Production: Update

Greetings!

I have returned from the dark place that is the Dissertation deadline. But I am hurtling towards the finish line of my film. 

Here is my Shot List, up to date with all the animated scenes, backgrounds and scenes that I have completed. I only have 6 scenes left to animate, and 3 backgrounds left to digitally draw. I have 4 weeks left until the deadline and I am confident that I will complete my film to a high standard. The main things that remain are editing after effects such as mist and panning. 

Review

On review of the animation from my previous scenes 1-4, I have pinpointed some animated sequences, mainly those including the boat, that need to be changed and tweaked a little. I have already made a few changes to a few of my scenes, including the still below in Scene 4, to add a more intimate moment after she sends up her light. 

Backgrounds

The backgrounds are coming along really nicely and I am very happy with them all. I have kept them consistent with elements such as opacity and colouring. I especially tried to keep continuity by referring to a previous background of the lighthouse walls when drawing the bricks again at a different angle.

 Animation

I really feel like my animation has come a long way and improved a lot since the start of my film. However, this does not mean that I am unhappy with the scenes I animated first... I feel that the level of animation has been consistent throughout, that being said there are a few shots involving the boat that I would like to go back and change, providing time allows me to do so. 

Below is every frame of a shot, I thought it was interesting to see how much the space is used...

As I said above I am very happy with how my animation has progressed, especially animation of elemental forces. At the beginning of the project I often had to stop and think about the movement, but now it sort of comes naturally to me... Although I still like to refer to some of these model sheets of Pocahontas for inspiration. 

So in conclusion,

my film is very much on track for completion, leaving me time to really play around with editing and after effects.

It is also important that I stay on schedule as I hope to be involved in many other projects, mainly Leviathan ( http://sunkenbells.blogspot.co.uk/ ) by the awesome Sam Coleman. 

I will be more posty on here from now on as I'll be reviewing all of the post production mishaps I will undoubtedly have!

Peace out.

Dissertation :(

Soooooooooooooooooooooo,

I've stepped back from all the fun that animating is, and have admirably faced my dissertation and the looming deadline tied with it.

March 13th.

So, I have so far completed Scene 1, shot 1, 2, 3 and 4 of 5. So it so almost done, and I've composited it into Premiere Pro just to see how it plays together, and I'm very excited to see it play through!!!

But yes, this is why there will be a lack of pretty uploads in the coming few weeks. 

Boo.

:(

Scene 1 shot 1

This is the scene I've been working on for the last two days, I must say I'm extremely happy with how it's turned out and I've had some great feedback from my peers.

I had to really sit and think about the timing in this scene, as this is a long scene in which I need to emphasise the importance on the lilies. Also it was confusing for the compositing side of things because of the pan in the scene.

I'm really starting to see my animation skills developing as scenes become easier and easier to animate!! 

So Mam and Dad, this was the scene that I was getting annoyed with on the phone :) 

Production Starts!

Production has started!! 

So far I have been trying to get all of my backgrounds ready, painted and the detail added for the animation. I knew that I would have to create the backgrounds first and then animate within them... because they were hand painted, it would be impossible to make changes if something was not in the right place.

It has been going really well and I'm very pleased with the ones I have completed at this point. 

Below I have posted the painted ones before any detail is added, so that you can see the difference and my working method!

The above two painting were for long shots, where there needed to be some panning, and were somewhat of an experiment. They worked very well oppose to me trying to measure and tape together two pieces of canvas paper, that then bunched and crinkled out of line...

And then some scenes with their digital details!

As you can see I'm being quite picky, and making sure that each background is perfect! The top one is the final... I'm glad that I'm not being lazy and making these perfect :)

Animatic

Self Evaluation; Semester 1

During this first semester of my third year, I have to admit that I have not been as on-the-ball as I hoped I would be, or as I have been during previous years. I feel that the freedom of the final film brief as left me feeling a little lost, and I know that more guidance or critical feedback from other members of staff would have enabled me to pin-point my idea earlier in the year. This had led me to think that I would definately not want to be an independent film-maker, as I get too much excitement and energy from working in a group of creative people to make one final piece.

 In my second year I had hoped that I would have some of my dissertation written for review when I returned to my third year after the summer break. However, this was an unrealistic goal as I spent my summer in Walt Disney World in Florida, I was at work for more than 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, and the days I had free were usually very busy with laundry, shopping and running around the Disney Parks with Friends. When I returned I found it very hard to get back into my dissertation, it was quite a worry to me that James Manning had left, and it was with him that all my dissertation topics and thoughts had been discussed. I put off starting it for a long time, mainly because I am not all too confident in my academic writing skills. But I must admit that once I got into and had re-read my sources and proposal, I found it very easy and almost enjoyable to discuss my topic in relation to what I had read.

 I now feel better on track with my final film, although I am a little sad that I had developed another idea as far as I did, before realising that I need to keep it simple and went back to my original idea. It feels more natural to me and I knew exactly what I wanted from my original film idea and what I wanted the audience to gain from it.

 I can comfortably say that I am on track with my final film regards to deadlines, I have submitted everything required before the December break. I have also conducted some animation tests, background tests, technique tests and as well as my rough animatic. So I know that for the next deadline, I only have to have produced at least 3 of my final backgrounds, which will be hand painted watercolour, and 30 seconds of animation to place over these for the feasibility study. When I return to university after the christmas break, all I will have to complete in the week before the deadline will be the animation, of which I am confident that I can complete to the highest standard in the time I have available.

 I know that next semester I will be more driven than I was in the first semester as now my final film is planned out, and I just have to go into production.

January 7th

Happy New Year!!

I have now returned from Scotland and am back in Newport, ready to get cracking on my project! The work I managed to get completed over Christmas was... 

My CV

Internet Presence (Page)

Industry Report

An awful lot of reference photographs

Some reference paintings

Unfortunately I didn't have the means to produce any of the final backgrounds while I was away, mainly due to the lack of internet and photoshop.

And so my list of things to complete this week is as follows;

Showreel

30 seconds of animation

and the relevant background paintings

Compiled into Working Film Cut

So all in all it will be a very busy week, with that in mind, I think I can do it if I apply myself correctly :)

My Composer and produced another draft for my film and we are slowly getting there, we will be meeting up soon to discuss the next steps so that the third draft could hopefully be the final!

LET'S DO IT