My Animation so far

Process and Equipment set up

The process i'm using to create my animation is called Rotoscoping. It involves drawing over individual frames of video footage to produce a very unique style of animations. Find out more about Rotoscoping on my blog post here.

I start by taking the footage itself in various locations, ensuring there was adequate light and taking composition into account. I then open Photoshop and use the 'Convert video frames to layers' command to open the video as individual layers (making sure to limit the frames of course).

Then begins the lengthy but rewarding process of tracing the resulting images using the Wacom Bamboo tablet. A tool which, given time, becomes very intuitive to use.

Once traced, the layers are exported as JPG image files and imported into Premiere, where i sequence them and keyframe in opacity and motion. As well as adding the soundtrack and ambience. 

This is generally what my workstation looks like. 

Incl. Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet and Adobe Photoshop software.

Pitch

Trace - Storyboards

Trace - Animation Treatment

Trace - Rotoscoping demo

I used a short clip of movement i filmed to demonstrate how rotoscoping has the ability to capture motion whilst remaining a very minimal medium

Initial Planning

Form:
My animation will be a short - a story that concludes in the allocated 2 minutes, rather than an episode from a series or an advert etc.

Animation Type:
I've chosen to do Rotoscoping for my animation - I find it a very enjoyable animation type to produce, mainly due to it's simple nature. My story is strongly themed on movement, so rotoscoping is perfect for  accurately conveying it. Using footage i will shoot myself i will trace frames to create something with a real sense of motion.

Genre / Style:
My animation is something of a drama, with perhaps a twist of a fantasy element. The story is hinged on the themes of fear and self belief, so it has a serious tone. Though the setting and aesthetic of the animation itself will have a fantasy feel.

Story:
My animation will be a more feasible / achievable version of my dream animation entitled 'Trace".
The story of 'Trace' touches on the themes of fear, disability and self belief. It revolves around the protagonist, Miles, a boy born blind and orphaned. He grows up in his Foster - mother's home in New London - an alternative London, where the population has increased and many areas have become severely run down. The streets are busy, and Miles prefers the solitude of his room - high up in a terrace where he reads braille. In his melancholy isolation Miles has become a recluse, feeling unable to integrate into society.
One evening when miles stands at the window, everything changes when he discovers what has been sitting right above him all along. A vast roofscape, full of different textures and sounds,  a sensory cornucopia for visually deprived Miles. He discovers movement and soon realises you don't need to be able to see to run.

Flash Jump Animation

This animated gif was made using Flash. We manipulated the assets provided in frames, by keyframing. 

Onion skin is a useful tool that allows you to see through objects and symbols like the layers of an onion.

Budget research

My Animation in Current Trends

I feel as though Trace would fit in well to the current marketplace. It has the necessary ingredients to make a cult classic animation short. The intended high budget CGI animation allows for infinite possibilities when it comes to visual effects, and with some darker themes and dystopian atmosphere i believe it could give animation a foothold in the young adult market. (Somewhere that animation isn't so prevalent.)

Trace would deliver with some of the edgiest trends, especially parkour. Parkour is very much in it's infancy, and has sky rocketed in popularity due to it's seemingly 'dangerous' image. In the animation i would highlight Parkour as a beneficial pursuit with positive effects for the protagonist, and avoid as much as possible the exacerbation of any negative misconceptions

With the internet playing an increasingly large role in the digestion of media i think a platform like Vimeo or Youtube is where this animation belongs. It would provide quick and easy access to the piece, as well as the ability to share and distribute it through the likes of social media, where it would be bound to build an audience.

Trace - Target Audience

Name: James

Age: 18

Average Day: James begins his day with his commute to college via train. After doing his lessons for the day he heads to the local climbing wall to train. When he gets home he eats and showers before completing homework and gaming. He listens to music at intervals throughout the day.

Hobbies and Interests: James has been practising the increasingly popular discipline of parkour for around a year now after hearing about it in college. He naturally warms to it due to his climbing background. In his spare time he also plays piano.

Spending Power: James has a part time job at a local sports centre, he doesn't earn much, but what he does earn is entirely expendable as he lives with his parents.

Typical Daily Media Consumption: In a typical day James will listen to around half an hour of music, particularly during travel. He will also game through Steam for about an hour. In college he may also read a magazine during lunch. At home James will catch up with his social media, and read news articles online.

Trace will appeal to James because he shares an interest in the themes of parkour and climbing. He will enjoy the style of animation because it includes themes from popular games that he plays.

Trace - Legal and Ethical Issues

Representation and Ethics in Cartoons

The writer of the article has spotted some things which he deems to be problematic with Rio 2.
He notices that the lead characters are voiced by white american people, and that characters who are indigenous to the setting of Brazil are voiced by Latin actors / actresses. In addition the "singing dancing, comic relief sidekicks" are mainly voiced by african-americans like Jamie Foxx and will.i.am.

With regard to stereotypes in animation, PEP means 'Problem context', 'Entertainment context' and 'Performance context'. Dr Charles Da Costa is a british lecturer who uses these in his lectures.
He says that within animation, black people typically "strive to pacify, make others happy and be exceptional or extraordinary." He goes on to state that "Villainy, exoticism, jocularity and athleticism are common indicators of this malaise".

Da Costa believes that one of the reasons we end up with stereotypes in animation might be because "Decisions on character and performance must be made quickly in order for design and production processes to commence and advance." He goes on to mention that "representations of ethnicity and epidermal type, family animation often finds itself in a bind.

Trace - Budget

Voice Talent

Character: Miles

Personality: Calm, Sensitive, Wise

Voice required: Soft, and solemn, but can be loud.

Ultimate choice: Freddie Highmore (Age 14)

Freddie is a talented young English Actor. He has an english accent which is correct for the setting, though he is also capable of others. He has starred in many successful films including the lead roles in August Rush, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He was admired for his exceptional performances throughout his childhood and adolescence and would create the perfect voice for Miles.

Shape Doodle Sheet

Current trends in Animation

Trends for Feature films

Sequels

Franchises

Computer Generated Imagery

Blockbuster Companies - pixar, dream works etc.

Star voice actors 

Family adventures

TV series'

The Simpsons

Family guy

South park

American dad

Adventure Time

Ed, Edd and Eddy

Trends for TV series'

Episodes are typically lead by characters, after each episode characters don't tend to develop much or at all.

They are abstract and unpredictable mostly containing 2D characters that complete an objective or goal in one episode. Occasionally with a cliffhanger for the next episode. Alongside these singular episodes there are long running plots that follow the whole series. 

All of the above are mainly aimed at children, teens and young adults.

Web series'

ASDF Movies

Charlie the unicorn

Happy Tree Friends

trends for web series

short

often Edgy and Offensive or controversial.

teenage audience

Trace - Story

Trace - an Animation Short

Synopsis -

The story of 'Trace' touches on the themes of fear, disability and self belief. It revolves around the protagonist, Miles, a boy born blind and orphaned. He grows up in his Foster - mother's home in New London - an alternative London, where the population has increased and many areas have become severely run down. The streets are busy, and Miles prefers the solitude of his room - high up in a terrace where he reads braille. In his melancholy isolation Miles has become a recluse, feeling unable to integrate into society.
-
One evening, Miles put down his book and stood at the window. He felt as though a cold sadness has filled him to the brim. Overwhelmed, he pushed against the pane, and to his surprise it gently swung open. A cool, inviting breeze rolled over him, and an unexplainable urge beckoned him out on to the sill.
In the pale moonlight Miles contemplated his worth. As he pondered, a serene feeling of calmness fell over him - 'is this a natural reaction?' he wonders. Up until this point Miles had been gazing where he guessed his feet would be, now he noticed his hands - grasping the edge of the roof above. The texture of the brick was strangely inviting. An unexpected choice presented itself, what he hadn't come here to fall after all? What if this wasn't the end?
With all the might and conviction he could muster, he turned away from the drop and pulled himself up and over onto the rooftop. As he stood up an alien but oddly familiar warmth returned to his body, from his head right through his fingertips and down to the soles of his feet. He was immediately struck by the  immense, grotesque beauty at his fingertips - a vast array of rooftops shoulder to shoulder, all different colours, textures and of varying states of decay. Enormous tile hills sprawled in every direction separated by plateaus of flat roofs dotted with TV aerials and air vents. All of it was softly lit by the moon, brighter now through parted clouds.
Miles began to feel his way through the labyrinth of the rooftops. Brick by brick the shapes began to make sense, he felt the structures beneath his feet - solid and unyielding. He could hear the breeze rolling around him, moving through the towering concrete jungle.

So he followed it.

Faster he stepped, faster and lighter until the obstacles in his path shone with a brilliant glow as he moved over and around them. He laughed, for he knew he couldn't see them. Could he?

Miles final character design

Final Design and Character Profile

Character Expressions

Standard grimace -

 Shock / Surprise - 

Smile / Happy -

Regulatory Bodies - BBFC

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent body which classifies films with age ratings according to their content.
It was formed in 1912 as 'The British Board of Film Censors' by various people in the film industry, who wanted to manage their own censorship, rather than the government. Their main office is located in Soho, London. They are a non-profit organisation, and fees are for covering costs only and in order to maintain it's independence, the BBFC is never supported by any parties from the film industry or the government.

When presented with a film, at least  two examiners must classify it with the published guidelines, this decision is then verified by a senior member. On occasion, the examiners may fail to come to an agreement, in this case more members of the board (and sometimes even the director and / or president) will decide.

It should be noted, however, that the BBFC doesn't technically have any legal power, the responsibility falls to local councils to decide who is suitable to view, though this minor technicality rarely affects the ratings issued, rendering it 'pretty-much' legally binding.

Various certificates are used by the BBFC to classify films - 

The 'U' rating stands for 'Universal', or 'Suitable for all'. Films under this classification may have infrequent use of very mild bad language and references to sexual behaviour, though the focus of the film would never be on these things. Any threat, danger or mild violence is resolved quickly and reassuringly.

'PG' stands for Parental Guidance. These films can include mild bad language and mild violence, though it should not contain any themes considered inappropriate for a child of 8 or over. An effort is made not to condone or encourage any questionable behaviour at this classification (eg. bullying, using weapons)

12 and 12A use the same standards for classification, though accompanied viewing can not be enforced in peoples homes, so the 12A classification exists only in cinemas. Where it does apply, it requires an adult to accompany any child under the age of twelve in the theatre. The 'f' word is passed at this rating, depending on the manner and frequency it is used. Moderate violence and sex references are allowed, but not in any degree of detail.

A 15 is a benchmark in the rating system as it permits the depiction of the following things

- Strong violence

- Frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***').

- Portrayals of sexual activity

- Strong verbal references to sex

- Sexual nudity

- Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence

- Discriminatory language or behaviour

- Drug taking

The importance of the 18 rating is that, under it, no themes are prohibited. In addition, there is no limit to the amount of strong language that can be used. 

Drafting Miles, before digitisation

Action / Model Sheets

Character Summary and Influences

Keywords:

Personality - 

Calm, Quiet, Thoughtful, Inquisitive, Melancholy,

Visual - 

Smart, Clean, Small, Weak, Thin, Baggy clothing - too big for body shape.

I like the clean elements of Faith's visual styling, i want to incorporate some of this in 

I really like Altair's hooded image, this could play

a part in Miles' story.

The character of August Rush (Evan Taylor) played by Freddie Highmore, is about the size and shape of the character i have in mind for Miles.

I need to communicate Miles' blindness. Eli is an inspiring blind character who doesn't let his disability stop him in his quest.

The eyes will be a vital part of conveying Miles' blindness. Cassandra Craft from DC Comics has very plain grey eyes.

Design and Target Audience

Turtles.

The design and look of these cartoon turtles varies by their animation type and intended demographic.

Octonauts

This turtle is generally round and soft, featuring plain colour and design he is a simple character.

Octonauts is aimed at young children so this character is definitely appropriate, they can easily understand what this turtle is.

Pokemon

Squirtle is a turtle from the Pokemon franchise, he is more detailed than the Octonaut, and has a distinctly anime style with his cute eyes. The target audience would be from roughly 10 or over so it fits with regard to the increase in detail from the last one.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

These turtles are what they say on the tin - teenage. Far more complex, tall and full of attitude they are pitched at young male teens. Mild violence is the name of the game here.

Adventure Time

Quirky but unusually simple, this turtle uses different earthy colours. It's appropriately targeted at young teens due to it's odd and funny aesthetic. 

Idea Feedback / Selection

After sharing ideas and receiving feedback from the group, it became apparent that 'Trace' was the most appealing.

It was regarded as the most original of the three, and after some excellent suggestions from Chris, i have a go idea where to go with it! 

My childrens TV Series - 'Glom in Orbit' received decent feedback but isn't very original.

Shogun Down was relatively popular in the group due to it's potential for nice visuals and character development. Although it's wouldn't be easy to make.

The Idea i'm choosing is Trace.

Character design sheets

Ideas and Themes

Animation Flowchart

Animation Processes

The creation of DOT;

Using a Nokia mobile phone and a microscope to magnify the camera. 9mm Dot has 50 replacements and is stuck to a wire so she is able to be changed at every new position with ease. As the style of animation was stop motion, for every frame they would move the phone along and change the model of Dot to get the illusion of running. They designed the model of Dot on sheets of paper, then using a 3D printer, they printed every position of Dot they needed, which the 3D modeller creates. The 3D model is then attached to thin wire and then painted. They created a background, laid out across a table, the camera is mounted above the set which moves below the camera. They use After Effects software to digitally remove any hands or wire.

Making of South Park;

Firstly they start with a script, they then turn each action of the character into a visual image, for each character they design they create a turn around which is the side, front and back image of the character. To enable different poses for the characters they create a puppet for each so they are able to move limbs and facial features instead of drawing out every expression. The newly created characters are then sent to a lip sync apartment, who bring in the audio and lip sync the characters. This is then followed on by the process of the animation where an animatic is created with audio.

Making of Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig is a 2D hand drawn kids animation, Phil Davis the animator attended an animation course at Middlesex University along with other creators. He eventually took over and began teaching others about animation. He created some of the animation used in Peppa Pig today which he took to a company to pitch his ideas which they liked and wanted to take further action and create a kids animation programme. It started off with a 3 minute script and storyboard which they pitched to a broadcaster. The original Peppa Pig looked a lot more like George at the time because of size. They decided to include a family along with Peppa because at the time there wasn't a huge range of animations showing family life for families with young children. They decided on a family of four; Peppa, George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. They used a computer called 'The Quantel Paintbox' which was a dedicated computer graphics workstation.

Characters and Shapes

Mike Wazowski: Fun friendly, round

Sully: Strong dependable, rectangular

Randal: devious and evil, Triangular

Mario: Fun round friendly        Wreck-it Ralph: strong dependable     Don Paolo: Angular devious.

Spongebob: rectangular, dependable, reliable

Pikachu: Round friendly playful.

Jafar: angular, mean evil, triangle based

This is a breakdown of some basic character shapes

Character Design

Character design is the combination of physical traits and narrative.

The narrative or storyline defines personality, gives context (genre, location setting) and therefore has to feed into the look and design of the character.

The face is the primary channel through which characters express emotion, this is why many animated characters have large heads.

Also, much can be communicated through posture and body language, this allows for personality traits to be identifiable in silhouette form.

Solarski states that how a character carries their physical weight can tell us about their personality, which body part they lead with is important -
Heroes generally lead with their chest

Lazy or more relaxed characters often lead with their pelvis / lower half

Intelligent characters might lead with their head

and subservient ones, their knees.


Cuddy:
Power and dominance revolves around expanding and taking up space, conversely, weakness becomes smaller.