Exercise 1
This is my first exercise for multimedia 3h03, which is a self portrait. I chose to do stop motion animation about my break dance. I just did some top rock and a little bit of foot work in media lab, and recorded some movements by a digital camera. After that, I imported the pictures to the computer and did editing work. I used the filter tool to add effects to all the photos, then, I opened them in After effects and made all the animations and effects there. In addition, I added some texts in the animation, in order to make it more vivid. The whole video is about 10 seconds.
Statement Of Intent Fot First Assignment
Our character portrait animation will be exploring the subtle differences on how lifestyle and values are experienced between the native Chinese and Canadian cultures. Our idea was born from a question brought up during our group discussion that we thought was both interesting and that had endless possibilities: Why do so many Chinese immigrate to Canada, while China is growing fast and full of opportunities? Though we cannot answer on behalf of all Chine immigrants, we did do brief research and categorized the main reasons as the following: for a different lifestyle, better education, better health system and natural environment and for international experiences. Following this step, we evaluated specific topic questions that might be interesting to the viewers. For example, many Chinese cities have been westernized so it is assumed culture shock isn’t as deep. After all, the interior and exterior set-up of buildings and living style now share a close resemblance; certainly it isn’t the old China that you see in the movies. In fact, many Chinese cities physically resemble their counterparts abroad, and it can be assumed that when one first steps off the plane that it wouldn’t feel that much different, aside from the funny signs in a different language. But the differences between China and Canada are more elusive and include differences in lifestyle and mindset that might not stand out immediately when one thinks about their first forays onto Canadian soil; though these differences stand out over time. Our animation will explore these subtle differences between living in China and living in Canada as experienced by the personal story of two Chinese Immigrants.
In order to move further with this project we decided to schedule an interview with Di Bai, and Ying Shan, both recently immigrated from Da Lian, China to Toronto, Canada but experiencing different educational situations. In this interview we wish to gain insight into their thoughts and experiences between the cultural differences of two similar yet highly different countries.
Di Bai is a Chinese girl who came to Canada around one and half years ago. Her family was immigrated to Toronto in August 2010. She is a grade 11 student at Earl Haig high school, which is a famous public school founded in Toronto. Before she came to Canada, she lived in Da Lian, a beautiful city north of China. Since she spent her first half of high school life in Da Lian and the other half of high school life in Toronto she will have a lot of specific personal experiences and challenges, which she may share with us. She is our link to compare and contrast the life of international students between China and Canad and will be the main character for our interview.
Ying Shan is a Chinese boy who immigrated to Canada in July 2010. He is a second year multimedia and economic combine student at McMaster University. He finished his high school degree in Da Lian, a beautiful city in China. He can help us to provide lots of valuable information about the different of student’s life between China and Canada.
In order to convey the cultural differences we’ll be utilizing two distinct animation techniques: paper cut-out and digital Flash. We are already equipped with the knowledge of creating a flipbook from MMEDIA 2H03, wherein the perception of motion is created from the quick flipping of rows of paper tricking the eye into believe subtle differences in drawing is a coherent visual occurrence. We wanted to extend this idea to cut-out animation by using a series of cut out and coloured paper-shapes played back in sequence on a computer. The use of the cut-out animation technique for this project greatly simplifies the number of issues we would otherwise have to consider when imbuing something with life. For example, once we have made a paper cut-out puppet, we do not have to re-create more pieces of artwork as it can be used again and again to express all sorts of ideas. Also we do not need to learn any complex computer software for this animation leaving us free to explore how the displacement of shape and form in time, can produce vivid and descriptive movement. We do understand that the cut-out animation does have limitations. Because the cut-outs are flat, they must work across or up and down the screen in a flat plane. However it is always possible to design an inventive solution for each and every storytelling scenario. For example, a character can be made to walk over a hill to disappear behind it, then reappear as a smaller cut-out figure ascending a more distant hill. These limitations can actually lead to striking stylistic visual solutions.
The cut-outs will be 'back-lit' to produce silhouettes. This form of abstraction and the speed and immediacy of the cut-out technique will help us better focus on the aims and objectives of this animation. In addition to the black paper, objects such as feathers, string, wool, sticks, small utensils etc. may also be used to add decorative elements to our design. We are also considering using pieces of clay for those parts of our character that need more organic kinds of motion. Our story might require a character or part of a character to undergo some interesting exaggerations or distortions in shape. This can be achieved using replacement parts as required. At first we thought of animating our character on a black background but we considered how minimal foreground and background elements can provide a relevant setting to our story as well as a fixed reference point against which the character can be seen to move. Background is an important part of our animation for both flash and cut-out animation because it establishes the mood of our story.
Our second animation involves the use of Flash where we would explore and create a stop frame animation based on our script. We believe that in addition to the cut out animation, flash will be engaging and fun. As a group, lately we have been exploring the relationship between still and moving images; small interactive animations, inspired by the effect of ‘scrubbing’ through sequences of still images on an iPhone, and reciprocating animations created in Adobe Flash. We are fascinated by the many of flash ‘experiments’ online, little pieces that explore elements of movement and interactivity. Our main concept is to create simple and entertaining animation to amuse and engage the viewers. Our interest in relation to stop frame animation is the use of the silhouette. The characters will be only visible as black and white silhouettes which will define the male and female characters in the story. The digital silhouettes will be created using Photoshop and then imported into flash for animation work. Since silhouettes are flat, their use of exaggeration and heavy dramatization will create bold characters with strong features that resembles our first cut-out animation. In this way our animation techniques will mimic each other while still being subtly and obviously different, as with the differences between China and Canada.
Exercise 2
This is my second exercise for multimedia 3h03, which focus on the contrast. This exercise is a video that involves colour contrast and size contrast. This video is also a portrait of myself. I recorded some pictures of myself in media lab by a digital camera. After that, I imported the pictures to the computer, edited them in photoshop and made the animation in after effect. Through the video, I zoom in and zoom out the frame, which shows a effect of size contrast. As the size of the frame change, the colour of the frame change as well, in order give a effect of colour contrast. The whole video is short and sample, but it able to give people a stronge visual effect.
Statement Of Intent Fot Second Assignment
TATTERHOOD
A Motion Book TrailerStop Motion Animation Video in HDV, 16:9
(60 seconds)
Statement of Intent by:Nicole Wilk, Ying Shan & Roshanth Nadesapillai
McMaster Media Students
Tatterhood is the story of two sisters (born through magical means) who love each other despite being polar opposites in temperament and appearances. The story is at least a century old and has traded hands many times though consistent traits include witches or goblins replacing the sweet and beautiful sisters head with that of a cow, Tatterhood retrieving it on a goat with a large wooden spoon, and ending with marriage for both sisters, the unruly Tatterhood having turned into a beautiful maiden.
The version I share an emotional attachment to is from my childhood and has been adopted by Robin Muller, which is fully licensed. However, there have been many people who have written versions of Tatterhood which can be found online in easy to access sources such as Wikipedia, or other published works such as “Popular Tales from Norse Mythology” by George Dasent. We do not wish to reference a specific version, believing that the author isn’t as important as the story itself (particulars such as the suitors at the end of the tale being a King and his son, or two princely brothers, does not matter).
Project Description
-Concept
By not incorporating a specific version of Tatterhood we wish to explore the roots of the story, bringing it to life in a way that reflects the culture and the origins of the story. We believe Tatterhood to be a Nordic Folklore, likely recorded in the 1600’s, and as such wish to convey an amount of ancient mysticism to the trailer. We will be using trolls instead of witches, and make any backgrounds to appear as large, daunting, and terrifying as the world would have seemed then.
-Visual Approach
As the media in which the story is told has transferred from way of mouth, to written, printed and digital text we too wish to incorporate a mix of mediums in the telling of Tatterhood. We will be incorporating paper into the animation itself by creating the characters, sets and props within an earthly set moving world of stop-motion art, and then we’ll layer the project in magic by using the live-trace effect with After Effects, revealing details of the trailer in an ink-like substance.
-Framework
The trailer is a minute in length, which will include opening credits, closing credits, and the information between that helps the viewer understand the trailer, as well as the animation itself. With three animators onboard the work has been divided into three 15 seconds of work that each member will be responsible for, though collaboration in lighting, character and set creation will occur as a team and shooting will require teamwork as well.
Workflow Sheet
Book Selected:
Tatterhood
Approximate Length:
60 seconds
Approach:
Combining paper stop-motion & Live-Trace AFX
Project Summary:
A book trailer about the Nordic Folklore Tatterhood
Visual Elements:
Words that flow across the screen, paper stop-motion, Live-Trace AFX
Aural Elements:
Basic SFX to events that occur in the video, and a spoken quote from the story via the character
Aspect Ratio, image size and pixel aspect:
16:9 | 1920x1080 | squared
Non-linear Editing Software:
Primiere
Effects Software:
After Effects
Sound Design Software:
Cubase
Other Software/Hardware requirements (i.e. Photoshop, cameras, light box, microphones etc):
Research/Anticipated problem areas:
Photoshop, light kit, tripod, Canon 7D (17-55 2.8 IS II), paper, markers, Rode NT
Output:
.mov 1920x1080
A Motion Book TrailerStop Motion Animation Video in HDV, 16:9
(60 seconds)
Statement of Intent by:Nicole Wilk, Ying Shan & Roshanth Nadesapillai
McMaster Media Students
Tatterhood is the story of two sisters (born through magical means) who love each other despite being polar opposites in temperament and appearances. The story is at least a century old and has traded hands many times though consistent traits include witches or goblins replacing the sweet and beautiful sisters head with that of a cow, Tatterhood retrieving it on a goat with a large wooden spoon, and ending with marriage for both sisters, the unruly Tatterhood having turned into a beautiful maiden.
The version I share an emotional attachment to is from my childhood and has been adopted by Robin Muller, which is fully licensed. However, there have been many people who have written versions of Tatterhood which can be found online in easy to access sources such as Wikipedia, or other published works such as “Popular Tales from Norse Mythology” by George Dasent. We do not wish to reference a specific version, believing that the author isn’t as important as the story itself (particulars such as the suitors at the end of the tale being a King and his son, or two princely brothers, does not matter).
Project Description
-Concept
By not incorporating a specific version of Tatterhood we wish to explore the roots of the story, bringing it to life in a way that reflects the culture and the origins of the story. We believe Tatterhood to be a Nordic Folklore, likely recorded in the 1600’s, and as such wish to convey an amount of ancient mysticism to the trailer. We will be using trolls instead of witches, and make any backgrounds to appear as large, daunting, and terrifying as the world would have seemed then.
-Visual Approach
As the media in which the story is told has transferred from way of mouth, to written, printed and digital text we too wish to incorporate a mix of mediums in the telling of Tatterhood. We will be incorporating paper into the animation itself by creating the characters, sets and props within an earthly set moving world of stop-motion art, and then we’ll layer the project in magic by using the live-trace effect with After Effects, revealing details of the trailer in an ink-like substance.
-Framework
The trailer is a minute in length, which will include opening credits, closing credits, and the information between that helps the viewer understand the trailer, as well as the animation itself. With three animators onboard the work has been divided into three 15 seconds of work that each member will be responsible for, though collaboration in lighting, character and set creation will occur as a team and shooting will require teamwork as well.
Workflow Sheet
Book Selected:
Tatterhood
Approximate Length:
60 seconds
Approach:
Combining paper stop-motion & Live-Trace AFX
Project Summary:
A book trailer about the Nordic Folklore Tatterhood
Visual Elements:
Words that flow across the screen, paper stop-motion, Live-Trace AFX
Aural Elements:
Basic SFX to events that occur in the video, and a spoken quote from the story via the character
Aspect Ratio, image size and pixel aspect:
16:9 | 1920x1080 | squared
Non-linear Editing Software:
Primiere
Effects Software:
After Effects
Sound Design Software:
Cubase
Other Software/Hardware requirements (i.e. Photoshop, cameras, light box, microphones etc):
Research/Anticipated problem areas:
Photoshop, light kit, tripod, Canon 7D (17-55 2.8 IS II), paper, markers, Rode NT
Output:
.mov 1920x1080
Exercise 3 (Rough Cut)
This is one part of my first animation assignment. I try to use the 3D effect in this part of animation, its my first time to attempt the 3D effect. The 3D effect is looks very cool, it not only give a special and magical visual effect, but also really make the flying words in a mess, which is what want for theme of this part of animation.
Also, for this part of animation, I tried to combine many different element as one element. Since, there were lots of flying words in this animation, its would be extremely hard to edit them one by one, and made they all move in a same direction at the same time. Therefore, I tried to find a way to figure out this problem, that was put all the layer combine as one layer. I edited a tine movement and scale changing in a small space of the frame for each word. Then, I just find a way that combine all the words together as a sigle layer, and then, edited the animation for this layer to make it in a ideal way.
The animation is not very smooth there, me and my group-mates have no idea about why and try to fix it but can not do anything for it at the first. A while later, however, we figure out that the incorrect setting of the animation is the reason for this issue. We try to test different setting format and explore them and see what happen. After, the couple of time, we finally get the smooth animation.
Also, for this part of animation, I tried to combine many different element as one element. Since, there were lots of flying words in this animation, its would be extremely hard to edit them one by one, and made they all move in a same direction at the same time. Therefore, I tried to find a way to figure out this problem, that was put all the layer combine as one layer. I edited a tine movement and scale changing in a small space of the frame for each word. Then, I just find a way that combine all the words together as a sigle layer, and then, edited the animation for this layer to make it in a ideal way.
The animation is not very smooth there, me and my group-mates have no idea about why and try to fix it but can not do anything for it at the first. A while later, however, we figure out that the incorrect setting of the animation is the reason for this issue. We try to test different setting format and explore them and see what happen. After, the couple of time, we finally get the smooth animation.
Assignment 1 "What I See"
Rational
Our video follows a Chinese high school student, Suki Bai, as we wished to explore the experience and relationship of an individual who has newly made Canada their home. In order to incorporate her experience as more universal we utilized silhouettes with many wide-angle and establishing shots. Still, her young voice and hesitant English draws the viewer to her experiences and her opinions.
As Suki is exploring the clashes and blending of two cultures, we explored combining craft and vector art to tell her story. We felt aesthetically that Flash backgrounds would be flat and unappealing and that the program should be used primarily for animating the identical silhouettes frame-by-frame, and After Effects to be used for effects. The raster images were compiled in Photoshop and consisted of scanned papers and textures used to pull the viewer into a world that is factual to Suki, but fantastical to many Canadians. With this in mind we chose vivid but unrealistic colours to brighten her perspective.
We wished to incorporate an upbeat but repetitive (not distracting) soundtrack for the background audio, but also one that could be incorporated with the separate animation sequences at the beginning and end of the interview, one that could tie everything together. The opening sequence hints at the video to come and creatively provides a place to introduce the art and title prior to the interview, and the ending sequence incorporates a new twist on a previous scene.
Formally we explored the immigration experience in Canada as observed by Suki Bai; aesthetically we combined mediums (non-digital to digital, raster and vector, colours and black & white, 2-D and flat); and technically we utilized a wide range of equipment and programs such as Canon Rebel ti, scanner, T4N Handheld recorder, Photoshop, Flash, Premiere, and After Effects.
Our video follows a Chinese high school student, Suki Bai, as we wished to explore the experience and relationship of an individual who has newly made Canada their home. In order to incorporate her experience as more universal we utilized silhouettes with many wide-angle and establishing shots. Still, her young voice and hesitant English draws the viewer to her experiences and her opinions.
As Suki is exploring the clashes and blending of two cultures, we explored combining craft and vector art to tell her story. We felt aesthetically that Flash backgrounds would be flat and unappealing and that the program should be used primarily for animating the identical silhouettes frame-by-frame, and After Effects to be used for effects. The raster images were compiled in Photoshop and consisted of scanned papers and textures used to pull the viewer into a world that is factual to Suki, but fantastical to many Canadians. With this in mind we chose vivid but unrealistic colours to brighten her perspective.
We wished to incorporate an upbeat but repetitive (not distracting) soundtrack for the background audio, but also one that could be incorporated with the separate animation sequences at the beginning and end of the interview, one that could tie everything together. The opening sequence hints at the video to come and creatively provides a place to introduce the art and title prior to the interview, and the ending sequence incorporates a new twist on a previous scene.
Formally we explored the immigration experience in Canada as observed by Suki Bai; aesthetically we combined mediums (non-digital to digital, raster and vector, colours and black & white, 2-D and flat); and technically we utilized a wide range of equipment and programs such as Canon Rebel ti, scanner, T4N Handheld recorder, Photoshop, Flash, Premiere, and After Effects.
Video
Tatterhood (A BOOK TRAILER)
SCENE ONE
A head ghosts over a black screen, swinging like the ticking of a clock, leaving disjointed shadows of
itself in the motion, long hair twists in the air.
SFX
The sound of a grandfather clock.
SCENE TWO
The feet of tatterhood (left) and her sister (right). A slow pan up. Their cloaks are billowing in the wind,
Tatterhood’s cloak is blue and tattered, her sisters’ cloak is purple and pristine.
SFX
tick
Pan up. You can see the hem of Tatterhood’s shorts, and her sisters’ skirt. Tatterhoods clothes are warn
and dirty, her sisters’ are pristine. Cloaks billow in the wind.
SFX
tock
Pan up. You see the girls have their hands up as if touching the other is like touching a mirror. The pan
stops at their chins. You can see that Tatterhood has dirty red hair in tangles, her sister combed blonde
locks in contained elastics.
SFX
tick
Zoom in to their touching palms. Tatterhood’s palm is scratched and dirty. Her nails are short. Her
sisters’ are clean with well-kept nails.
SFX
tock
SCENE THREE
Close-up of the sisters’ face, her eyes are wide. Gnarled hands (belonging to ogres, clearly not human)
come into the frame, covering her eyes and clutching around her head.
The images turn to silhouettes and the ogres lift the sisters’ head from her neck.
SFX
POP
The screen goes black.
SCENE FOUR
The head from the first frame repeats with the slow motion.
SFX
The sound of a grandfather clock.
SCENE FIVE
The background fades into focus, the sisters’ head is swinging within a tower.
SFX
The sound of a grandfather clock.
Zoom out, ogre’s are crawling on the tower.
SCENE SIX
Pan up. Tatterhood’s feet astride an animal.
Pan up. Tatterhood is mounted on a goat, her hand clenched around a large wooden spoon.
Pan up. Close up on her face, her mouth.
TATTERHOOD
(whisper)
As you see me…
She raises the spoon like a sword. The screen goes black.
TATTERHOOD (CONT)
(whisper)
…So I am.
SCENE SEVEN
Text of the book title artistically and slowly revelas itself.
TEXT
TATTERHOOD
SFX
The sound of a grandfather clock.
SCENE EIGHT
The head swings (from the first scene), and is caught by Tatterhood’s dirty hand which cusps the sisters’
cheek.
SFX
The sound of a grandfather clock.
As the head and hand connect the eyes open and bore straight into the viewer.
Cut to black.
SCENE NINE:
Credits.
TEXT
By Nicole Wilk, Ying Shan, & Roshanth Nadesapillai
Exercise 4 (Rough Cut)
This was the rough cut of a book trailer of Tatterhood. I was working on the animation part of our project. For the hands part, I used easy ease to smooth the movement. The easy ease also delayed and accelerated the movement. That was really good, because those were ideal effect that extruded the theme of the Tatterhood.
Moreover, for the hands part, i tried to use the shadow effect to make the frame three-dimensional, and more vividly. Since the hand was too flat, animation of the hands was monotonous and weak. Therefore, I found the shadow effect in the after effect. it was a very useful effect for this part of animation. After, I put the effect in the animation, the feeling of the animation became much stronger.
Finally, I tried to add a color contrast in the animation when the frame zoom in to the head of the girl. It gave a pretty strong visual effect to the audience in order to emphasize the theme of the animation.
Moreover, for the hands part, i tried to use the shadow effect to make the frame three-dimensional, and more vividly. Since the hand was too flat, animation of the hands was monotonous and weak. Therefore, I found the shadow effect in the after effect. it was a very useful effect for this part of animation. After, I put the effect in the animation, the feeling of the animation became much stronger.
Finally, I tried to add a color contrast in the animation when the frame zoom in to the head of the girl. It gave a pretty strong visual effect to the audience in order to emphasize the theme of the animation.