Second semester in Exploring animation has exposed the class to softwares we've used for some time now, but in the different ways we have done before. After Effects has been a vital part of animation this year, for creating 2D, Multiplanes, a bounce cycle, This semester we've used it for special effects and 3D video related files. Maya has been used as a 3D modeler, but now we use it for 3D logos, mimicking real life objects, and creating things that move.
Explosion
In After effects, with the experience of past 2D works and compositions, students were able to pice together the basics for special effects. It used areas such as audio, Color correction, and camera movement to create a believable blast from a clip of a calm city street.
Lighting
Lighting important in any application of field , in the maya software there is full control over the demension's exposure and mood. This file was to convey the lighting on a sunset. to achieve this look, i back lit the subject and colored the lights in yellow and warm tones.
3D And The Real World
For the first time, Animation bridged the gap between physical video and playblast made as animation. Crating the wooden toy in maya, and importing a picture , setting keyframes and cameras the toy is able to roll across the school floor as if it existed in the physical world. With the final steps in after effect to help with look and timing, it was a finished product.
Moving Models
In maya the most we've done to move our created models were a 360 spin. this project we set a track for our flying figure to follow. It went through hoops, did tricks and avoided obsticals.
Our most recent project focused on the interaction between animation and video. More specifically, How to use a green screen in your video to make a new and different setting. although it was not my job to insert the background over the green screen, I still had to make the setting believable and give it the extra boost of action our video wanted to convey.
Taking the clip already inserted with the jungle background, using after effects, I imported effects from "Action essentials" . Incorporating Fire, smoke, and dust, I added them to the jungle's composition
I used minor color correction to achieve a consistent look from the files all together, and for one shot I key framed the fire to follow the subject.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
The Plausible Impossible
In the first scene, Mickey Mouse is transported into a fantasy world where object has human personalities and emotions. here he is shuffled like a deck of cards. This wouldn't be possible in real life, but because he is cartoon, his actions can defy the laws of physics and how a character is expected to function.
In the second scene, Donald duck's cousin is a goose with a huge appitite.
to convey this, the animators relentlessly have have him consume all sorts of food. they exagerate normal actions, such as eating spagetti. instead of eating it with a fork, the goose knits it like a sweater.
In the third scene, the seven dwarves wash up for dinner. using the interesting element of soap, it changes the circumstances and movement of the scene, having to adapt to the new texture. the dwarves slip and become covered in heavy soap. even a fly gets trapped in a huge bubble. dopey swallows soap and starts burping bubbles.
In the third scene, the devil starts halloween and summons dancers from fire. the scene has an overall darkness that follows a strict orchestral rhythm.
The plausible impossible is important when creating a character and conflict in animation. without it, the stories wouldn't be as light hearted and entertaining.
My proudest moment as an animator was finishing something that i'd first seen in my head, now created before my eyes. With this story animation, the obstacles seemed endless and the end, to me, was never in sight. what drove was my determination to see if before me. what I did not expect was that the process of hard work and stress was almost as satisfying as the ending product. tying between technical skills i'd learned and my own artistic instinct, despite the frustration and fast approaching deadline, I was able to finish. i guess the biggest thing i learned from this project was that passion is the strongest drive, and because i wanted to finish so badly, i did. a strong vision definitely helped with drawing and creating all parts of the animation, learning mostly came from past errors. what i would've changed of this process was its urgency. some shots and layers, to me, appear messy and rushed. this project overall has gotten rid of some self doubt and given me a sense of ability, like saying, if you to do it, do it. Concluding, this is probably my best project. No, it is. no topping this.
Multi- plane
For my multi-plane project, the whole concept seemed smart. ahhh. they figured this out. an overall clever trick that made me somewhat sinister while creating it. The way we learned to make layers different lengths and set as different speeds to appear realistically moving, it was just super cool. i think the is a great thing to know as an animator. to the audiences' eyes, it seems effortless, and progressive, to an animator, time consuming but necessary. assembly in AFTER EFFECTS was simple, the creation in photoshop was scenic and meticulous. I wasn't challenging, but it conveys a certain complexity that makes me very proud. what i struggled with was the scenery and having it look the way i want, but also have it work with the scenery around it. those trees were exhausting. if i could change anything, I would try and incorporate a character with in the plane, like an animal or something, just to make moe interesting. In the end, my favorite project regarding concept and overall look.
Worm
As the first animation i did in after effects i was slightly disappointed for not including the photoshop animation style i was used to. expecting hundreds of layers, we used key frames. a new and frustrating skill. the software was new and almost nothing made sense. looking back at the file now, all the key frames are probably in a jumble. Even if it wasn't the correct way, i found some way to keep my worm in place and have it inch across the screen. what i would change is the absolute cluelessness of my entire process. this project was important, our first intro to aftereffects, and was much needed for the success of my future animations.
Walk Cycle Animation
The first character we ever created. we scanned in a physical sketch into photoshop and tweaked the image there. it's a cool way to make each individual layer. i personally like creating them in photoshop without any complications from the real world. as for animating, this is really darn important. almost everything walks. i struggle with cycles, i did then, still do now. i get how to do it. the keyframes, the circular motion. but the timing is very precise, having to move at the right speed and realistically, they're just hard. i would change my character, yeah seemed cute at the time, but i gave it too many layers that served zero purpose, and i should've kept t simple the first time.
a cool and important project, most things walk.
Pen Final
Maya has not been my favorite. yes, it is animating, just not the type i'm drawn to. the reason i liked this one is that we had to create something that already existed. meaning we couldn't connect the dot to make it our own this time. Accuracy mattered. We had made plenty of things in maya by that time, but at that point it was our decision how we got from A to B. to me it was fun to capture the pen's characteristics in what before was just a dumb cylinder. I don't want to make weird boxes and stuff in maya, but if i wanted to make something cool that i had an idea of, it's good to know i could. It was cool to be like, "wow this pen is here in real life... and it's animated, whoa!" . Maya is complicated, but that means it has the power to do a lot.
When educating yourself in a field centered around technology, the websites, downloads, and well know software hack are endless. While exploring the animation community online, you're bound to learn something new. this time, it's not an amazing complicated revalation. it's a simplictic, lighthearted addition.
In this article I learned the importance of revolutionized character animation.
with new and improving technology, it's easier to create believable and expressive characters to move along the story. The newest preview for the upcoming "creative Cloud" apps.
Using a character already made in photoshop or illustrator , you import in in the software to bring your character to life. although this program doesn't work with all factor of animation, it does tweak and apply details that make the overall project impressive and enjoyable to viewers. Hopefully this will be a great addition to any animator's story telling process, and help likable connect with any audience .
As an animation student, i'v learned to appreciate animated feature in a new way. the time consuming, technically diverse, and precisely thought out stories created from scratch. when watching disney's newest addition to the pixar portfolio, i kept these concepts in mind.
What i enjoyed about Moana was it's scenic details. the setting, Hawaii islands, isa well known spot notorious for it's beautiful landscaping. the animators captured it's sandy, jungle-y, and tropical demeanor. i was also impressed of their interpretation of water and the ocean. the way story is told, the ocean is almost it's own character. applying movement and interaction between other characters made the ocean have it's own personality.
i have limited education in animation compared to the makers of Monana, but i pick up on a ew thing recognizable to a two year animation student. they did use a muti-plane, as well as walk cycles, squash and stretch, and arcs.
In the maya software, the initial background is blank and oblivious. and even if you create a geometric master piece, there's still something missing behind it. In this tutorial you will learn a few tips and tricks to make your maya background more interesting and realistic.
Start off by creating a simple set on your plane, ideally, a floor and one or more walls. this is the background that will support the object you make.in your search margin, look up the texture you wish to decorate you scene with. once the image file has down loaded, assign new material to each object intended to be textured.
when choosing the color, click on the "file" icon. it will give the option to apply your own materials.
once your texture is applied, feel free to adjust it in scale, opacity, and diffusion.
After getting comfortable with applying materials and textures, you can find new ways to incorporate textures .
Mimicking a Window Effect
For this portion, I will demonstrate creating a visible background, as if there was window to see through the set. it will give the scene a since of reality and setting. to create the window, place a cube through the plane. select both objects , got "mesh" and then "boolean" next, "union". create a new wall and place it behind the window.
start off by finding an image of a landscape of your choice. follow the same steps to assigns a new material and chose the file. adjust the repeat UV to fit it in on the wall. play around with distance between the wall and landscape, make it bigger and smaller to find the best balance to seem believable. when rotating the view point, the background should move, similar to real life.
Once it is satisfactory, as you move around your plane, there is an outside world around you!
In After effects, with the experience of past 2D works and compositions, students were able to pice together the basics for special effects. It used areas such as audio, Color correction, and camera movement to create a believable blast from a clip of a calm city street.
Lighting important in any application of field , in the maya software there is full control over the demension's exposure and mood. This file was to convey the lighting on a sunset. to achieve this look, i back lit the subject and colored the lights in yellow and warm tones.
