WATCH THE ABOVE VIDEO (it's the same as the one in the post below)
Next answer the following questions.
1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the animated GIF format?
2) Find an example of an video/visual artist working with GIFs. Link to the work, take screenshots, briefly describe the work and fine 3 things about the work that you like and explain why?
3) Do you think that the .GIF format is a valid form of expression or just a quick LOL?
Using the model sheet scans and Photoshop, you're task is to complete the process that Nick showed you to create an animated gif.
Once you have completed it up load it to your blog and show the various stages of construction.
See Matiss' blog here to see how it should look.
So we need the following:
- The final product
- The original scans
- The coloured in scans and reasoning for you colour selection
- A screenshot of your PS document layers and explanation of the process
- A screenshot of the animation pallette on PS and explanation of the process.
Next step is to EVALUATE the process
What do you think of the final product?
What did you find easy to do - what was problematic?
Compare this technique to the stop-motion and Flip-book techniques you have used previously.
How do you feel about your character? Will you continue developing this characters for your final project?
Once you have finished the evaluation, attempt creating another animated .gif of your choice using the techniques you have learned.
It could be your character running/jumping doing a certain motion - or it could be another animation entirely - using bits of film, photographs, your own drawing etc. (JUST MAKE SURE IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO APPEAR AS PAR TO YOUR EXAMINED PORTFOLIO).
http://fluxmachine.tumblr.com/
Brief reminder of the gif process:
Open a new document in PS and select the size 640 x 480 pixels.
Using the crop tool select a single frame from you scan, coloured model sheet and then copy and paste it into the new 640x480 document - it will be too be for the new document so use cmd+t to resize.
Crop the next frame, copy and paste it onto a new layer in your 640 x 480 document. Do this for all of your five images. When resizing them you need to ensure that each image is directly on top of the one below - use the opacity setting to ensure that there are.
To create the 360 spinng we need EIGHT images - you have only five. So you must duplicate both 3/4 shots and the side on view, so flip each one so they are the mirror image (cmd+t then drag the middle handle back itself - resize to match up with the others.). NAME ALL THE LAYERS APPROPRIATELY (back, side, back 3/4 etc)
Your layers should look like this:
Next go to Window>Animation to bring up the animation palette.
In the top right of the pallette is an arrow click on that to bring up a menu, select > Make Frames from Layers. Convert to frame animation in the same drop down menu to get the following look:
Choose a cartoon character. It can be from the instituions you researched or it could be from your favourite cartoon - just select one.
1) Research into how the character has developed - older cartoon characters (The Simpson, Tom & Jerry, Mickey Mouse) have changed their look over the years. Find images and analyse how the look has changed.
If your choice is a modern character their might not be much of change but try to find some information on how the character was developed.
2) Embed a image of the character - analyse the look of the cartoon: talk about the shapes used, the costume, the colours and the look. Is it familiar to other cartoon characters? Can you think of reasons why the character was created like this?
Take it into PS and annotate if it you can.
3) Why do like this character? Is it the design, is it the character or a combination of the both.
As with any piece or work - develop your answers - embed videos, pictures, anything that will help you explain you analysis and answers.
Open a new document in Microsoft Word.
On it write up the following:
//HEADER//
RESEARCH
What is Primary Research?
What are the advantages of it?
What is Secondary Research?
What are the advantages of it?
The most obvious place to look for these answers is wikipedia. If you do look at wikipedia DO NO JUST CUT AND PASTE - read the words, understand them and show you understand them by expressing them in your own words.
It shouldn't be more than a side of A4 - once finished, print it out and put it in your A3 folder.
BEFORE STARTING THIS BLOG MAKE SURE YOU HAVE EXPORTED YOUR FLIP BOOK ANIMATION AS A .MOV FILE AND UP LOADED IT TO VIMEO
Instruction how to manipulate a batch of images in PS
Open up Actions Window: Window > Actions
Create a new Action (icon at the bottom of the tab)
Call it something appropriate and recognisable
Select Record
Make your manipulation - Crop, Rotate, Levels
Press Stop on the Action recorder
Close you image (Don't Save the changes)
Apply all the action to a batch by going to File > Automate > Batch
In the window that pops up select the Action you created and SELECT A DIFFERENT DESTINATION FOLDER - so you still have your original images.
You'll have to click OK for each image - but this is quicker than alter each image.
Open up IStopMotion (look in Applications)
Open up a new project and either drag the images into the timeline or go to Movie > Import images - it might be different as there's a few different version on the Macs.
Watch it through - re-order images if necessary - Export as a .mov, upload to Vimeo
Start a blog post called Animation Techniques
Here you will up load your flip book animation and your stop motion animation from last week (you should be able to find them on Vimeo
1) Describe the method you used for both productions
Stop-Motion: Camera, object, 12 frames per second, looking at movement of inanimate objects.
Flip book: hand drawn, digital photographs, PS manipulation, using Istopmotion software to animate
2) Weigh up the strengths and problems you face with both processes.
3) Explain which process you preferred and why.
4) Explain what you feel you have learned about the animation process - what skills you believe it requires.
AS WITH ANY EVALUATION - DEVELOP YOUR ANSWERS AND USE STILL IMAGES TO ILLUSRATE YOUR PROCESS AND POINTS.
Attached to this post is a Pitch.doc for you to fill in. This is a pitch document for the project you have just made so we will be filling it in retrospectively.
For nearly all of the sections you would have already completed the research and created the assets - most likely these will be on the blog - so please re-use whatever past work you see fit to fill this document. Obviously reshape the table on the document to make the sections as large/small as approproate
Guidance
Brief Overview
Explain what the project entails and what you were asked to do.
Brief Synopsis
40 words explaining the concept of your project (e.g. Misfits would be, 'A group of UK youths on community service develop super powers etc...)
Project Treatment
How are you going to create the opening and credits (e.g. live action, montage of affects, abstract credit sequence, hand made fonts etc - mention what software you'd use as well).
Unique selling point
One reason why people would watch your show (Misfit - 'Skins meets Heroes', Lost - cliffhanger endings each episode).
Target Audience
Briefly explain who your product in intended for - mention age range, other products (TV etc) that you might expect them to consume
Show/Story Structure
A bigger post - outline how you expect the show to pan. Outline the structure of a typical episode, the overarching story lines for ther show.
Concepts - Visuals Research
Any concept art, work on titles, mood boards put in here - (picture plus description).
Concept - Character Design
Your work on characters/costumes etc
Concept - Sound
What you hope to use for sound/music etc.
The reason why wanted to make this
Explain why you decided to develop this specific idea and why you thought it would be successful.
This evaluation must be done on either Powerpoint or Keynote. The deadline for this is the end of the first lesson back after Easter.
The reason why we are giving you the first lesson back as well as the holidays is so you can take screenshots of the relevant PS, FC and Garageband documents and to use Keynote or Powerpoint if you don't have access at home.
THIS DOES MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD COME TO THE FIRST LESSON WITH EVERYTHING WRITTEN SO IT CAN BE ILLUSTRATED AND UPLOADED TO THE APPROPRIATE SOFTWARE IF NEEDED.
1) Comparison with real media products
Select at nine key frames of your final product that will allow you talk about some of following aspects of production - narrative, costume, construction of characters, props, location, effects, credits (fonts, titles of production, order of credits), framing of characters, type of action shown (action/drama/suspense).
Explain the creative decisions behind the construction of these aspects with EXPLICIT reference to existing media product and your influences.
IN OTHER WORDS HOW DOES YOUR FINAL PRODUCT COMPARE TO EXISTING TV CREDITS OPENINGS: talk about which conventions you used, which you developed, what were you key influences etc.
When writing - use the correct terminology in terms of mise-en scene, camerawork, sound and editing. See this blog for some help with terminology.
2) How did you find the construction process
Looking back at your planning and your process and write an honest account of following
Which aspect did you find the most enjoyable?
Which aspect did you find the hardest work?
What problems did you face - how did you resolve them?
How did you find working in a team? How did it help, or not?
Make reference to team work, organisation and time management.
3) Legal and ethical consideration
Name one legal and ethical consideration that you had to make in full detail - explain how you approach it, why it was important and what impact it had on your final product?
Examples
Use of copyright free music/assets/images - explain what you understand about Creative Commons Fair Use
4) Skills development
Explain which technologies you used, what you learned from using them on this project and how your skills developed.
Make reference to key techniques used in your production e.g. keyframing, colour correction, use of filters, foley sound, creating text in Photoshop etc.
5) Quality of final product
Look back at the brief for the task, the details of your expected target audience - how suitable do you think your product is?
Evaluate your product in terms of its technical strengths and weakness and how appropriate it is in terms of the task and target audience?
How close is it to your original idea?
After completing the storyboards your next tasks are to gather resources and build up a plan of just how to realise your ideas. There are several aspects of your production that need to thought about - these are bullet points below.
Remember, the work your are doing is for Unit 2 which is ALL about preparation and planning for a shoot SO EVERY ASPECT SHOULD BE FOCUSED UPON AND PRESENTED IN THE MOST THOROUGH AND INTERESTING WAY YOU CAN.
First thing you should do is have a Production meeting - take minutes of the meeting, write them up and put them in your folder. The agenda should include:
Evaluation of the storyboards - which storyboard is the stronger, how can you combine your ideas.
Delegation of the roles - who will be incharge of which part of the planning.
What you hope to achieve and by when - set deadlines and work towards them.