Concepts and Contexts: BA1B

I have found that within the industry, technology usded to make animation has changed drastically. 

For example, within 2D animation animators used to only have paper and pencils to draw with on line testers and peg bars. This would take them twice the time it does a 2D digital animator to animate. nowa days 2D animation can be done with a tablet, stylus and computer software. Although the artist has to draw out every frame like the traditional animation, its easier to erase and create layers for each part of the object. 

At the start of the year, I found that you have to create different layers for every part of the body when creating a walk cycle. For example, the legs and arms have to be on a seperate layer to the body because it makes it easier to adjust and make changes to the animation if it needs to be redone. 

Jump experiment 1: 

For my maya work I wanted to experiment with movement. I wanted to test the movement of the character whilst also finding new ways to express the way the character can jump to make it look realistic.

My thoughts:

I think for my first experiment on this, I made a good first attempt. However to improve this I could focus on the legs and add more anticipation to the animation. 

Stop Motion Model Maker: 

When researching about all the different jobs within the industry, I found model making really intresting. I looked on this website and it informed me on what Model makers do and the kind of materials they use: https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/animation/pre-production/modellermodel-maker/

Model Makers Process: 

Their process starts off by creating drawings or sketches of ideas for the character and their frame for the body. From there, the model maker will go on to create the wire frame for the puppet. The wire frame is used to add support to the puppet whilst also allowing it to be moved and shaped. From there the model maker will then add foam or another material to make the shape of the body whilst adding underneath support. The puppet is then shaped and then sent to the costume design department where the puppets clothes and accessories are made. The scale and materials have to be concidered within this process because they want to make a puppet which isn’t too big or too small for the set. The final stages of this process is where they test the model to make sure it can move and bend in any way possible, if not then they can go back and redo parts or add to the model. 

Materials which can be used in Model Making: 

Casting foam, latex, silocone, modeling clay e.g. plasticine. 

Further research on Model makers:

Model makers make physical versions of everything that is seen on screen and translates concept art, character design, environmental designs into models. When creating these characters, they need to concider colour themes and test materials for construction whilst also thinking about the scale of the model in comparison to the sets and props. 

To be a model maker you have to have good understanding of anatomy, and how it works. They also have to have good understanding of communication and understandings of the animation pipelines, aspects of animation production processes and know the capabilities as animators and animation software. 

During the making process they create lots of identical versions of the characters so that they can be moulded for different scenes. They also work closely with concept artists, character designers, riggers and animators as well as working with the director. 

How to become a model maker: 

A model maker can be an entry level job. However, a degree in animation is prefered by employers. You must have a strong portfolio which shows creativity and technical skill, good examples of models and a passion for the industry. Another thing people look for is good professional communication skills. 

Gif by: i-alwayslikedstrangecharacters. 

Animator: 

I found this second job as an animator, Ive had a little bit of experience with animating with different software and have found it very intriguing to see how other animators approach this job. 

Animator process: 

The animator process is longer than some jobs within the animation industry. This is because animators work in frames and have to move the puppet in tiny stages. They start by taking a visual brief from a storyboard and then a verbal breif from a director. From these briefs they create the drawings, models or computer images in a way that gives the illusion of movement. Stop motion animators, work with puppets made from clay or other materials. They move the puppets by tiny amounts, one frame at a time (25fps) and (on twos). The frames get photographed and recorded, as through moving continuously in a sequence. 

Who they work with: 

Animators work with the director or animation director. They base their drawings on what has been storyboarded by the storyboard artist. 

Further research on animators: 

Animators are artists, actors and storytellers. They know how characters show emotion and have a good technical understanding of the way things move. They make a believable world through the blend of realism and artistry. Animators have good knowledge of animation. This means that they understand the 12 principles of animation and know the mechanics of animation. 

Animators often work in large teams, which means they all need to be capable of adhearing to the same look and animation style. 

They must have good communication skills so they are able to  understand and share creative ideas, have productive discussions and take notes on your work. They must have organisation skills so that they can work within the production schedual and create animations to meet deadlines. They must also have a passion for the industry, whether thats watching animations or have a passion for the medium. 

Date I watched the documentry: 28/03/2020. 

Thoughts and findings: 

When watching the documentry I found it interesting to see how animation has developed over time and how every animator interprets things differently. 

I found that David Sproxmen (worked on Morph), struggled with making Morph walk because of Morphs clay, flimsy shape. To overcome this struggle they made Morph look like he was quickly putting his feet down and missing a frame within the sequence. 

Another thing I found interesting was that animated films started out as a way to make cash. Walter R. Booth used to use special effects and did lightning sketches in order to save time and money. He did this by stopping the camera to replace it with a drawing with a real woman. 

He also did cut out animation. 

Terry Gillian was the creator of Monty Python and used cut out animation. 

In 1915, an animation was made during WW1. The end scene had the most detail. The smaller details had a bigger impact on the movement and impacted the viewer emotionally. There was a flash from a ship, whilst then hit the land. As this happens a mother moves to protect her children whilst the son and daughter move to try and cover themselves. 

Animators had to think of other ways to save money, which is why some animators didn’t use a camera. Instead they painted on the film and used patterns to explore movement. 

In the documentry, they talk about this stop motion animation used from clothes and accessories. Clothes 1988- I found a video another artist has made which is similar to the animation they spoke about in the documentry.

Shiny: video by: Daniel Cloud Campos

Animation was also used in the second wold war. In 1942 a new information film woke up the public. This was made by Johm Halas and Joy Batchelor. Filling the Gap. 

Bob Godfrey was another popular animator who inspired a lot of other artists. His work was based on sexist topics. 

Magic Markers were used on paper as another way people could animate. Roobarb the dog was made this way and every frame had to be redrawn. 

Joanna Quinn: 

Joanna made Girls night out and based it off a real life experience about going with some friends to a strip club. 

Joanna also made Britania. Britania was made to explore what makes Britian, Britian. When her ideas were talked about, she got given advice to reduce the amount of ideas she had because there was too much to animate. 

The final product came out as a bulldog taking over the world and ends up becoming a lapdog. 

Down and Out: 1977 David Spraxton. 

Creature Comforts 

Chicken Run 2000- feature film

Short shots= simpiler set ups

British upcycling helped to save money. 

Emma Calder: 

Emma has her studio space in a shed. She likes to play around with different ideas and often her best work comes from challenging movements. 

Website link that I have got research from: https://www.animationuk.org/campaigns/closing-the-skills-gap/

I looked through the skills anaylisis of the animation industry and found some usefull information regarding employment and the animation industry in general. 

Here are a few screenshots from the anaylisis I found: 

From my research I have found that Skwigly is a website who does interviews, QanAs and podcasts with other animation artists. 

I have found an interview between Skwigly and the Farmageddons film producer Paul Kewley. 

Here are some  screenshots from some questions and answers which happened in the interview. 

https://www.skwigly.co.uk/paul-kewley/

Producing Anination: Paul Kewley (”Shaun the sheep: Farmageddon”): 

How did you get involved with working at Aardman as a producer?: 

To which Paul Kewley responded: He did a film producing Masters at UAC in which he got heavly involved with the film industry. Hes interested in storytelling, making films that will travel. He’s become emerged in animation over the last ten years and longer than he thought he would do. 

Another question which was asked was: 

What new challenges did you face with the film?: 

Paul stated that they struggled with the setting of the film because they wanted to expand the world whilst also staying true to Shauns universe. The storytelling quality was really important. 

They made decisions to make the sets bigger whilst making the world more expansive. They looked at space and how they could do that. There were also lots of practical considerations and lots of new challenges for the crew. 

One other question that I thoight was interesting was: 

What makes the characters really appealing to children?:

I looked on the animation sector website again to find some production companies and their job pages. Here is the research that I have found: 

The animated women UK: 

The first industry body I found was the Animated Women UK. This company supports, represents, celebrates and encourages women in the animation and VFX industries in the UK. Their aim is to inspire change through programmes in networking, recruitment, showcasing, mentoring and education, such as the Helen North Achieve programme. 

Screen skills-career maps: 

This company showed the careers there are in the animation industry. They also showed the process in which the animation is made, from development through to delivery and distribution. Covering careers in hand-drawn, computer-generated and stop-motion animation. 

Here are some screenshots from the website that I used for research. Website link: https://www.screenskills.com/media/3232/animation-map-web-2019.pdf

Recruitment pages: 

Jellyfish pictures:

Background info: In 2001 Jellyfish pictures offically launched with a team of three artists and one producer. In 2005 they won their first long form TV series completed on the story of one with Monty Python’s Terry Jones. 

I also found some jobs that Jellyfish pictures are advertising at the moment: 

3D character animators-speculative 

3D generalist-speculative application 

Animation technical assistant- dreamworks animated feature

Animation technical director- animated feature. 

Tamborine sound studios: 

Tamborine sound studios is one of the UK’s leading audio post-production and voice recording studios. They mix technical fluency, creative passion and outstanding production expertise. 

I found that Tamborine sound studios is a team of sound engineers who work with broadcasters, animators and film makers. Clients include some of the worlds most reconised broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Nickelodeon, Netflix and Disney. 

They also offer clients the unique option of managing the entire process. They are one of the most versatile audio post-production companies. 

Blue-zoo Animation: 

Job vacancies at Blue-zoo animation: 

Technical producer-pipeline:

-working with the production and pipeline team helping coordinate the development of production tracking and custom tools. 

2D storyboard internship: 

-no experience nessessary because its a paid learning experience. 

-learn and progress their understanding of creating a production ready storyboarding from script to clean up. 

Modeling internship: 

-No experience needed because its a paid learning experiences. 

-looking for a passionate and self-motivated 3D modeling

Link to website I have taken research from: https://www.animationuk.org/subpages/the-uks-animation-sector-in-profile/?section=industry

In profile (UK): 

The UK is home to some successful centres of animation production throughout the country such as: Belfast, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, London and manchester. 

Programs like Wallace and Gromit, Tree Fu Tom, Noddy, Peppa Pig, Thomas and friends, Shaun the sheep and Horrid Henry were devised, developed and animated in the UK. They were also exported around the world whilst becoming highly lucrative global franchises. 

Animation in the UK has a strong track record in character development and storytelling. The UK is also globally renowned for its expertise in childrens storytelling and design animation. Award winning examples include: Peppa Pig, Charlie and Lola, Shaun the sheep and Gaming app Ludus. 

The UK is a world leader in producing computer-generated animation for computer and video games. It is also home to some of the world’s leading providers of computer-generated visual effects for TV, commercials and feature films. 

From my research I have found that the UK is highly successful at making animated series based on best selling books. E.g. The gruffalo and The snowman. 

I also found that the UK is home to a number of animation festivals and events. (Annual London international animation festival). This festival showcases 250 films selected from more than 2,300 submissions from over 30 countries. 

Link to website I have taken research from: https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/animation/

This link is to a web page which shows you the many careers in animation. I have found a list of all the different job rolls within this industry. These include: 

The production management department: 

Director 

Producer 

Production coordinator

Runner

The development department: 

Writer 

Concept artist

Preproduction department: 

Head of story 

Storyboard artist

Art director 

Character designer 

Modeller/model maker 

Background designer 

Production department: 

Rigger 

Animator

Animation technical Director TD

Layout artist 

Lighting artist

Effects technical director FX TD 

Compositor 

Post-production department:

Sound designer 

Composer 

Editor

Edit assistant 

Distribution department: 

Sales executive 

Marketing executive 

Research into the different rolls which interest me: 

From these job rolls in the production, only a handful stand out to me. I like the sound of the runner as its entry level and from all the industry talks we’ve been having, most animators start as being the runner.

What does the runner do?(production management): 

The runner is one of the most junior members of the department. Their job is to make sure the project is running as smooth as possible. They assist the work of the production management department. Depending on how big the company is, their jobs varies. For example, in smaller companies they support all departments whereas in bigger companies they may specifically help the production coordinator. 

The runners’ responsiblities might also include: 

Taking notes in meetings, distributing reports to the right people.

Logging incoming and outcoming materials. 

Maintaining spreadsheets for tracking work progress and workflows.

Booking travel and accommodation. 

Runners are usually employed by animation studios and dont tend to be freelance. However, they could be employed on a short-term contract. 

You dont need a degree to become a runner and there are many different types of runners. For example, a production runner would work on live-action film and TV drama projects. The skills you can gain from being a production runner can transfer into a runner role in the animation industry. 

There are other rolls as runners in the games industry which could be helpful to gain management skills, working as a VFX runner, production runner or floor runner in the film and TV drama industries. 

What does the modeller/model maker do?( pre-production): 

The model maker is part of the preproduction department. Their roll is to build everything which is either digital or physical versions of all the things seen on screen in an animation. The model maker translates concept art, character designs and environment designs into models ready to be animated. 

There might be model makers dedicated specifically to character modeling or prop modeling. In smaller studios theses are more general rolls. In stop motion animation the roll is called ‘model maker’. In 3D computer- generated animation it’s usually called ‘modeller’. 

Model makers in stop motion:

Model makers make physical models of the characters and other objects out of modeling clay or other materials. They have to create lots of identical versions of the characters to be moulded in different ways for different scenes. Doing this they break the character down into simple, easy to construct shapes. This job can include skills like: 

Sculpting, mould making, casting foam, latex, silicone, fettling, metal working, welding, painting, finishing and costume making. 

Model makers need to concider colour themes and test materials for construction. The scale of the model needs to be concidered also in comparison to the set and props. The head model maker will often be in charge of these decisions. Large studios might also have a model making team leader who supervises a team of model makers. 

Model makers also have to be good at anatomical knowledge. This means they must have good understands of how figures and objects appear. 

What does the animator do?(production):

The animators job is to create still images which are played rapidly to give the illusion of movement. They are artists actors and stoytellers. Animators take a visual brief from the storyboard and a verbal breif from a director. 

Stop motion animators: 

Stop motion animators work with puppets or models made from clay or other materials. Working with these objects, they move them by tiny amounts, one frame at a time so that they can be photographed and recorded. This gives the illusion of movement and realism. When working on a big feature length film, they will hire loads of animators and some will specialise in a particular part to animate in segments. For example, some animators might be good at characters whilst others might be good at charm, comedy or dialogue. 

Animators often work in large teams. This means that they have to be able to addapt to the same animation style and look. They can work for animation studios, tv production companies. film studios or might also be freelancers.