Week 4 - The Escape C(l)an

On Monday 11th February, we were given the CP2 Options Briefing and informed that we have to sign up to two options that we find interesting on the 25/02/19.

In the Group Meeting on Tuesday 12th February, we finalised the Script and I typed it up using Celtx. Also we started to think about our making of videos and putting them together. Here is the final draft of the Script:

On Tuesday 12th February, Karla and I did some Pipeline tests using the diorama scene that she created, thinking about lighting and camera angles, here are the results:

After this Karla created the Final Colour Script shown below:

I created the Scene Layout this week, using Maya to create the basic plan of how the party table will be laid out for the animation:

I am really enjoying using Maya to model out the scenes as it really gives a sense of how the table will look and what the room will look like!

In addition to this, this week, we worked on how to create a UV map of a character given to us in this weeks 3D session, here are some screenshots of my work where we were introduced to Mud-box and I started to sculpt my character:

Additionally on Friday 15th February, I worked on developing the character ideas and updating the Gantt Chart Schedule:

A key choice made in the design is that I made George without a mouth as he never speaks in the animation so there is no need for it.

Additionally the adults head will not be seen in the animation so I designed Georges Mum accordingly.

Finally on Friday, I worked on the Storyboard with Tom. We added the script to the storyboard he had already created and then started to work on the second draft of the storyboard whilst thinking about the animatic using Storyboard Pro. Here is the Storyboard with the added script:

Over the weekend I completed lighting tests to see if a party lighting theme would work:

After receiving feedback from my team, we decided to not use coloured lights and to instead make the room have a warm summer atmosphere where the sun is shining through the windows.

I sent this weeks Report to the Tutors:

Successes: We now have a Final script, a 3D Maya layout of the scene and we completed further pipeline tests, focusing on the Diorama scene that Karla created. Finally we now have a storyboard with the script added on Storyboard-Pro.

Problems: The Storyboard and Animatic still need finishing.

Ambitions: Definitely have the animatic completed next week, as well as the Pre-Production Bible. We also need to continue working on our ‘Making Of’ videos.

Narrative Film Screening 6

Today we watched 3 films shown below:

1) Mr Hublot - This charming animation tells the story of Mr Hublot who has OCD and must overcome his fear of going outside in order to save a dog from harm. The dog becomes Mr Hublots companion and saves him, in helping him face his fears. I really like the 3D animation used in this beautiful film!

2) The Monk and The Fish - This quite comical short animation works really well in terms of the music matching the movements of the Monk and the Fish. The Monk desperately tries to catch the Fish much to the dismay of the other Monks at the monastery.

3) The Red Turtle - This was a 2D animation, in which a man washes up on a desert Island. He makes several rafts but every time he tries to escape, a mysterious force destroys them. After a final raft attempt he realises that a huge Red Turtle is the cause of his rafts destruction and when it comes ashore he flips it over leaving it to roast in the hot sun. When the man finally comes to his senses, he returns to the Turtle and its shell cracks. Its body then disappears, but the shell remains and a woman about his age appears. The couple have a son together who grows up and leaves the island. Then, when the man dies of old age, the woman returns to the Turtle that she was and continues her life in the ocean.

Overall this film is about a man who finds true love in the strangest of ways and how once he is not alone on the island and he has a family, then he sees no need to leave it. It shows that all we need to be happy in our lives is our family and love.

Week 3 - The Escape C(l)an

This week started with a talk by Chelsea Hicks who is a previous MMU student who has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award. She spoke to us about her work in product design and gave some key advice about character designing:
1) Start with thumbnail sketches
2) Move onto pencil drawings and
3) Develop Characters

Finally she said that the key components to an animation are:
1) The Characters Universe
2) The rules of the characters and
3) Characters, Colour and Story
I found her talk very useful and insightful as I am the character designer for my team.

Additionally this week, I worked on using a thinner wire to create my own version of the Pull-tab characters to make it easier to move them, in preparation for the pipeline tests. I recorded myself doing this for the 'Making of Video', here is a screenshot of the video:

On Tuesday 5th February we had a Second session with Adam Redfern and he gave us advice on our script and how we could reduce the screen time for scenes by making minor adjustments, for example rather than showing each Pull-tab being removed from its can. Just show the final one being removed and then thrown over to the corner of the table. Also in the script we are allowed to reference films such as 'Indiana Jones' to show what type of music we imagine in the background as the Pull-tabs are racing across the table. We found this session really useful as we made alot of Script Changes, making this our 4th Draft:

This week we also completed our first pipeline tests during the Group meeting/Studio day on Tuesday. We looked and thought about how the characters will walk/run, turn their heads and how they will see (eyes) as well as looking at how Cornelius gets past the Pizza Cutter. Here are our results:

Cork (Luna) Walk Cycle by Harry:

Character charging Forwards by Karla:

Pizza Cutter Obstacle by Harry and Tom:

Head Turn by Harry, Karla and Tom:

Eye Movement by Harry, Karla and Tom:

Furthermore this week, I refined the script, based on the advice and changes we made yesterday. I then uploaded this to Trello as well as the pipeline tests and the initial character profiles. Here is the refined script:

In Thursdays ‘Narrative Craft Group’  we were shown how to create  Gantt Chart using Excel and I redesigned my teams Gantt Chart so that it shows a daily timetable rather a weekly one. In addition to this we were advised that it is good to use Maya as a way to show the scene layout. Here is the refined Gantt Chart that I created:

Additionally this week we were told to come up with an idea for an exhibition in the CP-Visual Narrative Unit. My initial thoughts are to enlarge either one or a selection of my Inktober works to be shown in the Exhibition.

Karla sent this weeks Group report to the Tutors:

Successes: Rearranged and re-organised the Schedule. Started cutting down the Script, Pipeline Tests started and the Colour Script started.

Problems: Still haven’t finalised Script ready for the Animatic.

Ambitions: Finalise Script and Start Animatic. Also have a 3D model on Maya showing the table layout and a diorama of the full scene. Complete more Pipeline Tests including voice ideas and lighting ideas.

Narrative Film Screening 5

The first animation we watched today was called Glens Gloves by Mikey Please, it is a Stop Motion animation about a miner who digs down into the ground and who ends up in a strange world, where a giant with one hand crushes a building.

Secondly we watched an animation called Eagleman Stag also by Mikey Please. This is a Stop Motion animation about a man who discovers a Beetle that can re-grow its head and he calls it the 'Eagleman Stag'. The man however decides to retain this knowledge for himself. This is a brilliant animation made using a foam material as shown below:

Finally today we watched an animation entitled 'It's Such a Beautiful Day' by Don Hertzfeldt. This 2D animation was about a stick man called Bob who tries to come to terms with his life. He questions how many days he spends doing the same tasks, for example cleaning and brushing his teeth. As the film continues it is a mixture of 2D animation with real backgrounds and one of the main quotes that I took from this film is that the "Passage of time is an illusion as all of infinity is actually happening all at once". Overall I did not greatly enjoy this film but it contained some good quotes.

Week 2 - The Escape C(l)an

We had a Group meeting on Tuesday 29^th January, in which we decided that it would be best to work on one animation idea rather than two. Therefore we chose to focus all of our attention on 'The Escape C(l)an'.

We spent the studio day working on a collaboration of the scripts we all created for the Escape Clan here are the results:

Furthermore this week, we decided that when we meet on Friday, we will look at character designs and hopefully agree on how to make characters more malleable for stop motion work. Also we had a review session with Kristen and were given this feedback:

• Upload jpgs to Trello to show regular development of work.
• Use excel to make a Gantt chart and colour co-ordinate the blocks for each person.
• Mark the Deadline in Red on the Gantt Chart and leave wiggle room for working on the Pre-Production Bible and Making of Videos.
• Don’t write shot directions in the script as that would be the directors job.
• Use articulated puppets for movement within scenes and the smaller puppets for static scenes.
• Think about the scale of characters.
• The Pre-Production bible replaces the reflective journal and we should instead do reflective posts on our blogs.

I figured out how to make a Gantt schedule after getting the advice from Kristen. Here is the first Trial Gantt Chart that I have created and then the Actual Gantt Chart is shown underneath:

Trial 1:

Actual Gantt Chart:

Finally on Friday we went over how to UV map a 3D object in Maya and then we added textures to the sword that we had UV mapped. Here are some screenshots of my work:

First we added texture to the UV mapped sword on Photoshop.

My Final Photoshop UV textures.

We then added the texture to the sword in Maya:

Lastly we added a bump Map to the sword so that it had depth and so the textures appeared more realistic.

I really enjoyed this session as when we added the texture the sword became more and more realistic!

I sent the second group report to the Tutors this week:

Successes: Created a Gantt Schedule using Excel, after being given advice by Kristen.
We now have some layout concepts and colour tests.

Problems: We had to adjust the script by taking out any shot directions.

Ambitions: Complete test shots of some scenes. We have booked the animation bay for Tuesday 5th February 13.30 – 18:00.