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[Major Influences] Yutaka Nakamura: Crafting Dynamic Action Sequences in "Echoes of the Abyss"

Yutaka Nakamura's legendary contributions to anime, including One Punch Man and Cowboy Bebop, have profoundly influenced my approach to crafting dynamic action sequences in "Echoes of the Abyss." His mastery of framing, camera angles, and character movement exemplifies the pinnacle of animation excellence. By studying Nakamura's work, I've gained insights into creating impactful fight sequences and incorporating dynamic effects like impact frames. His veteran-level understanding of animation serves as a guiding force, inspiring me to strive for perfection in every frame of my project. Nakamura's influence permeates "Echoes of the Abyss," elevating its visual storytelling and capturing the essence of intense action and emotion.

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[Major Influences] Clinton Jones: Exploring VFX and Lighting in 3D Animation

Clinton Jones, curator of the YouTube channel "pwnisher," has been a beacon of inspiration for my exploration of VFX and lighting in 3D animation. Through his thematic competitions and insightful breakdowns, Jones showcases the diverse talents of animators while offering valuable insights into technical aspects of animation production. His own animations exemplify excellence in VFX, textures, lighting, and rendering, serving as a guiding light for my own creative endeavors. By studying Jones's work, I've gained a deeper understanding of how to achieve stunning visual effects and bring depth to my animations, enriching the visual storytelling of "Echoes of the Abyss."

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Wren Weichman: Exploring the Landscape of Digital Content Creation

Wren Weichman, known for his content on the VFX Corridor YouTube channel, has been a constant source of inspiration as I navigate the world of digital content creation. His insightful breakdowns of film, anime, and game sequences have provided invaluable lessons in storytelling and visual aesthetics. By analyzing various animation techniques and their fusion across different mediums, Weichman has expanded my perspective on the creative process. His content underscores the importance of innovative thinking and collaboration among creators, shaping my approach to "Hesitation is Defeat" and fueling my passion for pushing the boundaries of animation.

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Howard Wimhurst: Navigating the World of Adobe Animate and TV Paint

Howard Wimhurst's expertise in animation, particularly in Adobe Animate and Photoshop, has been instrumental in shaping the development of "Hesitation is Defeat." His dedication to teaching both basic and advanced techniques through his YouTube channel has been invaluable to my learning journey. I've absorbed his insights into proper framing and technical workflows, which have enhanced my animation skills significantly. Wimhurst's collaborations with content creators like Sam Koel, where he seamlessly integrates 2D animation with live-action footage, have inspired my approach to blending different mediums. With his guidance, I've gained a deeper understanding of animation principles and the tools necessary to bring my vision to life.

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[Major Influences]Jong Hung Boix: Elevating Action Sequences in "Echoes of the Abyss"

He has been a significant source of inspiration for my project, "Echoes of the Abyss." His ability to create intensely detailed and dynamic action sequences has fueled my ambition to replicate such feats in my own work. I enrolled in his online courses to learn the intricacies of 2D animation in TV Paint and gleaned valuable insights into incorporating 3D elements seamlessly. Boix's personal projects, which blend 2D effects with live-action footage, served as a prime reference for the visual aesthetic I aim to achieve. His work has not only expanded my technical skill set but also ignited my creative vision for the project, pushing me to strive for excellence in every frame.

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Incorporating Live Action and Animation in Production Planning:

As a solo creator, the coordination of live-action footage with animation in "Echoes of the Abyss" is both a logistical challenge and a creative opportunity.

I've watched ountless hours of videos now on how animators use pictures and live footage for inspiration in their drawings and how many have incorporated animations over live action footage. I acquired a great deal of this knowledge from Howard Weinhurst's channel again. Although in my story, mainly the live action narrative will be juxtaposed with the animated sequences, I still want to achieve a cohesive look and incorporate some typographical effects and 2D vfx in the live action footage as well. A great deal of inspiration for giving a visual to the "negative voices" in a person's head, came from none other the Netflix series : Arcane. In which one of the lead characters Jinx is dealing with this notion of fighting one's own demons and continuously sees or hears those disfigured demons in the form of scribbled artifacts around her.

Although I have'nt started filming anything yet, I practiced some of these vfx techniques on some old footage I had of a commercial, just to test the tracking method in After Effects and what sort of brushes to use in Photoshop to create such sketchy visuals.

As for recording the live action footage, Ive been watching a lot of videos which have multiple warpping effects and transitions, which I think will be a suitable template for my story, which shows the lead character moving in and out of a fantastical setting. Howard Wimhurst's tutorial on 2D Animation with Live Footage:

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). How To Merge 2D Animation With Live Action Film. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncM8NsvCd6s&t=77s&ab_channel=HowardWimshurst [Accessed 1 May 2024].

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Arcane : Jinx Hallucinating and fighting off her demons

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Jinx’s schizophrenia scenes - (Her progression). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9n3iV7Am6A&ab_channel=Jewel.

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Storyboarding & Concept Art

As a solo creator embarking on the ambitious project of "Echoes of the Abyss," I knew that every step of the journey would present its own set of challenges. From crafting the narrative to bringing it to life through animation, each task required careful planning and execution. However, as the deadline for the project's pre-production submission loomed closer, I found myself grappling with inefficiency and a lack of time management.

One of the critical components of pre-production is storyboarding, a process that lays the visual foundation for the entire film. However, as the deadline approached, I realized that my rough storyboard was far from complete. With time running out, I had to think fast and find a solution that would allow me to meet the deadline without compromising on quality.

Turning to the tools at my disposal, I decided to leverage the power of digital platforms such as Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Mid Journey's generative tools to enhance the rough sketches I had created on paper. While traditional storyboarding methods often involve hand-drawn sketches, I embraced the versatility of digital tools to streamline the process and bring my vision to life with greater efficiency.

Using Adobe Photoshop, I was able to digitize my hand-drawn sketches, refining them with precision and clarity. The intuitive interface allowed me to easily adjust elements and experiment with different compositions until I achieved the desired result. Additionally, Canva provided a wealth of templates , Ai tools like Mojo Ai and design assets that allowed me to add polish and professionalism to my storyboard layouts.

Despite the challenges and constraints I faced, I emerged from the experience with a newfound appreciation for creativity under pressure. By embracing digital innovation and thinking outside the box, I was able to overcome obstacles and deliver a storyboard that met the project's requirements while pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. As I move forward with the production of "Echoes of the Abyss," I carry with me the lessons learned from this experience, confident in my ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity

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Planning Key Scenes Through Pre-Visualization

As a solo creator, the process of planning key scenes through pre-visualization for "Echoes of the Abyss" is both challenging and rewarding. From sketching storyboards to creating animatics, every step of the process is a testament to my dedication and attention to detail. Drawing inspiration from tutorials on YouTube channels like Blender Guru and Proko, I've refined my skills in visual storytelling and composition. Based on a few lessons I saw about storyboarding on Proko's channel, I created gesture lines in thumbnails before going for a rough stoyboard. This certainly helped me understand how great works of animation from old school Disney films to modern day Pixar films, have such a great flow in their mise-en-scene. My storyboarding is going well and I've been using the generative tools in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to find new ways to color the panels and create meaningful compositions. As pre-production progresses, I'm excited to see how these key scenes come to life on screen, driven by my passion for the craft and the invaluable lessons learned from online tutorials and resources.

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Fine Tuning the ideal Soundscape

I thought the task of enhancing the viewer's experience through sound design will falls squarely on my shoulders, since this is a nature of the project. But creating a rich auditory landscape that complements the film's visuals, might actually be a bit more fun and collaborative than I initially thought. A student by the name of Misbah, from the Masters Program of the Musicology Department in UoH, has offered to work on creating a sound design with me on this project. The final product will serve in his own final year animation project as well. We're in the talks of how we'll go about it. Since it'll be near impossible to get the copyrights for using the orignal track, Legndary by Apashe, for this video, maybe Misbah can help me create a new track inspired by that song. if nothing else, he could help score the fight sequence, which I truly believe is carried by the soundscape in any movie or animation. As for the main music track, I could ofcourse purchase a licensed track from a site, which is similar in style and beats to my original inspiration. As I continue to think about how to fine-tune every sound cue and musical motif, I'm creating a library of sfx I'll be using in the entire video, by browsing through copyright free music and sfx sites like : Envato, MusicVine, AudioLibrary and BBC Sound Library.

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Choosing an Art Direction

As I embark on the journey of creating the visual atmosphere for "Echoes of the Abyss" I'm constantly inspired by the art style of modern day Shonen animes like One Punch Man and Mob Pyscho 100. From concept art to environment design to their use of "Impact Frames", to liven up each dynamic moment to a whole new level, every brushstroke and pixel is a reflection of the unqiue vision and dedication of the artists behind these shows. These anime particularly have an identifiable modern style. Studio Bones is renowned for its consistency in producing high-quality anime, and it is evident that they have put in a significant amount of effort to make Mob Psycho 100 one of their most visually appealing productions. The animation in the series is smooth, the character designs are vivid and dynamic, and the show is not afraid to take risks and be unconventional when necessary. Another reason why this show in particular resonates so well with my narrative is that it showcases the importance of character development and ideals during battles, rather than focusing solely on power. The anime's writing and Studio Bones' animation work together to create visually stunning and engaging fights that demonstrate the principles of animation. For aspiring animators, watching and rewatching Mob Psycho 100's best fights can provide valuable insights into the art form.

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Blending Live Action with 2D/3D Animation:

As a solo creator, the prospect of blending live-action footage with 2D/3D animation in "Echoes of the Abyss" is both daunting and thrilling. With guidance from YouTube channels like Corridor Crew and Smeaf, and especially following the work of aritst Jonghung Boix, I've leanred a great deal about the integration of live action footage with 2D vfx . As pre-production progresses, I'm excited to see how these techniques come together to create a visually immersive experience that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, all thanks to the invaluable lessons learned from these online tutorials and resources.

Tutorial for Animating 2D Action sequences fron Jong Hung Boix

www.youtube.com. (n.d.). Coloso Global - YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/@colosoglobal

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A post shared by Jonghyun JUNGBOIX (JUKEBOX) (@anioneworksart)

www.instagram.com. (n.d.). Instagram. [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckelpz5KWqf/

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Bringing Aizen and His Demon to Life:

With "Echoes of the Abyss" being a solo endeavor, the process of bringing Aizen and his inner demon to life is both exhilarating and challenging. From sketching character designs to animating their movements, every step of the way is a testament to my dedication and creativity. Drawing inspiration from YouTube channels like Howard Wimhurst and Blender Guru, I've refined my skills in character animation and visual storytelling. As I continue to breathe life into these complex characters, I'm grateful for the wealth of knowledge and inspiration found in online tutorials and communities.

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Finding Inspiration: From Darkness to Legendary

In the journey of creating "Echoes of the Abyss," inspiration often arises from unexpected sources. One such source that profoundly influenced the narrative of my film is the song "Legendary" by the artist Apashe. This powerful track resonated with me on a deeply personal level, as its theme of resilience and determination struck a chord during a dark period in my life.

As I navigated through personal struggles and career setbacks, "Legendary" became a beacon of hope, reminding me that I had the power to shape my own destiny. The lyrics, with their mantra of "I ain't ready to die 'til I'm legendary," served as a constant reminder that giving up was not an option. Instead, I found solace in the idea of striving for greatness each day, regardless of past shortcomings or present challenges.

At the time, I was grappling with inner demons that threatened to consume me. It was a period of immense emotional turmoil, where I felt lost and directionless. Yet, it was through this darkness that I discovered the transformative power of dedication and perseverance. By immersing myself in physical fitness and embracing a mindset of relentless pursuit, I began to reclaim control over my life.

One of the most profound lessons I learned during this journey was the dual nature of personal demons. While they may initially manifest as sources of misery and despair, they also possess the potential to propel us towards greatness. Through introspection and self-awareness, I came to understand that my own demons were not adversaries to be defeated, but rather catalysts for growth and self-discovery.

In "Echoes of the Abyss," this theme is echoed through the character of Aizen, who grapples with his inner demons as he embarks on a journey of self-realization. By acknowledging the existence of his personal demon and embracing the challenges it presents, Aizen learns to harness its power and ultimately achieves greatness.

As I dive into the pre-production phase and prepare to bring "Echoes of the Abyss" to life, the influence of "Legendary" serves as a constant reminder of the transformative power of perseverance and determination. It's a testament to the fact that even in our darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of hope waiting to be ignited. And with each step forward, we move closer to becoming the legends we were always meant to be

Cover Art of the Song: LEGENDARY by APASHE ft SLUMBERJACK x APASIU

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Crafting A Compelling Narrative:

The working title for my final major study project is : "Echoes of the Abyss" . Creating this short animation is truly going to be a personal and professional creative endeavor. Creating cinematic animated trailers and music videos, was the whole reason I decided to transition into this field from filmmaking. And the idea for this video, has been circling in my mind for just about a couple of years now. As I gear up to bring this idea to life, I'm excited to delve into the process of crafting its compelling narrative. Drawing from personal experiences and past traumas, I've embarked on a journey to explore the theme of overcoming inner demons through the story of our protagonist, Aizen. Each twist and turn of the plot has been meticulously planned to captivate audiences and evoke deep emotional resonance with the core theme of the video, which is "Overcoming your inner demons".

As I finalize the conceptual phase and prepare to enter pre-production, I can't wait to see how Aizen's journey unfolds on screen, for the audience and myself alike.

Image from : One Punch Man (Manga) Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePunchMan/comments/16m7s4u/i_redrew_my_favorite_panel_from_the_manga_how/