As I reach what I'm hoping is my final semester at Shepherd University, I am faced with a daunting final challenge: the Senior Capstone project. Some sort of combination project and presentation of my own choosing that I'll be working on throughout the semester. The project I've chosen is to create a short animated film, using the 3D animation program DaZ Studio. I'll also have to incorporate Final Cut, SoundTrack Pro, and possibly a few other programs in the final production. I'll be tracking my progress through weekly blogs, and with this first one I'll discuss some animated shorts I came upon for research and inspiration.
The first video I'll discuss is called "Pigeon: Impossible" and it is by Martell Animation. It's a funny little animation about a CIA agent who has some troubles from a pigeon. Check it out here:
This video is important to me on a couple of different levels. The first is how realistic the world is. Aside from the slightly cartoony appearance of the people, the entire world is fully realized in a way that is exceptionally similar to our own. One of my favorite examples is the interior of the CIA briefcase, with all the buttons and the full keyboard. Secondly, the way that the pigeon is animated. His face is fully capable of stretching and twisting like a human's, giving him the ability to smile or show surprise or fear. This humanizes him a little, and makes him more likeable and sympathetic. As I considered his characterization, I realized that if the pigeon were restricted to the expressions of an actual pigeon, a lot of his antics would seem more like a stupid bird flailing around in the briefcase as opposed to a curious character pressing different buttons.
Another aspect of the pigeon that struck me was the limited amount of humanization he was given. Unlike other bird characters in other works, which may be able to use their wings like hands, this bird was only given the facial expressions (and the ability to pilot what is essentially a fighter, but that's besides the point) and pressed buttons and moved objects using his beak. I think this limitation keeps the viewer from rooting for the bird as much as the agent, and I need to keep that in mind when using non-human characters in my own animation. Should I give them no humanization, they will be more like objects, not gaining any sympathy from the viewer or at most very little. If I give them too much humanization, the viewer may lose the direction I want to take them in.
The next animation I wanted to discuss was called Fallen Art, by Tomek Baginski. You can view it here:
What struck me about this animation, especially in contrast to the others I'll be listing here, was how much detail went into the faces and skin of the various characters. They aren't smooth spheres and shapes like in the others. They actually have wrinkles, dirt, texture. This adds a level of depth and grotesqueness to their appearances, but I believe that was the point. The entire film seems a satire of military operations and the minds of people in power, and the strange appearances of the characters fits that very well. Paying special attention to texture detail gives this world a stark believability and I realize that I need to make a design choice with my animation: do I want to work on this level of detail (or rather a comparable level given my time constraints) or should I look for other ways to make the world believable?
The next animation we'll look at is my favorite of the four, from an animation standpoint. It's called ALARM, by Team Mesai. Check it out here:
What I like most about this animation is the extreme level of detail that went into realizing this world as a physical space. While watching it pay close attention to how the curtains sway, and how their swaying changes the lighting in the room, and how the protagonist's pajamas sway and move with him. They flow realistically, the items he carries, throws, or otherwise interacts with seem to have mass and weight, even in just their appearance. What this tells me in analysis is that even with non-realistic looking characters, little, subtle actions during production can make the world all the more believable.
The final animation I'd like to talk about is called Cat's Meow, by Jorge Garcia. Check it out here:
In a huge contrast to the last two animations, this one goes for a very simple, but very effective, visual style that depends more on classic exaggeration of movement and comedic effect and less on detail or physical realism. What I gain from this animation is that both styles are completely valid, and if I can work my animation to be visually appealing (like this one) it doesn't have to be very realistic at all. The full humanization of the cat and the classic cartoon antics it and its owner get into provide a fun and believable environment that was a joy to watch.
I feel that these videos, plus a few others I watched, gave me a good understanding of what people of both professional and collegiate experience go for in their animations. While I haven't quite decided on the theme of my own, I think these videos were a good starting point for figuring out how I should approach my project. I'm looking forward to getting a good work out there that could possibly be comparable to some of these.
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