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[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #7

   I decided to focus on Chapters 1: Setting the Record Straight by Scott McCloud (in Understanding Comics). He starts out by giving an informal definition of Comics: “Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the viewer”.

  He proceeds to talk about the history of comics and how they pre-date from well-over our time going from pre-Columbia, France to 1200 B.C. Egypt. He admits himself that the historic originator of comics might be hard to trace. I personally believe that it dates back all the way too 20 000 B.C. during prehistoric time (with caves painting, such as the Cave of Lasceaux in France). But it is up for debate whether those images were juxtaposed in a deliberate sequence.

  The invention of printing was a big boost for comics to be enjoyed by the masses. I wonder how they printed pictures out (I understand the process with printing letters, but printing images seems like such a technological step-up that he didn’t really addressed).

  He then differentiates what a modern comic book is but introducing its potential father Topffer (who introduced the famous panel borders, words and satire).

  He talks about the negative connotation that comics has received over the years in America and how that affected what we see as comics (often neglecting amazing works as comics). This does not particularly hit base with me as comics artist in France are highly revered. But the comics are also fundamentally different from what America thinks a comic might be (they’re called “graphic novels”). They’re mostly all hard-covers and not enclosed in one genre. Topics ranges from sports, fantasy, gossip etc. And they’re creators are called “Artiste”. They can be found in museums or even school programs. Some of my all-time favorites are Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, Thorgal, The Smurfs etc. There are a lot. Everyone can enjoy a comic.

  He finished by saying how open the world of comics is (especially with all the new materials and techniques being discovered). It is pretty much endless and undefinable.

One of my favorite of all time!

[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #6

  I choose to write my summary on Chapter 10: Stop-motion Animation: A Survey of Techniques by Maureen Furniss. I really liked the wide variety of stop-motion techniques and knowledge.

  She starts by emphasizing the fact that stop motion can be 2D and not only utilizing three dimensional materials. Something they I never saw before and intrigued me was using sand-like material to create. I had seen those live sand painting creation before but never thought about making a stop motion out of it. The works of Gisele and Ernest look stunning, explained by the process of multilayered sand (using glass layers). Gisele also explains how you should use very fine and pure sand to achieve the optimum effect.

  Maureen then goes on to talk about Pinscreen Animation which actually seems very interesting. From the best I could understand, it is a board with thousands of pins on it that cast different shades of grey depending on how pushed in or not they are.

  She then talks about Clay Painting techniques. Basically, it’s using clay as paint, just in a two-dimensional way (flattened out). Just like you would use cut outs just to color certain flat areas.

  3D stop-motion animation is then introduced with folded paper techniques. Which is almost a metamorphosis from 2D to 3D (flat cut-out to added dimensions given by the folded paper). This could be closely related with origami.

  She then talks about Brickfilms (made mostly out of Lego) which I was particularly fond when was littler (I even made a few). She mainly talks about the ease of maneuverability of Brick stop-motion which can lead to some fantastic pieces. The Lego bricks are so endowed in stop motion then when the company made a movie about Lego’s using CGI, it got a lot of criticisms.

[mixedmediaanimation]

Surf Cruz

  I’d like to make my stop motion on Kevin Reed, a famous Santa Cruz Surfer or if inaccessible on a hardcore surfer. I’ve always been intrigued by surfers and how much dedication they have to their craft. I’d like to tell a simple story about surfer’s passion towards their craft (a lot of them get up before sunrise just to catch a few waves). I also love the morphing, bending and color of sea water (and thought it would make for a pretty good stop motion project).The title of my project is Surf Cruz. 

[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #5

  I’ve decided to write about the Cinematic Conventions, Thumbnail Sketches, and Hand-Drawn Storyboards by Austin Shaw because we have a storyboard due on Thursday (and I thought the subject was practical enough for me to actually use).

  First of he explains something important, how you need to have film making knowledge to know which kind of drawing you are going to do (so that when your story is transferred to movie it is done smoothly). He gives us a series of typical shots. The wide shot (used as transition in narrative), the medium shot (distance transition), Close-Up Shot (emotional intensity), Low Angle Shots (accentuates monumental), High Angle shot (distance transition), Dutch Angle (apparition of the horizon, can create tension), Over the Shoulder (increases intimacy), Two shot (two figures, enhance interaction of visual elements within picture), the bird’s eye view (sweeping over the view shot, enhances dramatic effect).

  It then introduces elements of cinematic principles. As the storyboard phase, you must consider what the audience will feel and think. The establishing shot is important to introduce a new narrative setting. The hero frame will define the motion within a frame (you must consider topography).

  Thumbnail sketches are quick digital drawings that “explore the essential qualities of an image in a fast and loose manner”. It highlights how important narrative continuity is during the storyboard phase. All camera movements must be considered from frame to frame. Finally, he explains generally how a storyboard conveys idea about camera movement and narrative to the creative team. A storyboard can be vital to get a production team hyped over your project!

[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #4

  For this reading assignment I picked Chapter 13: The Art of Compositing by Austin Shaw. The reason I picked this text is because It actually helped with the first project. There’s a lot of terminology that I only know halfway, and this text helped clarify terms and details about compositing.

  He starts by differentiating two different type of compositing, concrete and abstract. The main difference between these two compositing techniques is that the concrete helps build a coherent universe in which every element in the movie make sense within that universe. Whereas abstract, can still have a coherent picture but not a coherent universe (elements don’t evolve in a “logical” order set by the artist).

  A matte is basically a digital cut-out of certain elements in a picture. Feathering consists of blurring (or sharpening) the edges of our matte or background to make the matte seem more natural. Saturation can be used to make color intensity seem appropriate with the other images. The hue will change the whole color space.

  Blending can be used to mix two different media/ element too create on seamless picture.

  One thing this text made me realize is the power of digital and duplication. Before anything was digital, if you wanted to work on a canvas for example, you could not really experiment or make mistakes (unless you are experimenting). Computers permit to duplicate our “Canvas” so we don’t have to mess up the original one. Another element that was new to me was adjustment to perspective and the ability to create a dynamic diagonal.

[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #3

                                  Chapter 9: The Mechanics of Movement

           I picked the writing piece by Susannah Shaw because I thought it had concrete examples and methodology for basic movement in animation that seems to be time resistant.

          She starts by explaining the basis for understanding how things move, simple detailed observation. You must truly understand the movement you’re trying to depict and all it’s particularities. Because even if people don’t see all 4 hoofs of a horse coming off the ground, if you do not include at least one frame with that, our brain will be able to tell something is not right.  

           She gives some good advice on how a natural balanced person should look (knee joints locked in when standing straight). Also having a line of action can help with creating fluid believable movements.

           One of her more helpful advice is about timing. She explains how we’re not trying to reproduce live-action reproductions when doing animation, but how there needs to be an emphasis on certain actions to make the movement seem fluid.

           One of the key elements in animation is recognizing that there is weight, and weight modifies movement. One of her example is lifting a box. If the box is empty, we’ll probably observe the character bend over with a straight back and pick up the object with straight arms. But if there is weight in the box, we should see a character that bends the knees and arms before grasping the box.

           One simple way to summarize animation movement is “anticipation, action, and reaction”. Recoil movement would be an important example of reaction to an action (ex: the forward movement of material on a t-shirt catching up with the action). She also explains how we often seek to exaggerate the natural reaction in animation.

           She also gives a lot of specific movement examples we can recreate.

           And finally, she talks about how deconstructing movement is important to make animation interesting, until now I thought that cramming the most movements together would make an action look more complex or real.

[mixedmediaanimation]

Reading Reflection #2

                             Concept Medium and Style by Furniss

 It starts out by giving us some tips and tricks on getting started on a new project. The concept stage of a projects is one of the most important step as it will give you a direction to follow until the end of the project. There are multiple tips on how to get an idea, but in a general sense, keep your mind open to new experience and culture. You then have to compile and keep clear track of all your research. You also have to keep in mind who your targeted audience is and how you’re going to reach out to them. What’s the value of your project, meaning what do you want it to accomplish, is it a personal project used for catharsis or a purely practice project etc.

It then proceeds to talk about the Medium. It talks about how some digital effects have entered the world of stop-motion, but it is still widely popular as a form. It then proceeds to talk general distribution idea (like to think if what aspect ratio you’re going with, letterboxing etc..).

He then explains some concept of style, like how to add real depth (especially when we’re talking about stop-motion). How surfaces and textures have played a huge part, and how finding more and more material has permitted us a slew of new textures. And finally it talk about timing as one of the key-concept in stop motion, and how you have to obey the laws of physics to understand how time is going to affect different objects.

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