Apply - Animation

Apply - 10 Second Animation

This brief required me to produce a five to ten second animation that examines one of the following themes: surprise, lateness, love, hate, longing, happiness and fear. I choose to examine lateness, perhaps more literally as expected. My initial idea was to animation a character handing in something late and let the facial expressions capture the stress of being late. In terms of the twelve principles of animation, exaggeration, squash and stretch and anticipation are all fairly significant in capturing this stress.

(Very simple and rough ideas for the final animation)

Final animation: I intended to keep the animation simple not just because of the time restrictions but also to maintain focus on the characters expressions emphasising being late, however I feel I perhaps didn't elaborate on this idea as much as I could have. 

https://vimeo.com/145056727

Although I incorporated a few principles of animation such as arcs, easing in and easing out and secondary actions, I feel as if - similarly to my pixilation brief - I went off topic and didn't spend enough time developing and planning, leading to disappointing final pieces. 

Pixilation - Development

Pixilation Development - Storyboards and rough ideas

My initial ideas were very brief - I chose the theme of lost and found and wanted to incorporate the person behind the artwork (in this case me), making the drawings come to life inciting confusion in the artist. My final animation ran how I wanted it to, however there are many flaws in it, perhaps due to lack of planning - something unavoidable in animation.

Final:

https://vimeo.com/144974538

My final pixilation is not something I am very proud of - lack of definitive planning and ambition takes a toll on the animation and even the theme of lost and found seems somewhat distant and unrelatable. Poor time-management has left me disappointed however I was generally happy at how the animation looked and have learned from this mistake.  

Pixilation - Research

Research into pixilation

Pixilation is a stop motion technique where real life objects/people are used as the subject for a frame by frame animation. Norman McLaren is often regarded as the pioneer of pixilation with his short film 'Neighbours' in 1952. Although the use of real life subjects perhaps hinders some of the principles of animation, for example exaggeration (to an extent), it is important to remember that the 12 principles still apply.

Identify - Tom and Jerry

Tom and Jerry

The iconic slapstick animations epitomise the childish, enjoyable style that revolves completely around exaggeration. The animations centre around the rivalry of two characters, a mouse and a cat who spark conflict between each other for the viewers entertainment. The constant references to squash and stretch and anticipation make for an extremely entertaining show for any age, something fresh and unique. Another distinguishing factor of the show is the fact that it has virtually no dialogue, emphasising its uniqueness as the audience are immediately drawn in by the violent and entertaining actions. The classic animation is capable of making anyone laugh and enjoy the show, epitomising animations potential - anyone new can sit down and instantly smile and those who have seen it can watch in nostalgia.

   

Identify - Submarine Sandwich

Submarine Sandwich - PES

Submarine Sandwich is a stop-motion animation where someone is making a sandwich out of everyday objects such as footballs and boxing gloves (the sandwich was - as the title implies - an actual toy submarine cut in half). The animation is very satisfying to view due to how smooth and clean the animation is - stop-motion can typically be quite jumpy due to slight camera movement, lighting changes or generally mis-placing the objects - however PES counters these limitations and by doing so creates very approachable animations. The animations he makes often rely on the same theme of food and more specifically, turning household items into other household items that represent food. This is also very satisfying to watch as the audience are intrigued as to what food the item could make due to his creativeness with each shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWEl8-PHhMI

Identify - Boundin'

Boundin' - Pixar

Boundin' is interesting as the whole film revolves around the rock in the middle, maintaining its focus on the main characters home and allowing the animation to flow around it. With it being central and fairly simple the audience can familiarise themselves with the setting easily, further understanding the animation. The characters are exaggerated in their actions, especially the Jackalope who at times comes to a stop instantly despite building up momentum (going against the principle of slowing-in and slowing-out) but at times also shows fluidity with the ears and hair freely flowing after simple head movements (following the principle of overlapping actions). This contrast between stiff movements and moving freely complements the character as he is much bigger than the sheep and arguably scarier yet a kind, respectful figure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCzteSZVkJc

Storyboard - Final

Baa Baa Black Sheep

First Draft: My first draft was of course very rough however I had the idea in my head and knew what I wanted to achieve with it. The animation would have a narrator singing the nursery rhyme in the background, complementing the repetition found near the middle of the storyboard. Although seeming childish and happy, the end was going to be a little bit darker, featuring a sad sheep who no longer has its coat of wool enclosed in a dark barn. 

Final Storyboard:

Seeing as I had a fairly concrete idea from the start, the frames don't change to much from the first draft. I was slightly critical of the repetitive frames throughout the middle however I soon felt it suited the nursery rhyme itself.

Identify - Lava

Lava - Walt Disney

Despite being a fairly annoying song, the animation for 'Lava' was fairly sweet, conveying how important the appeal principle is within animation. The short film incites sympathy from the audience simply over a volcano with eyes and a mouth, which is pretty impressive. Similarly to 'Feast' we are focused on one character for the majority of the animation, allowing for the audience to engage with the him and feel sorry for him when he's slowly disappearing into the ocean. The staging is also effective at implying how lonely he is despite being this huge being - he is shown in almost every shot even at obscure angles, yet no one else appears to be around him. There were also some quite beautiful shots, for example at night when clouds cover him. This shot adds mysteriousness and an enchanting sensation, even if only for a short time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4dTLJ9q9o

Explore - 12 Principles of Animation

12 Principles of Animation

1. Squash and Stretch: By exaggerating a objects movement giving the illusion of movement, weight, speed or impact. This can be applied to simple objects such as bouncing balls or the more complex muscles in a characters face. An important tip is to keep the volume of the shape constant in order to avoid a peculiar looking animation. This technique has been demonstrated in my flip books for example.

2. Anticipation: For almost every action we make there is anticipation - for example before we jump we bend our knees, or thrust our arms. This is used to prepare the audience for an action, and by doing so makes the animation more realistic. Mostly noticeable in large, physical movements but can also be applied to when a character simply moves their eyes to anticipate an arrival of someone else. An important note is that anticipation is always in the opposite direction to the action, for example if you're jumping up, you bend down first.

3. Staging (Mise-en-scene): Refers to the presentation of an idea so that it clearly communicates to the audience. This could be through shot framing, for example a close-up or an extreme close-up, through the placement of a character in the frame or the use of lighting. In summary it is maintaining focus on what is relevant and avoiding anything unnecessary. 

4. Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose: These are two different approaches to the drawing process in animation. Straight Ahead: Animating frame after frame without the use of key framing. This allows for faster action, often making it fresh and fun. Pose to Pose: Refers to incredibly well planned animations in which the animator works out the key poses and then fills in the 'in-betweens'. This allows for clarity and strength in terms of quality.

5. Follow through and Overlapping Action: This refers to the actions that happen after the main body of the object has stopped moving, for example if slapped in the face, your hair and skin will still move due to momentum. This also relates to 'drag', when parts of something take a few frames to catch up. The lighter the object, the less drag. 

6. Slow-In and Slow-Out: Because the movement of the most objects need time to accelerate and slow down, easing in and easing out of actions is required. This means there should be more frames during the beginning/end of an action and fewer frames whilst the object is moving at a high speed. Fewer frames = faster actions. This is demonstrated in the common animation of a pendulum swinging, in which I did for my pose to pose animation. 

7. Arcs: Often actions follow an arc or circular path, and animation should adhere to this principle by following the implied arcs in order to gain greater aspects of realism. For example, an arm swinging when walking. Following arcs allow for a more fluid, natural looking animation. 

8. Secondary Action: This refers to an action that supports and reinforces the previous action. For example, an angry person may tighten their grip. The aim of secondary actions is to emphasise rather than take attention away from the main action.

9. Timing: The number of drawings/frames for a given action which further translates to the speed of the action on film. Having a variety of different timings adds texture and interest to the movement or animation. 

(Johnston and Thomas provided this as a guide for animators)

10. Exaggeration: Exaggeration is a key component to animation, often bringing an animation to life. However it doesn't just refer to vast movements giving a comical effect, but also subtle characteristics such as movement in the eyebrow to express emotions. 

11. Solid Drawing: This means taking into account the basic principles of drawing for example weight, volume, solidity and the illusion of three dimensions. Drawing a character from the side rather than simply straight on will bring the character to life for example.

12. Appeal, or Character Personality: For your animation to relate to your audience your characters must have an appeal to them, including villains. It is important for the audience to view the character as real and interesting, furthermore bringing your animation to life. For likeable characters baby-like faces are effective in engaging the audience, for example Homer Simpson.

Identify - Feast

Feast - Disney - Director: Patrick Osborne

This animated short by Disney tells the story of a mans love life through the eyes of his best friend and dog, Winston. The lack of dialogue allows for the audience to really relate to the characters and create a connection between them so that when something bad does happen, in this case when the woman breaks up with the man, you actually do feel upset yourself as you've connected with the characters - the appeal of the characters is effective at involving the audience, as they are simply everyday people, like you and me. Furthermore by keeping the number of different characters down to a minimum this only helps to provide this emotional connection as you spend more and more time with them. The attention to detail is impressive, and only proves that to produce even a short animation requires time and research. The use of staging is effective at communicating the story to the audience, for example when Winston is under the table clearly being ignored due to the mans new companion.

 (Below - Making of 'Feast')

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ARYCDna3E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NWPPW5ZVFI

Identify - The RIP

Portishead - The RIP - Animator: Nick Uff

The hand-drawn flip book-like animation for Portishead's, 'The RIP' seems to portray perhaps the ending of civilisation? I question this because what's fairly unique about this animation is that it is completely up to your interpretation, reiterated by the hypnotic song and animated style. Animator Nick Uff explains how he doesn't produce storyboards, making the animation seem like a simple, continuous doodle using straight ahead animation. By not using storyboards, I was impressed with his coordination and understanding of his work as without planning it is very easy to loose track of timing and speed in animations. However this only emphasises the idea of unlimited interpretations of the animation, allowing the video to flow fluidly and freely.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBOaLjtR4mw

Identify - Crazy

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy - Director: Robert Hales

Gnarls Barkley's, 'Crazy' is about losing your mind and diving into insanity, influenced by his divorce in 2004 and his 'bleak' lifestyle, however he also believed it was 'an opportunity to be expressive'. Similar to this theme of the song, the animated video follows the style of the 'Rorschach test', a psychiatric evaluation in which the patient is asked what they see in a series of inkblot patterns. The intriguing animations fit the song perfectly and convey Barkley's meanings very well - with inkblot patterns being almost always associated with being crazy or unstable, the audience instantly view the song/animation as a troubled piece or art rather than uplifting. The timing of each inkblot varies throughout the video as well, emphasising the idea of being unstable and inconsistent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd2B6SjMh_w&list=FLfvWXRUbDl4vJrLJpOPHWMg&index=1

Identify - Borderlands

Borderlands - Developed by GearBox - Art Director: Brian Martel

Borderlands, a role-playing shooter video game stands out from its other competition due to its unique art style not typically seen in many video games today which rather aim for the most realistic graphics possible. The hand-drawn style of the game only becomes more exciting once in the game itself as you are able to move around in it - almost as if you have been shoved inside a comic book, free to do what you like (This idea of freedom is only heightened by the genre of the game being free-roam, meaning the generated world is massive and open). The characters are often exaggerated in terms of movement, along with the anticipation of their movements. Art director, Brian Martel reiterates that they 'wanted it to truly feel like a piece of concept art that has come to life'. Personally I love the artwork within the game. It is truly fresh and something completely different to a typical video game allowing you to indulge in the game.

Storyboards - No Country For Old Men

No Country For Old Men (2007) - Storyboard Artist: J. Todd Anderson

With 'No Country For Old Men' being one of my favourite films, viewing the storyboard for it makes it even better. Despite the serious, quite formal film, I love the enthusiasm and 'cartoony' appearance of the storyboard, especially the use of onomatopoeias, for example, 'Blam'. The storyboard gives an additional appeal to the more mature topic and scenes of the film. Furthermore I find Anderson's style appealing and his determination to draw outside the panels as well as in. Not only does this give more understanding to the viewer but also emphasises on the fact that it is simply just a rough draft, making it more approachable and joyful.

   

  

Storyboards - Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now (1979) - Storyboard Artist: Dean Tavoularis

Storyboarding is effective in all types of modern media, including live-action film. After seeing storyboards for perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in movie history in 'Apocalypse Now', it was pretty impressive and surprisingly remarkable. It was also impressive seeing the similarities in the storyboard and film itself, even when I fully expected it to be the case seeing as that is the main reason storyboards are produced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqtehtSB0LI

Storyboards - Gorillaz

Gorillaz - Rhinestone Eyes Storyboard Film

This storyboard is probably not the first one made for the video - it is fairly detailed in terms of shots, showing more and more frames rather than simply sticking to the key parts. It also includes sound, unlike a typical storyboard. This is often referred to as an animatic, an animated storyboard. Animatics are used in many forms of modern media, for example in live-action films they are used to preview scenes before they are shot, and in the pre-production of the video game industry they are also similarly used. One reason I like this Gorillaz storyboard video is the colour selection being effective at conveying emotions. For example it is mostly green throughout shots, acting neutral, however when there is a fight the colour scheme quickly contrasts to red, invoking anger and violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYDmaexVHic

Storyboard Process

Of course the storyboard acts as a plan for your future animation, however planning the storyboard and getting that right as well is also very important.

1. Establish a timeline - deciding the order of events in your story helps to organise your animation so that you can begin to bring it to life.
2. Identify the key scenes - because the storyboards objective is to give the audience a rough idea of what happens rather than creating a flip book like experience, keeping the storyboard simple and to the point is often helpful.
3. Decide how detailed to get - Although the storyboard is a rough draft, including detail in the drawings can help get your point across, whether that is to emphasise emotions in characters of improve the noticeability of the setting.
4. Analysing each panel - The viewer is not going to get everything you want them to understand, meaning conveying what is going on in each panel is just as important as the pictures. This might include descriptions of the movements, shot timings and what sounds are in the background, for example.
5. Be open to re-working it and criticism - much like the animation itself you perhaps wont get what you want first time and therefor should be open to having to edit certain panels.