I am kinda starting to think I need to come back to animation. Did do some claymationing with some junior highschool groups late last year. Was successful and will have another go during term 2 with a year 7 class. Anyway, I look forward to what ever event or reason will prompt my next blog on fatkid, but in the meantime here is Grattai's animation (year 7 visual arts group at Mudgee High School). Enjoy.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Final Post!!
The project and this part of my journal is all finished. Last few notes on the whole experience...
Major conceptual and in some respects technical inspiration:
The artist known only as BLU (see more at blublu.org)
I really cannot escape the influence of this guy over my drawing based art. Since I first saw his ambitous masterpiece of an animation MUTO I was blown away. I think I included that video in one of the first posts. At the start of the semester I was thinking in completely different direction to where I ended up. Where I ended up I believe signifies the impact of this artist on my own artmaking. Both in terms of style and narrative.
The Final Product and the intended screen:
For this project and the other two little ones completed this semester I think they best fit the Youtube screen. I think presenting on this platform raises interesting questions about art. Am I less of an artist for using Youtube?? I dunno and I don't really care. My main concern is reaching an audience and getting them to think about what I might be saying.
Heres the final product as it is seen on Youtube (it has sound so turn on the speakers)..
The Narrative:
Conceptually I'm most influenced by the ecological/socialogical discourses I picked up a couple of years back doing an Arts degree. These discourses opened my mind (in terms of critical thinking) and my eyes to the ugly situation people and the environment is in. The narrative in the short animation is really metaphorical, but I hope its not too abstract that the intended message will be missed all together. The big clues are in the ants and the bird.
The artform of animation:
I really freakin like it. I really hope to develop future animations. The thing I like most is the multimodal aspect. Engaging both sound and visuals. I also like that animations can embody a linear narrative. Lastly, I like the idea that anybody might enjoy my animation, maybe a kid, maybe somebody from another country, maybe somebody that thinks they hate art, maybe anyone.
Major conceptual and in some respects technical inspiration:
The artist known only as BLU (see more at blublu.org)
I really cannot escape the influence of this guy over my drawing based art. Since I first saw his ambitous masterpiece of an animation MUTO I was blown away. I think I included that video in one of the first posts. At the start of the semester I was thinking in completely different direction to where I ended up. Where I ended up I believe signifies the impact of this artist on my own artmaking. Both in terms of style and narrative.
The Final Product and the intended screen:
For this project and the other two little ones completed this semester I think they best fit the Youtube screen. I think presenting on this platform raises interesting questions about art. Am I less of an artist for using Youtube?? I dunno and I don't really care. My main concern is reaching an audience and getting them to think about what I might be saying.
Heres the final product as it is seen on Youtube (it has sound so turn on the speakers)..
The Narrative:
Conceptually I'm most influenced by the ecological/socialogical discourses I picked up a couple of years back doing an Arts degree. These discourses opened my mind (in terms of critical thinking) and my eyes to the ugly situation people and the environment is in. The narrative in the short animation is really metaphorical, but I hope its not too abstract that the intended message will be missed all together. The big clues are in the ants and the bird.
The artform of animation:
I really freakin like it. I really hope to develop future animations. The thing I like most is the multimodal aspect. Engaging both sound and visuals. I also like that animations can embody a linear narrative. Lastly, I like the idea that anybody might enjoy my animation, maybe a kid, maybe somebody from another country, maybe somebody that thinks they hate art, maybe anyone.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Notes on the drawing sessions...
In my last post I got a bit side tracked with the sound thing.
I actually wanted to talk about the drawing experience and lay down some notes about it.
The wacom pen and tablet worked a treat. I also found drawing in photoshop alot faster and cleaner than on a white board. Another huge advantage is that when you create the files digitally in the first place you are afforded the luxury of a "second passing" - you can come back to a drawing and work over it, unlike the whiteboard where once erased it is forever lost.
I have to attach a new tip to my brand new pen!! I'm amazed that only after a few days of use I have already worn down the plastic tip (as if it were lead to paper)...damn
Conceptual shifting:
As I worked through the drawings I was more deeply engaged with my project than I was when storyboarding it. As I drew I found I was really thinking 'what do I want this short cartoon to say?' I decided to change a few things. The begginings I made much more dynamic by completely redrawing every frame. This gave it quite an energetic pulsating feel. For me, it serves as a metaphor for the dynamic evolving processes that must have occured until nature found a balance that could support life on earth as we know it. At some point I wanted this pulsating effect to wind back, coming to a peaceful kinda orderly aesthetic...I found a way, by using layers and repeatedly retracing the last frame with increasing acuracy, until eventually a cut paste phase/transition was used that saw the image 'lock' into place. I think my attempt to do this was partially successful, however I may have done it in to fewer frames 40-50 where it probably needed 80ish, giving the viewer more time for anticipation. Next time aye.
The bird (meant to be a dove, but I had trouble making it distinctive - it turned out more bird-ambiguous) flutters down bringing peacce to the scene. Soon an ant hill begins to grow. The ant inside serve as a metaphor for human beings, and the shape shifting of the anthill, from organic to geometric forms served as a metaphor for the rapidly changing character of Western/European ways of living. The apple may have been making some sort of biblical reference about the consequences of temptation/greed/gluttony. Soon the ants stream out, covering the tree - symbolic of human beings immersion and control of the natural environment. Eventually when the tree is over saturated with the hungry ant mass, the dove becomes suffocated in the swarm. Soon the dove takes off - the peace has been disrupted.
Here is where the concept really changed. I was originally going to have it as a loop. The dove flys away --> gets shot --> withers back into a seed ---> and the whole thing starts again. In the end I didn't feel the loop matched the intended narrative. One friend in particular saw the loop thing as a symbol for birth, death, rebirth. It kinda retracts from my intending statement. Want I really wanted to say was that our environment is a dynamic and unique entity, that has evolved over gazzilions of years to the point where it is balanced and able to support large human populations. With a healthy and supportive environment and adequate resources there is peace among people. If we abuse our environment soon the situation willl become so bad that we will turn on eachother. The peace will be disrupted and this really will be the end. The situation is real and we probably don't have the luxury of second chances. This is why when the dove is shot it is the end. No rebirth. Just death.
All in all i think 90% of people will read something else out of the short narrative. I like the idea that the viewer can make it what they want, but I also want to create art that can be understood. If the animation is misunderstood it is surely my own shortcoming and not the viewers. I like animation. I want to keep at it, and over time, with more practice, I will be more successful and effective in the delivery of my intended message. I see the major project for AART3462 as a significant stepping stone and starting point for future 4D works.
I actually wanted to talk about the drawing experience and lay down some notes about it.
The wacom pen and tablet worked a treat. I also found drawing in photoshop alot faster and cleaner than on a white board. Another huge advantage is that when you create the files digitally in the first place you are afforded the luxury of a "second passing" - you can come back to a drawing and work over it, unlike the whiteboard where once erased it is forever lost.
I have to attach a new tip to my brand new pen!! I'm amazed that only after a few days of use I have already worn down the plastic tip (as if it were lead to paper)...damn
Conceptual shifting:
As I worked through the drawings I was more deeply engaged with my project than I was when storyboarding it. As I drew I found I was really thinking 'what do I want this short cartoon to say?' I decided to change a few things. The begginings I made much more dynamic by completely redrawing every frame. This gave it quite an energetic pulsating feel. For me, it serves as a metaphor for the dynamic evolving processes that must have occured until nature found a balance that could support life on earth as we know it. At some point I wanted this pulsating effect to wind back, coming to a peaceful kinda orderly aesthetic...I found a way, by using layers and repeatedly retracing the last frame with increasing acuracy, until eventually a cut paste phase/transition was used that saw the image 'lock' into place. I think my attempt to do this was partially successful, however I may have done it in to fewer frames 40-50 where it probably needed 80ish, giving the viewer more time for anticipation. Next time aye.
The bird (meant to be a dove, but I had trouble making it distinctive - it turned out more bird-ambiguous) flutters down bringing peacce to the scene. Soon an ant hill begins to grow. The ant inside serve as a metaphor for human beings, and the shape shifting of the anthill, from organic to geometric forms served as a metaphor for the rapidly changing character of Western/European ways of living. The apple may have been making some sort of biblical reference about the consequences of temptation/greed/gluttony. Soon the ants stream out, covering the tree - symbolic of human beings immersion and control of the natural environment. Eventually when the tree is over saturated with the hungry ant mass, the dove becomes suffocated in the swarm. Soon the dove takes off - the peace has been disrupted.
Here is where the concept really changed. I was originally going to have it as a loop. The dove flys away --> gets shot --> withers back into a seed ---> and the whole thing starts again. In the end I didn't feel the loop matched the intended narrative. One friend in particular saw the loop thing as a symbol for birth, death, rebirth. It kinda retracts from my intending statement. Want I really wanted to say was that our environment is a dynamic and unique entity, that has evolved over gazzilions of years to the point where it is balanced and able to support large human populations. With a healthy and supportive environment and adequate resources there is peace among people. If we abuse our environment soon the situation willl become so bad that we will turn on eachother. The peace will be disrupted and this really will be the end. The situation is real and we probably don't have the luxury of second chances. This is why when the dove is shot it is the end. No rebirth. Just death.
All in all i think 90% of people will read something else out of the short narrative. I like the idea that the viewer can make it what they want, but I also want to create art that can be understood. If the animation is misunderstood it is surely my own shortcoming and not the viewers. I like animation. I want to keep at it, and over time, with more practice, I will be more successful and effective in the delivery of my intended message. I see the major project for AART3462 as a significant stepping stone and starting point for future 4D works.
Drawings Done!
The sequence of drawings for my major project are pretty much done. Many many hours spent in photoshop using a new wacom tablet I bought (will come in handy for future projects). There are currently 380 hand drawn jpegs. As I get to the editing stage I will probably have to create a few extras. Right now I'm trying to sort out sound. I found that the Huxley Library has a great ranging sound library. I spent an hour or so sorting through the catalogues (getting very excited about all the relevant sound listing available)...only problem was that when I put every sound library CD in the computer (at library or home) reacts like i've just put sand and pebbles in the disk drive. Most of the time the computer will freeze.
The couple times I have got it to work it will automatically open in Windows Media Player. I'm not much of a computer wizz, but I see that the files are .cda type. A little research tells me that I need to convert these to .mp3 or .wav ... How, I don't know yet?? A little more research just now will do the trick.
My hand and eyes are very sore. Extensive computer drawing is bad for your health. However, I do have 380 images to work with :)
The couple times I have got it to work it will automatically open in Windows Media Player. I'm not much of a computer wizz, but I see that the files are .cda type. A little research tells me that I need to convert these to .mp3 or .wav ... How, I don't know yet?? A little more research just now will do the trick.
My hand and eyes are very sore. Extensive computer drawing is bad for your health. However, I do have 380 images to work with :)
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Major project: Story board jpegs
Here is a simple story board for the final idea I'm going to go with (major project):
Final idea: I am going with this one...hammers & tongs
Had a reaaally big day at uni yesterday. On the way home I was talking with my partner about the final project. She had originally agreed to come along to Culburra with me and help me execute a time lapse of the black sand drawings. With alot of work on both our plates, and the mix of variables involved in that idea for the major project (car: will it make it? weather: what if it pours all weekend like it has been?) we were beggining to feel nervous about the idea. I really felt that it could all go to shit, without much time for plan Bs.
Throughout the middle of the semester I was quite excited about the idea of a drawing based stop motion...but felt flustered that I had no narrative to accompany it. The positive of doing a drawing based stop motion is that it can occur in a controlled environment with fewer variables (much safer at this time in the semester), however it is time consuming...as I had learnt from the first two white board stop motions I made. But really, I did not want to make a meaningless film...without a narrative what the point (i thought)?
Just so happens that I have had a narrative brewing in my head that I quite like. It uses the key figures of a seed, a growing tree, a swarm of ant and a dove (each of which can be drawn in a relatively simple manner). It plays out in a linear-narrative way, though it lends itself to the intervention of a seamless loop (for possible exhibit purposes). I won't bother explaining it in words. The next post (above) has some images of the story board I've sketch out, for what will be my major project...I'm so excited that I have a solid direction. Defo going for this!!
Throughout the middle of the semester I was quite excited about the idea of a drawing based stop motion...but felt flustered that I had no narrative to accompany it. The positive of doing a drawing based stop motion is that it can occur in a controlled environment with fewer variables (much safer at this time in the semester), however it is time consuming...as I had learnt from the first two white board stop motions I made. But really, I did not want to make a meaningless film...without a narrative what the point (i thought)?
Just so happens that I have had a narrative brewing in my head that I quite like. It uses the key figures of a seed, a growing tree, a swarm of ant and a dove (each of which can be drawn in a relatively simple manner). It plays out in a linear-narrative way, though it lends itself to the intervention of a seamless loop (for possible exhibit purposes). I won't bother explaining it in words. The next post (above) has some images of the story board I've sketch out, for what will be my major project...I'm so excited that I have a solid direction. Defo going for this!!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A few ideas?
Just had a trickle of conceptual development leak from the dry and crusty creativity vessel that has been my mind over the past few weeks.
My first thought tells me to revisit a little project I worked on during the christmas break. I came across this black sand haphazardly and drew skulls with it. I could time lapse this process. Make a little video. 1-2 minutes.Some sound mixed in too. Hmm, would be cool if I could get the sound sorted first then perform the sand drawing. A few little avenues to explore with this one. Definitely something to consider.
My first thought tells me to revisit a little project I worked on during the christmas break. I came across this black sand haphazardly and drew skulls with it. I could time lapse this process. Make a little video. 1-2 minutes.Some sound mixed in too. Hmm, would be cool if I could get the sound sorted first then perform the sand drawing. A few little avenues to explore with this one. Definitely something to consider.
My next thought was having these two images overlayed (moving images of course) in a time/physical change based theme. The first image is simply a shadow caste by a railing near the VA block. The second image is an isobar map. Isobar maps/charts measure the atmospheric change that occurs over time within a specific geography. Overlaying the two images, perhaps with the isobars very soft/faint could work as a kind of play on the seemingly obvious character of the urban environment against the passive and elusive character of natural physical phenomena and change. Kinda of boring yes. Visually a little abstract and obscure. Illustrative through visual metaphor tho.
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