LAUAN503 - Weekly 7

Tale Telling

This week, I was working on the scale and testing out the materials. The group has fallen behind on time target already since the change of the script and MAF week, what reflects at the group presentations. We have only just shown the 2D section of Briony's animatic to the class with a first draft of the sound that I put together. We still need to put together the Stop Motion animatic but with all the catching up and the other modules it is being pushed aside. Although it being Stop Motion, with the clear storyboards we have, I think we can get away with it for now as long as the set and puppet are being build and we have something to animate :).

At the moment I am counting on a quick shoot once the set, props and puppet are done. Finally, I had a chance to see the first mock-up of the puppet what set my mind to peace about the scale of the set and the piano that will stand grand in the middle. Originally I have booked the Stop Motion studio from the 3rd December for 2 weeks. But that has changed now for the 5th December. That is only just over a week away. I hope I can charge my batteries and make the set happen in the short time. 

Working out the scale of the set.

Rolling the clay for a test batch of tiles.

My dog's har got about everywhere, probably would not recommend to build the set in the same room.

Test tiles and piano armature tested against the first puppet mock-up in the scale. 

Figuring out the height of the piano to fit the size of the puppet.

Glueing the tiles and sanding down any bigger imperfections. 

Research 2

Stop Motion - dealing with limitations of the technique

Appropriate size

The size of a set is important not only so that it can fit into the room. But also, the set up of lighting, camera access and access of the animator to all moving parts is crucial. At the Manchester Animation Festival 2018, Barry Purves has shared several amusing stories from his experience as an animator with various sets.

At MAF 2018 Tim Allen, Key Animator for the Isle of Dogs &  Roy Bell, Head of Painting department, also explained how the perspective was used to trick the scale of the set in this film. By manipulating the size of texture and tricking the viewer to see bigger scape. This technique can be seen at 1:30 min.

Whilst also showing that if something is not in the shot it does not have to be done/made. For example, no point of making a roof in a room if it will not be in the shot, will restrict camera/lights. But the shadows a ceiling would naturally cast on the walls must be considered as important or if no importance to the story aesthetics.

For my set, I want to have detachable walls. Not only as I will be likely building the set at home where I can work until late hours and to allow transportation of finished piece. But also to allow camera access from all required angles as well as the lighting access. Since the set is not going to be big enough to contain the lights, or the camera in itself.

In the future I would like to try the perspective tricks, considering the size of our Stop Motion studios it seems handy. :)

LAUAN503 - Weekly 6

Tale Telling
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Manchester Animation Festival week

 I was making some air drying clay 'Business Cards' for MAF and it occurs to me, I can use it in the set build if I go for the tiled floor. Pixel was keeping an eye on me.

This week was a little different to the previous ones. 

• Monday started with my intern. as usual. 
• Tuesday - Thursday I were away at the Manchester Animation Festival. 
• Friday was a presentations & feedback day with nothing new to show from my side in compare to previous' week's work.

This whole time we could not have a solid group meeting due to 2 of us being away at the MAF and that did not move the group forward. 

At MAF on the other hand, I was going to various talks and tried to gain information to help me out with this group project and myself as a starting professional. My favourite was the Making of - Ile Of Dogs, as it exposed the audience to so much knowledge about making Stop Motion in that particular style with hints and tips that can be applied accross other styles too. 

Research 1

Stop Motion - Aesthetics and Materials

'This Magnificent Cake' by the Beast Animation is a good example of materials' textures creating working aesthetics for a set. Where materials to create certain look may have nothing in common with what the materials would be in real life. Yet, the world they created feels so real. It is using the texture in appropriate scale to the object far from its original purpose.

Similarly, the cling film water or the cotton clouds in fight scene in Isle of Dogs feature animation described in depth at the Manchester Animation Festival 2018 at the talk by Tim Allen and and Roy Bell, are rather nice scenes to watch.

What it means is that in animation the maker has to create an illusion of something that cannot be physically there in a frame-by-frame shot. Because the real life object cannot be manipulated frame by frame, it has to be a substitute that will create the illusion or will carry the same meaning through visual expression. Often the makes have to experiment to find the right solution.

<https://filmmakermagazine.com/105130-cotton-balls-cling-film-and-unashamed-composites-dp-tristan-oliver-on-isle-of-dogs/#.XDVz7FX7TIU>

<http://www.beastanimation.com/what-we-do/>

LAUAN503 - Weekly 5

Tale Telling

Ceramics Workshop continues...

I am putting together initial ideas for textures and materials as I still feel uncertain about the scale.

Figure 1. - textures/materials ideas

Figure 2. - pose/scale ideas

Feedback from the group - the floor and walls to be wooden. Further research into that will be done. I can also see potential in symbolism on this set, e.g. checquered floor to add the barn a bit of luxury/evil feel - such floor would not be normally found in a barn.

Figure 3. - scale tests/brain storm

Decided to start a shared group Google Drive, hoping it will encourage access to all stages of making for everyone to everything.

LAUAN503 - Weekly 4

Tale Telling

Figure 1. Ceramics Workshop, Photo by me

This week was Ceramics Casting Workshop which was good in a way as it provided some space to breathe, expand my skills as a professional and it was fun.

I was feeling pretty lost with the project. My overthinking mind switched on and was holding me back from getting on with initial ideas for the set.

I knew the set was in a barn but I felt like the atmosphere & lighting directions were not there even though it should come from me at this stage. This would determine the use of windows on the set's walls etc. . I found myself loosing hold of things since the idea we went for was not my vision, nor was solidified down in a script for everyone to work from.

Figure 2. Initial idea for set construction - removable walls to allow camera access and shooting from different angles. 

Also, I keep worrying about how the puppet and set will click together. Understandably, I do not want to remake the set or have to have the puppet re-scaled. I was given rough measurements for the puppet now. So I am choosing to focus on the scale of the set and do the props. once the puppet's scale is final.