The Wind in the Willows - IPad App

Talk Notes

• The team collaboration consisted of Sam Noire, Bobby and Steve. 
• They picked Kenneth Grahame's story of Wind in the Willows because they wanted to start with a well-known, loved story that carried depth and emotions. 
• They said that they didn’t need to use a huge team of people because they had such a good collaboration with just the three of them.
• Parts of the story had similar aspects relating to the team’s lives, they were able to draw their own experiences, emotions and feelings into the production of the story. 
• It is important to add a sense of humour to the story "people like to laugh; they will appreciate you for it!" The story was already a very comical one so it was important that the team could add funny interactive moments and games to the app so that it adds to the overall feel of the book. 
• A lot of mathematical modelling was used in the production. In order to make the components move without using animation, they had to take apart all the elements that made up an object, such as a train, and then re-build the object with the separate elements programed to move. 
• The app was produced in 3 to 4 months using software such as Objective C, Coco 2D, Chipmunk physics and Photoshop.

 App Production processes:

1. Find the story and familiarise the team with it.
2. Produce thumbnail sketches and storyboards to develop the visual side of the story.
3. How are we going to make it feel and look like a book? - They used an old looking paper effect so that the pages connected to the age of the words; they wanted the story and the look to work together, whilst contrasting to the shiny and new look and feel of the IPad. 
4. The team developed the way the characters looked through a series of several drawings each. They said that they let the book surround them so that they could get a substantial feel of the way the characters should look; they apparently walked through the door one day and just appeared in their final forms. 
5. All of the animal characters in the book carry a lot of emotion and feelings; they have human characteristics and were built and designed with the personalities of people.

Practice Jounal

The past following weeks I have been working on The Illusionists' Toolkit assignment, in the creation of object and walk cycles. I have thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and the challenge that it presented. Handed in 22/10/12

27 - 28/11/2012 - Over the weekend I completed the paper, cut out and stick moving model kit that we had all been given in preparation for our automata workshop starting after reading week. I found parts of the model very fiddly and difficult to put together (such as the dogs head and body) and it was a very time consuming production, but I found it very enjoyable! I had a complication whilst attaching the dogs legs - I somehow glued the joints together so that when I had the whole model finished and I tested it, the legs wouldn't bend with the action causing them to detach from the body. I therefore had to make and cut out new washers and braces and re-attach the legs so that they could then move like they were suppose to. I'm quite pleased with how the model ended up in the end though, even if it was a terrible surfer and appears to dive bomb the water on its way, I am pleased with its overall motion and it really helped me to understand how the mechanisms of automata models work and are produced.

07/11/2012 - Today we started the automata building workshop. We had a health and safety briefing, an induction into the various machine uses and we planned and started our own automata models. Our first session was very enjoyable and informative, I am looking forward to seeing how my model will progress. 

14/11/2012 - Today we had our second automata workshop. The automata expert Keith Newstead visited our class today to give us a talk about his way of creating automata buildings and to offer feedback and improvement tips on our automata designs. It was very interesting to see his original design sketches and test models, it gave us all ideas of how we could work, in order to end up with a fully functional and decorative automata model. He gave me some very knowledgeable advise about the moving background of my design. I had come up with an idea for my automata model that I was happy with and very excited to make, but i was struggling with how to attach a background design that would move to give the impression of my deer running forward rather than appearing stationary. He came up with the awesome idea of painting my background onto a wooden disk that would rotate when the deer was moved. He even showed me a video online of one of his models that featured a similar design - it consisted of a man riding a bike with a rotating triple perspective background. It was really awesome to see such an amazing piece of work, and it inspired me to create better and more in depth layout and mechanical drawings so that I can make the most of this workshop and create something I will be happy with.  

04/12/2012 - We were given the project of rotoscoping an old black and white film clip! I managed to complete 3 clips, in two and a half days. I thought that they were to a poor quality but I was unable to complete them any faster, due to the short time span we were given and other pressing commitments that I could not avoid.   



 

Research Journal

2.1

I researched into the theory of Semiotics and Animation following lecture one of Contextual studies.1/10/12

This week I researched in the history of Animation, I then presented this work onto a foldout time line that is currently presented on the wall of our studio.8/10/12

Today, I researched in the life and work of Sean Pecknold. His is a great inspiration for me, and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to read and write about him. 9/10/12

Today I have researched into the theory and techniques of animation, this work is presented in my Contextual Studies book. 15/10/12

This week I have completed tasks 1.1 - 1.8 from the PDP assignment. I have been helped by this assignment to understand my strengths and weaknesses.

Research 'Thread'

Sean Pecknold

Sean Pecknold is a director, animated music video director, photographer and musician.

I began researching into the work of Sean Pecknold after watching his music videos for the Fleet Foxes – ‘The Shrine/An Argument’ and ‘Mykonos’. 

The style of his music video animations are very similar to the style of work that I wish to create in my own music videos. 

Cut-out Animations

Pecknold’s video for ‘Mykonos’ was produced using a cut-out animation technique, as I really liked the look of this video I researched into the technique further.

Cut-out animation is a way of animating using flat characters and subjects, often made out of paper or card. 

The actions created are then recorded through photographs, often in a rostrum set up, similar to that in a stop-motion animation.

Lotte Reiniger

  The late Lotte Reiniger was an animator from Germany, who specialised in cut-out shadow and silhouette animations.

She produced her work by placing her silhouette card cut-outs and set decorations onto coloured, illuminated glass backdrops.

Her film  ‘Die Abenteur des Prinzen Achmed’ (The Adventures of Prince Achmed ) was created using this technique in 1926, and is known to be the oldest surviving feature-length animated film.

 She also created another colour silhouette animation of ‘Jack in the Beanstalk’ in 1955.

Shadow Puppetry

Traditional shadow puppets are flat and made of leather. Areas within the puppet are punched out with sharp knives to help suggest facial features and define clothing.

In live puppet shows they can be controlled by long rods (such as in a Punch and Judy puppeteer show) and within animated films they can be moved behind a white translucent screen made from paper or cloth.

The same as in cut-out animations, these actions are photographed in order to produce the animated films. 

Miwa Matreyek

Up and coming multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek likes to combine animation with elements of shadow puppetry, installations, live performance and projection.

If you wish to see an example here is a film containing performance excerpts: http://www.semihemisphere.com/MandI.html

Presentation Slides: 

Music and Projection
 

Sterckx is a visual artist and filmmaker

He produces music videos that contain elements of projection and  animation.

He directed this music video for Willow – ‘sweater’:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8ptneR1Kk

For the band Roadburg, Sterckx made an installation video that could accompany the bands live performance, giving the effect of a live music video:

http://vimeo.com/10651614

 

Working in a team with Antoon Verbeeck and Aitor Biedma, Sterckx started his newest project ‘skullmapping’.

Creating a live video using 4 projections onto the walls and floor of a prepared space:

http://vimeo.com/54434609

Vj Fader 

 He is a visual installation and projection artist

He specialises on projections within clubs and onto the exterior of buildings.

This is his show reel, demonstrating a selection of his work:

http://www.vjfader.com/

He used his skills in projection work to produce this music video for the band Electric Tears.

Created using live projection mapping:

http://vimeo.com/14322039

 

 

Personal Development Plan

1.8
Amy Forster – BA (Hons) Animation – Year 1

At This Moment – I would consider myself to have a good base knowledge of the history of animation and also of many of the techniques involved in the production stages. I believe that I have an average drawing ability and that I can find my way around a computer and use some pieces of software to a good level.  I am beginning to become more confident with the work I am completing, and have more faith in myself whilst complete work. I think that I have quite good skills when it comes to the written work involved in coursework and I find it quite easy to express my thoughts and opinions on paper. I also reckon that I come across as being fairly confident when I am working in groups and closely with other peers on my courses, I hope that I seem to work professionally and efficiently. 

In three Years’ Time - At this moment in time, my aim within animation is to be a successful music video creator. It is my dream to be recognized for creating amazing animated music videos that have a gothic twist. I also wish that I could one day be approached by my favourite alt rock bands and be asked to create a music video of my style and creativity for them. In three years’ time, I am aiming to have created at least three professional music videos for smaller bands, all of which involving an element of animation. I hope to have developed a clear idea of the method of animation that bests suits me, and have several animations created using this particular method. Even though the idea of possibly having my work screened on a larger scale terrifies me, I’m hoping that I will have entered my best animation into a couple of festivals, and to be gaining recognition for my style and excellent quality of work. 

To Improve On – I know that it is important for me to develop both my drawing and computer skills to a much higher level so that I can complete tasks and animations on this course (and at home) to a much higher quality. I don’t believe that my drawing and artwork skills are that horrendous, but I would like to considerately improve them, so that I can pleased with the artwork I produce, and not feel embarrassed whilst comparing my artwork to that of other people. I think that my communication skills could also be improved on, so that when I am answering questions and explaining my thoughts people do not misunderstand what I am saying and hear something completely different to what I have just tried to say!

BAAN105 Studio Roles

3.1 – Studio Roles

There are several stages involved in the creation of animation; each one of these stages is split up into different job roles with several teams working inside of each role department.

The different stages and they’re roles are:

·         The Development Stage – Consisting of the creation of the original idea. Some initial concept designs are also created. Providing the funding for the project is an important part of the development stage. The development of the project is up to the

1.      The Director

2.      The Producer

·         The Pre-Production Stage – Giving the idea more life and preparing it for production. The script written, the storyboard is drawn, characters and backgrounds are designed and an animatic is created. This is where work falls upon the

1.      Production Designer

2.      Art Director

3.      Designer, Character Designer, Prop Designer, Background Designer

4.      Colour Stylist

5.      Clean up Artist/Designer Assistant

6.      Storyboard Supervisor, Storyboard Artist, Storyboard Assistant

7.      Layout Supervisor, Layout Artist

·         Production Stage – In 2D animations, this is the stage of drawings, inking and painting drawings, scanning and digitising drawings, positioning images into animation sequences. Job roles include

1.      Assistant Director

2.      Background Painter

3.      Digital Paint Supervisor, Scanner, Digital Painter

4.      Line Test Operator, Runner

5.      Animation Director, Key or Lead Animator, Animator, Assistant Animator

6.      Production Secretary, Production Assistant

·         Post-Production Stage – The stage where everything is brought together and finalised. Includes editing, music production and addition, quality checking and exportation of the final film. Roles include

1.      Special Effects Animator and Assistant Animator

2.      Editor and Assistant Editor

3.      Digital Compositing Supervisor, Key Compositor, Compositor

4.      Checker

3.2 - My Role

If I was to work in a large studio such as Disney or Pixar I would like to have the job role of either the background designer, or the storyboard animatic creator.

I would enjoy the job of creating the backgrounds as I find that in most films the aspect that carries the most emotion is sometimes the background. This role gives you the opportunity to set the scene and atmosphere of sequences within a movie or short animation.

To be the designer of the animatic role would be a lot of fun. You basically get to produce a mini moving storyboard that fits with the planned demo of the animation. As I am hoping to produce animated music videos, I think that I could have a good knowledge of this production skill and would find it a very interesting production to make. 

I was unsure from the assignment brief whether or not we where expected to do a PowerPoint Presentation about this studio roles assignment, therefore I prepared one in case that it was needed. I can see now that a lot of my work was wasted, as we were apparently supposed to have researched into the non-creative roles of a studio, even though this wasn't stated on the assignment brief! I ended up having to think on my feet during our class, rather than being able to use any of the work that I had prepared. Here is the PP Presention I would have used, had it been required -