Animatic ver 2

Here's version 2 of my animatic. I've made some slight changes to them either cutting or lengthening some shots.

Unit 4: Story Telling- Deck chair prop designs

Here is my deckchair prop designs. I've chosen to just make a plain stripped pattern on the chair based on an image from the top left. However it only appears in a few brief shots in the animation which the fisherman sits on. I'm liking designs 2 and 5 as they look more suitable for a fisherman to sit on.

Female fish colour test 2

Based on using colour designs 2, 3 &4, I've decided to combine these to form another set of colour designs. So far I am liking numbers 2, 4 and 5 as they seem alot brighter than the others.

Based on colour designs 2, 3 & 4

Unit 4: Story telling- female fish refinements & colour

Based on using designs from fish number 5, I've also experimented in expanding the size of the eyes based on design 1. I've also included a small colour sheet to go with them. I'm liking numbers 3 and 8 because of the "feminine" colours and also thinking about how they can contrast with the other fish characters colours.

refinements and colour tests

based on designs 3 and 8

"A Fishy Tale" Animatic

Here's my first practice in making an animatic using the stills from my storyboard. I've a few shots in the animatic just to make things look more clearer. Apologies!! Its nearly 2 mins long but will try and figure out which shots needs to be cut out. I'm not really good with sound/music but feedback and opinions would be greatly appreciated. ^_^

Female Fish designs

Here are some fish designs for my female fish characters which the Bulky fish character dreams of being pampered by them. They're based on the betta crown, Japanese and Siamese fighting fish. For some inspiration suggested by Tutor Phil, I've also looked at the dancing fish scene from Fantasia. Looking at these helped me come up with these designs:

Unit 4: Story telling- Small fish colour test

Here are some colour test samples for my small fish character. I've also added the some different suits to the character to see would they "suit" them. ^_^ So far I am liking numbers 2 and 3 without suits and number 8 with the suit on as I feel they could be the opposite colour of the bulky fish.

colour test

All suited up!! :D

Unit 4: Story telling- small fish expressions

Here is my latest refinements for my small fish character. I've included some expressions that would be used in my animation.

Unit 4: Storyboards

Here are my story boards for my film, I had to split the boards in two as it was too big to fit in the scanner! So I've pieced them back together, there are also some shots that appear to be "out of place" or outside the main boards and while I was working on them, I've added these using sticky notes so apologies for that!! :S

Act 1 Scene1 and Act 2 Scene 2 in one board

End of Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

Premiere Pro- Week 5

Today we did some practising on creating titles and credits along with green screening methods. We took some various clips, removed the green screen using the chroma key and added some titles and credits that would come useful to our films. It was fun!! :D

Unit 4: Storytelling- Small fish refinements

Small fish refinement

Here I have made refinements to the small fish. Using the feedback, I've tried to mix in designs 4 and 10 together. I've taken number 10's body structure, a bit of its cheeks and mouth before adding number 4's eyes and refining them. Let me know what yous think!! ^_^ 

Designs 4 and 10 with the latest design.

Unit 4: Storytelling- female fish

Here I have drawn several designs for the female fish that will appear in the Big fish's dreams. I've mostly looked at Shark's Tale, Finding Nemo and Tom and Jerry for the body structure. So far, I am liking number 11, 12 and 13 as their body are defined feminine.

Life Drawing Class: Week 14

Today following last week's lesson with foreshortening, we also focused on the dynamics of the body. So to start the lesson we did some quick sketches of the body in various poses. Though the colours seems a bit faded, I was mostly concentrating in different ways in making it look dynamic.

Quick sketches

 Later as an experiment, we were given some charcoal to again create some dynamic rather than curves on the images. I was really pleased with the the second image on the right where the model is on one knee as the proportions look about right and it is given a sense that he's onto close ground.

charcoal sketches

As part of another experiment, we were given some sticky sugar paper which using these with water, we have to shape out the body and draw out the outlines on top of them. I find this really fun and quite easy to blocking out shapes. Though trouble was that it took quite a lot of time to dry them before adding the charcoal on top of them especially when they need to be done within 30 mins! :S

Sugar paper and charcoal

Again to play on foreshortening, we had to work on the floor. We had a choice of either using the sticky paper or draw them out using pencil/charcoal. I chose to use the sticky paper and charcoal as they're really fun to work with! Though there wasn't enough time to complete the image because of the wet/dryness of the paper so I had to do what I can. I'm quite happy with the left foot but the right foot appears to be a bit distorted and smaller than the other foot. Still, it was fun working with a different type of media!

Sugar paper and charcoal

Unit 4: Storytelling- Small fish silhouettes

Here are more silhouette designs for my small fish character to suit with the big fish. I've tried experimenting with the structure and faces to show he's not afraid of the big fish. So far I am liking number 10 because of the facial expression and the stance he's in.

Unit 4: Storytelling- Character final concept designs?

Here are the chosen final designs for the big fish alongside with the small fish in the hotel scene. I’ve used colour designs 4 and 11 for the big fish and the small fish with the suit on. I’ve also added an image of it without the suit to see would it appear better with or without it- Feedback on this would be appreciated and loved!! ^_^

1) Big fish based on colour test 11

2) Big fish based on colour test 11 with small fish without suit 

 3) Big fish based on colour test 4 with small fish without suit  

4) Big fish based on colour test 4 with small fish wearing suit  

Unit 4: Storytelling- Concept designs

Here are some concept designs for my fish hotel scenes. The first image is of the hotel taken from outside for the beginning of my animation. The second is where most of the action takes place with the big fish and small fish fighting for to be first. I’m really happy with the outcome of the first image as I feel that the blues and the rock textures worked well. But with the second image I was quite happy with it at first but realised that I’ve left the window. I’ve added it in only to have alot of the width image shrink to fit the 16:9 ratio. 

Outside the hotel 

original without the window

added window and before 16:9 ratio change

after changing to 16:9 ratio  

Rear Window (1954) Review

Film poster

Rear Window, directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a suspense film starring James Stewart as L. B. "Jeff" Jeffries, Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont, Raymond Burr as Lars Thorwald and Thelma Ritter as Stella. The film is originally based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder".
The film tells the story of Jeff being confined to a wheelchair after being involved in a photography accident and so to pass time, he looks out of his apartment window which overlooks into neighboring apartments.

Jeff’s window overlooking the other apartments.

To begin the film, visual story telling is used which the camera pans around the characters living around the apartments doing their own activities outside the hot weather. The camera then pans to Jeff’s face before panning around his room and pictures before and after his accident until it gets to his leg cast and him confined in a wheel chair. However, it is noticeable that the camera never moves away from Jeff’s apartment but is aligned to Jeff’s point of view as mentioned by reviewer, CPea from Timeout London- Film Reviews, “the camera never strays from inside Stewart's apartment, and every shot is closely aligned with his point of view.”(Cpea, 2008). However match on match editing is frequently seen between Jeff and mostly of the outside apartments.

The film is sometimes known to be a metaphor for watching films and using the “peeping tom” phrase as described by film critic Charles Taylor from Salon, ““Rear Window” can be seen as a metaphor for watching movies, but it should be said that the metaphor only goes so far. There’s a big difference between peeping at strangers and watching a movie that’s been made for the express purpose of being watched. But Hitchcock was uniquely suited to explore what Grace Kelly refers to in the film as “rear-window” ethics.” (Taylor, 2000) however, the term peeping Tom and Jeff’s “rear window” is later defined in the film. The other residents living around the apartments is also a metaphor towards the possible outcomes of the relationship between Lisa and Jeff, such as a newlywed couple moves into the apartment at the beginning of the film only to row and split up at the end.

Thorwald using a knife to “kill” his wife?

The film is successful in story plot as the only way to build suspense with a character who’s stuck in one place and only looks out of the window for “escapism” is the suspicions made by Jeff which he witness one of the residents, a salesman murders his wife. This suspicion grows as more characters become more involved like the likes of Lisa, his nurse Stella and police detective, Tom Doyle. It is shows the true nature of these characters like Lisa who appears as a woman who wouldn’t perform dare devil tricks but in the end does so as described by Vincent Canby for the New York Times, “The suspense of the film is provided by Jeff's growing suspicion that the jewelry salesman (Raymond Burr) who lives across the way has murdered and dismembered his wife. The film's comedy is provided by Lisa's showing that, when the chips are down, she's as capable of breaking-and-entering a possible murderer's apartment, scaling a wall to do so, as she is of wearing couture gowns. Jeff's delight in Lisa matches our delight in Miss Kelly.” (Canby, 1983)

Jeff using his photography camera 

List of Illustrations:


MovieGurur (2010) Film Poster (online):
http://www.movieposterdb.com/poster/a3d2fd71 - (accessed on 15/02/2012)
Malone, Sarah (2010) Jeff’s window overlooking the other apartments (online):
http://brightwalldarkroom.tumblr.com/post/434949525/rear-window-1954- (accessed on 15/02/2012)
James (2011) Thorwald using a knife to “kill” his wife? (online):
http://underthegunreview.net/2011/12/07/reasonable-remakes-rear-window/- (accessed on 15/02/2012)
aceblack1965 (2010) Jeff using his photography camera (online):
http://www.theaceblackblog.com/2012/01/movie-review-rear-window-1954.html- (accessed on 15/02/2012)
Bibliography:
CPea (2008) Rear Window (1954) (online):
http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/76472/rear_window.html - (accessed on 15/02/2012)
Taylor, Charles (2000) Rear Window (online):
http://www.salon.com/2000/01/21/rear_window/ - (accessed on 15/02/2012)
Canby, Vincent (1983) Rear Window- Still a Joy (online):
http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/100983hitch-window-reflect.html- (accessed on 15/02/2012)

Unit 4: Big fish Colour tests

Here is some colour samples for the big arrogant fish character. So far I'm liking colour figures 11 and 12 with the dark colours that would go well for a bad character.

Unit 4: Big fish Development refinement

Here I've made refinements to the big fish character based on my previous development of figure 4, I have added in some facial expressions that would be used in the animation. To create these expressions, I've looked at Preston Blair's Advanced Animation.

developments from figure 4

Unit 4: Big fish Development 2

Using the basis of design 6, I've tried to create the arrogant appearence by either changing the eyes and jaws as well as changing the body posture by looking at Preston Blair's Advanced Animation. Feedback would be much loved!! ^_^



Based on design 6



Premiere Pro: editing weeks 1-3

Introduction into editing, transitions and effects

(experimenting with effects and transitions)

Experimenting with editing

Editing practice

Unit 4: Bulky fish silhouettes 2

More Bulky fish silhouettes and designs based on looking at Tom and Jerry cartoons. I'm thinking of not adding clothing to the fish as it'll probably look better without them.

Unit 4: Big fish influences 2

Looking more closely at the body structure and facial expressions of various cartoon fish mostly from Tom and Jerry cartoons.

Unit 4: Story telling: Maya Paper clip and Felix Jnr

paper clip swing

Felix Jnr Instillation

Unit 4: Story-telling: Screenplay draft 3

Here is draft 3 of my screenplay, I'va made changes to the hotel name and the elevator, and the ending of the story. I've also added a bit of an introduciton to the story with an ouside view of the hotel. I'm still deciding over what to have in the Big fish vs Little Fish sequence.

Screenplay draft 3

Unit 4: Storytelling- Big Fish vs Little Fish

Taking on the feedback from TutorPhil about looking at physical humour, pratfalls and farce elements. I've taken some ideas after watching Taz Mania, Tweety and Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote and RoadRunner, Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry cartoons for this.

Big fish vs Little fish ideas

Maya: Pan, Crane, Roll, Dolly, Pitch shots and Car scene

Pan Shot

Crane Shot

Roll Shot

Dolly Shot

Pitch Shot

Car Scene Sequence

Car Camera Shake Sequence

Life Drawing Class: week 13

Quick 60 sec sketches

Today was our first day of life drawing class since Christmas. We only have one model in today and so to warm us up, we did the usual 60sec or few mins sketches of the body. We also had to focus on making the drawings look like they flow with curves. I still have difficulty in grasping this but think I'll need to do more practise on this as I've noticed that I kept adding more sketchy lines in the get the image right.





Next we did an hour's draw of what we think expression is in art form. For me, I thought of cubist or shapes style like Picasso's. Whilst doing this, we also had to focus on perspectives so we either could sit or stand to draw. I chose to sit down and drew from a low level. I'm happy with the result of this image as when drawing the image I can make out the shapes of the body.

Lastly we did another drawing of the same brief. Again I chose to sit down and draw from a low level. This time, I think that I should exaggerate the shapes a bit more as when displaying my previous image, from a distance the shapes disappeared. The left leg proved quite a challenge to draw due to its shape and angle, I've also figured that the position of the leg to the chin appears to form a line. This helped me into getting the proportions and angles right as well as knowing where the perception is. I'm very happy with the result.

Unit 4: Interim Online Review- Part 1

unit 4 OGR

Unit 4: Interim Online Review- Part 2

Unit 4 OGR Part 2

Unit 4: Storytelling- First set of storyboards

The first set of storyboards is made!! Still more to come!!

Unit 4: Storytelling- Scene development

Here is my scene developments for the hotel. The painting on the wall is just basically a fish "fishing" for food underwater just for a random fun thing. So far I'm really happy with how the lighting and the tree plant worked out though its just the rest of the scene's colours and tones that need more working with.

Unit 4: Possible concept art?

I have came up with this concept art but am thinking of changing this as not much information is given when relating to my story plot. But still, it was one of the quickest ones to draw and come up with for fun! :D

Unit 4: Storytelling- Big fish development

Here is the Big fish's character development. Using the feedback from classmates, I've decided to combine silhouettes 1 and 8 together to form this character. I've also lowered the spinal (fin?) down a bit to fit in the body structure. I've decided to go for fig 1 as my chosen character as the colours fit in well of a high class. Below them are some charcter facial expressions.

Unit 4: Storytelling- small fish development

I've managed to develop the small fish character. At first, I liked fig 1 but seemed that it looked too "froggy" so option 2 seemed ideal especially with the black jacket. Underneath those are a few character expressions. More will be up soon!!