#i am bad at a lot of things like environments and composition and story flow and committing to projects

[unknownersirius]

So, in light of the current state (or perceived state) of the ZX comic, I am going to learn comic-ing in some fashion to make my own take on the events of ZX and ZXA. I figured, what better time than any if not now! So I apologize if the stuff I post is garbage LOL

I have always wanted to make comics but I never knew how to break into the whole thing. I had a long running few comics on deviantART back in the day, but the paneling was terrible and the manner of which I went about them constantly changed. I like how mangas look with the greyscale, but my heart goes out to ChillySunDance's way of paneling the story for PMDUnity. I never kept up with how the story played out but I always admired how it looked.

Please ignore this post.

I've been perceived so I'm keeping my shipping stuff on Tumblr.

[ask-art-student-prussia]

You’re one of the only Hetalia art blogs still active that I absolutely love! Do you know any more of them?

Actually!!! I spent the past week sitting on this question, but im finally able to compile (most of) i have a bad memory and theres just so many, you see) the hetalia artists ive admired. ill write up a little blurb on each so you can know what to expect

warning, this is super long

I’m going to list my fav Prussia focused artists first:

@theknoflook is SO SO SO good at capturing the worn/rough-round-the-edges Prussia and they’re 100% the BEST at drawing the aged feel of him. They draw a lot of characters with human imperfections, it’s just such a RAW emotion I feel from each drawing.

@maplevogel I’ve admired since I was like,,, 13. You have no idea how much I want to be able to draw like them. Their watercolour illustrations are KICKASS!! They have such a sense of mystical-ness to each piece, everything is so unreal in what they draw it gives me such a sense of calm-ness. Constantly they’re using watercolour to it’s full extent, im EXTREMELY floored and always have been.

@mieudiary is another person ive admired since i was a absolute baby. Their art teeters on anime-realism and their use of lighting, shading and blending is SOOOO GOOD. They’re able to make their characters so real yet overly gorgeous lol. They’ve got the best damn detail in form/muscles (flesh) ive ever seen.

@kisamesfacioplegia is LITERALLY DRAWING RENAISSANCE PAINTINGS OKAY. Their art is always refined and carries the same aura as those huge paintings you find in museums, with extremely good storytelling and illustrations. Best historical prussia and germany on this site imo.

@carnagekiid (i dont know if they do aph anymore but their recent work is JUST AS GOOD) has the cutest modern interpretation of gil and is my fav. i personally am not a fan of like,,, the “ideal” canon prussia, and the way they draw emotion/use of colours (for all their work) with prussia has that like,,, UMMF of character, yknow what i mean??? they focus on ruspru i think but idk lol

Okay those are just the best prussia’s ive seen, heres some more general hetalia artists that focus on other characters

@payadraws is quite possibly my FAVOURITE HETALIA ARTIST???? IF NOT AT LEAST IN THE TOP 3 BC THEIR STUFF IS SO GOOD AND STYLIZED PERFECTLY. their linework is stunning, and colouring has that tone over all of it that harmonizes the whole piece. The way their utilize their style in everything is PERFECt, idk how to use words for it, just take a look. Their austria/switzerland is deadass on-the-money.

@tomato-bird Literally how does one even manage to do this. theyre professional and it fucking SHOWS. Each composition, each stroke of their pen, it shows dude. Their art has like,,, the emotions, the feeling, is really well executed and they have so much attention to detail it blows my fucking mind. like ,,, this gives of hard renaissance level mastery vibes

@paperdrawsshit is SO GOOD at using that like,,,, the form/silhouette of characters. like,, the shapes they use, the flow of each pose, the hands, ALL OF IT SCREAMS PERFECTION. Each drawing has such flow and structure at the same time, and each character has such a pretty fashion sense. Excellent use of lighting and i strive to be as good as them in drawing people

@jackce THIS ARTIST HAS LIKE.,, SUCH A CLEAN CUT ART STYLE ITS GORGEOUS. Each drawing has the smoothest lines and the characters have distinct features. Their prussia, italy and germany styles stand out so much because of the way they draw the noses, jaw, features etc. Like they look like screenshots out of a professional 2d animated feature. Seriously.

@starstray (not sure if they draw hetalia anymore but i need to tell yall about them anyway) has such gorgeous like,,, composition. like if you dug through a collection of paintings from the renaissance you’ll find a few of theirs scattered in their. The use of like,,, linework paired with the way they colour is so perfectly executed. its so balanced im shaking

@amazing-prussia has the cutest, quirkiest style with what they draw. the hair/clothes are so stylized and fluid and i love them so much!! Each drawing looks so quick and perfected, every time I see one of their pruaus doodles i fucking DIE.

@glass-soda has such gorgeous illustrative style. It’s so unique and the way they colour and draw people have this wonderful POP to it. The colours are so balanced and bright, its so SO!!!!!! LOVELY. LIKE,, IDK HOW TO KEEP FROM RAMBLING ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM JUST LOOK.

@ask-risorgimento-italy (ack, dont know their main sorry) Their illustrations are so well done, you can see the thought and practice in each character!! and i love the “realistic” feel to it. I say that about characters who dont have like,,, idk “anime hair”?? but not only the hair, the clothes, the form, the ENVIRONMENT. THIS ARTIST KICKS ASS WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENT BUILDING. LOTS OF DEPTH. ABSOLUTE LEGEND.

@hetapolis !!!!! THEIR ART IS SO CLEAN AND SKETCHY AND BEAUTIFUL. OKAY. Shading/colouring is GORGEOUS. and the way they draw each character to be distinct and have unique features ITS SUPER PROFESH AND LOOKS AMAZIGN!! I admire their style so much yall got no idea

@thedisappointedidealist12 has REALLY GOOD LINEWORK/STORYTELLING. LIKE WOW. Every time i see something theyve drawn im shaking bc the pacing and execution is AMAZING. Everything about the way their art looks is super balanced and you can see the exact emotion each character is expressing.

@captainjellyroll OKAY. THIS PERSON. LEMME TELL U BOUT THIS. FIRST OF ALL. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAV ANIMATORS. THEYVE BEEN MY IDOL SINCE I WAS 11. Their work has so much energy, colour, and you can see the thought in each composition. I love them so much,,, each drawing has its own burst of energy!!! i want to be able to be like them when im older and live with like 5 cats.

@tea-artblog (they dont draw hetalia much anymore but their recent art is 100% worth looking at) OKAY. YALL. This is one of the people who’s art i looked at constantly when i first joined!! Their art is so like,,,, balanced and has just enough contrast and the colours???? EVERYTHING WORKS SO WELL. The eyes/expressions are SUPER CUTE.

@sully-s ANOTHER ARTIST WHOS STYLE IS ONE OF MY FAVS. It’s super fluid and the colours are perfect!! Each character has their own uniqueness I cant express my love of how perfect their lighting/colouring is. Their illustrations are straight out of a movie art book, its so GORGEOUS. and the environment REALLY has depth!!

@ask-victorian-austrian (dont know their main ack sorry!!), THE LINEWORK IS SO DETAILED AND CLEAN. I love the way they draw clothes/fashion, its all so detailed and gorgeous and you can feel the weight of the cloth and the lace and everything okay???? Seriously I love all their blogs, they have a bunch, and you should check out all of them!

@amoxesyoew HAS SUCH CUTE DRAWINGS!! The style in their characters’ hair is so flowy and the way they draw faces and eyes have this adorable quality to it!! the pureness of the emotions they draw are really prominent and i constantly just DIE because of it! I love love LOVE the gercan they draw too

@arschbiene THE WAY THEY DRAW FACES??? SPOT ON. The colours are SO spot on and i love the POP they give. The shading?/? SPECTACULAR. And each doodle is super cute and like,,,, when people say each drawing has a story behind it?? I FEEL THAT WITH THEIR ART OKAY. HIGHKEY.

@ekinoksin ???? HELLO??? THIS RENAISSANCE VAN GOGH MICHAELANGELO MASTERMIND OF AN ARTIST IS LIKE THE SAME AGE AS ME>????? I just foudn that out. BUT the way their art has so much depth!!!! THE BACKGROUNDS??? THE ENVIRONMENT?? ITs ALL EXTREMELY WELL DONE. And they have this texture to their art that makes it look just like historical paintings its so good!!! Im SHOOK.

@alfredtalia WORM. THeir characters all have structure and expression and everything about it has such like!!! UMFF. The way they draw certain things,, theres minor details!! and you may not notice them!! but they ADD SO MUCH!! Everything feels like it has attention to it, and it is so well balanced!!

@avlerie (again, not sure if they still draw hetalia but their art is really pretty) the way they add texture/detail to their art is SPECTACULAR. The hair???? the bodies??? It seems so structured and well drawn!! THE EYES THO. THE WAY THEY DRAW EYES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL I CANT GET ENOUGH

@elhuesoardiente DUDE IDK HOW THEY COLOUR/DO THEIR SHADING. BUT ITS SO UNIQUE AND GIVES THEIR ART THIS EXTRA LAYER OF DEPTH. The art is so gorgeous with the way they do their lighting, and everything about it has balance and harmony im just shook

@ask-2p-uk no idea how someone can even pull off art like they do. the lines/colours ARE REALLY WELL INCORPORATED to EACH DRAWING. The way they draw expressions?? is so unique??? like i love the hair too, it has this flowy-ness to it!! EVERYTHING about their style is so colourful and pretty and unique i just ghhghghg dont know how to explain it, just LOOK AT IT.

@lucerna-lunam the way their shading is,,, the “mystical”-ness of their art??? ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. IDK How they manage to draw stuff with such like,,,, sparkle to it. But their lighting is really well done, the EYES are so gorgeous! even the way each drawing is textured!! It comes together so perfectly!!

@suckmyicelandick THE WAY THEIR HAIR IS DRAWN??? SUPER SHINY AND GORGEOUS. I love the way their draw their characters, the hands/face/hair is so stylized the second you see their art you just KNOW its drawn by them. The eyes are super detailed and its so pretty im just sobbing i love their style

@aph-lithuania OKAY one of the first hetalia artists ive ever seen when i was new. THEIR ART IS SUPER PRETTY. The colours are really smooth and THE WAY???THEY DRAW BODIES?? THE FIGURES ARE SO WELL PROPORTIONED????!!! Everything about it is so cute!!!

@ask-mr-luxembourg BRUH??? HELLO?? COLOURING, LINEWORK, PROPORTIONS, EVERYTHING IS 10/10. Seriously they way they draw hair has such texture, and the way the bodies are drawn are so good. everything about them!! and the eyes?? DEADASS KILLED ME. Their art has seriously so much detail and i just DIE every time

@ellmovy HOW DOES ONE EVEN MANAGE TO DRAW CHARACTERS AS WELL AS THEM?? Each character has distinct features and like,,, the hair is always stylized and it looks SO GOOD????!!! The amount of detail they put into drawing small things like eyebrows and freckles add so much to the overall piece like WOW

@haeko9page THIS ARTIST. HAS THE CUTEST ART EVER. Their comic strips are seriously so adorable and has really good pacing! Each time they draw comic strips, the frames are so varied and it comes together SUPER WELL. Idk how to explain this, but like,,, the “camera angles” and the way they draw expressions/character interactions go together like peanut butter and jelly!

@kyotemeru-arts (they dont draw hetalia much but i love their art so much) dude the flow?? of the poses their characters have?? the flow of the characters themselves?? SUPER WELL DONE LIKE WOW. Also the way they shade and highlight things  ?? like using more than one colour?? THAT REALLY MAKES THEIR ART POP. I LOVE THE WAY THEY CAN PERFECTLY DRAW FLUIDITY IN THEIR ART.

@frukmerunning GOLLY GEE DO I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY BOUT THEM. Just the way they draw faces, eyes and like,,,, bodies in general,, ITS ALL SO PERFECTLY BALANCED. The way they manage to make sketches look incredibly refined and capture the movement in each drawing???? LIKE IVE ADMIRED THEIR ART FOR SUCH A LONG TIME ITS BEEN 300 YEARS

@miss-ostrich-art BRUH how does one manage to draw ???? like them??? the way their characters’ forms and muscles can be seen but like not overly detailed??? they have the PERFECT amount of detail in each drawing, and the expressions!! the way they draw noses and facial structure and *italian hand gesture* PERFECT.

@maryluis THEIR EXPRESSIONS ARE SUPER DYNAMIC!!! AND THE POSES HAVE SUCH FLOW. Also did i mention the amount of detail they put into minor things?? like WOW. Seriously i think out of this list i like the way they draw expressions the best. Also this might be a weird thing to focus on, but the way theyre able to draw the interior/background/angles of things are INCREDIBLE.

@cioccolatodorima YOOOOOOO THIS IS LIKE THE FIRST ARTIST I SAW WHEN GETTING INTO THE FANDOM. ONE OF THEM AT LEAST. Their non-hetalia work is actually my fav and i want to do just what they do when im older! I love their illustrations, and their way of drawing characters/character design (ginjinka of mr.kitkat are my favs). The way their lighting looks, is SO pretty and the linework is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. their art blog (not just hetalia) is @rainbow-taishi

@ask-badlydrawnseborga lemme tell yall about a thing. i love how funny their art is, and like,,,,, i know its “badly drawn seborga” but the way the hair flows and the proportions,, everything about it is SO nffhhklahjdj polished. LIKE IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BC THEYRE SUCH A MEMELORD BUT I GENUINELY HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR THEIR SKILLL

@sabrow3 NOT ONLY IS THEIR ILLUSTRATIONS SUPER CUTE, IT HAS GREAT PROPORTIONS AND DEPTH. I love their attention to detail in clothing and historical things, and like,, the line work is AMAZING. Seriously, I want to be able to draw as well as them, its incredible how the amount of work and effort is shown in each drawing.

@buruzaitama !! The way they draw characters has like,,, this level of realism and the way they do their lighting just pushes that to the next level. I don’t know how people can pull off drawing realism yet still make it so unique that i can instantly tell that a piece is drawn by them, but this artist IS SO GOOD AT THAT. LIKE WOW

@inkodoodles Okay their “1 hour drawing challenges”? IM FLOORED ANYONE CAN DRAW THAT IN ONE HOUR. The have such detail and flow and movement in each drawing! And the lighting they have is so soft and calming, it lends itself to each piece REALLY WELL. Whatever emotion each drawing is supposed to give is conveyed to a tee

@heyheyartman BRO the style??? is so fucking UNIQUE AND ICONIC?? And the way they manage to pace comics and storytell is sO GOOD. Like,,, the way they can use shapes for each of their characters is so refined and stylized i love it. Their use of colour seriously KICKS ASS and im floored every time i see their work.

@merasgar their art is so detailed!! and the backgrounds/environments are so soft and gorgeous to look at! I have like,,,, no idea how you can pull off such beautiful hair and eyes in each drawing!! They draw a lot of rochu and like,, the features look so PERFECT for the characters ghhghghg

@yosb ALRIGHT LISTEN UP THIS ARTIST SERIOUSLY HAS ONE OF MY FAV STYLES. It’s so refined and you can see the distinct features of each character. The style isnt realism but the characters FEEL REAL. They have such a perfect way of paying attention to details and putting in proportions/facial features to each character im so amazed and love their work so much

and of course i want to include @paachubelle though theyre working on their own project ( @the-otwya-project ) now, they’re one of my like,,,, friends that i made on this blog through hetalia ask blogs and i figured id like to include them on this list. Idk how people can draw in pencil with such detail and everything but they do it EXPERTLY. The line work is always so clean and the shading is always so well done!!

of course, im very clumsy and forgetful so i know i forgot some names but i cant remember things!! Either way, these are some of my all time favourite iconic hetalia (and non-hetalia) artists!! I want to be able to draw as well as them one day!

[hypeathon]

RWBY - Volume 6, Chapter 2 Production Analysis

Vol 6, Ch 1 Production Analysis

It’s very safe to say that between the last production analysis post and every other response and feedback from the fan base in every corner of the internet, the volume 6 RWBY premiere started on an overwhelmingly high note. A lot of notes and criticisms (some more helpful than others) were taken to heart by Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna and the rest of the production staff and to great effect through a combination of action scenes and comedic character acting. For the chapter that follows, aspects of the production have been applied to arguably just as great of a effect but for different reasons due to the admittedly heavy story beats provided. Let’s dive into all of that.

We can start with one part of Cinder’s scene in the beginning: effects related to water and rain. The first thing to note is the sheen on Cinder’s hair. It’s very fascinating because of how unclear it is as to whether this has anything to do with a new simulation in some plug-in tool or if it’s a small effect done in post-production or something else done together. Could it be something similar to how the process for this bit in episode 7 of season 1 of RWBY Chibi was done or something different is honestly hard to say.

The other effect to touch on is rain. Whether or not this is due to technical limitations or creative choices (or lack thereof), rainy weather started to occasionally be in the show since volume 4 when CRWBY primarily used the Autodesk Maya software as their animation tool. Since then, interactions between the character and environment models and rain have varied slightly such as ripples being faintly seen on raindrops and footsteps. However, this chapter made rain felt more “defined” so-to-speak. Water ripples are more visible and small splashes have appeared for the first time. Unlike the sheen on Cinder’s hair, these instances can more safely be presumed as having been done by the VFX team or Compositing department. What pops-to-mind about all of this is something mentioned in the previous production analysis post, that being the new 2-D FX artist position. When using the term “defined” to describe the rain effects, what this is referring to is how flat they look. This is similar to the smoke and wind effects already seen in the show in latter volumes which were presented specifically to help RWBY further resemble various anime, the medium RWBY is heavily-inspired by:

“The hardest parts were figuring out what kind of effect we wanted. We had a wind effect which drawing air can be a little hard to figure out. I spent a lot of time watching anime and looking at different ways in which people had drawn air and trying to come up with something that would resemble 2-D but have a very 3-D feel to it. We also had some fireballs that had to be developed from scratch that required not only coming up with the base of it, but also with some anime-esque flares so that was kind of neat to explore.”

- Jeff Yohn, VFX Artist, CRWBY Behind the Episode Season 1 - Anima Skies Fight.

It’s possible that Myke Chapman, as the 2-D FX Artist may have had something to do with this in particular. The push to make RWBY feel like an anime but in 3-D in as many appropriate ways as possible is definitely an admirable goal. There was a small concern regarding the possibility of the same visual effects, 2-D or 3-D, becoming reused a bit too frequently since not all effects in anime look the same and that’s largely to do with the animator in charge of cuts. However, this concern has been covered but more on that later.

Next is the setting everyone loves, the Mistral house. In all seriousness, It’s no secret that most of the fandom have expressed frustrations with this setting to some degree, even Nora made a tongue-in-cheek comment about it. But this scene is at least worth comparing to previous ones in the same setting throughout volume 5. The reason has to do with the character models. One big change made to volume 6′s overall aesthetic was the choice of overall lighting, being brighter compared to volume 5′s softer, warmer look. But a smaller change made were the inclusion of more line art and shading on certain physical features of most characters. When comparing between the same characters in the same setting, certain characters like Jaune and Qrow will have lines to form the collarbone unlike the last couple of volumes while other characters like Yang and Oscar/Ozpin have shading the present the folds in parts on their tops not previously seen. Even Weiss when looking back at the previous chapter will have a bit of shading on the rib cage area of her clothing to hell sell how tight they are.

This is not the first time this sort of thing has been done in RWBY as this was done to more of a much greater degree in volumes 2 & 3 when Poser was the primary animation software. The differences being that now there’s likely more of a simulation applied for the shading as oppose to being directly painted on to the models in earlier volumes. As a result, the line art for the physical features are applied more subtly. That’s the key word here, “subtly”. They are used just enough to define physical traits but not so much so that they risk coming off as distracting. When line work on characters were more heavily applied in volumes 2 & 3, the results varied. Sometimes they worked out okay while other times the line work were weird and confusing regarding how the bone and muscle structure even worked. To get a good idea of how much line work, shading, and overall form can make a difference in character design, 2-D or 3-D, Anime Ajay made a comparison of the character designs of Broly for the Dragon Ball Super film and in various Dragon Ball projects in latter years. I can only imagine how much of a broken record I am being for using Anime Ajay’s videos as go-to means of illustrating some points, but his insight on anime production and design and animation principles are worth paying mind to whether one cares for the Dragon Ball franchise or not.

Next are a couple of other things within the house scene, first being the relic. Many fans questioned and speculated why the artifact changed size from scene-to-scene and it’s through the shot of Ozpin how this happens. The seamless size adjustment is not at all bad, but the way handle grew bigger on Ozpin’s hand made it a bit too seamless. Perhaps if one close-up shot of the handle was shown first to indicate how Ozpin needed to adjust the way he held on to the relic and then followed with the original medium shot of the relic as a whole would have helped the size change would’ve been a bit better. But this is all just a nitpick. The other thing to touch on in the scene is Nora’s brief manic moment. There’s not a whole lot to say on it since such scenes have been done before with Nora’s character to great effect, but this probably most crazed version seen yet. The timing on this one is much more rapid than in previous instances with split-second cutting between characters, spontaneous reactions, smears in the animation, the one extreme close-up shot of Nora’s eyes and the tea kettle sound effect just cranks up the comedic nature. What probably sells it though is how Ren and Ozpin’s calm and easy-going personalities serve as the perfect juxtaposition to help immediately bring down high energy. I have no idea who animated the scene and I can’t say much about the editing besides the fact that Connor Pickens is still the lead editor despite also being a co-director. But whatever the case behind-the-scenes, the humor was perfect here.

With all of that said, here comes one of the biggest highlights of the episode in terms of breaking down the presentation and speculating the production. What most fans talked about this episode were the animation and Jinn’s design more than anything else. Both cases are very much worth paying mind to. The snowy scene where everyone’s hair and clothes flowed strongly in response to the wind and much of the character acting was top-notch, especially since Asha Bishi was confirmed to have animated it (her knack for creating expression through animal ears and other traits I’ve mentioned before here). And Jinn’s design is definitely otherworldly in terms of how she’s animated and the particle effects done on her model. However, what made this episode were the storyboards.

There are many resources about the production of RWBY throughout the volumes. In terms of learning about the various animators, the ending credits in each volume are a great starting point and from there, blu-ray audio commentary tracks, animator demo reels, tweets, convention panels and production diary videos are all constructive ways to familiarize oneself with the animation styles. It’s the main reason I managed to make the Animators Spotlight series of post in the first place. However, finding the same quantity information from other departments is scarce in comparison and thus a more challenging task. It’s one thing to at least learn the general process behind how a stage in the show’s production is approached in a given volume. But it’s a whole other thing entirely to pinpoint who exactly is responsible for a certain trick in the visual effects or an intricate-looking prop in an environment design. The same problem can especially apply to the storyboards and camera layouts since both departments share some of the same people but one person working on the boards in a scene may not necessarily also be doing the layouts in that same scene. It’s also hard to indicate when one the task of boards change from one person to another in a given chapter. Unlike storyboard artists in anime which are usually assigned to one person per episode, making it easier to indicate the choices in visual direction and cinematography, the number of artists assigned to board an episode of RWBY have varied between 2-6 people. Without much evidence to indicate who exactly did which parts of the storyboards, it can be near impossible to tell the visual languages different artists have brought into the show.

There is one exception however. One storyboard and camera layout artist that has been around in RWBY’s production since volume 3 contributed a great quantity to the show and there’s much evidence out there to suggest it. That person is Rachel Doda, whose name has been referred to in previous posts. Through most of the same sources mentioned earlier to learn about which cuts different animators have done, there is quite a bit of confirmation as to which scenes she provided storyboards or camera layouts for. The aftermath of Shion village, Qrow and Raven’s talk at the tavern at Higanbana, Weiss in her father’s office, Yang confronting the bandits, the entire Weiss character short, the volume 4 opening, Tyrian’s breakdown moment and Oscar vs Leo, all to name a few have been confirmed to be handled by her through either storyboards or camera layouts. Between these scenes and the patterns seen in them, it’s possible that she did the boards and/or layout for the snow scene in this chapter of volume 6.

Certain visual techniques can be seen between these examples alone, one of which were actually confirmed from Rachel’s mouth herself via episode 11 of RWBY Rewind for volume 5:

“I work as a story and layout artist and in particular for this episode, I was a final camera artist. So what you’re seeing right now is the animatic with storyboards done by Kevin Harger of this little moment that happens in the episode where Oscar goes up against Leo. Then after it goes into animatic, it goes into pre-layout and animation and what was cool about this moment was this was a moment where we had to be collaborative with the animator and with camera.

I got the animator stuff (animator was John Yang) and I looked at it and compared it to the boards and I thought, “this is the first time I believe that we get to see Oscar use Ozpin’s cane in combat!” So for me, I was like, “let’s show off the cane as much as we can.” I’m a sucker for stuff that comes up into the foreground a lot and that shot where he raises it (the cane) right into the foreground, I like really resonated with that because to me that was like, “oh, it’s like fencing!” Or in particular, like epee. I want that to be a huge focus so, depending on where the camera goes, it’s like “hey, I want to lead your eye from one point to the other.”

I grew up with anime a lot when I was a kid, so seeing that stuff come to life is amazing.”

Having the viewer’s eye be drawn to a certain object closer to the camera can be seen in various shots she did boards or layouts for. Sometimes it’s to make the shot dynamic while other times is to provide a sense of staging or blocking. Certain other techniques that have been seen in her boards are rotation shots and panning shots that put a character in the background in focus. There are also long shots where the camera pans from a much farther distance to indicate the different kinds of relationships between characters or who is more dominant and submissive respectively or which characters are otherwise the focus of the scene.

Again, the long-winded point behind studying Rachel Doda’s approaches within her line of work in particular is to help compare to the snow scene with the main cast this chapter. It’s all to be on the same page in order to speculate how some of the shots may have come from her. Instances such as Ruby looking at the relic in the foreground or this shot where it aptly shows how Ozpin is pressured to defend himself against the members of Team RWBY through the use of height in the terrain can be compared to some of her other faraway panning shots. Of course it follows with a more high angle shot where Yang, Weiss and Blake are framed to surround Ozpin as he further attempts to defend himself. Then there’s one instance where the camera pans to showing Ruby possessing the relic and it follows with a clever shot of Ozpin’s hand being lowered after his arguments were questioned. Next is Oscar’s hand towards the camera as he tries to restrain Ozpin which is similar to the types of foreground-focused shots quoted from Rachel that she has done before. And then there are the moments of hair and clothing flowing in the wind for dramatic effect. In the first instance where Ozpin talked about Leo, the comparison can be made to Qrow telling Raven why it’s important to be told of the Spring Maiden’s whereabouts as a visually-timed period to their sentences. Now there is a strong possibility that all of this speculation could be way off and Kevin Harger, Cassidy Stone, or Veronica Valencia could have done the boards for this snow scene or even the next one. Whatever the case, hopefully, this will at the very least further entice food-for-thought and discussions regarding the various techniques in visual direction and who may be responsible for what.

Moving on, this would be a good time to talk about something rarely ever mentioned in any of these RWBY production posts before: voice acting. By now, many fans have been made aware of the fact that more and more of the ensemble cast in the show have been voiced by talent who spent their careers dubbing anime in Dallas or Houston Texas via titles from Funimation or Sentai Filmworks. What not as many people may be aware of though is how remarkable for casting choices like this to still happen given the current anime dubbing climate. Since the success of Space Dandy on the Toonami programming block on Adult Swim, Funimation started doing “broadcast dubs” or now called “simuldubs.” This practice is a similar but more time crunch approach to simulcasts where the episodes are provided from whatever licensing companies in Japan to premiere an anime dubbed within either a few weeks or some cases like My Hero Academia and Re:Tokyo Ghoul, the same day. This same practice recently started earlier in 2018 with Sentai Filmworks and HiDive under the name “dubcasts”. Whatever the name, it has made for stressful scheduling on voice directors, script writers, voice actors, and engineers and has led to sometimes cases of voice actors initially cast to not being able to do a part due to being sick or other matters.

In the case of My Hero Academia’s voice director and the voice of Momo Yayorozu, Colleen Clinkenbeard, not only is the scheduling especially tight, but when she started voice casting and dubbing the movie in July, she had to give the responsibility of dubbing the rest of season 3 to Clifford Chapin, the voice of Bakugo and Shay D. Mann from RWBY, to name a couple of his roles. Similarly, another voice actress named Luci Christian, who voices Ochako Uraraka from My Hero Academia, also does quite a bit of voice acting between Funimation and Sentai Filmworks and is also involved in various simuldubs and dubcasts. So for both of them to manage to record the voices of Jinn and Little Miss Malachite respectively in this chapter is astonishing to say the least. Casting of anime dub voice actors in the show started since volume 3 and went full force in volume 4 when Marissa Lenti of Sound Cadence studios started providing additional casting. And it has definitely brought the attention of those who have played a part such as Cherami Leigh as Ilia Amitola and those who want to play a part like Cristina Vee. But back in 2016, same-day simuldubs had not yet been done since Space Dandy and only a lot more shows have gotten that close scheduling treatment since then.

Lastly, there’s the scene that ends the episode to breakdown. More striking shots of the stance and side between characters were definitely well-framed in this last segment. But this is also a good time to revisit the matter of visual effects and compositing. The smoke effect when the tower and props appeared in a white void helped address the minor concern brought up earlier about whether the VFX team would resort to using the same kind of look for certain effects. Where smoke has generally been presented to be more cel-shaded in latter volumes, here the smoke emitted from Jinn is a lot more wispy and grainy. This is to help further indicate how the overall post-production process requires just as much creative input as it does technical. And then there’s Salem herself. Her surprise reveal definitely left an impact on viewers but it also served as an example of a callback to the shot that revealed her current design. One example is more stoic and menacing while the other is more innocent and melancholic. This is far from the first visual callback in the show as Cinder stabbing Weiss in chapter 11 of volume 5 was another instance as explained by Rachel Doda in the same RWBY Rewind episode quoted earlier:

“So for storyboards, what we’ll do is we’ll go in and talk with the director and we’ll see what their vision is and what they want, we’ll give them options, we’ll give them thumbnails. Sometimes we’re given enough freedom where we’re like, “oh we can just do whatever we want and then come back to the director”. In this case, I believe Kerry was very specific about what he wanted for this moment. And for me personally, looking at this, you get a bunch of callbacks to Pyrrha’s death. But you also get a callback to Amber’s.”

And that is the end of chapter 2′s production analysis. The action was definitely absent this episode, but that is not at all a bad thing. The cinematography and character expressions this episode were the definitely what helped make the story as engaging as it was for fans, with staging as the primary means to create tension and rift between Ozpin and literally everyone else. The vfx and compositing also played quite a secondary role, specifically with Jinn’s character and her overall presence in the story. And of course, the contribution of the Dallas voice acting talent pool continues to be a pleasant treat, despite tighter schedules due to the growth of simuldubs. With the episode setting up what may potentially be a hefty backstory, it’ll be interesting to see what creative and technical choices are to be shown in chapter 3.

[iseakarsli]

Photography Critique

For my exhibition critique I decided to attend “ HOW SHE SEES: SEVERAL EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS 1919 - 1970” at Robert Mann’s gallery. I have always been inspired by women behind the camera for my photography and having the chance to see some usually less shown works was actually really nice to gain some new perspective.

The exhibition was located in a sort of apartment, and I am half minded about this being a winning point or not. When you get into someone’s house and it is overly clean and untouched you don’t feel cozy, but rather kind of uneasy. So, I believe the same happened here: even if the apartment should have conveyed immediate “coziness” for the exhibition, the fact that is was so real-not real didn’t make me feel so invited. I believe the forniture was a bit excessive for the kind of hyper clean environment that they have created - at this point it was better to have only white walls with the pictures hanging to don’t distract the viewer and “mix their feelings” through non-emotional extras.

The gallery receptionist has been really kind to made me though, she let me enter without an appointment. However, she didn’t really informed me. I just entered and she let me look around - that I found nice because I don’t like when the people working in a place try to interact with me the whole time - but in the case of an exhibition I think you have at least to ask if the customer wants to know the concept/artists/some history behind the show. You should at least let the viewer decide if she/he wants some additional info or not.

Regarding the pictures themselves and exhibition flow wasn’t clear where to start from (so that I actually also asked this question to myself). However, I notice afterwards that it wasn’t important. Those stories where connected-disconnected in a way that you could start from any point and understand their power and flow as whole. Moreover, the division arrangement was simply made according to the artist - the narrative wasn’t unfolding according to the images (even if they had an overall good flow) but divided in section per artist. In regards to this I’d like to say that I prefer way more when the display is arranged according to a storytelling. Photo editing is a powerful visual tool to make any story way more interesting through juxtaposition, combinations ecc. So for my taste this kind of division limitates the power of some works.

Going further, the framing wasn’t original but it’s the kind of framing that I like - big, thick, white borders with a simple black or white frame.

I believe everything had been kept clean to make the gaze of those women stand out more than the environment itself. However, I believe it was lacking that burst that would made you feel immersed in those women’s histories. I could have seen a perfect architecture photography exhibition here, while “women behind the camera” would have necessitate a stronger or more unique environment I guess. More intimate, also. We are talking about humans showing humans, one of the most powerful types of photography in terms of emotions conveyed. And this is a problem also because none of those women could be there to assist the curation of their works, so, many curators just care about lining up pictures in a sequence but this so reductive because the medium DO influence the content a lot. And in this case, I found it just poorly made. The point of views of the photographers weren’t there. It was the exhibition of their works without their point of view; and even this is not strictly a bad thing, is just not my favourite type of show arrangement.

“Husband and Wife at Nudist Camp” by Diane Harbus 1963

The first image that I’ve chose made me laugh at first. The subjects seemed almost “cartoony” and today taking a picture like this wouldn’t be possible. Not that much because of the nudity itself, but that easiness of being portrayed naked among nature by a random human being is kind of weird today. Even the composition is incredibly easy - no weird point of view, no judgment - the subjects are not naked human beings, they are just people with interesting features happened to be around a camp in the moment Arbus was as well. Of course at that time was normal going to nudists camps so probably it wasn’t such a big deal to be portrayed in a normal daily activity.

I believe the technicality here is totally balanced with creativity because the picture is perfectly taken but the storytelling is so coming across as well. The pictures is very well designed in its cleanses and composition, but powerful at the same time because the emotions conveyed through the body position and the face expression are enough to fullfil the aim of the photographer.

“Porthole (The Ship)” Ellen Auerbach 1948

This second image captured me for the weird satisfying feeling that conveyed me. This is actual design, there are principles, textures and shapes that put together give birth to a nice, “simple-not simple” shot. The subject is a ship, probably hold in a pier, right after the war ended. Who knows the story of this ship, it could be something emotionally related to the artists, as not. However, it is able to make you think and recall personal experiences because, I believe, is the caption of a little detail - a sort of an icon - that builds up memory instead of showing a whole, an obvious and specific object.

“Badeszenen” Elisabeth Hase 1932-33

The third image that capture my attention is this picture taken by Hase. The emotion captured here is so genuine that it’s impossible to don’t share an emotional moment with both the photographer and the subject. Again, it’s impossible for us to know what was really going on in this moment of time, however we can relate to this girl’s “shock” moment, broadly, but also specifically having the immediate feeling of that water on our skin, as every time we turn on the shower.

I imagine a girl after a swimming class or completions here, who just finished and it’s “unpacking” from all the stress and the fatigue running under the shower. Her expression is a combination between a scream and a “ahhhhh”.

Even here the design is very well done, the shutter is at the perfect speed to capture the drops and she is the absolute protagonist of the photograph - able to tell a story on her own, without, however, external elements explaining too much.

“Puppernaufnahme” Elisabeth Hase 1931

The last pictures I’ve chosen is this one, again by the same artist. This one I believe is way more personal as a subject. Maybe that was her doll when she was a kid - or maybe not - however, I believe that if the first one wanted to express a shock in a more “relieving” way, this one wants to out you at unease, somehow. It might be the reconstruction of her being, of the different bricks forming her identity and the different understanding of her own emotions. I interpret those two photographs as a growth - this one reflects her kid self with the gaze directioned to her young girl self in the other picture. Maybe she was less open as kid but learned how to process her emotions in a different way while growing. It’s something that I feel as well, that happened to me as well. I feel like my kid self is way more “creepy” than my adult self in expressing emotions.

In terms of composition is really simple but the eyes stand out and I believe is the only part that was supposed to actually capture the viewer’s attention. In terms of design is well done but it is more the storytelling than the formalities of this picture that are important here I guess.

[eorzeasntm]

Week 1 Results!!

Week 1 is over everyone, and so here are the critiques, and winner for the week! Remember there is no elimination this cycle!

Also please be careful when you vote. Had to remove a few due to double voting or voting after the period was over. <3

The top model for Week 1, by just a few points is:

Rivienne Cotrlaint

Congratulations to you, let’s see if you can keep your place at the top or if someone else will slip in to steal it!

 Week Images and Voting will be up this Monday, 8th of May!

 Critiques and Comments (in no particular order):

Flare:

Rivienne Cotrlaint:

I love the dynamic between you and the dragon minion. It looks like you have a real bond, and your telling me a story.

Noesis Phobos:

The humor in this picture is spot on! I'm in love with the simple colors, the color filter really makes the white background pop.

Doki Kodoki:

Watch out, someone’s about to be in trouble! The contrast of this picture is super gorgeous.

Stephen

Fairbrook: You did well picking that color filter. The pose you’re doing with page 63 keeps us focused on you.

Nadede Lasalle:

Just another night with the goblins! You look like you and your little guy belongs there.

WoW Wie:

Very nice background, pose and use of the dragon minion.

Kusuh Valentione:

Nice tone and setting. Looks like you and your little buddy are taking a break from studying after a long night.

 Gangly:

Wow Wie

Rain or shine, a teacher must serve as a role model to the student! Choosing such intense weather for the story being told gives your shot an extra layer of uniqueness, and the way your dress is flowing allows me to imagine the gusty winds blowing through. The shot is well-lit with natural light and the white of your dress helps you stand out! However, I find that the camera is rather far from you, and that little Ohl Deeh is blending into the background due to the darker colors. I think to exaggerate the impression of flying, zooming in much more and tilting your camera up towards the sky would help with that, but would also serve to narrow the area of focus on you and Ohl Deeh (also the awesome weather effects)! I do get a sense of a patient and enthusiastic mentor just with your emote!

Stephen Fairbrook

I’m loving the scholarly feel from this shot! The piled books behind you, your outfit, and the filter used mesh cohesively to create that. The filter works extremely well with the greens and browns, giving your shot an older feel to it. While the background shows me your studious side, your interaction with your minion shows me a more relaxed side! The camera tilt works quite well with your scene, but I feel the angle from which it was shot could have been pushed just a bit more. The camera can become distorted with varying angles, and I think having your minion even closer to the viewer could manipulate that distortion to create a unique sense of depth!

Noesis Phobos

This is an adorable shot! The darker colors of your outfit and the Shalloweyes make you stand out clearly against the white of the snow and the sky. Your expression is warm and friendly; no wonder your little friends adore you! The slight tilt of their heads looking up at you reminds me of little ducklings, and the smaller one on your shoulder conveys a much closer relationship than what might have been had they all been following you. I am not quite sure if the camera tilt works with this shot; using no tilt to show the flat plane of snow in the background could add a more natural scenic element to the picture, but also parallel how straight you are standing. Aside from the emote, the camera tilt does create an illusion of walking downhill!

Rivienne Cotrlaint

The emote your character is displaying matches so well with Ohl Deeh’s toothy little grin! I get the feeling that you both are looking to start some mischief! The proximity between you and Ohl Deeh further accentuates the comradery between the both of you. Even the wings on your outfit mimic that of Ohl Deeh’s! The deep black of your hair contrasts heavily with your fair skin, making you pop out against the background, however, the back of your staff in the corner is somewhat distracting, not only because I see very little of it, but because it is the closest to the viewer. I think using a one-handed staff/wand would work just as well, and not detract from the emote which already conveys your shot’s mood!

Kusuh Valentione

This is very calming to look at! The soft pink of the whole shot and the bit of light coming in from the right gives the background a serene feel. Ahhhh, what’s better than sitting by a bookshelf and having your minion grab a book for you? I really do love the background and how you’re sitting against the bookshelf, but I’m not quite sure what story is being told. Your outfit led me to interpret your shot as a battle-hardened scholar taking some time to sit down and relax with a good book, but the lack of emotion on your face makes it a bit confusing. A little smile, a side glance, maybe even a grin could give me a hint as to how you’re feeling in your shot! (It’s ok to laugh at me if I completely misinterpreted that!) Your minion’s distance from the bookshelf creates a fun illusion of its arm being long and flexible, as if reaching into the back.

Nadede Lasalle

What a cool bunch! Your outfit shows a rougher exterior which matches perfectly with your gobbie friends. I really like how you are facing in the same direction as the left-most gobbie and that the light hits you both in a similar fashion; you are both the same, yet different! While I am curious as to what your shot would look like if your minion was facing in the same direction, I think the small deviation makes your friend seem a little shy! I am not sure if it is the tilt of the camera or if you are sitting on uneven ground, but your sitting position looks a little odd; the front of your leg makes me think that you are sitting flat on the ground, but the rest of your body looks as if you’re leaning on your side. I think lessening the tilt of the camera and swinging the camera closer to yourself could alleviate some of that. I also usually try to avoid having any foreground objects in my shots, but I think the metal part in your shot creates an interesting divide!

Doki Kodoki

The lighting in this shot is great! The summer vibes are coming through clearly, and with a unique twist! The emotes displayed give off a worried and cautious mood, but the location, weather, and camera tilt keep it playful! The calamari looks as if it is facing your character, drawing my eye towards you. Your guest closest to you does take some of my attention away from you because of how much light is shining on her back, as well as her being very close to the center of the image, but the distance between you and your guests in the back make it easy to identify that you and the troublesome calamari are the focus!

 Katarh

DISCLAIMER:  Everyone did an amazing job this week and nobody had a bad shot.  Choosing the order for these was hard.  My critiques are my own personal preferences, so take everything with a grain of salt.

Doki + Calamari + Bright 1

This is an excellent use of the filter to emphasize the atmosphere - bright, playful, cheery, and innocent.  (Well, except for Calamari, the only minion less innocent than Succubus.)  Your faintly terrified expression brings this composition together, and I especially like how the bottom of Calamari is cut off, so that the rest of him could be lurking just below the bottom edge. I think your screen shot tells the most complete story this week.  The one thing that would have made this better is if your friend's ... um... bum.... was not quite so dead center.  Controlling extras is hard!

Rivenne + Dragonet + Pastel 2

I love that you chose a head shot for this so you could put the focus on you and the Dragonet. Although the background isn't a big part of the composition, it's clear enough that it's Dravania, and the atmosphere with the stars in the sky is a good complement to the setup. The position of your hand makes it look like you're about to tickle him under the chin. This is my favorite this week and I can't think of anything else you could have done to make it even better. Great job!

Nadede + Gobbie + Echo

Gobbies think brown tint is goodsight!  This picture feels really cozy, and your gobbie cosplay is spot on. I'm wary of having the "odd angle for the sake of an odd angle" in the new /gpose, but in this case, it works since it gets more of you and the gobbies into the picture. The one thing that I find distracting is the giant pole in the middle - if there was a way to take this shot without it, it would have been perfect. (I'm not sure it's possible though.)

Wow Wie + Dragonet + Strengthened effects (?)

What a cutie!  I hope he learns to fly well. I got a huge grin on my face because of the false perspective that makes him look like he's standing n the island just below him, even if that wasn't intentional.  You didn't specify what your color filter was here though, and I'm having a hard time determining it from the picture.  My best guess is strengthened effects, but maybe another filter would have been better to unify the environment.  The dress is pretty but not really matching the concept of "flying lesson" - although the way it's fluttering in the wind is quite cool.

Stephen + Page 63 + Echo

Good reaction emote to the bizarre hand of Page 63 reaching up to.... do whatever it does.  I like the usage of Echo to bring a faint sepia tone to everything, unifying the minion with the background - and you, the confused librarian!  I'm not sold on the necessity of the tilted angle here, though, as both you, the bookshelf behind you, and the minion could have appeared in the frame without it.

Kusuh + Page 63 + Pastel 1

The use of the pastel filter here gives an unusual pink tint to what looks like the Thaumaturges guild. Great choice of background for Page 63. But there's a lot of empty space around you and the book, and I don't get a sense you're interacting with it, just looking at it.  I think this shot would be stronger with a tighter zoom, and perhaps an outfit more appropriate to the location.

Noesis + Shalloweye + Bright 3

This is one of my favorite filters because it can add a soft sense to any photo, and it works especially well in Coerthas.  This is an adorable concept.  I always felt cheated that we never got a bunch of Deepeyes following around a bigger one like chicks behind a mother hen, which is what I thought we'd get back with the 3.0 benchmark.  Your outfit is just right for the environment. I'm not sold on the tilted camera here though.  It makes it feel a bit lopsided, and it leaves some dead space on the edges of the shot, especially on the right side.  A tighter zoom and a smaller tilt would have made this shot much stronger.

[unit8586specialistisaacbewley]

https://vimeo.com/342202399

Final animated project

For my final project, I decided to do a short animation to tell a short and simple narrative about a few characters. In the end, I decided to try and portray a short story of a character hiding from a policeman in an older era (loosely based on Victorian), and this is what I based my animation off. In the industry, a project like this probably wouldn’t be a very large-scale production. The aim of telling a clear and simple narrative to a consumer is a format that can be utilised for many purposes, including things as advertising a product to full-on entertainment films and shows. However, due to the aesthetics and subject matter of my animation, I believe the most appropriate purpose for it in the industry would probably be as some form of entertainment for younger audiences.

 At the very start of my project, I did a lot of research into CAPS and traditional animation including the history and development of it. I also unintentionally learned a few other things about the process through my research on various artists that work in the industry and have personally inspired me. This helped me understand a lot more about the process and gave me insight into what made a good digital animation which I was very grateful for, as previously I didn’t have much experience with animating a full piece in Adobe Animate. Although, doing research alone didn’t help me fully understand the processes and skills since I learn a lot from actually doing things myself as a kinaesthetic learner. This was a challenge to work with, as I didn’t exactly have the time to hone a large amount of skill and experience with Animate before starting production on the animation, but the only way to really build on this weakness would be to simply use Animate more and create more animations in the future. I could have also tried to do more preliminary test animations and exercises as part of my final project production, although this could have conflicted with my time management restrictions during the project.

Personally, I think that I did a very substantial amount of research on the topics of my chosen final project, and this is very apparent through my production logs and hopefully the effort I made to complete my project on time. Despite the fact I think some of the research I chose to do was not completely necessary to the project at hand and wasted a bit of my time (such as the very early history of CAPS and traditional animation), I think my analysis’ of my chosen artists and animators were very succinct when it came to detailing useful things about their art styles and techniques and I even experimented with techniques inspired by their processes in my final project to help save time and enhance my aesthetic.

 In total, I did research on 5 different artists and also looked into the history and development of CAPS and traditional animation. I was mainly interested in the history of the latter as I believed the same principals and methods would be useful for digital animation, and for the most part I was correct although the history itself was not as relevant. I chose artists and animators that drew in all sorts of styles and specialised in various things, although in hindsight I realise that nearly all of my chosen artists graduated from the same animation college and this did make my research pool a little stale. However, simply going to the same school didn’t make their work any less unique or offer less things to learn from, so this wasn’t a large issue in the end and overall I learned a variety of things.

 As part of my analysis’, I wrote about some aspects of the related animators’ process and work that I felt I could perhaps transfer to my own development. These were mainly things about their style and production that I believed would save me time, with things such as considering doing a more messy and less polished lining style in order to save time while also exploring a potential new aesthetic. I think I used my research very well in this aspect, as overall using new methods inspired by these processes, I managed to complete the brunt of my animation within 2-3 days. The vast majority of the development in this final project has actually been more about the writing, so I would consider this a sign that I utilised my research very well and definitely took away key lessons that adhered to my project proposal and self-imposed goals of time management. 

Compared to other projects, thankfully I had a lot less problems than I anticipated. One of the major problems I had with the project, however, was an issue where I realised I would not have enough time to do a more complex animation that I had storyboarded out before final production where the character moves their entire body to look behind them. This was difficult to deal with, as without the action the rest of the animation looked rather stale and boring. It was hard to find a compromise since it was hard to continue to make the animation look dynamic and interesting without the body of the main character moving at all, but in the end I decided I could salvage the animation of the head moving, and keep the rest of the body static. This did effect the overall quality of the animation, but it did help me save time and adhere to the guidelines in my project proposal. To try and make the animation more interesting to look at I also decided to add in a policeman character at a very late stage of development. The animations on this character were not the most polished either, but using colour and the composition of the animation I think I managed to add in a lot more interest to the overall piece and got it to remain still visually engaging and interesting for my chosen audience.  While I did manage to solve this problem in a somewhat effective way, a lesson I took away from this was that perhaps I should have put in more effort to the pre-production and storyboards, as this issue could have been completely avoided if I drew the storyboards more consistently and had more time to perfect them. This is less of a time management issue and more of a priority issue that I should keep in mind for future endeavors. 

 I think for the most part, I planned out my production very well. My overall goal was to improve on my time management and make sure to finish everything within my deadline, and I am glad that I achieved this goal that I set out in my project proposal. However I ran into a few issues with prioritising which parts of development to focus on and do more work for - the key offender of this was how much research I put into the history of animation rather than having more time to perfect my storyboards so I could preserve the more complex animations that I wanted to use to make my animation look visually appealing. While in the end I did somewhat manage to work past these problems and still meet my goal of finishing all of my work on time and get it polished to a good standard, I now know that I need to work on understanding what aspects of my production process I need to prioritise and work more diligently on.

 Honestly, I think I didn’t use as much practical skill as I could have in the final animation. A lot of this was down to me needing to cut out some animations that I didn’t have the time to perfect, and although me not including these extra animations did help me meet my goal of finishing the project on time it definitely does detract from the whole appeal of the animation. Some of the motions are quite stiff, and though I did try and make it flow as nicely as I could it is not as smooth as I initially envisioned it to be. Quality of the animation itself aside, however, I think that I did really good work on the colours and creating the background and shadows. I had a lot of difficulty narrowing down what sort of art style to do, and in the end I am very pleased with the aesthetic and quality of the background and extra effects. While this doesn’t completely make up for the lack of dynamic animations, it did help with keeping my animation more engaging and it is good progress towards improving on background and environments in general. I also included a few principals of animation, although they weren’t completely obvious, but I think they added some nice little detail. The head moved in arcs which made it quite satisfying to look at, and I also included some small smear frames in the eye darting movements. While these little details weren’t bad, I think if I increased the scale of them and made the effects more noticeable it would have really increased the quality of my animation.

Generally working on this project has really helped me improve with navigating and using Adobe Animate. Beforehand I never really used it for much, and often deferred to using After Effects to create animations for tasks as it was very clean and smooth to use. However in order to create a sense of the ‘hand-drawn charm’ that I wanted to emulate after doing my moodboards and researching artists, I pushed myself to use Animate for a fully-fledged animated project and I think it has been a really vital and engaging experience for me. I also got the chance to experiment more with smear frames, which was very good as I did a small mini-teach lesson on them and I finally got the chance to exercise my skills and knowledge in a final project. Of course there are still a lot of things I need to improve, such as making more dynamic animations and the like, but I think I have made a very good start and my animation is still fairly appealing despite the flaws.

All in all, I am very pleased with my final project despite the disappointment with some aspects of it and the difficulties I had during development. In my project proposal, I outlined that my main goals to achieve in this project was to improve on my time management and use colour and shape to create a visually appealing animation for a younger audience. I think that my method of analysis for the artists I researched really did help make a difference in my final piece, as it helped me develop and flesh out aspects I was struggling with such as colour and art style to use, and this reflects well in the final animation in my opinion. Working on this project has also helped me recognise new goals that I need to work on in future, such as prioritising different aspects during development and using critical thinking to consider if I need to be exhausting all of my effort into small insignificant parts of development (notably the research into the history of animation.

[slrlounge1]

Tips To Overcome Bad Weather From 14 Wedding Pros

Although we’ve seen a cluster of beautiful wedding images in the rain and snow, not many wedding photographers look forward to getting soaked for the shot. We asked a selection of our Apex award-winning photographers what techniques they love to use when faced with bad weather and what gear they rely on to make these shots happen.

The first thing you’ll need is a couple of Ziploc bags for your off-camera flashes, so if you’ve got a wedding coming up and bad weather in the forecast, we’ve got you (and your flashes) covered!

Melissa Jill – Website | Instagram

“My best technique is simply planning ahead & creating a game plan! For this rainy day wedding, we brought umbrellas (clear ones so that the subjects faces wouldn’t be too heavily shaded). After strategizing with the bridal party under the cover of a tent, we ran out to grab the shot, with my 2nd shooter holding another umbrella over my film camera. It took planning prior to the wedding and in real-time with the bridal party, but it was all worth it!”

Jared Gant – Website | Instagram

“Who defines what is good and bad weather? Okay, maybe if a hurricane is coming in we should all duck for cover, but all too often, I see both photographers and clients unnecessarily hiding from a little bit of snow or rain. When the weather is starting to look different than expected, I try to remind my clients to go with the flow and be playful. One of my favorite techniques is to back-light the couple with a MagSphere. This throws light in all directions and exaggerates the appearance of the weather. I always keep a few large zip-lock bags in my bag to cover up and protect the flashes.”

JD Land – Website | Instagram

“As a primarily documentary photographer, I absolutely love the challenges that I’m faced with when the weather isn’t considered to be “ideal.” The weather 100% affects a couple’s emotions on their wedding day so that part of the story NEEDS to be documented and told through photographs. Accomplishing that is the hard part as a couple will only spend a few moments out in the weather. To make sure I am able to tell the entire story in these brief moments, I am always using either my 24-70mm f/2.8 or 35mm f/1.4. Both of these lenses are wide enough to allow me to include the environment, or the weather, in the composition.

This photograph is a bride getting ready to head into the church and her feelings about the weather are written all over her face as she prepares to be escorted in by the umbrella-toting driver. I needed every bit of a 35mm to make sure I was close enough to be in the moment with her but also include the umbrella in the frame to show why she is having the reaction she is.”

Aaron Story – Website | Instagram

“Shooting predominantly in the UK means that I’m often faced with wet weather; it’s something I used to worry about a lot, but as I’ve grown with experience, I’ve learned to go with it. The way I think about it is if I’m anxious, then it’s likely that will rub off on my couple and that will affect their day (and photos). In the photo above, I went out beforehand to set everything up and wrapped my flash in a clear plastic bag (I keep a few handy, just in case). I found an usher to help me out in getting the right settings, and once I was set, I invited the couple out with umbrellas. We were out for a matter of seconds – this is the result made with a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II,  one Yongnuo 600 EX-RT Flash in a Ziploc bag and Op/Tech Rain Sleeve for the camera and lens.”

Dave Shay – Website | Instagram

“Backlighting rain or snow with bad weather isn’t a new trick by any means (I used a MagSphere for this), but the most important part about shooting in bad weather is to get your clients excited about it. If you can convince your clients that you’re the expert and that they should trust you, you have so many more opportunities to make something incredible. Once your clients are on board, the only thing you’ll need is a weather-sealed camera (thanks, Nikon!), a few Ziploc bags to throw your flashes in, and a horrible pun to make some magic.”

Paco Van Leeuwen – Website | Instagram

“Last year I had a wedding I’ll never forget, it was raining the entire day… Although there wasn’t a real couples session planned, they did want a few nice images at these different locations. At times the rain was coming sideways so I had to come up with a solution. Thanks to the SLR Lounge flash courses I had the knowledge and confidence to pull this off. I just left the couple dry inside and got soaking wet myself. For both shots, I used a gridded flash, underexposed the ambient light by 1-2 stops and set the flash power accordingly.”

[Read: 8 Rainy Day Wedding Photography Tips You Need To Know]

Scott Josuweit – Website | Instagram

“Group composites are one of my favorite tricks when the weather isn’t ideal. The bride and groom wanted an “epic group photo” in this one space of their venue but they wanted to be able to see all of the greenery in the background. My assistant held a Godox AD200 with a MagGrid, MagSphere, and 1/4 CTO MagGel on it and lit each member of the wedding party one at a time, and I snapped a photo each time they moved. I ended up using 13 different frames to put this composite together.”

Matt Gruber – Website | Instagram

“Sometimes a couple is really adventurous, but more often than not you want to get photos outside without having them soaking wet afterward (or holding umbrellas for every photo). Many venues will have some sort of awning or covered valet area somewhere on the property. I love to place the couple under the awning and use a telephoto lens to get beautiful bokeh and compression. Mix in just a small amount of flash to blend in with the ambient light behind them and no one will have any idea it was even raining at all.”

Alex Pasarelu – Website | Instagram

“I improvise a lot, but mainly try to take advantage of the bad weather and create beautiful memories no matter what. I always encourage my couples to enjoy the rain and be brave, they need to live the moment. I tend to use the water on the ground to create beautiful reflections, use umbrellas to help compose the frame, or just have the couple dancing in the rain if they are willing to. I always try to capture the day how it really was.”

Shannon Cain – Website | Instagram

“How do I convince my clients to step out into the rain and wind for some beautiful portraits?  Before I ever pull them outside, I completely set up the shot so that when I do ask my bride & groom to step outside, it only requires them to be in the elements for a fraction of the time.  And when particles of any sort are in the air, choose to backlight!  I always carry ziplock bags with me to cover my Godox AD200s from the elements as well as two clear umbrellas.”

Nicole Chan – Website | Instagram

“During inclement weather, I always encourage my couples to embrace it. I mention that during perfect days, there are dozens of couples fighting for the same spot at the same time. I remind them that all relationships are different and that having non-cliche engagement and wedding portraits is a pretty awesome thing. For Brian and Maryanne’s portrait session, it was sub-zero temperatures in Boston. Brian recreated one of their early dates and gave Mary Anne special mittens that had been crafted specifically to allow two people to hold hands while wearing the mittens.”

Christophe Viseux – Website | Instagram

“I actually see bad weather as a fantastic opportunity to create spontaneous photos with a different feel and sometimes gorgeous light like before a storm. From a gear point of view, you still want to make sure your camera remains safe and sound in dry conditions. I always carry an emergency rain cover in my bag.”

Christi Chambers – Website | Instagram

“I always get excited when there’s a little precipitation in the forecast (hopefully late in the day). My go-to is a simple backlit shot to catch whatever’s in the air (rain/snow/fog). Of course this works best with lower ambient light (if you don’t have a super powerful flash with you). My couples are always blown away by the results!”

Abul Shah – Website | Instagram

“I consider myself lucky to live in one of the most amazing countries in the world. But, as I’m sure many of you know, or will have experienced first-hand if you’ve ever visited the UK, good weather is not what we are known for! Grey is an all too familiar colour to us, and the stats say that we only see the sun for about one third of an average year. Yes, that’s right. The rest of the time, it’s overcast, raining, or we get what we Brits like to call ‘drizzle.’

So, achieving creative or dramatic photos requires direction and a plan, and keeping the bride and groom dry at the same time can be a challenge. The majority of brides don’t want to ruin their hair in the rain, and some won’t even consider stepping outside. At times, we are expected to deliver maximum results with minimum effort from our client.

When I want something dramatic, with soft light and good contrast, a good option that I come back to now and then is one of the simplest. I look for a window with good light and little distractions in the frame, so I don’t lead the viewer away from the subject.

There’s no need for umbrellas, no need to light the scene or zip lock your speed lights, no wet wedding dress and most importantly, the couple stays warm and happy.

I use prime lenses on my Nikon D800 bodies 90% of the time, namely the Sigma Art 35mm and the 50mm f/1.4 lenses, because I like to shoot wide open and they are incredibly fast lenses. The window light (in the above scenario) may not be strong, and as I like to make an effort to keep my ISO as low as possible, my choice of prime lens always responds perfectly.”

Tips from Abul:

When placing your subject by the window, the natural light fall off can be rapid, so don’t be afraid to have their shoulder almost touching the window if the light requires it.

Try and avoid getting the window itself in the shot, as it will be bright and distracting in the final image. Perhaps try leaning against the wall and breaking the ‘gazing space’ rule. Get it right in camera.

You may find that a good window location may be in an obscure or strange place. Your couple may not understand what you are seeing and might seem uncomfortable, but if you’re there then you know they trust you. When you get a good shot, show them. Sometimes showing them a shot once or twice on the back of the camera and telling them how good they look will help them relax, and help you get the best out of your couple.

Tips For Rainy Day Wedding Photography | Summary

Make sure your gear is weather sealed and if not invest in plastic covers to protect it from getting ruined.

Always have an umbrella on hand (this can just be a regular white lighting umbrella) because you never know when you’ll need it.

Always test the shot before bringing your couple into the scene to prevent them from getting cold or wet.

Use flashes to backlight the particles in the air and compression lenses to yield better bokeh results.

from SLR Lounge https://www.slrlounge.com/rainy-day-wedding-photography-tips/ via IFTTT

[slrlounge1]

Tips To Overcome Bad Weather From 14 Wedding Pros

Although we’ve seen a cluster of beautiful wedding images in the rain and snow, not many wedding photographers look forward to getting soaked for the shot. We asked a selection of our Apex award-winning photographers what techniques they love to use when faced with bad weather and what gear they rely on to make these shots happen.

The first thing you’ll need is a couple of Ziploc bags for your off-camera flashes, so if you’ve got a wedding coming up and bad weather in the forecast, we’ve got you (and your flashes) covered!

Melissa Jill – Website | Instagram

“My best technique is simply planning ahead & creating a game plan! For this rainy day wedding, we brought umbrellas (clear ones so that the subjects faces wouldn’t be too heavily shaded). After strategizing with the bridal party under the cover of a tent, we ran out to grab the shot, with my 2nd shooter holding another umbrella over my film camera. It took planning prior to the wedding and in real-time with the bridal party, but it was all worth it!”

Jared Gant – Website | Instagram

“Who defines what is good and bad weather? Okay, maybe if a hurricane is coming in we should all duck for cover, but all too often, I see both photographers and clients unnecessarily hiding from a little bit of snow or rain. When the weather is starting to look different than expected, I try to remind my clients to go with the flow and be playful. One of my favorite techniques is to back-light the couple with a MagSphere. This throws light in all directions and exaggerates the appearance of the weather. I always keep a few large zip-lock bags in my bag to cover up and protect the flashes.”

JD Land – Website | Instagram

“As a primarily documentary photographer, I absolutely love the challenges that I’m faced with when the weather isn’t considered to be “ideal.” The weather 100% affects a couple’s emotions on their wedding day so that part of the story NEEDS to be documented and told through photographs. Accomplishing that is the hard part as a couple will only spend a few moments out in the weather. To make sure I am able to tell the entire story in these brief moments, I am always using either my 24-70mm f/2.8 or 35mm f/1.4. Both of these lenses are wide enough to allow me to include the environment, or the weather, in the composition.

This photograph is a bride getting ready to head into the church and her feelings about the weather are written all over her face as she prepares to be escorted in by the umbrella-toting driver. I needed every bit of a 35mm to make sure I was close enough to be in the moment with her but also include the umbrella in the frame to show why she is having the reaction she is.”

Aaron Story – Website | Instagram

“Shooting predominantly in the UK means that I’m often faced with wet weather; it’s something I used to worry about a lot, but as I’ve grown with experience, I’ve learned to go with it. The way I think about it is if I’m anxious, then it’s likely that will rub off on my couple and that will affect their day (and photos). In the photo above, I went out beforehand to set everything up and wrapped my flash in a clear plastic bag (I keep a few handy, just in case). I found an usher to help me out in getting the right settings, and once I was set, I invited the couple out with umbrellas. We were out for a matter of seconds – this is the result made with a Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24mm f/1.4L II,  one Yongnuo 600 EX-RT Flash in a Ziploc bag and Op/Tech Rain Sleeve for the camera and lens.”

Dave Shay – Website | Instagram

“Backlighting rain or snow with bad weather isn’t a new trick by any means (I used a MagSphere for this), but the most important part about shooting in bad weather is to get your clients excited about it. If you can convince your clients that you’re the expert and that they should trust you, you have so many more opportunities to make something incredible. Once your clients are on board, the only thing you’ll need is a weather-sealed camera (thanks, Nikon!), a few Ziploc bags to throw your flashes in, and a horrible pun to make some magic.”

Paco Van Leeuwen – Website | Instagram

“Last year I had a wedding I’ll never forget, it was raining the entire day… Although there wasn’t a real couples session planned, they did want a few nice images at these different locations. At times the rain was coming sideways so I had to come up with a solution. Thanks to the SLR Lounge flash courses I had the knowledge and confidence to pull this off. I just left the couple dry inside and got soaking wet myself. For both shots, I used a gridded flash, underexposed the ambient light by 1-2 stops and set the flash power accordingly.”

[Read: 8 Rainy Day Wedding Photography Tips You Need To Know]

Scott Josuweit – Website | Instagram

“Group composites are one of my favorite tricks when the weather isn’t ideal. The bride and groom wanted an “epic group photo” in this one space of their venue but they wanted to be able to see all of the greenery in the background. My assistant held a Godox AD200 with a MagGrid, MagSphere, and 1/4 CTO MagGel on it and lit each member of the wedding party one at a time, and I snapped a photo each time they moved. I ended up using 13 different frames to put this composite together.”

Matt Gruber – Website | Instagram

“Sometimes a couple is really adventurous, but more often than not you want to get photos outside without having them soaking wet afterward (or holding umbrellas for every photo). Many venues will have some sort of awning or covered valet area somewhere on the property. I love to place the couple under the awning and use a telephoto lens to get beautiful bokeh and compression. Mix in just a small amount of flash to blend in with the ambient light behind them and no one will have any idea it was even raining at all.”

Alex Pasarelu – Website | Instagram

“I improvise a lot, but mainly try to take advantage of the bad weather and create beautiful memories no matter what. I always encourage my couples to enjoy the rain and be brave, they need to live the moment. I tend to use the water on the ground to create beautiful reflections, use umbrellas to help compose the frame, or just have the couple dancing in the rain if they are willing to. I always try to capture the day how it really was.”

Shannon Cain – Website | Instagram

“How do I convince my clients to step out into the rain and wind for some beautiful portraits?  Before I ever pull them outside, I completely set up the shot so that when I do ask my bride & groom to step outside, it only requires them to be in the elements for a fraction of the time.  And when particles of any sort are in the air, choose to backlight!  I always carry ziplock bags with me to cover my Godox AD200s from the elements as well as two clear umbrellas.”

Nicole Chan – Website | Instagram

“During inclement weather, I always encourage my couples to embrace it. I mention that during perfect days, there are dozens of couples fighting for the same spot at the same time. I remind them that all relationships are different and that having non-cliche engagement and wedding portraits is a pretty awesome thing. For Brian and Maryanne’s portrait session, it was sub-zero temperatures in Boston. Brian recreated one of their early dates and gave Mary Anne special mittens that had been crafted specifically to allow two people to hold hands while wearing the mittens.”

Christophe Viseux – Website | Instagram

“I actually see bad weather as a fantastic opportunity to create spontaneous photos with a different feel and sometimes gorgeous light like before a storm. From a gear point of view, you still want to make sure your camera remains safe and sound in dry conditions. I always carry an emergency rain cover in my bag.”

Christi Chambers – Website | Instagram

“I always get excited when there’s a little precipitation in the forecast (hopefully late in the day). My go-to is a simple backlit shot to catch whatever’s in the air (rain/snow/fog). Of course this works best with lower ambient light (if you don’t have a super powerful flash with you). My couples are always blown away by the results!”

Abul Shah – Website | Instagram

“I consider myself lucky to live in one of the most amazing countries in the world. But, as I’m sure many of you know, or will have experienced first-hand if you’ve ever visited the UK, good weather is not what we are known for! Grey is an all too familiar colour to us, and the stats say that we only see the sun for about one third of an average year. Yes, that’s right. The rest of the time, it’s overcast, raining, or we get what we Brits like to call ‘drizzle.’

So, achieving creative or dramatic photos requires direction and a plan, and keeping the bride and groom dry at the same time can be a challenge. The majority of brides don’t want to ruin their hair in the rain, and some won’t even consider stepping outside. At times, we are expected to deliver maximum results with minimum effort from our client.

When I want something dramatic, with soft light and good contrast, a good option that I come back to now and then is one of the simplest. I look for a window with good light and little distractions in the frame, so I don’t lead the viewer away from the subject.

There’s no need for umbrellas, no need to light the scene or zip lock your speed lights, no wet wedding dress and most importantly, the couple stays warm and happy.

I use prime lenses on my Nikon D800 bodies 90% of the time, namely the Sigma Art 35mm and the 50mm f/1.4 lenses, because I like to shoot wide open and they are incredibly fast lenses. The window light (in the above scenario) may not be strong, and as I like to make an effort to keep my ISO as low as possible, my choice of prime lens always responds perfectly.”

Tips from Abul:

When placing your subject by the window, the natural light fall off can be rapid, so don’t be afraid to have their shoulder almost touching the window if the light requires it.

Try and avoid getting the window itself in the shot, as it will be bright and distracting in the final image. Perhaps try leaning against the wall and breaking the ‘gazing space’ rule. Get it right in camera.

You may find that a good window location may be in an obscure or strange place. Your couple may not understand what you are seeing and might seem uncomfortable, but if you’re there then you know they trust you. When you get a good shot, show them. Sometimes showing them a shot once or twice on the back of the camera and telling them how good they look will help them relax, and help you get the best out of your couple.

Tips For Rainy Day Wedding Photography | Summary

Make sure your gear is weather sealed and if not invest in plastic covers to protect it from getting ruined.

Always have an umbrella on hand (this can just be a regular white lighting umbrella) because you never know when you’ll need it.

Always test the shot before bringing your couple into the scene to prevent them from getting cold or wet.

Use flashes to backlight the particles in the air and compression lenses to yield better bokeh results.

from SLR Lounge https://ift.tt/2NijHBl via IFTTT