As I have moved back home due to the coronavirus outbreak, and don't have access to any of the Microsoft programs, I have decided to revert back to Blogger for my weekly updates as I can't access Word anymore.
I spent the beginning of the week working towards my other module's deadlines.
As this module is worth more credits however, I soon started focussing on the documentary again. I began by sketching out a walk cycle in Photoshop. I based this on my rough storyboard and scene breakdown, as the storyboard artist still hadn't completed the official storyboard, yet the Gantt chart required that I start animation this week.
I struggle with timing in general, and had originally intended to use TVPaint to animate this documentary as I can easily change the duration of certain frames. However, I can't access TVPaint from home, and I can't afford to buy it, so this means I need to be mindful of time as I know I am much slower when working in Photoshop.
As the week went on, I added colour to the animation and slowed the footage down so that her walk looked more determined and less rushed, as this is the scene where she is marching in front of her army.
It was at this point that the storyboard was finished. I made it clear in the group chat that people need to follow the Gantt chart and update the Drive regularly to avoid wasting time; redesigning scenes that had already been animated. I also said everyone needed to be honest with the rest of the team with what they are and aren't capable of completing in time. If a project is too big, let the rest of the team know so that we can share out the workload. Keeping this information hidden until the day before or of the deadline, is too late.
I later messaged my teammates about the background I was after for this shot and nearing the end of the week, once they had finished a background, I added this into the Photoshop file and transformed the background layer so I could get a sense of the timing.
Then at the weekend, I started another scene. Once more, I have struggled with the timing but as I am working on video layers, I am finding it difficult to go back and fix mistakes that are now clear to me.
Sunday, 29 March 2020
Friday, 27 March 2020
Running in the Student Elections
This year, I put my name forward to run in the student elections as I believe that if I want to become an art teacher, having a place on the Student Union will provide me with the experience of working with others, and would help to build up my CV.
First, we were briefed on what was expected from us over the upcoming weeks. The first order of business was writing my manifesto.
Link to Manifesto
I then got to work on my campaign strategy. We were given a plain white t-shirt and a couple Sharpie markers to design a top and promote ourselves. However, I didn't think this would look very professional so, I looked into booking myself in for a printmaking workshop.
But, after looking into it, I couldn't attend one of these sessions without attending a health and safety session beforehand, and when I tried booking myself into one of those, estudio said only the course leaders had that ability. So, I emailed my lecturer.
Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty surrounding the recent Covid-19 outbreak, he didn't get back to me until after campaign week had started so, I decided not to make t-shirts in the end.
Instead, I made a series of posters; ten of which, I was able to print for free through the Union, and any additions would come out of my £5.00 budget.
Link to Posters
I decided to print roughly £2.00 worth of flyers, and spend the remaining £3.00 on sweets that I would hand out over lunch time throughout campaigns week. Once again, the panic regarding the coronavirus outbreak made this task more difficult as the canteen was often very quiet.
On the day the voting opened, I was planning to attend a hustings event in the canteen however a few days before, I received an email saying this event had been cancelled. This is a shame, as I was hoping to get better at public speaking, as I often lack the confidence when networking or delivering a presentation to the class. However, there is nothing I can do.
Instead, we had the option to record ourselves answering questions and then this video will be released in place of the cancelled hustings.
Link to Hustings Video
During campaigns week, I talked to as many students at lunch time that I could, and also posted online daily about voting, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Unfortunately, I didn't win enough votes.
First, we were briefed on what was expected from us over the upcoming weeks. The first order of business was writing my manifesto.
Link to Manifesto
I then got to work on my campaign strategy. We were given a plain white t-shirt and a couple Sharpie markers to design a top and promote ourselves. However, I didn't think this would look very professional so, I looked into booking myself in for a printmaking workshop.
But, after looking into it, I couldn't attend one of these sessions without attending a health and safety session beforehand, and when I tried booking myself into one of those, estudio said only the course leaders had that ability. So, I emailed my lecturer.
Unfortunately, due to the uncertainty surrounding the recent Covid-19 outbreak, he didn't get back to me until after campaign week had started so, I decided not to make t-shirts in the end.
Instead, I made a series of posters; ten of which, I was able to print for free through the Union, and any additions would come out of my £5.00 budget.
Link to Posters
I decided to print roughly £2.00 worth of flyers, and spend the remaining £3.00 on sweets that I would hand out over lunch time throughout campaigns week. Once again, the panic regarding the coronavirus outbreak made this task more difficult as the canteen was often very quiet.
On the day the voting opened, I was planning to attend a hustings event in the canteen however a few days before, I received an email saying this event had been cancelled. This is a shame, as I was hoping to get better at public speaking, as I often lack the confidence when networking or delivering a presentation to the class. However, there is nothing I can do.
Instead, we had the option to record ourselves answering questions and then this video will be released in place of the cancelled hustings.
Link to Hustings Video
During campaigns week, I talked to as many students at lunch time that I could, and also posted online daily about voting, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Unfortunately, I didn't win enough votes.
Monday, 23 March 2020
Studio Brief 3 - Talk the Talk
After the initial briefing, I messaged three people who I wanted to work with, and once they were on board, I made a group chat with them in. We immediately started assigning roles for both, the studio itself, the pitch and a group animation.
Once we had our first lesson dedicated to this studio brief, we sat down and started discussing our name and logo. I wanted the logo to incorporate an animal somehow, as in my head I could picture something walking or pouncing into the frame, and then morphing into the logo.
We searched different animals for a while, so eventually, I narrowed the search down to specific breeds and came across the Bobtail Cat. I suggested "Bobtail Studios", and then that night we had another discussion and decided on "Bobcat Studios".
Meanwhile, we were also working out the logistics of working together for a LoopdeLoop submission. I wrote a short script and roughed out a storyboard, which I sent to my team. I took on the role of producer and director however, due to other module deadlines and recent health concerns, rather than work to the presentation deadline, I changed the timetable so we were instead working towards the LoopdeLoop submission deadline.
Our Mission Statement: To create high quality, engaging, 2D animated content for children and teenagers.
Our Brand: A bright orange, cute, Bobtail cat. Our website colour palette is also made up of warm, autumn tones.
Our USP: We can adapt to produce content that suits a range of needs, whether it be for entertainment purposes or educational videos.
My Individual Jobs for the Pitch:
- introduce the studio
- the profiles slides (layout and what information to include)
- the studio showreel
- researching our competition
- directing and producing the 'Mushy' animation
-arranging a time for the team to rehearse the pitch
Due to the problems that were arising because of Covid-19, I suggested filming the presentation in advance, which the team were all on board for. We were later made aware that we no longer needed to present the pitch at all, however I had another word with the team and we all decided to go ahead with it anyway.
We filmed our rehearsal presentation, which is the video embedded below. I found that I was much more relaxed when delivering the presentation to an empty room as for previous pitches, I always get really nervous and struggle to get my words out.
Link to Rehearsal
There are a few slip-ups in the rehearsal video however, it isn't as embarrassing when the room is nearly empty so, I could keep going without getting flustered.
Link to Screen Recording
One of the lecturers saw what we were doing and suggested we also capture a screen recording. I had never done this before so once we were taught how to do it, we also sat down and recorded the presentation this way too, so that our slides were the main focus.
Both recordings sat comfortably around the nine-minute mark which meant we followed the instructions in the brief.
Link to Pitch
Above is the finished PowerPoint. As I had expected, the country continued to get updates and the University moved to online teaching. This meant Monday's session had been cancelled so we ended up sending our pitch through WeTransfer.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Once we had our first lesson dedicated to this studio brief, we sat down and started discussing our name and logo. I wanted the logo to incorporate an animal somehow, as in my head I could picture something walking or pouncing into the frame, and then morphing into the logo.
We searched different animals for a while, so eventually, I narrowed the search down to specific breeds and came across the Bobtail Cat. I suggested "Bobtail Studios", and then that night we had another discussion and decided on "Bobcat Studios".
Meanwhile, we were also working out the logistics of working together for a LoopdeLoop submission. I wrote a short script and roughed out a storyboard, which I sent to my team. I took on the role of producer and director however, due to other module deadlines and recent health concerns, rather than work to the presentation deadline, I changed the timetable so we were instead working towards the LoopdeLoop submission deadline.
Our Mission Statement: To create high quality, engaging, 2D animated content for children and teenagers.
Our Brand: A bright orange, cute, Bobtail cat. Our website colour palette is also made up of warm, autumn tones.
Our USP: We can adapt to produce content that suits a range of needs, whether it be for entertainment purposes or educational videos.
My Individual Jobs for the Pitch:
- introduce the studio
- the profiles slides (layout and what information to include)
- the studio showreel
- researching our competition
- directing and producing the 'Mushy' animation
-arranging a time for the team to rehearse the pitch
Due to the problems that were arising because of Covid-19, I suggested filming the presentation in advance, which the team were all on board for. We were later made aware that we no longer needed to present the pitch at all, however I had another word with the team and we all decided to go ahead with it anyway.
We filmed our rehearsal presentation, which is the video embedded below. I found that I was much more relaxed when delivering the presentation to an empty room as for previous pitches, I always get really nervous and struggle to get my words out.
Link to Rehearsal
There are a few slip-ups in the rehearsal video however, it isn't as embarrassing when the room is nearly empty so, I could keep going without getting flustered.
Link to Screen Recording
One of the lecturers saw what we were doing and suggested we also capture a screen recording. I had never done this before so once we were taught how to do it, we also sat down and recorded the presentation this way too, so that our slides were the main focus.
Both recordings sat comfortably around the nine-minute mark which meant we followed the instructions in the brief.
Link to Pitch
Above is the finished PowerPoint. As I had expected, the country continued to get updates and the University moved to online teaching. This meant Monday's session had been cancelled so we ended up sending our pitch through WeTransfer.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Saturday, 21 March 2020
Thursday, 19 March 2020
Study Task 6 - SWOT
Below is a summary of my SWOT Analysis proforma.
My Strengths:
- positive attitude (even if 'm upset I find ways to laugh it off and move forward)
- well organised (I will elect myself in leadership roles, such as director or producer, because I can manage my time, and others, well)
- can follow set tasks and meet deadlines (I take notes and get to work instantly on tasks so I don't fall behind with my workload)
- character design (I draw as often as I can which allows me to develop my skills)
My Weaknesses:
- anxiety (I overthink things often, and get stressed really easily which means if I have a lot of work on, my mental health suffers)
- isolation (when I'm in a negative headspace, I tend to lock myself away and only focus on work, I need to get my work/life balance right)
- speed at which I work (I feel as though some tasks take ages, which only fuels my obsession to work as I fear I won't meet deadlines if I don't do this)
- guilt (even if I do take an evening off, I feel incredibly guilty for not working and often stress myself out so badly that I will get migraines)
Opportunities:
- this animation course (I was accepted to this University which means I have more opportunities than those who aren't here)
- work experience (before coming to University, and in my holidays, I work at a restaurant which means I have experience when dealing with customers and working in a team)
- networking events (trips like MAF offer opportunities to network)
- social media (I have several accounts where I can promote my work and follow others)
Threats:
- self-criticism (I overanalyse everything I do to the point where I think it is no longer good enough and this makes me question my worth, especially on this course)
- perfectionist (I will redo a line over and over and over again which eats into my time and isn't necessary)
- costs (equipment, trips and software is expensive so while I'm away from home, and therefore not working outside of University, I haven't got any money coming in to cover these costs)
- other graduates (there aren't enough jobs available for everyone who graduates which means I need to work hard to get noticed)
From here, I need to make a plan on how to better myself and my outcomes. The main problem I believe is that I overwork myself. It damages my mental health, self esteem and relationships with others. I need to take time off to destress and relax. That way, when I'm well rested and do get back to work, my mind will be refreshed and I might see an improvement in my work.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
My Strengths:
- positive attitude (even if 'm upset I find ways to laugh it off and move forward)
- well organised (I will elect myself in leadership roles, such as director or producer, because I can manage my time, and others, well)
- can follow set tasks and meet deadlines (I take notes and get to work instantly on tasks so I don't fall behind with my workload)
- character design (I draw as often as I can which allows me to develop my skills)
My Weaknesses:
- anxiety (I overthink things often, and get stressed really easily which means if I have a lot of work on, my mental health suffers)
- isolation (when I'm in a negative headspace, I tend to lock myself away and only focus on work, I need to get my work/life balance right)
- speed at which I work (I feel as though some tasks take ages, which only fuels my obsession to work as I fear I won't meet deadlines if I don't do this)
- guilt (even if I do take an evening off, I feel incredibly guilty for not working and often stress myself out so badly that I will get migraines)
Opportunities:
- this animation course (I was accepted to this University which means I have more opportunities than those who aren't here)
- work experience (before coming to University, and in my holidays, I work at a restaurant which means I have experience when dealing with customers and working in a team)
- networking events (trips like MAF offer opportunities to network)
- social media (I have several accounts where I can promote my work and follow others)
Threats:
- self-criticism (I overanalyse everything I do to the point where I think it is no longer good enough and this makes me question my worth, especially on this course)
- perfectionist (I will redo a line over and over and over again which eats into my time and isn't necessary)
- costs (equipment, trips and software is expensive so while I'm away from home, and therefore not working outside of University, I haven't got any money coming in to cover these costs)
- other graduates (there aren't enough jobs available for everyone who graduates which means I need to work hard to get noticed)
From here, I need to make a plan on how to better myself and my outcomes. The main problem I believe is that I overwork myself. It damages my mental health, self esteem and relationships with others. I need to take time off to destress and relax. That way, when I'm well rested and do get back to work, my mind will be refreshed and I might see an improvement in my work.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Study Task 2: Final Outcomes
Below, is the final outcome for the animation my team and I made for D&AD's Martini brief. We submitted our work on Wednesday 18th March 2020.
Link to Final Animation
Here, is the accompanying eight slide PowerPoint which was also a requirement.
Link to Eight Slides
While editing this animation, I learned a lot in Premiere Pro and After Effects that I didn't know before, and should aid me when I go on to make my end of year showreel. I also feel I am slowly, but surely, getting better with presentations.
Link to Final Animation
Here, is the accompanying eight slide PowerPoint which was also a requirement.
Link to Eight Slides
While editing this animation, I learned a lot in Premiere Pro and After Effects that I didn't know before, and should aid me when I go on to make my end of year showreel. I also feel I am slowly, but surely, getting better with presentations.
Monday, 16 March 2020
PP2 Update (Stickers, Instagram Commission, Festival of Arts and Studio Brief 3)
Recently I officially launched my Etsy page where I currently only have one listing however, I aim to design and print many more stickers to sell. I am also planning to design a profile picture so my account looks nicer.
I was also contacted by someone online who illustrates their own comic series, and asked if I could animate one of the panels for Instagram. As I have lots of University deadlines approaching, this is something I will work on in small stages when I'm free.
Meanwhile, I heard back from the Nuneaton Festival of Arts where I placed first in my category!
I also attended a lecture on showreels and how to improve them. I was advised not to edit to the music, which for my previous showreel I had done so I decided to start again. I changed the music to a less distracting piece and turned the volume down. I didn't edit to the beat either, and I added captions.
Link to Updated Showreel
I am planning to meet up with my teammates soon to put together our PowerPoint presentation ready to pitch to the class.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
I was also contacted by someone online who illustrates their own comic series, and asked if I could animate one of the panels for Instagram. As I have lots of University deadlines approaching, this is something I will work on in small stages when I'm free.
Meanwhile, I heard back from the Nuneaton Festival of Arts where I placed first in my category!
I also attended a lecture on showreels and how to improve them. I was advised not to edit to the music, which for my previous showreel I had done so I decided to start again. I changed the music to a less distracting piece and turned the volume down. I didn't edit to the beat either, and I added captions.
Link to Updated Showreel
I am planning to meet up with my teammates soon to put together our PowerPoint presentation ready to pitch to the class.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Sunday, 15 March 2020
Scene Evaluations for Study Task 2
Scene 3
This is one of my favourite shots that I animated. I am happy with her facial expressions and despite only animating simple movements in her arms and shoulders, I think it is still really effective.
As I am working at 12fps however, the hands that appear on the right are a little jittery. If I was working on 24fps, they could have had a nicer transition in and out of the frame.
Scene 5
I learned from the mistake in the previous shot and decided to animate this particular scene at 24fps. As you can see, the movement of the hand is much smoother.
The photo I used as the phone's wallpaper looks a little awkward. If I had time, I would go back and refine this so the poses look more natural. I would also add a light to the phone screen however, the brief isn't after a finished product so I don't want to get too hung up on these ideas.
Scene 8
I am very happy with timing in this shot. I feel the movement generally looks natural and the characters work well in the environment. I am also pleased with the composition of this shot.
As the brief is after concepts, and not finished ideas, I have only done simple animation which means some of the more dynamic movement looks stiff.
Scene 9
I like the fact that this shot is from a different angle as I wanted more shots than just close ups of people at the table or bar.
However, this is my least favourite shot that I animated. I struggled so much with the timing that I had to start over again and again. In the end, I decided I needed to move onto another shot as the deadline was approaching fast. The timing of the liquid looks so wrong but I have to move on.
Scene 10
Out of all the scenes I have animated, this shot has the most people in it so I needed to make sure all their actions and reactions seemed natural.
Again, some of the movement looks rigid as the brief is only after basic animation so I animated at 12fps to save time. If I had more time, and if the brief wanted a finished product, I would have refined this so it looked smoother and more professional.
Opening Shot
I am really happy with how this opening shot looks as I think it is a good way to introduce the three main characters. I am also not as experienced with After Effects as I am with Photoshop so I learned a lot of new things.
If I had more time, I would experiment more with the timing of the panels, so the speed in which they come down, and I could maybe even add a blur effect. If I had access to the music earlier, I could have also made them move in time to that.
This is one of my favourite shots that I animated. I am happy with her facial expressions and despite only animating simple movements in her arms and shoulders, I think it is still really effective.
As I am working at 12fps however, the hands that appear on the right are a little jittery. If I was working on 24fps, they could have had a nicer transition in and out of the frame.
Scene 5
I learned from the mistake in the previous shot and decided to animate this particular scene at 24fps. As you can see, the movement of the hand is much smoother.
The photo I used as the phone's wallpaper looks a little awkward. If I had time, I would go back and refine this so the poses look more natural. I would also add a light to the phone screen however, the brief isn't after a finished product so I don't want to get too hung up on these ideas.
Scene 8
I am very happy with timing in this shot. I feel the movement generally looks natural and the characters work well in the environment. I am also pleased with the composition of this shot.
As the brief is after concepts, and not finished ideas, I have only done simple animation which means some of the more dynamic movement looks stiff.
Scene 9
I like the fact that this shot is from a different angle as I wanted more shots than just close ups of people at the table or bar.
However, this is my least favourite shot that I animated. I struggled so much with the timing that I had to start over again and again. In the end, I decided I needed to move onto another shot as the deadline was approaching fast. The timing of the liquid looks so wrong but I have to move on.
Scene 10
Out of all the scenes I have animated, this shot has the most people in it so I needed to make sure all their actions and reactions seemed natural.
Again, some of the movement looks rigid as the brief is only after basic animation so I animated at 12fps to save time. If I had more time, and if the brief wanted a finished product, I would have refined this so it looked smoother and more professional.
Opening Shot
I am really happy with how this opening shot looks as I think it is a good way to introduce the three main characters. I am also not as experienced with After Effects as I am with Photoshop so I learned a lot of new things.
If I had more time, I would experiment more with the timing of the panels, so the speed in which they come down, and I could maybe even add a blur effect. If I had access to the music earlier, I could have also made them move in time to that.
Saturday, 14 March 2020
Pre-Production Pitch
In class, my teammates and I delivered the Boudicca pre-production pitch.
Link to Pre-Production Pitch
My lecturer seemed happy with the amount of research I had done. He also seemed to appreciate how I condensed this information into a page, and then script, as we should have an easier time fitting our findings into roughly a minute.
I need to follow up on those that I've emailed who haven't got back to me yet. I also need to look on Mandy.com and HitRecord.org to see if I can find a voice actor. I am hoping to get back in touch with Dr. Henry Clarke as he is local which means I could invite him into the University to record with us.
Link to Pre-Production Pitch
My lecturer seemed happy with the amount of research I had done. He also seemed to appreciate how I condensed this information into a page, and then script, as we should have an easier time fitting our findings into roughly a minute.
I need to follow up on those that I've emailed who haven't got back to me yet. I also need to look on Mandy.com and HitRecord.org to see if I can find a voice actor. I am hoping to get back in touch with Dr. Henry Clarke as he is local which means I could invite him into the University to record with us.
Monday, 9 March 2020
Study Task 5 - So Pro
I currently use Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook primarily. I made a LinkedIn and Vimeo profile however, I don't check these as often.
My Facebook account is a personal account, so I can keep in touch with family and friends. I don't intend on turning it into a business account. The same goes for my Twitter so when it comes to finding a job, I will make the account private.
I have utilised Instagram however. I currently have a personal account, an art account dedicated to my paintings and drawings, and an animation account. I also have two old accounts that I've haven't posted on for a while. One is a cosplay account and the other is an old art account. I will either delete these or make them active again to reduce the amount of accounts I have.
I try to post as regularly as possible with these accounts. Certain commissioned work however, I can't post as I may not be allowed, so I need to make sure I stay on top of this with other work.
My YouTube account is a complete mess; it has videos related to animation but also some videos that are unprofessional and stupid. I need to make a new YouTube account dedicated solely to my animations.
I recently set up an Etsy page, where I intend to sell my artwork. To help sell certain pieces, I have posted my work on stan Twitter, as to attract the right audience. So my followers don't lose interest, I will try to post weekly. I also plan to be productive over summer as during that time, I won't have to juggle my personal art with my university work.
My Shortlist:
- a YouTube account (professional, for animation videos only)
- an Instagram account (professional, for animation related content)
- a second Instagram account (professional, for art related content)
- an Etsy page (professional, to sell my work)
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
My Facebook account is a personal account, so I can keep in touch with family and friends. I don't intend on turning it into a business account. The same goes for my Twitter so when it comes to finding a job, I will make the account private.
I have utilised Instagram however. I currently have a personal account, an art account dedicated to my paintings and drawings, and an animation account. I also have two old accounts that I've haven't posted on for a while. One is a cosplay account and the other is an old art account. I will either delete these or make them active again to reduce the amount of accounts I have.
I try to post as regularly as possible with these accounts. Certain commissioned work however, I can't post as I may not be allowed, so I need to make sure I stay on top of this with other work.
My YouTube account is a complete mess; it has videos related to animation but also some videos that are unprofessional and stupid. I need to make a new YouTube account dedicated solely to my animations.
I recently set up an Etsy page, where I intend to sell my artwork. To help sell certain pieces, I have posted my work on stan Twitter, as to attract the right audience. So my followers don't lose interest, I will try to post weekly. I also plan to be productive over summer as during that time, I won't have to juggle my personal art with my university work.
My Shortlist:
- a YouTube account (professional, for animation videos only)
- an Instagram account (professional, for animation related content)
- a second Instagram account (professional, for art related content)
- an Etsy page (professional, to sell my work)
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Study Task 4 - Working Freelace/ Self Employment
For this task, I need to work out my rates. My cost of living calculator total came to £14,315 which means I need to cover this cost at least.
I used the website Your Rate to work out my day rate.
According to the website above, I would need to charge £17 an hour to get these results. I feel as though this is too high so I changed the annual income to £16,000 and this then worked out at £133 per day which is apparently more accurate.
Below is my contract.
Link to my Contract
I also needed to make an invoice.
Link to my Invoice
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
I used the website Your Rate to work out my day rate.
According to the website above, I would need to charge £17 an hour to get these results. I feel as though this is too high so I changed the annual income to £16,000 and this then worked out at £133 per day which is apparently more accurate.
Below is my contract.
Link to my Contract
I also needed to make an invoice.
Link to my Invoice
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Friday, 6 March 2020
PP2 Update (T-Shirt Brief, Etsy and Studio Brief 3)
I received an email recently explaining that I lost the t-shirt brief. Meanwhile, I have been looking into making an Etsy account to sell stickers and badges. I need to consider the costs involved in printing and shipping, and make sure I work my pricing out so I can make a profit.
Since the team put forward concepts for the logo, Alisha has animated one of the designs, which I am planning to incorporate into the group's showreel. I made the first draft which highlights the work we have produced individually so far.
Link to Bobcat Studios Showreel (First Draft)
We are currently working on a LoopdeLoop animation, so if we have this finished in time for the presentation, I will also add clips from this to the showreel.
We also discussed making profiles of ourselves for the pitch so, I spoke to the team and made a profile for myself based on what we talked about. Once everyone has made one, we can look at making them consistent and closer to our group's theme.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Since the team put forward concepts for the logo, Alisha has animated one of the designs, which I am planning to incorporate into the group's showreel. I made the first draft which highlights the work we have produced individually so far.
Link to Bobcat Studios Showreel (First Draft)
We are currently working on a LoopdeLoop animation, so if we have this finished in time for the presentation, I will also add clips from this to the showreel.
We also discussed making profiles of ourselves for the pitch so, I spoke to the team and made a profile for myself based on what we talked about. Once everyone has made one, we can look at making them consistent and closer to our group's theme.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
Wednesday, 4 March 2020
Boudicca Pitch
Link to Pitch
I made a PowerPoint ready for the session. Below are the main issues that were raised and how I intend to solve them:
- Target Audience
I believe if I cut down on the blood and violence, and remove the scene of the dead King, I can keep the character designs as they are. This style, and the content, should hopefully look as though it is aimed at teenagers/ young adults.
- Rhys can't act as our Voice of God
We need to hire a more experienced actor, or professor of the subject, to narrate. I have emailed the Leeds University History Department and the Leeds Union History Society looking for more information. I have also emailed one of my lecturers, Dotty, as she has a background in acting.
Tuesday, 3 March 2020
Research for Study Task 3
Before the official briefing, I messaged a classmate who I haven't worked with before about being on a team together. I mentioned that I was interested in history and once we were briefed properly, we found a third teammate and assigned roles.
I have the job of the director.
I began researching Boudicca as the Battle of Watling Street took place nearby to where I live, so I figured that while I was home, I could do some primary research by visiting the site, or as close to the site as I could.
Link to Research (Boudicca)
I made a research page which was a collection of all the facts I came across. I had learnt a little about Boudicca in primary school so half of it I already knew and the other half I soon remembered.
Link to Moodboard (Boudicca)
From here, I made a moodboard so that I could easily visualise the final outcome and also communicate that vision to my teammates.
When I visited home, I took some photographs of the motorway where the battle allegedly took place. I sent these to my teammates so the background artist and storyboard artist could get a better sense of the landscape.
Link to Script
I also condensed my research page into a script, which the narrator will read over the animation.
I have the job of the director.
I began researching Boudicca as the Battle of Watling Street took place nearby to where I live, so I figured that while I was home, I could do some primary research by visiting the site, or as close to the site as I could.
Link to Research (Boudicca)
I made a research page which was a collection of all the facts I came across. I had learnt a little about Boudicca in primary school so half of it I already knew and the other half I soon remembered.
Link to Moodboard (Boudicca)
From here, I made a moodboard so that I could easily visualise the final outcome and also communicate that vision to my teammates.
When I visited home, I took some photographs of the motorway where the battle allegedly took place. I sent these to my teammates so the background artist and storyboard artist could get a better sense of the landscape.
Link to Script
I also condensed my research page into a script, which the narrator will read over the animation.
Monday, 2 March 2020
Finalised Character Sheets (Study Task 2)
I began this process by experimenting with shapes and colours. I then went on to refine these concepts into the characters pictured below.
Originally, the vision in my head was much brighter and warmer. However as director, I needed to take a step back and ask 'Am I going too far?'. Considering this advert promotes alcohol consumption, I didn't want the colour palette to look as though it was aimed at children. This was made clear to me during the pitch session.
So, I started refining these characters based on the feedback I received.
I started by toning down the colour palette. I made the primary colours less saturated and also incorporated colours that can be found on the neck of an actual Martini bottle as this way, people shouldn't be able to criticise the brightness of the colours, as I went to the source. I couldn't mute all the tones however, as the brief regularly stressed how important the warm, bright, golden hour motif was.
As we see the characters in their work attire as well as their going out clothes, I needed to make two turn arounds for certain characters as the second half of the animation features them in more casual, party clothing.
To keep the warmth in the animation, which the brief asked for, I decided to keep the backgrounds on a stricter colour palette which is made up of orange, yellow and red tones to emphasise the importance of the sunset. This way, the blue and navy colours should make the characters stand out more.
One of the major changes made to this character was that I made her outfit much darker, as to appear more formal and professional. I am hoping this helps makes the characters look less chidish and more adult. I also wanted her to stand out on the backgrounds.
I also changed certain features of the characters based on feedback, such as the eyes and mouth. While the design remains simplistic as that was the vision I originally had, I added lines around her eyes and defined her lips more to make her look older. That way, the advert should be aimed at a more appropriate audience.
As the final scenes at the bar required more people, I designed some secondary characters to interact with the main three. The brief wanted the atmosphere to be bubbly and highlight friendship so I am hoping adding more characters will make that difference. I kept to the Martini colour palette and designed them in the same style so they didn't stand out while interacting with the other characters.
I applied the colours from the characters' palette to the Martini logo for the final shot. However, I don't think we are allowed to make changes to the official logo so we will most likely use the black, red and white logo we have been given.
Originally, the vision in my head was much brighter and warmer. However as director, I needed to take a step back and ask 'Am I going too far?'. Considering this advert promotes alcohol consumption, I didn't want the colour palette to look as though it was aimed at children. This was made clear to me during the pitch session.
So, I started refining these characters based on the feedback I received.
I started by toning down the colour palette. I made the primary colours less saturated and also incorporated colours that can be found on the neck of an actual Martini bottle as this way, people shouldn't be able to criticise the brightness of the colours, as I went to the source. I couldn't mute all the tones however, as the brief regularly stressed how important the warm, bright, golden hour motif was.
As we see the characters in their work attire as well as their going out clothes, I needed to make two turn arounds for certain characters as the second half of the animation features them in more casual, party clothing.
To keep the warmth in the animation, which the brief asked for, I decided to keep the backgrounds on a stricter colour palette which is made up of orange, yellow and red tones to emphasise the importance of the sunset. This way, the blue and navy colours should make the characters stand out more.
One of the major changes made to this character was that I made her outfit much darker, as to appear more formal and professional. I am hoping this helps makes the characters look less chidish and more adult. I also wanted her to stand out on the backgrounds.
I also changed certain features of the characters based on feedback, such as the eyes and mouth. While the design remains simplistic as that was the vision I originally had, I added lines around her eyes and defined her lips more to make her look older. That way, the advert should be aimed at a more appropriate audience.
As the final scenes at the bar required more people, I designed some secondary characters to interact with the main three. The brief wanted the atmosphere to be bubbly and highlight friendship so I am hoping adding more characters will make that difference. I kept to the Martini colour palette and designed them in the same style so they didn't stand out while interacting with the other characters.
I applied the colours from the characters' palette to the Martini logo for the final shot. However, I don't think we are allowed to make changes to the official logo so we will most likely use the black, red and white logo we have been given.
Sunday, 1 March 2020
Nuneaton Festival of Arts
Another competition I have entered that I feel is the most representative of what I want to do once I graduate, is the Nuneaton Festival of Arts. I used to enter this competition annually however for the past few years, as I have moved away from home, I haven't entered.
The syllabus, which I downloaded and read about halfway through this practice, stated that the piece had to be under 122cm x 76cm, while my painting was 95cm x 95cm. So, I emailed a member of the committee about the limitations, and how flexible they were. After a few weeks, I heard back from them and was given permission to enter my piece this year. If I hadn't, I would have made a smaller frame and trimmed the piece down.
In the past, I have specialised in photo-realism however this year, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with colour and shape, as this could still teach me things that could help with character concept art or mood boards, etc. The final outcome is more abstract.
I am happy with the composition and the depth in the face. I also feel it is important to try new things, even if the outcome isn't very good as it expands my knowledge and experience, and allows me to learn from my mistakes and grow.
I feel I went too far with certain colours however, and I feel the piece is too light in general. As the mood of the piece is quite dark, this should translate through the colour palette. Hopefully, it makes the audience ask questions.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
The syllabus, which I downloaded and read about halfway through this practice, stated that the piece had to be under 122cm x 76cm, while my painting was 95cm x 95cm. So, I emailed a member of the committee about the limitations, and how flexible they were. After a few weeks, I heard back from them and was given permission to enter my piece this year. If I hadn't, I would have made a smaller frame and trimmed the piece down.
In the past, I have specialised in photo-realism however this year, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and experiment with colour and shape, as this could still teach me things that could help with character concept art or mood boards, etc. The final outcome is more abstract.
I am happy with the composition and the depth in the face. I also feel it is important to try new things, even if the outcome isn't very good as it expands my knowledge and experience, and allows me to learn from my mistakes and grow.
I feel I went too far with certain colours however, and I feel the piece is too light in general. As the mood of the piece is quite dark, this should translate through the colour palette. Hopefully, it makes the audience ask questions.
© Emily Kate Mullis 2020
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