Character animation is something I have always been
interested in, so I really wanted to push myself with this module to animate
the greatest character performance I could. I had also always wanted to create
a film based around my family, so when the opportunity arose that I would be
able to do just that, I was delighted. As the subject matter was something that
meant a lot to me, this only drove how much effort I put into its production.
I was really pleased with how well pre-production had gone for
me; I had carried out sufficient testing and background designing, that I knew
exactly what I wanted the final product to look like. Research into other
practitioners and how they had used watercolour was highly useful for me at
that stage, as it made me think differently about my own work and technique,
and how I could better it. For example, Peter Baynton’s Weather the Storm made me consider lighting and how the use of
subtle shadows could greatly improve the aesthetic of the animation.
Asking Wing to produce my character designs was by far the
smartest decision I’ve made, in my eyes. I very much dislike character
designing, and rather than slave away for days on end trying to come up with
designs that I would be happy with and that were suitable to animate, I
collaborated instead. I saved a lot of time and effort by doing this, and Wing produced
designs that I was ecstatic with. They were very cute looking which
complimented the light-hearted nature of the film that I was trying to achieve.
The characters were very anime-esque, which provided me with
a slight challenge as I had never animated in this style before. However, in the
end this deemed not to be an issue, as I was still able to give the characters
very naturalistic and true-to-life movements, and really push their performance
which had been my aim from the beginning. I think I have managed to achieve
this goal, as I find my characters to be very believable. I’ve really tried to
focus on facial expressions and how the characters have reacted and interacted
with one another and their surroundings. For instance, when the kite crashes
down in front of the older sister, I made sure to give her enough time to react
to the kite’s movements. This helped make my characters seem as though they
were moving and acting with intent, which in turn helped bring them to life.
This is something I wouldn’t have considered had it had not been for my
dissertation, which has proved to be an enormous influence on this project. I
have been able to put my research to practice, which has resulted in character
performances that I am truly proud of.
I also collaborated with students from Leeds College of
Music for this project, which again, was another smart decision on my behalf. I
know next-to-nothing when it comes to music, and I wouldn’t even have known
where to start in terms of a score for my film. Working with these students has
been a pleasure; we’ve been organised from the very start, and we have consistently
updated each other with progress. I was able to explain to them what it was I
was looking for, and they were able to provide me with exactly that, and all in
good time too. The music they provided me with enhances my film dramatically,
as it has just the right “tone of voice” and isn’t too over the top. It also
lines up perfectly with key elements in the story. Overall, they’ve all done a
wonderful job and I couldn’t thank them enough.
In terms of planning and organisation, I don’t think I’ve
done too badly. I had made up a timetable that outlined all my major deadlines
and milestones I’d like to meet, and for a while I was ahead of schedule,
having completed pre-production and my animatic a couple of weeks before my
given deadline. Then unfortunately I was involved in a car accident that meant
I was out of work for a couple of weeks, which lead me to fall behind. However,
that isn’t to say that I am not at fault for not finishing my film in time for
hand in. There was a brief period towards the end of the project where I was
really starting to struggle with the work load, and generally feeling a lack of
motivation. This also significantly slowed down production. To combat this, I
had taken the initiative to review my animation - particularly the story - to
see whether there were any changes I could make that would make finishing the
film seem more achievable. I ended up cutting a few scenes which resulted in a
much shorter and less ambitious story, and although I’ve not been successful at
completing the film for hand-in, it’s much more likely that it is going to be
finished in time for exhibition.
Working on this project has really opened my eyes to the
importance of collaborating. Had I have been less precious over my film, and
reached out to others to get help with the production (for example, have
someone complete my backgrounds for me based on my designs, or have a student
fill out my in-betweens), it’s highly possible that my film would already be
completed by now. Looking back, it would have taken some of the stress off me
and would have allowed me to focus on colouring and pushing final finishes (for
example shading and shadows). On the other hand, I’m glad I carried the work
out in the way I did, as I am now aware of my full potential as a practitioner
and what I can produce on my own. It was my last chance to make something I was
interested in and truly passionate about, and I wanted to make the most of it.
Overall, I’m extremely proud of myself. There are things I
certainly could have done better (collaborate and be less precious about my
work), and there is still work and improvements to be carried out on the film
before it is finished, but I’ve improved so much and come a long way in such a
short amount of time. I’m happy with myself that I’ve pushed myself to steer
away from traditional animation and work digitally, as it has significantly
improved my work flow. Not only that but I have developed my film – almost entirely
on my own - from initial ideas and concepts through to completion, and that to
me is truly amazing.
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