Animation Analysis: Adventures of Mark Twain - The Mysterious Stranger

As I've pointed out profusely, I simply adore stop-motion. Among the plentiful films that have been created, there is one that I truly adore: "Adventures of Mark Twain - The Mysterious Stranger". What strikes me about the movie is not only the development of the plot, but also the individual characters and background which are mostly crafted out of a plasticine-base. Seeing as I have mainly animated stop-motion with plasticine, I found the film to be utterly inspiring in terms of scenery and visuals, as 99% of the debris is made of clay. For an example, during the scene where the main characters encounter Satan (40:05), the mask Satan uses as his face constantly changes appearance and molds to match the emotion he is relaying and the eeriness that his existence brings. While Satan has been depicted as a horned, goat-like devil, this sequence re-establishes the ambiguity of his figure (and what he presents, for some view Satan from an optimistic point-of-view, particulary Laveyan Satanists) and insinuates that the devil can morph, that the devil can appear in many forms, that the devil is omnipotent. By the end of the scene, his face turns to resemble a skull, depicting the death he may bring. All of this done with technical ingenuity with clay-morphing, the most useful skill a stop-motion animator may have. However, what I like the most about the film are the colors which are used, which are dominantly cold-colors that persist in the background. This adds a firm level of contrast between the foreground and the background, making it visually more appealing.

"Adventures of Mark Twain" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJb3Gady7Vc

Manchester Animation Festival Research: Song of the Sea - Character Sheets and Mood Boards

One thing I haven't been utilizing in my developmental process of animation prior to this course are mood boards. Mood boards are assemblages of images which portray a certain style of approach for a future animation, and I had NEVER even heard of them before. Luckily, Manchester Animation Festival provided panels which shed light on this part of the developmental process, particularly with Tom Moore and the making of "Song of the Sea". The backgrounds used for this feature-length animation amazed me with their style, as they were accurately compatible with the mood board which was presented. Furthermore, the backgrounds retained their "organic" essence of pure watercolor (hence they were drawn traditionally), as they were edited afterwards digitally.

I was intricately interested in the character sheets of the main character Ben, for there were many of them on display. Every single necessary key-frame of character position, perspective, and emotion was drawn, accurately providing the studio animators (and us) with a concise overview of how the character is to be animated. Honestly, I was interested in the character sheets because I still haven't reached that point where this skill is properly honed, as I am still practicing on perspective drawing (not realistic, of course, cartoon wise!). The lines are simple, yet elaborate, and I am astonished at how simply the character is designed, but with the soul and feel of a real person, a real boy.

Manchester Animation Festival Research: Contrast in the Re-Making of Danger Mouse

Danger Mouse's re-design

Among the plentiful panels and screenings on the festival was the Re-Making of Danger Mouse: a lovely endeavour where the productive process of the new series is being shed some light for all us aspiring animators out there. Although I have not watched the classic Danger Mouse profusely as a child, I was intricately interested in how the cartoon had now evolved from the vintage essence it brought as a traditional animation. One of the panel guests stated that the aim of the new Danger Mouse was to appeal to a new audience while still satiating the expectations of the old and classic audience that had loved the series during its classic era. In terms design, all of the characters had been redesigned while still keeping the old vigour of the original designs. For example, although the new Danger Mouse  possesses a more elegant and detailed design (with his body proportion being slightly elongated and slimmed) it still carries the same sense of familiarity which appeals with the classical audience while giving a sense of a vigorous change (for the sake of breaking monotony). Another sense of lividity had been added to the re-make of the series with the blending of 3D photographic backgrounds and 2D digital design. With the use of this technique, I believe that the animators effectively redefined the environment, combining it with the more resonant style of character animation. When a re-make is being done, if the characters are drawn in the same manner and animated with the same style, the effect of the re-make would be purely quantitative and not qualitative - something that animators are to never embrace. Now, the movement of the characters are more flexible and smooth, a bigger sense of action and character frivolousness is introduced to compare with the more static one of the original series. In terms of story development and plot, I was bewilder by the manner in which the studio created fresh new stories which were not rearrangements of the original ones: different types of writers congregate to create a blend of wit, plot, and character (for some are good at making jokes, others at creating descriptive and interesting stories, while yet others at defining characters through communication). All of this meticulous processes constitute the new Danger Mouse, which in my opinion is not a reboot, but a new vibrant experience that merits from the masterpieces of classical animation.

3D/2D background sample

Manchester Animation Festival Research: Will Becher - Masterclass

The stage of a "Shaun the Sheep" scene

The Manchester Animation Festival just ended, and I'm still exhilarated that I managed to learn so much from different animators and practitioners. Not only that, but I had watched a variety of animations with  different styles and techniques which inspired me and added to my comprehension of styles. However, among my favorite events was the Masterclass by Will Becher, the creator of Shaun the Sheep. Although I hadn't seen Shaun the Sheep prior hand (although I was aware of the series), the Masterclass had a didactic essence to it as I got to learn much about the process of stop-motion - the style of animation I "specialize" in. Will Becher started with stop-motion in the same manner as I did: pursuing it purely as a hobby, which then enabled him to develop his skills and work with Aardman. However, what intrigued me the most about the masterclass was the elaborate process of the creation of Shaun the Sheep The Movie. Among the plentiful stages of development comes the creation of the characters, which turned out to be an extremely meticulous process with clay statues being built for the incentive real-time design of the characters, the mechanized armatures beneath the puppets for support, the molds created on the surface, and finally the creation of different mouth sets. Never have I ever perceived the art of puppet-making for stop-motion to be so elaborate and time-consuming, for my animations had been created with Lego mini figures - already pre-made armatured characters. The puppets of Shaun the Sheep are made with different materials - glycerin, foam latex, etc. Furthermore, what baffled me was that the animation team binds every singular position of a character's legs with strings in order to immobilize puppets with the soul purpose of preventing unwanted movement. Placing this frivolous process of creation aside, what truly bewildered me and built upon my skills as an animator was the pre-productive and post-productive techniques of stop-motion animation that Aardman utilized - one being the Live Action Videos serving the purpose of animatics, and the rigs which are used to suspend characters mid air which are later on digitally removed from sight. I considered this masterclass to be extremely informative, as I shall use the techniques utilized by the Aardman crew in future stop-motion animations, as with every day my skills improve more and more.

Mouth and face pieces

Animation Online Tools Research: Skwigly

Skwigly is a really nifty online animation magazine that provides aspiring young animators and audiences of all kinds with information about festivities regarding animation, as well as freshly created animations for enthusiasts. I was introduced to this website by my course leader Michael Smith, and ever since I've been using it as a tool for obtaining inspiration by watching different sorts of animations. Furthermore, the website provides useful information regarding any events near my vicinity, one being the Manchester Animation Festival (which I shall take part in). In addition to this, there is a plethora of tutorials for different aspects of animation available, whether one needs assistance with marketing their short films, or improving their styles - learning both directly and indirectly. With Skwigly, conducting research on techniques of animation is now much more accessible, and I highly recommend that all my peers use this website for the same purpose.

Animation Software Research: After Effects and Photoshop Induction

The modern ages have supplied us with animation technology: hardware and software tools that if properly utilized assert tremendous power in the hands of the animator, and by learning how to use them, broader perspectives open in terms of how to animate and what to use. During this busy week, I got to engage in a proper After Effects induction, as I had never used the program prior to that class. Although we were taught merely the basics, it was quite enough for one session as it introduced me to the working interface of the program and all the available tools within it. Similar to Adobe Flash (a program I actively use in animation), After Effects incorporates a vector-style approach for animating sequences, as I learned that by understanding that one can easily manipulate solid graphic objects within the program, making them stretch, elongate, move, rotate, and plenty more. In order to fully grasp how the key-frame panel and timeline function, we were given exercises where we examined the conventions of the utilities by animating simple motion using 2D squares. Some of my peers had already been using After Effects prior to the induction, or had a better understanding of arithmetic behind animation, and produced smoother sequences. I got to say, I'm not very good at this, and with time I hope to get better by fully comprehending the utilities of the program. Up until our next session.

The second induction (subsequent to many previous ones) was for Photoshop, where we were asked to animate a bouncing ball that applies to gravity and momentum by drawing the ball individually for every frame. This helped us practice the maintenance of volume when drawing shapes (as the Animation Skills flip-books did as well), and acquire a better understanding of the program. Furthermore, it helped us utilize planned-out schematics before animating by demanding that we draw the arc-path of the ball as well as the position of every independent frame. So far so good, learning more and more by the week.

Technique Research and Analysis: Movement in The Animator's Survival Kit

Excerpt from "The Animator's Survival Kit"

The motion of characters tells a lot about them. Even the slightest adjustments to a character's movement animation change the appeal of their attributes, as well as their demeanor. If all characters were to walk or run in the same manner, the principle of Appeal would not fluctuate among the animation, which introduces a level of stiffness that breaks the whimsicality and vivacity of a cartoon. While conducting research on the technique of movement, as I was consulting The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams, I had learned an abundance of ways in which a character can be drawn to "life", all of which differentiate in what kind of emotions are elicited in the audience according to the manner in which the characters move. For example, if a character were to drag his/her torso to the back, elongating his/her movements ever-so-tediously, he/she would appear peculiar, which is something we want to achieve when we are presenting a character's movement similar to Shaggy's (from Scooby Doo). I also noticed that shading of limbs applies a significant improvement to one's walking cycle, as it gives the character a bigger essence of perspective. Mainly, I focused on the two ways in which a walk can be planned out. The reference points of the different techniques revolve around the placement of the head, one placing the head in on a slightly parabolic pathway (Down Position Method), and the other on an oscillating one (Contact Method). I believe that these techniques are perfect for animating character motion, as they can be used as roughs upon which the actual characters with his/her details can be drawn. Disney's always got this down!

Using both methods in a combination - why not?

Animation Analysis: Traditional Animation and Doom Doom Death

Recently, I developed an interest in traditional animation and the vintage-aesthetic taste it provides us with. As days have passed, as my peers all worked on their respective projects, I witnessed a profuse incorporation of traditional animation for our module projects, and got engrossed by how well people executed the technique. The main reason why I am interested in traditional animation is that it's indirectly linked with stop-motion (seeing as each frame is drawn on a piece of paper then captured with a camera or scanner), and was thinking about the intertwining of these two techniques: 2D and stop-motion presenting a new perspective of how playful animations can be. Thus, I researched and looked for such films, and stumbled upon a YouTube animation that completely matches my expectations. "Doom Doom Death" is a short animation created by MisterMulluc, which presents both a flip-book and a stop-motion style. The animation introduces a 4th dimension, as the traditional animation is 2D, stop-motion is 3D, and in a way the juxtaposition of those two worlds introduces the omnipotent 4th dimension that controls the flow of the traditional hand-drawn world that is presented. By far, this is one of my favorite animations on YouTube, because not only does it entertain, but it also makes us think "wow, this is a lot of work". In a way, this animation makes the audience appreciate the toll of the animator's life.

"Doom Doom Death" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFeVpF6S4IY

Game and Character Analysis: Krieg the Psycho

Among the plentiful games which are in possession of the accolade "Game of The Year" comes the ever-so-chaotic, hectic, ravenous, and massively tumultuous Sci-Fi, First Person Shooter game "Borderlands 2". Developed by Gearbox Software, the game profusely grasps the concept of fun-packed and vivacious action gaming, were one has the power to let loose all chaos around him by slaughtering bandits, disassembling automatons, raiding camps, and firing an array of projectiles, all in a whimsical manner. What makes Borderlands 2 so special, in terms of visual aesthetics, is the design of all characters and environmental debris and scenery, as well as all the weapons and interactive vehicles. For example, I'll take Krieg, the Psycho whose blood-thirst may not be satiated even with the entrails of his enemies dislocating from their mutilated bodies before his voracious gaze. Krieg is designed according to an overly-masculine proportion, slightly distorted in terms of realism, mimicking the incipient design of the abundant enemies a player will face throughout the game, called Psychos. Furthermore, like everything in the game, Krieg's physical appearance is emphasized with the overlaying indigo contour lines around his character. Thus, Borderlands 2 has created their own style of gaming graphics, inspired by the pop-art comic characters' appearance, which is both realistic and unfeasible. Even the coloring of Krieg complements the scenery of the wild and unpredictable desert matched with the engineering technology in the steam-punk style.

"Borderlands 2 - Krieg" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6chxuovrbCI

In this game-graphic animation produced by Gearbox Software, Krieg's character is introduced visually, and psychologically, which makes for brilliant story and plot development, as well as exquisite art in 3D environments.

Technique Analysis: Walking and The Deconstruction of Pop-Cultural Conventions

Original artwork of "Abbey Road"

Everybody knows several conventions that have presented pop-culture throughout the years in the form of a synecdoche: a part represents the whole. As these conventions have become symbols of a certain period within pop-culture, all kinds of artists have altered the original and created a modified, more aesthetic expression of the same convention. For example, I've taken the ever-so-popular The Beatles' album cover of "Abbey Road", which is an ultimate representation of the rampant 70s and even 80s, as rock was perceived as something majestic and godly which infused the masses with energy and vigor. Many artists have mimicked this image, developing a new essence upon it, however this animated version of The Beatles walking eternally down the pedestrian cross-walk has captured my interest and attention.


With this animated GIF image,

Animated re-edit of "Abbey Road"

the heroes of Abbey Road are brought to life from a motionless picture, achieving an even greater sense of vivacity. In a way, it elaborates upon the notion that conventions such as these are timeless, hence their never-ending walk. Furthermore, every member exhibits a different walking pattern (one nonchalant, the other head-down, etc...), which portrays how different walking movements of characters insinuates a different emotion or characteristic that defines them. They are all animated through a puppet-warp technique, where visual clips are manipulated through pivot points, making them more real. Conclusively, this animated GIF shows the progression of modern-day animation, the malleable deconstructive notion of pop-culture, and the rejuvenation of something that might have disappeared with age. Astounding.