Week4

Presenting the ideas

Presentation EP Main Google Drive Presentation

Initial ideas for the story:

Shadow play vs. Storybook -  storybook is overused, shadow play allows for more interactions between the puppets and the shadow puppets.

What went a bit wrong:

First written draft 

I am struggling to put the ideas from my head down on a paper, using words. It was easier with images.

 At this stage, I do not feel confident writing the dialogue but I know that the direction of the story and its environment has to come from me. It is all starting to blend a bit and I feel a bit stuck. Talking the story through has been bringing new knots but also solutions so that has been helpful.

I am focusing on how to make a short story as it is rather a complex one.

I did not receive much feedback and it is not the first time I felt like this at the group presentations. I am not sure whether there is something terribly wrong that I cannot see or all is ok. I will try to focus on this next time, it may be to do with the way I present my progress.

Other that happened:

Continued story and storyboard work for Zero Carbon Headingly brief at Leeds Animation Workshop.

Week3

Sketching the Story

Animal to human transition in two environments, K. Sucikova

Actually sketching the story. I may as well write it myself, now that I have a story to tell. 

This week I have also met with Ben Gardener, to discuss the character design and the schedule. 

 I made a decision to try to write the script myself; as a director, I seem to have a pretty clear vision in my head of what direction I want the film to go.

Applying for the UK Settlement status was just another thing that had to be done and I finally found a friend on who's phone the app that allowed passport scan was working. 

At the weekend I have also seconded a trip to a cave GB in Mendip getting some first-hand research in a dry and clean cave, unlike Easegill's Mistral, with mud sculptures and mud pool at the bottom. Photo by Lea Stracquadanio, the trip leader, with my edit to make it lighter to see the detail of the cave better = the quality of the image was sacrificed. 

Week2

Putting the team together

Quick sketch, K. Sucikova

Character Designer: I am meeting up with Ben Gardener whom I met at MAF 2018. Ben holds an impressive character design portfolio and I would like him to give it a go with the characters on my film. I believe that his cartoonish design would give the characters some spice and life, in some way, like Tim Burton characters.

Script: I have been going over my ideas with Jenny, who will be writing the script. We agreed that I need to decide on the genre. I am starting to think that it will not be a documentary because I cannot see who my audience would be and what purpose would the animation serve differently from an actual film. I have given a few story environment elements to Jenny, such as:

• there is a heroine who is a caver
• climbing a waterfall, squeezing through narrow gaps, using ropes to get into and out of the cave
• scenarios of fails to build some tension, drama  

Further inspiration and it ties with the idea of caves:

Dog's Purpose (2017) and Fluke (1995)- the fact that a soul is born into a new body (which I weirdly believe in), how the other characters know the presence of the character who died. 

Coco (2017) - Joining the world of dead and alive. I have only just watched this film and I love the way it portrays dead family relatives. 

Week 1

Final Film - What Will It Be? 

Self Portrait, fine liner and watercolour, K. Sucikova

I am super excited to finally start working on my Final Film, especially after seeing how great the completed films look on an end of year show at Leeds Arts University. I have made a solid decision ( if you know me you must know I tend to be indecisive ) to focus entirely on stop-motion animation just before presenting my topic of research for Context of Practice.

Alum Pot Cave has been of interest to me, it is my favourite cave in Yorkshire Dales and I cannot imagine anyone who would not find its views stunning. Sadly, I do not own any photographs from this wonderful place as caves do get wet and I do not have the equipment or the experience of Cave filming and photography. However, this video gives an idea of the overall feel of the place. Video posted in 2016 by Ben and Dave Caving YouTube channel 0:00:17 you can see a challenging squeeze which can be done in both directions, however, at the end is a few metres climb which I personally find more challenging than the squeeze itself. 00:00:50 you can see an abseil down a pitch that can be done on a rope or a ladder, just before emerging in front of stunning views of a waterfall 00:01:10. Or Video posted in 2016 by Terranullius YouTube channel starting with a rebelay and a long descent down (which I found particularly challenging when I had a chance to do it, the rope is very heavy and my hand got very tired holding the dead-rope up, to control the speed while feeding it through my descender. Forcing me to make several stops on the way down.).

Generally, I do not see enough speleology in animation, although I loved the felted cave scenes of This Magnificent Cake at MAF 2018, which seems to absorb and soften the light impacting upon the cave formations in its rich texture. It looks effortless, natural and in a way creates an illusion that it is not man-made.

 This Magnificent Cake 2018 - click for source of the image  

So you can see, I have a subject for strong inspiration that I would like to focus on. Last year I have stumbled upon a festival for Speleology focused films, Speleo Film Festival and as a keen caver, I would love to submit to it. Not in 2019 though.

There are also 4 live briefs to complete as part of LAUAN603. I am considering so far:

LoopdeLoop - most likely for a character animation
11 Second Club - practising lip sync
Sustainability Award - I have been meaning to submit to this since Year 1, will keep it in mind
LAU Live Briefs presented through Opportunities - I will keep an eye on these if one comes up that fits into my practice and one I have knowledge and skill for completing.

I have also been approached by an organisation, Zero Carbon Headingley, to produce an animated short to a set brief, together with G. Dixon-Lynch, with whom I have completed The Bins and The Bees 2019.