StopMotion Specialism

Graduation Film Blog!

Here is my Graduation film Blog for my third year of animation in uni  :)

http://jadellewellyngradfilm.tumblr.com/

Evaluation of Specialist Option

Jade Llewellyn
20296258
AN5.2
Specialist Option
Stop-Motion Evaluation

At the start of this project I hoped to achieve a new skill in a different area of animation I had not experienced yet but was interested in, I wanted to develop and extend skills previously gained, find a personal artistic style or identity within my specialism and learn and understand the basic technical fundamentals to stop motion animation.

I found making an armature for the first time was very enjoyable and very technical and I loved the hands on approach, although there was alot to think about in the making process and which order things had to be done, when the pieces finally came together, I really felt I achieved something amazing for myself. The armature making was very insightful and learnt so much and didnt realise the different ways and types of armatures which i also researched. The plasticine walk cycles were difficult because due to not having an armature or wire inside them, made them bend and buckle under their own weight so every frame, the model had to be re made and shaped. The armature walk cycles, on the other hand, were very different to the plasticine cycles. It was alot easier because all the joints bended and did not squash down, although this seems better, magnets were needed to keep the armature standing and I also used a gage to make sure that my armature was always standing upward and never looking like he began to lean forward whilst walking. I enjoyed doing lip syncing, which I feel quite confident in now and realised the importance of dope sheets which we had learned how to do previously. The car exercises were simple and effective, it was an important lesson in showing weight and speed but some needed to be more fluid and this applies to stop motion in general. I absolutely loved making my puppet, the freedom and use of material was very exciting. It was very creative when making my puppet and I felt freedom to be expressionate and use my own ideas and enjoyed having something physical in my hands that was “real”. The final performance was also very fun to make and i tried to get my characters personality out along with the voice I had used in sync with one another to create my piece that worked pretty well.

I will do stop motion again for other projects because I have enjoyed it so much and would like to possibly incorporate drawn animation maybe in with this specialism for next year. I think I have found or am in the development of finding my own personal artistic identity within stop motion due to this being my first ever puppet. cos first puppet ever!I feel I  have developed in computer skills a small amount because we have already used the same programs in other projects and areas. I will be making another armature as soon as possible to keep ontop and refreshed on how it is done.I am very  self critical of own work and always analyse my work to see if something is or isnt working. I offer help to people if they need it and have definately appreciated and asked for advise and opinions from my lecturers and fellow students. I have loved working with professionals and have learnt alot from them in the process which is a definate help towards my future. My time management has been  good for this brief but I will have to keep this up for other projects. I would love to try computer animation aswell to broaden my horizons and possibly look into getting extra classes to see if I enjoy it.

I researched into professional animators on the internet and  books on walk cycles, lip syncing, timing and performance. I planned out each of my exercises roughly which helped me personally. I also tryed ‘winging’ some animations once i was confident, particularly walk cycles and they turned out well which prooves I was learning. I also did the same with the car exercise, I planned it out looked at professionals to see if there was anything helpful at all. I acted out my walk cycles and performance and also observed myself in the mirror for my lip sync which helped alot in the making process to see what was right. I Made ideas for my character designs for my final puppet and also drew out a basic plan for my perfromance.This project links to my soundscape brief in using animation in my production but for soundscape was very different to my specialism option. Soundscape was more abstract stop motion and I did enjoy this concept but I quite like the more story based stop motion with characters and sets.

I used equipment such as gage for animating and learn about other tools and tricks of the trade and took lots of things into consideration from professional styles in my own development but mostly my own ideas. Stop motion in a sense is  quite sculptural which i have enjoyed and again is very ‘hands on’.  I am glad it wasnt to computer based because i like the organic feel about stop motion and being able to see the imperfections such as finger prints which gives it so much personality and life but also the realisation that it is completely hand made.

I have experimented, develeoped and have a basic understanding in stop motion animation in which I have  achieved my goals and the brief.  I think I should of done more tests but there are alot of people in the class and its only fair everyone gets theyre turn. I think there is nothing very wrong with what i have in my final outcome, but i should of pushed myself that extra mile. I think this is a positive project for me and have I got good outcomes from this visually and personally. Other positive outcomes I have achieved from this project is that I am now sure of a possible career choice or next step forward in the direction i wish to move onto in my future. I will consider more professional work perhaps next time especially for walk cycles to be a bit more experimental and would liked to of finished my armature sooner for walk cycles but it could not be helped. I will act things out more  and be more exaggerative in my work. I will consider lighting and making sure that the puppet can be seen against the background. I realised how important dope sheets are and planning and will go onto making more armatures soon. A style can give an impact on the characters personality and certainly body language is very important to mood and personaitly. I also need to think about space between movement so it doesnt look juttery or to fast.

I feel I have fulfilled the brief for all these reason s and more.

Stop Motion 10

I was ill for week 9 but completed all work that I missed for that week and have blogged it all… the car exercises, another lip sync and an armature walk.

Now, I just need to put the finishing touches to my armature to get cracking with the final performance!

After showing my work and having a discussion with Michael he suggested the improvements that I can make to some of my tests that he did not see previously. He said that my car exercises needed to be more fluid with aerial, looks a bit stiff in places and needs a bit more movement in others. Michael said that my first attempt of an armature walking is good but I need to do some more as I only managed to do one. Also after the last discussion I had with Michael about my lip sync, I then went and did another one with the points that he raised and was pleased with some of the outcomes it produced, and so I then decided to use good points/ stronger points from both lip syncs I had done to create another one for my final performance. Hopefully, I will be able to use the studios to do some more exercise revisits and have time to do so.

For my lip sync: try not to move the head in lip sync because in the second version it looks jumpy, use eyebrow to exagerate sniff and squash eyes closed, get teeth in “A” sounding mouth.

More walks with armature, once again using the gage like previously to keep body up straight and stick to strong poses as before and re-visit car exercises.

And finally, FINISH OFF ARMATURE AND GET CRACKING ON THE FINAL PERFORMANCE!! YAY!!

Blog soon,

Jade

Mary and Max Film screening

So I went to Bristol, to the Watershed Cinema, to see the screening of “Mary and Max” by Adam Elliot. Ive seen Adam Elliot’s other film “Harvey Krumpet”, which I thoroughly enjoyed and was very excited to see his newest film!

(Right is Harvey Krumpet who suffers from Torrettes Syndrome)

“Mary and Max” was amazing! It was funny, happy, sad and plain crazy! It was a mixed bag of emotion along with fantastic puppets and animation. The puppets are so detailed and smooth. The detailing in the set was also incredible and there was a clever use of narration and very little talking which impacted, when the characters did actually speak. His work is very inspiring and I love his style very much. I hope to see more of his work in the near future!

Blog soon, Jade

Almost Completed Puppet!

When the armature was was all completed and the feet and hands were all screwed tightly together (so nothing falls off) it was time to start making my armature look human! The best bit of course! I have never fabricated a puppet before but was very much looking forward to do so!

• Firstly I bought some thin foam and a polystyrene egg which would be used as a head
• Then I cut a piece of K&S roughly 2cm and glued a thick piece of wire into the top, roughly 5/6cm long, for the head piece. The piece of K and S would be fitted into the top of the chest piece for the neck and to be screwed on, to stop any movement and falling off.
• I then sprayed the armature with spray adhesive and wrapped long pieces of foam around the body to pad it out.
• I cut the egg in half at an angle so the wire could go inside. I filed a gap on the inside of the cut egg where the wire will sit. Then I glued two halves together with the wire inside with araldite glue.

• I then covered the feet with black and white plasticine to look like converse but realised afterwards that they would squashed when animating and so would have to be simplified and maybe look into other materials to use as shoes. I also covered the hands, neck and head in my own mixed skin coloured plasticine.

• I then made a jumper out of a pair of old socks. I cut open to sock so it could be flattened and placed my armature on top. I drew around the armature twice onto two pieces of sock. I then cut out the jumper shape from the sock. Then placing the pieces for the outside of the jumper back to back, so the inside was on the outside, I sewed around the edges, leaving room for the neck, hands and bottom or the jumper. Once it was all sewn, I turned the jumper inside out and it was done to be put onto the armature. I had to be quite careful I didn’t break the arms which proved to be difficult but I managed not too. It would of been easier to do this with a ball and socket armature! haha
• Next, I got 2 white round beads for eyes. I cut 2 holes into the head for where the eyes were going to be placed and then pushed the beads into the holes. I built up a nose and eyelids around the eyes out of flesh coloured plasticine. I also gave him green eyes and pupils made from plasticine.
• I also tried out some lips, also from plasticine, but they looked too feminine so scrapped them.

Say hello to Frankie Beans… :)

And now, I have a few more things to complete as far as the puppet is concerned before starting the walk and talk animation but wont take very long! I think my armature looks quite good and I am very pleased with him for my first ever armature/puppet!

I need to make:

• trousers out of denim
• proper shoes
• hair
• mouth shapes
• eyelids
• re-sew top in places

I will film myself for my walk and talk sequence as reference for my movement and timing. :)

Blog soon,

Jade

Better Dope Sheet

Just a better and ‘proper’ copy of a dope sheet that I re wrote from my attempt of a dope sheet. I will now use this dope sheet to do my performance! :)

Blog soon,

Jade

Dope Sheet for Lip Sync

Here is my home made dope sheet showing the timing for the sound and mouth shapes to put along with it…

This is eventually help me out when completing my walk and talk animation with my completed armature.

Blog Soon

Jade