Ss2- Statement of intent

What ?

My current project is set to a competition brief, the brief is to create a short animation to go with an achieve track which have been found on moving the all the birmingham libraries material for 2013. The animation will be physical comedy based fast pace to the music and without time for the audience to get bored.

The piece will contain two character who are in the middle of a chase and run into a bike shop in birmingham where they find themselves continuing the chase to the audiences knowledge their chase isn't going anywhere but on the spot in the shop where there will be opitunity for numerous gags.

How?

The animation will include two character who both will be built using ball and socket armatures, the set made from mdf with tie downs for necessary shots,there will be many gags using physical comedy throughout.

The animation will be filmed from the Milo and if the opitunity for full use of the milo becomes available during any of the gags in the narrative that will definitely happen.

When?

This project has a limited time and work is already underway the deadline for hand in is the 2nd of april, filming taking place from 5th til the 16th,there will be a two week period where i'll be able to get the editing done and finished before april.

Ss2-Character Development 2

Daily Blog Update

temporary mouth as testing

 Yesterdays caricature familiar in some way, still really like this one in particular today was spent testing out ways of being able to show lip syncing but for the emotion/expression reason. Simply this was the first idea was to block the whole area and change the block for each change.

the cover for PJs season 1

The other was to place the mouth pieces on separately like they did on The PJs series from Eddie Murphy, the idea was greatly used with every character many things that have worked replacement wise with The PJs may be used eyebrows,eyelids,mouths.

cling film to stop the mouth from sticking

 Character 2 My wednesday character

starting off basic

 Had trouble with the oversized nose at the start then when sculpting more found how it should look more of a sharp nose than the shapely nose from the first character, also finding where the cheek bone should be and how the face should fall from the cheek to the jaw which was different to the character before.

layering at the start no smoothing down yet

found the nose,cheek bone and the forehead were important  to match

Solved the problem with the oversized nose by taking the sculpey off the nose and taking off some layers of foil to create the shape i wanted which was a pointy nose an thin nostrils.

long face

expression already seems even before much done for it

decided to go straight in for placing the mouths on

less matrix more serious food critic from Ratatouille 

still more smoothing off to be done with ears and hair

Close up

From this photo you can see the difference in nose more closely

Temporary because i haven't decided wether to go for plastercine instead
Only reason not is because of the weight.

Sketchbook

Working on style and getting into more of how the texture and look in going to be,thinking throughout a gritty texture with realistic look to it with time some props may have to be made in card if they aren't being used as main props only background props.

The texture for the wall perhaps but more wood to it

the dry texture for the background if outside

Ss1-Case Study on One Week

Case Study on One Week

 One Week stars Buster Keaton and Sybil seely as a just married couple off to start their new life together with a new house to be built from scratch and live happily.They come into challenges which see them tackle each problem in true silent slapstick comedy style always keeping you glued to the characters throughout giving empathy for the two main characters.

  The plot consisted of the married couple arriving at their new home to find they must actually build it giving Buster Keaton, who is also the director, the freedom for the first time in his own film. He creates obstacles for the characters giving three gags which concluded back to the story which found them with a house looking like a puzzle not put together right.The end sees the house become demolished on the railroad tracks.Buster puts a "for sale" sign on the pile leaving instructions on top, both Buster and Sybil walk off together.

   
Buster and Sybil seemed to play the characters very believable without taking themselves to seriously especially when finding out that Sybil was only 18 years old when starred in as the bride. This showed her companionship and loyalty which made each gag  from Buster that much smoother and believable to watch. Buster having this his first directed film made,in his opinion it was a inferior effort to debut with, which showed his need for perfection from the start of his career.

  

There were many film techniques throughout the film using a montage to tie each shot together. Having the music help to keep all of the key parts more evident, especially having it  as a silent comedy from 1920 there was a need for the music to match each scene. 

   

   There were many types of shots, having the opening scene wide and the end scene likewise almost seeming like their telegraphing the start and the end of the film. Keeping the main focus throughout the middle on the characters and the house, the shots are kept to a lot of parallel action that comes with all Buster Keaton films.

From what I know this wasn't taken from any short book or story, which would have been interesting but there wouldn't have been as obvious action and slapstick, which is used throughout the film. The action and slapstick comedy is done to the point of looking animated like tom acting on what jerry does Buster acts solely on the situation.

The reason for choosing this film was because of the sheer nature of slapstick comedy taken from the roots on which i can be inspired by and create my own narratives in a similar yet original nature, which stands out and would elevate my creative stills in animation. Specifically stop-motion, the most modern day comparison would be the likes of Shaun the sheep. This would have been interesting to write about, the spark from old silent slapstick comedies is what made me choose One week by Buster Keaton.

One Week in full below enjoy!