Refining My Animation Idea

Refining Idea

-Item

I've decided on 'Scissors' to be my everyday item simply it is easy to reproduce but also has similar features to a human with razor stilts for legs and finger holes for eyes which is all I need to create character, I also don't want to add characteristics to show off what I've learn't in Animation by showing character through only movement which is the reason why I picked Scissors.

-Story

I want to start it off with the scissors spotting an image of another 'shiny' and new pair of scissors and falling head over heels for the picture but after playing around a person picks up the scissors and tries to cut up the image but the scissors bend and resist cutting the image and finds away to wriggle out and escape.

-Scene   

I want the scene to be on a semi-messy work desk, probably a students desk for ease, with lose paper and pens and pencils lying around and the image of the scissors slightly of center with a window in front for natural light, then having the modelled scissors walk in from the left then noticing the image. The modelled scissors would be very simple 'two coloured' like the scissors you would give to a child to use and would be made with plasticine.

-Medium

I think using Stop Motion would be the most effective method that way I can use real life aspects with the hand and image, it also would make setting up the scene a lot easier and be able to film at home giving me more time to create the animation. Also I believe by using Stop Motion and making it real as possible it will add more shock value for when the scissors that suppose to be hard and rigid, resist and become loose and floppy.

-Morale

The meaning behind the animation would be simply 'We make are own Purpose/Destiny'. 

Animation Ideas

My first Idea for creating an animation would be to use the concept of 'Sentient', something gaining life perhaps an everyday object like a battery or a bottle and then having the object go on a little adventure, perhaps telling a story of what that object is usually used for and go against it, almost implying this idea of a life having a destiny and then going against it to fulfil its own wishes.


Objects and there uses.
- Battery - Being stuffed and stored in a toy or controller
- Bottle - Forcefully having its fluids drained
- Scissors - Being forced to cut something it likes
- Tissue Roll - Slowly being used
- Balloon - Forcefully blown up and popped
- Cutlery - Picked up and taken away one by one to be washed
- Tooth Brush - Forced to brush teeth
- Food/Sandwich - Given character then eaten


The meaning would either be Happy with the object going against its destiny and claiming it's freedom or be Sad and will be forced to do its purpose and then thrown away after given character and being adorable to create sympathy within the viewer.


I would most likely use stop motion for this animation, I like the idea of something becoming sentient or 'Human' over time. I would like to use what I've learnt during this complementary studies to give character through is movements rather than the characteristics or appearance.


- Story Board -

BLU 'Muto'

A weird graffiti art animation which is more like Stop Motion made by MUTO who produces these mind boggling animation on streets around the world.

Once again being an Fine Artist when it comes to animation my mind goes straight to 'BLUBLU' or 'MUTO' who created these really out there films using graffiti and washable paint that depict a man going through multiple nightmarish transformation that feel like a Tim Burton acid trip.

'Pin Puppet' & 'Rotation' in Adobe 'After Effects'

For are fourth session into this Complementary Studies 'Animation' course we learnt the basics of 'After Effects' or more precisely the Pin Tool used to change an image into an animation.

Using the Pin Tool I can add Rotation Points into my images almost like 'Joints' in a human body in which to make the image move as if it were a living creature. We did have to draw up the image in photoshop and separate the limbs, head and torso into there own layers so when moving the image it only moves that section rather than the whole image.

Then selecting the 'Time Bar' so the image moves in the time period I want it to. 

Then it's just a case of exporting the animation into a GIF file giving me this.

I then was taught how to use Rotation in 'After Effects' so you can move the image without having to stretch or manipulate the Image. It is very similar to the 'Pin Puppet' using the pins for joints on the character in the Layered parts of the Image.

Using the Drop Down arrow on the pins will show you the grid details of the pin on the Image then clicking the 'Time Bar' again and clicking the stopwatch icon to record what is happening on that pin you can change the angle of rotation to rotate the layers on your image.

I went through my image again adding colour and using rotation technique we just learnt this time to create this exported GIF.

Walk Cycle in Flash

This Session we learnt how to create a Character Walk Cycle. We were told that the walk cycle is something you would have to do if you were to go into animation and it is one of more difficult things to do in animation and having the Character move smoothly is essential for a good animation.

Using what we had learnt in flash I would create a walk cycle using this template as reference.

I started with using my typical Heartless Character that I use when experimenting outlining the form and using the reference as guidance to a smooth walk. 

Then after getting my walk cycle down I went over it adding colour and shading to finish up my character and having a looping Heartless walk cycle.