MAGIC PAINTBRUSH ANIMATION
RESEARCH
Before I create an animation, it is best for me to do research on different types of animation, so that I understand more about the type of animation I am using and other types of animation that I may use in the future. There are three main types of animation which I am going to look into.
Traditional Animation
Traditional animations begin with paper drawings of what you want to animate. Each drawing is a frame, so to create the illusion of movement, each drawing must differ slightly from the frame before.
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| Each drawing is a frame that will make the character look like they are laughing. |
Once the drawings are complete, they are traced onto cels (transparent sheets of film material). One the tracing is done, the animator adds colour and then photographs each cel against a painted background.
Stop-Motion Animation
Stop-motion animation uses a similar process to traditional animation, but instead of animating drawings, you animate real world objects. This is done by creating your object (animators commonly use clay, cutouts or silhouettes), and then physically manipulating the object. while manipulating the object, the animator takes photographs to create the illusion of movement.
Stop-Motion Animation
Stop-motion animation uses a similar process to traditional animation, but instead of animating drawings, you animate real world objects. This is done by creating your object (animators commonly use clay, cutouts or silhouettes), and then physically manipulating the object. while manipulating the object, the animator takes photographs to create the illusion of movement.
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| A scene from the film ParaNorman. It was produced using clay animation. |
Computer animation
Computer animation is the modern type of animation, it uses computer software to create animation digitally on a computer. There are two types of computer animation, 2D and 3D. In 2D animations, figures, objects and sets are created and edited using 2D bitmap graphics applications (e.g. adobe flash).
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| A character walk cycle being animated in flash. |
In 3D animation, animators create models using 3D modelling software (e.g. CorelDraw). The model is then given an armature (bones/sculpture) so that the model can be realistically manipulated. A wide range of variable may be added, such as gravity, simulated hair and other effects.
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| 3D modelling software being used to animate the character walk cycle. |
MAGIC PAINTBRUSH STORYBOARD
For my UNIT 53 I have decided to create an animation of a Chinese folk tale called the Magic Paintbrush. It is about a young man called Ma Liang who loves to draw. He wakes up one day and finds a magic paintbrush that creates what ever he draws. He goes around helping people in need, and defeats an evil man who tries to use the paintbrush for his own selfish needs (full story).
When creating anything, it is always best to plan it out before you make your project, so that you know what you are doing and are more efficient when it comes to making. When creating films or animations, it is best to plan using a storyboard. Storyboards are great for planning as they give a visual representation of what the creator wants each scene to look like, they also give descriptions of the camera angles, sounds and what is happening in a scene.
On the first page of my storyboard, Ma Liang has a dream where he sees the magic paintbrush and wakes up to find it there. He then goes on to start helping people with the paint brush. I decided when I started the storyboard that I wont show Ma Liangs full face. Whenever he is in a scene, I will either use extreme close ups, so you cant see all of his face, or I will use over the shoulder shots. I also I use some extreme long shots to show the effects that Ma Liangs magic has on a landscape.
On the second page of my storyboard, Ma Liang helps one more person. His magic paintbrush attracts the attention of the Bad Guy, who orders his thugs to kidnap Ma Liang. Once again on this page I only show Ma Liang from behind, so I will use over the shoulder shots when he is in a scene. Alternatively, scenes with the Bad Guy will all be one shots, this is to show that he is a main character, and so that viewers will focus on his evilness. I also decided to represent the Bad Guys thugs in coats and trilbies, this is because I wanted to make it look like they are part of a mafia.
On the last page of my storyboard, the Bad Guy tries to use the magic paintbrush and it backfires. He then forces Ma Liang to make him a mountain of gold. Before he makes the mountain, Ma Liang creates an ocean between them and the gold mountain, so when the Bad Guy sets sail, Ma Liang uses the paintbrush to sink the Bad Guys boat. The main shot that I use on this page is the extreme long shot. This is because I needed a shot with a large enough scale that could show an ocean, a mountain and the characters. I will also use the medium shot to show the Bad Guy failing to use the magic paintbrush.
Peer Evaluation
What I learned from my peer evaluation is that I have to finish my animation. I then have to research and add some sounds and also research how to use masks in flash.
I received some good comments evaluating my animation from my presentation. The comments that I got were:
Graphically strong
Great use of effects such as blurring and other animation techniques
Colours used very effectively
Graphic elements and style work really effectively.
Better time management would have produced a much better outcome.
Good tree.
No sound
Art style worth developing
Obviously the biggest problems with my animation was the fact that I didn't finish the animation and because of that I didn't add any sound. I also wish that I had more time to improve transitions beween scenes and some of the animations that I wasn't happy with. If I had the chance to do this again, I would defiantly use my time better to finish the animation and add sounds, I also would have left some time to polish the finished animation.
However, due to the feed back I got from my presentation I know that the art style that I used was popular and that I used effects such as blurring well. So hopefully I can develop the art style I used for future animations to make it even more effective. I could also learn how to use different types of effects to make my future animations interesting and diverse.
On the last page of my storyboard, the Bad Guy tries to use the magic paintbrush and it backfires. He then forces Ma Liang to make him a mountain of gold. Before he makes the mountain, Ma Liang creates an ocean between them and the gold mountain, so when the Bad Guy sets sail, Ma Liang uses the paintbrush to sink the Bad Guys boat. The main shot that I use on this page is the extreme long shot. This is because I needed a shot with a large enough scale that could show an ocean, a mountain and the characters. I will also use the medium shot to show the Bad Guy failing to use the magic paintbrush.ANIMATION
To complete Unit 53, I have to create an animation of my magic paintbrush storyboard in adobe flash. As I don't have much experience with this software, I started of by practicing using different tweens. I created animations that used motion and shape tweens. I also used the bone tool to make a basic leg.
After I made the tweens, I started to produce a walk cycle using a blank character from a Preston Blair walk cycle sheet. The walk cycle that I chose was just a normal one, but I might try animating a more interesting one later on.
To make the walk cycle in flash, I first traced each of the frames from the picture above in adobe illustrator. I then exported the tracings into the flash library and added them to my animation. I made each one of the tracings a keyframe and put them each two frames apart.
After I finished my blank walk cycle I started to develop some of the characters from my Magic Paintbrush so that I put them into walk cycles. As I decided that I am not going to show the face of Ma Liang in my animation, I started to develop the Bad Man character instead.
I already had a good idea of what the Bad Man was going to look like before I started drawing him. He was going to be an old man, with bulging eyes and a big moustache. In my first drawing I decided that he would have a hunch back due to his age. But I decided after that he would stand straight because it made him look less frail and more cold. I also did a drawing of his head side on. I added a monocle to him but I don't think that I will keep it as it will make it harder to animate him.
After I finished the character development for the Bad Man, I made a Ma Liang walk cycle with footstep sounds. Although I am not going to show his face, I am basing Ma Liang around a character called Mugen from an anime series, Samurai Champloo. For some reason, when ever I try to visualise Ma Liang, I think of mugen, which is why I decided to base Ma Liang on him.
The first thing that I had to do was draw up all of the frames that I would need for the walk cycle. I based the frames on the Preston Blair walk cycle that I used for my blank walk cycle. I did it in illustrator as the pen tool make drawing easier because you can edit the lines you draw.
After I finished drawing the Ma Liang frames, I exported them individually into the library of my first walk cycle animation. I then made another layer and lined up the Ma Liangs with the black characters in each of the key frames. I then deleted the blank character layer and added a walking sound that I downloaded from freesound and edited in audacity.
WALK CYCLES
After I made the tweens, I started to produce a walk cycle using a blank character from a Preston Blair walk cycle sheet. The walk cycle that I chose was just a normal one, but I might try animating a more interesting one later on.
.png) |
| The frames from the walk cycle that I animated. |
After I finished my blank walk cycle I started to develop some of the characters from my Magic Paintbrush so that I put them into walk cycles. As I decided that I am not going to show the face of Ma Liang in my animation, I started to develop the Bad Man character instead.
After I finished the character development for the Bad Man, I made a Ma Liang walk cycle with footstep sounds. Although I am not going to show his face, I am basing Ma Liang around a character called Mugen from an anime series, Samurai Champloo. For some reason, when ever I try to visualise Ma Liang, I think of mugen, which is why I decided to base Ma Liang on him.
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| Mugen. The character that I am basing Ma Liang from. |
After I finished drawing the Ma Liang frames, I exported them individually into the library of my first walk cycle animation. I then made another layer and lined up the Ma Liangs with the black characters in each of the key frames. I then deleted the blank character layer and added a walking sound that I downloaded from freesound and edited in audacity.
FINAL ANIMATION
Peer Evaluation
What I learned from my peer evaluation is that I have to finish my animation. I then have to research and add some sounds and also research how to use masks in flash.
I received some good comments evaluating my animation from my presentation. The comments that I got were:
Graphically strong
Great use of effects such as blurring and other animation techniques
Colours used very effectively
Graphic elements and style work really effectively.
Better time management would have produced a much better outcome.
Good tree.
No sound
Art style worth developing
Obviously the biggest problems with my animation was the fact that I didn't finish the animation and because of that I didn't add any sound. I also wish that I had more time to improve transitions beween scenes and some of the animations that I wasn't happy with. If I had the chance to do this again, I would defiantly use my time better to finish the animation and add sounds, I also would have left some time to polish the finished animation.
However, due to the feed back I got from my presentation I know that the art style that I used was popular and that I used effects such as blurring well. So hopefully I can develop the art style I used for future animations to make it even more effective. I could also learn how to use different types of effects to make my future animations interesting and diverse.
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