Super Animation Things BA2a

Character Performance This week I finished my lip syncing animations, I was able to add in a title to the animation and I had the characters blurred out in the background, I have them slowly become more focused as the text fades off screen I though this looked affective and I am really happy with how it turned out. I was also able to do my experimentation reel showing all of the work I had put into this project. I wanted to show everything I had done for the character design to some of the failed attempts I had done. I felt that this project had gone better then I had originally anticipated it would. I was really worried about this project as lip syncing is definitely a weaker area for me. I felt that the lips could be slightly better in the overall look but for a first proper attempt that I have done myself with only advice from my teacher I feel really proud. I also really like the actions I had created, I put most of the attempts in my experimentation reel because you can really see the changes I had made between each making it better each time. If I could go back I could have looked as some more actions I could have made or had Mick slowly walk off screen to go with the actions he had done before but I am still happy with my finished product and have learnt so much about after effects.  

Mythological Creatures This week I was able to finished my Mythological Creatures project. To start the week off I edited the walk cycle of my ghost in the transformation animation as I found that I hadn't finished drawing the characters as I had originally planed it to look. Also the turn needed to have more key frames as it was slightly to jump so needed a frame to make it slower and more graceful. Finally with the aura I had created in the background with my character I had to make that in a new photoshop document as I needed it to make it move more, especially after talking to my teacher last week on things I could do to improve my work. The next day I moved on to the ghost animation and editing it, I changed the head rotation having it start turning before the rest of the body giving it the momentum for the move. I was also able to find sounds and add them to my animation along with a title. With the sounds I wanted to make it dark and creepy so to get inspiration I did some research into horror games listening to the sound so I could see what they did to help build tension and make players panic and worry in the most important parts of the game. After looking at the games sound, I wanted to have quite whispers when the ghost is on screen. I also wanted to have the wind blowing and have that mixed with a dark atmosphere sound which I was able to find, I had to work with the sound levels to get the right combination of wind which was really loud and the dark atmosphere so it all worked well. Finally with the sound I had heavy breather at the end when the ghost has vanished as I wanted it to sound like a persons reaction like they have just witnessed this and we are seeing the events thought that persons eyes. The title I wanted to make clear and I want the same font and colour throughout all three animations, I want to use the titles to show the order of watching them and where I got the sound for the animation from. Following all of that I then moved on to finishing my bible sheets. I had to do the title page presenting my characters in both forms and the name of my creature. I also had to edit a few of my sheets like my storyboards, once I had finished all of that I then put all of the sheets into a PDF document showing all of my work and what I had planned to make my characters. On Tuesday I was then able to reanimate my stop motion armature, I was really worried about the green reflecting up on my armature again especially as thats why I needed to reanimate. After talking to the technicians about the lighting as I found I wasn’t setting my lighting up in the best way I wasn’t defining the background mid- ground and fore- ground so they helped me set up all of my lighting and it was really interesting to learn how to improve my stop motion with the lighting, I intend to research stop motion even more as I really want to learn more about how to improve my stop motion skill. I felt that the re- shoot when okay I wanted to be more exterminative with this version but to start with I wanted to get the walk cycle perfect so that was my practice and after watching it back really liked it and thought it looked good so I wanted to use that for my transformation animation. With the solo wolf animation I wanted to slow it down and make the movement more defined, the part I wanted to pay attention to the most was the tail as that was my favourite part of the last attempt. When I got to the end I decided to experiment with the movement of the wolf but having it chase its tail slightly. I felt like I hurried it to much as I felt if I had more time I could have made it look much better as it looks like the wolf was able to catch its tail but it would have been better if I had more time to exaggerate the movement and have it speed up to catch its tail and hold on to it maybe play with it before letting go. After I had finished animating I edited the walk cycle to add to the Transformation animation, I went though the same process to remove the green screen and have the actually background in place. I still had to use a mask to remove the white paper I had used to stop the green from reflecting up but did work to some extent but where was some green that go to my puppet. Once I had masked everything and made sure the green screen was covered I then added it to the ghost part as I could add in the title which I made sure was the same font and colour as the ghost animation. Finally I added sound, I used the same sound for the ghost again as it worked well and I wanted the sounds I used for the wolf to contrast those of the ghost so for the wolf I had birds tweeting and leaves crinkling and finally I added the sound of a dog panting as I fought it worked well and made my armature look cuter. Yesterday I finished off the project I started but editing my new wolf animation this took a while as I really wanted to get the editing right, I had to use a lot of masks to make sure the white wasn’t seen and I had to make sure any patches that weren’t keyed out. After a while I didn’t feel as happy with the animation as I would have liked to but I am still proud of what I was able to create I just wish that I know more techniques to cover up mistake or ways to make the animation slower as it was a little fast and I did find a way to slow it down but I am sure that there is an easier way that would work better. I finally put the title on to my animation with the repeatedly used font and colour. With the sound I also used the same sound I used for my wolf in the transformation animation, but I also added the wind I had used for the ghost as I felt it was a little to quite I just had to make the wind quite in comparison to the rest of it but I felt it all worked well together. Finally for this project I did my experimentation reel which showed all of my progress and all of the work I had put in. Overall I am really proud of this whole project I feel that I have been able to make some good work and that I have leant a lot about stop motion and I am looking forward to using these new skills I have learnt from this project on future ones.

Narrative Strategies This week I was able to do my final story and essay. With my story I had to cut down on words so I was within the word count, this had been a big problem for this projects as I just wanted to keep writing and add in more information to my story making it longer and more intriguing. I was able to do it though I was able to get the word count down and make it a more appropriate length, that is required for this project. With the essay I had to talk to my lecturer about what I can do to improve my essay and make it sound more formal and appropriate as I had never written a critical reflection essay before and I wasn’t sure how to lay it out. I was given some really helpful points on how I can improve my essay and what words would be best to change to make it sound more formal. I have felt that is project went well I really enjoy the whole of it. I especially like being able to write a story based off of one of my favourite books and having the freedom to choose what I wrote my story about and how it connected to the text. I felt that my story could have been more unique as I could have chosen a more subtle element of the text I could have adapted but overall I am still really happy with what I have created and I am even happy with the critical reflection as it is the first one I have written and after doing some research felt more confident with how I was going to write it and the kind of research I needed to have in it.    

I was able to finish my experimentation reel for my mythological creatures. I wanted to involve as much of my work as possible to make sure I could show everything I did during this project. I couldn't show the whole process of the armature making but I was still able to show the finished armature and all the different bible sheets along with my different attempts at the three animation.

To finish off my lip syncing I added a title to show the name of the animation. I also have my characters in the back ground blurred out and as the title is fading out I had the characters come into focus before the whole animations start. I am really happy with this title as I think it works well and it round up the whole animation.

This is my finished wolf animation, I was finally able to get around to editing my newest stop motion attempt. I keyed out the green screen and found that like with my other attempt the the white paper did help to some extent and I looked better then the last version. I still had to use a few masks to remove so of the green screen that I could remove completely with keying as it would remove to much of my stop motion armature. I was also able to add in the title using once again the same colour and font as it links all of my animations together. With regards to the sound I am using the same sounds as the transformation animation, birds tweeting, dog panting and leaves crinkling. I also put the wind sound I had used for the ghost animation in and just lowered the volume as I felt it works with the animation and makes the sounds seem less disjointed. I am really happy with this animation and I am happy I was able to get them all finished in time.

I was able to edit my wolfs walk cycle into my transformation animation. I had to key out the green screen and luckily the white did work to some extent, I still had to use a mask in some areas and it took a little while to mask out the white paper but I am really happy with how this looks I feel like it look much better know the walk cycle is cleaner. I was also able to add in the sound, for the ghost I just used the same sounds as I did for the ghost solo animation and for the wolf I could sounds of leaves crinkling, birds tweeting and dog panting I found all of these sounds worked well for the cute wolf idea that I wanted to show for this half for my creatures form. Finally of the title I made sure to use the same colour and font. I had it also fade out like I did with the ghost animation I really liked this title I is my favourite out of the two so far as I though it would look effective having the writing in the corner next to the tree. 

I choose in the end to add a title to my animations as I felt it would add to the whole look and I can also state where I got my sound front and I feel it rounds off my animation nicely I am really happy with this especially as I haven't don't much 2D animation and I would like to try it more. 

This is a test animation I did I was thinking about having my wolf chase its tail but I want to sure how to make that as I was unsure how the feet movement would go or if my armature would turn enough to do that. After doing this quick practice I found I really wanted to give it a proper go but I was out of time and was only just able to do this quickly but I would love to give animating this another go but for know I am content with this animation and I feel the basic moves I have started with work well and its clear to see what the wolf is doing I just wish I had show it catching its tail a bit clearer have it move the tail around a bit or something but I am happy I was able to do a little testing and I might try to do some more at another point.  

This is my second attempt at the solo wolf animation. I was really nervous about re- doing this animation as I was really happy with the previous version. I wanted to be as carful as possible and I also had to use white paper to stop the green screen from reflecting on to my puppet again this time. I decided to change this one up a bit as it will give me a change to try new moves out so I had my wolf pause to start for a little longer with its tail wagging before moving to sit down. I like this animation I have done and I am proud of different parts of it, overall I think I prefer the other one a little bit more as I think the movement is smoother but I am still happy with this animation and I was good practice to attempt animating more and I am happy to be able to do it.  

This is my reshoot of my walk cycle, I wanted to do a test walk cycle to remind myself how it should move. Once I had finished I actually really liked it so have chosen to use this a the one I will use for my transformation animation as I think it will work well and I an really happy with the look of the walk cycle. 

Today I reanimated my wolf and after taking to the technicians I found that I haven't been setting up the lighting correctly I wasn’t defining the background, mid- ground and fore- ground. I was really grateful for the help with the lighting and it has made me want to learn far more about stop motion, so I know what I am doing and I am clear on what I need to do. 

Finally today I was also able to do my experimentation reel. I made sure to choose the work that shows my progress and that my animation has improved each time I have edited it. I am really happy with my experimentation reel as I enjoying seeing how far I have come with all of my work and what the first attempt looks like verse the final finished animation 

I was also able to finished all of my bible sheets today, I had done most of them though out the project but I went back to check them and make sure everything sounded correct and there weren’t any mistakes. I had to still do my title page and I needed to change my first storyboard and I was able to do that. I am really happy with my bible sheets. I especially like my cast sheet I think I works really well with showing the two different sides to my creature.

Today I was able to finished my essay. I took in all the notes I was given on how to improve it and what areas I should work on as I wanted it to be a good standard. I was also able to finished the Harvard Referencing which did take a while as I wanted to make sure I go it all right and I didn’t accidentally mess it up as it is really hard to remember what to write with the referencing. I am really happy I was able to get this all do and I like my essay I think it sounds good for the fist critical reflection essay I have ever written.   

This is my finished story I am really happy with it I was finally able to get it under the word count which I am super pleased with. I am glad I got it finished and I feel I have learnt so much whist writing this story and I have been able to improve my writing skill a lot.  

Today I was able to edit my ghost animation and add in sound. I started but changing the head having it start to move first and then having the body follow as the movement then looked more natural and less like the ghost is stood on a turn table. I also go ride of the last two black out moments and instead just had the ghost slowly get closer to the camera. I felt that this would add more tension to the film if it ends with the ghost being really close up and then disappearing. With the sounds I choose to have wind and it is in the forest and I feel it would work well and I used a dark atmosphere sound and worked with the sound levels to find a nice in-between with the wind and the atmosphere that would sound really good. I also added in quiet whispers as that is the kind of sound I wanted the ghost to make and I feel that it all works really well together. Finally at the end when the which has disappeared I added a heavy breathing sound like the audience has just witnessed this though another persons eyes and the heavy breathing is their reaction to having come across the ghost. I an considering adding a title to the animation but I want to see how the others go and weather it would be worth putting a title on them all well and I would want all of the title to match.