Saturday 29 March 2014

Ceramics Induction Part 3

We had the morning of the following week to finish off our models with the milliput and plasticine. I used this time to add more accessories and facial features to my character:


If I had more time, I would add eyeballs to the sockets, which is a simple process of rolling two small balls of milliput, poking a hole in each, leaving that to dry and then painting them.

Ceramics Induction Part 2

As part of the ceramics induction, we were given a task of creating 10 shapes representing the process of one shape transforming into another.

We could use any two shapes we preferred, as long as we use one colour and have the in betweens.
I decided to complete this task with two simple shapes, because I wanted to be able to see the transaction more clearly, which I thought would be more obvious with simpler shapes.





Ceramics Induction Part 1


Our class undertook an induction in the ceramics department as a 4 week mini project, which involved using a lot of plasticine!

Firstly, we had to design a character, so after drawing this out on paper and determining where the skeleton will be, we could start making the models.

The first task we had was to create the wire armatures (by folding a long piece of wire in half and clipping it in the drill to spin it around to make it stronger. At first it's hard to figure out how tight to spin them, because if it's too tight then it won't bend, and if it's not tight enough then it won't be very strong. Once I tried it a few times then it worked well.

Then I tried the slightly harder task of sawing a metal rod and using a hammer to bend it. I found this more difficult because it requires physical strength to get it done quickly. I eventually managed it and was able to move on the the armature making...

This required using the wires I had spun earlier and bending them into the shape of my design. I didn't enjoy this part as much because the wire didn't bend as easily as I thought it would, but after referencing from my drawing I was able to create a basic structure which was attached to the metal rod that I'd cut earlier (placed in a hole in a piece of wood).

Once the wire was complete I was able to start mixing some milliput (two
tubes of plasticine-like substance that harden when mixed together) which was used as the muscles of my armature, leaving the joints free to move.

After the milliput was placed, we had to leave them to set, and carry on with the process a week later. This started off with us putting plasters over the milliput, so that the plasticine we were about to apply would stick to the model.

I have photographed the process of applying the plasticine, seeing my character slowly develop over time. (Left hand side)

Overall I have enjoyed this process of making a model; Designing a
character and seeing it come to life over time is so rewarding, and experimenting with the different tools to develop textures was enjoyable. My favourite part was creating the accessories, such as the hair and hat, because they are the main aspects that have given my character a personality.




Drawing of my character










Armature with Milliput














Friday 28 March 2014

Changing My Ideas...

After completing my walk cycle, I realised all of the actions would take longer then I had planned. This means that I won't be able to use every scene in my current storyboard, since I have a 40 second time limit.

So I reviewed my storyboard and decided which scenes to cut out, leaving this as my new final storyboard:




I think this will play out better overall, and should still get across the message that he is depressed and eventually suicidal.
My tutor said - during feedback for my interim crit - that I should consider including other characters (even in the background) who also have a black cloud over them, so signify their depression and show that others feel the same as you. However due to this cut I've had to make, I cannot fit in the time to show another character's cloud. Despite this I think the text at the end should represent this clearly enough, and now my animation focuses on one, clear problem.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Form, Flow & Force

The final task under our module for Visual Language is Form, Flow and Force. This involves getting into small groups and taking it in turns to pose and draw each other; to have at least 4 drawings for each task.
It was split into four different types of poses we had to capture:

Rhythm Is A Dancer
The first was to complete some form of walk cycle, holding each pose for 10 seconds, doing a series of 12 drawings per page.
The essence of the task was to get us to think about the shape of the body, not necessarily all the body parts, just the gist of what form the model is taking...



For all of these ones, I mistakenly tried to draw every limb of the body, which caused me to draw lots of jagged unsure lines, rather then one flowing movement.
However I think in this image in particular, if you look at the line created by the heads you can see the movement of my classmate in one flow.

Like A Puppet On A String
This task was to practice "squash and stretch" or exaggerating the features; where some started out curled up in a ball and ending with their arms stretched out, or vice versa.
I think this was to practice capturing each stage in the process of movement, and thinking about which limbs are moving the most.



I think I was starting to get better at thinking about the general shape rather then the whole body in these; because my tutors advice was to draw just one or two lines rather then more!
I still think there's room for improvement, where I position the drawings on the page is important as well (even if I have to overlap my drawings)

Ah! Push It
These poses were held for slightly longer (5-10 minutes), with someone pushing or pulling something.
Here we were supposed to focus on where the weight of the body is centred, and what movement is required to push or pull an object.



I enjoyed having a longer period of time on these drawings, because it allowed me more time to decide what the figure should look like and time to change it if there were any mistakes.
Looking back on my drawings, I start to notice how some of them are slightly out of proportion, and I needed to think more about the positioning on the page since parts of the images were cut off.
However I think I've more accurately captured the shapes of the bodies within the time limit, but if I could go back over them I would try and add more weight to the required parts and possibly add colour.

Strike A Pose
The final task was to hold a pose for 20-30 minutes - preferably a comfortable one - so that the others can add more detail to the drawings.



Again with this pose, after finishing the drawings I started to notice that some aspects of the body are out of proportion (such as the head in the image above).
Despite this, I think I've managed to capture the general shape of my classmates, which become more proportioned gradually from the first to last drawings.
I would have experimented with different media, but I wasn't entirely confident with my drawing skills, so thought it would be best if I stuck to my most comfortable media - pencil.

Overall, I enjoyed the longer poses more, because it allowed me more time to think about the figure and positioning of the body, whereas the first two tasks required me to draw in a way that I'm not used to, so found it more challenging to draw expressive lines.


Wednesday 12 March 2014

Ryan Larkin - Walking

I like this as an example of using life drawing within animation:



It looks at all different body types, using a range of media to capture the body in all different ways. In some of them, he really fills a 3D space with the movement of the person; whereas others are just walking from one side to the other of the screen, or walking on the same spot! It's interesting to see the different techniques he's tried, to find out which way of drawing is the easiest or works the best.
At the start you see a lot of still images, showing us the life drawings he has undertaken, perhaps in preparation for animating the walk cycles.
A lot of them are very abstract, which allows viewers to focus on the actual shape and poses they are pulling rather then the identity of the person.
I like that he zooms in on certain details, such as the feet, on some of the drawings as they're walking, showing where abouts the weight is being supported.

Sleeping Beauty Live Action

In the early stages of animation, the Disney company referenced a live model doing the actions of the main characters of the film. Here's an example of how animators would stand in different positions as the model dressed as sleeping beauty would perform the actions:



They fixate on one pose, then as she's continually moving they keep sketching, referencing her as she moves. This is an interesting way to work, since they are able to capture the movement of the dress and hair flowing through mid air, so this proved to be a much more effective way of capturing the right figure rather then if she was standing still.




Tuesday 11 March 2014

Thought of You - Ryan Woodward

One of my fellow classmates showed our class this animation as part of another module:



It very much involves life drawing, and it's obvious in this film that Woodward did lots of life drawing and gathered references prior to making this, since the body shapes, proportions and movements seem so accurate.
The actual movements are very exaggerated and extending to their peak, which creates more dynamic and interesting shapes to draw.
I like how this is still only sketches, because it allows viewers to see how the body is actually built up. It's been improvised to exaggerate the movements, with water splashes, extended limbs and even wings! But all those components work well together to create the story.
The colour and texture of the background are very simple, yet it still feels as if the characters are in a 3D space, and the fact it isn't the traditional white makes it softer and easier to watch.
The music compliments the characters and dance routine very well, and even gives the piece a softer feel to it.

Monday 10 March 2014

Final Visual Style

Before I can start my animation, I need to establish my overall visual style, and test how it will look; so I created these images extracted from my storyboard to test my vision in a variety of situations:



Building without brick lines
Building with brick lines









I think the grey scale works well for my idea, to represent the gloomy depression that my character feels. Having my main character coloured white is what will make him stand out compared to everything else.

Saturday 8 March 2014

Sketchbook Studies

For one of my study tasks, we were asked to keep up a sketchbook with a series of drawings - to help us practice and keep using our skills throughout our time at university.

The one on the left is a sketch I did preparing for 'Environmental Storytelling' in the Leeds city centre, to get an idea of what the task was about. It was a cloudy day, so I shaded with pencil to try and capture the tone of the clouds, and the plane flying past!

I like the texture of the background, but I think it drowns out the lamppost I was originally drawing. I could have changed this by adding colour or drawing it in a different media.


The drawing to the right is another I did for the task 'Environmental Storytelling'. It was more of an experiment with different line work to develop the different textures of the surroundings, rather then a final piece.

I'm glad I took the time to get a better idea of what I needed to include in my task, because eventually I got the courage to experiment with media - other then pencil.






I took this drawing of Ariel as inspiration from an artist Tracey Chung, who draws at her own leisure as well as for clients. I thought it would be a good practice for me to draw faces, hands and the general figure (except the legs obviously!) and drawing something I enjoy as motivation.
I came across a problem when referencing Chung's work - my drawing didn't fit on the page. So instead, I found another picture of Ariel where the tail was standing up, rather then flicking to the side.


http://traceychung.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/fanart.html 

I wanted to try drawing from a photo reference, since I generally find this more challenging. I also had the chance to experiment with shading - using different line work to develop the right textures for the materials.
I think I have managed to show some sort of shading, which I could have developed upon further to make them more defined.







Thursday 6 March 2014

Final Rotating Object

This is the object I chose:


I prefer this one to my first object, since it's symmetrical, yet still an interesting shape which was still a challenge for me to draw correctly. If I have enough time I could even develop it further by adding colour!

This is my final animation:



I think it worked well; it stays in proportion, the shape and weight of the object is still there during rotation, and it moves fluently.
However, I would make the lines a bit darker, and more obvious on the page, to bring the drawing forward a bit more.

Wednesday 5 March 2014

You Spin Me Right Round...

For this task, I have to take an object of my choice and draw it from every angle, creating a rotation animation with 12 images.


I originally decided to draw this object, because I wanted to try something different and interesting. I thought the unusual shape would give me a challenge to draw something new...

However, when I started, it proved to be very hard to keep the proportions accurate through the whole rotation, since the head and body shape are hard to distinguish. I still had time left to start another animation, so I will choose a different object to draw.

Final Sound Animations

These are the final sounds I produced:

I wanted the squiggle to be quivery and wobble a bit as it moves around, because I think it's a very springy sound that would waver around if it was an object/line.
The straight zig-zag lines at the very start are supposed to represent the jerky start it has, as the line gradually goes rounder as it moves across the page.
I put in small blue lines around the main black line to show the quavering vibrations it has:



I just thought this sound was a very simple splat, with no massive bangs or squirts, so I decided to just have one line with curved squiggles since it's quite a smooth splat.
If you listen closely you can hear a small echo as the splat reaches it's peak, so I added another colour to try and show that:



With the firework, I wanted to try something different, so I thought using one line would allow me to be more creative.
Putting it on a black background I thought would give it the best illusion of it being nighttime.
I could improve the first part by having the line positioned differently and moving in a different direction - because it's not particularly an escalating sound so it might work better if I flip it upside down... Or even start the line in the middle flowing in both directions.
I think the ending works well, because I portrayed the small 'pop' in one simple triangle, with the waves afterwards to show the aftermath.



My egg representation looks "kind of like an egg, but not an egg" as said during the feedback session...
I tried to make the shape slightly bigger as the film progresses, but I don't think many people could tell that's what I was trying to do!
I'm happy with the flicks that I put in to try and combine every background sound I can hear within the sound effect.
The orange lines around the outside feel quite compact and almost steering the circle around...



I feel I could have done better with this piece... I should have made the lines move faster, or made it a bigger frame rate (e.g. 24 FPS instead of 12).
I could also duplicate my line and have it animated from all 4 sides of the screen, because the sound feels as if it's coming from everywhere.
However my choice of brush is good, since it represents that static feeling well.




The Dot and the Line - Chuck Jones




Chuck Jones has done very well to represent the mood of the characters, despite them only being simple shapes without facial expressions...

For example, the line thickens slightly as he breathes in and out, and as the dot insults the line the background closes in on him, showing a sense of foreboding and darkness being thrust upon him as his dreams are crushed; It's little details and movements such as these that give even simple shapes a sense of character and feeling.

It works really well with the music, since in parts it seems as if the shapes are dancing to the music and bouncing at exactly the right moments, and the change in beats and rhythm represents the mood of the story.


Do I Wanna Know? - Arctic Monkeys

This is the music video for the band Arctic Monkeys, using a more obvious form of representing sound:


Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know? from David Wilson on Vimeo.

I really like the use of the line at the start, since it waves and represents the sounds of the instruments into one timeline, using different lengths and speeds to show the beat.

When the backing singers start, two different colours are used. This produces a nice effect, and makes it clearer to viewers which lines are representing who.

At 02:22, four different lines appear, representing four different instruments/sounds within the track. I think it's interesting seeing all the sounds being separated into different lines, then alined next to each other, because you can see how the sounds have been combined into one piece of music.

The fluidity of the changes between the timelines and character animations is really effective in representing the mood of the song.

Monsters Inc Introduction

A good example of using animation to represent sound is the intro to the film Monsters Inc:



The doors open/close and move to the music, which gives the illusion that the animation is running smoother, since every aspect of this piece combines together to complete the sequence.

Especially the sequence at 0.44 when the door becomes a saxophone to produce the letters; it's an interesting and imaginative way to animate the doors, which keeps the viewers interested in the film.


Final Idea

After more research and taking on board the feedback I received from my interim crit, I created this, as my final storyboard:



I decided to raise awareness for suicide in young people, since this issue has been increasing over the past few years, so I feel if the audience knows that it's becoming a common issue, then the suicidal people might realise that they aren't alone, and that other people feel the same way. And if the audience isn't suicidal personally, then they might see the signs of depression in others, and be able to help them before it's too late.

The story itself has a lot in it for a short space of time, but I feel it will get across a valid point that you are not the only sufferer of depression/suicidal issues. The scenes of him walking/close ups will allow me to experiment with animating the right body language for this task - where I'm used to happier characters, this person is the opposite; which will allow me to re-evaluate the weight and posture of the body.

I decided to use a male main character, because it might reach out to a wider audience; whereas if I used a female then boys will only think it's a girl's problem. This is because the statistics show that more girls have called ChildLine about suicidal thoughts - which doesn't necessarily mean that boys don't feel the same; they might just be too embarrassed to talk to someone about it.

This is what my story looks like in an animatic:


After reviewing this, I realise some parts of the story move too fast for the mood that I'm trying to set - if it's a sad film then he should move slower and heavier, which should be reflected in the whole film. I will start animating with these timings and see if the story moves too fast.

Monday 3 March 2014

More Statistics

After reading through the article posted by ChildLine, I realise it's not only teenagers that have issues:




These stats show that bullying and relationships (friendships, family) are the most common concern with young children. It might be better for me to aim my animation at young children instead, to reach out to those who are being bullied and show that it's ok to talk about it.

However I also read that suicidal feelings have increased by 33% amongst teenagers in the past year alone:


This clip also states that it's the 3rd most common problem reported amongst 16-18 year olds - majority of whom are girls.
I found this interesting, since how many boys feel suicidal but don't tell anyone? So I want to explore the issue of suicide amongst young people/teenagers in my campaign, since it's a very serious issue that needs to be resolved - It's a matter of life and death!

Sunday 2 March 2014

Matter Fisher - David Prosser

This is what I have taken part of my inspiration for my style from:



I really like the line work of the piece. It gives it a nice, finished look that could also be considered "messy" (since it was coloured frame by frame!)
The greyscale tone works well to set the scene, painting the picture of a lonely man in a polluted world. Not all the lines are black - on top of dark colours they are grey. I should consider this when colouring my animation to add detail and tone to my work.
The character has a simple design, with no face... I think if I follow the line work used on him then my characters could look good too.

Saturday 1 March 2014

ChildLine Videos

A few more examples of ChildLine's approach to advertising:



I think this is aimed at young teenagers/primary school children, since the characters are simple and cute, and the narration is explaining what kinds of anxiety ChildLine deal with. The simple one colour backgrounds give a friendly impression, and keeps the advert to the point rather then using loads of detail.
The narration suggests that the workers of ChildLine are talking to the viewers directly in this particular advert, suggesting that they understand that young people have worries that build up and they have dealt with similar problems before. This might be comforting to some children, since it reassures them that maybe their worries aren't as uncommon as they thought...



I like this one, it runs smoothly, with nice visuals as well as narration. It explains the process of talking online and talking on the phone, which will be reassuring for most people since it gives them a vague idea of what will happen/what the counsellor will say.

These are both narrated adverts, which I think is easier to explain to viewers what ChildLine are about and how they can help; However I want to try a different approach, by having minimal dialogue and having quotations/the phone number and website flash up at the end. This is so I can focus on the character animation and showing their feelings in other ways.

Public Awareness Animations

These are a few various examples of other campaigns that are aimed at different audiences:



Road safety campaigns tend to be aimed at young children; using cute characters, a catchy song, rhythmic animation, and having a clear message will teach kids in a friendly way.
For this advert they have used nice, soft colours that blend well together. The only part with details is the hedgehogs, which makes them stand out.


For the campaign 'This is abuse" this advert, shown on TV, focuses on teenage relationships, aimed directly at the abusers and victims in the relationship. This subject is too dark for my liking, but I'm interested in the idea of the abuser seeing themselves, and if they would do things differently; It gives viewers of the advert chance to reflect on their lives, and hopefully start to notice if any abuse is occurring.
It isn't factual, and focuses more on the emotions of the characters, which I think will grab more peoples attention.



This illustrated narrative is basically the point I want to get across with my campaign. The black clouds in my idea relate to this "black dog" hanging over someone and taking over their life so well - it lingers and gets bigger; the only way to deal with depression is if you talk to someone and get advice/help. If you talk to someone and get all of your feelings off your chest then you realise there are ways to solve or deal with issues - you're not on your own! ChildLine have similar views to this, except dealing directly with children.
Hearing this story narrated by someone directly affected by depression is interesting, because I never realised how someone with depression feels.
I think a campaign aimed directly at children/teenagers might engage more of a response, because they might feel empathy towards the characters or realise they don't have to be afraid to ask for help.

Statistics

It was pointed out in my interim crit that I need to do some factual research about who actually does (or doesn't) call/contact ChildLine. A valid point!

So I found an article about the most common problems people have told ChildLine:



These Statistics show that they generally receive more calls from girls; I noticed none of the male's numbers exceed the female callers.
The biggest concerns are the ones I've already covered in my idea: unhappiness, family relationships and bullying.

The way children contact ChildLine has changed over the last couple of years. More people between the ages 12-15 are chatting to a counsellor online rather then by phone - for the first time ever!


This suggests that young teenagers aren't as confident talking on the phone, and are more comfortable chatting online, where they could hide their identities easier to save themselves from feeling embarrassed. 

I think my campaign's main character should still be male, to discreetly suggest that men have problems too, and show the male audience that there's nothing wrong with admitting you're insecure or you're having problems. However I should add at least one more character in the background with their own black cloud (probably female), to make it less gender-specific.



http://www.nspcc.org.uk/news-and-views/media-centre/press-releases/2014/childline-report/childline-report_can-i-tell-you-something_wdf100354.pdf

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/bullying/bullying_statistics_wda85732.html