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We had attended an acting workshop and were studying the 7 ways of acting. The most important steps and questions to use in order build your character and their scenario.
We had practiced making our own scenario on a scene by stimulating our own quirk movements.
For this exercise we have been studying about the body motion and flexibility of characters and inanimate objects initiating a move. The different examples that we have seen demonstrated include cloths, hair, capes, strings, sleeves etc. During my session we had practiced illustrating a piece of string on a ball attached behind to follow its shape from the previous drawing. This exercise consisted with key numbers that are positioned in between, so when I start to animate it, it will shoot to the next key string of a number. This process that I had to complete was done frequently on animation paper. Illustrated each string following the ball behind thus followthrough, then drawing the next string on the ball on another sheet of paper, changing the length of the bounce rotation of the ball keeping it straight ahead. We were given this exercise work to do on TV paint. I animated the ball on string on each key frame and then using the skull and crossbone technique to move forward to the next duration, just by drawing the string on a new frame ensuring that it follows from the previous point of the ball.
I have been learning and studying about the matter of inanimate objects. We then talked about the the states of matter, for example Solids, Liquids, Gases.
We have been focusing on the bounce of each ball
Beach ball, Bowling ball, Soccer ball, Ping Pong, Water Balloon
We then practiced the ball trajectory exercise on the table. We were each given a ball to be held and performed with it. Then tested the energy of the ball just by rolling them down on a table slope and then dropping it to hit the ground. We observed the acceleration movement until the duration ends to a stop.
On Week 1
We had an Introduction to Animation principles. We have been learning and understanding the outcome basics of 2D animations and the techniques involved in making animation. In this theory I have learnt that 2D animation consists of a series of drawings which creates an illusion of movement. and can be played in different outcomes.
Animation is shot 24 frames per second.
The suppliers and equipment that was needed to show the effect of the movement were
Animation Paper – A material used to add more layers of paper which shows a level of translucency to see all the drawings
Peg Bar – Is used to keep the drawing in place. The holes in the paper help to attach the light table.
Light Box – Was used as an illuminated workspace to trace the images and drawings from one sheet to another.
X – sheets
Line Tester – is a process used to check hand drawn frames prior to them being used for the final outcome. Frames are capture either via a video camera, frame by frame or by scanning them into a computer.
Pencils
Creates prints drawings, and animated films.
South African William Kentridge expresses his drawing techniques in black charcoal and ink. His drawings are used to construct on film by making erasure textured rubbings and then filming it repeatedly. He continues this process, giving each change to the drawing. A single drawing is then alternated on film to represent a narrative scene and then retouched again to make a still film.
The material and media discipline the artist has experimented with were black paper pieces which were used to construct human figures and animals. for example his work the horse is not mine is six minute stop motion animation which was extracted directly on film projection.
The artist often experiment himself posing in different style to show himself represented on film.
The style and techniques of his work are depicted in an innumerable repetition which involves transforming his distinctive charcoal drawings into a short animated film. The technique consists of drawing, erasing and reworking the same piece each time. He would then frequently take photographs of his image he makes and then erase each version.
We have been exploring the subject movement on shadow puppets. Shadow puppets are flat articulated cut – out paper silhouettes that were used in play performances to show on screen in the background.
Looking at artists work for inspiration, we were given a task to complete our shadow puppet animation. Artists work include
Kara Walker
Miwa Matreyek
William Kentridge
We then collaborated into groups of six. Had to design and build a shadow puppet character and then present it telling a story about a character coming to new land.
The things we had to think carefully about were ways in which the character would be feeling in a new place, the poses the character would be performing in the scene and the style of the movement.
In our group we decided to build a silhouette character based on a flower plant. Using black paper material, we then started to cutout our figure and constructed the shape of the head and body parts with the arms and legs. We had also cut out some triangular shapes pieces, which would represent sharp edge like pillars coming around the background. Using the pins, we then attached the arms and legs onto our figure and also added the skewers below to make it balance its movements.
Once our figure was completed, we made use of the balcony. We then started setting up the camera to video record our short animated film. We used a piece of tracing paper, to stack on the background of the window.
Started to plan out the narrative for our scene thinking about ways on what feelings and emotions the character is experiencing. We were required to use a video camera for this exercise to record our puppet performance, thus we were also making sounds to represent a disturbance reaction to the character. Firstly at the very start of the narrative it depicts happiness as the flower warps through its flowerpot until eventually towards the middle plot when bad things start to happen in the scene when it depicts disturbing patterns of fearsome hands, falling sharp pillars.
Sand Animation
We had an introduction with the art animator Caroline leaf who lectured about the creation on sand animation. The Lecture started demonstrating and showcasing examples of two short sand animated films of her work on screen. Which depicted a different style animation, which she experimented with the use of sand materials.
After watching Caroline leaf’s animation we were then told to collaborate into groups of three and arranged our ideas into a narrative.
Before we arranged our ideas, we were required to research the artist David Hockney. Then examine and choose examples of his artwork and then use them to them to tell a narrative story. Along with it we had to use a storyboard sheet.
The fairy tale artworks that we decided to interpret and focus on, based on Hockney’s etchings were the prince (Rapunzel let her hair down), the princess, the haunted castle, and the stone (The Sexton Disguised as a Ghost Stood Still as Stone)
We had to plan and think about our ideas for the plot and what it will be about and then decide whether it will be a happy or sad story. The inclusion of characters we wanted to focus on was the devil, the prince and princess.
The process was to use sand material made from lit glass to draw our animation
By scattering and applying all the sand on the light box. Then just simply using our hands and fingers to motivate, we drew the outline of the sand characters and settings. We made use of dragon frame programme, which was useful for capturing the imagery and motions. We frequently took two shots on each frame to the next, and then adjusted the speed to a certain point.
The lightbox was useful to help us with forming a character and then morphing it slowly and smoothly. Morphing was the technique that we frequently made use of when we were transforming the tone of our character from one image to another resulting into an entirely different outcome. We practiced the same techniques with our hands slowly and repetitively.
I’ve have enjoyed experimenting with sand lit glass material. I enjoyed collaborating in a group working and planning our ideas.
I really like how the sand animation stood out.
Im am thinking of researching the work of Richard Musinguzi.
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