Final Animation

 

All the component and work from the project come together to form the final animation full animation and full colour in characters and backgrounds. Adjusting the compositing the lighting to really highlight the character, as well as adding shadowing.

 

The final film improved upon all the animatics before it and produced a film I'm proud. The rendering and looking over the movie for miner fault was very time consuming I had to re-render the move for the small animation error like a hand not being coloured and so on. The lighting on the film was a great successes abusing it to out line characters and moments. The camera angle could have been experimented with more to even more extremis. The warm colours through out the film work very well and with the blue colours on Lips make her seem like a race gem standing out as she dance through the environment. Although good work with my skill level I would have like to have more detail patterns on the characters outfit, but to animate that would have been far too time consuming.

Update

 

After adding in line animation and discussing my film over with my tutor i updated my animation with cleaning up the after effects and some changes.

In shot 001 I adjusted the title with some sparks and moving my name to centre.

In shot 004 i shorten the fade out to black, also I made the backdrop full in behind Lips and added ropes to define it more clearly as a backdrop.

In shot 005 i shorten the hold before Lips slaps Gaze and again shorten the fade out. To this shot I will add some sound effects to the slap and clapping, for i see these moments in need of more high lighting.

In shot 009 I gave the kiss more time before the curtain closed on the characters and again added sparks to the “the end “ sign. final i also corrected the credits.

I will also add a few more sound effect and test to see if they work such as spark sounds for the title and “the end” signs. 

Animation video

This is the newest video of my animation with full animation. there is still some cleaning up and After Effecting to do to make everything look great and colouring the characters, but I'm happy with the animating i have done.  there is some few moments i have notice that need characters resizing, but if anything comes to mind let me know.

Film Chart

 

This is a full chart for my animation and the work i need to complete. with the time in sec:frames.

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final Animatic

well this is the final animatic with keys. i will have to do a few more edits, but this is it give and take a few timing changes. once i have gone through it with a few people i will post up a list of any big changes if there any.

no sound on this copy getting it add this Friday to fit the video perfectly.  

Keys and Timing

when  starting my keys i found it was much easier to read when i use a different coloured line for each character.

orange: GAZE

blue: LIPS

green: TAT

 

when keying i Tieten up the timing witch is good as i was running over the 3:00 and was hoping that i had given to much time for some of the actions. it was nothing to much but a few frames here and there.

There was one bit of a shot i took out when looking it over and found it to be distracting and unneeded. The end of shot 005 where gaze is falling into depression and spots the LIPS like puppet. i was trying to make the point that he focuses to much on the body and he casts that off. I wasn’t happy that this didn’t read as i thought and i  felt a sad moment is less distracting and gets his emotions across better.

Compositing

compositing the background took some time, but it all worked out. I needed to rebuild the 3D layout in after effects to make it all work out in a way in witch I was happy. I simply placed the old animation in the set for now to get a good feel of the timing and depth the keys would have to be at for the next step.

below is a screen shot of where i add the new stage photos in with some masking, where i couldn’t Photoshop it cleanly, so there was a foreground and background layer of the stage. This was a bit tricky when i needed to animate the mask, but it all worked the way i planed.

Below is a screen shot of a typical 3D layout for my shots with two stage layers,  backdrop layers and any characters seen in the shot, for some i would also add a camera. There are one or two pans and some other shots where the camera is needed to utilises the lighting set up.

Lighting is very important i really want shadows and direction from the lighting to play a big part in the shots. i have add them where i believe they will give the desired effect, but until i have characters with the right colours i can’t tell for sure. From the test i have made i can’t see any big problems coming up.

Film Chart: A Cue to Dance Film
Film Duration: 3 minutes
Student Name: Karl Impey
BA Animation (Hons) Level 3

Date: 28/01/2010

Parts
Second: 156:10 Number of Frames: 3910 Still Images: 878 Moving Images: 2851 Recycles: 180



Total Number of Frame used for the film 2851

The calculation for 3 minutes film was worked at 25 fps which initially gave the total frame of 4200 frames.
Note: It is important to mention that still images and recycle images was calculated together in order to establish the total number of frames for the final film.
Lips run 1079-1109, Gaze run 170-195 and Sad gaze 1929-1969

Recording the brass band

on the 14th of January  with the help of both Chris and Mike from music i was able to make a recording of the brass band Ocean Brass with the two song i picked out for my film. I am now editing it to fit with the movie and it should be done in the following weeks. All went well and the band was very really pulled through making the recording easy.

 

Colours and the Look of Characters

This is more on my characters and the colours. helping in the animation and colouring in the next steps of animating my movie.

The colours are not set in stone just yet but I’m liking them so far.

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Cirque du Soleil

On the 9th of January I saw the Cirque du Soleil and hoped to get some knowledge and insight into stage circus acts and try and get my head around dancing and body movement of this kind. not only was it good for this, but it had the loose, but entertaining story telling of romance i was looking for and want for the feel of my film. i also noted the wonderful stage lighting and shadows created from this, wish to integrate this into my film in some way.

 

 

 

Some quick art work I made after seeing the show showing off a bit of what I took from it.

 

animation hand or flash

I made two animation of the shot_001 of my film where Gaze(male) runs over the roof, one in flash and one in hand drawn animation (keys and breakdowns) i took along of time thinking it over and for the thick lines and look of my move i want, as well as time. I’m going with flash. In the ideas and Inspirations post i noted i wanted the thick black line shadows like in the art for Zelda Majora’s mask. I feel this will fit well with my drawings in flash more so then my more delicate work when i hand draw.

Stag set

I have worked on the set for my stage over the last week i looked a Punch and Jude stands and indoor theatres. and i hoped to make something in between the two. i kept my colours to wood brows on the floor and red curtains with some gold to finish off the look.

i hand made every thing after the planning it out and i was very happy with the finished set.

Research Material

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Planning

 

Progression photos.

   

 

I then went and set up the stage in the stop-motion animation studio and with aid from photography technician I rented out a camera and set up light in a stag like lay out, with a soft spotlight pointing up from the front and to softer lights pointing down from behind.

finished stage

 

  

Reworded script

 

I should have added this before but i kept forgetting, but this the script i reworked when i changed the theme to a stage setting'.

 

Karl Impey Proposal for 3^rd Year Animation Final Film:

A Cue to Dance: script

Title shown over Curtain

Curtains open to scene 1:

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_001 ROOF TOP

A shot of the rooftops as GAZE runs at the camera, the stage light on him. GAZE runs right up to the camera jumping out of the backdrop to the stage floor.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_002 LONG BUSY STREET- LIT BY STAGE LIGHTS

MUSIC: BRASS BAND– OCEAN BRASS

GAZE looks up and around him cut outs of masked people flip up from the floor of the stage, GAZE prances to the left behind one of the cut outs that along with the backdrop all move along with him to the left. Gaze jumps out and dances around with masked cut outs about the stage. Three female masked puppets drop down, Gaze looks about with a grin. He jumps over to one and flirts then to another and finally back to the middle of the stage. The three puppets move in and smother him to his dismay. GAZE violently pushes them away and exits stage left, the puppets fall to the ground to the sides of the stage.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_002 BUSY STREET- LIT BY STAGE LIGHTS

A new backdrop drops down and four cut outs of crowds move on to stage two from each side. LIPS in her clown outfit dances seductively onto the stage.

CUT

A low shot looking up at gaze as the cut out crowds starts to wonder off. She looks around her seeing she is not noticed, a worried look on her masked face as she does. Quickly she pulls at her clown outfit and rips it from her body to show off a skimpy belly dancer outfit underneath. The crowd cut out flip to there other sides that are masked faces looking at her.

CUT

TAT head pops up from in front of the stage to cut to scene 2.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_002 BUSY STREET

From the left of the stage a spot light shines down on LIPS as she shows off for the onlookers. TAT sneaks off to the left and then enters the stage from the left. He creeps around LIPS and holds and gropes her pulling her in for a kiss somewhat forcefully. LIPS pushes him away and runs off into the shadows of the stage as TAT looks on.

CUT

The stage flicks to black and then from a front view of the stage two spot lights flick on showing LIPS prancing in from the left and Gaze dancing in from the right. They cross paths and look at one another for a moment. GAZE spins around and kneels in request for a dance. LIPS blushes and they dance to the back of the stage. The spot light grows to reveal the stage with a new backdrop.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_002 SIDE BUILDINGS WITH NIGHT SKY.

As GAZE and LIPS dance together puppets drop down to dance around them leading the eye with there movement as a group. GAZE and LIPS dance together becomes more romantic as the dance goes on. GAZE leans in for a kiss, but she pushes him away suddenly in shock. GAZE isn’t put off by this and turns to dance again once again with LIPS.

The lights of the stage point to the right where TAT peeks in pulls past the curtain. He scowls at the two and creeps back off stage.

LIPS and GAZE then end in a romantic pose as the crowd claps and cheers. The two take a bow. When GAZE is distracted however LIPS flirts with the crow and is joyfully chased off by them in between the backdrops. Gaze turns to see she is gone and with a worried look runs off stage looking for her.

CUT

Light goes out cut to the next shot.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_003 STREET WITH TO BUILDINGS

The backdrops flick up from the ground.

GAZE runs on looking for LIPS then runs off the stage. Once GAZE is off stage LIPS being chased by the cut out crowd prances away. The group run about like this for a bit just missing site of one another each time.

After all the running about LIPS staggers onto the stage flustered by the chase. Masked forms start to surround her as the stage becomes dark. TAT’s eyes appear from the shadows behind her. He catches her as she falls licking his lips and stroking her. TAT carries her off to the rooftops at the back just before GAZE shows up, once again looking for her.

GAZE sees a puppet that looks like LIPS and runs over, the puppet wraps its arms around him but he is only disappointed and pushes the puppet away too. He falls to his knees against a wall.

The light dims out to cut to the next scene.

CUT

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_004 ROOFTOP

The new backdrop falls with the front roof as its own backdrop.

Spot lights point at TAT as he climes onto the front separate roof with LIPS. He forces her against a chimney and begins to have his way with her licking and groping her in a dazed state. LIPS suddenly comes to her senses and pushes him off running away to the roofs in the far backdrop.

The new backdrops slide in from the left of the stage.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_005 ROOFTOP SIDE

The new backdrops hides LIPS and TAT for the new scene. Once the backdrop is in place LIPS runs on from the left being chased by TAT he grabs and rips her skirt, because of this she slips falling over. As she tries to get up she accidentally pulls a tile free. It falls off the building and a spot light focus on this. The tile is lit as it falls and hits the ground smashing to bits.

SOUND EFFECT. TILE SMASHING

The spot light reviles the next scene.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_006 BUILDING

GAZE is moping against the building, but when the tile smashes he looks up in surprise then exits stage left.

CUT

Fades to black on stage to the next scene.

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_006 ROOFTOP

TAT creeps over LIPS as she looks on in fear at the roof’s edge. TAT’s shadow closes in around her. He moves around and grabs LIPS forcing himself on to her. Suddenly LIPS looks and notices that the tile are slipping under them and before they know it they are both falling off the side of the roof. They both hang onto the roof, but TAT loses his grip and falls to the ground. Before he hits we cut to black.

CUT

INT. STAGE - BACKDROP_007 BUILDING from side

A spot light flicks on and shows LIPS as she hangs for her life on the side of the building. As she is slipping to the back on another rooftop GAZE shows up and sees her. GAZE thinks fast and jumps grabbing the unlit “the end” sign. LIPS falls, GAZE swings down, grabs her and jumps safely on the stage floor. The two look shocked, but slowly look at each other with a smile. The hanging sign gives way and falls into the stage floor just behind them making them jerk in shock, but once again go in for a romantic kiss as the curtains close and the sign flickers on with the words the end.

CREDITS OVER CURTAINS

Stage Backdrops

I colours my stage back drops with the look I’m going for, using the CGI background.I tried to go for a painted fibre look and hoping to animate it in after effects in a way that it ripples and on others i they should feel more like boards i will most likely  play around with lighting as i animate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animatic 2

Ok this is my newest animates for A Cue to Dance and a video for the kinds of stage filming I’ve been looking at for help on how to shoot it. I have now moved on to finishing my background, making my stage set. For the back drops I decided to take the CGI stills into Photoshop and paint on tope of them to give a hand made materiel look.

As for the animation I’m going to create the first shot in both Flash and by hand to see which I am happier with. I have been thinking it over and for time Flash is better and it looks good, but I like the look and to working on paper.

stage show:

Animatic:

A Change in style

After showing my animatic and thinking over the idea of it all I found my film to be a strenuous and difficult to view, the story started to become hard to understand. To this end I began to think over ways of cutting the story or rethinking the way I show it.

From this the idea came to me to have it run like a theatre show using backdrops and cut outs for background characters I ‘m working on a new animatic to this style and if any one has some good videos of theatre that take advantage of backdrops and 2D cut outs I would be grateful to have you show me by posting here or just tell me at uni.

Animatic 001

this is the animatic i made, but the movie has changed a bit now as it was becoming hard to read as it was. and I have made some CGI backgrounds now to use for the next animatic i hope to have finished soon.

Character Sheets

These are my character sheets, not set in stone yet, but i think there strong so far. I went through a lot of ideas for lips playing with the age. Gaze just became simpler over time. tat was the only character that kept some what like my first thoughts of him, but he was the last character i worked on so, maybe it was just that i came to terms to the world I’m creating a little bit.

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The Story

• On the roof tope the hero GAZE runs at the camera the lights from the street below shine up and fireworks flash in the sky. GAZE runs right up to the camera and over it.
• On the carnival street it is full of bazaar dancing people all in masks. GAZE jumps to the ground and we see him for the first time, he has a mask that covers his eyes. He looks up and he moves into the crowd. A masked man in the foreground covers the camera wiping to the next shot.
• GAZE moves deeper into the carnival party where a flag wire moves into separating the view slightly to the left of the screen. On the right GAZE dances his way down moving past other masked dancers. On the left LIPS the heroine dances in her clown outfit. She has a mask that also covers her eyes. As GAZE moves down on the right a woman starts to dance with him, he pulls her in with a grin but once she is all over him he grows board and pushes her away and walks on. On the left side, that has now fills half the screen, LIPS is dancing, but the masked men around give her little notice in her clown outfit.
• GAZE dances on through the crowd looking at the masked people around him. LIPS looks about with a bit of anger then she twist around and rips her clown outfit off, to show a sexy belly dancer outfit. The masked men turn to look at her from all around as she starts dancing again.
• The masked men move in on LIPS surrounding her, led by TAT the lustful villain a masked man in a baggy jester outfit, LIPS becomes lost in the dance. GAZE dances on but is stopped by two more women interested in him, he gives them a good look as they come on to him. Lips is being smothered by the men as they grope her, she becomes more lost in the madness of it all. GAZE pushes free from the masked women and moves away heading for the camera.
• On both sides of the split screen the crowd reach out for LIPS and GAZE, overwhelming the two. They both push free to the centre of the screen. The flag wire that split the screen snaps and strong spot lights flick on as the two cross paths and stop in a pose. They stair at one another in a moment of stillness.
• GAZE whips around into a romantic dance pose in the square. Other people are dancing around them as they hold their pose for a moment then they join in. GAZE and LIPS have the most enthusiasm, LIPS with her sexy and provocative style and GAZE with his stern and powerful stance. We see the masked crowd and the lit square.
• GAZE tries to get intermit with her by stroking her face and coming in for a kiss. He is pushed away by LIPS when getting to close shocked at first, but he jumps right back into the romantic moment of the dance.
• TAT watching from the crowd, he is jealous grits his teeth with a slouched back. A couple pass in front of him and he disappears.
• Back with the two dancing romantically, suddenly the crowd shuffles GAZE and is pulled into the dancing crowd. A man picks LIPS up by the waist and she is carried away and looks back at GAZE confused. He reaches his hand out grabbing at air.
• The screen splits again on the right LIPS is passed around by the masked crowd, pulling and pushing her to them. Everyone seems to want a piece of LIPS and she becomes disoriented. On the lift GAZE has a woman all over him, he looks about the crowd for LIPS, trying to force her off.
• LIPS falls to her knees dazed and confused masked people surround her in madness of the carnival. GAZE pulls the masked people around to look at them but can’t tell LIPS out of the crowd. TAT moves in and picks the dazed LIPS from the ground. Women hold onto GAZE as he moves through the thick crowd, in his frantic search for LIPS. TAT takes LIPS away to the roof tops. GAZE search becomes a bit more violent as he pulls people around in hopes of finding LIPS.
• TAT lays LIPS against a chimney. On the side of the chimney its shadow sows GAZE as he looks through the crowd for LIPS. On the roof TAT looms over the dazed intoxicated LIPS and forces himself on her groping and licking. LIPS suddenly comes to her senses and pushes TAT off and runs over the rooftops.
• GAZE stumbling forward holding his head on the street as he loses all hope of finding LIPS. We can see to silhouettes on the roofs in chase. GAZE looks up and sees them on the roof he runs off. GAZE’s silhouette climes up the side of the building and at the same time the silhouette of TAT chasing LIPS are on the rooftop.
• LIPS’s skirt is torn by TAT’s hand and she stumbles over. She slips down the roof, but crawls to the roof end and pulls her self up, TAT carefully follows. A roof tile gives way and falls off the side.
• The tile smashes on the ground with a worms eye view.
• LIPS turns with a fearing look on her face holding onto the roof, she tenses up and breathes heavy. At the far end of the roof past TAT, GAZE climes onto the roof and looks over to LIPS. He starts to make his way over.
• LIPS inches back, TAT closes in, suddenly LIPS looks over to a flag wire and jumps from the roof to hang from it. TAT jumps to grab her with anger. The tiles under his feet slip, he stumbles off the side.
• LIPS cringes looking away from the falling TAT, she looks to the left and sees the flag wire is splitting. Her face becomes full of fear again. LIPS falls slowly as the flag wire snaps, suddenly GAZE pushing from the roof jumping off. GAZE grabs LIPS and the flag wire, LIPS is shocked and relieved holding onto GAZE’s neck. The two slowly move through the air. The two swing down twisting around the central flag pole with the flag wire, to the raised platform it stands on.
• GAZE jumps and lands on the platform the two of them looking shocked, below there is dancing and partying. GAZE holds LIPS in his arms as they look at each another. They come in for a kiss in a romantic pose. The Curtains start to close. GAZE feels up LIPS’s leg and the curtains fully close and credits role to a slap sound.