UNIT V: Animation

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the understanding of 'Stop motion' (pop. frame-by-frame), a generic term for an animation technique that makes static objects appear to move. The object is moved very small amounts between individual frames, producing the effect of motion when the film is played back, as in conventional drawn and painted animation.  Animations will be 3 minutes long and include audio.

GOAL:  To consider the conceptual topic of spirit worlds and quests, to create an emersive experience though abstraction, moving images, and sound, to build spacial depth over time.

PROJECT:  Through the strength of my vision

PHASE ONE: ConcIptualize

1.     1  Brainstorm at least 10 ideas for a Vision Quest animation.  Consider questions:

a.     Who is performing the vision quest?

b.     Are they trying to answer a specific question or problem?

c.     Are they doing it as part of a rite of passage?  If so, which?

d.     What do they hope to achieve through the vision quest?

e.     What do they actually achieve through the vision quest?

f.      What do they see?

g.     Do they have a guide?

2.     2  Consider the following project requirements:

a.     3 minutes in length at 10 frames per second equals 1800 images

b.     Includes audio

c.     Does not have “characters” or people – think abstractly

d.     Is shot from the first person perspective

3.     3  You will have three different options on how to do the animation, and you can mix and match the different twchniques:

a.     Digital Photography – using a digital camera you can take a series of photos of everyday things or drawings to create an animation.

b.     Photoshop / Illustrator – You can build up intricate settings with layers and Photoshop / Illustrator and export frames while adjusting the layers

c.     After Effects – You can build animations within After Effects.  This is the most advanced option, and I will not be going into great detail on how to do this in class.  This is an option for those who want the extra challenge or who want to get more experience with After Effects.

d.     All methods will be compiled in After Effects to make the movie file.  Audition will be used for the audio.

4.     4  Storyboard 3 distinct ideas from your brainstorm, be detailed on the drawings – use color, and describe each shot / scene on the back.  If you are not comfortable in your drawing abilities, use photographs or Photoshop / Illustrator.  Be prepared to share these in class.

PHASE TWO: Beginnings

1.     Group critique your storyboards to decide which one is best.

2.     Rehash your storyboard to make sure it is how you want, makes conceptual sense, and is visually pleasing.

3.     Come up with a fourth storyboard based on your original three.  Push the abstraction.  Think different.

4.     Photograph / scan your storyboards and bring picture files to class.  Put then in a file called Your Name within the STORYBOARDS folder in HIDA shares.

5.     With your storyboard, figure out what you want the audio to be and why.  Clips from a song?  Vocals? Dialog? Ambiance? Sound effects?  A mix?  Again, do not make a music video.  Consider how audio can be distorted / abstracted as visuals can.

6.     Go through the video series on Adobe TV for basic animating: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/classroom-after-effects-cs5/episode-1/

      Pay particular attention to the 6^th one on working with Photoshop.  To Follow along, you can download a trial version of After Effects here: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=after_effects

7.     Decide how you want to animate (Photos, Photoshop, AE) and if you want to do audio or animation first.

8.     Gather materials for your animation, be it photos, graphics, sound clips, etc.
9.   Remember new time length of 3 minutes.

     

PHASE THREE:  Capture / Create content

1.     Take all the photos you need to build your animation.  This process works best if you divide your animation photos into separate shot folders.  Be sure to maintain the image file name sequence that your camera probably automates for you.  If you have images in non numeric / alphabetical order it can create problems for you down the road.  Remember to reduce your camera resolution to around 1M.

2.     OR, build out the layers for your animation in a Photoshop document.  If doing this its best to keep all elements that cold possibly move on independent layers.  For instance, rather than having a person on a layer you’d want their head, torso, and arms on separate layers.  Depending on how detailed you want to get with the animation, you may want to go further, i.e. layers for hands, fingers…  Again, I recommend having a separate Photoshop document for each shot.

3.     OR just dive into AE.

PHASE FOUR:  Animating

1.     To import photos as a sequence:

a.     Open After Effects and create a new composition that is the same size as your photos, set it’s duration to your_number_of_photos/10 seconds.

b.     Go to File>Import>File

c.     Select the first image in your shot folder and make sure that JPG Sequence is checked.

d.     Drag the new clip into your timeline.

e.     You may need to adjust the speed on the animation to match the length of your composition.  To do so, go to Layer>Time>Time Stretch.

f.      Assemble your sub compositions into a new master composition that is 3 minutes long.

2.     To animate a Photoshop document:

a.     Watch this video:  http://tv.adobe.com/watch/classroom-after-effects-cs5/episode-6/

b.     For a simpler method with less control, watch this video: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-after-effects-cs4/getting-started-08-animating-characters/

3.     You know how to edit audio in Audition already, go for it.

PHASE FIVE:  Working with audio and exporting

1.     Watch this video for doing final audio adjustments and exporting:  http://tv.adobe.com/watch/classroom-after-effects-cs5/episode-7/

2.     Remember that using audio in After Effects is different from Premiere and you need to use ram preview, not the space bar, to hear it.
3.    Put your exported animation, After Effects project file, and all source material in a folder called YourName in the ANIMATION folder on HIDA shares.
4.  Upload your exported animation to the blog.

READING:      Launching the Imagination Ch. 15 Interdisciplinary Arts (read) & Ch. 5 Problem Seeking Problem Solving (cmap)

VOCABULARY: track, clip, volume, amplitude, frequency, key frame, limit, mix, multitrack, noise, transition, effect, title, layer, aspect ratio, widescreen, HD, frame, Compositing, Layers, Masking, Parenting

REFERENCES:  Aardman, Judder Man, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Her Morning Elegance, ThisIsCollassal.com, BLU

GRADING:  (45pts)

Technical: (15pts) 4 Storyboards? 3 minutes? 1^st person? Audio? Titles / credits? In appropriate HIDA Shares folder?

Aesthetic: (15pts) Color? No characters?  Audio matches animation? Abstraction? Spatial Depth?

Conceptual: (15pts) Vision? What happens? Theme? Motivation? More than just moving shapes and blobs? Drama? No flatness (Spatially and in terms of plot)?

FINAL CRIT: 23 April 2012

NOTES:

For extra help / reference / practice, see the After Effects CS4 videos on the blog.