out their characters so well (which I think is partly down to the animating/movements of them) and defines them as a company.
The most memorable for me is Wallace and Gromit, which has been the most popular amongst audiences around the world.
I like this style and I think looking at my own work, I have been sub consciously inspired by their style for years...
There's an exhibition, being opened 24th May 2014, called 'Wallace & Gromit From The Drawing Board', which will display development work and memorabilia from the iconic series of short films.
It's taking place at the 'M Shed Museum' in Bristol, which is very close to the actual Aardman Studio!
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/forum/read/52546/1/
Even their website is quirky and interactive, with animation on a constant loop running along the bottom:
The Hobbit
Seeing The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug in cinema was an amazing experience.
I loved seeing the dragon on the big screen - the detail gone into the scales and the lighting
I loved seeing the dragon on the big screen - the detail gone into the scales and the lighting
The set designs are truly spectacular, you wouldn't think they were shot in real locations in New Zealand!
Some fans take it to the extreme and build their own Hobbit Hole:
- I like the characters - Interesting designs/outfits
- Amazing special effects - Smaug the dragon!
- Locations are beautiful
- I'm generally interested in set designs and how they use green screens
- Love seeing the actors at work - so funny!
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