Backgrounds #4

An addition to the city backgrounds, namely the scene where the character looks up at the sky and the skyscrapers are looming over her.

Backgrounds #3

The last part of the posts dealing with the backgrounds. This time I will explain my process regarding all the backgrounds of the second part of the animation, which mainly consists of forests.

Animation Progress #9

 "In animation, there's this exhilerating moment of discovery when you see the film and you say, Oh THAT's what I was doing."

- John Lithgow

This is one of the last updates. I will probably make a few more posts about explaining how I created the background for the second part of the animation, what I intended for the music, and the final animation as well as a commentary on the entriety of the process and what changes the animation went through.
I am planning on finishing my animation today and I will summarize the last details I want to change or improve upon in this post.

Just a quick info: I split the animation into two parts (and two different files), since Toon Boom kept lagging as the animation got longer (I suppose that is because of the number of layers I used in addition to the nodes).

Animation Progress #8

Animation Progress #7

Backgrounds #2

On to one of the backgrounds for the second part of the animation.

Sketches and Ideas #3

In order to further improve my animation, I decided to revise the second part of my animatic with the critique received through the second assessment.

"When she [the main characer] is sitting in the colour zone something will have to happen in there to sell it. Whether it is on her face looking around in wonder, or environmental animation the audience has to enjoy it too.

Backgrounds #1

Because I don't draw the backgrounds in Toonboom, I wanted to go over my process in creating them a bit.

Animation Progress #6

Animation Progress #5

Animation Progress #4

Animation Progress #3

Animation Progress #2

Progress on the previously started scene:

Animation Progress #1

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." 

- Walt Disney 

Even though there was apparently no official class for today, I still sat down to finally start working on my animation.

After around four hours of work I got to this result:

Sketches and Ideas #2

After looking at my animatic, I still found (and am still finding) areas that I am unsatisfied with or areas I think I could improve upon. 

My first focus are the expressions of my character, since her emotions are quite important for my animation and for telling my story. 

Assignment 2: Animatic

My finished second assignment, the animatic.

 

(I nedded to upload the video to YouTube, since the file was apparently too big for blogger)

Assignment 1: Storyboard #2

Like I already alluded to in the last blog post regarding the storyboard, I decided to revise it. I tried to use more interesting shots as well as got rid of some of the shots entirely for a better flow of the scene. Most of the new ideas came to me when I was watching analysiss videos on YouTube, that specifically dealt with shot composition and animation.

Assignment 1: Logline, Treatment, and Character Design(s) #2

Due to the submission having to be ready, I decided to look over my logline and treatment once again and refine them.

Storyboard #1

"One of the main things I do is focus on ideas and what stories we decide to tell, but probably the biggest part of my job I'd say is working on storyboards."

- Craig McCracken

Before arriving at the final version of the storyboard I made multiple sketches to gather ideas and have a clear story structure, even visually.

Logline, Treatment and Charcter Design(s) #1

"Get a good idea and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it’s done right."

- Walt Disney

Since the deadline for the proposal is drawing closer, the first draft for a logline and treatment, as well as character design(s) had to be finished - and here are the results:

Sketches and Ideas #1

Since the due date for the first assignment comes closer, I have decided to put my research on animation theories and tips on hold for the moment, in order to focus more on the development of my story and character(s).

"People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life."

- John Lasseter

People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lasseter_597764

People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lasseter_597764

People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lasseter_597764

People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lasseter_597764

People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_lasseter_597764

Before I even started to research anything, I decided to put down the ideas that spontaneously came to my mind and things I would have fun trying to animate. Since I wrote these ideas on a piece of paper, I will write down whatever came to my mind on here once again and maybe scan the paper and add it later on as well. Although some ideas are not specifically for the animation, since I am planning to make a game at the same time (Gaming Art course) and the idea was to take the same story and stylistic approach for both courses. Just like on paper, I marked the ideas I considered worth to pursue further in yellow.

Animation Theories: The 12 Principles of Animation

After going throught the basics of what animation is, I wanted to develop a solid basis on how to animate by looking at different animation theories that were developed over the years.

"Therefore, if we know and understand all the basics - then we've got the tools to create. Only then can we give the performance."

- Richard Williams in The Animator's Survival Kit

The 12 Principles of Animation

The 12 Principles of Animation as they appear in chapter 3 of "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation"

The 12 principles of animation were first introduced in the book "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation" (1981). Many animators make notable use of these principles to improve their animation, even today.

Introduction to Animation

I will be using this blog to document the research and work on my first actual animated short. Even though I previously did small animations spanning a few seconds each, for this project I decided to start from the beginning once again.

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

- Walt Disney

I started out with doing research on the different animation types that exist in modern media, just to see what kind of techniques are possible for this project.