Working on assignment Time!!

Hmmmm lots of assignment work this week. Mark has been going around to each group to check out what has been happening in our assignments and offer any help.

He showed us the importance of silhouettes in getting the form of a character/ building ect… I found this very helpful and have done some of my own. Here is some examples :)

The group is still a bit sketchy as to the exact theme ect. of this story so these thumbs are not decided on yet- just some development!!!

Week 7!

Week seven!

- Again we had a brief overview of the next assignment. We were told that the end book must contain thumbnails showing the development of every finished design.
- The finished picture does not necessarily need to be complete (coloured, perfected/ cleaned-up), it can in fact be very messy as long as the RESEARCH, DESIGN and PROCESS is very clear and developed!!!!

Now onto the lecture! Today we learnt about VALUE!

Before colour comes value- the focal part of a rough should always be the lightest.
Darker values can be used to show objects in the foreground.

Mark gave us some tips on ‘Tonal Markers’- Dark (8,9,10) Mid (2,3) and Light (4,5,6).

NOTE: Don’t ever colour something before you do Value- this is the most important step to producing an effective interesting picture.

Principles of Value : Object Definition.
Expression
Decoration

Value is directly related to lighting. There are two types of Shadows:
Form shadows – Help to distinguish the ‘form’ of an object- ie- darkened face the eye-sockets may be shadowed but we know by their shape and position that eyes rest there.
Cast Shadows – An example is that a persons shadow on grass will not be sharp and clean but instead will move in bumpy cuts and crevasses along the grass (shows the landscape).

Every shadow in your picture should give you visual cues that can be read as a way to recognise what it is that we are looking at

Consider light source drawing. Always take into account that every picture you draw will have a light source.
Warm lights need cool shadows
Cool lights need warm shadows

Take into account reflective lights also- this will be very subtle but when added increase the quality of your drawing.

Neutral objects: be aware that hey will appear light against a darker shadows and dark against a lighter background volumes.

Hue: The base colour. Each colour can have only one Hue. On a computer screen and with paint creates totally different Hue qualities.
- Chroma: Intensity of the Hue.
- Temperature: a relative term- ie. Cool Red, Hot Red.

If you can or unless it in done intentionally, try to avoid flat colour. Adding very subtle patterning over a colour can create a richness and sensuality that wasn’t there before.

How to use Value effectively in your art.

- Advancing and Receding
- Locating the centre of interest (always the lighter part of the picture)
- Masking your values

Never have a totally neutral picture. (Avoid grey)- instead stay predominantly with light and dark.
Also avoid have the colour distribution too balanced. Try to follow:
20% either light or dark
60% Neutral
15% the remaining (light or dark)

Digital art- one tip is to go around the frame of the picture with an airbrush to darken the frame. This draws attention ‘into’ the picture.

This is the picture i did in preparation for Rapunzel! Which never happened!!!

Its a bit smudgy because its a photo....

Week 6 with EVIL MARK

Week 6- Group Time!!!!

Hmmm welst week 6 is a bit of a blurr- However i do recall 'Evil Mark' picking us (the girly group he says!!) and making us stand at the front of the room like rejects up for scrutiny! (After first lulling us into a false sense of security by letting us choose who we'd most want to be with... its the new sinister black hair!!!)

- So we were sorted into our groups for the next assignment by 'E' Mark (through deceit and trickery!!!)

Im actually really happy with mine. It's me, Wooders, Liam, Barry and Stacy which is awesome. We've already come up with some great ideas for a kind of post-apocalyptic world, giant horse worms, and there is totally a princess!! (Hurrah for Stacy and Rachael!)

Our story is 'Iron John' which i think is great because it has lots of different elements that everyone in the group can draw!! I typically wanted something romantic and pretty like repunzel (see pic!) but Wooders wanted something more along the lines of a Giant who breast feeds a midget man to make him grow! Soooooo... Iron John is the compromise!!! Huzzar!

I'm slightly insane today cause 3D is OVA which is great cause it means i can get to work on this new pre-pro assignment. Yessss. And that is week 6 Over!!!

Week FIVE blahh

LAYOUT

Once more we discussed layout and how we should go about doing it for the best results.

Field Guides:
16 Field is the largest used for TV
11 F. Long shot- full body
9 F. is used for close up’s on the face
10 F. mid shots (half body approx. .)
16 and 14 F.- are used for crowd shots.

Layout folders need to have a Cover Sheet: a page showing all aspects of a scene on one sheet of paper.

Trace off all layers in the correct positioning onto one sheet. This will act as a reference page to show all the props and character positions. .
Include camera movements and cameras co-ordinates also!!

Camera positions
To measure camera positions use the FG (field Guide) grid.
Each FG has a cross in its centre- use this to measure the change in location from the original guide to the new guide.

An example might be a long shot (11 f) to a close-up pan of face (9 f).
The new position of the 9 field might be 1 North 1.5 West (in terms of the grid squars being wroth 1 each)

The first camera position is always Blue.
The finish camera position is always Black.

Always be aware of TV essentials when Storyboarding.

Mark showed us using Duck Dodgers example how when you draw in BG’s of characters you must be aware of the whole room as a setup. Use many different pieces of paper which shown the environment the characters are in at all diff. angles to help draw the BG. This ensures consistency form on angle in the shot to another!!

Always draw bigger then you need- past the guide parameters!! That way if there is a problem and you need to move the shot slightly left or right you can without having to redraw!!

Tone: Drawn in tone and shadow using blue pencil. Apply diff tones of blue to get better depth.

Overlays:
Once BG is shaded place the character sheet over it.
Now you can draw in any overlays! This is any part of the Background that the character interacts with.

Indicate using another colour on the BG what the overlay is. Also draw in the overlay on the character page.

For all cover pages write a brief description of what is happening in the scene.

Last but not least draw down the camera positions- Blue starting pose, Black finish pose.


Fin!!!

Week Four !!

Hmm today we went briefly over the colours used in layouts again

Purple- shadows
Green- ‘same as’ Blue- roughs/tonal work
Red- anything reused (so you use this if you want to recycle background you have already drawn- this saves time and ensures consistency in drawings!)
Yellow- Special FX

Storyboard breakdowns- preparing the script for layout

Model Packs (given to every member of the team to look to for information)
Used to show divisions of a film.

MP sequence the film out
then break it into locations
- every character has a number (ie- ST32)
- there is a props list (usually in ¾ view only)
- any Special FX are observed (such as water, fire, smoke, light)
- reused backgrounds are also shown

Set Up- any shots or framing you reuse

With every Storyboard you do PUT IT UP ON WALLS.
This lets you stand back and observe how the SB works and if it flows properly. . .as well as showing if any shots can be reused.

Sequence it out as a normal story board. Sometimes ypou might find that very long SB throw you. So separate them into exterior and interior.
Reuses + Setups + BG reuses can now be worked out.

How to show a shot is to be reused: Reuses are always done in RED.
- Work through the SB frame by frame (up on wall) naming each ‘different’ background 1,2,3 ect. . .
- When you find a background appear again which has already been numbered simply give it the same number (so you may end up with five number 3 backgrounds because it was reused that many times).

Colour Model Packs:
These packs are given out during the design stage and given to all post-pro people.
This is to ensure that all the colours match in the final product and that there isn’t inconsistency in the colouring (clashing ect..)

Lay Out:
Character layout is done in Key Frames
Background layout is done in may layers known as ‘overlays’ and ‘underlays’.

Overlay (anything under the character)
Underlay (anything over the character)


Background Layout:
Take into consideration when doing a scene:
- does it have a ‘focal point’?
- is there a Background, Mid-ground and Foreground?

Make a habit of drawing the character or prop larger then the overlay – This gives you the flexibility to extend the position.

Match lines: Back in the day they never had overlays and instead had to match the lines up exactly. This was a bitch because it meant clean up had to match the lines perfectly or else the dreaded flicker would occur.

Always give characters ‘screen space’ (ie room to move in the frame) unless of course if is part of the feel of the scene not to. .

For example if a character we are watching front on is looking to their right then position them so as there is more space on their right hand side.


Hook up: scene plus the animation

MARK TIPS!

All roughs in layout are done in blue before you later go over it in a blue pencil

Re-pegging - This is where you rip the bottom of the paper off with peg holes on then stick on another in the new position you want. This is a very common practice in studios.

When starting your drawing always do the large broad shapes first, the details come later.

Clean-up: always look ahead of the line (let the eye guide the hand)

Fin!

I found this sub pic from second week and decided best to put it up now then not :)

Week Three Blogg Yay!

Today we learnt about the amazing land of storyboards!

- Storyboards can be vertical or horizontal- even diagonal if you wish (whatever suits the needs of your story best). You can accommodate and adapt SB templates to the needs of the story. . . ie- use a larger panel for one scene if it is a large or important part of the narritive (batman climbing up a building- use a single long vertical box)?

Position A – starting point for camera
Position B – finishing point.

- Through storyboarding you can show how the camera will adjust/pan in the scene.
Smash In- Fast sudden camera move, Bam!
Track- Normal everyday pan in/out
Drift In- very slow and subtle (this is good to indicate thoughtfulness and is effective to use when closing in on a characters face)- emphasising their state of mind/emotion.
Push Out- normal speed moving out from shot.

- When designing SB remember ‘Angles Are Our Friends’.
We were shown how Brad Bird used this principal in The Simpson’s. Bird brought in cinematic film conventions.
- Instead of flat planes, Bird brought in the rule of 3 Planes. This allowed for simple and cost effective animation that looks more effective and expensive.

During this tute we were shown the importance of camera position to show character’s state of mide/ social status/ emotions. For example Down Shots can express loneliness, dejection, or belittlement. . Up Shots on the other hand can propel a character forward from the screen, representing power and a dominating influence.
In a shot with multiple characters we can demonstrate who is the most powerful by placing them forward in the scene so that they dominate in size and placement over the other characters (the example used was Mr Burns in relation to his lawyers).

Placing the Horizon: In the centre is Boring!- Off centre is always more dynamic and effective. Lower Horizon line can play with depth perceptions- if used effectively can push ppl back or forward.

Over The Shoulder Shots- these are good to create mystery. They withhold information from the viewer- we can’t see the characters facial expressions. Can make the shot gloomier, more serious?

Transitions
In a single shot it can help to show two locations in relation to space and each other, allowing us a better understanding of geographical boundaries between places (ie- Bart’s bedroom window- through it we can see the tree house).

Focus (Atmosphere)
This is another way to portray characters emotions through camera shots, (ie- a down shot of a lone figure walking down a hallway, small and isolated by their surroundings?) This focus on the small figure helps create contrast with the rest of the composition emphasising how alone/sad/scared the character might be.

- You can play with these kinds of shots- creating conflict with what we know the character to be and changing the camera angle to position them opposite to what we believe. ie- Mr Burns in an up-shot (position of power) but with a scared or shocked expression.

180º Arch
Always remember this!! Be aware of which direction the character is looking and keep it consistent throughout the scene.

Cutting on Action
For example a lady is facing the window and a door slamming causes her to turn her head suddenly- we see only the beginning of her head begin to turn then there is a new shot with her head completely turned and facing door.

Composition
Rule of Three: Repetition in scenes can be calming to the eye. Repeating objects in shots can create balance and unity in a picture (ie- three pictures on the wall, three lamp posts on the street, three jars on a bench. . )
It is also best if u incorporate a Fore Ground, Mid Ground and Back Ground into your storyboarding: this creates depth to the shot as well as pleasing composition.
The rule of three can also be incorporated into colour and size of objects.

Picture Flow
The connection between objects in a shot with each other (do they flow around and besides each other nicely with effective contrast).
Using Picture Flow you can manipulate the picture to make the scene more dynamic, aggressive, repetitive, flat, calm or flowing.

- Never just draw a character front on with a flat centred background. Tilt the horizon to create contrast. Add in multiple planes to the background (ie instead of only two walls in the house visible make it three (add in ceiling/floor)- You can also decide if you want to use an Up or Down Shot of the character instead (much more interesting to look at).

- You can use these techniques to show relationships between characters- ie the most powerful character can be placed in the fore ground so they seem larger and dwarf the other character(s).

Colour
The closer an object is to the camera the darker and richer its colour becomes. You can push depth perception to create more interesting angles and atmosphere.
Avoid FLAT ANGLES at all times – They are boring!!

In this lecture Mark briefly went over what a Bipack Background was:
This is one B/G design multiplied 3 or 4 times- then put to Photoshop and each is given different sizes and colour. They are then put one behind the other expanding into the background to create depth.
A mush simpler and easier way to do this just as effectively is to lower the horizon line.

In the TUTE:
We were briefly shown how to transfer a Script to storyboard.
1. Always read the script through first then
2. start sketching and doodling in possible camera moves. This is my attempt (very dodge!)

Design main objects/ppl that are in the script separately- have a few different concepts- ie: the submerine was what we played with designing in the tute. . We had a brief description in the script and we could use our imagination to expand it from there :)

- When storyboarding use arrows!! This is the best way to show the direction of movement in a shot.

- We were also shown how to draw a ‘cross dissolve’ symbol as well as a ‘camera shake’.

Weeks one and two!!

Week one:

Today we watched some dvd's. One was on thumbnails- we were shown how Value (the depth between blacks and whites) is the best way of getting your ideas down on paper and can be used to form the picture before defining objects and then sketching the larger version.

Mark briefly talked about The World Of The Dark Crystal concept design book which was very interesting (I really like looking at concept designs from movies) we were explained how designs for production should not just be random but researched thoroughly. An example was the mathematical formula used in The Dark Crystal.

We were told that when designing it is important to have something that the audience can relate to. For example an office environment set in the future could still have rows of desks, coffee and smartly dressed office people sitting and looking busy. The building design or computer equipment might be something we don't recognise but we can still connect these other small things with an office environment.

We talked about Character Development: When developing a character always first consider their; past, present, future, beliefs, habits, likes, dislikes, age, gender, nationality, era, ect.

In general people can be classed into three main groups. Ecomorph (small bone structure, tall, long arms, flat chest), Endomorph (soft body, large bones, slow metabolism, round face,wide hips, short neck) and Mesomorph (hard body, thick neck, large chest, strong, gain and loose weight easily). When designing a character consider which group(s) they fit into.

At the end of the lesson our task was to take the Inn scene from the Grimm's Fairy Tale The Three Surgeons and research the period, architecture, food and living conditions of the time and then draw 5 or more thumbnails as well as one finished concept design from one of the thumbnail to be handed in by next Wednesday.

Ps, Mark might want to know that a few of us are having trouble getting onto the course content link?



Week two:


We watched a dvd featuring an insane freak drawing a city landscape scene using Photoshop which made me feel slightly sick it was that good! At the same time though I really enjoy watching artists create their art starting from scratch and forming something amazing, it always inspires me to practice more. I think the main purpose of this dvd was to reinforce some of the things we learnt last year including the 'Golden Section' rule which is that you should always place the horizon line off centre thus creating a more interesting and effective perspective drawing. It also demonstrated how the artist began his artwork- he put down the large blocks of colour first and slowly built the painting up before dealing with smaller details such as buildings, shadows ect..

In the tutorial we handed in our Inn Assignments. I'm really excited about the Grimm's Fairy Tale Assignment we have coming up. We were told that we would be working in groups which should be interesting. The Inn assignment was good practice for researching (an essential part of any pre-production design).




This is my finished concept piece, however Mark liked the one below better because it has a more interesting design and tells the viewer everything they need to know. I think that the one above is a little too centred and straight. The very bottom picture is an example of a cleaned up thumbnail and the research i did to form it.




At the end of the lesson we were given the task of a script breakdown (for the movie Strangers on a plane) and shot breakdown (Slither). These are used in preparation for concept art and story boarding.
We were told some terminology for shots (ie- L/S (long shot), Extreme L/S, POV (point of view), OS (as in peeping toms or detectives- ppl watching from a hidden spot), Dutch angle (horizon line tilted ect..
We were also given an address for an internet script database www.imsdb.com that can help us for our first assignment.

At the moment i am having trouble getting the powerpoint of L@G to see the right colours i need as well as the rest of camera shot terminology. .

When editing a film always be aware of Tempo in relation to where the scene should be cut. Sound is a very effective way of connecting different scenes whether it be off screen sound (atmos) or overlapping sound. Other methods such as the 180 degree rule are also good to remember.

Last but not least we were asked to make a Blogg to document what we have learnt, what we enjoyed, and what we didn't understand, sooooooo here it is :)