Category: VCD302

blog post 6 | vcd302

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project outcomes

Through creating “54th Street”, I’ve made major improvements to my graphic design toolbelt. Learning to cell animate has been one of the most challenging techniques, so much so that in my final project there is only a five-second sequence of cell animation, instead opting to use a puppeting and parenting technique to bring my illustrations to life. I’m proud of the work i’ve done with secondary camera motion in my design, and the way in flows with the primary motion of the character on screen because I knew that it would require carefully obsrving the relationship between the two and the way the primary and secondary motion complimented eachother.

The aesthetic I saw in my head, and made through my researching and prototyping stage was exactly how the end product turned out. In the end I feel I did meet my own brief I set for myself, and I’m extremely proud of what I was able to pull off through my own selfdoubting.

The particular sequence above where the camera zoom’s into the hallway, and follows the hallway gallery is something im particularly proud of the outcome. the way the painting flicker and at the end the light comes through the window to project the “shadows” of truth. I picked up this techniuqe by looking at Disney’s multiplane camera technique with the water colour backgrounds and inked character drawings. Another technique I implimented other than the many camera zooms – was the 3D tool. The tool in AE (similar to that which I used in task 1) allowed me to swing the door open into Evelyn Porter’s apartment. My original idea was to do many apartment doors and show those characters rooms, but I felt it might take away from my point of only showing select characters.

Three critical moment in my designing and animating would be:

  • Trying to create everything through cell animation. It was a big task, and I could have pulled it off if I set even more hours into the project, but I knew with my workload I would be overwhelmed. Switching to that puppeting/parenting technique really helped the work flow to continue moving, also drawing the limbs on seperate layers mader it easier to illustrate as well as animate.It also allowed me to do more with the characters and more with After Effects.
  • Trying to create a 3D rendered model of the house. I really invisioned a panning effect of the building so it would look like a camera was coming from the top of the building to a street view of the building. I tried to do it (picture by picture) but the building just didnt look right. And I tried to do it with the 3D effect in AE which I thought might give it a “pop-up book” effect, but it just didn’t work. So in the end I had to scrap the hours of tinkering and just stick with my flat building exterior, which isn’t awful, I just wish I could’ve master the technique to include it in the project.
  • The interior transitions. In the beginning story boarding I knew I wanted certain rooms shown in the sequence. I wanted the inside to show the contrast without the outside imagery of the ‘ghosts’ in the windows. As mentioned above other than the zooms into different feature of the hallway to the room, I wanted to be able to do this for several characters, but then the brief I set myself was an intro, and it was becoming too long to be considered an intro for a television program.

The next project I would set for myself would be the “season two” intro, with more character, more story to tell in a short amount of time, and maybe even a glimpse into the street rather than this one building. I started this project, out of an interest for architecture, so if i could expand on that and use the same technique as what I did with the hallway, I would love to expand on this universe. I really would love to master that 3D technique, which isnt even 3D animation, just the allusion of the building being three-dimentional. I would love to create another sequence combinion these two ideas, and using the parenting technique again, this time paying even more attention to whether I’m animating on the 2’s or 1’s for the animation to be seamless. Or using a mixed method like in the film “Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse”, would be really interesting to learn and delve into.

REFERENCES:
– Author NA. Year NA. Walt Disney: Animation Pioneer. National Inventors Hall of Fame. https://www.invent.org/blog/inventors/walt-disney-multiplane-camera
– Jan Cloud. 2017. How to draw 3D building in Adobe Illustrator step by step. [Online Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zzejjcMftk
– Krasner, J 2013, Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Routledge, Oxford. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central

blog post 5 | vcd302

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

In this stage of my project I’ve been looking at more opening seuqneces and cartoon sequences to inspire me with moving ahead with my project. I know more of less I will be using the secondary camera to can over my building, and ill have two character appear in the exterior. What I’m unsure of is how to nail the transition between the exterior and interior.

Research

In the weeks prior I had been looking at different TV show intro’s and how they simplify a story to a minute or less to introduce a show. That’s something I have to be careful of in my making

I watched some opening that immediately came to mind when I thought about exterior to interior. I think I stick with a black background, even if my illustration hav black-outlines. That way I wont have to create backgrounds for ever scene. As well I think it plays more into the “spooky” and haunted theme of it all.

The purpose of the brief I’ve given myself in a title sequence is to set the tone for the film or TV show itself. And this is what I’ve done with the aeqthtic i=I chose, and the way I’ve introduced the audience to the “sppoky” element. The show isn’t a horror, its a comedy with horror vibes, and thats what my sequence emulates as well.

I will have at least two interior scenes:
1. An explanation for the blood on the windows
2. The other main character’s (Evelyn Porter) room.

Something I’d really like to incorporate is a continuous background, that looks like a camera panning a scene. Something similar to the watercolour backgrounds used in Disney movies. That would make it easy for me to show motion while also showcasing my illustration skill. But I dont want to get lost in the detail, because I have tendency to do so, and I have to be aware of my timeline. With animating the first exterior scenes, I don’t think I’m going great for time, but I’d really like to honour this technique – maybe a character running through a hallway.

Prototyping & Making

I know my animation will start with a pan of the building. But I want two of the characters I created, so walk across the screen in some way emerging when the camera zooms closer to the details of the building. The problems I have encountered, is the image clarity not being crisp, when the building moved in because of the detail I’ve drawn. Vectorising the image to shapes in AfterEffects (AE) is just too much for the program to handlt. And because I want to keep the style and the detail I’m going to take the risk to leave it as is, the quality isnt terrible… it just isn’t 100% how I’d like it to be.

Detective Song is one of the “human” chracters I’d created in my own brief. He (and the other chracter on the outside of the building) are the only who characters I wanted to literally draw cell by cell. The other characters I might just try and puppet in AE by making their limbs detached from their body, and move them using different AE’s tranformations.

I’m really happy with how the Detective walks. And seeing how long it took me to make him walk for not even 10 seconds, I have such a deep appreciation for cell animation and the time it takes to complete. I have been jumping between Prototyping and Implementing throught this stage of my work. In animating its just about trying and seeing if it works at all. A big change in my project, was wanting to include a 3D pan of the building.

The biggest “flaw” in my planning for this project is the expectations I’ve set for myself. In my mind I can create a feature film if i just keep pushing. But then the perfectionist in me, keeps chopping and changing and re-doing. But their just isn’t time for all that. Throught creating I’m still focusing on cell animation, but I think I’ve also pivoted to puppet animation. Something thats changed through blending these techniques is how many frames I’m animating in, by the 2’s or 1’s. Using this kind of “puppet feature” I’ve just been using my own sight as a indicator for if the movement looks correct, which isn’t in the “science” of animating, but it is working for this project.

You can see the difference in what I’ve done for animating Detective Song and Archie. Archie has many different key frames because he was a one still that I needed to just had a simple peeping motion. For Detective Song, I had to draw him by cell because of how I wanted him to walk.

REFERENCES:
– Lang, A. 2019. Night of the Demons (1998). Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/night-of-the-demons/
– Scott, M. 2022. How to Make a Captivating Titel Sequence. Sound Stripe. https://www.soundstripe.com/blogs/tv-film-production-how-to-make-a-captivating-title-sequence
– Sushobhan Das. 2013. Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends – Opening Track. [Online Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZiB_S9VpiU
– WDW News Today. 2012. Art of Disney Animation – Backgrounds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. [Online Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP-kxv6u6Lo

blog post 4 | vcd302

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

My Project is the 54th Street opening title sequence, which uses 2D analogue animation techniques to pay homage to the beautiful artform and show my illustrations in a new light.

The area of motion design my project intends to cover is 2D animation, using secondary motion and camera techniques withing After Effects to pull of a short hand-drawn animated sequence. The function of the project will cover this and my technical ability to create moving images from my illustrations.

The form of my project is a opening title sequence to a fictional television show that I have created. The sequence will follow a short story line, similar to that of the opening sequence of Catch Me if You Can, without telling a full narrative. It will follow a short linear story for the viewers to understand somewhat what goes on in the “series”.

The production techniques I intend to use are prodominently cel animation using Procreate and my iPad to illustrate. My hope for the project is to be able to create the bulk of the animation using the “Animation Assist” tool on Procreate – and then transfer my work into After Effects for refining. But through creating my opening shot, it looks like I’m going to have to do alot of experimenting with vectorizing and dropping into AfterEffects to see what works.

The inspiration and reference for my work is the Only Murders in the Building Opening which uses Laura Perez’s artwork and animated it in a uniwue way, with minimal movement. Also using the comic book animations on Moodle for inspiration. The way it’s page to screen animation is able to tella story the waya graphic novel can with choppy movement that still flows. I’d really like it if my sequence looked like a graphic novel brought to life/choppy/ paper-cut out like. That would be my ultimate goal for my major project.

MY PROOF OF CONCEPT:

The next steps I will be taking with my project is working on the storyline and storyboard further. Asking myself if more than the three main characters characters are going to be shown… or should I stick with just the three and not over sell it, and not overestimate my timeline and ability. I know my goal is MOTION, not just a story here. But as a piece for my portoflio I really want a beautiful balance of both.

my final project | vcd302

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

If I compare my present After Effects skills to where I was in Week 1, I can proudly say I’ve made a big improvement, and learnt so much more than I thought I was capable of.

I have a well rounded understanding of the principes of motion design, particularly those of the 12 Disney Principles. But as well as Primary and Secondary Motion. I have implimented all I have learned into my 20 second motion design project from my findings in the research stage. By aborbing visual information and finally making a leap to do preliminary play in After Effects I was able to extend the knowledged I had picked up in my research.

When I was told to be ‘abstract’ it felt foreign to me, because I always feel my designs have to tell some kind of a story. I read in my resarch that illustrator, Geefwee Boedoe, working on Pixar’s Monsters Inc. created the opening (with hand drawn images), yet with a sence of stylized abstractness. The quirky opening wasn meant to ease the discomfort of the theme’s of the film by using preppy colours and

As mentioned in my previous blog, I planned out my strategy by choosing which 12 Steps I saw myself being able to include in my sequence. When a shapes moves it has the anticipatory motion, as well as when it stops the top of the shape still leans forward before it becomes fully stationary. As well as squashes and stretches when a shape lands. I wanted some movements to remain stiff and track like motion but others to be fluid, which took me many attempts and prototyping in order to do this while still retaining their structure.

motion design in motion

If I had more time to perfect my project I would ensure my grid like structure was perfectly shaped so the different elements would fit perfectly like a puzzle. When looking at the sequence carefully you can tell each shape doesnt line up percetly and their are little gaps and space between them. as well as when shapes move they appear to move around ever so slightly which is a mistake I couldn’t correct fully as much as I implored myself to attempt many trouble making strategies to do so.

self critique of my work

I’m very happy with my project and what I was able to achieve. Knowing what I know now is to jump into a project after a brainstorm or a slightly spark of inspiration will help me achieve better than dwelling on an idea in the beginning. When I found a colour palette and got my inspiration I hit the ground running and started playing in AfterEffects, the fear of starting is what hindered me. Having this knowledge helped me decide what elements would be the kinetic motion in my sequence, allowing me to choreograph the shapes and find a flow that made sense to the eye of the viewer. In the next project I’m going to pick and idea and just keep prototyping. Once I did that in this sequence after learning motion design principles it help easy to find spaces to impliment them into my work.

The final steps of my project included refinging the shapes, adding easing the the different key frame movements to ensure the hand made movements I had created weren’t to still and were believeable when the sequence plays. Overall it is very exciting to see something you never thought you’d be able to create become a reality.

(Please use the artivive app to see this picture come to life!)

References:
Krasner, J 2013, Motion Graphic Design : Applied History and Aesthetics, Routledge, Oxford. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central.
Landekic, L. 2016, Monsters, Inc. Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/monsters-inc/

my project so far | vcd203

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

IDEATING:
After looking at different ideas for my motion desing sequence I thought about one of my favourite archetectually designed building at Disneyland. This really inspired my work how they look like building blocks yes are living. Another inspiration that came from creating the motion into the sequence and playing in After Effects was the opening of (again) Disney Pixar’s Monster Inc. the way the 2D shapes move and play on the screen. If I were more advanced in my After Effcts skills I nwould really want to hone into the different techniques used in that opening.
The idea behind the Monsters, Inc. opening is that of doors, ” Shapes bounce and dance in a black void, coming together to form a door, which opens on a closet, and then opens again to reveal a roaring, gaping cartoon mouth.” (Landekic, L. 2016) I liked that a simple mundane shape could do so much. After all doors are just several rectangles. So I implored this idea in my work.

Monsters Inc. Title Sequence

PROCESS:
Of the Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation Design fundamentals Ii intent to try to include in my sequence are:

  • Squash and stretch
  • Anticipation
  • Follow through
  • Slow in and Slow Out
  • and Secondary Action

Right now in the creation stage i’ve made a Illustrator file of what I’d like the final product to look like and bascially what it’ll be when its the stationary A2 Poster. I’m very happy with the colours I’ve chosen and I really do think itll make my animation and motion design pop. Even when they’re stationary they feel alive. I’ve implored my graphic design knowledge into this composition with the way the shapes fit into each other. I’m very happy with it (let’s hope I can pull it off!)

I’ve created a basic wire frame of square as a layer and placed it into my AfterEffects composition and am in the process of adding layers of different deconstructed pieces from my “final product” AI design.

I know I want the eyes to blink and change colour maybe so appears like they’re switching eyes when they blink. I’ve prototyped and tested this techynoque with the 3D tool and adding an extra layer on top of the eyes. This allows the oval to move like an eyelid. I’m going to use this same technique with the archways and making them swing open and shut like doors. Once I started playing with this tool I found so many different visual techniques and cool ways my shapes were able to sit.

The challenge I have faced it wanting my shapes ot drop certain ways and not being able to achieve the movement I’m imagining. With more tinkering I hope to correct this and get the shape movement exactly the way I want it.

Where my project differs from those avant-garde examples I have seen, Is I’ve design my AR poster to be a bit odd and quirky. It’s constatly moving but not to many big movements, or abrupt movements. But you could stare at it for a long time discovering differnt things each time you watch it.

It’s exciting to watch my project slowly come together. I’ve already done more AfterEffects techniques with my project than I thought I was capable of. I’m excited to see the whole clip sequence come together how I’m picturing it in my mind.

References:
Coron, T. 2021. Understanding Disney’s 12 principles of animation. Creative Bloq. https://www.creativebloq.com/advice/understand-the-12-principles-of-animation
Landekic, L. 2016, Monsters, Inc. Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/monsters-inc/
Small World Moving Pictures. 2018. t’s a Small World Animated Tribute Disneyland HD / its a small world after all / Disney World, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTZy2X8uXuA

motion graphic design | VCD302

hannah kairuzLeave a comment

In the “Night of the Demons” 1988 (NOTD) animator Kathy Zielinski, used simple 2D drawing and brought them to life with simple the primary object motion and pauses of different characters of ghosts and ghouls. She uses secondary (camera) motion techniques to make the 2D drawings come more alive. Framed mobility is used across the graveyard and moon. As well as when different elements move off and on camera, it feels like a Whip Pan as if the screen was doing the motion of your eyes for you. Tracking can also be sequence, particularly when we as viewers “enter” the house. The timing feels a bit off and abrupt at times, but it gives us enough time as views to read the names on screen, which is desired for an opening credit sequence. But often some ghouls move too fast across the screen to get a good look at them.

The “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” 2018 (CAOS) sequence draws and pays homage to the original piece with the clear idea of 2D imager coming to life and moving. Robery Hack, the illustrator based his art for this sequence on the CAOS comic books, and thought it used more colours than the 1988 sequence theres still a unique and distinct colour sequence and similar atheistic. Non-design wise, the music track in the background also seems to be inspired by NOTD, especially the first few opening bars.

The typography is very similar, both sequence are able to uses make themselves spooky but playful at the same time. The timing is also similarly fast in this sequence, quick enough for viewers to read the text but better than the early one as we have time to see the illustrations on screen. The digital technology allows more movement to been scene in the lays of these credits. Not only is the main focal design moving ever so slightly but also are the text, the background itself and a middle layer also (rain, bats, blood splatters.)

The obvious interpretation is the the digital method used in CAOS is a lot smoother and offers more colour than the NOTD. But it’s important to note a lot of the motion design in NOTD would have been done manually and in more of a meticulous way than that in CAOS. Both share this had drawn style but the NOTD would have had to have been drawn frame by frame. And the movement across the screen were hand cut and had to be used with a physical camera, not just a program on a computer. Kutchaver “embarked on a painstaking process that involved partial animation and filming of cutout figures using an Oxberry camera” In the NOTD things were manually moved across the screen after being hand made.

The only title sequence that came to mind for me was the opening to the 60’s animated Scooby Doo series. Many sequence show multilayers animation and motion, with the same effect as the NOTD is used with different ghosts and ghouls.

References:
Lang, A, 2019. Night of the Demons (1988) . Art of the Title. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/night-of-the-demons/
Art of the Title, 2018. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/chilling-adventures-of-sabrina/
isuskill (YT username), Posted 2011. Scooby Doo! Where Are You Season 1 Intro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTq6nwO4oJU