Wednesday, 31 January 2018
From Script to Screen - Faigel Concepts (feedback/suggestions wanted)
I decided to start designing my main character as a basis for other characters in my world. She'll be the kind of "base" i'll form their designs from, to make it be believable for the characters to interact.
Any kind of feedback and suggestions for her concepts would be great. (such as suggesting things for me to try or look at, or even something simple as stating which drawing you like)
Tuesday, 30 January 2018
From Script to Screen - Initial Influence Maps
Society Designs
(designs of the bird like people. taking inspiration from harpies but i don't want them to look exactly like birds. the facial features will resemble a birds, and their hair will have a feather like quality to them.)
Faigel
(designs of the bird like people. taking inspiration from harpies but i don't want them to look exactly like birds. the facial features will resemble a birds, and their hair will have a feather like quality to them.)
(soft pinks and dulled down colors to match her personality. I like the idea of having soft colors to start with, but as the story goes on and as her personality develops they get a little brighter)
Environments
(the factor in the beginning will kind of be a typical production line factory, but from the outside it'll be brighter to match the rest of the tropical environment. I want it feel like its hiding something in there. The environments colors will be usual tropical greens etc but with small hints of color in the leaves and houses)
(the factor in the beginning will kind of be a typical production line factory, but from the outside it'll be brighter to match the rest of the tropical environment. I want it feel like its hiding something in there. The environments colors will be usual tropical greens etc but with small hints of color in the leaves and houses)
Props
(eggs can be found in many shapes sizes and colors. and they can be dyed and painted. the idea of my caste system can use these concepts well. the workers of the caste system will have learned to tell eggs apart and sort them depending on the coloring and shape of them perhaps.)
(eggs can be found in many shapes sizes and colors. and they can be dyed and painted. the idea of my caste system can use these concepts well. the workers of the caste system will have learned to tell eggs apart and sort them depending on the coloring and shape of them perhaps.)
Cutting Edges - Psycho (1960)
(Psycho Poster, 1960)
Psycho is a 1960 American psychological horror directed by Alfred Hitchcock, based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch.
"In Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock not only created a blazing masterpiece and spawned a new cinematic genre – the slasher. He also delivered one of the boldest blows in screen history. It was not just how he killed Janet Leigh's Marion Crane, astonishing though that was – it was when." (Monahan, 2015)
The film starts with our supposed heroine and her boyfriend. They get up, get dressed and she goes to work. She goes about her daily business until she comes across a large sum of money she's meant to take to the bank for her boss. The next 40 minutes is of her driving up to meet her boyfriend to give him the money for her debts. And in a hotel she stays at, after only just identifying with this girl, she is killed in one of the most iconic scenes in film history.
"In Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock not only created a blazing masterpiece and spawned a new cinematic genre – the slasher. He also delivered one of the boldest blows in screen history. It was not just how he killed Janet Leigh's Marion Crane, astonishing though that was – it was when." (Monahan, 2015)
The film starts with our supposed heroine and her boyfriend. They get up, get dressed and she goes to work. She goes about her daily business until she comes across a large sum of money she's meant to take to the bank for her boss. The next 40 minutes is of her driving up to meet her boyfriend to give him the money for her debts. And in a hotel she stays at, after only just identifying with this girl, she is killed in one of the most iconic scenes in film history.
(Psycho, 1960)
"The film is 109 minutes long, but he offs his heroine, the glamorous miscreant with whom he's made us identify, after just 47. In 1960, this generated, by all accounts, an unprecedented sense of careering into uncharted and terrifying territory: what the hell would happen next? Even now, it's distinctly unnerving." (Monahan, 2015)
Its a very clever scene, made of many 70 camera setups and 78 pieces of film. And yet the knife is never seen piercing her flesh. Its merely implied by the action of the camera and of the actress. The film is a wonder in the uses of misdirection, not only in this scene but in the entirety of the plot itself.
We are made to think the killer of our heroine is the hotel managers mother. But toward the end of the movie we are shown that it was the manager himself, with an alternate personality acting as his mother. This is very clever, and the way Hitchcock hid this was so simple it makes you a fool when the film tells you about it.
(Psycho, 1960)
"There, it appears, he has a mother—a cantakerous old woman—concealed. And that mother, as it soon develops, is deft at creeping up with a knife and sticking holes into people, drawing considerable blood." (Crowther, 1960)
He never shows the mother directly. Not talking, not moving. Only twice. Once when the manager carries her downstairs and another when she's revealed to be a corpse. She's heard talking but by the end of the film its revealed that it was the manager talking as her.
Bibliography:
Images:
Psycho Poster. (1960). [image] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Psycho_%281960%29.jpg [Accessed 24 Jan. 2018].
Psycho. (1960). [DVD] Directed by A. Hitchcock. United States: Paramount.
Quotes:
Monahan, M. (2015). Psycho, review. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11025424/Psycho-review.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].
Crowther, B. (1960). Movie Review - - PSYCHO - NYTimes.com. [online] Nytimes.com. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE [Accessed 29 Jan. 2018].
Monday, 29 January 2018
Tookit 1 - Intro to Animation
Squash and Stretch - Bouncing Ball
Settle and Rest - Pendulum
Secondary Action and Overlap - Chain
Squash and Stretch - Mushroom
(this one started going wrong for some reason. I think the curves in the graph editor messed up when i turned on infinity. I don't know how to fix it. I may reattempt this another time)
Saturday, 27 January 2018
@Phil - From Script to Screen - Updated Step Outline
Scene:
Pans across a scene of an incubation system, at the end eggs are being sorted into different sections.
Scene:
Cuts to a scene of children in groups of feather colors. In the background, there’s a chart, showing a sort of caste system in this society.
Scene:
Crossfades to Faigel (our hero) looking for a job a tropical society of bird-like people. She’s of one of the caste systems lower sections, showing that she was bred to not be as smart, but obviously is.
Scene:
She’s turned down based on the caste system, and what the color of someone’s feathers says about their mentality.
Scene:
Faigel gets angry, pointing out the system is stupid and that she’s more than capable of a simple job.
Scene:
The interviewer kicks her out and Faigel falls on the ground.
Scene:
She’s helped up by someone of similar feather color, who agrees the system is stupid. Faigel suggests they try and do something about it. The other person agrees.
Scene:
They take to streets, asking for others to join their cause. (Someone in background is shown alerting authorities)
Scene:
Some people join, inspired by Faigel and shown to be previously disgusted by the system (though afraid to show it)
Scene:
They get arrested after the group becomes too big.
Scene:
Cut to jail. Faigel visibly upset with her friends, her life ruined by this system. Her new friend comforts her, stating they won't be the last to do this.
Scene:
Shot of her face zooms out, showing the entire jail cell.
Possible Ending 1:
Crossfades to a boy reading in a cafe about the failed uprising. The paper lowers to show a boy of the same-ish color feathers as Faigel. He stands up, inspired by her story and starts to speak. Fade to black.
Possible Ending 2:
Crossfades to someone reading a report about the failed uprising. The papers lower to show a regal figure (the leader of the society) with many different feather colors. He grins, happy the uprising against his caste system got put to rest.
Possible Ending 3:
Crossfades to someone reading a report about the failed uprising, and different events happening as a result of the inspiration of Faigel. The papers lower to show a regal figure (the leader of the society) with many different feather colors. His face is sour, visibly upset that his caste system is being threatened thanks to Faigel.
Scene:
They take to streets, asking for others to join their cause. (Someone in background is shown alerting authorities)
Scene:
Some people join, inspired by Faigel and shown to be previously disgusted by the system (though afraid to show it)
Scene:
They get arrested after the group becomes too big.
Scene:
Cut to jail. Faigel visibly upset with her friends, her life ruined by this system. Her new friend comforts her, stating they won't be the last to do this.
Scene:
Shot of her face zooms out, showing the entire jail cell.
Possible Ending 1:
Crossfades to a boy reading in a cafe about the failed uprising. The paper lowers to show a boy of the same-ish color feathers as Faigel. He stands up, inspired by her story and starts to speak. Fade to black.
Possible Ending 2:
Crossfades to someone reading a report about the failed uprising. The papers lower to show a regal figure (the leader of the society) with many different feather colors. He grins, happy the uprising against his caste system got put to rest.
Possible Ending 3:
Crossfades to someone reading a report about the failed uprising, and different events happening as a result of the inspiration of Faigel. The papers lower to show a regal figure (the leader of the society) with many different feather colors. His face is sour, visibly upset that his caste system is being threatened thanks to Faigel.
Friday, 26 January 2018
Toolkit 1 - Camera Shake and Contra Zoom
Camera Shake - Drive by
Camera Shake - Drop down
Contra Zoom
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
@Phil - From Script to Screen - Updated Story Idea
Premise:
In a tropical society of bird like people, a young child prodigy must fight against the ongoing discrimination present there.
Logline:
Faigel is a smart girl living in a tropical society of bird like people. Unfortunately this society has become subject to discrimination. Can our hero help the citizens to look past their differences to create a better future?
Quick Breakdown of story: (not a step outline yet)
Notes:
- The society has different facilities for people with different color feathers. so the societies classes all have access to different things. (similar to racial segregation). for example: different cafes will only accept a specific feather color, same with shops and markets. This will be reflected in the environment as signs in front of buildings with the specific feather colors.
Faigel lives her life chastised by society for the color of her feathers, sick of her friends and family being limited to what they can do in life, she takes a stand with the intention of bringing people together and tearing down the walls of the discrimination. At first people are skeptical, but she soon makes new friends with people of different feather colors. However she is reported to the authorities, and knowing she has no chance turns herself in to protect her friends. Her friends in turn stand with her, not letting her take the blame alone. Despite now being in jail, she has learnt a valuable lesson. Happiness isn't by what you have access to in life, it is the friends and family you have with you.
----
I'm not sure if this is the right way to end it, so any alternate endings or notes will be welcome.
Monday, 22 January 2018
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Cutting Edges - Rope (1948)
(Rope Poster, 1948)
Rope is a 1948 American psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It was based on the 1929 play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton, which in turn was loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder case in 1924.
"Actual lensing time was 10 days, plus five days of retakes, but complete schedule was 36 days, including intense rehearsals." Connolly, M. (1948)
Rope is considered to be a very contemporary film for its time, the reason being that the film looks like it has been done in one full take when in reality it was 10 cuts spliced together. Hitchcock never disguised these cuts either, making them obvious to spot to the trained eye, but not to average film viewers in that day. The end of each of these cuts often pan into a blackout on someones back or on the chest, but most are unmasked cuts from just people talking. As the quote above says, it took 15 days in total to finish shooting the film, since Hitchcock was determined to get his shots right.
Stepping away from the way it was made, the film in a way explores the homosexual relationship of the two main characters, which is very interesting for the time it was set in. It's heavily implied through the use of script and props that Philip and Brandon are in a gay relationship. It's never said directly in the film, but you can imply a lot simply from looking and listening.
These two characters are shown in extremely close situations from beginning to end, from Brandon taking off Philips gloves in the first few shots of the film, to their use of cigarette use after especially intense moments in the film.
"Hitch, never one to shy away from explicit content or gay subtext, wanted to play up the plot’s homosexual undertones — even the piece Phillip routinely plays on the piano is by an openly gay composer." (IndieWire, 2014)
It's also worth noting, that Philip and Brandon both refer to their murder in an explicit way.
"How did you feel... during it?" "I don't remember feeling much of anything... until his body went limp. Then I felt tremendously exhilarated. How did you feel?" (Rope, 1948)
Even after the murder, they both agree to stay in a state of "bliss" as Brandon takes out a cigarette, which as said earlier is a symbol of sex. They then hide the body, hiding something in plain sight of their dinner guests, hoping they won't be found out. This again is much like their relationship.
Rope is a very complex, contemporary and in a way controversial piece of art, which stuns its audience and leaves it wanting more again and again.
"Actual lensing time was 10 days, plus five days of retakes, but complete schedule was 36 days, including intense rehearsals." Connolly, M. (1948)
Rope is considered to be a very contemporary film for its time, the reason being that the film looks like it has been done in one full take when in reality it was 10 cuts spliced together. Hitchcock never disguised these cuts either, making them obvious to spot to the trained eye, but not to average film viewers in that day. The end of each of these cuts often pan into a blackout on someones back or on the chest, but most are unmasked cuts from just people talking. As the quote above says, it took 15 days in total to finish shooting the film, since Hitchcock was determined to get his shots right.
(Rope, 1948)
Stepping away from the way it was made, the film in a way explores the homosexual relationship of the two main characters, which is very interesting for the time it was set in. It's heavily implied through the use of script and props that Philip and Brandon are in a gay relationship. It's never said directly in the film, but you can imply a lot simply from looking and listening.
These two characters are shown in extremely close situations from beginning to end, from Brandon taking off Philips gloves in the first few shots of the film, to their use of cigarette use after especially intense moments in the film.
"Hitch, never one to shy away from explicit content or gay subtext, wanted to play up the plot’s homosexual undertones — even the piece Phillip routinely plays on the piano is by an openly gay composer." (IndieWire, 2014)
It's also worth noting, that Philip and Brandon both refer to their murder in an explicit way.
"How did you feel... during it?" "I don't remember feeling much of anything... until his body went limp. Then I felt tremendously exhilarated. How did you feel?" (Rope, 1948)
(Rope, 1948)
Even after the murder, they both agree to stay in a state of "bliss" as Brandon takes out a cigarette, which as said earlier is a symbol of sex. They then hide the body, hiding something in plain sight of their dinner guests, hoping they won't be found out. This again is much like their relationship.
Rope is a very complex, contemporary and in a way controversial piece of art, which stuns its audience and leaves it wanting more again and again.
Bibliography:
Images:
Rope Poster. (1948). [image] Available at: https://cdn.traileraddict.com/content/universal-pictures/rope_1948.jpg [Accessed 17 Jan. 2018].
Rope. (1948). [DVD] Directed by A. Hitchcock. United States: Warner Bros.
Rope. (1948). [DVD] Directed by A. Hitchcock. United States: Warner Bros.
Quotes:
Connolly, M. (1948). Revolutionary No-Pause Filming on 'Rope' Stresses New Pic Technique. Variety, p.18.
IndieWire. (2014). Hays’d: Decoding the Classics — 'Rope'. [online] Available at: http://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/haysd-decoding-the-classics-rope-214547/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].
Rope. (1948). [DVD] Directed by A. Hitchcock. United States: Warner Bros.
Connolly, M. (1948). Revolutionary No-Pause Filming on 'Rope' Stresses New Pic Technique. Variety, p.18.
IndieWire. (2014). Hays’d: Decoding the Classics — 'Rope'. [online] Available at: http://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/haysd-decoding-the-classics-rope-214547/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].
Rope. (1948). [DVD] Directed by A. Hitchcock. United States: Warner Bros.
From Script to Screen - Like for Like Storyboard
I decided to use a scene from one of my favourite shows, RWBY. It's the scene where the protagonists meet a new villain. I chose this scene because of the interesting use of the camera.
Friday, 19 January 2018
Toolkit 1 - Lip Sync Continued
Today I started on the character animation for my Lip Sync. It's very bare bones and I need to animate the eyes still, but for now, I thought I'd upload what I have.
Toolkit 1 - X-sheets & Lip syncing
Last week, we learnt about how to make and read an x sheet and how to use it to plan out animations, including lip syncing.
At first, I was going to use audio from the musical "Hamilton", but the dialogue was far too frequent for my first time, so I chose a different audio.
Now I just have to sync the mouth shapes to the audio with character movement.
At first, I was going to use audio from the musical "Hamilton", but the dialogue was far too frequent for my first time, so I chose a different audio.
Now I just have to sync the mouth shapes to the audio with character movement.
Thursday, 18 January 2018
@ Phil - From Script to Screen - New Story Ideas
Story Elements - Child Prodigy | Tropical Island | Egg
Idea 1 - A Parrot comes across an abandoned egg in a forest on a tropical island. The egg hatches to reveal a baby Gecko. The Gecko imprints on the Parrot who is now forced to become a parental figure.
- Since Parrots a naturaly smart animals I figured this parrot could teach its expertise to the Gecko, who in turn becomes smarter than others of its kind.
- The struggle in the story wouldn't be that of the "Child Prodigy" Gecko, but instead of the parental struggles of the Parrot.
____
Idea 2 - A baby Gecko abandoned by its parents decides that instead of feeling sorry for itself, it will learn from other animals in its habitat to grow and survive in the world. It gains a reputation for solving its "neighbours" problems. However one day it comes across a problem that it cannot solve, and needs the help of an unlikely sidekick to overcome it.
- The Gecko in this story isn't really much of a Child Prodigy. And I'm not so sure what the problem in the story could be as of yet for this idea.
- The Gecko would hatch from the egg at the start of the story. Or be just hatched and have the egg shells be next to it.
____
Idea 3 - In a society of bird like people, discrimination has unfortunately become the norm. Our hero, a strange boy who likes to learn and have fun, decides to do something about it when the discrimination goes to far one day.
- The boy in this story would be a child prodigy, smarter than most people in the tropical island like town. His mannerisms would also be a little stranger than most, which can be a normal trait for Child Prodigies in the real world.
- The discrimination factor has yet to be decided for this story, maybe it would be by the color of their feathers, or by whether they have as many bird like features as the next person. Any suggestions for this would be welcome.
- The egg would come into this story by having the boys house be shaped like an egg.
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
From Script to Screen - First Story Ideas and Feedback
After I showed Phil my initial story and mentioned the struggles I've been having in trying to fit an egg in my story, he suggested I keep the main premise of my story and have my "Child Prodigy" be an animal who hatches from an egg on a tropical island instead. This easily fits in all three of my elements. Now is the struggle of finding out which animal to use and research into their behavior and habitat. I also must learn how to draw the animal in a way that is beneficial to the story I would like to tell.
Monday, 15 January 2018
Toolkit 1 - Camera Rigs (Tracking and Coverage)
Medium Shot
Distance Shot
______
Coverage Car Right Shot
Coverage Car Middle Shot
Coverage Car Left Shot
Camera Car Crash Shot
Camera Car Passing Shot
Finished Comp
______
Cutting Edges - La Jetée (1962)
(La Jetée Poster, 1962)
La Jetée is a 1962 French science-fiction short film by directed Chris Marker. It is constructed with still photos, with the exception of a few small parts with moving image, which are very hard to catch if you're not paying full attention.
(La Jetée, 1962)
It tells the story of a post-nuclear war experiment on time travel, focusing on a man and his experience in the experiment, and how his childhood trauma of watching a man die has influenced his time travel.
The short film plays extremely well thanks to its use of its atmospheric soundtrack. Its very minimal, but this works very well in the context. Since focusing on the narration should be your true goal whilst watching this film, you pay attention to the sound work on a subconscious level, in a way you would in everyday life. Its a genius strategy to not only keep you engaged, but to keep you in discomfort as you wonder what happens next.
"The soundtrack's texture is similarly sparse, and the fluid montage leads the viewer into the sensation of watching moving images. Until, that is, an extraordinary epiphany when an image genuinely does move: the man's sleeping lover opens her eyes." (Timeout, 2016)
As timeout states, the soundtrack makes the movies still images come alive, giving an illusion of movement when obviously nothing is moving physically on the screen. It then, in a sense, jars you when the woman opens her eyes, making you more aware of the movie as you wait for something else to move.
Aside from the editing, this film is an interesting take on the time travel genre. He doesn't go back to a specific time, but only the times in which the girl he saw at The Jetty has been in.
"This time he is close to her, he speaks to her. She welcomes him without surprise. They are without memories, without plans. Time builds itself painlessly around them. Their only landmarks are the flavor of the moment they are living and the markings on the walls." (La Jetée Script, 1962)
She seems to remember him each time, as if these scenes are playing constantly, even as he is bought back into the present. Time doesn't change her in each sequence, she stays the same.
"The girl is protected (the statues, the museum, her slumber) by time. She is the face of time and, above all, the very content of time (its secret, its truth)." (Jean-Louis Schefer, 1995)
She doesn't die, She doesn't falter, yet the man in this story does as he comes in and out of these sequences. In a way the girl has killed him, as he only wants to see her while he is threatened with death. She is also the reason the death at The Jetty (revealed to be his own by the end), haunts him through his life.
"The soundtrack's texture is similarly sparse, and the fluid montage leads the viewer into the sensation of watching moving images. Until, that is, an extraordinary epiphany when an image genuinely does move: the man's sleeping lover opens her eyes." (Timeout, 2016)
As timeout states, the soundtrack makes the movies still images come alive, giving an illusion of movement when obviously nothing is moving physically on the screen. It then, in a sense, jars you when the woman opens her eyes, making you more aware of the movie as you wait for something else to move.
(La Jetée, 1962)
Aside from the editing, this film is an interesting take on the time travel genre. He doesn't go back to a specific time, but only the times in which the girl he saw at The Jetty has been in.
"This time he is close to her, he speaks to her. She welcomes him without surprise. They are without memories, without plans. Time builds itself painlessly around them. Their only landmarks are the flavor of the moment they are living and the markings on the walls." (La Jetée Script, 1962)
She seems to remember him each time, as if these scenes are playing constantly, even as he is bought back into the present. Time doesn't change her in each sequence, she stays the same.
"The girl is protected (the statues, the museum, her slumber) by time. She is the face of time and, above all, the very content of time (its secret, its truth)." (Jean-Louis Schefer, 1995)
She doesn't die, She doesn't falter, yet the man in this story does as he comes in and out of these sequences. In a way the girl has killed him, as he only wants to see her while he is threatened with death. She is also the reason the death at The Jetty (revealed to be his own by the end), haunts him through his life.
Bibliography:
Images:
La Jetée Poster. (1962). [image] Available at: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f7/La_Jetee_Poster.jpg/220px-La_Jetee_Poster.jpg [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].
La Jetée. (1962). [Film] Directed by C. Marker. France: Argos Films.
La Jetée. (1962). [Film] Directed by C. Marker. France: Argos Films.
Quotes:
Jean-Louis Schefer. (1995). On La Jetée by Jean-Louis Schefer ~ Chris Marker. [online] Available at: https://chrismarker.org/chris-marker-2/jean-louis-schefer-on-la-jete/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Marker, C. (1962). Chris Marker : La Jetée Script. [online] Markertext.com. Available at: http://www.markertext.com/la_jetee.htm [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].
Timeout. (2016). La Jetée. [online] Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/film/la-jetee [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Jean-Louis Schefer. (1995). On La Jetée by Jean-Louis Schefer ~ Chris Marker. [online] Available at: https://chrismarker.org/chris-marker-2/jean-louis-schefer-on-la-jete/ [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
Marker, C. (1962). Chris Marker : La Jetée Script. [online] Markertext.com. Available at: http://www.markertext.com/la_jetee.htm [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].
Timeout. (2016). La Jetée. [online] Available at: https://www.timeout.com/london/film/la-jetee [Accessed 15 Jan. 2018].
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