my dream world

New techniques have been used throughout the history of motion pictures and can excavate to have great potentialities. Doubtlessly, we can see that new technology of Animation and visual effects have become more powerful.
Computer animation technology assists hand-drawn animation. Numerous older techniques still creates illusions and delight audiences, existing side by side with computer animation and effects continually. With development of animation software, “computer-assisted animation” can look almost like traditional animation.

Presently more artists find the computer techniques both user-friendly and versatile. The traditional stop-animation techniques and skill is still a fundamental relationship. Animators accepted new technology and enlarged function. Understanding the processes of computer animation and special effects is really significant effect on animation industry. New techniques give me more opportunities and challenges. Also it enhanced productivity. These clearly show in my film.

Daniel Gies is a digital puppeteer and an aspiring film maker. He did some very great short animations. He made lots of tutorials which has huge value to me. He gave some video which is a really quick overview of one method to approach head rotations and Blink animations using 3D Layers. I keep watching his tutorials and learn more about Rigging Multi-Layered character and motion control.

Nicolas Dufresne who is a computer graphics designer write scripts for After Effects in order to facilitate the production process. This is how Duik Tools was born and that’s also Duik Tools is free and always will be I know how annoying it is to be limited by technology, to use programs that are so not handy. Duik Tools enable everybody to express their talent without barriers. Duik make animation become handy and easy and is going to evolve further animation process.

No matter which technique is used, animation is a created world. The separation between artist and technologist is narrow. I believe the production of animation combines Fine-Art practice and new techniques using. For my future work, I will keep learning new technique and excavate my unique personality to provide the animation.

The first challenge is how to write code how to input “expression” in AE. I found a large number of the latest resources and tutorials which broaden my vision and encouraged my learning process. In addition, I integrated my idea with practice and consider some changes. I keep rethink my work and making appropriate adjustments.

There is only one character in my film. However, I spend a lot of time and energy preparing for character’s head. Using FreeForm Pro tools to enhance character heads in After Effects. It is combining 3D elements with After Effects 2D layers. So, it called 2.5 D seamlessly. To put it simply, I drew multi-layers in 2D picture and used 3D layers in After Effects which make the head of character look like 3D. My character uses the method to approach head rotations and eyes blink. Basic head rotations using 3D layers, distortion mesh and expressions in After Effects.I managed automatically to control facial expression of character. It involved huge expression in After Effects Also I did numerous tests to improve emotion changes of character, through control facial expression. The experiment shows that effect is pretty good.

Duik Tools are the essential tools which work in Inverse kinematics (IK) of character. The animated of my character is a breakthrough technology which solved the problem of limited the traditional 2D character. Actually, it is Shining Points in my film.This process is not only know some new skills, also encourage me to study on my own efforts.

The visual design of this film is following a traditional method. The key component of the visualization of an animated film is thinking and creating, drawing as transitional skill. The visual images show the audience story and enhance the narration which communicates fanciful vision to the audience at subconscious and emotional patterns. Moreover, I drew the entire image using the effectiveness of crayon drawing especially on background. The drawing is close to children and can quickly catch on, at same time; the picture evokes adult wonderful memories of childhood. The whole style of my film looks like paper- cut stop motion animation. It has strong personality and also is popular on TV as the commercial and TV programmes, attracting customers and Products Company. I try my best to broaden all sorts of people as the audience.

Color collocation has a basic principle which is hue unity of whole image. I did lots of work of color design and matching. Color design can solve the problem of how to mix and match more than two different colors. I learnt new skills of how to mix and match about colors design through a proper analysis of classical animation image.

According to positive analysis, I built on my color series and had various planning of color matching. The visual design in my film is an effective strategy for its theme and content. In final project, I have achieved the effect what is exactly I expect.
 

Generally, the narration in my film is basic a classical story ‘Alice in Wonderland’ which has been used many time in different film. The hero in the film has amazing one-day journey like Alice. She has a chance to adventure and constantly ask herself “who am I”. Through the journey in wonderland she tries to self-understanding, at the same time, the viewers captured and want to know “where is she”.

The famous story play the special influence power which can trigger the audiences’ subconscious and the viewer’s use their scope of knowledge to shape and spread the storyline and want to find the similar experience from hero. Everyone have the curiosity and aspiration. The storyline in my film fulfilled a dream of the audience who want to into another world of challenge and adventure. A good story has suspense. I accorded to this principle in my story. In my story, everything happened follow with the hero’s adventure and related to a fantastic experience. The characters were constantly in action in order to attract the audience’s attention. The audience had a few moments to notice these weird things and wants to know what happened next.

My storyline is an adaptation and modification of the classical story. However, I put the tradition story in the modern world. Through daily living, the environmental concept has gradually filtered into people’s minds; my storyline is integrated into the environmental protection concept. As we can see, there was increasing suspense to lead the storytelling through the beginning-middle-climax-end part. My story communicates the audience deeper feelings around surroundings. Also, in the end of the film ask a question. Does it become a kind of luxury? People want to be close to nature and run free in the fields.

To summarize, I totally argue that my storyline is very interesting and successfully attracts the audiences’ attention.

The overall color effect of my animation is a crayon drawing on paper. I need various planning of color matching. I should learn how to mix and match and more skills about colors design.

I cannot do character smoothly moving before. I found a pretty simple method for automating the animation from tutorial demonstrates. I painted character Multi-Layered in Photoshop and Rigging Multi-Layered use After Effects make it bend and fold more realistically. The final effect looks pertty.

The mouth and eyes are handy animated, used on the face as a nested composition and used FreeForm Pro for After Effects CS5 to get the head to be rounded. I learn new skills step by step and did lots of test. I achieved what is I expect of final effect and made the 2D character more subtle.

I expects to doing a film which looks like stop motion animation. I did some tests of real color paper and find that it is hard to control in post production of computer-generated. Actually, 3D background has the unique feeling of space. I want to add some 3D environment.The film should be mix 2D and 3D. Firstly, I am lack of using 3D software especially the part of rendering. This is a big risky part. Secondly, I am worried about mix 2D and 3D that I cannot get the effect which exactly I want to achieve. The 3D background is very hard combining with 2D character and other 2D elements.I did some tests. The result is discouraging.

I cannot spend lots of time to do it. So, I draw all the background, using photoshops. The graphics are nice and well presented in my project.

Scene 1 
1. Check the background (trees) not animated
2. The rabbit need color-needs to be visible
3. See rabbit jump down a hole

Scene 2
Shadow in middle of girl’s face need add

Scene 5
When the girl fall the leaf, she need bounce obviously.

Scene 6
The green plant needs more flexible movement. (Softer)

Scene 7
1. Water waves—— offset animation
Layering is particularly effective when there is a notable contrast in the shade or texture of two overlapping objects.
2. Camera moving
Girl need stand in when the boat appear
Boat Shot
a. Need to see boat
b. Lower down to see move of the boat

Scene 8
1. Boat stops jumping
2. Eaten by whale
 a. Whale’s mouth need faster
 b. girl facial+ body reaction——much more dramatic
3. Check pixel on whale (too low)
4. Cut shot of whale in the sea on own

Scene 9
1. Inside whale need water flow in with boat
2. Need calm water (change shape and movement)
3. Water spout effect needed

Scene 10
1. Outside whale
Shot the sea——-push camera up with spout water
2. 1 to 2 second falling down (more falling and movement)
Background fans faster
3. The airplane flees in

Scene 13
Clouds less attracting
Semi transparent
Blurred and softer
The color of clouds —-pale blue

The project allowed me to consider some elements I never thought of before. Firstly, I keep learning new technique (especially motion-control) and  gain more experience. Secondly, I should do production test for the main set of character(head rotations and Blink). In my blog, I will show some resources and tutorials. According to tutorials I know how to combine the puppet tool and Null objects to make a simple bone system for 2D puppets using After Effects .Thirdly, I must integrate my idea with practice and consider some risks. I have been using a blog not only record good resources but also keep tracking current production progress.

The style looks like the paper’s cutting works, using After Effect. I did some tests of real color paper and find that it is hard to control in post production of computer-generated.So, I will do all the working in computer.Actually, I like 3D background which has the unique feeling of space. The final project.I intended to mix 2D and 3D. I did some molding work in Cinema 4D and my character is 2D. The effect of mixing is not good enough and donot like paper’s cutting  which looks strange. I tried many times and waste lots of time which makes me giving up. I decided to using 2D piture and 3D layers in After Effects,then I  redesigned my last scene and it looks pretty good.

Moreover, I keep learning new technique every step and  gain more experience. I will show some resources and tutorials in my blog which broaden my vision. In addition, I must integrate my idea with practice and consider some changes. I keep rethink my work and making appropriate adjustments.

My project is basic on 2D animation. I hope my work looks like stop motion animation. I will do my level best to the face of character. It is really rough process of a character head. I used lots of time to learn 3D layers, distortion mesh and expressions in After Effects. It is an challenge to learn how to write programs and input expression in AE.