200 Years

Freya Johns 2min film year 2 MDX

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The Cherry Tree Final Film Link

Here is the link to our final film 

https://vimeo.com/548934893

This is the final film for my 2 year project. Overall I think that is looks good the sound really helps in bring the whole thing together and the paper transitions make it move smoothly on to the next part. I also, think that the animation throughout the whole film is really well done. With the different parts I think that it does show a pasting of time throughout the film and adding the ribbon onto the tree made it easier for someone to see that it was the same setting in each of the scene. 

I will say that in my part there are some small animation errors with one of the eyes being the wrong colour and some of the lighting changing at the wrong time. I also, think that I could have tried a bit more with the sound but, I think what I have made is still really strong. If I had more time I would have spent longer on the dog walking but what I have done is still really good and smoothish in my eyes. The background that I made was really good and we all used the same template to make it all the building is the same place.

With my team work I would say that we worked really well as a team and were able to improve our ideas with our own mini crits. Also, it was nice working with people could make really amazing work. It was hard being the leader for the team but overall I think we pull through and made the best film we could given this year.

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Final Part of the Cherry Tree with sound

This is the final of my animation I wouldn’t do any more work on it. I just am happy it is finished and I don’t have to look at it any more. 

Overall I think I have made a strong final film with good animation and good character actions in it. I think the colours and background work really well and adding the shading helped in stopping the characters from seeming floaty. The sound is okay but I have always struggled with figuring out what sound effects I would need. But, I think I have done it to the best that I can on this project and have try to make it work with the timing of the animation.  One of my best parts in my opinion is the clouds moving in the background cause they were a lot of fun to draw and make move.

I feel the strongest points in this film are the backgrounds and the animation. Also, I impressed that I manged to make a film out of a half baked idea which I had no idea where it was going. I feel this year has made me realise I don’t want to do digital 2D and I am far more happy with doing stop motion and model building.  But, I will still try to keep my 2D skills up but more as a hobby than a job. I also am going to be looking at continuing doing background because that was another part I really enjoyed. 

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Time sheet

Here is the time sheet from Kate which is signed showing all of the colouring and animation I did for her film. I also, did a bit more work on some effect animation like leaves falling and ripples in the water. Overall I have really enjoyed helping out on Kates film because she was great to work with and looking at her really cool backgrounds was really fun. I did really enjoy colouring and also doing the effects on the small part of her animation.

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Cherry Tree edit

I couldn’t write on the actual post so I’m writing it here. 

For the film I chose to not use the storyboards that I had made because I just really didn’t like it any more. So instead I made new animatic which I chose to follow in the end. I chose to make the animation more about the character instead of having a story. The idea now is mostly the having the dog be a bit of an idiot and the man getting frustrated with them.  

I also, got rid of the hat from the design because it took up too much of my time in drawing it. Next, I changed the design of the dog by making it have two heads instead of being morphed together this was so it would be easier for people to see the two different heads. I also added colour to the dog just because it was nicer to look at.

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Final Film without sound at the moment

Here is the finished part of my film I just need to add the sound to this part and them it will be completed. I added clouds moving in the background to make it feel like the background wasn’t static. I added lighting and shadow to make it look more 3D. The shadows where added to make sure that the characters don’t look like they are floating. I also think that the transition works well and adding the ribbon helps in making people see it is the same tree.

The sound effects still need to be added to add a bit more to the animation. 

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Life Drawing 

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This was the last effect that Kate sent me which was to animate four leaves falling one different parts of the screen as the main character walked. I started by making the key frames for all the different leaves and making them fall at different speeds. 

The last thing I did was add different colours from the background onto the leaves which help it blend into the trees behind them 

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After I had my grad assist crit I chose to continue to help Kate with some small animations and effects. The one I was sent had the key frames for the first leaf and my job was to make the fall animation smoother and add a small version of the leaf. I first started with adding the in-betweens for the first leaf and then created a smaller leaf to the right side of the screen. 

I then after the animation was done I had to make the first leaf the colour that Kate wanted and the small leaf could be any colour that I wanted. So I used the reddish colour from the background so it would blend in more.

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This is the final film that I have done this is the one without sound at the moment. I have added the shadows to the characters because in one of the feedback crits I was told that the dog looked like it was floating. I also, chose to make the clouds in the background move to to make it seem more like a complete animation. I added lighting and shadows to the background which helps it to look less flat and pop out more.

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Gard assist Time sheet

I am waiting for Kate to send the time sheet back to me but these are the hours I have done.

Deer Shot - 2.30 hours

Book shot - 3 hours

Cabin shot - 2 hours then adding the coat took 1 hour

Owl shot - 2.30 hours

Hand shot - 1.15 hours

Ripples - 1.40 hours

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Ripple for boat

The next shot Kate wanted me to do was to add ripples of water around the boat animation she had done. I first started with looking at a shot from anime she had sent me to try and get a similar result. I first looked at making the boat look like it was moving through the water with some trail lines. I then made the loop animation of the ripple which I found I need to make in frames of 3 to give the effect that Kate was looking for. I then turn the brightness down to make look more like a shadow in the water

This is the example that Kate sent me

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Line art hand with mouse

This is the line art that Kate wanted me to do. It show her character feeding a small mouse he has found. This was a more animation based ones instead of the overs where I did colouring instead. She sent me the rough animatic and a refence sheet from cartoon saloon. This was the style that she wanted the hands to be in. I found the first part really easy it I just didn’t see the second part until I nearly sent it back. So I manged to save myself from having to redo it. The mouse was done by Kate. 

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Catherine Prowse

I really wanted to look at another stop motion animation so I went back to Blinkink and found Catherine Prowse. I saw her ChildLine advert on YouTube and really wanted to look in to her. I went to her website and looked through all of her work. She had taken pictures of different parts of the set she had been filming in. So I spent a long time just looking at all of the little models she had made. I also, watch a few o her film that weren’t one the Blinkink website. I sent her few question some the same as the other emails I had sent and some just about stop motion. She took longer to reply than the others but, sent some really informative answers for me. 

Here is the email that Catherine sent me 

Hi Freya,

So sorry it’s taken me till now to reply. Apologies if you’ve missed a deadline for this information - hopefully some of it will be useful anyway!

Thanks,

Catherine

While I was at uni I worked as a paper cut assistant for Hattie Newman and Owen Gildersleeve. I was still figuring out what I wanted to do and it was a really good opportunity to apply my interest in making stuff to a professional context. So much of what you do at uni feels like it exists in a weird bubble that’s about getting grades, so it was my first taste of using my skills in the creative industries. I was considering doing an MA after I graduated from my BA, but I actually ended up model making on various stop motion animation projects, as well as working as a paper cut assistant for Owen and Hattie again.

There are lots of entry level jobs in model making within stop motion animation. Lots of people who end up as animators or directors get their start that way. Model making is a really good way in to stop motion animation because every production always needs a whole new set and props to be made. You get to see how different directors and art directors approach a project and get loads of quick-turnaround practice in the industry. A production company like Blink might need to build a whole art department of people with varying skill levels so it’s worth getting in contact with loads of people and just showing them some relevant work.

I’ve always liked making small things, and that’s what lead me into animation in the first place, so stop motion has been a natural fit for me. I actually didn’t go into my degree with a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I was initially on the illustration pathway on my course at Kingston, and I spent the first two years a bit lost. I had a project at the end of my second year where we had to make stuff out of paper and that was a real turning point for me. I had always liked making miniature objects but hadn’t really connected it to my practice before. Even through my third year I wasn’t fully committed to making and directing films until I was thinking about my final project. Until then I was mainly interested in making props, making animations from them just seemed like the next logical step. As I expand my practice I’m really excited to try out other types of animation too, I’d love to be able to direct anything eventually! I have also used a few different styles within the same film. Childline, for example, used stop motion puppets and backgrounds with 2D animation for the facial expressions. It’s worth being familiar with certain digital animation styles so you know how to best enhance stop motion anyway. There’s lots you can’t always do in-camera because of budget and time restrictions.

Every different material you use for stop motion has its own character, and some really cool films have been made just using one random material to great effect (there’s an advert someone I know is making right now that just uses corrugated cardboard and it looks incredible!). There’s a few materials I’m not a huge fan of. For example ,I kind of regret using felt for the characters on my film for Oxfam because it’s really difficult to make puppets that don’t look like literally every other felt character out there. I’m just excited to try out more materials as I make more work.

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Alisha Liu

I found her when I was looking through vimeo to find some people to contact and also to past the time. When I first started looking at Alisha I didn’t realise that she was still in her on uni course but, I chose to contact her because I thought her films where just so cool. Also, her portfolio was really lovely to look through. She had worked with companies so I still wanted to ask her some questions about what it was like for her and to get tips about making a portfolio. 

Here is the email that Alisha sent me 

Hi Freya, Thanks for your kind words about my work! I'd be happy to help answer these questions. I'm still in the middle of college though and just started working, so I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer all of your questions, but I'll try to the best of my ability. 1. In my experience, large and small companies can have very different work environments. I don't think one is better than the other, it just comes down to personal preference. 2. I tried to make a portfolio that showed the work that I actually enjoyed doing, rather than trying to cater to a certain company or style. I think it is important to show your own voice in your portfolio and what you truly like to do, so that the work opportunities that come can be best suited for you.3. I haven't had much experience with freelance work, but I would say a strong portfolio is important for trying to get any type of work.4. I would say the best way to start using color is to observe color in real life and nature, and try to emulate the lighting in your work. I would say traditional painting and plein air can also help with this. My digital process for selecting colors is actually similar to how I would use real paints and I find that it can help.5. I would say in general the animation industry is doing super well right now. You can see a lot of different movies and tv shows being greenlit. Even with the pandemic, animation is still booming and there are a lot of job opportunities available. Animation has a great capability of telling many different stories which I think is especially important in the world we live in right now. Hope that was helpful, let me know if you have any other questions! Best,Alisha

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Mark Waring

When looking at Passion studio’s I came across Mark Waring. I was very interested in him because of the fact he worked as the animation director to Tim Burton and Wes Anderson, and worked on the ‘Isle of Dogs’. I have always loved stop motion and really what to ask some questions to someone who had worked on feature films to see if it was similar to working on shorter ones. I first went to his website to contact him using his email and also to look at more of his work. He gave me some really helpful answers and replied really quickly which was really cool of him. 

Here is the email that Mark Waring sent me 

Hi Freya Thanks for getting in touch. I hope you are enjoying your course at Middlesex and are able to keep working on your animation in these strange times! I have been freelance for many years. It was scary at first, but as you pick up contacts and work it gets easier. Try to get in contact with a production company as this always helps. I currently work through Passion Pictures as a freelance director, but have directed and animated freelance with many other companies who will return to you if they like you! Finding work is always tricky, but as I said before, getting in touch with a production company whose work you like is a good place to start. Be keen and friendly, and be prepared to start by running or interning. Always have a clear idea of what you want to do too.  You will always have to work your way up, so try and have a good idea of the direction you want to go in. I see many people who either don't know or want to ‘do everything’ , and there is never a job for those positions! A feature is really no different to making a short film. You still have to go through the same processes - writing, creating, building, animating, editing etc. It is just on a bigger scale with more people! I got my first job by applying as an assistant model maker with a production company on a children’s tv show,  just to get my foot in the door. I knew that once I was in then I could hopefully push to be an animator. Luckily I got the job and then after many heavy hints they later gave me the chance to animate! I would never have got the job or my start if I had just tried to be an animator as that job just didn’t exist at the time. I built a portfolio by luckily working on this children’s show, but I had some animation that I did at home prior to this. Concentrate on character and performance - this will always prove to be the best self motivated work to show prospective employers. After a few years, I moved on from this company and went freelance, but by that time I had built up some friends and connections and a small body of work that allowed me to have a good calling card with my showreel that helped find me more work. One thing always leads to another! I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Good luck with your course, and the best of luck with whichever path you take in your animation future! Best Regards Mark