So here's a basic storyboard for my final project. I'm still working on my character design, and a lot of how the action and story progresses depends on the background I'm shooting and using. So for now I just have the basic story arc in a simplified space.
Now as for the backgrounds, I've found where I'm going to photograph. Its the back side of the hightone and its kind of gritty, full of graffiti, and has lots of pipes, wires and other things my character can interact with. My plan is to shoot pictures closer up and stitch them together into something my character can move around in. I'm also planning to Photoshop them so they progress from darker down low to brighter up top.
Lastly, as for in my story board Im considering when the character goes into light, another color in his stencil appears. So using masks I'm going to highlight some of the features in his figure. proably using white. Similar to this:
I was having trouble coming up with my idea for this project. Thought, I think I finally found something that I find interesting, and could actually carry out.
For my project I'm envisioning making a narrative with a a solid color graffiti stencil character, and using actual photographic backgrounds. He should look as if he is a decoration on a the environment and I want him to wander around on interacting with things in the background.
Plot:
As far as the narrative's plot goes, I'm think just a basic three act structure starting with:
1. the character on the ground level,which is rather kinda dark and grungy, wandering about looking kinda lethargic.
2. Eventually he gets inspired, by light rays shinning down, to climb upwards toward the light, and it follows his journey upward with maybe a few set backs.
3. The resolution is that finally after some work, he makes it to the top of a building to see the sky.
Technical:
I'm planning to go shoot my own backgrounds from somewhere in the city, hopefully going up a building. Then I'd like to basically stitch them together in photoshop to create my landscape, along with some editing to make them more dramatic.
Resources/Inspiration:
As far as technically in after effects, I was intrigued again by the guys at corridor digital, and their graphic violence piece. I like the aesthetic they created using some green screen and masking/coloring to make themselves appear on to the wall. Also how they appear to interact with their wall environment is interesting.
They also have a making of video that breaks down their effects. Although I'm not using live footage or greenscreen, I think I can still apply some of their techniques.
In After effects, I'm planning to create a rigged silhouette character, and using filters, layer styles, and masks to make him look as if he's part of the flat on the wall. And move him around the photographic environment I created.
I was also inspired by the silhouette character from the game limbo. Which is a side scrolling platform game, that has a kinda of dark and melancholy aesthetic.
Lastly, I'm toying with the idea of doing the piece to a song or at the least having background city sounds and sound effects. I was curious what everyone thinks about that.
For my tutorial, I wanted to re-do the text from the intro of my character animation. This is where the title side kicked fades in and then side kicks the kicked and it shatters. The original animation was simple, but thats because I did it rather quickly without researching it that much. This time I wanted to make it more epic and I got to use the pixel polly, cc force motion blur, and fast blur effects. I also added a screen shake with position and wiggler. Over all I think the effects is more awesome and dramatic. It might be a little over the top, and it might have taken everything I could form adding an a fire explosion, but over-all im happy.
The two tutorials I used to get a base for this were both from VideoCoPilot, and I had to listen to andrew kramer. Though they were good tutorials.
So for this assignment, we just had to play around with the 3d-ish capabilities of after effects. Well I got a little ambitious, and I wanted to image what the first mario level would look like with the same textures just extruded out horizontally. Also I wanted to turn it into a first person perspective. Well I learned its kinda tricky to position everything accurately, but with practice I got better at it. I also learned its better to just place the rotation point and think about what degree you need to move it and enter that value, instead of trying to rotate it with just the mouse. Other than that I quite like it. Also I had seen this previously and used it as my inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBb9wFP7uZM
Well I think I've finally perfected my piece, and I've got to say that I'm still damn proud of what I've made so far. Through it all its taught me a shit ton, such as set my sights realistically and to learn to work within the limits of what the program is good at. If I follow that I should end with a good piece, no matter what. I think I was a little ambition when I first envisioned this story, but I think I think I executed it pretty well. For this being my first story driven piece, I really pushed myself to make it about something that pertains to me, and I feel connected to this character now. As I struggle with the same problems, and my biggest fear is loneliness and abandonment.
I also think I did pretty well on character design despite my experience in illustration, as I'm not a very experienced illustrator.
Woo, after weeks of working on it, my character animation is finally finished. The biggest thing I learned through this entire process over anything, was the lesson I keep learning over and over is that I need to get better at time management. I've slowly gotten better over the years about it, but I spent many nights up late working in the Mac Labs. I would've liked to get more sleep, but animation came first. I also kept putting off working on an animation for my other class to work on this one, and now its coming back to bite me in the ass.
As far as technical prowesses goes, I have a much much better handle on how after effects. I also more than anything know the limits in After Effects in what I can do, as its not a straight animation program. And It takes a certain kind of masochist to do character based animations in it, by choice. I do like how readily able it incorporates with all the other adobe programs, but even then some things are a bit weird like shortcuts and renaming layers.
Overall I'm happy with what I've created, and have actually grown quite fond of my character. Who still doesn't have a name, but anywho. I'm proud of what I accomplished as I'm still new to animation in general, but I dont think it shows in my work.
