Unit 5: Hand Drawn Bouncing Balls

Bouncing Bowling Ball





Bouncing Rubber Ball

Unit 5: Hand Drawn Animation Lesson 1

The first hand drawn animation for me this unit. and I have to say I think it looks good.
The video is running at 24fps (Frames Per Second) wich means 24 drawings per second. In the lesson we were split into groups and told to morph the object we had chosen for the unit into the persons object sitting to out left. For example I had the Lascivious Pepper Mill as my object which I had to morph into Steven's Concieted Fountain Pen and so on. Thanks to Nat for putting this video together :)

Meg Leslie - Gramaphone

Freddie Rolph (me) - The Lascivious Pepper Mill

Steven Payne - The Concieted Fountain Pen

Urvashi Lele - The Exstatic Spinning Top

Nat Urwin -  The Ebullient Toadstool

Unit 5: A Bit of Research

Be Our Guest

A bit of research around dancing kitchen appliances. Of course the classic Beauty and the Beast, "Be our Guest." There aren't any dancing pepper mills but there are some salt shakers get down with it and the general principal is the same, also the glass vases full of water and flowers are a good idea of what I want a secondary character to look like.

Argentine Tango
 

Phil also suggested I check out some Argentine Tango as it is a very lustful dance and is perfect for where I want to go with my animation.

Tango 


The begining 2 mins of this video, taken from The Moulin Rouge, are also Tango but it shows the strong, powerful, jealous, Alpha male that I want my character to be.

Paso Doble
 
Paso Doble is a traditional Spanish style dance quite similar in many ways to the tango but the paso dobel is more upbeat and uplifting whereas the Tango is about Passion and lust

Unit 5: Character Design

 I wanted my pepper mill to be male and after a talk with Phil It was decided that it would be funnier to make him kind of european, spanish/italian style to bring out an air of flamboyance to his "sexual nature."

I wanted to design my character around male flamenco dancers so I collected a few images for reference. I also looked at Matadors (Bullfighters) and fictional characters from film such as The Mask and The Mask of Zorro.

I started out just playing around and experimenting with different proportions but it wasn't really working so I decided to actually look at some of the images I'd collected. Using my influence map for reference I started to draw out certain poses that I wanted my pepper mill to stand in and then tried to fit the shape of the pepper mill over the top.

I've gone for the old style pepper mill with the hand crank as I feel it'll help me to show more emotion. I've turned the top of the mill in number 9 into a flamenco style hat and given him a classic spanish, chest out shoulder's back, pose. I like this one the most but I'm not sure if it's too humanoid to be recognised as a Pepper mill. I am also fond of numbers 8 and 7.

Unit 5: Influence Map

I pulled a few images together to try and get an idea of what kind of diversity the pepper mill offers an animator.

      The most instantly recognisable shape for a pepper mill is the classic "chess piece" shape which in the influence map above is the light brown one in the bottom right hand corner.

      The pepper grinder, which is the small silver one at the top with the glass bottom, has a squeezable trigger on it instead of a turning head which would allow for use as a limb for more of an expressive character but I'm not sure if it satisfies the criteria of pepper "mill". 

      The large squat looking one in the middle is a turkish pepper mill. It's turnable handle is it's main distinguishing feature and I think it could work rather well to express character as maybe a head or a limb or even a decorative accessory such as a hat or a cigar. Also being the least Penis-like shape of all the mills I've seen I think this one might be the right choice.

Unit 5: The Words

The words I randomly pulled from the envelope are as follows:

The Lascivious

Pepper mill

I have a few doubts concerning the coupling of these words. Allow me to explain my dilema.

 

las·civ·i·ous [luh-siv-ee-uhs]

adjective

1.

inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd.

2.

arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.

3.

indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness: a lascivious gesture.

 

pepp·er mill [pep-er mil]

noun

1.

a small hand-held device for storing and grinding peppercorns.

2.

Looks like a phallus. . . . .

 

 

 

Unit 4: Primary Character Silhouettes

These are some silhouettes for my main character. He lives inside a matchbox so I tried to design him to look like a matchstick by exaggerating the length of the limbs and giving him a small roundish head.

Unit 4: Secondary Character Design.

Unit 4: Secondary Character Design.

These are some designs for my secondary character, the elderly janitor. I ike 5b the most.

Unit 4: New Idea development

Logline

A tiny man living in a matchbox in an art gallery finds his happiness in sculpting.

Premise

Behind a pedestal in the corner of a room at an art gallery lives a tiny custodian inside a matchbox. No one is aware of his existence and assumes the old, doddery, regular sized, daytime caretaker is the one who keeps the place clean. On his rounds the tiny man finds something that gives him an idea to reshape his job into his passion for sculpting.

Main Character – Tiny Caretaker

Secondary Character – Elderly Character

Step Outline

1)       INT. ART GALLERY. NIGHT

Elderly care taker sweeps through the room with an old brush.

He then exits through door.

PAN DOWN tiny caretaker pushes matchbox open from the inside. He slumps down on the edge and looks at the statue before stepping out of the matchbox.

He puts on puts on his hat and walks off pulling his Matchbox behind him.

           

2)      The tiny caretaker starts picking up rubbish off the floor and piling it on top of the matchbox.

He walks over to the bin and stops to look at the statue.

He bends down to pick up a hairpin and uses it to help him pick up more rubbish.

He stares at the rubbish on the end of the hairpin for a few seconds. Then he gets an 

idea.

CAMERA FLICKS BETWEEN CLOSE UPS OF HIS FACE AND THE STATUE

He sprints around collecting rubbish and piling it on top of his matchbox.

      MONTAGE OF CLOSEUP SHOTS OF STATUE BEING BUILT

3)       INT. ART GALLERY. MORNING

The tiny caretaker looks at his new masterpiece.

Out of shot the elderly caretaker enters the building.

Tiny caretaker moves his matchbox away into the corner and dives into it.

Elderly caretaker enters the room and starts sweeping.

With a single sweep the Elderly caretaker completely takes out the statue leaving the Tiny caretaker completely dumbstruck.

Unit 4: New Idea

After talking to one of my creative partners Emma I have decided to change my idea again so it flows alot bette. The sculptor is still a janitor but his role in the story was a bit random and undefined so Emma suggested that he makes the sculpture out of the rubbish he collects. I've changed the security guard's character to an elderly, poor sighted caretaker. His matchbox house is now portable aswell and doubles up as a cart/trolly.


IDEA:

Interior. An empty Gallery at night. There are a few lights on for security purposes but it is still fairly gloomy, paintings hang on the walls but the main feature of the exhibit is a magnificent statue which takes pride of place in the centre of the room. An elderly Janitor shuffles his way through the room pushing an ancient looking broom with very worn looking bristles. He moves out of the room and the leaves all the rubbish on the floor. Tucked just out of sight behind a small white-marble pedestal in the corner of the room lies a small matchbox. A tiny man in tiny overalls pushes the box open and looks forlornly at the huge statue in the middle of the room. After a while he gets out of the match box. With a sigh he bends down and picks up a satchel made out of a dropped handkerchief, slings it round his neck, puts on his little hat and starts pacing his usual route around the room pulling the matchbox behind him like a cart.

He starts picking up the various assorted bits of knick-knacks and bric-a-brac dropped by the Gallery patrons during the day and piling them on top of the matchbox. As he approaches the bin on the other side of the room he glances up at the statue. He sighs and keeps walking but he stops when his foot bumps against a large hairpin that lies on the floor in front of him. He picks up the hairpin and finds that it is broken leaving one end sharp to a point. He starts using it to pick up bits of paper by stabbing them then dropping them onto his matchbox cart. He stops and stares at the piece of rubbish stuck on the point of the hairpin for a few seconds and glances up at the statue again. He looks down to his matchbox cart. A huge smile appears on his face. He sprints around the room frantically collecting rubbish. He finally stops to look his rubbish pile up and down.

Possible Montage of close up shots of things being stuck together.

The next morning there is a replica of the statue but made out of rubbish in the room next to the bin and the small man looks up at it with great pride. The Old Janitor starts his morning shift and shuffles into the room. The tiny man quickly pushes his matchbox out of sight and dives into it. with a single stroke of his broom the frail old man sweeps up the statue and carries on round the room.

Unit 4: Refining The Idea

This is my refined Idea, not much has changed but I have introduced the Security guard earlier on so when he arrives back at the end it doesn't feel like he's just been dumped there. The small man is now a sort of Janitor who wants to and then goes on to become be a sculptor instead of not being defined as anything. he's a sort of reverse borrower in the sense that instead of collecting things he's tidying them away.


STORY:

      An empty Gallery at night. There are a few lights on for security purposes but it is still fairly gloomy, there are paintings hanging on the walls but the main feature of the exhibit is a magnificent statue which takes pride of place in the centre of the room.

      The security guard whistles his way by and out of the room. 

      Tucked just out of sight behind a small white-marble pedestal in the corner of the room lies a small matchbox. A tiny man in tiny overalls pushes the box open and looks forlornly at the huge statue in the middle of the room. After a while he gets out of the match box. With a sigh he bends down and picks up a satchel made out of a dropped handkerchief, slings it round his neck, puts on his little hat and starts pacing his usual route around the room.

      He starts picking up the various assorted bits of knick-knacks and bric-a-brac dropped by the Gallery patrons during the day. As he approaches the bin on the other side of the room he glances up at the statue. He sighs and keeps walking but he stops when his foot bumps against a large decorative hairpin that lies on the floor in front of him. He picks up the hairpin and finds that it is broken leaving one end sharp to a point. He starts using it to pick up bits of paper by stabbing them then dropping them into his satchel.

      He stops and stares at the point for a few seconds and glances up at the statue again. He looks back over his shoulder to his matchbox house. A huge smile appears on his face. He sprints off down the room and dives into his match box appearing seconds later with a matchstick in one hand and the hairpin in his other. Turning to the marble pedestal he proceeds to hit the head of the match against the back end of the hairpin (effectively using it as a hammer and chisel).

      When the sun comes up in the morning a security guard enters the room to find a small copy of the main statue in the corner of the room where the pedestal had been. 

This is just the idea. Loglines, Premise, Treatment etc. to follow.

Unit 4: Very Early Visualisation

 I drew this storyboard 2 weeks ago and forgot to upload it. it's an initial visualisation of my original third idea. I'm currently changing the idea but this gave me a very good idea of where I was going. it's probably not too clear to anyone besides me but I put in a few descriptions. the character doesn't have a design at the moment so it's just a wooden model type figure.

Art Gallery at night. Security Guard walks by whistling. Camera pans past the large marble statue in the centre of the room and round to a white marble pedestal and then down to a matchbox concealed just behind it. The matchbox slowly opens and a little man pokes his head out and gazes sadly up at the statue.

He drags himself out of the matchbox and shuffles his way forward a few steps before turning and climbing up onto the Pedestal. the camera follows him over, down the other side of the pedestal. he carries on walking.

 He stops for a second and turns to look up at the statue. sighing again he continues until his foot brushes against something on the ground. he looks down and picks up a hairclip. struck with a sudden idea he looks back to the statue then to his matchbox house.

 he sprints back the way he came with the hairclip held out infront of him. He screeches to a halt by his matchbox and dives in emerging seconds later with a matchstick. closeup on his eyes.

 looking back at the stautue, this time with a big smile on his face. he turns to the pedestal and starts to hit the match head to the end of the hairclip like a hammer and chisel. camera moves from bottom to top crossfading the man in to show the passage of time.

...THE NEXT MORNING... the security guard whistles his way into the room and spots that a mini replica of the big statue has been carved out of the pedestal. camera zooms in on the mini statue.

Unit 4: Initial Log Line

I have decided to further explore my third Idea and to just define a few of the rough edges in it. At the moment there are only two characters. The main Sculptor and the art gallery Security Guard. The idea that I'm exploring requires little to no dialogue from either of the characters as they don't interact with each other and talking to themselves for the sake of telling the audience what's going on seems silly to me. I would like to express their emotions and thoughts through facial expressions and body position.

So far neither of the characters have names so I'm referring to them as “The Sculptor” and “The Security” guard just to make it a bit easier for myself. They also don't have back stories as of yet so bare with me.

Log Line

The Sculptor is a tiny reclusive man who lives inside a matchbox tucked just behind a pedestal in the corner of the room at an Art Gallery. He feels sad (possibly depressed) in the presence of the huge statue in the middle of the room until he finds something that helps him reshape (literally) his passion for sculpting.

Unit 4: Initial Ideas

Here are some peliminary ideas for the story including all three of my given words:

1. an Elderly man (the sculptor) has made a tiny Art gallery inside a matchbox just big enough for insects and travels around showing it off. (not a complete idea and to be honest not a very good one. I didn't feel as if it was working or if there was a story to be told with it but I chucked it in just the same.)

2. a young sculptor filled with ambition and dreams of stardom presents one of his best works to the local Art Gallery in the hope that they will display it in the up and coming Exhibition. the young man then has his dreams smashed as the curators verbally destroy him, his work and his naive ambition to become a famous sculptor. He is then laughed out of the Gallery and into the street where he is swallowed up by the heavy rain as he runs off into the darkness. Later that night he  breaks into the Art Gallery and attempts to burn it down using a Box of Matches in order to exact his revenge. But, the oily canvases of all the paintings catch too quickly and he is trapped inside the building.


3. an empty Gallery at night. the are a few lights on for security purposes but it is still fairly gloomy, there are paintings hanging on the walls but the main feature of the exhibit is a magnificent statue which takes pride of place in the centre of the room. tucked just out of sight behind a small white-marble pedestal in the corner of the room lies a small matchbox. a tiny man pushes the box open and looks forlornly at the huge statue in the middle of the room. after a while he gets out of the match box and starts pacing his usual route around the room looking for various assorted bits of nick-nacks and bric-a-brac droppeed by the Gallery partrons during the day. as he approaches the bin on the other side of the room he glances up at the statue. he shighs and keeps walking but he stopps when his foot bumps against a large decorative hairpin that lies on the floor infront of him. he bends down to pick it up but when he does he finds that it is broken leaving one end sharp to a point. he stares at the point for a few seconds and glances up at the statue again. he looks back over his shoulder to his matchbox house. and a huge smile appears on his face. he sprints off down the room and dives into his match box appearing seconds later with a matchstick in one hand and the hairpin in his other. Turning to the marble pedestal he proceeds to hit the head of the match against the back end of the hairpin (effectively using it as a hammer and chisel). when the sun comes up in the morning a security guard enters the room to find a small copy of the main statue in the corner of the room where the pedestal had been.

- Alternative Story: the Statue in the centre of the room has no name next to the Artist  and also no head on its shoulders. At the end The security guard finds that the marble pedestal had been carved into the missing head leading the audience to believe that the small matchbox dwelling man is the original sculptor

- Alternative story: the statue in the centre of the room depicts a naked man standing up and at the end the security guard finds out that someone has carved a small decorative fig leaf out of the marble pedestal in order to hide the statues "you-know-what".

Unit 4: Storytelling - Beginnings

The three words that I randomly selected from the provided envelopes to help structre this new unit are as follows.

Environment - Art Gallery

Prop - Box of Matches

Character - Sculptor

I'm quite happy with both the environment and the prop but I think the sculptor fits too well with the Art Gallery compared to the Box of Matches, but I suppose I can make it work.

DVD Template

The Wicker Man Review

The Wicker Man 1973this review is only part way done :(

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

A quick concept painting showing a basic train station. This started out as a thumbnail but then evolved into a concept, becuase I was unaware of this at the time I hadn't been saving it. there isn't alot of difference between figure 1 through 4 but I like figure three the most. I think it gives a nice idea on perspective and space and I think it works rather well as a piece, I just now need to think of something uncanny to do with it.

Initial Thumbnails

Figure 1.

 My Initial idea was to do a long empty corridor possibly from a hospital but it just felt a bit too obvious, so I started looking at train stations and decided to go more in that direction.

Figure 2.

Colour Influence Map

This Influence Map, is looking purely at colours, mainly rusty browns and electric greens. I like the idea of giving my final piece an almost dreamlike, psycadellic, slightly oversaturated effect with the colour scheme. The middle Picturre was taken by one of my best friends on his trip to australia and is the focal point of this map.

Influence Map

This Influence Map contains images of trains, stations, coridoors and a painting called Night Hawks by Edward Hopper. the general idea is that all these spaces feel as if they need to be busier. Although some of the pictures have people populating them they feel frustratingly empty to me.

Intro to Texturing: Parts 1 & 2 of 8 - Barrel

Intro to Texturing: Part 5 of 5 - Gems and Pearl Necklace

Intro to Texturing: Part 4 of 5

Intro to Texturing: Part 3 of 5 - Goblet

Intro to Texturing: Part 2 of 5

Intro to Texturing: Part 1 of 5