Asset Sheet:

Above is a asset sheet that I have made to show what types of stationary I have used and in what scene. It is useful to see where each piece of stationary was used in the production. It is an easy guide to see what is needed for the shots. 

Call Sheet:

The image above is a call sheet. It shows important information about who is involved in the animation and contact information. As I am the only person working on the production I have only mentioned myself. It also shows information of when I eat breakfast and take time for a break to eat lunch. The sheet also shows what needs to be done every lesson and where the process should take place.

Shot Log Sheets:

Animation Set Up

The Process:

To begin with I downloaded DragonFrame and began to get some test images from the software. I had to alter the cameras settings to get a good white background. I also had to make sure that the 18-55 mm slr lens was set to manual mode. After 50 frames I exported the file to see what the stop motion looked like. 

To get the correct display settings for the screen that I wanted I had to tweak the display settings. 

Set Up:

Firstly I set up the Stop Motion equipment and set the camera to the correct height that i required. I then attached the cameras wires to the laptop and camera. Then i launched Dragonframe and the camera was recognised. The cameras settings needed to be tweaked slightly so i did that before animating. After the settings were all correct I laid out my stationary and began to animate frame by frame. Each image taken was one frame. I was working at 12.5 frames per seconds. Overall I have taken 12.5 x 125 = 1562 frames.  After exporting the shots I then imported the clips into Premier. Once in Premier I adjusted the colour and scale of the shots. 

Problems that Occurred:

Camera loosing connection and power: I lost the power of the battery in the SLR a few times and lost all previous shots. To solve this I had a back up battery on charge ready for when the other one was low. 

Moving objects in the wrong place: When I placed the stationary on the scene paper I had to then move them every so slightly to get it to look like they moving. On some occasions the movement wasn't in the right place. To solve this I used the Onionskin tool in DragonFrame. This tool shows where the stationary was placed in the last previous shot and shows where it can be moved for the next shot. 

Storyboards:

To create my story boards for the animation I have taken digital images using the DSLR. I have done this so that I know how to lay out the stationary and other items when it comes to the real creation process. 

Update of Animation:

23/06/14 Update:

I have got my 2 minute animation with sounds and am pleased with it so far. I have exported the files and have looked at the production all together and it is looking good. I am going to work on the soundtrack and the sounds of the different stationary. 

When filming using the DSLR camera the shots came out rather dull using DragonFrame. To solve this issue I imported the clips into Premier and adjusted the colour, brightness and contrast. 

Before

After

Overall I am pleased with what I have achieved in each lesson; as i have been adding more seconds to my final piece each lesson. 

Dragon Frame:

Due to costings I have used a 30 day free trial of DragonFrame which is an industry standard stop motion program. After figuring out how to use it properly I was sorted and was moving through my shots rapidly. At the end of a lesson I had around 4-9 seconds of good quality stop motion animation to view. I would then import what I had done into Premier and then build up my timeline. During that process I would adjust colours and brightness. With some clips I had to scale up on them as a small part of the desk was shown in the clip. 

Adding Sounds:

I searched for the sounds on FreeSounds.org . It took some hunting to find some relevant sounds. But once they were downloaded and imported they made the animation more interesting. 

Below is my 1st edit with a backing track and sound effects that are relevant to the stationary I used. Overall, I am pleased with the result but i am going to continue making it better. 

Rough Rut

Written Interpretation:

Test Footage:

Test Footage:

Below are some short video clips that I have shot using the DSLR cameras. I have also used the Dragon frame Stop Motion software to complete the shots. This was my first proper go with the software and getting to grips with it. 

Initial Planning:

Form:
I am going to produce an advert. The advert will be shown on the television and will also be shown in-between videos on Youtube. 

Type:
The type of animation will be stop - motion. Stop motion also known as stop frame is an animation technique which makes a physical object appear to move on its own. The object is moved very slightly and a photo is shot. This creates the illusion of movement when the frames are played back in a continuous sequence. Dolls are often used as they have moveable limbs. But not all stop motion animation uses dolls or figures, many stop motion films can involve humans, household items and other objects. I am going to use the technique of stop motion for my animation. Stop motion is taking a series of many photos and then playing them back quickly. This will then seem as the objects are moving. This will be difficult to get correct and will take some trail and error. I will require a DSLR camera which I will need to change the settings on so that it will capture my shots correctly. I will also need a background and props for the film. For example, the same background image or same place. I will also need a tripod which can move on a ball joint. This will make it easier to shoot the shots. I could connect my laptop to the camera via Canons EOS utility software to see what my camera will be shooting. After the shots have been shot i will need some software to finalise the production. Such as AE Premier or After Effects. 

Genre
The genre of animation will fit into animated tv stop motion. It will be shown on tv and the internet. It will fit into the genre of animation as it is an animated production. It is different to the traditional animation method which used hand drawn images. Stop  motion uses figures or real objects. 

Storyline:

At the beginning of the production the pencils and other stationary will escape from the pencil case. They are travelling to the shop that they were bought from so that they can unite with all the other stationary. The animation will show them moving out and getting back to their original home. 

Animation Treatment:

Inspiration: Stop Motion

For my project I think i am going to try to do something that involves existing objects. I have looked on Youtube for some videos that I like and give me some inspiration. 

Technique:

Stop motion also known as stop frame is an animation technique which makes a physical object appear to move on its own. The object is moved very slightly and a photo is shot. This creates the illusion of movement when the frames are played back in a continuous sequence. Dolls are often used as they have moveable limbs. But not all stop motion animation uses dolls or figures, many stop motion films can involve humans, household items and other objects.

I am going to use the technique of stop motion for my animation. Stop motion is taking a series of many photos and then playing them back quickly. This will then seem as the objects are moving. This will be difficult to get correct and will take some trail and error. 


Equipment required:

I will require a DSLR camera which I will need to change the settings on so that it will capture my shots correctly. I will also need a background and props for the film. For example, the same background image or same place. I will also need a tripod which can move on a ball joint. This will make it easier to shoot the shots. I could connect my laptop to the camera via Canons EOS utility software to see what my camera will be shooting. After the shots have been shot i will need some software to finalise the production. Such as AE Premier or After Effects. 

I think i am going to work alone. My reason for this is that I don't want to be waiting for others who don't want to work efficiently or correctly. I am not afraid of starting over if things dont go right first time and am not afraid of doing all the necessary paperwork documents on my own. 

I want to use a table for my animation as it will be easy for my objects to sit on and move slightly. I also want the canvas to look colourful and bright when taken into Premier ect. I want to use bold lines and bright colours. I am going to create an example frame of how I want the frames to look. 

Structure: 

At the beginning of the production the pencils and other stationary will escape from the pencil case. They are travelling to the shop that they were bought from so that they can unite with all the other stationary. The animation will show them moving out and getting back to their original home. 

Using AE Flash

AE Flash:

Adobe Flash (formerly called Macromedia Flash) is a multimedia and software platform. it is used to create vector graphics, animations and games. After creation the files can be viewed in Adobe Flash Player. The program is also used to stream video and audio. it can be used to create advertisements and interactive media content for web pages. Flash can manipulate vector and raster graphics and provide text, drawings and animation.

To begin with I imported some existing drawings that were found on the internet. I then imported them into the flash program. After that I added a blank keyframe to the timeline. This is used so that i can add the data i wish to add. I added each image and then added another blank keyframe in-between.

Then i used the onion skin tool to let me see the previous two frames. I could then place my images over the top in the correct places. 

After i had my guy jumping i created a ball for him to jump over. 

Prezi Creation:

I have created a visual presentation that can be scrolled through by a viewer. It was created on a site named prezi.com. I have put the important details of the production in which will give the viewer an insite to what the animation will be about. 

Product Pitch:

Scheduling:

Scheduling:

I have looked into how long it takes to create different animations. Below is a table showing how long it takes to create different animations. The time shown is for the finished product.

Below are some videos that show how the animations were created. Videos including:

Frozen, SouthPark, Peppa Pig, and The Simpsons. 

The schedule above shown the production schedule for an 85 minute long feature film. 

Current Trends:

I think that my production will fit in with whats available at the moment. The characters are unique and will grab the viewers attention. There will be more series available if the first series goes well and receives good reviews. It has some elements of currents shows such SouthPark and Recess. For example both of the shows mentioned are set in a school. My production will start in a school and will then focus on the characters in their homes. 

Overall, I think that the show will fit in with current shows but will offer something different for new viewers to watch and then continue to watch the show. I think the best channel for the show would be The cartoon Network. It has some shows likes this but i think that The School Teens will fit in well. The series will be shown every weekday at 5pm. This will be because the school children will be home from school and is a prime tv slot. 

Carry on from the animation there will be some merchandise created. Items such as :

• Character Figures
• Feature Length Films on DVD
• Stationary
• Posters
• Bags
• Toys

Target Audience:

Target Audience:

Age group: 14-17
Gender - Mostly male viewers

Example:

Name: Reece
Aged: 16
Average day:
Reece's average day is travelling to college on the public bus. He arrives at college early to catch up with some work before his first lesson. After his first lesson his goes to the common room to meet up with his friends and to eat a snack. He travels home at 4 o'clock each day and gets home around 4:50.
Hobbies and Interests:
Reece enjoys playing snooker, football and pool in his spare time. He plays for his local football team and goes up the local snooker hall at weekends.  
Spending power:
Reece has a Saturday job in pound land and earns £7.89 an hour. He works from 7am til 12. He also saves his money from his birthdays.
Media Consumption:
He likes to watch action films and some humorous animated series. He also likes to watch anything he takes a fancy to that is on the cartoon network.
At weekends he goes to his Dad's home and he uses his dads 27' iMac to play computer games on. He enjoys using his dads imac because of the incredible graphics that the mac offers.

Rio 2 Representations:

The writer of Rio 2 believes that the animation is problematic because of who its characters are represented. The characters who are supposed to be living in Rio and were born in Rio are voiced by white Americans. This will be confusing for the viewer as the viewer will be expecting a rather foreign voice instead of an American voice. Different colour skin has been represented incorrectly in the film. For example, the humans in Rio are darker skinned and the humans who live in other countries are more of a pinkie colour. This could have been corrected by more research and looking into real life stories.


American stereotypes:
In films such as Shrek and Transformers the African-American stereo types have all been the same. Rio 2 isn't much different. Every African-American stereotype is very much the same as in every other film.

PEPs:

Dr Charles Da Costa has written material on racial stereotyping in animation and it has the context of the portrayals in it and he calls it 'PEPs'. Problem contexts, entertainment contexts and performance contexts. Within PEPs blacks are associated with vexing circumstances says Da Costa. He also says "Strive to pacify, make others happy and be exceptional or extraordinary – far from 'normal'. Villainy, exoticism, jocularity and athleticism are common indicators of this malaise. Images of ethnicity do not need to be conveyed within the narrow scope of PEPs."

Da Costa thinks that the character design process is too quick. If the designs of characters were taken slightly more seriously the stereotypes may not be so in the face of the viewer. Also he thinks that the stereotypes in animation these days are safe. For example, the different races in the animations are simple and haven't been thought about fully.

Turbo:  

In the film Turbo the voice of the white person's character goes further in life that the other characters that are voiced by the others such as people who are black or of other races. Overall, the white voiced american character goes further and achieves social mobility.