OSTN project update

So glad to have the extension, I would have finished the project some how for the original deadline, but this way I feel I had more time to plan and really get to grips with my idea.
I spent 3 days wanting to get started on the animation over last Friday, Saturday and Sunday but ended up still thinking through the process, which at the time felt over indulgent, but now feels like time well spent. I finally started the animation drawings the following week, on Thursday and felt I made good progress.
I felt sometimes that I was putting off starting the animation because of the fear of getting it wrong or the fear of technology. I wanted to use Flash in a certain way, by using the pivotal points and gaining the smoothness, but now I realise that even if it is possible to do my project in this way I would not feel confident to do it. I am not sure I understand all the ways that are available anyway! I hope in the future that I will be able to decide on a style/technique from choice rather than reduced options due to limited exsperience and knowledge.

Anyway, the animation process has begun, I am drawing all the characters and the movement cycles by hand using peg paper and will scan all images into Illustrator and create vector drawings. I used my digital camera to import the images into Premiere and imported the sound effect that I edited of cowboy boots and spurs walking to match up with the movement. This seems like a good way to work on timing for the opening sequence, don't know if it right or not.
I have just about finished the first 3 seconds of 6.5 seconds of action and will then start the vector drawings which hopefully will go!

OSTN Ident

I think I am looking forward to getting stuck into this project, but I really want to do it well, so there is some fear of failing mixed in, as I have a strong vision in my head as to the desired effect.

In answer to your question Andy on creativity: the best thing so far in this project is that I actually have a vision in my head as an idea, which is amazing for me. This is the first idea I have had since starting at Uni. so I feel relieved because I thought my brain had dried up and that I had lost my 'creative mojo'. I think my brain has just been surviving in trying to deal with all the new stuff because change can be so exhausting!

So the idea is the thing! Now I just have to do it justice! I know I will get alot wrong but hopefully somethings right and learn from all the mistakes. I am planning to keep the technology simple to take the pressure off and try to concerntrate on getting the idea across. I want the story to be the main focus and keep the visuals quite basic and simple. The theme is to create a series of stories that could expand and evolve with the characters. I hope I can acheive something close to what is in my head.

After Effects Session 2

I have already expressed some of my views with Andy on these sessions so I will keep this gripe brief.
There is a huge difference between teaching and imparting knowledge from the basis of industry experience, and knowing how to operate, in this case a computer programme, for your self project work. My only motive for this opinion is from the fact that I am here to learn as much as possible from industry standard people and unfortunately I feel the days spent trying to learn After Effects have been wasted for me. I know that I am on a steep learning curve as far as the programmes are concerned due to my lack of computer experience but there is a distinct difference between my understanding of Maya and Flash now, and After Effects.
Bascially the best solution in teaching programmes is to cover 2 angles:
1. to demostrate the programme on the projection screen whilst the students are following the instructions (as James White did with Maya and Andy did with Flash)
2. to have written instructions to accompany the demonstration, to follow if you are slower or for students who are more advanced to work quicker
It can be very helpful to have another person in the studio as well as the tutor if possible to help individually, and keep the pace of the lesson going.

I thought this was going to be brief!

Reading notes from the monitor is very tiring and the notes should just be instructions with screen prints to show anything complicated as the Maya and Flash notes. Not everyone will need written instructions but they can be helpful to keep people busy if the pace is too slow. And most importantly the notes need to match what is being taught in the demonstration which in the case of After Effects did not and the session became totally confused.

Gripe over!

Journalism Project

This has not been an enjoyable project for anyone in my team, including me! Don't know why really, prehaps as it is set up to give students experience of working with different people within our own group and having to work for another course but as someone with work experience already it just didn't seem necessary. The idea of working for TV within the studios does not appeal to me because it seems a very hyped environment with lots of egos floating round! I can hear some people saying 'how cynical of you', oh well! I know some people did enjoy the experience though and so for them it probably opened a window of opportunity.

I think I am more of a solo project person and so that aspect of the project was difficult, and although I enjoy taking charge of a project that is based on my ideas, I did not enjoy trying to movtivate people who clearly were not going to take part no matter what I said. I think it felt like alot of pressure also because the After Effects session did not give me enough information to feel confident to go off and produce a project after one day's confusing tutorial.

Not looking forward to any more work on this project.

Self Protrait Lip Sync

I found this project quite frustrating as I didn't enjoy doing a self protrait, just couldn't get my face or character down on paper, felt a bit like revealing your soul!
So spent most of the time that I would liked to have spent on the animation just trying to acquire an image that I felt comfortable with. The lip sync part was much harded to do than with 'Lola', maybe because of the extra work involved in having to draw all the mouth positions and get them correct. It seemed OK drawing the mouth postions at first, but then when I took them into my animation, I found some of them didn't really match the required sound. Also I was trying to put too many mouth positions into a word, perhaps 4 or 5, when only 2 or 3 are required, less works much better....
I have started a new Self Protrait, which I think will work better than the one I finished, it is a much better composition, so when it done I will put up on my blog. But this will have to take second place to the 'OSTN' project work.
To conclude, I hated my final project, it wasn't what I wanted to do at all, it ended up a mish-mash. This is because I didn't have a vision in my head and was thinking about driving the vehicle rather than looking where I was going!