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Specialist Animation Studies (SAS): Statement of Intent - Powerpoint Presentation

[sas-casebook]

Specialist Animation Studies: Statement of intent

 I am currently attending The University of Salford, studying Animation and working on the animation module Specialist Animation Studies.

Purpose of the statement of intent.

This module's brief requires me to choose and explore a specific area of study within the field of animation. I aim to develop a visual identity, use and improve my current skills, and develop a fuller understanding of my chosen specialism. In this statement, I will outline the specific area I have chosen, some of the main areas of research I will use, how I intend to progress through the process and how I will portray (through the work) a strong sense of self-identity, opinion and beliefs.

Background and context of the topic/area of research.

For this module I am required to produce an essay developed from a substantial body of research, a final product such as an artefact, 2d animation or stop-motion animation and to chart the production process.

I have decided to explore the stop-motion filmmakers Tim Burton and Henry Selick. Analysing and researching their works and how they compare/contrast each other in terms of style, storytelling, themes etc. I will also explore the Auteur Theory as it pertains to each of them. From this research, I will design two characters - One in the style of Tim Burton films and one in the style of Henry Selick films. I will then write a storyboard and produce a stop-motion animation using the created characters.

Research questions.

The main questions I will pose and seek to answer are:

Who are these two artists?

What work have each produced?

What are their working styles and processes?

What makes them distinctive?

How do these similar artists compare to or contrast with each other?

Significance and relevance of the topic/Rationale

I feel this subject is relevant to the field I wish to pursue, which is stop-motion, as both Henry Selick and Tim Burton are two of the most successful stop-motion animation directors of all time. Their respective films like Coraline and Corpse Bride are sighted as major influences by many animation and filmmaking creatives to this day. I have been a huge fan of the work of Henry Selick, such as Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas. So, I would be excited to investigate these two animation artists who influenced my own style and sensibilities at a young age and explore why they resonated with me.

Research methodologies and sources.

My research will include gathering and reading books on stop-motion that may include chapters/sections on Selick and/or Burton, sourcing books and articles on their processes and character design, online articles and watching YouTube video documentaries on Selick and Burton.

Learning objectives and expected outcomes.

My learning objectives include:

Learning how to create and produce my own brief.

Learning how to design characters based on and using a pre-existing art style

Honing my stop-motion skills and creating a set/background (if time allows).

To create a substantial body of research from multiple sources.

Improve my project management skills, including step-by-step process and time management.

Improve and further develop my analytical, critical thinking, and communication skills within my essay writing. 

Essay writing.

As part of this project, I will use my research to inform and aid me in ultimately writing my essay about Tim Burton and Henry Selick. Its main purpose will be to analyse the work of Selick and Burton side by side and compare/contrast them as artists. Analysing how they differ in terms of their style, influences and approach to storytelling. I will do this by answering the five main questions listed above and applying and challenging the auteur theory with both artists. The essay will be approximately 3000 words in duration.

Resources needed for the research and project.

In terms of resources, I will need both physical reading materials such as books and digital reading material, i.e. online articles, to get reliable research for my essay. I can get the books from the university library and online bookstores. For the online articles I will look to the website Flipboard. Along with this, I will also look at online video essays and documentaries on YouTube regarding the work of Selick and Burton. I will also rewatch these artists work.

For character design, I will work with my usual pipeline of drawing design sketches and thumbnails in my sketchbook and then colour/edit those designs digitally on iPad Procreate or Photoshop.

For the animation, as I will be working with stop-motion, I will use the University stop-motion studio booths. I will also need armatures. I have one of my own that I will use. For the animation test/scene itself, I will use the stop motion software Dragon Frame and Adobe Premiere Pro for post-production editing.

Timeframe for completion of the project and milestones

Deadline 3rd May

14 weeks duration

[sas-casebook]

Specialist Animation Studies: Statement of Intent Ideas

For my newest course, speicalist animation studies, I have been tasked with coming up with an original project idea of my own, looking at a particular feild of animation, writing an achedemic essay on the subject and creating a final product such as an animation. I first had to come up with the breif and ideas I wanted to explore.

Some mediums and ideas I first came up with included

Stop-motion

Rough concept, character reference sheet, synopsis, storyboarding, making head and clothes, foam body, stop-motion test animations.

Character design

Character sketches, model sheets and 2D test animation.

Potential ideas

Re-designing pre-existing characters from another visual medium

Designing characters from another non-visual source material such as a book

Designing characters for an original story pitch.

2D animation

Short synopsis, character sketches, reference sheet, thumbnailing, storyboard, key poses, roughs, inbetweens, final test animation.

Puppetry

Live action short film or film test involving using a rod, glove or 2D shadow etc puppet.

Storyboarding

Making a 2D storyboard to turn into an animatic.

Ideas

Adapting a non-animated scene into an animatic

Reboarding a scene from an animated film or tv show etc

Using pre-existing audio to make an animatic

Screenplay writing

Working from a synopsis or pre-existing non-script work such as a book or written story, writing story beats, making the first rough screenplay draft, and then more till the final draft.

Ideas

Adapting a non-animated story or scene into a screenplay designed for animation.

I considered doing a project where I redesigned characters from public domain fairytales, more specifically, the work of author Charles Perrault, such as Puss in Boots, Cinderella and Donkeyskin etc. But I felt not only was it too generic a concept, I also considered the fact I would have to do research on these subjects as part of an essay - and Fairytales and thier adaptations felt like too broad of a catagory for research purposes.

Finally, I settled on the idea of a project researching the stop-motion filmmakers Tim Burton and Henery Selick. Writting an essay about the two artists, who they are, thier histories and comparing the two as artists and thier approach to thier animated works. Once researched, I'd design two characters in the style of Burton and Selick respectivley, make a stop-motion puppet based on one of them and create a short stop-motion test with it.

I feel this will be a good subject for a project as not only am I a huge fan of the work of both Selick and Burton, but there are plently of books, articles and essays online about both artists, so I will have a specific yet wide variety of sources to draw from when writing an essay.