Animation : The New Perspective

Character Turnaround in IBL Lighting

I'm excited for our team project Going Live this weekend. We are now in the stage of animation and everyone are finished with modelling and all the texturing. So, I had been given a job to do all the character turnaround for this animation. Thanks to Krish and Sean for given me the IBL lighting. I need to adjust each character position and change the reflection and lighting for the material that had been using for this character.

After all, I learn something from this work because my lighting for last semester project is not good. Now I understand how to use the IBL Lighting and to control the reflection each material that had been used. I can learn something fast if I can understand exactly the function and purpose of what I am learning. It's not how I follow other to do it, it's basically what I understand when I'm doing practice again and again.

Here, I've done with He-man, Trouble Girl, Father and Baby Rabbit. There will be three more character to be done for this turnaround; robot, and a couple of trolls before I import and edit in Adobe Premier.

3/18/2016 06:00:00 pm
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Metaphor in Moving Image

Research

One Human Family, Food for All animated video campaign by Caritas Internationalis.

The animated video campaign about hunger and sharing. The metaphor is the spoon and hunger that teaches us when we struggle to feed only ourselves, everyone will stay hungry. But when we focus on others need, we will discover there are ways to help everyone.

http://food.caritas.org/

The Scarecrow, the companion film for Chipotle's new app-based game.

This animated video campaign show how we don't even care about our origin of the foods. It is a simple animation that can bring a lot of awareness to our children by telling the truth story using this fun animated game. Children can join the quest to bring the real food and by playing this game it's also help them to understand the message.

Animation is not just about entertainment only. It can be used to help people to understand about culture or social problem. My purpose is to make an awareness campaign that I think a lot of people are doing right now about homeless. I try to make an animation using metaphor that can help the adults to convey the correct message to their children.

3/16/2016 09:00:00 pm
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Update Accessories for Rabbit

Going Live

So, I got a good feedback from my team member and need add an accessories for the girl. Father rabbit don't want to use formal colour bow tie in Jeremy Kyle Show instead he choose red bow tie to look more vibrant, (sorry Andrea just kidding).

I add a little bit more makeup for the cheek and modelling the leather strap for her neck and wrist. It make her look more bold and funky. Momo (girl rabbit) and her father are ready now for rigging team.

3/14/2016 02:38:00 pm
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Cloth making and texturing for Rabbit

Going Live

This weekend I'm working out on making the girl rabbit cloth and texture both of it. I'm trying to upgrade my skills in using Maya software by doing some experiment clothes for this rabbit. So basically the girl rabbit is wearing a corset made by leather. I put some paisley texture into it.

Thanks to Stathis for making this bow tie so I just need to use hypershade for the colour.

I use a reference from another corset and try to make it really close with the real one. below is the sample of corset that I've been refer.

This work on going live make me realize my own strength and make me explore more on understanding the 3D software. I never think that I can try or improve my own skills by using this software. I start to choose and brainstorm again my own ability and why I want to do certain subjects. What drive me the most towards the direction for my project and story aspect. I try to feel connected to my work and enjoy with every possibility. I want to create something beautiful with full of meaning rather than creating something beautiful without any meaning.

3/13/2016 10:30:00 pm
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Concept Art with New Brush Strokes : Part 2

Final Animation Project

So, today I've practice again on digital drawing. I try with the same concept with what I've done before. Below is the reference picture that I use for this drawing. I think that my animation shadow theater can adapt with this colour and still have the same feeling as we watch it in black and white. My character will be silhouette and the background will have a colour like my drawing. The method I will use for my project is practice on this concept of brush stroke. I also will study about the emotion that can be portray with the play of light and shadow.

Example of light and shadow from Marvel's Jessica Jones Opening Title

Update for today, I try to blend the scene with the two character that I already made. It give some reflection and direction towards my entire animation, silhouette character in the colour background. I need to polish and study more on this concept and create the whole direction of my project.

3/08/2016 11:00:00 pm
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Concept Art with New Brush Strokes

Final Animation Project

Today task for myself is either reading about metaphor or at least complete one digital painting. So, I start my day by going online and download a several free brush stroke and try to test draw in Photoshop. After I try several hour and I'm still new in digital painting, here is my result after using free brush stroke and play with the reference colour from Marvel's Jessica Jones title sequence. I use the brush stroke to implement the emotion in my drawing.

Below, is the original picture that I use for reference in my drawing. The picture is not exactly the same but I try to have the same angle that I got from this reference picture. I will use this close up angle in one of my scene. I show several human figure in silhouette to show the individuality and mystery.

As for reading, I use TEDed Lesson Worth Sharing, or ed.ted.com website as a starting point to find information. The using of animation help people to better understand the topics. Here is 2 books that they suggest for reading purpose to understand the subject of metaphor.

Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (IL: University of Chicago Press, 1980)
I Is Another: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes The Way We See the World, by James Cleary (NY: HarperCollins, 2011)

Another method to understand the metaphor by learning about poem.They also suggest to explore further on how poems work in general, and how to unfold the metaphors in poetry by reading this 2 books.

How To Read a Poem, by Burton Raffel (NY: Plume/Meridian, 1984)
Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry, by Jane Hirshfield (NY: HarperCollins, 1997)

3/07/2016 05:04:00 pm
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The Art of Metaphor in Animation

Reference

I find this three animation that make an animation to show the usage of metaphor.

First is a lesson by Jane Hirshfield on how do metaphor help us better understand the world. This animation was done by Ben Pearce.

The second animated short was by CalArts student, Madeline Sharafian. She shows in her animation how a tiny acorn struggles to find his place in this world. This animation also tell about finding a place in this world is never easy in metaphorical way.

The animation show the inside book of "Metaphors We Live By" (1980) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. They introduced the idea that human beings think metaphorically. The basic idea is that we tend to systematically conceptualize abstract and complex things in terms of concrete ones.