Contexual work: random find

So, i stumbled across this today and i find it really interesting as it charts the progress and work-load needed to create such a small part of this film

Project 1: the final piece

After alot of experimentation and plenty of humming and hawing I decided that my animation would go down a fairly abstract line. Following the mountain formation and the change in skyline I thought that I would look at the idea of the mountain becoming a face, swallowing up the sky, and exhaling it as a square which would once again sit in the middle of the composition.

I did this then added music and sound effects which I think fit well into the piece and create a smooth, laid back feeling.

overall I am happy with the outcome, and here it is:

Contexual work: research

So for my contexual research into this project I decided to look into the realm of silhouette animation as my project focuses on silhouettes of shapes/forms against a coloured background. I also drew a little inspiration from other accomplished designers who took on this project.
here are some of the most interesting pieces I came across:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contexual work: The Secret Of Kells

Fresh into animation me and my roommate decided to jump straight into watching animated movies and researching al things animation so we decided to rent out Irish-made film 'The Secret Of Kells'.

To be honest the story is not my cup of tea but I did like the flow of the film and how it related well to a time in the past.

I did like the animation style alot and I found it unique amongst films these days where the majority of feature animation films are very realistic 3-D generated characters. In this film the basis is hand drawn imagery drawn over in graphic software, maybe Photoshop. I am also a big fan of the simplicity of the characters where there is little shading and alot of block colours. These contrast well against the complicated drawn backgrounds which may last a whole scene without change, which saves time for the animators of this.

The soundtrack was also something I enjoyed and I felt it complimented the whole film giving it a feel of the times and settings that this film was aimed for.

I found this video based on the making of the film from one of the designers that worked on it which I found interesting:

Project 1: The story of a square

The brief: start with a black square, end with a black square, 10 seconds long, what happens is up to you.

So, after brainstorming this brief I came up with an initial idea of have my square, dissolving it and having it transform into an abstract shape which gradually reforms the box.
However after trying to make this piece I found that it was very boring and without an actual story line.
So, I began to experiment, just basically playing around within after with what I already had, the dissolving block. Eventually I noticed that the pile of pieces resembled that of a mini mountain range which led me to think of the idea that there is another world within the box itself. I then transformed the shape so it became alot bigger and added a sky changing from day to night with a sun appearing and disappearing. And this is where I am now ( here are a few screenshots).

Brainstorming will lead me to the conclusion because this beginning was never actually set out in stone and only thought up on the spot. stay tuned for my thoughts on the ending.

The start of animation

So, for the next three years I will be an animation student and the prospect of learning new techniques and honing a skill set that will equip me with the knowledge to aid me for the rest of my life is something I really look forward to.

Already I have a relatively intermediate knowledge of Adobe programmes, Photoshop, Illustrator and After effects aswell as Maxon's Cinema 4D which I can't wait to build on.

heres to three more years...