Learning Agreement [Version 2]

Animation has been a passion of mine. The works of ‘Hayao Miyazaki’ have really inspired me. Other animations that have really motivated me are ‘Belleville Rendezvous’, ‘Flatworld’ and ‘The Old Lady and the Pigeons’. I have asked myself, ‘What is animation?’ and this is something I will try and answer through my project. I aim to design and animate a short film. I want to develop new skills, using CGI and mixing it with 2D animation techniques, by exploring possibilities using 3D Studio Max and vector programs. Stop frame animation would be my choice for an alternative route. But it is such a time consuming process that I would attempt developing this skill during my third year. I have done a tiny bit this year, just to get a feel for it and I did find it fun to do. It does however have its limitations which I need to fully understand if I’m to master this technique.

The film, ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ is an amazing collaboration of animation meets live action. But what are the differences between animation and live action? Animation is the technique in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually whether generated as CGI, photography or a drawn image or by repeatedly making small changes and then photographing the result. Film is a simulation of movement created by displaying a series of images through frames. So at a fundamental level there is very little difference between live action and animation. Although as processes there are differences. Film is a record of life i.e. something that has happened. Animation merely invokes a feeling of life. In animation the motion only exists when it is played. The real signature of animation is the fact that it takes the art of illusion one step further than any other visual media. All forms of animation not only produce an illusion of a reality, but an illusion of physical existence. In film or video, a false reality is portrayed using items and actors that do (or did), physically exist during the film’s creation, whether or not they existed in the way in which they are portrayed. Animation, however, goes beyond this and creates (through its illusions) items, actors, and entire worlds that have never existed and never will, in any physical reality at all, except within the depths of our own imaginations. I love watching animation as it really appeals to me. There are so many different techniques of animation and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. It’s such a challenging art form to experiment with and I really appreciate that fact. I enjoy the challenge, and making my characters come alive.

Sound and animation should work together. This is what makes animation successful, which can mean sound is more important than the animation itself. The viewer probably won’t remember or notice correct sounds used in animation but they will instantly notice if you use no sound or bad sounds. The effect of sound is subconscious and that is what makes it so powerful. I feel sound is going to be very important to the success of this project. I have a friend who is on a sound engineering course and has done the sound on some of my older animations. He will be able to help me with this aspect of the project although it won’t be implemented till my third year.

While experimenting with 3D Studio Max, I have found it very challenging and satisfying. Mainly I have just been learning how to use the program to see what I can achieve with it. Through using tutorials and experimentation I have been exploring ways to animate vector based characters in a three dimensional world.

When I started this project, the final outcome was going to be a short animated story. The story for my animation had stemmed from the experience of living with my housemates. It is about what happens if the washing up is left too long. There has been a lot of conflict in the house over the year and this is where most of my ideas have come from. The story is based around what actually lives in the washing up. A surreal new world starts to evolve. Through recent research I have decided to shift the focus from narrative driven work to develop my animation skills. By doing more abstract experiments, I think my work will become less stagnant. There will still be an under lining narrative but this will be less obvious. The beauty of animation is that you can do anything with it and I am beginning to understand that more and more as I progress through this journey.

All my work is kept on my blogger account. I’ve found this extremely useful because it makes it so easy to just look back on things and to show my progression. The address is http://lukeweatherill.blogspot.com/.