From the Academic Writing lecture, I learnt how to structure the essay and plan my ideas. The essay structure consists of an introduction, followed by the main body of paragraphs, offering different viewpoints and with a logical progression of ideas. This is then followed by a conclusion, which is my viewpoint.
The bibliography follows after this, then the Image list, with appropriately labelled figures. It should consist of specialist language, an explanation of ideas, objectively written and in third person. I intend to follow this structure, write my essay and then proof read to make changes.
Study Task 7: Evaluation To evaluate the process of my work, over all of the modules, I used the Evaluation PDF document we were given and followed the questions in order to produce a critical and analytical evaluation. I produced a draft of the process, with the PDF link here:
The evaluation process was quite easy, I found, as I had already evaluated my work throughout the blog posts and became used to critically analysing my videos and animation process.
Source 3: Furniss, M. (2016). Animation: A Global History. New York: Thames and Hudson.
With the
creation of Buckbeak, described in Source One (The Real Magic of ‘Harry
Potter’), being a digital creation allowed for quicker changes and feather
manipulation, without limitation. It is stated that due to creating the
realistic visuals of the creature, there were challenges in bringing “character
to Buckbeak”. This was done through Buckbeak’s interaction with the actors and
this allowed to create sense of character into something that doesn’t talk nor
can move it’s beak in ways for emotion. Similarly, Source Two states (The Rise
of CG in ‘How the making of Star Wars Changed Hollywood Forever), in the
prequels, George Lucas makes use of the full CG character Jar Jar Binks. Due to
the technology not being as advanced as during the making of ‘Harry Potter and
the Prisoner of Azkaban’, the character, along with the writing of said
character, is “lampooned” by audiences, in comparison. Source 3 (Furniss, M. (2016). Animation: A Global History. p372-373) further
emphasises this idea of “incongruity between realism and lifelessness”,
explaining how the Polar Express was criticized for its realistic visuals, but
the eye and mouth movements didn’t work right and thus ruined the overall
visual experience. My understanding of this is that they all reference this
idea that CG is being used within film making to portray visual realism to
audiences and almost “show off” what technology can now provide for movies. It
allows for more immersive content, however this is undermined by the idea of
lifeless characters and the “dullness” which CG provides to movies.
I didn’t find
the process to compare and contrast the sources entirely difficult, in terms of
content, however it was being able to compile everything I found into a short
paragraph. It was difficult to remain on topic. If I were to do this again, I
think I would plan further or try using the PDF booklet more to look further
into the process of active reading.
How in which Animation can propagate what they wanted to be the norm and being subversive is going against an established norm or regime. This could be argued in terms of political correctness, also in this context and what would be seen as politically correct now is different to in the past and across the world. I most likely won't be discussing this topic within my journal and essay.
For the second to last study task, as my final outcome, I wanted to recreate my storyboard to improve elements of the character movements and cuts, in order to make the animation flow better. I used the character I had previously created, Chamomile and additionally wanted to focus on creating backgrounds, as I had not done this prior.
Process Video Overall, I think that the animation contains and creates an overview of all of the previous animation fundamentals, however I think there could be further exaggeration, such as with the shot at the end. To include a secondary action, I animated the rocks spraying up as he jumps and the dust settling when he lands. This was completed in a separate layer in Photoshop. I looked at background/concept artwork created by other shows, such as Gravity Falls, as it fit with the natural backgrounds I wanted to recreate, as a crystal cave.
Backgrounds Final Animation with Sound
Overall, I think I have improved on my timing and spacing. I incorporated squash and stretch, exaggeration, anticipations, arcs and overlapping actions. I think it could also be further improved with additional squash when he jumps down and more detailed camera movement in post-editing.
(Public Service announcements and informational animations)
'Tea and Consent' is a public information animation used by Thames Valley Police to address issues with sexual consent. I chose this for being a simple, stick-figure animation, with an effective message.
Commissioned by the 'Global Health Media', 'The Story of Cholera' depicts transmission, prevention and spread of the disease. Colour is used to show the disease spread and the animated format allows for my sensitive themes to be shown, which is one of the reasons I chose to put this on the list.
'A is for Atom' is a 1952 American animated public information, used to promote peaceful use of Nuclear energy, a few months after Hiroshima. I chose this not because I enjoyed the animation or message, but I thought it was interesting in terms of the overall use of animation for this announcement, to try and provide an educational and sensitive outlook.
"Computer Critters" is a series of animated shorts for a Public Service announcement, which explains the uses and safety of using a computer. I chose this for the fluidity of the animation and character appeal.
A public informational animation about eating disorders and how treating children/raising children how to feel about their bodies. I thought the overall animation was beautiful and energetic and the message was delivered in a respectful way. The idea of using Hansel and Gretel to tell the story also helps appeal to younger audiences.
The Yogi Bear Anti-Smoking PSA makes use of popular characters and culture to try persuade and inform audiences, which is why I chose to put this in the list.
'Old Lady in the Shoe' is a Canadian Fire Safety Animation, which was aired in the 1970s to talk about fire safety uses.
Again, similarly to the Yogi Bear PSA, the use of G.I. Joe characters helped target young children to explain the use of bike equipment.
As a way of encouraging children to exercise, this PSA called "Couch Potato" is made using stop-motion and I thought it was unique of an animation to be included in the list. It was used as a way to encourage children to exercise
Pelican Crossing is a 1960s-70s animated public announcement to show how to cross the road at a pelican crossing.
Overall, Public Service Announcement animations were mainly accessible on YouTube, however as uploaded copies, because of when they were publicised.
A short animated documentary, about the story of the ship 'Ungvar', during the Second World War. The animation is beautiful and smooth, using colour palettes too to creating atmosphere and mood.
I found this short animated documentary interesting because of the use of mixed media. Made by Olivia Humphrey from the UK, it combines both photography and hand-drawn animation.
'That Dragon, Cancer' is an interesting medium for Animated Documentary, as it takes place as a game documenting Ryan Green's infant son, Joel, dying of cancer. The game was Kickstarted and launched January 2016.
'Food' is an animated documentary uses mixed media and characters made up of Food talking about themselves and their habits. I thought that the medium used was clever and interesting for the subject of 'food.
I could only find the trailer for this animated documentary, Still Born, made by Swedish animator Asa Sandzen. The trailer shows mixed media content and cut-out animation, to respectfully talk about a sensitive subject.
A German Animated Documentary about an elderly womans' account of an orphanage where she stayed, during World War II in Germany. Dennis Stein-Schomburgs' style used within the documentary are captivating and illustrate memory, through the use of splatter inks and textures.
Thembi's Diary is a short animated documentary making use of textures and colour, to re-tell a diary by a 17 year old South African, who lived with AIDs.
'Mike's Story' is a part of series of films about post-natal depression, about peoples' stories regarding it. I feel they handled a sensitive topic respectfully and the cut-out style of animation used creates a serious and dark atmosphere, along with the colour and light.
'Stems' by Ainslie Henderson is a short documentary about the process of puppet making and stopmotion, within a stop motion short. I chose this because of the cleverness of the storytelling and the puppet animation at the end of the movie was brought to life.
'BABA' is a short documentary by New Zealand filmmaker by Joel Kefali, in which his grandfather describes his experience as an immigrant moving to Turkey. I chose this to add to the list, because of the bright and colourful animation used to comedically describe his experience. Animated Documentaries allow for real-life stories and past events to be told in a more sensitive and creative way. Using animation not only means that events and issues can be re-told, but also can bring knowledge to certain situations and tailor for specific audiences.
Context of Practise 1 - Referencing Different Sources
Study Task 3
Bibliography of Sources, from Study Task 1
Besen, E. (no date) Animation and the Art of Action-Based Storytelling. Available at: https://www.writersstore.com/animation-and-the-art-of-action-based-storytelling (assessed 23 November 2018) Blaise, A. (2018) [Twitter] 25, October. Available at: https://twitter.com/AaronBlaiseArt/status/1055504189814538240 (assessed 23 November 2018) CGMeetup. (2015) ‘CGI Making of Pixar Animation Inside Out | CGMeetup’ Youtube, 19 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-gPD00ksxQ (assessed 23 November 2018). CGMeetup. (2016) ‘CGI Dreamworks Animation Studio Pipeline | CGMeetup’ Youtube, 4 January. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru0tQRJ4qKs (assessed 23 November 2018). CGMeetup. (2016) ‘CGI Animated Short Film HD “Majora’s Mask - Terrible Fate” by EmberLab | CGMeetup’ Youtube, 5 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqc4gno0Hso (assessed 23 November 2018). Discovery. (2009) ‘Avatar: Motion Capture Mirrors Emotions’ Youtube, 24 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wK1Ixr-UmM (assessed 23 November 2018). Dreamworks Animation (2011) Po Finds the Truth. Available at: https://www.redgiant.com/blog/2011/08/25/trapcode-kicks-it-for-kung-fu-panda-2/ (assessed 23 November 2018) Failes, I. (2016) 25 Years Ago: The CG Secrets of the Ballroom Sequence in ‘Beauty and the Beast’. Available at: https://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/25-years-ago-cg-secrets-ballroom-sequence-beauty-beast-145174.html (assessed 23 November 2018) Failes, I. (2016) How the Making of Star Wars Changed Hollywood Forever. Available at: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/star-wars-behind-the-scenes-history-ilm-industrial-light-magic-making-special-effects (assessed 23 November 2018) Furniss, M. (2016). Animation: A Global History. New York: Thames and Hudson. Just Write. (2017) ‘How CGI Transformed Animated Storytelling’ Youtube, 22 September. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guQzTr1YK40 (assessed 23 November 2018). kaptainkristian. (2016) ‘Pixar - What Makes a Story Relatable’ Youtube, 9 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTM-AdrIpaE (assessed 23 November 2018). kaptainkristian. (2016) ‘Pixar - What Makes a Story Relatable’ Youtube, 9 May. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTM-AdrIpaE (assessed 23 November 2018). Keane, G. (2013) Facial Model Sheet by Glen Keane. Available at: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:FlynnStudiesGK.jpg (assessed 23 November 2018) Margo, K. (2018) ‘CONSTRUCT’ Vimeo, 24 September. Available at: https://vimeo.com/291628768 (assessed 23 November 2018). Many Jony. (2017) ‘How Are Characters Animated at Pixar? - Toy Story’ Youtube, 23 October. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TqPl3MSSow (assessed 23 November 2018). McLean, C. (2017) Is Disney sexist?. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/24e20f4c-5f17-45fa-9179-f8a9fdccbe9a (assessed 23 November 2018) Mirror Dimension from Doctor Strange (film) (2016). Available at: https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/5/5d/Mirror_Dimension_from_Doctor_Strange_%28film%29_001.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/640?cb=20180427164334 (assessed 23 November 2018) New Rockstars. (2016) ‘Star Wars Rogue One - CGI Tarkin Explained’ Youtube, 18 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-KJGLRmt0w (assessed 23 November 2018). Peters, B. (2018) 6 Rules of Great Storytelling (As Told by Pixar). Available at: https://medium.com/@Brian_G_Peters/6-rules-of-great-storytelling-as-told-by-pixar-fcc6ae225f50 (assessed 23 November 2018) Skweres, M. (2004) The Real Magic of ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Available at: https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/real-magic-harry-potter-and-prisoner-azkaban (assessed 23 November 2018). TheThings. (2017) ‘Disney’s Long Complicated History with Gay Characters’ Youtube, 16 December. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbmpRVMyNuo (assessed 23 November 2018). Werewolves. (2018) [Exhibition]. Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London. (viewed 24 June 2018) Wierenga, J. (2016) Gravity Falls - Storyboard Test. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/33331541/Storyboard-Gravity-Falls-Test (assessed 23 November 2018)
Wintersweet Animation Studio. (2017) ‘First Bloom Teaser’ Vimeo, 23 January. Available at: https://vimeo.com/200698638 (assessed 23 November 2018).
I found that the process of referencing was tedious, however I found it easier when I grouped sources, so I could follow a similar format for all of the video sources, then for all of the web-pages. Through using this format, I was able to compile all of the sources into the bibliography, although I struggled sometimes identifying exactly what reference I should use for specific sources, because I wasn't completely sure whether it was a blog post or a specific web-page. I feel that once I use this referencing style more often, I'll understand the process more.
Representation in Animation can be unforgiving because of societal norms today that are different from the past and is arguably essential to storytelling. Progression of roles in animation are influential to society and even just the use of voice actors and casting can play a role in the representation of a certain demographic of people. If I were to explore storytelling in relation to the first topic, CG Animated movies, it would be how the aesthetic and medium would change representation of gender, age, etc.
After the lecture on nostalgia, the idea of colouration within the new remake of the Lion King interested me, as people had argued that the dullness of the "live-action" remake was what they took away from the original. Those in my class preferred the brighter colours, in comparison to the lifeless colour palette used in the trailer, which is something I wanted to explore. Through opting for a more "realistic" colour palette, its almost pointless, as it's juxtaposed by the unrealistic element of singing and talking lions. In addition to this, we are unable to empathise or feel connected to characters, as they're too realistic to properly exaggerate and express emotions. In order to understand this, I would like to explore colour palettes and the affect of colour on mood, within my visual journal. This also ties in with my visual analysis of the Kung Fu Panda 2 screen grab, where CG is used successfully in conveying emotion, use of colour and audiences are able to still enjoy and connect with characters.
VISUAL ANALYSIS - Kung Fu Panda 2, 2D Scenes with CG VFX
The first notable visual in this image is the use of colour and how the scene is composed, with the characters in the centre. The eye is drawn firstly to the white fire, to the right of the image, as the eyes are naturally drawn to lighter parts of an image. The audience is therefore drawn to the character Lord Shen, himself, whom of which is the antagonist, conveyed in the use of colour. Unsaturated tones are used for the shadows and characters in the centre, which makes the reds and brighter tones appear more saturated in contrast. The only character whom consists of a highly saturated colour is Shen, with the red symbol on the back of his cloak. This utilises the colour red to demonstrate him as a danger, but also in control and authority over the scene. Through visually associating him with fire, it conveys to audiences he is a destructive character and has lack of control over his anger and emotions, however it could also be representative of the idea his control is spreading, like fire. Items used within the image, such as the hammer used by both the protagonists and antagonists, represent a more defensive means of fighting, in contrast to Shen holding a sword, which again shows his more destructive and controlling character. His figure casts a grey shadow across the grass and further emphasises his power over the other characters, through use of shadow on the buildings and the characters themselves.
Study Task 5: PARTS A and B - Anticipation, Exaggeration, Follow Through and Overlapping Animation For Part A of the task I had to demonstrate anticipation and exaggeration, this was combined with Part B to produce a full mixed-media animation. I decided to try cut-out animation for Part A and compiled it together in Photoshop. The backgrounds and foreground were painted traditionally, however I think the animation could be improved with more cut-out frames for fluidity and could be improved quality-wise. For the backgrounds, I researched the use of backgrounds in the concept art for Disney's Bambi, which uses a watercolour-like texture. I additionally referenced the duller toned The Tale Three Brothers animation, featured in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, as part of my research.
Traditional Backgrounds
Made using acrylic paint and watercolours
Digital Backgrounds
Part B - Follow Through and Overlapping
For this part of the animation, I decided to do it entirely digital, using the digital backgrounds also. The animation incorporates follow-through and overlapping, through the ears and the run cycles, when the character leaps into frame. Once lined and coloured, I added sound effects.
During this part of the task, I added a blink animation, as Chamomile turns his head to incorporate the blink into the task. I found that from "The Animators Survival Kit", where it references using a blink, to create a snappier turn.
I think it could be improved by creating a flowing transition between the initial cut-out animation to the digital animation. The timing could also be improved in the cut-out, by including additional frames.
Professional Practise 1 Study Task 5: The Power to Persuade
- An Indian Ad for the OnePlus 5, using 2D Animation, with elements of cut-out, thus making the visuals appealing to watch.
- A Dairy Milk Oreo ad, produced for Dairy Milk Malaysia. Animations are by Animation Studio, Buck. Both the story-telling and the quality of the CG made me choose this for the list
- Another Dairy Milk ad, but this time from Canada, using 3D, CG Animation
- Aqua ad produced using StopMotion, by a team consisting of London Animation Studio, Mummu and Rock Hound
- A series of Pepsi ads, created by a studio in Brisbane, Australia, using CG and VFX. The Animation and Visuals are creative and the idea of creating a series from ads creates interest.
- Rightmove animation created by Trunk Animation's Layla Atkinson and illustrator Anna Kövecses following a couple on the hunt for a new home. The bright colours and 2D/Platform style along with the minor details added to the background made me choose this ad.
An advertisement for Audi, during Christmas, made using CG Animation and tackles gender stereotypes and representation within the ad to create a wider message.
- Heinz Australia produced an Pixar-like story advertisement, made using CG Animation, produced by Y&R New Zealand
- Wear The Rose, England Rugby ad was released 2015 by O2sports. The 2D Animation used in the ad is beautiful, produced by VCCP
- Apple recently released a new global Christmas Ad, featuring a young girl whom doesn't share her talents/gifts. The Animation produced and style is dynamic and unique, combining both CG and practical sets.
There were more animations for advertising than I expected, as this allowed me to realise how much Animation is used outside just entertainment. It also shows that storytelling and practise can be taken place during the process of advertising. It also allows artists and animators to continue making personal projects, whilst still earning through commissioned projects.
