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Thursday 8 March 2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Period of 'rest' then an analysis...
A few days after I finished the 'When My Baby Comes' animation I went to Cuba on a family holiday. It's been a crazy few months. We moved to new work premises over Dec/Jan. I was working on my animation and a research proposal, then there was Xmas to deal with... I feel like it was the beginning of December then I just blinked for a second and it was February 9th and I was on a flight to Cuba.
In between finishing the animation and leaving for Cuba I managed to show the video to a few friends and family. Verdicts varied depending on how drunk the viewer was. I decided to get my iphone out in the pub and showed a few mates there. 5 and a half minutes seems to be way too long if you've had more than 5 pints, so at the beginning of the night people watched intently and by the end of the evening people were having to close one eye just to focus on the screen. Note to self; be more selective when it comes to sourcing a test audience.
I enjoyed animating again but I feel like my best work (as always) was towards the end of filming. The editing process was interesting as the animation was mostly improvised, or at least not planned in the traditional way.
I can't storyboard for shit, never have been able to. The storyboards that I have attempted have mostly fizzled out after about 3 drawings. It has never helped me to draw out the animation beforehand in this way. I know that it should be helpful, I can totally understand the logic behind it but it hasn't worked in that way for me. Instead I spend my time carefully considering the levels of meaning and the subject matter. In this case I looked at the lyrical content and considered the general tone or sound of the music. The lyrics gave me the semblance of a narrative and pointed towards the type of object that might feel right which is always a good starting point.
I listened to the song as a whole first. The initial listen didn't give me much idea of what the song 'meant' as I wasn't trying to pick out anything in particular. Most of the initial impact came from the instruments employed and the use of melody, pitch and tempo which immediately inspired the overall aesthetic of the piece. After that I listened to the lyrics more and transcribed them until I started to decipher the meaning. I checked online to see what was written about the deeper meaning of the song and a narrative involving a young, pregnant rape-victim seemed to be emerging.
The song has an institutional feel so I knew this would have to be implied in the imagery too. I had some ideas about a clinical set, mocking up a corridor and making doors and beds. In the end I decided that the set was going to be too large and cumbersome. Possibly too expensive as well as my budget was very small. I spent most of my time perusing junk shops and e-bay in search of objects that seemed apt. I looked for surgical instruments, clock hands, bones, cages, time-telling instruments... anything that felt right. Before I knew it I had a huge collection of slightly macabre objects. Reflecting on my own practice I realise that this period of 'gathering' is one of the most important processes that I employ in the conception of an animation. It usually comes right before the filming and can become a bit frenzied as I have a last minute panic search just in case there's something perfect out there that I have somehow missed. In the case of this animation I indulged in quite a long period of gathering and creating objects.
The objects that I choose to animate often have meaning to me as well as relating to the narrative. The animations that involve Elizabeth (Broken Objects, Elizabeth as Abigail, Murderer and When My Baby Comes) have themes and objects in common. The lighting is often dramatic or would be if I always had access to good lighting, it often veers towards dark. I have a tendency to use visceral imagery, fluids, foods or objects that repulse slightly. Themes of guilt and punishment and an attempt to convey a sense of foreboding...
Some objects are inspired solely by the narrative or tone of the music. This song screamed 'bones!' and the passing of time. All very 'Vanitas', with a nod towards Steam-punk. That is the direction I meandered in.
I explored the space in which I was to animate and devised a rough framework for the types of shot that it would be possible to use. The tempo of the song dictated the editing techniques that should be employed in a way. I listen and I can 'see' where the cuts need to be, what should be close, what should be slow etc.
Really the animation is the part that is difficult to explain. I just do what feels right based on all of the information and materials that I have at hand when I start. I play.
I think back and can remember very little beyond being alone in the dark and moving things a little bit at a time. I should probably try harder to record my working methods but I don't want to interrupt the process. Disruption tends to impede animation. I think maybe that's why I feel that the work I do towards the latter end of filming is always my best. I've had more time to get into it and mostly my longer stints are in the last few days of filming. I think this one took 2 weeks to film, or thereabouts.
The edit is amazingly pleasurable as I almost always have animated more than I think I have. I used some repetitive imagery so that during the edit I could have a bank of cut-aways so as to avoid jump-cutting and to aid the feeling of an accelerating tempo. I don't always film things in a chronological order and as I never have a storyboard to work from I make sure that the footage I have is versatile enough that I can improvise during the edit. I fine tune bits, taking out any mistakes or general rubbish bits. I get to put my big headphones on and endlessly have my finger on the space bar playing and pausing the film on the time-line looking for he ideal cutting point, syncing sound and image, cutting, pasting, rendering... Lovely...
Now I just need to find something else to animate...
In between finishing the animation and leaving for Cuba I managed to show the video to a few friends and family. Verdicts varied depending on how drunk the viewer was. I decided to get my iphone out in the pub and showed a few mates there. 5 and a half minutes seems to be way too long if you've had more than 5 pints, so at the beginning of the night people watched intently and by the end of the evening people were having to close one eye just to focus on the screen. Note to self; be more selective when it comes to sourcing a test audience.
I enjoyed animating again but I feel like my best work (as always) was towards the end of filming. The editing process was interesting as the animation was mostly improvised, or at least not planned in the traditional way.
I can't storyboard for shit, never have been able to. The storyboards that I have attempted have mostly fizzled out after about 3 drawings. It has never helped me to draw out the animation beforehand in this way. I know that it should be helpful, I can totally understand the logic behind it but it hasn't worked in that way for me. Instead I spend my time carefully considering the levels of meaning and the subject matter. In this case I looked at the lyrical content and considered the general tone or sound of the music. The lyrics gave me the semblance of a narrative and pointed towards the type of object that might feel right which is always a good starting point.
I listened to the song as a whole first. The initial listen didn't give me much idea of what the song 'meant' as I wasn't trying to pick out anything in particular. Most of the initial impact came from the instruments employed and the use of melody, pitch and tempo which immediately inspired the overall aesthetic of the piece. After that I listened to the lyrics more and transcribed them until I started to decipher the meaning. I checked online to see what was written about the deeper meaning of the song and a narrative involving a young, pregnant rape-victim seemed to be emerging.
The song has an institutional feel so I knew this would have to be implied in the imagery too. I had some ideas about a clinical set, mocking up a corridor and making doors and beds. In the end I decided that the set was going to be too large and cumbersome. Possibly too expensive as well as my budget was very small. I spent most of my time perusing junk shops and e-bay in search of objects that seemed apt. I looked for surgical instruments, clock hands, bones, cages, time-telling instruments... anything that felt right. Before I knew it I had a huge collection of slightly macabre objects. Reflecting on my own practice I realise that this period of 'gathering' is one of the most important processes that I employ in the conception of an animation. It usually comes right before the filming and can become a bit frenzied as I have a last minute panic search just in case there's something perfect out there that I have somehow missed. In the case of this animation I indulged in quite a long period of gathering and creating objects.
The objects that I choose to animate often have meaning to me as well as relating to the narrative. The animations that involve Elizabeth (Broken Objects, Elizabeth as Abigail, Murderer and When My Baby Comes) have themes and objects in common. The lighting is often dramatic or would be if I always had access to good lighting, it often veers towards dark. I have a tendency to use visceral imagery, fluids, foods or objects that repulse slightly. Themes of guilt and punishment and an attempt to convey a sense of foreboding...
Some objects are inspired solely by the narrative or tone of the music. This song screamed 'bones!' and the passing of time. All very 'Vanitas', with a nod towards Steam-punk. That is the direction I meandered in.
I explored the space in which I was to animate and devised a rough framework for the types of shot that it would be possible to use. The tempo of the song dictated the editing techniques that should be employed in a way. I listen and I can 'see' where the cuts need to be, what should be close, what should be slow etc.
Really the animation is the part that is difficult to explain. I just do what feels right based on all of the information and materials that I have at hand when I start. I play.
I think back and can remember very little beyond being alone in the dark and moving things a little bit at a time. I should probably try harder to record my working methods but I don't want to interrupt the process. Disruption tends to impede animation. I think maybe that's why I feel that the work I do towards the latter end of filming is always my best. I've had more time to get into it and mostly my longer stints are in the last few days of filming. I think this one took 2 weeks to film, or thereabouts.
The edit is amazingly pleasurable as I almost always have animated more than I think I have. I used some repetitive imagery so that during the edit I could have a bank of cut-aways so as to avoid jump-cutting and to aid the feeling of an accelerating tempo. I don't always film things in a chronological order and as I never have a storyboard to work from I make sure that the footage I have is versatile enough that I can improvise during the edit. I fine tune bits, taking out any mistakes or general rubbish bits. I get to put my big headphones on and endlessly have my finger on the space bar playing and pausing the film on the time-line looking for he ideal cutting point, syncing sound and image, cutting, pasting, rendering... Lovely...
Now I just need to find something else to animate...
Saturday 21 January 2012
Production...
The place that I am working in is an old staircase which is blocked off at the top. There is a landing half way up so the stairs continue in the other direction. I am mostly working on the landing though because of where it is blocked off there's not quite enough room to stand, so I have to crouch or sit. I'm OK at negotiating small spaces so the lack of vertical space isn't too much of a problem.
Good things about the space:
Problems:
Not being able to pin the models has been the most inconvenient thing about the shoot. I've had to use very close shots so that I can actually hold or gaffa tape the models out of shot. I've even had to use bluetack in places! I have considered changing Elizabeth's feet so that they have short spikes built into the bottom as the pin-wheel seemed to have spikes of the right depth to go into the floor. It seemed like a lot of effort to go to though when I might only use them for 1 scene. It's been very hard to fix anything to the floor though, so the final scene will have to be set up carefully to avoid any of the models 'floating' around.
Good things about the space:
- It has the perfect look, cracked walls, chipped paint & dirt.
- The stairs themselves are handy for standing small lights etc.
- It's cold in there but is a small space so it heats up quickly with the help of a small, portable radiator.
Problems:
- The wooden floor is to hard to get the pins in for pinning models etc.
- It is a bit cramped.
- There's no power points so I have to run an extension lead in there for power.
Not being able to pin the models has been the most inconvenient thing about the shoot. I've had to use very close shots so that I can actually hold or gaffa tape the models out of shot. I've even had to use bluetack in places! I have considered changing Elizabeth's feet so that they have short spikes built into the bottom as the pin-wheel seemed to have spikes of the right depth to go into the floor. It seemed like a lot of effort to go to though when I might only use them for 1 scene. It's been very hard to fix anything to the floor though, so the final scene will have to be set up carefully to avoid any of the models 'floating' around.
Tuesday 17 January 2012
Sunday 15 January 2012
First and only 'teaser' video.
I'm not going to keep updating this blog with bits of animation but I will throw this out there. It was just a test to see how the creature would function and how the set looked but I think it acts as a nice teaser for the final animation:
LINK
LINK
Progress, progress progress...
For the last 2 months I have been looking for a good place to film and have been making lots of props and creatures. I scaled back on my initial narrative-based idea as my location is too small for a set. I have focussed on the characters and their nuances in the hope that they will help to convey the themes within the song.
I have kept the main sources of inspiration that I took from the song. The clinical setting, violation, desperate anticipation, sexuality, vileness & impending uncertainty.
Clinical setting
I had planned on the whole animation being staged in a corridor much like This. However, due to the size of the models that I am using I would need to make a set that was about 6 feet long, as the doors would have to open into rooms I would require depth beyond just the focal length of the camera. I still clung to the idea of a corridor right until the last possible minute when I had to concede defeat and admit that I couldn't find a location that could accommodate that scale of production. Instead I concentrated on finding props and adding a clinical feel to the characters. The Spider (Neith) and the caterpillar (Morag) are wrapped in bandages. Elizabeth has a hospital gown. I found an old syringe (originally used for culinary purposes but looks medical), forceps and a pin wheel (used for measuring sensory perception). Hopefully this will give an institutional feel.
Violation & Sexuality.
The creature that I made from fox bones & various other bones is to have a long tongue made from meat (possibly a bit of steak). The connotations are obvious so I don't feel I have to offer an explanation for that. I'm building up to animating that scene and it will probably be the last bit that I animate as it will be messy and expressive. I need to mentally prepare for it.
Vileness
Elizabeth will be bleeding through her hospital gown and will have hooks attached to her wooden body which are in turn attached to her burden. The 'set' is old and stained, with cracks in the walls and peeling paint. I will be using meat. There are worms depicted on one of the clock-faces. The bones that I have used have been painted so that they look aged and decrepit. I also have some beetles that will scurry around.
Desperate anticipation and impending uncertainty
There will be some very obvious devices used to convey a sense of passing time. Clocks and a sand-timer. The pace of the animation will increase as the 'event' nears, this gives Elizabeth a chance to express her desperation during the final third of the track. The outro is about 1:30 which I think is a good amount of time to unleash the visual action. As the outro is repetitive the viewer will have the chance to fully appreciate any visuals without much narrative suggestion coming from the lyrics.
I have kept the main sources of inspiration that I took from the song. The clinical setting, violation, desperate anticipation, sexuality, vileness & impending uncertainty.
Clinical setting
I had planned on the whole animation being staged in a corridor much like This. However, due to the size of the models that I am using I would need to make a set that was about 6 feet long, as the doors would have to open into rooms I would require depth beyond just the focal length of the camera. I still clung to the idea of a corridor right until the last possible minute when I had to concede defeat and admit that I couldn't find a location that could accommodate that scale of production. Instead I concentrated on finding props and adding a clinical feel to the characters. The Spider (Neith) and the caterpillar (Morag) are wrapped in bandages. Elizabeth has a hospital gown. I found an old syringe (originally used for culinary purposes but looks medical), forceps and a pin wheel (used for measuring sensory perception). Hopefully this will give an institutional feel.
Violation & Sexuality.
The creature that I made from fox bones & various other bones is to have a long tongue made from meat (possibly a bit of steak). The connotations are obvious so I don't feel I have to offer an explanation for that. I'm building up to animating that scene and it will probably be the last bit that I animate as it will be messy and expressive. I need to mentally prepare for it.
Vileness
Elizabeth will be bleeding through her hospital gown and will have hooks attached to her wooden body which are in turn attached to her burden. The 'set' is old and stained, with cracks in the walls and peeling paint. I will be using meat. There are worms depicted on one of the clock-faces. The bones that I have used have been painted so that they look aged and decrepit. I also have some beetles that will scurry around.
Desperate anticipation and impending uncertainty
There will be some very obvious devices used to convey a sense of passing time. Clocks and a sand-timer. The pace of the animation will increase as the 'event' nears, this gives Elizabeth a chance to express her desperation during the final third of the track. The outro is about 1:30 which I think is a good amount of time to unleash the visual action. As the outro is repetitive the viewer will have the chance to fully appreciate any visuals without much narrative suggestion coming from the lyrics.
Friday 4 November 2011
Caterpillar creature...
This creature started off its life as the atlas vertebra of a seal that was washed up on Waxham beach and picked up by me.
I contemplated what eyes should be used and where to have them:
To be continued...
I contemplated what eyes should be used and where to have them:
To be continued...
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