Actions
I combined all the animations on FinalCut Pro and then had to extend the length of all the animation sequences on Flash so that I could insert transitions properly. In the afternoon I printed A3 copies of the storyboard for the exhibition.
Thoughts
The first attempt at combining all the animations was frustrating as I could not work out how to use the transitions. After a discussion with Oli for guidance we established that my animations needed a second or so with no movement that could be used for the transitions. This solved the problem and allowed a 5 frame transition between each sequence to soften the change. Before they were added the changes were too sudden and it was a bit confusing to work out what was actually happening.
Future Plans
I need to record the narrative for the animation and add it on FinalCut Pro.
Monday, 31 May 2010
Thursday 27th May
Actions
I finished the catalogue page on InDesign during digital. I then finished rotoskoping the swan flapping its wings and added the backgrounds to it. With that done, I added a mouse to the pounce scene and then added backgrounds to the couple of animations that did not have any yet. I then created an InDesign document of my storyboard for the exhibition and finally, I updated my blog.
Thoughts
The catalogue page is a nice way to combine a short summary of what the project is about with an image of what was the final outcome.
I am very pleased with the result of the swan rotoskope. I feel that it is the strongest piece of animation that I have done throughout the project. This is most likely because the video used was a very clear image and the swan was a very distinct and different colour to the water behind it, making it easy to distinguish where the outline should be drawn.
I feel that the digital storyboard will be far more appropriate for the exhibition than the watercolour storyboard for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is far neater than the watercolour storyboard as the paper is not warped by water and so can be far more easily mounted on foamboard. Also, it shows the style of the animation more accurately as it is screenshots. Finally, it is laid out more apppropriately for the size of the boards.
The blog has still been very useful for analysis and evaluation throughout the entire project.
Future Plans
I need to combine the animations on FinalCut Pro and print off the storyboard. Finally, I need to record a narrative and add that to the animation.
I finished the catalogue page on InDesign during digital. I then finished rotoskoping the swan flapping its wings and added the backgrounds to it. With that done, I added a mouse to the pounce scene and then added backgrounds to the couple of animations that did not have any yet. I then created an InDesign document of my storyboard for the exhibition and finally, I updated my blog.
Thoughts
The catalogue page is a nice way to combine a short summary of what the project is about with an image of what was the final outcome.
I am very pleased with the result of the swan rotoskope. I feel that it is the strongest piece of animation that I have done throughout the project. This is most likely because the video used was a very clear image and the swan was a very distinct and different colour to the water behind it, making it easy to distinguish where the outline should be drawn.
I feel that the digital storyboard will be far more appropriate for the exhibition than the watercolour storyboard for a variety of reasons. Firstly, it is far neater than the watercolour storyboard as the paper is not warped by water and so can be far more easily mounted on foamboard. Also, it shows the style of the animation more accurately as it is screenshots. Finally, it is laid out more apppropriately for the size of the boards.
The blog has still been very useful for analysis and evaluation throughout the entire project.
Future Plans
I need to combine the animations on FinalCut Pro and print off the storyboard. Finally, I need to record a narrative and add that to the animation.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Wednesday 26th May
Actions
I combined all the sections of the completed animation on FinalCut Pro. I then began rotoskoping the swan flapping its wings as well as creating two short scenes of the cat and the man for the introduction.
Thoughts
Since I still have a few days left before I need the animation to be finished, I have decided to rotoskope the swan flapping its wings as I feel this would add a bit of movement to the swan's character, as currently it is a static image.
The two short introductory sequences use static images of the characters, but set the scene very nicely for the rest of the animation.
Future Plans
I need to finish animating/rotoskoping so that everything can be combined properly in to the final animation. I also need to finish adding backgrounds and middle/foregrounds to the new rotoskopes. Finally, I need to finish the catalogue page and design the storyboard for the exhibition.
I combined all the sections of the completed animation on FinalCut Pro. I then began rotoskoping the swan flapping its wings as well as creating two short scenes of the cat and the man for the introduction.
Thoughts
Since I still have a few days left before I need the animation to be finished, I have decided to rotoskope the swan flapping its wings as I feel this would add a bit of movement to the swan's character, as currently it is a static image.
The two short introductory sequences use static images of the characters, but set the scene very nicely for the rest of the animation.
Future Plans
I need to finish animating/rotoskoping so that everything can be combined properly in to the final animation. I also need to finish adding backgrounds and middle/foregrounds to the new rotoskopes. Finally, I need to finish the catalogue page and design the storyboard for the exhibition.
Tuesday 25th May
Actions
I completed adding the backgrounds to all of the rotoskopes I have done so far. I also created the middle/foreground layer on photoshop and added that to the animations. I then used shape tweens in the two rotoskopes where the cat changes into a woman and vice versa.
Thoughts
It is very satisfying to see all the animations I have done so far with backgrounds on them. It makes them look far more complete and rounded off. The style of the watercolour backgrounds blends far better with the silhouettes once I changed the colours slightly. When animating to begin with I chose bright colours that were very different from each other so that I could tell the difference between the silhouettes. However, those colours clashed when placed on top of the backgrounds. I chose darker, less bright, tones and these sat far more naturally on the paler watercolours.
The shape tweening had a few issues to get around before I could get the shape morph to work properly. I had to draw several in between steps before Flash was able to create tweens that looked as I wanted them to. However, now they are complete I am very pleased with the final result. It is much faster than trying to draw each frame of the change by hand and looks far smoother than anything I could have created in the same amount of time.
Future Plans
I need to finish animating so that everything can be combined in to a single animation. I also need to design the storyboard for my exhibition and finish the catalogue page.
I completed adding the backgrounds to all of the rotoskopes I have done so far. I also created the middle/foreground layer on photoshop and added that to the animations. I then used shape tweens in the two rotoskopes where the cat changes into a woman and vice versa.
Thoughts
It is very satisfying to see all the animations I have done so far with backgrounds on them. It makes them look far more complete and rounded off. The style of the watercolour backgrounds blends far better with the silhouettes once I changed the colours slightly. When animating to begin with I chose bright colours that were very different from each other so that I could tell the difference between the silhouettes. However, those colours clashed when placed on top of the backgrounds. I chose darker, less bright, tones and these sat far more naturally on the paler watercolours.
The shape tweening had a few issues to get around before I could get the shape morph to work properly. I had to draw several in between steps before Flash was able to create tweens that looked as I wanted them to. However, now they are complete I am very pleased with the final result. It is much faster than trying to draw each frame of the change by hand and looks far smoother than anything I could have created in the same amount of time.
Future Plans
I need to finish animating so that everything can be combined in to a single animation. I also need to design the storyboard for my exhibition and finish the catalogue page.
Monday 24th May
Actions
I updated the blog to get it caught up with my note diary.
Thoughts
The blog is proving to be far more useful now that I am animating as I can watch the videos in front of me and then post an analysis straight away. It is a far easier platform than my sketchbook where I can only really look at screenshots.
Future Plans
I need to add backgrounds to all the animations created so far as well as create the middle/foreground layer for all the animations. I also need to finish any in between animation sections and then combine them all into a final animation. Finally, I need to design a storyboard for the exhibition and finish my catalogue page.
I updated the blog to get it caught up with my note diary.
Thoughts
The blog is proving to be far more useful now that I am animating as I can watch the videos in front of me and then post an analysis straight away. It is a far easier platform than my sketchbook where I can only really look at screenshots.
Future Plans
I need to add backgrounds to all the animations created so far as well as create the middle/foreground layer for all the animations. I also need to finish any in between animation sections and then combine them all into a final animation. Finally, I need to design a storyboard for the exhibition and finish my catalogue page.
Monday, 24 May 2010
Friday 21st May
Actions
Today I finished rotoskoping the cat. I then scanned in the backgrounds, combined them on Photoshop and began adding them to the animations.
Thoughts
I am pleased to have completed the large majority of the rotoskoping required for this project. This allows me to focus on getting the final animation to come together as I want it to. Scanning in the backgrounds required scanning them in parts and then recombining them on Photoshop. I then saved them as .jpgs and to add them in to Flash.
Due to the rotoskoping and the way I moved the camera when I filmed, the background needs to move with the silhouettes. This meant moving the foreground objects in every frame the same amount as the silhouettes move. However, the animations now look slightly odd as the background does not move at all. The solution to this is to create a middle/foreground layer that can also be added and moved with the silhouettes.
Future Plans
I need to add backgrounds to all the animations. I also need to create a middle/foreground. I need to finish animating the rest of the scenes and then combine it all together.
Today I finished rotoskoping the cat. I then scanned in the backgrounds, combined them on Photoshop and began adding them to the animations.
Thoughts
I am pleased to have completed the large majority of the rotoskoping required for this project. This allows me to focus on getting the final animation to come together as I want it to. Scanning in the backgrounds required scanning them in parts and then recombining them on Photoshop. I then saved them as .jpgs and to add them in to Flash.
Due to the rotoskoping and the way I moved the camera when I filmed, the background needs to move with the silhouettes. This meant moving the foreground objects in every frame the same amount as the silhouettes move. However, the animations now look slightly odd as the background does not move at all. The solution to this is to create a middle/foreground layer that can also be added and moved with the silhouettes.
Future Plans
I need to add backgrounds to all the animations. I also need to create a middle/foreground. I need to finish animating the rest of the scenes and then combine it all together.
Thursday 20th May
Actions
I seperated out the sections of Homeward Bound that I wanted to use in FinalCut Pro. With these clips I could then begin rotoskoping once more. We also had a study skills session in which we looked at what was needed in our final evaluation essays. During digital I updated my blog again.
Thoughts
Although the clips from Homeward Bound are not perfect, they are high quality videos which are very clear. This means that even when things are a similar colour, it is much easier to tell them apart.
The study skills session was, again, very useful. Previously I was not entirely sure exactly what is required for the final evaluation but I now have a much clearer idea of what I need to write. I am still finding the blog to be very productive in sorting through my work and analysing what has been done. However, disappointingly I have not been able to get any of my animations to upload alongside my posts as the upload always fails.
Future Plans
I need to continue animating and rotoskoping as well as scan in the watercolour backgrounds .
I seperated out the sections of Homeward Bound that I wanted to use in FinalCut Pro. With these clips I could then begin rotoskoping once more. We also had a study skills session in which we looked at what was needed in our final evaluation essays. During digital I updated my blog again.
Thoughts
Although the clips from Homeward Bound are not perfect, they are high quality videos which are very clear. This means that even when things are a similar colour, it is much easier to tell them apart.
The study skills session was, again, very useful. Previously I was not entirely sure exactly what is required for the final evaluation but I now have a much clearer idea of what I need to write. I am still finding the blog to be very productive in sorting through my work and analysing what has been done. However, disappointingly I have not been able to get any of my animations to upload alongside my posts as the upload always fails.
Future Plans
I need to continue animating and rotoskoping as well as scan in the watercolour backgrounds .
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Wednesday 19th May
Actions
I spent the morning searching for videos online of cats and swans that I could rotoskope. I began rotoskoping a video of a cat trotting. This video turned out to be completely unusable so I had to go back to square one and look for more videos of cats. I watched Homeward Bound and found sections of that for cat movements I wanted.
Thoughts
Today was an extremely frustrating day in terms of getting anything done. I felt as though I took one step forwards and three backwards. The cat video turned out to be almost impossible to rotoskope as the background it was moving on was the same colour as it's legs. This meant that when I zoomed in there was no way to differentiate between the leg and the background. Guessing at the rough area resulted in a video with a cat who's legs changed size in every frame. It was just an unusable animation. This was quite disheartening as I feel as though I have wasted a day that I do not have spare towards the end of the project.
Future Plans
I need to pull out the useful sections from Homeward Bound so that I can rotoskope the cat. I also need to continue animating/rotoskoping and finally, I need to scan in the backgrounds.
I spent the morning searching for videos online of cats and swans that I could rotoskope. I began rotoskoping a video of a cat trotting. This video turned out to be completely unusable so I had to go back to square one and look for more videos of cats. I watched Homeward Bound and found sections of that for cat movements I wanted.
Thoughts
Today was an extremely frustrating day in terms of getting anything done. I felt as though I took one step forwards and three backwards. The cat video turned out to be almost impossible to rotoskope as the background it was moving on was the same colour as it's legs. This meant that when I zoomed in there was no way to differentiate between the leg and the background. Guessing at the rough area resulted in a video with a cat who's legs changed size in every frame. It was just an unusable animation. This was quite disheartening as I feel as though I have wasted a day that I do not have spare towards the end of the project.
Future Plans
I need to pull out the useful sections from Homeward Bound so that I can rotoskope the cat. I also need to continue animating/rotoskoping and finally, I need to scan in the backgrounds.
Tuesday 18th May
Actions
I completed rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte for the animation.
Thoughts
I am very pleased with the speed at which this part of the project is progressing. I had expected the rotoskoping to take the rest of the week. Finishing it this early offers me more time to complete other sections of the animation and get the final project finished to a higher standard.
Future Plans
I need to find some videos of cats and swans that I can rotoskope and then I need to scan in the backgrounds so that I can add these to the work I have done so far.
I completed rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte for the animation.
Thoughts
I am very pleased with the speed at which this part of the project is progressing. I had expected the rotoskoping to take the rest of the week. Finishing it this early offers me more time to complete other sections of the animation and get the final project finished to a higher standard.
Future Plans
I need to find some videos of cats and swans that I can rotoskope and then I need to scan in the backgrounds so that I can add these to the work I have done so far.
Monday 17th May
Actions
I updated the blog to get it caught up with my note diary. I then continued rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte.
Thoughts
I feel that the blog is likely to become more useful over the next few weeks for analysing and evaluating my animations as the animations can be uploaded alongside the evaluation, unlike my sketch book where only screen shots can be included.
I am quickly beginning to pick up speed with the rotoskoping and am pleased to have completed far more of the rotoskoping than I expected in such a short space of time.
Future Plans
I need to complete the rest of the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find some videos to rotoskope of cats and swans. I also need to scan in the watercolour backgrounds.
I updated the blog to get it caught up with my note diary. I then continued rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte.
Thoughts
I feel that the blog is likely to become more useful over the next few weeks for analysing and evaluating my animations as the animations can be uploaded alongside the evaluation, unlike my sketch book where only screen shots can be included.
I am quickly beginning to pick up speed with the rotoskoping and am pleased to have completed far more of the rotoskoping than I expected in such a short space of time.
Future Plans
I need to complete the rest of the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find some videos to rotoskope of cats and swans. I also need to scan in the watercolour backgrounds.
Monday, 17 May 2010
Friday 14th May
Actions
I had to convert all the images from the videos into JPGs as Flash could not open the animation with GIFs. Once this was done I started rotoskoping again.
Thoughts
It was frustrating to find that all the work on the animation I had completed on Thursday was inaccessible due to the format in which I had saved the images. With some time spent testing different formats I was able to establish that I need to save all the frames from videos as JPGs so that the file size is as small as possible. However, I was able to redo what I had lost and continue with the rotoskoping.
Future Plans
I need to continue rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find videos to that I can rotoskope of a cat and a swan. I also need to scan in the watercolour backgrounds.
I had to convert all the images from the videos into JPGs as Flash could not open the animation with GIFs. Once this was done I started rotoskoping again.
Thoughts
It was frustrating to find that all the work on the animation I had completed on Thursday was inaccessible due to the format in which I had saved the images. With some time spent testing different formats I was able to establish that I need to save all the frames from videos as JPGs so that the file size is as small as possible. However, I was able to redo what I had lost and continue with the rotoskoping.
Future Plans
I need to continue rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find videos to that I can rotoskope of a cat and a swan. I also need to scan in the watercolour backgrounds.
Thursday 13th May
Actions
We had a short study skills session to discuss the dates for the rest of this term. In digital I then began creating my catalogue page and updated my blog. For the rest of the day I converted the videos to 24 frames per second and then divided them into images so that I could begin rotoskoping.
Thoughts
The update on the term dates was very useful as it provides a more accurate deadline of exactly when all my work needs to be finished for this project. The catalogue page was useful as I wrote a short summary of what I have been trying to achieve within the project and it was a clever way of reminding myself what it is I am aiming for. This blog is still proving to be an excellent resource for analysis and evaluation.
I did not realise that my camera recorded at 15 fps so before I could use the video for rotoskoping I needed to convert it to 24 fps. Once it was converted I could use ImageReady to break the video down in to individual images. I only used every other image (12 fps) as the animation does not really need to be better quality than this and double the number of frames would require a lot more time to animate. Once the frames were in Flash, I began rotoskoping.
Future Plans
I need to continue rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find some videos to rotoskope for the cat and the swan. I also need to scan in the backgrounds to add to the animation.
We had a short study skills session to discuss the dates for the rest of this term. In digital I then began creating my catalogue page and updated my blog. For the rest of the day I converted the videos to 24 frames per second and then divided them into images so that I could begin rotoskoping.
Thoughts
The update on the term dates was very useful as it provides a more accurate deadline of exactly when all my work needs to be finished for this project. The catalogue page was useful as I wrote a short summary of what I have been trying to achieve within the project and it was a clever way of reminding myself what it is I am aiming for. This blog is still proving to be an excellent resource for analysis and evaluation.
I did not realise that my camera recorded at 15 fps so before I could use the video for rotoskoping I needed to convert it to 24 fps. Once it was converted I could use ImageReady to break the video down in to individual images. I only used every other image (12 fps) as the animation does not really need to be better quality than this and double the number of frames would require a lot more time to animate. Once the frames were in Flash, I began rotoskoping.
Future Plans
I need to continue rotoskoping the videos of Matt and Charlotte as well as find some videos to rotoskope for the cat and the swan. I also need to scan in the backgrounds to add to the animation.
Thursday, 13 May 2010
Wednesday 12th May
Actions
I spent most of the day painting the final backgrounds for the animation. I also filmed Matt and Charlotte so that I can rotoskope them.
Thoughts
I am pleased that I created the storyboard in watercolour first. This has given me a lot more confidence and skill to paint the final backgrounds so that they look as good as possible. I feel that the images I have created here are much closer to what I was trying to create than some of the backgrounds in the storyboard - proof that practice makes perfect. I created multiple trees and flowers so that I can pick the strongest images to actually use in the animation.
I am pleased with how quick and easy it was to film the actions I needed for the animation. I have only recorded them on a small digital camera as I do not feel that they need to be high quality and this is much easier to transfer on to the computer.
Future Plans
I need to begin rotoskoping the video I recorded and I also need to scan in the backgrounds I painted so that they can be added to the animations.
I spent most of the day painting the final backgrounds for the animation. I also filmed Matt and Charlotte so that I can rotoskope them.
Thoughts
I am pleased that I created the storyboard in watercolour first. This has given me a lot more confidence and skill to paint the final backgrounds so that they look as good as possible. I feel that the images I have created here are much closer to what I was trying to create than some of the backgrounds in the storyboard - proof that practice makes perfect. I created multiple trees and flowers so that I can pick the strongest images to actually use in the animation.
I am pleased with how quick and easy it was to film the actions I needed for the animation. I have only recorded them on a small digital camera as I do not feel that they need to be high quality and this is much easier to transfer on to the computer.
Future Plans
I need to begin rotoskoping the video I recorded and I also need to scan in the backgrounds I painted so that they can be added to the animations.
Tuesday 11th May
Actions
Today focused mainly on the mid-project review. This involved presenting work to one another and gaining feedback and comments on what we had achieved so far.
Thoughts
The mid-project review was extremely useful to gain others thoughts and opinions on the work I have done so far. Everyone also noted down their thoughts on post-it notes to provide extra feedback for our projects. These were ideal to add to my board around the newly finished storyboard so that I could easily see what I had achieved.
Future Plans
I need to film people for the rotoskoping and begin animating.
Today focused mainly on the mid-project review. This involved presenting work to one another and gaining feedback and comments on what we had achieved so far.
Thoughts
The mid-project review was extremely useful to gain others thoughts and opinions on the work I have done so far. Everyone also noted down their thoughts on post-it notes to provide extra feedback for our projects. These were ideal to add to my board around the newly finished storyboard so that I could easily see what I had achieved.
Future Plans
I need to film people for the rotoskoping and begin animating.
Monday 10th May
Actions
I spent some time getting my blog caught up with my note diary
Thoughts
The blog is still proving very useful for analysis and evaluation of my work. It ensures I look back over my work so that I do not forget to use what I have learnt and developed. It would be very easy to keep moving forwards with my work but never link anything back to earlier development and research.
Future Plans
I need to film some people for the rotoskoping and then begin animating.
I spent some time getting my blog caught up with my note diary
Thoughts
The blog is still proving very useful for analysis and evaluation of my work. It ensures I look back over my work so that I do not forget to use what I have learnt and developed. It would be very easy to keep moving forwards with my work but never link anything back to earlier development and research.
Future Plans
I need to film some people for the rotoskoping and then begin animating.
Monday, 10 May 2010
Friday 7th May
Actions
I spent a long time completing the various elements of the storyboard and sticking them all together.
Thoughts
Although there are a variety of issues with the silhouettes, I am still extremely pleased with the final result of the storyboard. If I had more time I would redo parts of it so that the silhouettes were more realistic and accurate. Despite this, the final outcome for the storyboard is still a clear plan of exactly what this animation will be. I feel that the watercolours are so successful and relatively simple that it would be interesting to use them for the final animation as well. This would nicely combine Flash animation (a media in which I am relatively confident) with watercolour (a media in which I have little experience and not much confidence). Branching out into areas where I am not comfortable is essential to develop myself as an artist as well as making the project more interesting for others to see.
Future Plans
Now that the storyboard is complete I need to film people for the rotoskoping and start animation the final piece.
Thursday 6th May
Actions
I spent the day painting with watercolours. I created all of the single colour backgrounds in the panels and began painting and cutting out the foreground objects.
Thoughts
This section of the project is working well and I am pleased with how everything is coming together for this storyboard. With each step I am aware that my confidence within the media is increasing as well as my skill. The final backgrounds are much neater than the early ones and this is a strong case of practice makes perfect.
Future Plans
I need to finish this storyboard and then begin filming people for the rotoskoping and finally start the animation.
Wednesday 5th May
Actions
I evaluated my test videos of the stop motion cat and concluded that stop motion is not a viable option for the project. I created an updated storyboard with silhouettes rather than stick figures so that I could begin work on a display storyboard. I then spoke with Jules about watercolours and spent some time experimenting with the information he gave me.
Thoughts
Stop motion is just not going to be an option for this project, mainly due to time constraints. For the puppets to have reasonably natural movements they need to have a lot of joints. Each joint adds to the complication for animating and so how long the animation takes to create. It just is not possible to create a complete animation of this narrative with stop motion puppets in the time frame available.
Updating the storyboard allowed me to create a better idea of exactly what I need to create for the final display storyboard.
Experimenting with watercolour was a very interesting experience. It was a large step outside of my comfort zone and proved that I am able to work with media I am not used to. I am pleased with the possibilities the experiments suggest and feel it will be an ideal way to create an interesting and slightly different storyboard.
Future Plans
I now need to create a large display storyboard for this narrative using all the research and planning I have done so far.
Tuesday 4th May
Actions
Today I spent some time reviewing the work I have achieved so far. This involved looking back through my sketch book and re-reading my statement of intent to ensure I have not forgotten anything important or allowed myself to be diverted from my original goals.
I sat down with Oli to discuss a variety of rotoskoping methods on the computer.
Thoughts
Reviewing my direction and current work allowed me to produce a clearer idea of what I still needed to create before the end of this project. It reminded me of the direction I should be taking within the project and confirmed that I was not missing any important sections of work that I had previously outlined.
Rotoskoping will be an extremely useful method for me during this animation as it will help me with my human drawing weaknesses. Rather than spending time trying to correct drawings, I can spend time tracing real human movements and create a final animation that looks far smoother with natural movements and actions.
Future Plans
I need to formerly evaluate the stop motion cat within my sketch book so that the stop motion media can be properly removed from the list of viable ways of animating the project. I also need to create an updated storyboard with the silhouettes.
Monday 3rd May
Actions
I spent some time designing basic silhouettes of the other characters in the story. I have also made some posts on the blog to bring it up to date once more.
Thoughts
The silhouettes that I have created are not ideal as the human figures are not particularly accurate. Nonetheless, they are enough to provide a strong impression of what I wish to see within the final animation. Updating the blog is still extremely useful. I have also been able to upload my first piece of work, which is the test animation of my stop motion cat. Including work within my posts will help me to keep more records of what I have done as well as offering others the opportunity to comment on my work if they choose to read my blog.
Future Plans
Now that my I have basic character designs I can update my storyboard and create a large display version. I also need to formerly evaluate the test stop motion cat videos within my sketch book.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Stop Motion Cat Test
These two videos are my tests of the cat silhouette running, based on the work by Eadweard Muybridge.
(I am not sure why the backgrounds have uploaded as red - they are meant to be black)
Friday 30th April
Actions
Today I put together a jointed puppet of the cat using cardboard and blu-tack. I then created a short run cycle for the cat using some of Muybridge's panels as guidance.
Thoughts
At first glance the cat's legs seem a little shorter than they should be for the body, but when I arrange them in the same position as other drawings, they are actually an identical length. The animation was not nearly as successful as I had hoped due to a variety of reasons. Firstly, the body was a single piece of cardboard and so could not change shape. However, as a cat runs, its spine bends and straightens again, so this meant that already the run cycle did not look right as the puppet's body was rigid.
The next problem stemmed from the fact that the reference images I was using from Muybridge used an irregular gallop cycle. At the second step the cat keeps its right paw in the air rather than placing it on the ground. This caused my cycle to appear as though it had a limp. To combat this I removed some of the last frames and made a shorter cycle involving only the first step. This shorter cycle was more effective but suffered from the problem that the body gradually moved forwards during each frame. This means that as the video loops, the cat appears to jump back slightly every time.
Future Plans
I need to create designs of the silhouettes of the other characters in the story before I can move forwards any further.
Thursday 29th April
Actions
I spent a bit of time updating this blog to once again get it caught up with my note diary. I also further researched Lotte Reiniger and some other information on silhouettes.
Thoughts
This blog is still proving to be extremely useful for evaluating my project and all the work achieved so far. As mentioned previously, I find it helpful to look back at the work I have done a few days later as it is much easier to be more objective.
Lotte Reiniger is such a wonderful source of inspiration for silhouette work that it is hard to stop researching her work. I could sit and watch film after film that she has created and spend my whole time admiring the meticulous and detailed figures she creates. It was also useful to look into a basic history of silhouettes as this provided me with a more accurate idea of why they became popular for the Victorians. I had a short look at the work of John Miers, one of the most famous silhouette artists of that era. Like Lotte Reiniger, his work contains impressive levels of detail and the hair and clothes are shaded slightly in places to provide a better impression of how the individual looked.
Future Plans
I now need to create my own cat silhouette puppet as well as design silhouettes for the rest of the characters within the story.
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