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Looking at colour.

The idea was to avoid bright colours, keep things muted but maintain an atmosphere and appropriate tone. These were schemes I found that may apply to what we could include.

I have also included colour sheets of testing the copic library on different bases, reducing these to colours that could be used. This was a good way to see how bright colours could be before they completely changed the tone. Putting these on the different colour bases also makes the colours appear different. This is partially so I could see tonal effect but also because we’re not necessarily planning on having stark white backgrounds.

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Initial experimentation with cutouts.

I cut out the shapes, photographed them and transferred this to digital 2D, adding inbetweens and testing what I could do with brushes and texture to make this appear more traditional.

The timing for this was a little hard to work out and fix but it’s given me a better idea of how I can go on to approach further animation in this style. Using the eraser instead of white lines means that it can be placed on any background and these areas will still show up clearly.

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Lotte Reiniger

German puppeteer.

Photographs of paper puppets. Frame by frame.

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Surreal Animations

Memory Box - Surreal Animated Short. Emmy Stork

Proxima B - Stop Motion Animated Short. EDDY TV

Surrealist World of Zdzislaw Beksinski. Black Illusion Pictures

Anamese - Augusto. Made with René Magritte paintings.

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Surrealism

surrealism /səˈrɪəlɪz(ə)m/

noun a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images.

Chaos and unconscious desires.

Imagination. Psychoanalysis.

Sigmund Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" (1899) was an important piece of literature, particularly influential. Importance of dreams, human emotion and desire.

Imagery from this movement is personal and as such can be difficult to define. Based on own recurring motifs, dreams. Uncanny, perplexing. Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Joan Miró, René Magritte.

         "The Bureau for Surrealist Research or Centrale Surréaliste was          also established in Paris in 1924. This was a loosely affiliated          group of writers and artists who met and conducted interviews          to "gather all the information possible related to forms that          might express the unconscious activity of the mind.""

Sources

Oxford Languages

The Art Story

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Style Test

Working from a cut out rabbit and jar as key frames, I cleaned up the shapes and added the inbetweens. Adding lines helped to define the form but also aims to keep in line with the intended aesthetic of the film. Using an airbrush, I added some texture to make it look like a print.

This could be a good method for achieving a traditional look but there may be some issues with continuity. I will also take this forward to test in After Effects.

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Briefing Presentation for the collaboration. Done by Lois Wilson and Samuel Stephenson-Dawss

Project Pitch

Title slide:

Narrative aims:

Moodboard/Stylistic inspiration:

Example Animations (Digital) by Samuel SD

Example Animations (Traditional) (LW)

Example Animations (Print based) (LW)

Technique/ Process (Traditional Time-lapse -LW) (Digital Process shots- SSD)

Outcomes:

Film Festivals (Research can be found on my career planning blog)

Project Schedule:

Risk Assessment (by SSD):

Role Recruiting/ Final slide.

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BA3a Feedback

Personal Showcase Good considerations of narrative or skills showcase. Examples of research that have inspired visual tone. Thumbnails of the setting and how to develop. Experimentation with design. 12-panel storyboard.

Continue to research branding, and social media presence. Assets to promote work. Further development is needed. Research content creators.

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all these late nights

instagram | twitter | shop | commission info

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Personal Showcase Briefing.

8 week project. Deadline: 13.11.20 Lead tutor: Helen

Developing multiple sequences (can be used in BA3b) to demonstrate specialist skills. Animated showcase (narrative or skills). Show a use of: visual design; animation/posing; sound design.

Narrative piece - Focus on storytelling and character driven work. Skills showcase - Work that builds on abilities.

The brief is open to interpretation. Decide how you want to approach this. Motion graphics, music videos, abstract moving image, title sequences... Must allow for research, development and showcasing generalist and specialist skills.

RESEARCH Pre-production process Scriptwriting, character design, style frames and colour script. Essential to evolve project. Career Explore and develop awareness of industry practices, methodologies and experimentation in software. Inssues Sustainability, inclusivity and diversity. How these can be addressed in your practice and work.

ANIMATIC/Blocking Presentation level. Black, white, grey where necessary. Rougher drawings. Narrative, character-driven. Dynamic posing to communicate intentions of final film. 30 seconds. Story art (boarding, animatic, colour script.) Design (character, set, layout). Skills showcase (non-narrative). Animatic or blocking (CG, Stop motion models). required to clearly outline intentions of BA3b development. Both need title and credits.

SOUND DESIGN Developed Soundtrack Inc. intended voice artist work. Essential for all projects. Temporary sound can be used for BA3a submission with acknowledgement that a final soundtrack will need to be created, collaborated or purchased without copyright issues.

DESIGN DOCUMENT PDF Sketchbook. Using a provided template. Images and text outlining iterative process towards refined and resolved outcomes. Exact content is up to you. As many pages as you want.

Research/reference material.

Primary observation.

Thumbnail designs (character and layout)

Storyboards

Colour script

Model sheets

Photographed models. (CG/Clay)

‘making of’ promotional work.

EXPERIMENTATION REEL Sequences into reels. Collection of animatic iterations and rough animation tests. Character work but include turnaround. Include place holders in your showreel for finished content.

FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL Further briefing later. Detailed proposal for the next unit. Help to identify/solidify potential areas of specialism within chosen animated technique. This will inform roles in BA3b collaboration. These roles/skills must be stated.

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL PDF sketchbook. Written and visual documented summaries. Key aspects. Research and development on the project.

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BA3a: Research and Development

New course leader: Mark Wickham. Primary tutor for this unit: Helen.

This unit aims to prepare:

Independence as a practitioner.

Individual and collaborative showcases.

Use and develop skills from first and second year.

Develop a body of work informed by research and experiential practice.

Prep for the next unit.

Planning, developing, organising final project work for BA3b.

Create own work to showcase industry standard skills.

Focus on areas of specialism.

Continued research, experimentation, risk-taking and reflection.

Build industry awareness. Considering future employment/education.

Creating a portfolio directed towards specific areas within animation and/or related creative industries.

Personal Showcase Animated sequence showing full range of generalist and specialist skills. Inform roles for collaborative project in BA3b. Alongside with the resolution for showcase.

Research Report 5000 word research report. Developing and researching BA2b proposal.

Careers and Employability Career aspirations and employment options. How this will add to branding and self promotion. Proactive approach. Seeking opportunities. Live projects, festivals, and competitions.

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First research report proposal. I’m revising the topic and considerations because I feel like I’ve moved away from what it is exactly that I want to research and explore. I will keep a lot of resources but move away from digital media in general and make it more animation specific. Re-writing the proposal will help me when it comes to writing.

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Tips for Productivity

Use a To-Do List.

It is more productive to decide what you’re doing before you start so this is better to use than a timetable.

Start with the hardest task. - You might get more things done when you get the hard stuff out of the way. You’re also less likely to waste time on things you find easier while avoiding these.

Make studying the last thing on your list. - Nothing left to procrastinate with.

Split tasks into more manageable tasks, include deadlines and use these to prioritise. 

Be realistic with what you want to achieve in a day. - You can always add tasks on but it’s more disheartening to have lots of tasks you can’t cross off.

Use a Timer.

Overworking will reduce your efficiency. Plan breaks and stick to them.

Work for shorter bursts of time and regularly take breaks. - You will be able to focus for more time overall.

Get an app to keep you off your phone. - Forest is an app and website that also has an incentive for working. Is also a timer.

Get into the Mindset

End each day prepping for the next. It’s easier to work when you know what you want to do. It will also help with getting up in the morning if there are things you know you want to achieve.

SMART targets and goal setting. Know where you’re at and what you need to get done.

Find the right space to work in. You need to be comfortable but you will be more productive if you work in a different space to where you usually relax. You will associate this new space with work instead of where you do everything.

Have drinks with you when you start studying. - A glass of water or the like so you don’t have to get a drink halfway through.

Sources https://thepinkestcloud.com/goal-setting-habits/ https://lovekyra.co.uk/2019/01/my-revision-tips/

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Reading and Note-Taking

Be selective and identify key parts.

Contents - Look for relevant chapter titles. Introduction - Will outline key topics covered. This will help to confirm if the chapter is useful. In journal articles, read the abstract and the introduction. Chapters - Read the beginnings of chapters and first sentences of paragraphs to get a miniature overview. Index - Search for words, names, and phrases to find important pages. Conclusion - Summary of key findings. Visuals - Images, subheadings, headings give clues to content.

SQ3R.

When reading, it can be helpful to use these headings as an aid.

Survey - Skim read to get an overview of the source. Index, Contents, Introductions. Question - What do I need to answer? What key words and phrases will I search for? How reliable is the source? 3Rs: Read - Find a relevant area to read, skim the passage, read again in more detail and take notes. Recall - Recap what you have just read. Review - Check your understanding and the accuracy of your notes, consider if you need to take more notes. Note down possible further research.

Note-taking tips.

Organisation - keep notes organised. Folders. Harvard Referencing - page numbers always take the reference. Always take your reference while you are researching. Spacing - subheadings and spaced out notes. Short, concise sentences. Colour coding - different colours for direct quotes, key words, important information. Limit your colour palette. Be consistent. Limit colour use to the most important information. Highlighters, coloured pens. Thoughts - write initial responses. What does it show? Why is it relevant? How does it link?

Formatting Notes.

Linear Notes.

Information taken line by line. Headings, spaces, questions, bullet points. This is usually how I take notes.

Linear Notes - Cornell.

Split into sections, this is a mix of visual and linear notes.

Notes should be taken as usual in the note-taking column. Afterwards, the cue column (keywords, comments) will act as a prompt corresponding to the notes. The summary supplies an overview, note additional sources to research and useful parts/pages. This is also a good way to gauge your understanding.

Visual Notes - Mind Mapping.

To create a mind map, start with image/word in the centre. Main ideas are on main branches from the centre. Smaller branches hold associated ideas stemming from the main idea. Use images and symbols.

Visual Notes - Sketch Notes.

A visual map of ideas, concepts and connections. This is a combination of notes with visual cues to boost memory retention and actively engage with research. Elements of Sketchnoting include text, emphasis text (bold, bubble, capitals), basic shapes, containers, connectors, icons and symbols, sketches and illustrations.

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Scissor Seven Design

Character height comparison sheet.

Seven as the hairdresser, a turnaround of his face, and a turn around of Seven the assassin.

Thirteen turnaround, expression sheets and as a child.

Source:

https://www.catsuka.com/news/2020-05-12/scissor-seven-saison-2-interview-making-of-serie-animation-chinoise-sharefun-aha-entertainment

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Scissor Seven

A Chinese Netflix animated series. What stood out to me the most about this show was the styles of animation used. The video below is the opening sequence for Season 1. The motion is fluid with a blend of styles that compliment each other.

The opening sequence changes for the second season, showcasing different outfits and styles of the main character, Seven. 

The video below is a making-of video.