Mini Project

For this task I was asked to create a parody of the Pixar intro animation but with my own name.

The animation demonstrates Squash and Stretch in the movement of the body of the squirrel and the letters, which squash and stretch when the character is jumping from one to another. The teeth of the animation character boost its appeal and make it comic. I have demonstrated what I have learned about the Secondary Action, Follow Through and Overlapping Action principles with the animation of the big tail of the squirrel. The tail follows the movement of the body and overlaps with every following jump the squirrel does. The movement of the tail is very important for the whole animation, as it makes it more realistic and believable. I have used it to also express the feelings of the squirrel, for instance, when the squirrel sees the `playground` (my name), its tail stretches up to show the amazement of the character.

I have applied Exaggeration to the movement of the letter `I` when it stretches up really quickly. This contributes to the comedic look of the animation. The big jump that the squirrel does just before it starts playing on the playground proves my skills in the Arcs principle. The character does a really nice and smooth jump and the trajectory demonstrates Arcs perfectly.

The Slow in and Slow out principle is shown in the final fall in the animation. The character falls from the sky very quickly and when it hits the little platform, it slides down to the ground. I have also demonstrated Anticipation in my animation - before two of the jumps, the squirrel anticipates by trembling its tail. This also reveals a lot about the personality of the character and it shows what the character is thinking at the moment.

I have applied the Straight Ahead and Pose To Pose principles for all of the jumps of the character by changing the timing in the graph editor. The movements start slowly, build up and end slowly which helps the final look of the animation, as it prevents it from looking mechanical. Solid Drawing is applied in the animation when the squirrel is bouncing on the letter `A`. The movement gives the character weight, balance and volume. The lighting in my scene also helped for the three-dimensional finish.

Timing is one of the most important principles of the animation as it affects the personality and nature of the animation. I think I have applied the right timing, especially in the last few frames of the animation. The time before the appearance of the squirrel feels just right and again - it contributes to the success of the final product.

I have applied Staging to the movement of the camera which presents the idea of the animation clearly. For instance, when the squirrel is shot up in the sky, the camera goes up and then it turns left and right. This shows that the camera is searching for the object and presents that idea unmistakably.



References:

The model is downloaded from AnimationMentor:  http://www.animationmentor.com/free-maya-rig/

Appeal, Exaggeration, Solid Drawing and Staging Examples from `Up`

Appeal:

These two screenshots are in contrast when it comes to the emotion that they express. In the first image we see the love in Ellie's eyes and in the second one they are replaced with Carl's, full of sorrow but also love. The colours in both images are also in contrast as the bright tones in the first screenshot contribute to the happy and energetic atmosphere while the dark shadows convey sadness.

Exaggeration:

In the first screenshot we see Ellie passionately kissing Carl but the actual exaggerated moment is Ellie's behaviour just before the kiss. She is jumping up and down, her eyes widen and she does an exaggerated jump towards Carl.

The second screenshot depicts another exaggerated jump I found. This time, the one jumping is Carl and he does that in order to stop the balloon cart from flying away. Carl's actions are obviously quickened and sudden.

Using exaggeration, the animator can easily reveal a lot about the personality of the character. For instance, Ellie's jump and behaviour before the kiss reveal her excitement and impatience. Carl's jump, on the other hand, demonstrates his bulky gestures. This technique also helps the audience better understand the particular scene.

Solid Drawing:

I find these two examples of Solid Drawing remarkable, as they give the characters the needed depth, volume, weight and balance for creating a realistic three-dimensional animation. In the first screenshot we feel the perfect weight, created by the deep shadows inside the vehicle which are in contrast with the shiny surface of the side view mirror. In the second image the light behind the character gives him volume and balance. The specific angle of the light also makes Carl appear more realistic and believable.





Staging:

According to Ollie Johnston and Frank Tomas, Staging is all about the presentation of any idea, so that it is completely and unmistakably clear. And that is exactly what these two screenshots demonstrate. Even if you have not seen the video above, you could easily say what the general idea of the scenes is. Unfortunately, both of the shots are tragic and saturated with unhappy feelings but that is what the animators were looking for. Staging aims to make you feel the pain, to get you into the characters' shoes.

Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose

The `pose to pose` animation method allows the animator to map the action in advance by setting key frames for the main poses and it is very useful if the character has to perform his actions for a preset time.
Before starting with the animation I planned the main poses...

and when I chose them I set key frames.
Then I used a few more poses to fill the inbetweens

Example of  Pose to Pose:

https://gifs.com/gif/pYowYX

This is the example of `Pose to Pose` which I found in Disneys` animated movie 'Beauty and Beast' from 1991. As the villain Gaston enters the room, we can clearly see that he is moving from hold to hold with inbetween movements.

The principle of Exaggeration presentation

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4XmpJFctx8mX0p3YllYYzFGamc

''Thought of You'' - analysis

Directed and Animated by Ryan Woodward

I was asked to analyse the short film series 'Thought of You' and to give answers to questions, such as what the feelings does the animation evoke and what role does Arcs play and how does it affect the whole clip. (I decided to upload the same animation but with a different background track just because I personally like this version more.)

Everybody is very familiar with the fact that dance has always been a personification of the inner world of a character. And that is exactly what happens in this clip - through their movements, the characters tell a story in a really beautiful and unique way. Arcs enhances the impression over the audience by demonstrating the movement itself and how fast or slow it is.

Very slow movements can be spotted often, too (00:29, 01:16, 01:55) - these moments make the audience impatient. They play the role of a different type of Anticipation, whose main role is not to prepare us for the next action, but to make us look forward to it.

The animation also includes lots of exaggerated moments which make it seem more like a dream than anything else (00:47, 01:25 and 01:52). However, these are the moments that make it seem more realistic because they are the ones that resonate with the audience. Also, they show the dancers' mood and help him express the feelings he has for the other character.

  How do I interpret the story?

 I think that the two characters represent two different worlds which want to be together but cannot. That is why they keep chasing each other. During the dance the two characters share, they gradually start entering each others' worlds, in order to be together. But in the end they remain separated.