603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 21/12/20)

Alisha asked me to make some changes to the Gantt chart, so I spent the beginning of this week extending the amount of time for pre-production, so that everyone has longer to complete their tasks, especially over the week of Christmas. I also changed the deadlines for the background artists, as their jobs should spread over production too. Alongside that, I made a shared folder on Drive so that everyone could easily access each others' work.

Link to Updated Gantt Chart (Alisha)

I got to work designing Pandora, the antagonist, for Khoa's project. I tried to make the character look beautiful and angelic to demonstrate their power, whilst also making them appear approachable as the protagonist is unaware of their true intentions at the start.

I also continued working on Rhys' project. There are three characters who will be speaking in this animation, two of which will be designed by Rhys, and the third is a bounty hunter who I've offered to design, and provide the voice for. I've never done voice acting before, however it's always something I've wanted to try. While designing the character, I tried to illustrate someone who I felt comfortable voicing. Subtleties such as the fangs and lizard's tongue I've included as I have a slight lisp, so I felt this would be fitting. I also made the character androgynous, as I feel my voice is quite deep for a girl.

I had another call with Rhys this week where we discussed the script. He shared what he had so far, and the two of us worked together to complete the story. We bounced ideas and lines off of one another, as well as suggesting different camera angles and techniques for each scene, so we could really visualise the animation. I also finished the background character designs, as Rhys wants the Saloon to be very busy, so we need plenty of characters for that.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 14/12/20)

At the start of this week, I made a Gantt chart for Alisha's project. I ran into a few problems while doing this however, as I was using Google Sheets, and as I was about to finish, Drive crashed, as Google experienced a global outage. Eventually, I was able to send this to my team.

Link to Pre-Production Chart (Alisha)

I had a meeting with Stacey and the rest of the team this week. We discussed character concepts and when they needed to be finished by. Stacey is planning on sending a collection of our work to the client, so we needed to prioritise finishing these concepts by Friday. I made a shared Drive folder for the team, so that we could all see each other's progress.

Stacey was inspired by shows such as, 'Charlie and Lola' and 'Chowder', so I also made a version with textured hair, as this was something we had discussed.

I also got to work on some character designs for Rhys' project. I tried to draw in the style Rhys was after, while still exploring more dynamic and unique concepts. We also had a video call this week, in which we discussed ideas for the opening title credits, and the general story.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 07/12/20)

I took this week off to focus on my 601 hand-in. I will continue to work towards this module next week.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 30/11/20)

At the start of the week, I made a Gantt chart for the pre-production stages of Khoa's project. Out of all of the projects I'm producing, this is the most ambitious as it is the longest animation, and is also made up of the most art styles, for the different components within the project. 

Link to Pre-Production Chart (Khoa)

This week, I attended the Animation/Music mixer, and got in touch with a few participants about working on the projects I'm producing. Currently, one student has agreed to provide sound FX and Foley sounds for Rhys' western project, and Khoa's video game project. I've also been messaging a musician about working on Alisha's animation. I will continue to email different musicians for different projects over the next few weeks.

Other than this, I'm focusing on COP3 this week, as the deadline is next Thursday.

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 30/11/20)

Link to Weekly Update (30/11)

I spent the first half of this week refining my essay, as I had another feedback session in the middle of the week.

Link to Second Essay Draft

After the session, I continued to add to, and refine my essay until I was happy with it. The final draft can be found here. I will submit my work next week.

COP3 Visual Journal and Practical Outcomes

I started this journey by visually researching the history of LGBTQ+ characters in children's animation.

Link to Visual Journal Video

This helped aid my research, as well as provide the grounds for me to produce my animated outcomes. At the start of this journey, I only aimed to create two character designs, based off of the findings from my visual journal. However, considering LGBTQ+ characters do not all fit into the same box, I could no longer justify this outcome. So, I after completing my turn-arounds, I decided to focus on character animation.

As seen in shows such as 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power' and 'Adventure Time', I felt the weight of the representation came down to the interactions between two characters, rather than their overall designs. So, I decided to animate a looping animation of the two characters interacting in a scene. Admittedly, the scene I chose from my original script wasn't the best choice, as their interaction in this scene isn't very intimate. If I had the time to do it again, I would choose a more profound interaction so that I could really explore their character and motivations better.

Due to this outcome feeling a little underwhelming, I spent the rest of my time creating a character bible for both characters. At each stage in their journeys, I wrote up a little synopsis of how they feel towards one another, and drew a little illustration of the two together. 

COP3 Dissertation

Link to Dissertation

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 23/11/20)

Link to Weekly Update (23/11)

This week I've felt very stressed. I'm worried about the travel window for students and how it falls directly in front of the hand-in date. In the past, I would spend the week leading up to the deadline tying up any loose ends and making sure the submission runs smoothly. However this year, I haven't got that luxury, as I need to take time out to travel, isolate and get tested!

But hey, let's consider the positives from this week! I've been working on my character bios. Each stage in their lives, which mirrors those in the script, has a little illustration to accompany the list of bullet points summarising each character's development at that specific stage in their journey.

Link to Character Bios

What Went Well?

- I had no plans of making this at the start of this module, so the fact I found the time to also complete this task means I'm becoming more proficient. 

Where To Improve?

- I'm worried some of the designs look a bit rubbish. I tried to age the characters up and down and while this worked in some cases, others look a bit underdeveloped.

Halfway into this week I received some feedback on the first draft of my essay. So, I spent the second half of this week refining my essay based on the notes I got. I also tried to write up my conclusion. Next week, I will write up the chapter on my personal practice.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 23/11/20)

I spent the start of this week converting my notes from last week into a Gantt chart for Stacey's project, as she hopes to have pre-production wrapped up by February.

Link to Pre-Production Chart (Stacey)

As I'm working on two projects at once, especially considering they have the same deadline, this was becoming difficult to manage. So inspired by my Thor production chart, I made a similar Gantt chart for the Christmas card competition.

Link to Christmas Card Gantt Chart

I spent this week adding colour to the Thor animation, as well as editing everything together. I did ask one of my classmates to provide some sound effects, as one of his focuses is voice acting. However, I couldn't find any booking sheets for the sound booths and after enquiring about them, I was told that as they aren't Covid-secure, they weren't available to book. Turns out, one of my flatmates has a mic so, we recorded them after all. I did my best to remove any background noises, as the bedrooms aren't soundproof, and I'm happy with the results.

Link to Thor Animation (Colour)

I struggled with the compositing as the way I had animated the character meant the background didn't work. Due to running out of time, I had to leave it as it is however, if I had the time, I would design a less complicated background as this way, I could have the character turn and the audience wouldn't notice it didn't line up as much. At the moment, the markings on the floor are giving it away.

Link to Thor (Final Outcome)

I'm working on Rhys' project as a character designer and animator however, he also asked if I could help produce his animation. As I have several projects on the go, I said I didn't want all of the responsibility as I was worried I would get too overwhelmed so, I'm now co-producing alongside him. The first task I did was create this Gantt chart for pre-production.

Link to Pre-Production Chart (Rhys)

At the end of the week, I finished the Christmas card animation, ready to submit.

Link to Animated Christmas Card

I'm not happy with the timing, or the overall character designs however, I need to prioritise COP3 as the deadline is now less than a fortnight away. This means, unfortunately, I don't have the time to fix it. 

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 16/11/20)

Link to Weekly Update (16/11)

MAF began this week, so I've been attending seminars and lectures, to see if anything will help me towards writing my essay, as well as watching the collection of films.

As I am still awaiting feedback for my essay, I haven't written anything this week however, as I am well over the word count, I'm not that worried. Once I have the feedback, I will go about refining what I have and then all that's left would be the chapter on my personal practice and the conclusion.

I've also been working on some character bios this week however, as I'm having to illustrate so many, this is taking much longer than anticipated. Alongside MAF, I'm struggling to find time to finish it this week however I'm still not worried, as I have another two and half weeks until the deadline.

Link to Animation Outcome

I finally finished my short looping animation.

What Went Well?

- I'm happy with the character designs. I feel both characters each have their own unique identities that embody their personalities. Yet, the designs are similar enough that they both look as though they come from the same cartoon.

- I'm aware that backgrounds aren't my strong suit, so rather than struggle and attempt to design the background myself, I recruited someone who was better equipped for the job. I think it's important to spot your own strengths and weaknesses and act accordingly.

- I put a lot of thought into the colour palettes by doing a series of tests regarding the colours, saturation and vibrancy of the clothes. I also added a poll to my Instagram to get other people's opinions too. 

Where to Improve?

- Sophie's arm movements are very jittery and unnatural. If I had more time, I would go back and make them smoother however, Extended Practice is taking up a lot of my time at the moment as I have two deadlines in this month alone, so I don't think I'll be able to fit this in.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 16/11/20)

A few weeks ago, I posted a To-Do list for Stacey's project. However, due to the second lockdown, this messed the with the flow of the timeline, as Kimberly had to prioritise her business which meant us character designers no longer needed to hit that deadline, due to the meeting being cancelled. However, to make sure we stay on track, we had group session this week to discuss new deadlines and everyone's overall progress.

Link to Group Session Notes

Leeds Arts University announced another Christmas card competition however, this one could be animated, as the format is different this year due to Covid-19. 

Link to Rough Animation

I began by roughing out my concept in TVPaint, and I'm planning to work on this alongside COP3, as the deadline is the end of November. Below, is the refined background. Next week I will get on with the animation!

Link to Background

I also made a series of backgrounds for another competition I'm entering this month which I discovered through Instagram. The theme for this month is 'Thor'. As the project was quite ambitious, I decided to make a Gantt chart so I wouldn't fall behind.

Link to Thor Gantt Chart

Alongside these, I began animating the scene. I have eight seconds maximum to explore this theme. After I roughed out a fight scene between Thor and Hulk, inspired by 'Thor: Ragnarok' (2017) I began outlining each frame and adding in-betweens. This took a while, which meant I started to get stressed as I have less than a month now to wrap COP3 up, and I was worried this was eating into my time too much.

Link to Thor Animation (Outline Only)

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 09/11/20)

Link to Weekly Update (09/11)

I spent the first half of the week writing some more towards my essay, ready for the hand-in on Thursday. To gather some primary research for this particular paragraph, I made a poll on Twitter regarding recent events. 

Link to Triangulation Exercise

Then, I went back over the previous exercises and began knitting them together to form the body of my essay. For the paragraphs I haven't got yet, I made a list of bullet points of what I want to cover over this month. However, I currently have nearly 6,000 words so I might not be able to explore these points.

Link to First Essay Draft

Last week I did a series of colour tests, however I couldn't decided between two of them. So, I put it to a vote on my Instagram story. 

Above are the two tests I was stuck between. Once again, I had some issues with the saturation as the colours my laptop displays are far less saturated than those through my phone screen. Similarly to the project I completed for 603 last month, I decided to also do some saturation tests with the image that got the most votes through the Instagram poll.

Link to Saturation Tests

The second piece won overall. Once I was happy with the tones, I began to colour my animation. I may refine this piece further however, that completely depends on the time I have left alongside finishing my essay and painting my visual journal. Next week, I will add the background.

Link to Colour Clip

I also refined my turn-arounds by adding colour and the background.

Link to Turn-Arounds (Refined)

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 09/11/20)

The COP3 deadline is fast approaching so I've mainly been focused on that module this week. I have however, entered another live brief. Last Monday, the Eastenders website announced they are hosting a Christmas card competition. The brief was to create a card that celebrated both: Walford and Christmas. I was initially intending on drawing some of the characters, as one of my focuses is character design however, I also want to improve my backgrounds, and felt this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Below is my entry for this year.

Link to Eastenders Christmas Card

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 02/11/20)

Link to Weekly Update (02/11)

We have a deadline next week to submit the first draft of our essays. So, I got to work writing some more towards it. I'm really going to push myself this week to see how much I can get done ready for the deadline. I also have a tutorial this week where I can discuss what I have so far.

Link to Triangulation Exercise

I've also been outlining my rough animation as I want this to be a refined outcome by the deadline. As I haven't used TVPaint for a while, I'm also hoping that by working on it regularly, I can build up my confidence again, ready for January when the final films start to get going.

Link to Animation (Outline Only)

I'm not the best at backgrounds, so as I'm after a finished animation, I messaged my classmate Joseph, and asked if he could design the background. I communicated what I was after, and we both made sure to keep the other up to date whilst working on this project together. Once I was happy with his background, I started doing some colour tests with my turn-arounds.

Link to COP3 Colour Tests

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 02/11/20)

Due to the lockdown, we've ran into a few issues within Stacey's group as we are now unable to meet up with the client. However, this is completely understandable considering the circumstances, and seeing as pre-production isn't expected until January, I've had a word with Stacey and we aren't worried. My checklist last week was hopeful. Meaning, if we are able to hit the targets, then brilliant! However if not, no worries yet!

Link to Protagonist Concepts (Khoa)

This week, I began working on some designs for Khoa's project. Alongside my role as producer, I've also been given the jobs of character designer, and key-framer. Inspired by Golden Axe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Witcher game series and RuneScape, I got to work designing some potential protagonists. I wanted to make sure I got the proportions of the dwarf correct, so I used plenty of references, including a tutorial from 'DragonArt'.

What Went Well?

- This time, I was more ambitious with the colour palette. The characters seem to have a bit more life in them as the tones are brighter and more appealing.

Where to Improve?

- I kept getting headaches throughout the week as I would work on these concepts for hours and hours at a time. I need to learn to take regular breaks and relax a little, as I'm not doing my eyes, or mental state, any good.

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 26/10/20)

Link to Weekly Update (26/10)

At the start of the week, I had an idea for a short animation that centered around the characters I designed. I had no intentions of creating an animation using these characters however, I still wrote the script just incase as I may end up pitching this idea for 603. I also thought I could animate one of the scenes for COP3 as while my main focus is character design, character animation is also a great way to explore this. I will only do this however if I have time.

Link to "Hello, Pumpkin" Script (Draft 1)

I also continued to work on my essay. I feel as though I'm ahead of schedule however I still want to write at least 500 words per week to ensure I don't fall behind.

Link to Triangulation Exercise

I'm worried my visual journal isn't going to be finished in time as I'm having to apply layer after layer of paint which is incredibly tedious and then wait for each layer to dry, which is really time consuming. Even though I'm working hard, I've already given myself several headaches due to stressing over this aspect. 

Link to Rough Animation

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 26/10/20)

At the end of last week and beginning of this week, Stacey and I discussed the plans for her animation. As I'm producer, and she wants to get to work on this project as soon as possible, I made a quick checklist of tasks the team must complete between now and December. As pre-production isn't expected to start until January, this timetable is very basic. Once we enter January, I will make a more professional Gantt chart. But for now, I believe this is acceptable.

Link to Pre-Production Checklist

One of the other projects I'm hoping to work on this year is Rhys' demonic take on a western. So, I designed some background characters/animals and weapons based on the ideas he presented in his initial pitch. The main inspirations are: Attack On Titan, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare and Castlevania. During the week, we are planning to watch A Fistful of Dollars together for more inspiration.

Link to Character Concepts - Page 1 (Rhys)

What Went Well?

- I'm really pleased with how these concepts came out. I think the style is the kind that Rhys was after, and I'm excited to design some more.

Where to Improve?

- The colour palette is a bit dull. I feel I'm not very good with colour theory, so I'm playing it too safe and the designs look a bit boring because of it. Arguably however, this does fit the tone of Rhys' concept, as westerns usually feature a quite muted and muddy colour palette.

603: Statement of Intent

Extended Practice Statement of Intent

The main job I'm after within this module is Project Manager/Producer. I love to plan, and I have excellent time management and organisational skills, which I'm hoping to put to the test by managing several projects throughout this year. I've already nominated myself for this role within a few student's projects, as I'm not looking to create my own film this year, but rather lend a helping hand over several projects so that my portfolio exhibits a wide range of examples and styles.

As this is a difficult skill to exhibit, unlike a character designer creating a portfolio or animator creating a showreel, I need to consider how I will evidence my work. I'm currently planning on making a Production Book, similar to an 'Art Of' Book however rather than concept art and character/background designs, it will instead showcase my schedules, timetables and Gantt charts. 

Another skill I want to gain experience in throughout this module is character animation. When it comes to animating, in the past I've preferred key framing however, now I have access to better software, I'm also happy to in-between and colour too!

In COP3, I'm looking at character design. While I initially intended on just creating a turn-around, I've now started animating my characters in a scene together as I found their interactions both with one another and the setting they're in, was much more valuable. I'm hoping to continue to animate these characters together, and really develop my skills in animating subtle mannerisms and gestures to really capture the character. Whatever I learn during COP3, I will apply to my Extended Practice module. Once again, I've already discussed my role within a few teams and expressed my interest in animation.

I'm also planning to design some characters for a few projects. I've currently been working on some concept art for two classmates. While we don't have to start pre-production until January, I still feel it's better to be prepared so I've been working on these concepts whenever I hit a wall with my essay for the other module.

From now until the deadline, I will:

- Produce an appealing and simple production book, demonstrating my development and understanding of the role and what it requires.

- Create a series of refined and polished concept art sheets, that each meet the different criteria set by the directors for their individual project's themes.

- If my concepts are chosen, go on to refine them further by creating a turn-around sheet and making the characters suitable for animation purposes.

- Experiment and explore character animation by entering competitions and working on my classmate's final films.

- Try to ensure that every film I'm producing is finished by the deadline.

- Remain calm!

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 19/10/20)

Link to Weekly Update (19/10)

At the start of the week, I focused on my own character designs. Throughout the rest of the week, I worked on both my essay and my visual journal simultaneously as they both need to inspire each other, so I feel this is the best way to go about making the project symbiotic, rather than prioritising one and neglecting another.

Link to Triangulation Exercise

Once again, I tried to triangulate a few sources I came across during my research. Each week, I'm hoping to write about five-hundred words as this way, I should have roughly five-thousand words by the end of the module.

Link to Introduction

I also attempted to write the introduction as I had a tutorial with my lecturer which inspired me. I'm hoping to get the first draft of my essay put together over the next few weeks. 

Link to Turn-Arounds

I struggled at first to really visualise the full turn-around as for previous projects, I have only ever focused on the front, 3/4 and side views. These turn-arounds however, also feature the back, and back-facing 3/4 views which meant I really needed to make sure every line was consistent.

11 Second Club - October Entry (603 - Live Brief)

Below is my team's submission for the 11 Second Club (October) brief. I'm responsible for the character designs, the key-framing throughout, and the colouring for shot 1. I also acted as producer for this challenge. 

Link to Final Outcome

We completed this animation in roughly three weeks and the three of us worked really well together throughout the project. When it came to submitting the entry, we had to compress the file quite a bit, which unfortunately, ruined the quality of the piece.

Proof of Submission:

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 19/10/20)

I sent the colour tests to the director and she picked out the best ones. Below, are the colours we are going for, showcased in the finalised turn-arounds.

Alisha finished inbetweening the scenes which meant I could start colouring. I have a couple weeks to get this task finished so there's no rush at the moment. However, the sooner I get it done the better I will feel.

Link to Scene 1 (Colour Only)

All three of us got to work colouring the scenes and surprisingly, by the end of the week, the animation was finished and I was able to submit it. There were a few issues when it came to submission however, as we were asked to compress the file size. This resulted in a significant loss in quality.

Link to Pitch

The main focus of this week was my pitch PowerPoint. While I had discussed my plans within this module with a few students, I asked our lecturer whether or not we would have a chance to pitch ourselves to the whole class as that way, we could potentially expand the amount of people to work with. I also suggested we each make a presentation either discussing the job roles we were after, or any ideas for an animation, depending on which angle we wanted to approach this module.

What Went Well?

- I was passionate about the jobs I wanted and by showing enthusiasm towards different directors, I'm now provisionally a part of several projects.

Which Teams Am I Interested In?

- Khoa's Game Trailer (Producer, Concept Character Artist)

- Alisha's Animal Mockumentary (Producer, Animator - if needed)

- Stacey's Salon Commission (Producer, Concept Character Artist, Animator)

- Rhys' Western (Concept Character Artist, Animator, Voice Actor - if needed)

- Axel's Proof of Concept (Animator, Voice Actor - if needed)

- Sarah's Music Video (Animator - if needed)

Where to Improve?

- I need to remember to keep a level head. If the workload does become too overwhelming, I will make sure to communicate this to the team and therefore, not bite off more than I can chew.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 12/10/20)

At the start of the week, I made some colour tests. As mentioned in the previous update, I came across some issues with saturation. So, I made some slight adjustments to the saturation and vibrancy of the tones to see which works better.

Link to Saturation Tests 

On Monday, I began key framing scene 3, as this is the most complicated shot. I started with the Spider, and then moved onto the Fly. I struggled animating the spider at first. As I was only responsible for the key-framing and not inbetweening also, I was struggling to picture what a walk cycle would look like, especially at a 3/4 angle.

The eight legs were also frustrating as in Photoshop, the onion skins are quite dark so very quickly, eight legs became twenty-four. The fact the character isn't walking on the ground either, however is suspended mid-air using it's webs to move about, also didn't make matters easier. Below is my first failed attempt. Wow, he's flying. He shouldn't be.

I continued working on it and eventually, found a way to animate it. I watched some videos of spiders walking as a reference and decided the best way to go about it would be to animate each leg separately, as the body needed to be grounded somehow, otherwise it looks odd.

Link to Scene 3 (Keyframes)

On Tuesday, I attended a seminar on time management and planning. We discussed how to go about forming a team for Extended Practice. I've already talked to some people about working together so from here, I will make a presentation and pitch my skills to the class next week.

On Wednesday as I had both: a tutorial and a lecture on self employment booked, I decided to animate the scene I believed to be the easiest, as I didn't want to choose a more difficult scene and then get stressed if I couldn't complete it in the time I had spare.

Link to Scene 2 (Keyframes)

Thursday was the deadline I set for myself to get all three scenes key-framed. I met this target.

Link to Scene 1 (Keyframes)

What Went Well?

- I managed to complete every shot by the end of the week, meaning I can now focus my attention on the other module until I'm needed again for colouring.

- In the seminar, it was suggested that we focus on the competition briefs now, so that we have longer to work on our finals films at the end of the year. This made me feel more confident that my decision to message my classmates this early and form a team was the right move.

Where to Improve?

- On the first scene, I struggled to key frame the Spider. Despite seeing where I went wrong and making a plan of action on how to better approach it, I still allowed myself to panic over the time I felt I had wasted. Obviously it wasn't wasted time as I was able to learn from my mistakes. Yet, because I am on a tight schedule and had other members of the team relying on me, I became incredibly upset and stressed as I felt I wouldn't be able to complete the work in the time I had left. Once again, I was wrong. I continued working on it from scratch, fixed the mistakes and met the deadline.

Next week I shall start colouring; that is, if the inbetweening has been finished by then. If not, we still have the next couple weeks so I'm not worried. I will also make a PowerPoint showcasing the skills I possess and the jobs I'm after so that I can start finding teams to work on for the final films.

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 12/10/20)

Link to Weekly Update (12/10)

This week, I continued to work in my visual journal. I also booked a slot at the library to look for some different books that could help me, as the others I had listed in my presentation weren't available at the University library. Once I had some, I began triangulating. However, I had to cut these sessions short as I suffer from migraines and unfortunately got one at the end of the week.

Link to Triangulation Exercise

601 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 05/10/20)

Link to Weekly Update (05/10)

According to my schedule, I am on track, if not slightly ahead of schedule.

During the presentation, we covered how to manage our time better. Luckily, over half of the points the lecturer made are techniques I already use. For instance, we were advised to create a production schedule and make weekly targets which, I've already done. However, I made mine in the form of a slide show; we were advised to make a Gantt chart. Part of me wants to update my own schedule so it looks more professional however, I don't want to waste time on this, particularly as another segment of the presentation was on procrastination. I feel that if what I've made already is doing the job, there's no need to overcomplicate it.

603 Weekly Update (Week Commencing: 05/10/20)

On Monday, I messaged two classmates separately about working together on a competition brief. I have worked with both Alisha and Joseph before on previous projects for University and found we usually get on really well together, as we all seem to be very focused and hard-working. Both teammates were up for working on a project together, so I created a group chat and once we had each shared our interests and the jobs we were after, we began brainstorming some ideas for the 11 Second Club (October) brief. 

On Tuesday, I created a schedule so that from now until the deadline, each member of the team has a job to focus on. One of the roles I elected myself into was the role of producer, so as well as this timetable, I have also created a shared folder on Google Drive, so that each member of the team has access and can see what everyone else is working on.

Link to the Timetable

I will refer back to this table each week to make sure I stay on target. We have also been messaging each other daily, as to maintain that standard of communication throughout the project.

At end of the week I focused on the character designs. I began by making two mood boards for each character. Then, I worked on some rough concepts for the Fly and the Spider, and began refining them once the director was happy. Below, I have put together an art development book that shows my initial designs, some colour tests, and the final turn-arounds.

Link to Character Development Book

What Went Well?

- Despite not having much experience designing non-human characters, I feel both outcomes are refined and each portray the character's personalities, despite the clip being so short.

- I worked hard throughout the whole week in order to hit the deadline, ready to start animating on Monday.

What Could be Improved?

- We were after lineless designs however, as the spider has so many legs, this complicated the silhouette which didn't make the design very appealing.

- The colours on my laptop screen look very different to those on my phone screen. On my laptop, I had been selecting what I thought were greyish, lighter tones however on my phone, the images were incredibly saturated and dark. Luckily, I had been using the backgrounds Joseph designed as a reference point so my team assured me the colours worked together either way however, this is something to remember in the future.

At the start of next week, I will test more colour combinations for each character so that my team is able to refer back to it during production, which we will also be starting on the 12th.

601: Statement Of Intent

COP3 Statement of Intent

Throughout the history of animation, there has arguably been a stigma surrounding the inclusion of minorities. Often in western countries, influenced by the societal and cultural standards of the time, and the ill-informed stereotype that cartoons are inherently childish, parents are often in uproar when creators make a quote-on-quote controversial decision to include, and highlight, members of an underrepresented group, particularly introducing characters that identify as LGBTQ+.

Over the next eleven weeks, I'm aiming to explore the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in animated productions, by looking through the history of these characters (in both my essay and my visual journal).

In order to fully understand the weight of the themes in my essay, I plan to research the history in depth by looking through a variety of both primary and secondary resources. I have already searched for a number of published books and journals that may help to develop my understanding of the topic, so the next step from here would be to see whether the library owns them, or if I will need to look elsewhere. I have also explored online; looking at articles, journals, interviews and blogs for guidance.

In my essay, I need to try and stay as unbiased as possible. However, the themes I am covering are very sensitive so I need to also make sure I'm careful with how I go about writing the arguments. I need to review each source carefully as not everything found over the internet is true. I need to be aware of trolls looking to get a rise out of an already targeted community.

I'm aiming to gather a wide range of reactions, so while most articles so far have shown lots of praise for these creative decisions (usually voiced by the younger generations), I will also be considering the negative responses, such as complaints and the controversy surrounding the inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters, particularly in kids shows. I aim to see whether or not the stereotype that all cartoons are aimed at children is what makes parents react so poorly to this representation, and whether or not more kids shows should include members of this community, as young minds are the most tolerant. 

From now until December, I will:

- Continue to work in my physical sketchbook; studying a range of character designs, experimenting with colour, shape and appearance, and I will eventually design my own characters.

- Create at least one refined turn-around.

- Read through some of the books I have found and see if I can find any useful quotes or references that will aid me throughout my writing process.

- Watch as many cartoons with examples that I can to see if there are certain reoccurring themes such as mannerisms or body language that could help me when designing my own characters.

- Remain calm!

- Continue to update my blog with my progress and critically analyse my outcomes in order to push myself further and improve.

Extended Practice Briefing

Last week, I was briefed on a new module: Extended Practice (603). We were advised to link this module to COP3 if it applies. As far as the practical response goes, I'm struggling to see a way to connect the two however theoretically, there is a link there as in both modules, I'm planning to explore character design.

This module is worth sixty credits, and is considered the Big One. Not only will I develop a significant body of work by undertaking a series of commissions and/or competition briefs however, it is through this module that I will produce my final film.

The main aspects of this course that I wish to study further are: character design, producing and animating (particularly key-framing). This means the outcomes I'll be responsible for will most likely be collaborative projects so, I need to make sure that I'm able to confidently pitch myself to the class.

There are many outcomes within this module including: a statement of intent, a live project portfolio, my studio practice blog, the final film and my evaluation.

The deadline for this module is: 22nd April 2021 (by 11:00am).

COP3 Timetable

Over the weekend, I made a PowerPoint presentation; in which, I listed the tasks that I wish to achieve over the next eleven weeks. In my weekly updates, I will refer back to this timetable to make sure I'm on target.

Link to Weekly Breakdown

COP3 Presentation and Feedback

Over summer, I started to consider my question and practical response. Once I had some idea of the direction I wanted to take, I did a little research and put together a presentation.

Link to COP3 Presentation

What Went Well?

- My pitch was very articulated and carefully considered.

- The area of intent was clearly identified.

Where Do I Need To Improve?

- I need to narrow down the field of investigation.

- I must find a balance between the theoretical and practical responses.

What Do I Need To Consider?

- The subject matter is very complex with a long history, so I must be careful not to get lost whilst writing my essay. I need to always refer back to the question.

- I need to define the scope. Do I focus on: a genre, colour, shape, the medium, themes, etc.?

Context of Practice 3 Briefing

This week, I was briefed on what this module would entail. There are three main aspects to Context of Practice 3: writing my dissertation, maintaining my blog and producing a practical outcome.

Over summer, I have been considering my essay question, and was asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation ready for class.

It became very apparent that one of the main goals within this module is to create a critical synthesis of theoretical and practical work. The physical work I create throughout my personal investigation must reflect the research I have undertaken for my essay.

I need to constantly be thinking critically and analytically, however I must also experiment as much as I can, to further my academic understanding of the topic. I believe I will have lots of freedom whilst working within this module. I need to remember to triangulate, focus, and apply what I have learned from the previous COP modules.

The deadline for this module is: 10th December 2020 (by 11:00am).

Third Year!

Hello!

Here's a quick update to signify the start of another year! This week, the briefings will begin which means from here on out, I can sink my teeth into some proper animation! Bring it on.

Study Task 4 - Evaluate

As usual, I needed to write an evaluation for this module. This has probably been the hardest to write, considering that the circumstances have been the most bizarre and inconvenient yet.



Link to Evaluation

Study Task 3 - Boudicca

Below is our final outcome. I am really pleased with what my team and I have accomplished, especially considering the circumstances.



Link to Boudicca

Study Task 1 (Week Commencing: 11/05/20)

I tried to make the smoke look better this week by slowing down the speed. It is still slightly off but I'm worried about time, and I'm happy with the colours and shape so I am willing to move on.



I also quickly edited an opening shot of the Leeds Arts logo which I wasn't aware was a requirement until later, as I had only planned to include one for the outro.



I facetimed my group again. We are planning to finish work this week so we can submit at the weekend. We also talked about sharing out the remaining scenes so we have a better chance at sticking to this schedule.

One of the extra roles I took on was colouring the run cycle Harry animated of Boudicca's daughters. On facetime he told me he had drawn the daughter in shorts and a tank top which, considering this is set in 60AD, isn't accurate at all so this was frustrating.



Above is the run cycle he gave me. I was that distracted by the trainers and ponytail that I didn't even realise he had also gone off design by changing features such as the eyes and hair. Also, despite telling the group to work on 12fps, this file was saved at 24fps.



The first thing I did was change the frame rate to 12fps. I feel this fixed the timing issue however, created another issue as Photoshop wouldn't let me draw on every other frame. So, I had to redraw each frame in a new file. Admittedly, this made it easier for me to fix the errors in design, and add the correct clothing.



I then got to work by colouring the daughters' run cycles. I designed two different dress patterns as she had two daughters, and I didn't want to just copy and paste the first one.



While I am much happier with the timing and the fact she is dressed more appropriately, I was only asked to colour this scene, so the fact I had to spend time redrawing every frame was a bit annoying.

I finished the pitch bible this week and updated my blog. Rhys edited everything together on Friday while Harry and I were talking to him over facetime. I plan to submit all of my work over the weekend as I'm worried about my laptop and internet speed as recently, they have both been extremely slow and I don't want to miss the deadline because of this.

Press Pack Task

Alongside the documentary task, I put together our team's press pack. I illustrated some icons of the team and tried to make the PowerPoint very visual by incorporating stills from the final outcome. I also kept the bullet points short and succinct as not to overwhelm the audience with too much information.



Link to Press Pack

Study Task 1 (Week Commencing: 04/05/20)

At the start of the week, we facetimed again. I wasn't very happy with one of my scenes, so I told my team I wanted to cut it out entirely. I listened to their feedback and in the end, we decided to speed the footage up as to fix the timing. I am much happier with the shot now.

I worked on some icons this week to add to the press pack presentation. The designs are only simple however, I wanted to make sure they all fit the same style, which was based on the avatar I made for my PP2 presentation. I also wanted to make them slightly varied by showing a range of different expressions.

The musician also got back to me with the extended track, which I forwarded to my teammates.

Link to Music

I added some clouds to my arrow shots. However, I need to see what this looks like in the animation because I'm now concerned I've used the wrong background. I have messaged my team asking if they notice and if so, we will make sure to flip the scene for the final outcome.



I feel the clouds add an extra dimension to the shots. To keep up my online presence as this is a long project, I have been posting short clips to my Instagram page to keep my followers entertained.



I have been feeling really unmotivated this week. Still, I tried to get as much work done as I could. To take my mind of animating, I focused on my other study tasks, such as the evaluation and continuing to work on the press pack.



I added clouds to my scene of the Iceni men, as well as Harry's shot of the Romans.



I wanted to add some smoke to scene 9 however, I couldn't find a way to make it work. Similarly with the clouds, I struggled making it look right while still sticking to the style of the backgrounds and characters. I got inspiration from the shows I'm currently watching however, I need to work on the timing as at the moment, it doesn't look right.



I spent the rest of the week working on my own projects to take my mind off the stress surrounding deadlines, such as another sticker design for my etsy page, and a collaboration with another classmate.

Study Task 1 (Week Commencing: 27/04/20)

Harry and I came to an agreement about me taking on one of his shots. For this shot, I watched a video of an archer breaking down the most iconic arrow scenes in films for references.



He then completed the other shot in this scene however, I explained it wasn't exactly what I was after. So as I have time, I decided to animate that shot too, which I roughed out first to see if I could do it. Then, I started adding the arrow's outline to give it form.



I added the backgrounds to my final shots. I had planned to refine this by adding spots of light to the character from the trees however, I struggled doing this so I may just leave it. I also need to make sure I have enough time to work on the press pack.



We facetimed again this week. We discussed the progress we had each made, and Rhys took that information and made an updated Gantt chart. As I was ahead of schedule, that is why I offered to help with the other's scenes, and I now have time to go back and refine the scenes I have completed so far.

I also wrote out a list of credits for Rhys to include in his final shot.

Originally, Harry said his brother would write the score for this documentary. However, he then informed me he no longer wanted to do it, so Harry took the role on himself. This was a little concerning as Harry had other jobs to do that were more important. I had also sent some examples of the sound I was looking for, and what Harry had made so far wasn't exactly what I was after.

So, I reached out to my Uncle Dan who is a drummer. He followed my direction much better as I told him the main inspiration was Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam and the Ants, and other tracks with heavy drums. He got back to me within the week, and I'm very happy with this track. I have asked him to extend the outro slightly as at the moment, the song cuts out before the credits roll.

Link to First Draft

Near the end of the week, I added some backgrounds to the arrow scenes.



I also added a string because I thought it looked better. Next week, I will experiment with some cloud animation so the scene looks more polished as at the moment, I don't think it is suitable for our age range.

The colours are too bright and it doesn't work with the atmosphere the previous scenes set. If I can't fix it, when Rhys edits all the clips together, I will ask if there are any filters he can add to make it a little more gritty.



I am very happy with how this arrow shot came out. I will continue to refine it over the next week however, there isn't much I'm planning to change.



At the end of this week, I started putting together our team's press pack. I didn't mind taking on this role as I was ahead of my schedule and the other's needed to focus on their scenes. I struggled to understand this task based on the information we received in the presentations made available to us, so I did some research myself and watched some tutorials on how to build one.

I am still awaiting some screenshots and information, so this isn't the finished presentation. However, I feel I have added everything I can at this moment in time.

Study Task 1 (Week Commencing: 20/04/20)

At the beginning of the week I struggled to work on the Iceni tribe scene as because the file was so big, it kept crashing every time I did so much as select a layer. I also couldn't open any other files while I had this scene open, and I couldn't export the footage without Photoshop crashing.

I did as much as I could however due to how slow the software became, I had to give up on some changes I wanted to make because Photoshop couldn't handle the file size.



I like that there is a bit of variation in the designs and movement, such as the timing of the breathing, however due to the vast amount of members so close together, these changes aren't noticeable.

I added a strip of light to the sword as while this is a simplistic design, it was enough detail to make the sword look more refined. I also changed the angle which the sword leaves the shot as I believe this looks more natural than the first attempt. I'm still not that happy with it.



During the facetime call, I had a word with Harry about taking on one of his smaller scenes to help with time, as I only have a few more of my own left to animate while he has yet to finish one. We will make a decision by the end of this week.

I added the Romans to one of my last scenes, so now I'm just waiting on the backgrounds being completed so I can add them.



I focused more on the other deadline (for 502) this week as this is when it was originally due. I wanted to submit it as soon as possible so I can turn all my attention towards this module.

PP2 Update (LoopdeLoop, Feedback, Presentation and Submission)

Over the last several weeks, my studio team and I continued working on our group LoopdeLoop, Mushy, which we submitted on 20th April 2020. Throughout this process, I also regularly updated my animation Instagram with clips and WIPs to keep my followers entertained.

We received the feedback for our studio presentation, so I tried applying the same principles to my personal presentation. I recorded myself presenting it, just as I had suggested the last time however, my laptop hasn't got the same software as the University computers so I couldn't screen record.

Something else I struggled with during submission was exporting my blog as a PDF as once again, I wasn't sure which programs I had access to.

Once submission is over, I can focus on the short animation I was commissioned to do over Instagram.

© Emily Kate Mullis 2020

LoopdeLoop - Mushy

I suggested that the studio should work together, so that we had a solid animation to show the class in our presentation. Harry was with me at the time, so we discussed various ideas that could work under the theme, and messaged the group chat with our ideas.

I suggested a few different ideas for the theme and brainstormed with the team. Eventually we agreed to do one of my ideas.



Link to Script

So that everyone could visualise the idea I had in my head, I quickly sketched out the roughest storyboard ever, which Kathryn later refined.

I nominated myself as the producer and ended up with the role of director too. I started by making a jobs list (for both the animation, and the presentation). I swapped some roles around and made sure to regularly update my teammates with any changes they were unaware of.

Below is the original Gantt chart I made however, I ended up pushing back the deadline as some of my teammates continuously missed their deadlines, as other modules took precedence and eventually, Covid-19 disturbed our workflow.

I broke down the jobs for individual scenes and then made an updated chart with individual deadlines for these specific tasks.

As I previously mentioned, production was delayed so I made an updated Gantt chart. I made sure everything was clear and easy to understand by colour coordinating the jobs. In the group chat, I posted this chart weekly to make sure everyone was on track.

I have also stressed that if anyone is struggling to get their scenes finished in time, to alert me sooner rather than later so I can try and help ease that pressure by taking on some of the workload.

When it came to animating, the character turn-around sheets were a little late, which pushed the schedule back by a working week. This meant I couldn't start the key framing in the first week, and ended up working through that weekend despite travelling home at the same time.

So, despite this setback, I still ensured scenes 7A, 7B, and 7C were finished by 23rd ready for Alisha to in-between.



Link to Scene 7 (Key Frames Only)

Due to the very little time we have left, other module deadlines approaching fast, and Covid-19 forcing me to work from home rather than in the studio, I tried to cut corners and made a mistake.

I only realised once I was more than half way finished with the key-framing so, I decided to finish what I had started and then asked my teammates if they could notice anything wrong. Two members didn't notice anything at all, and the third didn't notice anything at first, and only realised after I made them look harder. Even then, he said it wasn't noticeable.

Just in case they had noticed, I did have a plan B however, I was worried how this would effect the following scene. Fortunately, nobody else had started key framing scenes of her face yet, so I told them to flip the design, just as I had done as that way, it would be consistent and we wouldn't need to change my shot.



Link to Scene 1 (Key Frames Only)

I then moved onto scene 1. I made sure the hair was consistent by having the hairband on the same side as the previous shot as these scenes follow onto each other.



Link to Scene 7

Alisha works quickly so, I didn't have to wait too long for the in-betweens. I added colour however due to time, I didn't add shading or highlights as I feel it works fine as it is.



Link to Scene 1

Mine and Alisha's scenes were finished by 3rd April, which meant I had the rest of the month to focus on my other project and the presentation. Once the other scenes were done, I looked for sounds to add, including a pumpkin's gut being squished and wind ambience, and Kathryn edited everything together. We then submitted the animation to LoopdeLoop.



I love the aesthetic and how the character works so well with the backgrounds. If I had more time, I would add shading to the character. I would also add a scene of the strawberry landing again.

© Emily Kate Mullis 2020

Study Task 1 (Week Commencing: 13/04/20)

In the shot below, I changed the speed and refined the movement so it looked more natural by adding recoil. I also went into After Effects and animated a camera shake so that the movement seemed more powerful; like the vast amount of warriors caused the ground to shake with their rage.

My laptop kept crashing while I was working in After Effects however, so this task took much longer than it should have if I could access the University computers that can handle the software.



I messaged my team about having another facetime session. In which, we discussed what we had done over the last week and how we were coping mentally.



Once I had access to the background, I added more Iceni members to my group. This process took a while, as the outlines, details and colours were all on separate layers. I will continue to refine this by adding some members to the side.



I turned my attention to the shot of someone unsheathing a sword. I started with the outline, and played around with the timing of this shot. Then I added colour. Next week I will refine this by adding light.

I have also been watching some animated shows and films in my down time, such as: Final Space, Attack on Titan, and some Studio Ghibli films on Netflix, to give me some inspiration for my own animations, and also take my mind off of things.

Studio Brief 1 - Walk the Walk

For the first part of this brief, I have to complete the study tasks set, which I have been doing and posting about on my blog.

Link to Networking: Who, What, When, Where and How?

Link to CopyShop

Link to How Much Do You Need?

Link to Working Freelance/ Self Employment

Link to So Pro

Link to SWOT

It was difficult trying to find time to do the tasks whilst working towards my other module deadlines, especially when I had to move back home.

As I didn't know how long I would have access to the facilities, or if I could access the software outside of University, before I made the decision to come home, I made my Level 5 showreel using the animations I had completed up to that point. Unfortunately, this meant I couldn't include my work from the documentary project or LoopdeLoop task.



Link to Showreel

If I had more time to work on this, I would change the music. However, seeing as it is missing the outcomes from my more recent modules anyway, once University is open again (even if this means next year) I will make an updated and refined version of my second year showreel with better music and my newer animations.

I feel given the circumstances however, this showreel works for this purpose.

I struggled making the powerpoint for the same reasons, as I couldn't access PowerPoint from home. I ended up using Google Slides as the Drive is something I can access from anywhere.



I filmed myself presenting this for the submission as the lockdown meant I couldn't deliver it to the class.

It is difficult presenting to an empty room as while it isn't as nerve-wracking, you can't get a feel for the atmosphere. When I was rehearsing the group presentation to an empty room, that was okay because we had each other to bounce off of however this felt more awkward, and you can tell because I keep saying "um" to fill the silence.



Link to Presentation

Overall, I am happy with this presentation. I'm not confident with graphic design or layout, and some slides do look a little cluttered however, I am pleased with the avatars I made to accompany the bullet points as while I did something similar last year, I feel more confident in these designs as they have more character.

© Emily Kate Mullis 2020