Animatic #3

Now I've completed the 3rd pass and first complete and final animatic. There are still a few tweaks I think it might need, although I think that once some music has been added it might flow better. It contains 207 images and some scenes are quite jarey... the animation will make even the shortest scenes smoother and read better. I worked in grey scale and she is always black in the scenes, the backgrounds are quite rough but seeing as I had so many I thought it was justified.

Now to complete some more production folder work and start my dissertation.

*sigh*

Story Boards

I have now reviewed the 3rd story boards and produced my revised 4th pass;

I tried to include more pairs, to keep the theme going through the film, and I also cut out some action scenes that weren't related directly to the fact that she's alone/lonely.

I'm really happy with this story board and so onto Animatic pass #3!!

Week 8

Good Morning all!!

So, I had a wonderful Birthday on Sunday! Got given some amazing, one of a kind presents ^_^

But back to the grindstone... before I go to Vegas next week ^____^

Since I last posted I had compiled together Animatic #2, thought about the action sequences and secured a musician for the film! Success!!

Here is a link to Animatic #2;

My thoughts are;

• It is quite long, and I'd left out a few of the background concepts that I really wanted to use... I need to sit back and decide which ones I want to use and which ones to scrap.
• I might be able to save some seconds as I haven't planned out the action, just guessed as to how long, so action is the next big step
• I had some black gaps in between the first few scenes, that then got faster to the point where each scene cut to the next. I don't like it, it's gone.
• I need to try and cut up the long shots with scenes of action - important
• I need to be ruthless and cut this film. I'm thinking that maybe the only action that happens needs to be relevant. 

SO!

I worked on a storyboard yesterday from all my concept images, animatic and action ideas, 

and I think that this is very close to how the final film will look. Although I need to go through them with other people to find what's missing and if they flow well. I've introduced a new pairing metaphor to show the viewer that she is lonely in  visual way. 

*unfortunately these are in reverse order, start at the bottom!*

I literally just spoke to Alex and reviewed my story boards, they definitely need more pairing... I ran out of ideas in autumn and winter, but speaking to more people will help with that :) 

So now I'm going to review my #3 storyboards to make the 4th pass!

Onwards!

Week 7 {end}

So here I am at the end of week 7, and I now have more direction, especially seeing as there's only 4 weeks till the first deadline animatic and production folder... also, IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! :D EEP

Anyway... I have knuckled down and produced my colour, emotion and season arc, started bashing out ideas for Summer, Autumn and Winter. I feel now that I have a more settled idea of my film!

I was really happy with these background generation pages, this now means that I can piece together all the scenes I have so far into an animatic to see how long I'm looking at so far. I can then see which scenes I'd like to have action in, create those frames to add in and then I'll have the next pass of that animatic! I will then need to start animating some action sequences to get a feasibility study of how long they'll take me to animate roughly.

I hope to produce another colour flow arc when I've reached the next stage.

I had real trouble making the sad scenes in Autumn especially and winter, because I like to paint beautiful backgrounds... but maybe the fact that our character is in a beautiful place, but cannot see it's beauty would be more sad?

I am really excited to paint these in detail :)

NEXT STEPS

• Have an awesome birthday!!
• Finish background ideas to import into an animatic #2
• Decide on action sequences to make animatic #3
• finalize ideas and background concepts for the production folder
• Write out a descriptive script

Penblydd Hapus!! 

Epiphany

I will admit that lately I have lacked direction with making my film... it seems that with too much freedom I seem to flounder... but none the less, I explored ideas of action and mood and developed the girls design. The success of these activities are varied, but they have all helped me make decisions  elsewhere. In the lecture on Monday, I had some good feedback for my character, everyone likes the textured hair look rather than the empty lines, I do as well, but I need to test animating them to make sure they look good when they move too. We did a character design exercise that was fun and interesting to do, it helped me to think about my character as a three dimensional being.

Originally I wanted there to be very little audience involvement with the girl, but now I feel that there needs to be a more emotional connection with the girl, meaning close ups, more action shots and interaction, not only so that the film tugs on the heart strings more and can be enjoyed more by the audience, but so that it will give me some direction when designing the scenes and backgrounds (which I sorely need right now)

So, I created an action page, an emotion page, and have done several character studies.

I really like some of the action ideas I've come up with, but I still lack direction in what my film will actually consist of.. that does not sound good. I am confused as to how long it should be, how long to hold each scene, how many scenes to have etc - but that is all what an animatic is for and so I need to start a storyboard and the play around with the animatic.

BUT

After a super successful brain storm this morning with the lovely Sam Coleman (view his blog here) I now have sifted through the ideas in my brain and have a working path to start on with my film!!

This has really helped me pin down what I want and how I need to show it, it has structure now and that will help me focus on what I need to design, what emotions each scene needs to portray and how they all tie together.

I also made some decisions about little ideas I had floating around, like no more animals being introduced to show that we're getting closer to life, there needs to be a few buildings dotted so that the lighthouse is not strange, no spring and maybe a little humour to establish an emotional attachment. I've decided to scrap Spring as that is what comes once she's 'found the others', I've also decided to let myself design some fanciful, fantasy-esque backgrounds, taking bit of real scenery and merging them to make something new, so that we can place that we're not in a physics bound earth. Her hair is part of her, and can be manipulated and shows emotion. 

'A Beautiful Apocalypse' is no more, I had gotten away from the real message of my film, it is about her 'Journey' and struggles through her loneliness... and so my film is reborn again!

NEXT STEPS

• write up this board of information
• develop the arc of emotion with a colour script
• look through 'The Art of Journey' for inspiration and direction
• STORYBOARD to then...
• ANIMATIC

I need to get a move on... did I mention I'm going to Vegas for a week at the end of November??

VEGAS BABY!!!

Acting Tests

Over this weekend I have got stuck into some quick animation tests for my character and her boat. I must say that I hadn't realised how difficult it was to animate a boat... keeping it's structure and angle is hard, but I think I'm getting to grips with it.

 

*I feel that I should make a little model of my character so that I can use it to visualze angles easier - plus it would be super fun*

 

 

The above test was my playing around with moving the layers within a painted photoshop image and using some of the simulation effects. Obviously I used the snow effect and I must say that it brings a whole other dimension to the scene and I am thrilled with how it looks. I will definately be using these effects in the final film.

 

 

 

I conducted this test just of the girl, in her boat, her blowing and boat rocking, just for a feasibility study... and it's a good job I did so as I have now found that it it very hard to keep my lines flowing together and to get smooth animation with this design, which is what I wanted... I need her to be subtle, and the boiling does not create that illusion. I may have to go back to the drawing board in reference to her decoration, but I'm really happy with her overall shape and design. Maybe just plain colour and texture?

 

 

Here is another test but more challenging, she is sat in her boat, when she sees something in the distance (a hint of other life perhaps?) and she jumps up and scrambles to the edge of her boat to peer out. I wanted to focus on her acting here and getting her to project an appealing nature, and I also wanted to focus on her weight in the boat, I feel that I have done both of these things very well and will keep this standard of animation for the film. While concentrating on the actual action I have left out her detail... and I think I like it better...

 

 

The final test I have is from another angle and Im looking at the water on the boat, colour contrasting and some more acting. She's looking around, soaking in her surroundings and enjoying the breeze.. I think this reads well and with the music combined would make for a very sweet scene.

 

*I do think I need to go back to her design

*I need to review my action storybaords

*Do some animation tests of her running from her boat

 

After feedback tomorrow I may change my direction of what I'm doing now... and I need to make sure that I'm really engaged and in on time this week as it's my Birthday next week end ^_^ (a.k.a - No work is being done)

 

Adios.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Week 6 {end}

It's the end of Week 6, and I must admit it has not been the most productive...

However, I have done some more research and started a new storyboard that explores the action in each of the girls scenes and shows where all my background concepts sit in the film.

 

I have been thinking that maybe I don't need to stay so away from her in my scenes... I do like the idea that it projects her loneliness and the feeling of observing her journey rather than interacting in it... but I think that the audience needs to connect with the character more than I originally thought... and I fear that my film maybe also be just too 'action-less' if she is constantly far away. I will explore this further after getting the feedback of my class!

 

Some of the research images i've collected that have influenced many scenes greatly are beautiful pictures of nature where I am suggested camera angles, colour and composition. When drawing out these two Story Boards I was thinking about composition, the flow of the film, peaks and slopes in the story/mood/emotions, her struggles, her personality, the music and colour... everything really, but especially her actions, or lack of.

 

My next steps will be to develop these story baords further, with more colour indication, and maybe review while thinking about the seasons. I will also need to explore the ideas for the opening scene and camera movement.

 

I have started a girl animation test, that I will do a few of and think about the plausability of my scenes and designs.

Also, this internet article on AOL has given me tonnes of insperation.
http://travel.aol.co.uk/2012/01/03/the-worlds-strangest-places/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cuk%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D134506#photo-11

 

Another weekend then!