Friday 11 May 2012

Maya Tutorials: Jiggle Deformer (Flesh)

After Effects Session: Progressive Cloud Intro



Unit 5: Final story idea

Premise

A geriatric telescope is angered when it is pursued by a young, energetic magnifying glass as it seeks companionship.


Step Outline

Scene one

The telescope is out-of-shot, with a progressive thumping approaching. The geriatric telescope comes into shot, progressing slowly over ground. As it approaches the centre of the shot, it halts and stretches it's back before continuing on.

Scene two

As the telescope progresses the young magnifying glass comes into shot. The magnifying glass erupts into life and stands in the telescopes way. The telescope uses his arm to shift the magnifying glass towards the camera, and continues on it's path which is magnified by the lens of the magnifier.

Scene three

The magnifier recovers and is seen in the next shot, which is currently following the telescope, hopping behind the telescope. The telescope halts, as it senses a presence behind, and wards the magnifying glass away. The telescope continues on it's journey, and a lamp post comes into shot. The magnifier is hopping after the telescope in the distance, keeping a steady distance. When the magnifier comes in contact with the lamp post it hides behind it, at which time the telescope glances back to find nothing but empty space. 

Scene four

Paranoid, the telescope frantically searches around using his arm to detect anything abnormal. Which then leads to the telescope prodding the camera, and then continuing on the journey. After a few moments pass, the magnifier leaps out in front and the telescope begins prodding the magnifying glass with it's arm which upsets it. The magnifier then sits on the ground, saddened by the event.

Scene five

The geriatric telescope then sits beside the magnifying glass, to which they both look up. The camera is behind them, and peering through their lens' the words "The End" is revealed.


Script

Scene one

EXT. Pavement

WIDE SHOT of Pavement, the TELESCOPE slowly walks into shot. As it reaches the centre of the shot, the Telescope halts and stretches before continuing on.

Scene two

Camera PANS LEFT, following the pavement with the Telescope operating as the pivot of the camera. The MAGNIFYING GLASS comes into the shot, as it stands still with the camera moving towards it. 

The Telescope pushes the Magnifying Glass towards the camera. 

CUT TO CLOSE UP with the shot remaining as it is for a moment. 

The camera PANS TO THE LEFT following the telescope, but leaving the enhanced zoom.

Scene three

Camera PANNING LEFT, the Magnifying Glass hops into the shot behind the Telescope, which has shifted to the left of the camera.

CUT TO the Telescope as it wards the Magnifying Glass away, off screen.

Camera PANS LEFT as the Telescope continues the journey. A lamp post comes into shot from the left, but at a distant view. The Magnifying Glass is approaching the lamp post, in the distance. Upon contact with the lamp post, the Magnifying Glass does not appear on the other side.

CUT TO the Telescope, which turns around and begins to search the space, stationary.

Scene four

CUT TO CLOSE UP of the Telescope, which is currently searching the space around it. The Telescope stumbles upon the camera hitting it three times, each one jolting the camera back-and-forth. 

CUT TO the Telescope.

Camera PANS LEFT as the Telescope continues on. The Magnifying Glass leaps out at the Telescope.

CUT TO the Telescope, who hits the lens of the Magnifier.

CUT TO BACK SHOT of the Magnifying Glass as it kneels of the ground.

Scene five

CUT BACK TO the Telescope as it approaches the Magnifying Glass.

CUT TO BACK SHOT of the Telescope and the Magnifying Glass.

Camera PANS UP, with the lens' of both in clean view, revealing the words "The End".

Unit 5: Disc Artwork


Unit 5: Concept Art of the Geriatric Telescope






Unit 5: Concept art of Magnifying Glass


Unit 5: Thumbnail drawings of Magnifying Glass


Unit 5: Thumbnail drawings of the Geriatric Telescope







Unit 5: Story idea


Premise

A geriatric telescope is distraught when it recognises the emotional pain he had caused to a young, helpful magnifying glass.

Step Outline

Scene one 

A home, outdated in style, is revealed with a progressive thumbing sound off screen. An old telescope comes into frame, with very slow movement, and sluggishly moves itself up the stairway. It enters a room, which is void of any materials, moving it's way to the window. Upon reaching the window, the telescope perches and gazes upon the sky.

Scene two

The next day, the old telescope is walking along the pathway when a young magnifying glass greets him, as they have never came in contact before. The telescope rejects his offer and continues to walk along the pathway, ignoring the magnifying glass' kind gesture. The magnifying glass notices the telescope's lack of balance, and persists on helping the old telescope.

Scene three

Coming upon a crossing, the magnifying glass believes it is the correct time to offer aid to the telescope. The telescope is enraged as he repeats his previous answer, and begins to flail his arm in the air directed at the magnifying glass. The telescope marches past the magnifying glass, but loses his footing whilst doing so resulting in it falling down to the ground. As the magnifying glass kneels down beside him, to check whether it is un-injured or not, the telescope accuses the magnifying glass of assaulting it. The magnifying glass is emotional hurt by such an accusation and flees from the area.

Scene four

As the telescope rises to it's feet, it observes the magnifying glass hop off along the paved pathway across the road. The telescope crosses the road and continues on it's original journey, heading down the path that the magnifying had just hopped down. Just a bit further down the path, the telescope's arm began to give way due to the un-even balance and fell to the floor again. Realising that the initial fall was of it's own doing and not the magnifying glass, the telescope heads off in search of the magnifying glass.

Scene five

The telescope continues in his search for the magnifying glass, glancing frantically down the road. The telescope notices the magnifying glass sitting down on the bench, hunched over. The geriatric telescope then walks calmly towards the magnifying glass, and without any interaction, sat down beside the magnifying glass. 

Unit 5: Few story ideas

Story idea 1: A geriatric telescope is angered upon realising his own life is fleeting from him, and reflects that anger onto a young magnifying glass.

Does not highlight or imply the illness, thus making the anger just that and not derivative of the illness.

Story idea 2: A geriatric telescope is distressed when reflecting upon his life, filled with a sense of regret as to the choices that it had and had not made.

Too focused on past events and not the character itself, as present.

Story idea 3: A geriatric telescope is angered to see a new model telescope replace it as the old telescope's lens is used to give it life.

With the lens substituted for the heart, the focus on such, would take too much time and attention away from the character. It would possibly be too complex and not easily interpreted.

Unit 5: Gesture drawings













Unit 5: Rear leg movement

The rear leg movement of the telescope would function in the same way of that of a horse. Eadweard Muybridge's motion captured horse will aid me in the animation of the walk cycle for my character, should the rear leg design resemble that of a horse's.



Unit 5: Inspiration

Pixar animation UP - Carl wake up scene

Pixar short animation Geri's Game

Hand drawn animation - Metamorphosis

Thursday 10 May 2012

Maya Tutorials: Paperclip chain



Maya Tutorials: Paperclip chain

Animatic Profile: Walt Disney

Fig. 1. Walt Disney
Walt Disney was an American animator, entertainer, entrepreneur, film director, international icon, philanthropist, producer, screenwriter and voice actor, who was also the co-founder of Walt Disney Productions which later became known as The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney is well known for creating some of the world's most famous animated characters, including; Mickey Mouse. His name is shared among theme parks and resorts, such as; DisneylandWalt Disney World ResortTokyo Disney ResortDisneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland.

Disney's cartoons first gained recognition to an audience when he began a studio called Laugh-O-Gram. It became a home to many animators, which was said to have played a pivotal role in the early years of animation, and was the birth of inspiration for Mickey Mouse. The studio didn't meet the requirements to continue to function, with a commissioned project Tommy Tucker's and one last short live-action/animation titled Alice's Wonderland, and closed down not long after opening. Some films that have survived over the period of time, which originated at Laugh-O-Gram Studio, include; Little Red Riding HoodJack and the BeanstalkGoldie Locks and the Three BearsPuss in Boots and Cinderella.

Disney then began work on a series of animated cartoons titles Alice Comedies, which combined a live action actor and an animated cat on an animated landscape. Alice's Wonderland was the first of the series, defining the premise of every other entry into the series. What may have been funny then, in terms of content, may be of concern by todays standards, as there were references to; The Perils of Pauline which came as a parody and a Ku Klux Klan similarity is found in Alice's Mysterious Mystery. After Alice Comedies, he lost most of his staff to Universal who owned the Oswald trademark whereupon he found himself on his own again.

After Disney lost the right to Oswald, he began to feel the need to replace it with another character. That character being Mickey Mouse, which he had adopted as a pet back at Laugh-O-Gram studio. Mickey's voice and personality were all provided by Walt Disney himself, up until 1947, and Mickey's designs were reworked from Disney's sketches to simplify animating Mickey. Mickey's first distributed appearance was in Steamboat Willie, noted for it's synchronised sound, the first cartoon to achieve that. It received wide critical acclaim for, it's incredibly popular character, it's innovation. After such success with Steamboat Willie, Disney went on to implementing sound into all of his subsequent cartoons. With a series of animations based on Mickey Mouse, the character undergone a colourisation making it his most popular and well received appearance to date. 


Snow White became Disney's new project, which was dubbed "Disney's Folly" due to the replacement of 'cartoonish' animation with realistic animation, which would be a full-length feature said to be the end of Disney's Studio. Disney employed the use of specialised processes, including the multiplane camera. The multiplane camera allows for various layers, which can be moved closer and further away from the camera, simulating a realistic camera direction. Snow White received a standing ovation at it's premiere and became a huge success. 

Snow White received many awards, which prompted the 'Golden age of animation'. Feature length animations, all achieving great success, came out from the new studio, with animations like; PinocchioFantasia and Bambi with Alice in WonderlandPeter Pan and Wind in the Willows in the early production stages. Meanwhile short animations, like the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck cartoon series continued on though out. 

Jim Korkis described Walt Disney as a person that takes a great amount of pride and care in his work, who, "laughs easily and heartily, and his voice is often filled with tones of eternal small-boy wonder at the miracles around him" (Korkis, 2012). Walt Disney also captured the character's appeal, for the children, in the form of toys, merchandise, comic books and theme parks. It was said that, "His vision, however, manifested itself first and foremost in his animated shorts and feature-length cartoons, which are loved by millions around the world" (Unknown, 2012).

Walt Disney was one of the first to branch out from the common animation and gave it a story, as well as memorable characters that can be connected to on an emotional level. That personality that he gave to the characters remains current to this today, acting as an influence for all animation. Merlin Jones said that Walt Disney, "always said that we could never stand still. He had to explore, innovate and experiment and he was never satisfied with his work" (Jones, 2006)

Illustrations

Figure.1 Walt Disney (1954) Walt Disney. Accessed at: http://images.wikia.com/disney/images/8/82/Waltdisney4.jpg

Bibliography

Korkis, J. (2012) Mouse Planet. Accessed at: http://www.mouseplanet.com/9563/A_Visit_With_Walt_Disney_in_May_1959

Unknown. (2012) TCM. Accessed at: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/movie-news.html?id=196711&name=Working-With-Walt-Interviews-With-Disney-Artists

Jones, M. (2006) Re-Imagineering. Accessed at: http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.co.uk/2006/04/walt-disney-talks-his-business.html

Tuesday 8 May 2012

Unit 6: Commission Pitch Red Light


Sorry Phil, I won't be able to make it to the pitch tomorrow as I have yet to upload the work and am currently finishing off Unit 5. A pitch post should be put up towards the end of the week. Hope that's ok.