Introduction to Animation 9 Sept 2024
Success Criteria:
1. To build an understanding of the fundamental principles behind the creation of animation.
2. To better understand the requirements for reflective thinking and writing.
We figured out in our groups the definition of Animation which was; A series of frames drawn or placed as still images and make an illusion of movement. I learnt what the word ‘juxtapose’ meant, and it means when you move something or someone next to each other.
There are so many ways to do Animation and we looked at 4 different kinds which were:
. Flipbook
. Paper screen
. Stop motion
. Clay movement
Cinema - 24 - 28 fps
Video game - 30 or 60 fps
We then got introduced to Adobe Animate but some of us already knew how to use it, like me. It was pretty easy and not that technical to set up. We got told to make a ball animation using the oval tool on the sidebar and insert key frames to make the illusion of the ball moving. I would say that I didn’t really like this version by using only the monitor and mouse to do animation, I prefer to draw my frames and then use layers to color in my drawings.
I made a red ball bouncing up and down by using 27 frames and my fps was 24. Also my background was neon green, I wanted to add flames in the background but I didn't want it to be too complicated because I just wanted the focus to be on the ball bouncing.
I used the oval tool to create my circle in each of the frames (or just to be quicker I could've used copy and paste each time and moved). Onion skin helped me by making my past key frames visible so I would've known where to put my next circle in order to complete my bouncing ball cycle.
Using a graphic tablet and animating walk cycles 10 Sept 2024
In today's lesson we learnt about the 12 principles of animation.
By Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston
Since I know now how to animate with adobe animate I found it pretty easy to make this, I used a bit of exaggeration and secondary action for the tears?
Success Criteria:
Today we were looking at the important shots and angles taken in film. So we tried to make our own sketches of ideas of different kind of shots.
I couldn't get the audio because I accidentally saved it as a gif and not an video.
How we made our Stop Motion:
Understanding Idents and Storyboarding for moving image 7 Sept 2024
3. 4.
The forth storyboard was the one we were going to work with...
Me and Dovydas agreed that we should do the animation part of the ident, whereas Aryan and George would do the filming and editing of the ident.
To be honest, we didn't even end up using the storyboard as a guide and just went with it from scratch.
1) Squash & Stretch
Where objects would get longer or flatter to emphasize: speed, momentum, weight and mass.
The more squash & stretch the softer the object and the less squash & stretch the stiffer the object.
Volume of the object has to be the same.
2) Anticipation
When a character prepares for an action to give the audience a clue as to what is happening next.
Anticipation helps communicate actions to the audience by preparing them for the next action.
A wind up before the action.
3) Staging
The presentation of any idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear.
Close-up is good for facial expressions and far away is good for big actions.
Let one action finish before letting another action start.
4) Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose
Pose to Pose you do the main poses to see if it feels right then you add in in-between's to make sure it fits.
However with Straight Ahead you animate all key frames as you go and sometimes it can be wrong to see your ending key frame.
Pose to Pose Vocab - Keys, Extremes & Breakdowns
5) Follow Through & Overlapping Action
Follow Through refers to the way parts of the body continue to move after the body has stopped.
Overlapping Action describes the offset between the timings of the main body and its other parts.
Drag describes the technique of delaying the movement of body parts in relation to the main body.
6) Slow In & Slow Out
This principle refers to the way pretty much all movement starts slowly, builds up speed and finishes slowly.
With 3D animation and motion graphics, adding Slow In & Slow Out is a matter of changing the motion curves from "linear" to "spline" by adjusting the bezier handles.
A good way to fix a choppy animation is to analyze the space between the drawings.
7) Arcs
Most living creatures will move in a circular path known as an arc.
Gives more character.
8) Secondary Action
Gestures that support the main action to add more dimension to the character animation.
For example, a character may be walking angrily.
Primary action - legs
Secondary action - everything else (arms swinging, head bobbing, and the facial movements).
9) Timing
The personality and nature of an animation is greatly affected by the number of frames inserted between each main action.
If you have a lot of drawings next to each other in each frame then it would make the animation very slow.
But if you have very few drawings next to each other it would make the animation very fast.
Drawing in twos is better and less time consuming.
Drawing in ones are mostly used for more clumsy animations etc.
10) Exaggeration
Every action, pose and expression can be taken to the next level to increase the amount of impact on the viewer.
11) Solid Drawing
Making sure that forms feel like they are in three-dimensional space with volume, weight and balance.
Being able to draw an character from all angles requires knowledge of three-dimensional drawing.
AVOID TWINNING!!! - meaning when arms or legs or any other paired features are doing the same thing.
12) Appeal
Characters need a charismatic aspect to like about them.
Dynamic design --> Appeal
1. Variety of shapes - body shape of different characters
2. Proportions - magnify the interesting things and shrink the not so interesting things
3. Keep it simple - save details for later...
I can take forward my knowledge on the principles by putting them into my work.
I feel very mad, because animating on a pen tablet is very hard compared to me usually animating on my iPad. (I lost the animation of my walking stick man unfortunately) but if I can explain what it was like I'll tell you. In my animation it was very choppy and the task was to either make a walking animation or make a persons face emotion change to shocked, happy etc. Since I tried to make a challenge for myself I did both in one.
We had to do it in 24 fps (frames per second) and since I'm usually used to animating in either 6 fps or 12 fps it was hard. When we were using the pen tablet I was so frustrated drawing the lines of my stick man because it was so raggedy and didn't draw properly each time I had to do another frame. I'd rate it 4/10 using it on that day.
Facial Expression Animation
Colouring Techniques in Adobe Animate
In Adobe Animate, several coloring techniques can be used to enhance illustrations and animations. Here are some common techniques:
1. Fill Tool (Paint Bucket):
Use the Fill Tool to quickly color areas within closed paths. It allows you to apply a solid color or gradient to shapes and drawings.
2. Gradient Fills:
Gradients can be applied to shapes or paths for a smooth transition between colors. Use the Gradient Panel to adjust the angle, colors, and type (linear, radial, etc.).
3. Brush Tool:
The Brush Tool lets you paint freeform strokes with customizable brush sizes and shapes. You can adjust opacity, stroke style, and color.
4. Swatches:
Adobe Animate offers a variety of predefined color swatches that can be applied to objects, allowing consistent coloring throughout your project.
5. Shape Tweening with Color Changes:
You can animate color changes over time by using shape tweens, which allow the color of shapes to transition smoothly between keyframes.
6. Eye Dropper Tool:
Use the Eyedropper Tool to sample colors from other areas of the project or from external images for accurate color matching.
7. Color Mixer Panel:
The Color Mixer allows for precise control over color values by adjusting sliders for RGB (Red, Green, Blue), HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness), or CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black).
8. Layer Effects and Filters:
You can apply layer effects like shadows, glows, or blur to give depth to your illustrations. These effects can also be animated for dynamic changes in color.
These techniques can help you create vibrant, detailed, and visually engaging animations in Adobe Animate.
Cinematography 16 Sept 2024
Success Criteria:
1. To build an understanding of how cinematography affects a visual narrative.
2. To practice composing different shot sizes.
Camera Shots
A camera shot is the amount of space that is seen in the frame.
Camera shots are used to demonstrate different aspects of a film's setting, characters and themes.
As a result, camera shots are very important in shaping meaning in a film.
They strengthen the narrative.
The following camera shots are used in all forms of visual texts, not just film. This includes photography, animation, magazines, postcards, posters and print advertisements.
Extreme Long Shot (XLS)
. Contains a large amount of landscape
. It is often used at the beginning of a scene or a film to establish general location (setting). This is known as an establishing shot.
. Establishing shots don't have to be XLS's - they can be Long/Wide/Full shots.
Long/Wide Shot (LS)(WS)
. A long shot contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may hsow the viewers the building where the actions will take place.
. In a wide shot the subject takes up the full frame.
3/4 or American Shot
. Western shot
. A shot that started at knee level would reveal the weapon of a cowboy, usually holstered at their waist.
Mid-Shot/Two-Shot
. From the waist-up
. Known as social shot (putting multiple people together)
Shot Reverse Shot (SRS)
. Over the shoulder
. What or who that character is looking at (the reverse of the angle from the first shot), and finally cuts back to the initial shot to show the character's reaction.
180 Degree Rule
. Two characters (or more) in a scene should always have the same left/right relationship with each other.
. Try to keep your cameras on the same side of this 180-degree line.
Close Up (CU)
. Camera showing only above chest
. To make the characters emotion visible.
The Kuleshov Effect
. It is a mental phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation.
Camera Angles
High Angle
. The camera looks down at the subject from above.
Low Angle
. The camera looks up at the subject from below.
Bird's Eye Angle
. A view from a high angle as if seen by a bird in flight.
Eye-Level Angle
. The cinematographer positions the camera angle directly at the eye level of the character.
Dutch Angle/Tilt
. To cause a sense of unease or disorientation for the viewer.
My sketches of camera shots and angles:
If I had to make my own animation I would definitely use low angle and two shot like a lot.
Low angle because it makes the character seem powerful and I could use it to make it look like my character would be bending down at the camera breaking the 4th wall but then shifts to the character on the ground with a high angle. Two shot would be if both of the main characters would be facing the camera to seem like the MAIN FOCUS.
Understanding and creating audios 17 Sept 2024
Success criteria:
1. To develop your understanding of how original audio is created for use in media production.
2. To practice using audio hardware to produce original sounds.
When creating a film or video piece, sound makes up 50% of what the viewer experiences.
Foley - Sound effects, that are made or recreated in post production.
Music - Sets the mood and tone for audience.
ADR - (Automated dialogue replacement)
Dialogue that is not recorded in camera or on set.
We learnt about the names for a recorder and microphones.
Pickup pattern - Determines how far the microphone picks up sound waves from.
H2 handy ZOOM recorder - (120 pick up pattern) - ONE-DIRECTION
RODE - NTG2 (Shotgun mic) - DIRECTIONAL
AKG D230 (reporter mic) - OMNIDIRECTIONAL
Filter for the mic - spongy ones which is called a 'foam windscreen' or the furry one which is called a 'dead cat' x-x
Omnidirectional - picks up sounds from all directions.
This audio is a dialogue from Aryan reading out a speech of a father.
We used the H2 handy ZOOM recorder to record the speech with a pair of headphones.
We tried to record foley sounds on the H2 handy ZOOM recorder because that's what me, Dayo, Reni and Aryan were assigned with.
I think the recordings we did went well, as we were able to record without any major mistakes. We recorded a few times because Aryan who was speaking wasn't loud enough and because we forgot to press record on the recorder.
Combining audio with animation & Lip Synching 23 Sept 2024
Success criteria:
1. To be able to trim, normalise and export audio from Adobe Audition
2. To build your confidence with Adobe Animate's tools by creating a lip-synched animation using original audio.
We edited our audios using Adobe Audition. Adobe Audition is a versatile audio manipulation software. And we use it to clean up sound files, alter the properties of our sounds to create foley or even create an entire soundscape with multiple layers of sound.
Key terms:
Trimming - removing any sections of an audio file that you don't need.
Normalising - editing an audio file so that the sound levels are consistent and hit a target level.
Reverb - the technical term for echo.
Pitch - how high or how deep a voice sounds.
Lip Synching
Lip sync/lip-synch (short for lip snychronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements (or flaps) with sung or spoken vocals to create the illusion of speech.
Example of lip syncing:
My first try:
OH MY GOD!!! I'M SO PLEASED WITH THIS WORK!!! I THINK I DID FANTASTIC!
I couldn't get the audio because I accidentally saved it as a gif and not an video.
''aha, what a story mark'' - is what he is saying.
Stop motion 30th Sept 2024
Success criteria:
1. To develop your understanding of practical skills relating to different animation methods.
2. To begin learning editing tools for use in video post-production.
Stop motion animation is when objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames is played back.
Example of a stop-motion:
My group: Cristina, Cris, Darius and me (Leo).
1. Me and my group got our setup ready (doll, camera, tripod, paper fire).
2. We made sure that the camera was in place on the tripod and stable.
3. We planned how each of our shots are gonna go by one of us drawing the 4 main shots of our stop-motion.
4. 4 main shots were: mid-shot, close-up, wide-shot and close-up.
5. Since we knew how it would look we went straight onto adding in our in-betweens and we started moving the doll after every image inch by inch.
Although there was a error whilst making our stop-motion. We agreed that our shots would have a certain time duration but in the end it was just a really fast stop-motion ballet video.
Although I'm not really great at working in a teams, I'd say that this has had a great impact on me. I think the whole of us worked pretty well to create a stop motion together especially if it's our first time.
Pt.2 stop motion video editing in Adobe premiere pro
Source window - allows you to view your clips at full resolution and establish In and Out points.
Program window - allows you to view your sequence timeline in the final stage of editing.
Project window - to view and manage all the assets in your project.
Audio meters - let's you see the levels of how loud or quiet your audio is.
Track select forward tool - enables users to select and manipulate large amounts of video content, irrespective of the number of tracks or duration of the content.
Stop Motion Animation
Success Criteria:
1. To produce a Stop Motion Animation.
2. To produce a Stop Motion Animation with foley recordings for the background.
Unfortunately, I didn't add my foley sounds into this because I took up a whole lesson of trying to figure out how to cut unnecessary images from my video.
Understanding Idents and Storyboarding for moving image 7 Sept 2024
Success Criteria:
1. To understand what TV idents are and the impacts that persuasive devices have through research.
An ident is a short call sign or brand name that helps the viewer identify the channel or service they are watching. It differs from a TV advert because TV adverts are trying to sell you something.
An ident serves purpose by helping the viewer identify the channel or service they're watching.
Pacing - The speed at which the plot moves and can be determined by the speed of camera shots, length of dialogue and movement.
Idents tend to have a run time of between 5 seconds and 30 seconds.
Tone
- comedic
- light-hearted
- serious -- Depending on context.
- intense
- relaxing
Branding
Defining your image/the way people see you.
- Branding of your channel.
- Persuasive devices
Filmaking techniques you can use to command attention for you brand/image.
- Marketing communications
Celebrity Endorsement or Testimonial
- Celebrity promotes brand
Emotional Appeal or Transference
- Make viewers feel something
Humour
- Main purpose to make you laugh
Plain folks
- "Just like themselves"
Viewer can identify with the brand
Individuality/Anti-Bandwagon
- Tells the viewers to think differently
Slogan
- A memorable phrase
The viewer will remember
Practicing Storyboarding 7 Sept 2024
The most easiest part of storyboarding for me is probably the drawing part of it. It is just very simple and not complicated.
Storyboards are made to visualise a scene so that everyone on a filmmaking team can understand the way the story flows.
Original Ident Project 14th October 2024
Success Criteria:
1. To apply your understanding of media production to plan for a team animation project.
2. To apply your knowledge of idents to design and produce an original piece.
Establishing the branding of a channel - attract the audience to the brand through a distinctive look and feel.
Set the tone and mood for the type of programming the viewer can expect on the channel.
TEAM PROJECT!!!
My group: Dovydas, George, Aryan and me (Leo).
We started by planning out how we are going to make our Ident.
. Stanmore Studios in Obitron font
. At least one persuasive device - Slogan
. Run anywhere between 5 - 30 seconds
This was our mind map on how we were going to do our ident. And all the things crossed out was my idea to do brainrot as humour (brainrot is basically in the name, example: skibidi toilet) I thought this because everyone is talking about this especially gen-z. That's why some call it ''Gen-Z humour''.
Since my team didn't like my idea they switched it to slogan and personally I didn't really like it, because slogans are boring. (I hate working in teams)
We then moved onto planning out the way our ident is going to look on a storyboard.
I drew out the first storyboard and thought that this is how Aryan and George saw it but clearly not. Both of them tried to explain how its going to look like 100 times until I finally kind of understood (it was the dumbest explanation).
1. 2.
The forth storyboard was the one we were going to work with...
Me and Dovydas agreed that we should do the animation part of the ident, whereas Aryan and George would do the filming and editing of the ident.
To be honest, we didn't even end up using the storyboard as a guide and just went with it from scratch.
I felt bad for Dovydas because we didn't even end up using his work. I genuinely wanted to add his little thumbs up emoji that he did on Adobe animate but when I tried to talk to Aryan and George they just shrugged me off. Here was the work he tried to do:
This is the animation I did on Adobe animation. It took me an hour.
Here's the final product!!!
FINAL EVALUATION
I think as a team we made a good outcome, however I don't think I put in enough effort to make the animation and I think this is because of the ideas we came up with and there wasn't really nothing else good I could've come up with. My teammates did a good job editing the background green screen and adding in the audio using adobe audition and premiere pro.
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