Post Game Work

I went to the USC game versus Cal this weekend, and it was a fun break from work. I bought the tickets for Jordan's birthday, so it was nice to enjoy the time with him. Sadly I couldn't lose the entire day. I went back to the basement to work after the game.

Starting to Animate!

After a few tests, I've finally started animating. I'm diving right into production by starting with a 24 second continuous shot. That may not seem like a long time, but when you're drawing every frame (24 frames in one second) it really starts to add up. This is just the beginning of my 24 weeks of animating under the camera. Here are a few pictures of my set-up and of me working, courtesy of Linda Jules.

If you're wondering about the face mask, it's because of the charcoal dust of the drawings. A little bit is ok, but I think breathing that in for months might do some damage. I'm also working with a digital downshooter along with two lights, and a computer running Dragonframe Stop Motion Software. 

Plan your Work

One of my undergrad professors always said, "Plan your work, and work your plan." This is exactly what I'm doing for my thesis project since it's the biggest project I've ever done.

Figuring out how exactly to plan such a massive project has felt pretty overwhelming to me. There are so many details to think about. My thesis advisor, Sheila Sofian, suggested that I start by using a point system to organize shots, and create a calendar based of this. I think this will help me out a great deal. I plan on finishing up my thorough production schedule in the next couple of days.

Storyboards

I developed storyboards over several weeks, and I'm still editing and adding boards. Here's an example of a portion of boards I created for my film. I worked on these in the spring and have already changed many of these images.

Storyboards are basically visual scripts for animation and are sometimes used in live action. Animators create pretty thorough boards because they help us develop timing and plan out scenes and actions of characters. We do most of our story editing in pre-production, and I'm currently in this phase. My boards are fairly rough. I just try to get the information in there so I know what's going on in that shot. Don't worry, my film will look better than these sketches!

Style Frames

I developed a few style frames to capture the mood and style I'm hoping to achieve in Living Without. These frames are based on possible images from the film. They also demonstrate the subtraction drawing technique I will use in the animation.

Letting your mind wander

My Pre-Thesis advisor Christine Panushka was such a great influence in developing my idea. She allowed my classmates and me to let go and explore our ideas thoroughly before settling down. Here are a few sketches from my exploration.

Film References

Several films have inspired me in developing the look of my film. These filmmakers know how to create wonderful films with compelling stories, elegant compositions, and strong emotions.

I also looked at William Kentridge for his impressive technique with charcoal. He is a real master of additive hand-drawn animation and an artistic genius.

When the Day Breaks - Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

 Two Sisters - Caroline Leaf

William Kentridge

Black Soul - Martine Chartrand

Frederic Back