Final Evaluation

The aim of the brief was to create a stop frame animation based on a contemporary news article. We were asked to chose a news article from a respectable newspaper such as The Gaudian or The Independent. Part of the aim for the stop frame animation was to solve time based problems for example creating a stop frame animation, taking enough photos to create a 15 frame per second animation, around one minute long which would mean taking 900 images. During the process I developed skills through taking part in workshops and experimentation, before producing a final animation.

Before choosing the news article I decided to base my animation on, I researched and looked through various newspapers to find interesting news articles which grabbed my attention. I read many different articles about a range of topics, controversial topics as well as stories with happy endings. I then came across a news article about the red smog alerts in Beijing. I found this article quite shocking because of the poor air quality in Beijing which was affecting many people because of the industrialisation and factories operating. I also looked at another news article which was based on the attacks in Paris which took place 13th Novemeber 2015. The article documented the attacks and how they unfolded and the times and various places the attacks took place. I decided to chose the Attacks in Paris as the article i was going to base my animation on, as i felt this story had more potential.

I was inspired by artists such as PEZ who specialises in creating found object animations. I was inspired by how he uses a range of different objects and materials within his animations and really brings them to life. He also uses everyday objects to represent something else. I had previously researched into found object animation and came across PEZ. I thought his animation ideas were brilliant and very clever. He often had a meaning or message behind his animations. I also found them very playful and creative.

To capture my animation, i used a Panasonic SD900 camera. I used the stop motion animation technique to create the movement within the animation. I took just over 900 images to make my animation 15 frames per second and just over a minute long. My animation has been created at 1080x1920p which is full high definintion. The aspect ratio of my animation is 16:9. As i has taken the individual images on a camera and not in an app such as Imotion which is what i had previously used to record and put together my animations, I then had to put my animation together image by image. I used Adobe after affects to import each image in order and at the right time. I was also able to add in background and text and make some frames last longer than others such as the scenes where i had information asppear on the screen. I was able to imcrease the amount of time these facts stayed on the screen so the viewer could read them. Once i had put together my animation I then added music. I used a site called incompetech.com which allowed me to use royalty free music within my animation. I came accross a few issues when capturing my animation such as the change lighting during filming. The first scene was created using natural light whereas the rest of the animation was created using added light. Another issue i came accross was the characters occasionally fell down which affected the placement. To resovet this i continued to take more images using smaller movement so the animation would still look smooth when it came to editing it.

As i used a full high definition camera i feel that the quality of the images were very sharp and i was able to see a range of colours within the animation. The images were also very clear. I used props to set the scene and create a background and setting. I used a range of objects which i had found around the house to create a setting. As the animation was set in Paris, I used a prop of the eiffel tower which i had gotten from Paris as the background for the begining scene. I felt that this helped to set the scene and tell the story. I also used a range of different materials to creaste the scene in the restuarant. I used cardboard and magazine cut outs add imagery. I added text at the begining of the animation to show the date and time the event took place aswell as after the scene where the characters were killed by the attackers to show the affects this had on the people. I also used different angles and close ups to emphasise on certain parts of the animation, to make key parts stand out. The use of a tripod allowed me to create a still animation that did not look wobbly as the images were took with the camera being steady and in one place.

I used cheerful upbeat music at the begining of the animation to create a happy atmosphere and to show how everything was normal is Paris. The music then changes to a more sad and slow melody show the change in mood and atmosphere as the attackers enter the scene. It suggests to the viewers that something devestating is about to unfold. I also feel that in the restuarant scene where the characters huddle together before the attackers come in helped create suspense and uncertainty as to what was about to happen. It created a very scared atmosphere. I also used symbolism within my animation to develop a deeper meaning within the animation. I used dice to represent bullets and weapons as this is a metaphor for chance - With dice you cannot predict what side the dice will land on, just like a gun where you cannot predict who the bullet will hit or the affects and possibilities. I also used made up, monster like characters to represent the attackers as i wanted to show how different they were in comnparison to the other characters. I wanted to show how the attackers had been dehumanised.

I think what worked well within my animation was the use of different characters.I was able to tell the story but also use the characters to show a deeper meaning and metaphor for chance. I feel that using the dice as bullets was very affective.

I feel that using a blog to record my animatoins and research worked very well as I had all my work in one place, once i had my blog up and running i found that it was easily accessable no matter where i was. I also found that it was an affective way to show peers my work and discuss other peoples work with them. 

Final Animation

Story board

 

Here i have put together a story board to plan and show the different scenes that are going to take place within my animation. I will begin with a black background and add in key information to set the scene such as the date and time. The second scene is to also set the scene, It shows how it started off as a normal day in Paris, before the attacks took place. The third scene is in a restuarant setting, this scene will show how the attack could have unfolded. I have unaware characters enjoying a meal, before the attackers emerge into the scene and kill. The next scene after that will be another black sceen with more key information such as the amount of deaths and injuries to show the aftermath. The final scene will be where the police car arrives at the scene of the crime.

Planning for final design

Once I had decided the news article I was going to use to create my final animation I began planning. I decided to create a mind map so I could get some ideas down surrounding the subject and also specific things I needed to take into account and think about for when I began filming. After exploring and experimenting with a range of different animation techniques such as 2D, chalk, eraser, cut out etc. I found that the animation technique that worked the best and was the most fun and exciting was found objects animation. I saw potential with this animation and felt that I could re tell the story of the Paris attacks using this technique. I was also inspired by other artists who use this technique such as Pes. I decided that I was going create my animation using a range of characters which I gathered together and create a set using objects found around the house. I decided on Key scenes to tell the story of the Paris attacks focusing on the restaurant shootings. I have researched facts and figures which will help tell the story and contribute to the animation. I feel that adding facts will have more on an impact on the viewer. 

I have also thought about I could use everyday found objects to show symbolism within the animation. I have decided to use as bullets as this is a metaphor for chance. It symbolises how the attackers were out to shoot people, and it was just by chance that those killed happen to be there. They could not have determined who was going to be killed just like you can not determine what side dice will land on. It is all down to chance. I have also considered things such as lighting and music. I will try to film using as much natural light as possible. I have thought about certain types of music and sounds I want to be in the animation at different scenes. I like the idea of having dramatic music when the attackers enter the scene. 

         

Sillouette animation workshop - Beijing's red smog alert

Here i have created a stop frame animation using silhouettes. I was inspired by Saul bass who is an animator who uses silhouettes. I decided to create an animation based on the red smog alerts in Beijing as i have looked into an article and researched this issue as i a may create my final animation based on the red smog alerts. To create this animation i used black card and tissue paper. I began by cutting out shapes such as rectangles to create buildings as well as shapes to make up a face and a title. Rather than adding detail i wanted to focus the animation just on shape and colour. I used black card on top of a light box as the contrast in colour made the animation stand out. i feel that this was very affective and the animation appears more stylised. The way the animation has been created is very simple yet it works well. I placed the pieces of card onto a light box to create the scene. I began by adding a building one by one and taking a picture in-between. This was to represent how fast Beijing was industrialised with buildings and factories just 'popping' up. I used orange tissue paper to represent the smog. i moved it around and took photographs to make the smog appear as it was moving through the air. I think that the use of tissue paper was very affective over the light box because the tissue paper is transparent and the light was able to shine through.  If i was to improve this i would create a more in depth animation with more of a story. 

Saul Bass is an American graphic designer and film maker. He specialises in creating motion picture title sequence, film posters and corporate logo's. he is well known for creating title sequences for films such as psycho and the man with the golden arm. His work can be recognised by his style - very simplistic with cut out shapes to create his animation. A lot of his work is often created using black 2D shapes. The animation above is eye-catching and effective because of it's style and simplicity. It is also looks very neat and accurate. The simplicity of the animation allows the viewers to focus on the title whilst also getting an idea of what the film is about because of the imagery used.

Clay animation research - Tim burton

Clay animtion is a form of stop motion animation. Characters and backgrounds are made completely out of clay or plastercine. photographs are then taken of each scene. The clay figures are then moved  ever so slightly to create movement usually at 15 frames per second to obtain fluidity.

The animation above has been created by Tim Burton. It is an animated film which was created in 2005 in London 3  mills studio's. There were a dozen of animators and puppeteers who helped developed each character.The characters faces contained special gearing which meant that the individual parts of the faces were able to be manipulated for each movement. The animation was filmed using a total of 32 cameras. The animators used a grabber system which meant they were able to capture small sections of the animation and have them put onto a computer so they could check them afterwards. The animation above is very creative. The artist has been very creative when producing the set and characters. The animation is very appealing because of the colours used. There are also a range of different characters with different expressions. The artist has been able to capture a range of movement and expressions within the characters and has also been able to give personalities to the characters through movement and manipulation. 

Sand animation research - Caroline Leaf

Sand animation Is created by applying sand to a surface and then rendering or creating images in the sand. This is done by drawing lines and figures in the sand by hand. Often a light box will be used to view translucent films.The technique was invented by Caroline leaf who created her first sand animation in 1968 at Harvard university. The short film was called peter and the wolf. She created the short film by putting sand of top of a light box and then manipulated the textures frame by frame.

This is a sand animation by Caroline leaf. The animation was created in 1977. It was based on Franz Kafkas short story 'the metamorphis'. The animation is about a travelling salesman who wake up to find that he has morphed into a gigantic creature. I think this type of animation works well to tell a story as the artist is able to  manipulate the sand  to create an animation. This technique also allows the animator to work at a faster pace as scenes do not have to be re created for every frame. The animator can move the sand to show movement, whilst using the stop frame technique to capture the animation. The artist has been able to create very detailed scenes capturing them from different viewpoints and angles.In some scenes you can see how the artist  has manipulated the sand to show how backgrounds appear to be moving. The scenes look as if they are moving out of shot. I think the contrast created between the sand and the light box captures the animation very well. The dark areas created with the sand adds depth to the animation. The areas where there is no sand over the light box allows light to shine through highlighting areas of light. This also allows the animator to show pattern and shape. The shapes created with the sand look like silhouettes. The artist has also created tone within the animation by changing the amount of sand she has layered on the light box. In areas where the sand appears lighter the artist has used a thinner amount of sand allowing light to shine through.

This is an inspiring way to animate as i feel that this technique would allow me to tell a story using a lot of pattern and mark making.

Classic 2D animation resaearch - Walt Disney

This type of animation is a more traditional way of animating. It involves the animator or artist hand drawing each frame. The animator will draw each frame making a slight change to the previous drawing. This is what makes the animation flow, although it can be very time consuming. This technique gives the illusion of movement. The 2D animated drawing are then fed into plastic cells and hand painted. The animated sequence is then put on top of a painted background image. In the clip below you can see how these tradition style of animations are created frame by frame. Traditional animation movies include Peter pan, sleeping beauty and Aladdin.

SnowWhite an the seven dwarfs

Snow white and the seven dwarfs was a traditional animated film created using hand drawn frames. It was created by Walt Disney. Disney began planning a full length feature in 1934. It was the first animated feature in America made in Technicolor. The film premiered on 21st December 1937.

Eraser animation research - William Kentridge

I have began researching into artists who use the charcoal and eraser animation technique. The animation above is called automatic writing and was created by south African artist William Kentridge. He uses stop motion animation to create drawings using charcoal and an eraser to take away areas, photographing every slight change. He creates very detailed images and uses an eraser to change the scenery and show movemement. I think the animation above is very impressive and well thought out as the artist has created a lot of movement within the images and has been able to make the animation flow.

The image above has been created using a technique which involves drawing with charcoal and then using an eraser to remove parts of the charcoal to reveal the paper behind. I created the image based on primary imagery. I drew the image of a pine cone which I had in front of me. I was able to show tone in the image where I have not rubbed out as hard on the paper, leaving some of the charcoal behind. I think the eraser has worked well as I am able to show a contrast between the black and the white. The image of the pine cone stands out. I find that the eraser is also a good tool to use to create mark making.

The animation above has been created using the eraser and charcoal technique. I began with a plain piece of white paper. I then covered the paper in black charcoal. The begin the animation I used the eraser to rub away some of the charcoal. I then used stop frame animation to photograph each mark being made. I used different sides of the eraser to create different size marks and patterns. I feel that this technique works well when creating animation as I was able to remove charcoal and then add it back in to change areas of the drawing. I also think that that the contrast between the black and white makes the animation look clear and stands out. To improve on this animation I would have used a tripod to make the animation more stable as I feel that it looks very shaky. I would also erase part of the charcloal in smaller steps and take more photographs.

Chalk board animation workshop - Deforestation

This was my first attempt at creating a chalk board animation. I used a piece of black A2 card and chalk as well as cut out paper images and toy cars as props. I decided to focus on the theme deforestation as this is an on going issue across the world. I used Imotion to capture the images and create a stop motion animation. I took frequent pictures and began by drawing the world which I coloured in and took a photograph at each stage. This gave the impression that the colours were just appearing on the page. I liked how this looked as it captured colour being added to the page and looked effective. I began with a scene of grass with a bright blue sky. To show how the world looks before deforestation. I added cut out trees one by one as well as a bird flying across. I was pleased with this as I was able to show movement across the page by rubbing the bird out re drawing it and photographing it again. One by one I removed each tree and replaced it with a building. I thought this showed how quick nature can be industrialised. It was as if the buildings were just popping up and taking over! I feel this really represented deforestation. I think the quote at the end worked very well as it is a powerful message and can have a lasting effect on people. 'don't take this planet for granted'.

If I was to improve this animation I would use a tripod to capture the image more accurately. It looked a little rough as the animation was abit unstable. I feel that it could be neatened up slightly.

The animation above had been created using a chalkboard animation. The animation is titled autumn story. The chalk board animation was a collaboration between Yanni Kronenberg and Luncinda Schreiber. The process involved creating drawings on chalkboard and then erasing an area to create the next movement. Each movement would be done in small steps so the stop motion footage can flow. Here the artists have smudged each chalk drawing before drawing the image to leave the evidence of each scene behind. This creates a ghostly effect. This figure is erased and drawn again to show the illusion of movement.

3D digital animation research

3D digital animation is a type of animation which Is digitally modelled and manipulated by the animator on computer. The process begins with the animator creating a 3D polygon mesh to manipulate. The polygon mesh contains vertices that are connected by faces and edges. This gives the appearance of form to a 3D object or environment. The mesh can be given an internal digital skeletal structure called an armature. This structure can be used to control the mesh and allows for flowing movement within a character. This process is known as rigging. This means that because of the digital skeletal structure the difference in appearance for each frame can be automatically calculated by the computer. All frames are then rendered after the modelling is complete.

The image above shows the process how 3d digital animation is created, using a polygon mesh and verticles to show movement. 

The clip above is from the movie monsters ink. It is a 3D animation created on computer using a software. Because the animation has been created digitally the quality of the animation is very realistic in terms creating highlight and shadow within the frames such as on the characters and in the background. the 3D software adds more depth and layers to the animation such as when you look at a close up of the characters fur it is created in such detail that you can see every strand and almost imagine what the texture would be like In comparison to the clip from the jungle book where all you see is blocks of colour, it doesn't allows me to see textures or materials.  I can also see the characters in the monsters ink clip from a range of different angles which makes it look more life like.

2D animation workshop

Here i have experimented with creating 2d animation using the onion skin technique. I decided to draw out a scene of A girl walking down the street in Paris as i had looked at news articles based on the attacks in paris. creating something using the theme of the news articles i had looked at allowed me to experiment with different animation techniques focusing around the same subject as the attacks on Paris is a possible idea which i would consider basing my final piece on. I began with a piece of a5 paper and drew  a background of paris with the eiffel tower in the background using pointillism. i decided to animate a girl walking down the street becoming larger as she gets closer. I decided to keep the drawing quite simple as i had preciously found it complicated to animate a lot of different drawings at once. to create each drawng i placed a new piece of paper over the last piece so the previous drawing was visible underneath the paper i was about to draw on i traced the background onto the new piece of paper, keeping it the same. As i was drawing the figure of the woman i changed it ever so slightly, drawing her slightly below where the last image started, moving the figure further down the page. i did this so it would appear that the lady was getting close but also walking down a hill or path. I also changed the positioning of the arms and lend to make the figure appear as it was walking. I found that the more i drew the figure the easier it got the show movement, Although i found that it was sometimes hard to be accurate with drawing each image over and over again, and also creating realistic movement. i found that it took a while to draw each image. To improve the 2d animation i would have drew more images to make the animation flow better. I would also draw smaller  movements as it appears that the figure moves quickly but not as fluid as i would like. i would make smaller changes. another way i could improve this 2d animation would be to create a more detailed image an also add colour so it is more visually appealing.

The animation above has been taken from the animated film, the jungle book. It been created using 2d animation. Each frame has been carefully drawn out, slightly different from the last. As the jungle book is a full movie it would have been very time consuming to create. The animation is detailed, especially the background. The artist has put a lot of time and effort into the animation to add colour and create tone. The animation allowed me to see how movement in 2D animation is created. 

cut out animation research - Terry Gillian

Cut out animation is a type of animation created using stop frame animation. It can be crested using a range of materials, usually 2D such as newspaper and magazines, photographs etc. The process involves collected 2D imagery from magazines, photography and then cutting them out or using them as backgrounds. These cut out images are then used to animate with and create movement. Using real life imagery allows the artist to create a more realistic scene or animation. 

The animation above has been created by Terry Gillian, using cut outs from magazines and newspapers and cut out paintings. He is well known for creating cut out animations using a range of materials and mixed media. The use of different materials make this type animation very interesting and eye catching. The animation is different and quirky because of the way the cut outs are used. Because of the technique the artist is able to change images around and give a chickens body a human head. This technique allows for a lot of creativity and playfulness which works very well. The artist is able to create something exciting and out of the ordinary by playing around with different characters and body parts.

Found objects animation workshop - Car journey

We arrived in todays lesson to a table full of toys and everyday items from colliders to welies to dolls. The aim of the lesson was to create an animation using found objects. I worked in a group of 4. We began by picking out the most random objects we could get our hands on. So we went with a doll, some mesh, flour, cupcake cases, a toy car, masking tape, a collider and some string. Non of it made sense. We hadn't thought out beforehand what objects we were going to use. Suddenly our ideas starting flowing. We were going in the direction of making something wacky as that's what we had to work with, a bunch items spontaneously picked out. We collectively came up with the idea that we were going to create an animation based on one cars journey where it encounters a range of different characters and objects coming to life. The car had to make it past a series of obstacles and strange situations. This animation was inspired by the works by PES and Jon Svankmajer who both use found objects. Their animations are both quirky and creative. I feel that our found object animation worked really well in terms of creativity. We explored using a range of everyday objects which I feel we personified and brought to life. We gave the items character. For example at the beginning of the animation there is a scene where the car encounterers the cupcake cases which try to stand in the way of the car moving about so the car cannot pass. In another scene the car encounters an head massager, scissors and masking tape. These objects come to life and chase after the car making it a very eventful and terrifying journey for the car. We tried to be quite humorous and playful with the objects.


To improve our found objects animation we could have taken more photos as some areas of the animnation looked more rushed and were a lot quicker than in other scenes. Next time we could take more photographs for each second of footage. As this would make the animation look more smooth. I also think that using a tripod would be helpful as you can see in the animation that the stop motion footage can look shaky at times because of the camera not being in the right position.
The animation makes me feel happy as it is very quirky and creative.

The animation above is a found object animation created by adam Pesapane also known as PES. He is a director and stop motion animator who uses found objects to create animations. The animation is called  western spaghetti. It has been created using a range of different materials and objects. The objects replace and represent the typical ingredients that would normally be used in a spaghetti for example he has used buble wrap to represent boiling frothy water, elastic bands to represent spaghetti, foil to represent oil. He has used stop frame animation to give movement to objects which typically would not move useless being moved by something else. He has brought inanimate objects to life. I think that this idea of bringing things to life and personifying objects is very inspiring. I had looked further into animations created by PES before creating the found objects animation above. I watched other animations such as coinstar, orange telecom and baby nut where objects such as coins, socks and nuts are given personality and come alive. In the animation above you can see how the artist has used stop frame animation to make foil, paper and bubble wrap appear as if it is moving by itself. i find this idea exciting and inspiring and would like to create more animations using found objects. I like the idea of  bringing things to life. PES has produced a vey creative and quirky animation. The use of different objects gives a very playful and not very serious feel to the animation. I also think that his use of bright colours adds a very happy vibe to the animation. another thing i noticed about the animation is the quality of it. PES has used very small movements to make the animation flow. The use of sound affects within the animation makes it appear more real even though he is using random objects rather than actual food. The sound affects make the animation appear more realistic.

Animation - requirements and possible themes

As a group we looked at the requirements for the animation assignment, We worked together to create a mind map. We collectively discussed and wrote down possible themes and topics which we could base our animations on. We also looked at newspaper articles. As well as this we came up with a range of different types of animation such as digital, found objects, chalk animation etc, which we could then explore further by creating animations using these techniques and styles. This was helpful as for most of us this was our first time studying and creating animations.

Here i have began researching into possible themes to explore through animation. I began by looking online and in respectable newspapers to find interesting news articles. I came across some inspiring and controversial topics which I have then looked at further and considered the possible out comes for when I produce a final animation.

Here i have looked at a news article on the guardian website. The article discuses how beijing has issued a 'red smog' alert due to the poor air quality in Beijing as a result of the many factories operating. This has resulted in 2,100 factories being made to either suspend or reduce production. This news article captured my attention as is a very concerning issue happening in the world due to industrialisation. I have looked at the potential of animation of this news story by creating mind maps and jotting down ideas. I then explored further the potential of this news article by creating a silouette animation based on this story during a workshop.

The second article I looked at was based on the attacks in Paris on the 13th Novemeber. There article discuses the events that occurred on the evening in Paris. It discusses where each attack took place and the aftermath and the effects caused by the attackers. A total of 130 people were killed in the attack, leaving  368 people injured. The attacks took place in multiple locations such as the Bataclan theatre and various restaurants. I have explored the potential of this news article by creative mind maps with possible ideas I could use. I have also created a 2D animation based in Paris to create visual ideas.  I have also run trial animations with characters to see explore further the potential of this news article in an animated form. 

Flip book animation workshop

Creating the flip book animation was the first workshop i explored into animation. It looked a lot easier than it actually was. The aim of the workshop was to create an animation using the flip book technique. I used post it notes to create the animation. Starting with the first post it note i drew an image on the post it note and then placed a blank post it note on top. The previous drawing was visible through the post it note so i was able to draw the next image in the sequence positioning it slightly different to the first image to give the illusion of movement. This is known as the onion skin technique. I then continued with this process to make the animation longer. I used around 50 post it notes - half a pack to create the animation, although the animation ended up being only 8 seconds long! This may have been because of the speed the post it notes turn. Don't under estimate how easy this sounds. Surprisingly i came across a range of issues using this technique. I don't remember it being this hard creating flip book animations when i was younger! So before making the animation above i had tried a ton of different animations which just did not work out. My first idea was to create an animation based on the twin towers. This did not turn out very well. I found it hard to draw scenes in such detail and create the illusion of movement whilst creating the drawings accurately so it flowed. So instead i decided to create a much simpler animation. I decided to draw the balloon above as this was easy to draw, i slightly changed each drawing the create the illusion that the balloon was floating and moving around in the wind. finally i created a flip book that worked. it may have been simple but it worked. Although to make this better i could have created slightly less movement in the drawings so the sequence flowed more smoothly. I could also colour in the animation.

The flip book above has been created by paper engineer Matt Shilan. He has used  very simple drawing although it's his accuracy and time spent drawing each image which makes his flip book so impressive and mesmerising. He has begun with a drawn 3d looking shape on the page. He has drawn each image changing it slighlty so the animation moves slowly. As he turns each page you can see how the shape appears to be rotating. To give the rotating effect Matt Shilan has captured very realistic and accurate shadow within the drawing. This also makes the object appear as if it is coming out of the page. 

Animated Doodle workshop - Syria

 

This was a group workshop.  The aim of this workshop was to create an animated doodle whilst capturing the process using an app called ‘Imotion’. The app took a series of nonstop images which documented the doodles. The images were then put together to create a stop motion film. To begin our doodles we drew images which came to us upon hearing words such as happy, family and life, as we began drawing were introduced with other words such as sad, lonely, destruction and bombs. This then led to drawing about current news topics such as ISIS. The subject of our doodle related to issues going on in the word. I discovered that this was a way to discuss and express feelings towards uncomfortable issues which people often will not speak about as it was controversial and would fear causing offense. I think the doodles allowed us to be free and feel more relaxed whilst drawing. I also feel that once we added colour into the doodles it brought them to life. To improve it further I would consider creating a doodle by myself and focusing in on the drawing to capture the whole process in detail using stop motion film.