ANIM 345 Blog 10 "Funny tags and recommendations"

The main thing that I would change in this course are the sample animations. If this course does become a history course then I'd like to see smaller clips from films or maybe just shorts. Long DVD films are great, but they take up so much time and you miss a lot of great work from previous artists such as Chuck Jones and Tex Avery.

Along with the history of animation I would like to see the animation being produced, maybe even explore job opportunities and discuss the many different roles that are needed in animation. We discussed the broader film roles such as producer and director, but what about the smaller entry level jobs? Producer and director are goals, but what is needed before you can reach those goals?

Being a diehard fan of animation already, here are some animation clips that I feel would help the course in the future:

"Your Face" by Bill Plympton

The extras in Karas: the Prophecy. The first movie shows a lot more of the earlier work, from staging the skeletal frames to adding backgrounds and light.

Linebarrels of Iron: has a generally unremarkable plot compared to the manga. Contains some of the most amazing and expressive 3-D mechas I've seen yet. Would have made for a good study on the 12 techniques if they didn't move so damn fast.

The Triplets of Belleville: A strange piece of animation from France. Has some very interesting character design and supports an unique view of the 1930s (If anything watch for when Fred Astaire's shoes come to life and eat him).

"Duck Amuck" by Chuck Jones. Breaks every fourth wall imaginable. A great piece for studying what is possible but impractical in animation.

Hopefully at some point in the future the animation programs will be able to run smoothly. Maybe after Comm gets the new building they can hire an on-site IT guy.

ANIM 345 Blog #8 "I Feel You, Man."

I loved to look for tricks in animation and TV shows were the director or creators took a shortcut. It was like hunting for easter eggs and uncovering dirty little production secrets. I didn't hold it against the people for taking shortcuts though, after all they were just trying to save time and money for more important work and scenes. If they didn't want to animate the characters walking because they needed more time and manpower for the laser fight sequence then that was cool with me. Disney came up tricks that are economic in terms of animation but still affect emotion in the audience. (pg 484)

1. Rear View

Showing the characters from behind saves the animator from having to animate the face. It can evoke a romantic scene where the audience is viewing from afar where the characters can't see or it can indicate that the character is frustrated and no longer wants to be seen. After Johnny Crash tears off his symbol in Crash Test he storms out and the audience watches his back as he leaves.

2. Shadows

Shadows can obscure details on a character and scene and make it easier to draw (or harder if you want to get complicated with the lighting). When Johnny goes for audition, the room is clouded in shadow except for the center where Johnny and the manager are.

3. Shadows Over the Character

Usually reserved for action too violent or intense to be animated directly, shadows are usually cast on the character and the wall behind them to show what is happening while simultaneously keeping them away. There wasn't a scene in Crash Test where this technique was used.

4. Overlays

Moving layers placed in front of character can add new emotional dimensions to a scene. Hiding a character behind several layers of bars can create distress as the character is separated from the audience. The only scene I can think of in Crash Test is after the crash test when the character is surrounded by wreckage and beaten with the air bag.

5. Dramatic Layout

Emotions can be evoked using dramatic backgrounds and poses. The colors of the backdrop and position of a character can change the feel of a moment. Johnny's moment of glory is enhanced by the huge stadium full of people and stadium floodlights.

6. Pictorial Shot

A still image can provoke emotion as well as a moving one, so it's acceptable to pause the action every now and allow the audience to absorb an image. As Johnny stares at the poster in his locker his faced is locked in desire before sighing and closing the door.

7. Effects Animation

Special effects can carry emotion, after all they are animations as well. In Crash Test, exhaling cigar smoke is done in a way that denotes smugness, first from the difficult manager and then from a pleased Johnny.

8. Held Drawing with Camera Moves

Also referred to as "panning shots", this technique moves the camera but not the image. The most popular example is drawing a large landscape and then moving the view across it slowly. Crash Test utilizes this technique when Johnny stares at his poster. The camera slowly zooms in on the poster, but the poster itself doesn't actually move.

9. Offstage sounds

You don't need to show action to get an emotional response, sounds can explain what's happening without showing the audience visually. The sound of a gun can frighten people without them needing to see the gun fire a shot. Crash Test didn't use this technique in any way that was obvious. Most of what happened was on screen.

For directly animating emotions, rather than sidestepping them, we have these five points to consider: (pg 507)

1. Make sure the emotional state of the character is clearly defined.

Johnny's head consists of wide eyes and a mouth on a long face. His features twist and widen to shape whatever emotion he is feeling at the time.

2. The thought process reveals the feeling.

When Johnny is feeling nervous before his audition, it shows. He fumbles and looks around the room as if asking himself whether or not he should continue.

3. Be alert to use of cutting and camera in helping to accentuate the emotion.

The camera cuts extremely close to the managers face during Johnny's audition. This creates a feeling of intense scrutiny and power in his presence.

4. Ask yourself constantly

What am I trying to say here?

What do I really want to show?

How do I want the audience to react?

One of the things that continues to impress me about this animation is how apparent Johnny's emotions are at all times. There is never any second guessing as to what he is feeling and the communication is entirely non-verbal. That means everything has to be accurately portrayed through pure body language and careful expression.

5. Use the element of time wisely:

to establish the emotion of the character,

to convey it to the viewers,

to let them savor the situation.

Don't be ponderous, but don't take it away from them just as they start to enjoy it.

Crash Test's pace is very quick. There is no time for action montages or travel scenes, Johnny leaves the test facility and immediately appears at the studio. We know he's determined and skilled enough for his dream, there is no need to waste time getting him from Point A to Point B when he's already ready. ready ready

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Emotional portrayals are key in engulfing the audience. Emotions are universal in understanding and are instantly relatable. Nothing can link the audience on quite the same level as an emotional one, which is why it's so important that these techniques are respected and practiced in animation.

Works Cited

Thomas, Frank, and Ollie Johnston. Disney Animation: the Illusion of Life. New York: Abbeville, 1981. Print.

Gobelins. "Crash Test." YouTube. Talantis, 18 Apr. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .

I apologize but it appears Blogger deleted the URL.

ANIM 345 Blog #6 "Stupid Heart"

In terms of animated films and kid's features, educational films are a kiss of death. Educational films appeals to a very small number of the mass media demographic, often catering to very young children or their parents. Teaching children the Alphabet and basic math skills are often left to daytime programming, scheduled before or after the children leave daycare. It is rare when an educational film enters mainstream theatre distribution. Documentaries are being released in select theatres where the demographic for them is high. The general public is not kind to intellectual features.

So animators and directors try to appeal to the baser instinct. Rather than commanding one's intellectual faculties, they demand emotion from people. Intellect and learning varies from individual to individual and is impossible to predict. Emotions are nearly universal. For example, some may have never read any work by Dante, but everyone knows what's it like to feel frustrated. Mass media doesn't avoid intelligent content because they believe audiences are stupid, they do it to simplify the story so that more people understand it.

There is still intellectual stimulation to be found in emotion. For example, having a character react in an unexpected way can create discourse as people try to reason why this particular action was taken. Unexpected twists and shifting emotions in characters can get a lot more people talking than a quote from Bronte. Communication is not about intellectual numbing, it's about uniting the viewer with the film through emotional connection.

ANIM 345 Blog #7 "+26 to Tech Points"

Fred Moore was a huge influence for current and even past Disney animation artists. He was a man who embraced all the 12 techniques of animation that were previously stated and created wondrous scenes of life and character in his animation. Though Fred was a bit hard on himself and decided to make a list of important things to remember while animating. He condensed the points into the a list of 14 crucial thoughts to remember while animating.

FRED MOORE'S 14 POINTS OF ANIMATION: (pg 128)

1. Appeal in drawing.

This technique was last on the previous list. It's interesting that Fred puts it at the top of his, reminding himself that the character must always have appeal to keep people watching and interested.

2. Staging

Staging is about the proper placement of characters and backgrounds so they end up where they should be and don't get visually lost or awkward.

3. Most Interesting way?

Would the audience be interested in seeing the animation and like it?

4. Is it the most entertaining way?

Can you improve the animation in any way to make it more enjoyable?

5. Are you in character?

Making sure that the character is consistent is important. Most characters have their own way of moving or walking and don't change unless they have a reason to.

6. Are you advancing the character?

Does your animation help the audience understand the character better? What does this emotion or action say about them?

7. Is this the simplest statement of the main idea of the scene?

Make sure that they idea or emotion gets across clearly, don't muddle the understanding of the unnecessary action.

8. Is the story point clear?

Pay attention to what is happening in the scene and how it synchronizes with the other scenes.

9. Are the secondary actions working with the main action?

How concise are the other movements in the scene and do they hurt or help the main focus?

10. Is the presentation best for the medium?

Can you realistically do what you want with the materials provided? Would it look/communicate better if you used a different medium?

11. Does it have 2 dimensional clarity?

How solid is the drawing? Clean lines and figures are important.

12. Does it have 3 dimensional solidity?

Does the character or figure stand out? Is the perspective right with the figures in the appropriate foreground or background? Make sure that the scene does not appear to be a flat drawing.

13. Does it have 4 dimensional drawing?

Do the characters carry weight with them as they move? How do the physics of the world apply to them? Techniques such as follow through and drag help with this illusion.

14. Are you trying to do something that shouldn't be attempted?

Fred's example is "trying to show the top of Mickey's head". Breaking the fourth wall or trying to slip in something lewd are other possible examples.

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Bill Tylta was another animator at the time and came up with his own, more condensed list of 12 animation elements. (pg 137)

Inner Feelings and Emotion

This would probably be the hardest to express if all there is is facial animation, the body is and posture are key to expressing emotion.

Acting with clear and definite action

Clarity in motion and movement have been expressed before but the definite term interests me. The purpose of movement should also be kept in mind.

Character and personality

This one is particularly redundant, if you have an idea of the character's inner feelings and emotion, then they're personality should come naturally.

Thought process through expression changes

A cheap trick is just pause the animation or zoom into the person while the voice over says what the character is thinking. But in leu of a voiceover the animator will have to show the thought process in the characters face or expression, such as moving the mouth or shifting their eyes.

Ability to analyze

You should be able to recognize the small details of the animation and if something is wrong, then they should be able to recognize what is wrong.

Clear staging

STAGING IS IMPORTANT!

Good composition

To me, composition is a combination of solid drawing and clear staging. It refers to the overall view of place and characters and whether the whole image works together.

Timing

Timing is... um... important to...

ANIMATION!

.... and stuff.

Solidity in drawing

Solid drawing skills. See Above. And Earlier Post.

Power in drawing

For power in drawing, draw Goku. Rather, the drawings and designs should carry emotional weight and speak for themselves.

Strength in movement

I think this refers to 4th dimensional drawing, making sure the motions have effects and after effects in their world.

Imagination

I'm surprised it has taken so long before anyone has mentioned this. Animators need to have an incredible imagination because before they put anything on the page they need to see the image in their head. They have to use their imagination to see the animation before it's anything has been drawn. But most importantly, imagination lets the animate in new and creative ways.

There are some strong repeating themes in these guidelines. The biggest one for me would be solid drawing. There is an old joke that when you're drawing comics you find that you need to learn how to draw everything. In animation you not only need to know how to draw everything but be prepared to draw it front back and inside out. Solid Drawing can not be understated.

Works Cited

Thomas, Frank, and Ollie Johnston. Disney Animation: the Illusion of Life. New York: Abbeville, 1981. Print.

COMM 203 Blog #6 Picture Narrative "The Hand of Kim"

Kim discovered his powers at a museum trip in middle school. He was instructed by teachers to see past the paintings, to dive in and find the deeper meaning. As he kid who had never appreciated art Kim decided to try focusing on art for the first time. He choose a landscape and began to concentrate on all what his teacher told him to look for. Kim expanded his vision, surrendering his eyes to the light, imagining the forest landscape expanding and surrounding his body. He stepped forward, in a trance, and when he snapped back to reality he found himself holding a handful of leaves.

Over the years he tried many different paintings and portraits. If it was large enough to put his hand through, then he could take from it. At first it became a sort a secret hobby for Kim. He would take a girl's pearl earrings, then put them back before anyone noticed. He couldn't use his power when there two of the same pictures next to each other, and the items faded away if he forgot about them. A baseball bat he pulled out of a magazine disappeared once he put it in his closet and played with something else. He was careful to never pull out anything too big or expensive in case there were any real world consequences to his actions. It was a harmless kid's game to Kim.

After a few minor misadventures with other children and his powers, Kim decided to stop using them. He pulled out a pair of bikes for him and his friend Yung but during a race Kim became too focused on competition. Yung's bike disappeared beneath him and Yung went skidding face first into the street, breaking an arm and badly scraping his legs and face. Kim resolved never use his taking power again unless he really needed to and was sure he could control it.

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Years later, Kim had to drop out of college. His family was never well off and he found that his savings couldn't keep up with college expenses. It was hard finding work, especially in a Korean dominant neighborhood on the East Coast. Money was tight everywhere and his family didn't have any room for him in their business. He would have to use his power again. Kim was careful, he took from high-end fashion magazines, the ones with the men in super slick coats showcasing expensive watches. He would take the watches and sell them as genuine, which they were, and when he was well out of reach with fake contacts information set in place, he'd forget that the watch ever existed.

Kim improved his skills, memorizing several items even when they're out of sight was a skill that soon became easy and yielded a high return. He couldn't make consumables like food or drugs since he couldn't imagine them being digested and the items lost their form. His proudest new skill became the ability to pull forth items that are not visible but implied. A money clip from the rich man, golf balls from a caddy's bag, eventually even money from the wallet of some model's pants. Kim used the money in much the same way as his watches. Let the cashier put the bill into the drawer, give him back change, and then walk away before they chance to count the money. Now he had goods and real cash, while the hapless clerk comforted imaginary twenties. Kim would never have to work again, as long as people's greed and sense of value outweighed their doubt.

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Pretty heavy story for a joke picture, right? I'd definitely like more assignments like this. When I signed on for the Mass Communication major I hoped to pursue more creative endeavors. I can't see myself showing off the other blogs to people, but this entry I would like to share. This works shows my skill in creative writing and atmosphere, skills that are stifled in essays and classwork. This is an assignment that doesn't feel or read like an assignment, it's a story.

Works Cited

"Hey, He Stole That Paintings Wallet Picture." Break.com. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. .

COMM 203 Blog #5 "Of the Proud Nation of Nostalgia."

There is something that has been bugging me about the "Talking About Videogames" article in a Media Studies Reader. It's the insinuation that people who play video games have no love for older games since they are constantly replacing and playing new games. The idea that we get caught up in the "Up-grade culture" is rather insulting, since the formal gamer actually has much love for earlier titles.

Video games are not the same as a cell phone computer system. Video games actually have content and can be defined as "media", intangible but with a message. For example, no one really pines for and old Macintosh from the 90s (unless you're a real hardcore Mac fan), but I know a lot of people who would die to play the old Oregon Trail game. The "Up-grade culture" does hold a strong affect on gamers, but that doesn't prevent them from looking back.

There are several things that prevent gamers from playing old games. The main reason is that, like the old Macs, the hardware isn't there anymore. There comes a certain point where things aren't being made anymore and the older working components become harder to find and more expensive. Also, companies go out of business or lose rights to franchises so even if there is a demand for a re-released title there may not be anybody left that can provide it. Lastly, there is a grey area surrounding the question of how long computers and gaming systems can last. We don't know what a Mac computer will look like in fifty years because they haven't been around that long. Not to mention how easy it is to destroy digital data, if back-ups are not made of the games and they're data they can all be lost to time. My NES was done in because my sister kept mistaking it as a coin bank. Pennies will destroy our past!

It should be noted that there is some movement in the underground bringing games back to life. Emulators can be downloaded off the internet and act as game systems on your computer. You can then download cracked games, or ROMs, to play. The whole thing is strictly illegal but opens entire libraries of old games that may never make it to re-release on current game machines. Some extremely devoted fans have even translated Japanese games to English so American gamers can enjoy games that they never got to play but may have wanted to.

I can't be sure of the popularity emulators and ROMs because the illegality often causes the whole operation or website to be shut down. Even faster if they try to use a current companies old works. There are no profits to track (at least there better not be!) so there is almost no public recognition for any of this activity. I try to stay away from the stuff myself, especially after that summer I lost to Super Nintendo RPGs... Did you know the entire NES library of games can fit on one CD? Scary...

With the advent of wireless internet connection on current systems old games have made something of a comeback. The Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 both offer networks where people can legally purchase and download old generation games to keep. The XBOX 360 also offers this but the library is considerably smaller since they only cater to their previous system. Reactions are mixed to this process since the prices are stable, but the product intangible and limited (Most games can only be downloaded on so many systems before the license runs out). For one thing the system asks that you pay $10 for a game that you can buy for $1 in the original format, but can also ask the same starting price for a game that would be a $90 hardcopy. Hardcore gamers were made for the price gouging/wasting their money on originals.

I feel this quote from Henry Jenkins sums up my argument rather well:

"History teaches us that old media never die--- and they don't even necessarily fade away. What dies are simply the tools we use to access media content---the 8-track, the Beta tape ... Delivery technologies become obsolete and get replaced; media, on the other hand, evolve."

Great media is ageless. If there's a way to play something that gamers like, then they will find a way. Some are so devoted that they'll even make a way. Now who wants to buy an old Gameboy?

Works Cited

Newman, James. "Talking About Videogames." A Media Studies Reader. Ed. Kevin Williams. San Diego, CA: Cognella, 2010. 463-83. Print.

Anim 345 Blog #4 "Master Tech"

During the early stages of Walt Disney the lead animators at the time were still learning their trade they developed 12 techniques that make animation more interesting to look at. They tried to use these techniques in every animation and they have become the basics for animators everywhere. I'll attempt to explain these techniques as in comparison to the video Crash Test.

Squash and Stretch:

A critical staple of animation, Squash and Stretch is used in animation to emphasis motion. The object stretches itself while moving and squashes one it makes contact or stops. The most obvious use of Squash and Stretch in Crash Test is when the large test dummies head butt each other. There heads are smashed back into their bodies and then the head pops back out further than it was originally and snaps back to normal.

Anticipation:

Anticipation prepares the audience for the action that's about to take place. A small motion or action can be used to signify the motion that's about to take place. A character swirling a baseball bat sets up anticipation because it tells the audience that they are about to swing it. Johnny Crash's heavy breathing in the car tells the audience that he is nervous but also says that the car is about to move fast and crash. Otherwise why would he be nervous?

Staging:

Staging in animation is about presenting an idea in such a manner that it is completely clear. Staging could refer to the background, the lights, anything that helps promote an idea. The scientists waiting for Johnny are moving frantically, their faces are twisted in permanent grimaces of anger and frustration. It's clear that they are not happy people.

Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose:

These two techniques refer to the process in which the animation is drawn. Straight Ahead Action is when an animator starts with a drawing and just adds the frames to that, coming up with each frame as they make it. Pose to Pose is when an animator makes two key poses and animates the action in between. For example, the animator may draw a frame of a character standing and one of him sitting down, then animate the action between the frames. It's impossible to tell which technique was used in the Crash Test animation without seeing the animators work.

Follow Through and Overlapping Action:

The animators found that once an action was done, the character would come to a complete stop before the next action. These techniques addressed the problem of what to do once a character's action is finished. Follow Through was the act of moving parts of the character after a stop, for example a character's clothes or tail might continue to move forward even if the character stopped walking. Overlapping Action is about connecting two actions and making one overlapping movement. If a character jumps and breaks into a run, then the scene should come immediately after another. They shouldn't jump, stand up straight and then start running, it looks unnatural. My favorite Follow Through in Crash Test is when Johnny steals away the managers cigar, inhales and smiles. He stops moving on the smile but then cigar smoke comes steaming out his ears.

Slow In and Slow Out:

Slow In and Slow Out is a focus on the key poses, with the action happening very fast in between the frames. It is a technique to be used sparingly. When Johnny is in the cannon there is a slow down as they pull away from his face, then they zip through all the obstacles before slowing down at the end so the audience can see all the traps.

Arcs:

Arcs are paths used by animators to help keep track of specific motions in an animation. Usually used in the draft stage it is hard to identify where they were used in the Crash Test animation.

Secondary Action:

A secondary movement used along with the primary motion to reinstate the emotion or message of the animation. The manager stroking his chin and nodding illustrates secondary motion as both actions are used to show his approval.

Timing:

Timing is determined by how many frames lie between the start and end of an action. The less in between frames there are, the faster the action, while more in between frames slows the motion down. Johnny Crash's sleight of hand magic happens very quickly, even when he himself is moving slowly.

Exaggeration:

Exaggeration doesn't mean distorting a drawing or extreme takes, instead it means exaggerating the emotion so that it is clear what the character is feeling. Don't just have the character smile, make their entire body happy to the extreme! When Johnny is fed up his whole posture is changed. He tears off the sticker on his chest in rage and slams it onto the floor, it is clear that he has had all he can take of being a crash test dummy.

Solid Drawing:

Drawing skills are an absolute in hand drawn animation, the animator must be able to draw a character in any pose and from different angles is they are to be able to animate easily. The most impressive example of solid drawing in Crash Test is at the end when they rotate Johnny 360 degrees as he appreciates his audience.

Appeal:

Appeal refers more to character design and personality more than motion. Appeal is about having the audience stop on the character and want to appreciate the art more, to keep their attention on the film. The squat manager had a strange appeal. His outrageously tall hair and even taller chair said a lot of his personality. While the rest of him was lush and seedy, his entire communication was non-verbal but you knew him instantly.

As time moves on some of these techniques become obsolete, but with any evolving art form new techniques are developed in the wake of the old. Solid drawing skills may be replaced with solid programming skills, while techniques such as Appeal are resilient. I would like to see what kind of techniques I discover when I pursue my own career in communications.

Works Cited

Gobelins. "Crash Test." YouTube. Talantis, 18 Apr. 2008. Web. 14 Sept. 2010. .