I also continued to paint some pieces in visual journal but if I wish to complete this book I time, I will have to start prioritising this task over my other modules as at the moment, I am not sure I will be able to complete this by the deadline.
Sunday, 24 February 2019
Context of Practice 1 Recap (Week Commencing 18/02/19)
At the beginning of the week, I made some last minute refinements to my Powerpoint slides and then combined them with the other members of the group. On the Thursday, I delivered the presentation with my group and we received feedback on how to improve in the future.
I also continued to paint some pieces in visual journal but if I wish to complete this book I time, I will have to start prioritising this task over my other modules as at the moment, I am not sure I will be able to complete this by the deadline.
I also continued to paint some pieces in visual journal but if I wish to complete this book I time, I will have to start prioritising this task over my other modules as at the moment, I am not sure I will be able to complete this by the deadline.
Animation 2: Process and Production Recap (Week Commencing 18/02/19)
We started this week off with another Maya induction, where we animated both, a realistic and cartoon-like cannon firing a cannon ball. We needed to consider which principles would be present in both versions.
As well as timing, follow-through and overlapping action, and easing which are all seen in the above animation, for the cartoon version I also had to look into exaggeration and anticipation, using squash and stretch tools.
The application kept crashing throughout this process so rather than exporting a clip, I took a screenshot instead.
We also made a 3D and 2D walk cycle, using the puppets we made last week, and a new software, TV Paint.
Half way through the week, we had our last After Effects induction where we learnt how to make the scene 3D by casting shadows by adding lights to the composition.
I also attended an Aardman talk on Thursday where an animator talked about what life is like once in the industry, and the differences between working for a company and becoming a freelancer.
Over the weekend I took some photographs of myself and a friend acting out several different types of walk cycles to animate next week in place of my 3D walk cycle as I wasn't happy with the stop motion outcome so would rather try another technique such as pixilation.
As well as timing, follow-through and overlapping action, and easing which are all seen in the above animation, for the cartoon version I also had to look into exaggeration and anticipation, using squash and stretch tools.
The application kept crashing throughout this process so rather than exporting a clip, I took a screenshot instead.
We also made a 3D and 2D walk cycle, using the puppets we made last week, and a new software, TV Paint.
Half way through the week, we had our last After Effects induction where we learnt how to make the scene 3D by casting shadows by adding lights to the composition.
I also attended an Aardman talk on Thursday where an animator talked about what life is like once in the industry, and the differences between working for a company and becoming a freelancer.
Over the weekend I took some photographs of myself and a friend acting out several different types of walk cycles to animate next week in place of my 3D walk cycle as I wasn't happy with the stop motion outcome so would rather try another technique such as pixilation.
Thursday, 21 February 2019
Study Task 5 - Ways of Thinking
The Planning Process
In groups of three, we were tasked with researching one of the five different ways of thinking. My group, consisting of Demi, Yulia and myself, were assigned 'Brainstorming'. The presentation couldn't run over ten minutes and also had to consist of ten slides, including a title slide and a bibliography.
I began this process by making a group chat and planning the slides before we began researching them so we could assign the slides to each member and then there wouldn't be any overlap.
I then started my research process and began to create the powerpoint. We each approached the task from different angles to make sure we covered more ground. I put the powerpoint together and then had the other members email their slides to me so I could add them to the presentation and reorder them so it flowed better.
Below are the slides I worked on.
I didn't add as much text to this powerpoint compared to my BraveStarr presentation as a note I received was that I had too much information on one slide.
I also changed the font to match and added images so that the presentation looked more whole rather than several slides stuck together.
Link to Powerpoint Presentation
My Script:
*Demi will open the presentation as it will lead into her first slide, followed by Yulia's slide*
Brainstorming expands and challenges your thinking on a topic, however to visualise this and push it even further, people often mind map their thought processes, which is another one of the ways of thinking!
By using this method, the ideas and thoughts become more organised and it's easier to make connections between points as brainstorming is considered more like the first step.
To brainstorm, you let your mind explore multiple possibilities by letting your thoughts go and challenging your creativity.
Then to mind map, you sort through these possibilities and refine certain theories by connecting the dots.
This works best when working in a group as it allows everyone to see where the train of thought is going.
*Another two slides by Yulia and Demi follow this*
As we touched on earlier, some of the most successful methods used while brainstorming in a group are: being able to bounce ideas off of the whole team. Due to the team's varied experience, if one member got stuck, another member may be able to help by offering an idea they hadn't considered.
It also works great as a good team building exercise, and has proven to work better for solving more complex problems than working alone as you can find multiple solutions to any issue raised.
People are also more committed to an idea if they helped develop it.
Studies have proven however that in general, individual brainstorming sessions provide more effective results than group sessions. This may be because people are more likely to expand on their ideas if they don't have to worry about what others think of them.
Because of this, you can challenge your creativity.
It does however lack the wider experience of a group so there may be more dead ends when working alone. So, this method is the most effective when solving simple problems.
*Yulia follows this with one more slide*
Thank you all for listening!
Feedback
The total presentation took between six and seven minutes to deliver. In hindsight, because we finished early, this would have been a good time to ask the class if they had any questions.
We were given feedback after the presentation which included:
In groups of three, we were tasked with researching one of the five different ways of thinking. My group, consisting of Demi, Yulia and myself, were assigned 'Brainstorming'. The presentation couldn't run over ten minutes and also had to consist of ten slides, including a title slide and a bibliography.
I began this process by making a group chat and planning the slides before we began researching them so we could assign the slides to each member and then there wouldn't be any overlap.
I then started my research process and began to create the powerpoint. We each approached the task from different angles to make sure we covered more ground. I put the powerpoint together and then had the other members email their slides to me so I could add them to the presentation and reorder them so it flowed better.
Below are the slides I worked on.
I didn't add as much text to this powerpoint compared to my BraveStarr presentation as a note I received was that I had too much information on one slide.
I also changed the font to match and added images so that the presentation looked more whole rather than several slides stuck together.
Link to Powerpoint Presentation
My Script:
*Demi will open the presentation as it will lead into her first slide, followed by Yulia's slide*
Brainstorming expands and challenges your thinking on a topic, however to visualise this and push it even further, people often mind map their thought processes, which is another one of the ways of thinking!
By using this method, the ideas and thoughts become more organised and it's easier to make connections between points as brainstorming is considered more like the first step.
To brainstorm, you let your mind explore multiple possibilities by letting your thoughts go and challenging your creativity.
Then to mind map, you sort through these possibilities and refine certain theories by connecting the dots.
This works best when working in a group as it allows everyone to see where the train of thought is going.
*Another two slides by Yulia and Demi follow this*
As we touched on earlier, some of the most successful methods used while brainstorming in a group are: being able to bounce ideas off of the whole team. Due to the team's varied experience, if one member got stuck, another member may be able to help by offering an idea they hadn't considered.
It also works great as a good team building exercise, and has proven to work better for solving more complex problems than working alone as you can find multiple solutions to any issue raised.
People are also more committed to an idea if they helped develop it.
Studies have proven however that in general, individual brainstorming sessions provide more effective results than group sessions. This may be because people are more likely to expand on their ideas if they don't have to worry about what others think of them.
Because of this, you can challenge your creativity.
It does however lack the wider experience of a group so there may be more dead ends when working alone. So, this method is the most effective when solving simple problems.
*Yulia follows this with one more slide*
Thank you all for listening!
Feedback
The total presentation took between six and seven minutes to deliver. In hindsight, because we finished early, this would have been a good time to ask the class if they had any questions.
We were given feedback after the presentation which included:
- Proof read the powerpoint (there was an issue which has since been fixed, where an image covered some text)
- Treat the powerpoint like an essay - reference within the slides (by adding dates) to show where each quote came from
Monday, 18 February 2019
Study Task 7 - Basic Pitch Bible
For this task, we needed to make a basic pitch bible. I began this process by planning the layout of my presentation, and also sketching a rough idea for my cover art, as I knew I wanted this piece to open my presentation.
Overnight, I outlined and block coloured the characters present in my cover art ready to add to the first slide of my presentation that was due the next morning.
Below is the first draft of my pitch bible, which I will later refine based on the feedback I receive in the lesson.
I wasn't given any notes regarding my pitch bible. I was however, advised to:
Overnight, I outlined and block coloured the characters present in my cover art ready to add to the first slide of my presentation that was due the next morning.
Below is the first draft of my pitch bible, which I will later refine based on the feedback I receive in the lesson.
I wasn't given any notes regarding my pitch bible. I was however, advised to:
- source images from 1920s Coventry to make sure the setting is historically accurate
- make the expressions more exaggerated (stretch eyes and scrunch nose for example)
Study Task 6 - Analogue Character Modelling and Realisation
For this task, I printed a 25cm tall version of my turn around art board so I could use it as a reference to create a 3D model.
In the first armature session, I built the skeleton of my puppet by twisting wire in the shape of the character.
In the next session, I began carving sculpting foam to build up the shape of my character, which I then bandaged so that the plasticine had something to stick to.
Before the last session, I returned to metal work and cut my rod down so the character stood on the base and didn't float in the air.
In the final session, I added the plasticine to my armature model. It took several attempts to sculpt the face, and twice I started from scratch, which meant I had to attend an extra session to finish the puppet in time.
I did notice an improvement between my first puppet and last however I am still not happy with the finished outcome. I feel my design is partly to blame as while I were creating my protagonist, I didn't consider how it would translate from a 2D design into a 3D model so if I were to redo this task from the beginning, I would make my original design a little more exaggerated and cartoon-like rather than realistic.
As the images show, it took several attempts at moulding the head before I was somewhat satisfied with the outcome as the longer I worked into the plasticine, the more heated it became which mean it was more difficult to work with as the heat made the material tacky and sticky.
I am however, pleased with the texture of the fur and the detail in the ruffled frill around the skirt.
I think she looks best from her profile so if I have a choice when it comes to animating the walk cycle, I will film it from a side on perspective.
In the first armature session, I built the skeleton of my puppet by twisting wire in the shape of the character.
In the next session, I began carving sculpting foam to build up the shape of my character, which I then bandaged so that the plasticine had something to stick to.
Before the last session, I returned to metal work and cut my rod down so the character stood on the base and didn't float in the air.
In the final session, I added the plasticine to my armature model. It took several attempts to sculpt the face, and twice I started from scratch, which meant I had to attend an extra session to finish the puppet in time.
I did notice an improvement between my first puppet and last however I am still not happy with the finished outcome. I feel my design is partly to blame as while I were creating my protagonist, I didn't consider how it would translate from a 2D design into a 3D model so if I were to redo this task from the beginning, I would make my original design a little more exaggerated and cartoon-like rather than realistic.
As the images show, it took several attempts at moulding the head before I was somewhat satisfied with the outcome as the longer I worked into the plasticine, the more heated it became which mean it was more difficult to work with as the heat made the material tacky and sticky.
I am however, pleased with the texture of the fur and the detail in the ruffled frill around the skirt.
I think she looks best from her profile so if I have a choice when it comes to animating the walk cycle, I will film it from a side on perspective.
I recorded my walk cycle however was limited by the movement in the dress and the position of the bolt in her back. The movement was also too fast so I slowed her footage down so that it was 8fps and looked a little more realistic.
Animation 2: Process and Production Recap (Week Commencing 11/02/19)
Tasks Completed:
On Monday, we had another animating session in Maya in which we focused on the graph editor.
We were also given a series of settings to choose from, and were encouraged to experiment with building one. I chose the western town scenario.
Unfortunately Maya crashed, yet this was the last screenshot I was able to take. I am incredibly happy with what I have learned this lesson and from there, I also had the confidence to restart and finish Study Task 5.
In Tuesday's lesson, I presented my pitch bible to the class, and also made a poster for my cover art.
I then continued to build my puppet in the armature and model making class.
Intentions:
Next week I believe we will start to look into walk cycles. As well as these sessions, I may need to also request a lesson in lip syncing as my animation will also feature this yet I am inexperienced.
On Monday, we had another animating session in Maya in which we focused on the graph editor.
We were also given a series of settings to choose from, and were encouraged to experiment with building one. I chose the western town scenario.
Unfortunately Maya crashed, yet this was the last screenshot I was able to take. I am incredibly happy with what I have learned this lesson and from there, I also had the confidence to restart and finish Study Task 5.
In Tuesday's lesson, I presented my pitch bible to the class, and also made a poster for my cover art.
I then continued to build my puppet in the armature and model making class.
Intentions:
Next week I believe we will start to look into walk cycles. As well as these sessions, I may need to also request a lesson in lip syncing as my animation will also feature this yet I am inexperienced.
Context of Practice 1 Recap (Week Commencing 11/02/19)
This week, I continued painting pieces in my visual journal and also started to refine the powerpoint for the presentation next week.
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