Layouts for Riptides

Just about to start layout sheets, which is going to be interesting as I haven't ever done layout sheets before . . . so with some, hopefully, helpful books from the library, I shall attempt to design them! Actually, not quite sure what I'm doing with them . . . I know the principle of them but feel unsure where to start. So I guess I will find out.

Couch Potato

Some rendered frames from new version of Couch Potato animatic:

Spent the last couple of days getting Couch Potato up to the same level as the other two animatics. It got a bit boring at the mid point, just filling in the line drawings, but at least its done now. It does look better than the line drawing version, I had difficulty in editing the line drawing version as not enough character came across, so now it has more atmosphere.

I have edited the new version and its looking more cohesive, but need to shorten it further. Its about 1 min and 14 seconds and I want to get it down by about 10 seconds, so hopefully next edit will get nearer to the right timescale.

Riptides

Spent the last couple of days editing Riptides and filling in scenes which didn't flow. It all got a bit frustrating on Tuesday and Wednesday as Photoshop, After Effects and Premiere decided to crash continually . . . so thanks Adobe, that was great fun!

Anyway, Riptides feels like it has been a marathon, but actually it has taken just over 2 weeks really, as I took a few days out to do a few other bits of work, but maybe it is because it was the last animatic to do. . . its been a long and hard 7 weeks.

I can't tell yet how Riptides is looking, need an independent eye to give it a viewing first.

The process over the last 7 weeks, though, has been interesting . . . I feel I have learnt loads of stuff and that my story telling through film language has improved greatly, which was part of the plan . . . so success there at least.
I have used Flash, Photoshop and After Effects for animated bits as they all do a variety of things, although I should get more used to using After Effects as it is the most versatile for actual clips and still use Photoshop animation layers for planning out the scenes.

Some clips from Riptides.

Innovation Project

Feel a bit clearer about the Innovation Project now . . . I was quite in a fog about it before.
Going to use my animatic technique from my Major Project. Been using Photoshop to draw out frames so that I can see if something is working or not. And with layers it is then easy to just chamnge the position or timing as you can chose between frames or a timeline method.

Mostly Couch Potato was done this way and it was a lot quicker to do.

For each animatic I have used a slightly different technique to get the results, sometimes varying the process just for a change as much as anything and sometimes for experimenting. So it is interesting how this has led me to the Innovation Project subject matter.

Sound for Major Project

Been thinking about sound (music and foley) since before starting the project, it is always the thing which trips me up. I don't really know what feel the music should have, kind of . . . know it if I heard it!

But I have made some progress hopefully, I have applied to Dartington for their expertise on Composition. Don't know if most of their students will be away for Easter hols or not, but I have had a couple of replys which sound interesting and interested, which is great.

My main thoughts for the films is that they should have one theme tune for the series, and that the foley aspect could be done with instrumental sounds instead of real or manufactured sounds. So, for example, a screeching brass instrument for Frank's cry of pain as he is being peeled, or flutes for bird song etc. Don't know if this is possible . . . hope so, as I can hear something like this working well and it would take care of both elements, music and foley.

I feel really excited about working with someone on specially composed music and sound.

Riptides

Bit behind schedule. . . but it looking Ok so I don't mind and I think I can catch up some time over Easter on the other artwork sections.

Riptides so far has taken just over 2 weeks to do and I will need to go through the final edit with Derek after the hols. It is looking good in colour though, so I am happy with that.

Can't get good quality clips small enough to up-load at the moment, have to speak to Georg apparently as he knows the settings for file sizing. So, it will have to be stills for now.

Riptides

More animatic tests. . . Queenie swimming out to sea and after realizing how far out she is from shore, she tries to swim back.

Riptides Animatic

Just getting through the individual shots at the moment . . . there are quite a few to do, so I am trying to just plough through and testing some sections as I go.
Here are some quicktime movies done in Photoshop, which is convenient to use as you can move things around and draw on the frames whilst being able to review movement without having to switch to another programme.

Riptides animatic

Just tried to upload a 4 frame test of Riptides colour animatic. . . just wouldn't upload, so it will have to be stills.

Not too sure of the style yet, but this would offer some variety to my portfolio from the other animatics.

Riptides Animatic

Just started Riptides animatic . . . Derek suggested doing this in colour, which would follow on from the other two different styles and give my portfolio some variety. So started trying to get a style which would work, unfortunately this always takes a few days out of the process of actually doing the animatic, so I feel a bit over schedule at the moment.

Anyway, here is a sample of Queenie in the animatic, but haven't done any background yet . . . I think it should be simple stuff for the background to concerntrate on the action in the foreground.

Couch Potato Animatic stills

Decided to do different styles for each animatic. . . Don't be Rude on the Road took 3 weeks, with all the shading artwork, but I did lose 4 days getting going on it at the beginning. So feeling a bit behind schedule I thought about doing a simpler style for Couch Potato and see how quickly I could get a result.

This simpler version took about 8 days . . . just doing black and white, although if I have time at the end I think I will add some simple shading. But it does work OK. I used Photoshop animation to get some timing before going into Premiere for editing, this gave me a sooner example of what was working and what wasn't.

Some stills from the animatic only here as I'm having trouble uploading video footage onto my blog, the 'Road' animatic upload is such poor quality.