film by Erica Russell

http://youtu.be/IG1ZCfx-iwM
this is a dancing film by Erica Russell, which portray the love.

an beautiful animation

http://youtu.be/k0oBUxPNPXY

This is an beautiful animation from ERICA RUSSELL, which recommended by amy. i would like to reference the shape of the figures to my film. i think it's a good example using shape to show the human body.

the drawing test in last two weeks,test6

these videos still carry on the dancing part. The first video, i add more frame after the last one. In my imagination it will be smooth after add more frames but it doesn't so nice as I expected. Then i delete some frame try to make it more rhythm and more nice. it tested out in the second video, so pity it still not as good as i imagined. i showed it to some of my classmates, they suggest me to control the timing and rhythm in action. So on the next day, i add, delete or delay some frame in several actions or even extrude some gestures. Now the result is showing on the third video. It still need to modify but i need to put it down for some days because i always focus on this action in before two weeks. i can't recognize the time in this action. i will carry on the next action but still thinking how to make the whole film smooth and fluently.  

the drawing test in last two weeks,test5

the two are the same movement but it in different timing. i draw this movement referenced by a chinese traditional dancing which is an love story in old china. It's a story about the two people love each other but due to the rule of the society and the married law in old china, they can't get together. Their families force them to separate. The girl's parent force her marry to a man but she didn't love him. The girl struggling to escape the old rule control but she can't. At the end she suicided. When the man who deeply love this girl heard this news. He killed himself as well. Finally, their sprite transform to be a pair of butterfly. They live together at the end.

I choose this video as a reference because it is a similar story with mine. i reference the dancing to show the deeply love between them. Difference from this video is i will exaggerate some movement and pick up some movement rearrange them to fit my story. here is the first movement pencil test. but i need add more frame to smooth the movement. After i show this test to Matthrew he suggested me to apply the animation principles into my drawings. Especially learn the 'cushion'. See how is it works in animation.

the drawing test in last two weeks,test4

this is the carry on dancing part1, in this part i suppose after they separate and then they turning face to face, at the same time they mix together, then they get each color from the other one. but after draw this movement i feel it would be better to make them dancing together to show the love of them. so in the following two weeks i draw the dancing of the two figures.

the drawing test in last two weeks,test3

this part is the two figures part1 dancing movement. in my own view it's ok, but i still thinking how to make the dancing and the shaking move nice. try to arrange the timing properly.

the drawing test in last two weeks,test2

this is the test after the two figure separate. i think it's fine. how do you think. welcome your guys comment.

the drawing test in last two weeks,test1

here is the part one movement test. i draw it using pencil on paper.  i think the movement at beginning  is  all right but when the yinyan separate transform to the man and the girl is not very good. After i talk with Matthrew, he gave me a good suggestion. The problem is when the two part separate the both head  it doesn't move follow a arc. so the movement up down, up down. so i need to change a little bit to make the movement smooth.

tutorial with leonie

today, i talked the story with leonie, she give me some useful suggestions. here it is:
1, it is need to keep transform smooth and pretty, not to many, keep a smooth rhythm to direct the story
2, show clear the direction of the bird, which is to show the two journey of the bird:go and back.
3, on the returning journey of the bird need to show how hard the task for the bird.
4, the sea-face of the man need on the same side. this detail information is very important but i ignore it

something about the ending
in leonie's opinion my story with a sad ending, that's because this couple be together at the end but after died. maybe i can think about the other happy ending. here is her suggestion, they transform to a human they dancing together then rotating together to the YING YANG at the end.

what i'm thinking
1,the important plot of the story line is the couple transform to the bird and the sea starting with the storm then maybe the bird and the sea can be back to human.
2, show montage of repetition of stone filling journey then how to connect other shots.

i will redraw the rough storyboard give a clear structure of the story and starting animation.

tutorial with matthrew

this video was done by yesterday, i show it to matthrew. it is some animation ideas.  i talked with mat mainly to solve the problem for camera moving on paper, how to show depth and energy in this abstract film. also i add some more scenes to show how hard for the bird to pick up stones. 

my test for animation style

interesting video

the rough storyboard

this is the rough storyboard for the final film. i try to use the abstract way to tell this story. it begins with 'YIN YANG' which means every two opposite things,but alive rely on each other. for example, the man and women, they are the two opposite people in the nature. however, the human developing needs man and women rely on each other to achieve it. so many things like this in our life, such as day and night, sun and moon, and so on. This just the idea for the film. i will do some develop in the drawing process.

After present this to others, i got these problem need to solve:

first, it need add more shots angle, most of the shots in the storyboard are too flat.

second, it still need to add more dynamic shots and movement to rich the visual effect.

third, it would be better add more shot to keep the story line clear.

some pice music

http://youtu.be/PkOyhApI5aw

a test

this is a short pencil test on transformation of the line,  just to see how the pictures work together. And in next step i need to think about how make the picture in good quality. Even think about the background and the concept arts of this film. 

positive and negative space

Rubin’s vase (sometimes known as the Rubin face or the figure–ground vase) is a famous set of cognitive optical illusions developed around 1915 by the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin. They were first introduced at large in Rubin’s two-volume work, the Danish-languageSynsoplevede Figurer (“Visual Figures”), which was very well received; Rubin included a number of examples, like a Maltese cross figure in black and white, but the one that became the most famous was his vase example, perhaps because the Maltese cross one could also be easily interpreted as a black and white beachball.

Some interesting pictures

These pictures are recommend by Amy. It give me some ideas on how to build up and rich images. Using the shape of color to show the characters. Specially to emphasis is using the positive and negative space to rich the images and give more imagine to the audience. I will try to use this idea to show the part which birds flying through the forest and the hills. Combine the color shape and line to describe the bird in windy and raining day. Hope it works. 

Britannia

videos for reference

This is another referenced movie, made by caroline leaf. I noticed the camera moving and the  connection of the scenes. It’s an example to explain how can i do the scenes connection.

the developed idea

Take consider of Matthrew’s suggestion, i’m thinking maybe through transform and shape changing to show my idea is the better way. Even, i like this film style and the fluent images make a strong visual effect. The moving and transformation between each scene can guide audience’ s thinking. I probably referencing this style to do my final film.

some inspiration

Yesterday, after i talked with matthrew, i got some inspiration about the film style. I showed the new storyboard, it make the story clear, but it too long to make a short film. I will try to do this film in a new style. using transformation in an abstract way to build up the visual images. I probably do some little example in next week to present. ok, this is the link of these reference film. hope your like it.

 Stressed by Karen Kelly http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43lFxHeWYi0
The Street by Caroline Leaf  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSbD6CNGynA
Britannia  by Joanna Quinn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKSLu2n7jL4

talking on the dissertation

Today, i talk about the dissertation with Caroline, what exciting me is she recommended an animator to me. His film Hedgehog In Fog which inspired me a lot on my final film. So, i share it with everyone.

presentation on11th oct.2011

Today, we did a presentation to show the works we did before. I show some developed ideas and some changes on my final film. At the end, i talk about some problems i got when i'm thinking about the new storyboard with my classmates. The two things we talked about is: the first one, how can i give the reason why bird throw stones into the sea; the second is, how do i do the dancing part in the film. This part is difficult for me, it's a challenge. I would love to do some work on it, even do some dancing part test to try is it available for me to do this in my film.

I got suggest is i need to analysis how to make the storyboard tell a clear story. And to take a consideration do i need to put the dancing part into the film. Moreover, emphasized by everyone is how can i make a strong and works story line out. The following week, i need draw a storyboard to solve the these problems. and give an idea about the character design.

dance drawing practice

this is some drawing practice, i drew it in a dancing house in last week. I found it movement is so fast. i can't catch all  beautiful movement. it's a practice. I try to get some ideas.

Pre-stories for the final film ideas

In June i started thinking about my final film idea. Initial,  i got three idea for the final project, but after talk with Lionel, i choose the first one as the final film story. In the following, i will display what they are and how did i think about them.

The first one: it is a part of the scriptwriting stories. This story is adapt from Chinese old story ''jin wei tian hai''. It's a story talk about the relationship between a father and a daughter. They love each other. One day, the daughter boating on the sea, the Sea devil want to get this beautiful girl. So, he waving the waves to swallowing her. Her father transform to a bird because the spell words. Her father want to rescues his daughter. Then, he keeping throwing stones into the sea never stop, never mind windy, raining. He hope one day the sea can be fill full, the sea devil will die. He can meet his daughter again. At last, he move the God. God help them meet again. This story describe the deeply father's love. In nowadays, we  developed this story as a proverb to portray a man keeping doing something never give up, even to praised the spirit of courage and perseverance.

The second one: it's about a human revaluation story. using the one single cel growth and division to display how human developed from one cel. In this story, it will describe a cell transforming step by step. first single cell transform to multiple cell, after this growing a fish,a amphibians, a bird, a reptile and so on. Until this cell growing into a human. At last, human died then it is a cell again.

The third one: There are two country, a mountain country and a water country. the people in the water country lives on water . They living on fish but no vegetables. The people in the mountain country living on a vegetables but they don't have fish. One day,  the mountain country launching a war for the food. They through the stones into the water. Finally, none of the people is survived.

return back

After a long break, I return back to UK. During the vacation, i went back to my hometown, it a small town in china. More worse is  because some reasons i can't connect internet during in China. It seems like i'm slowing in the final project. i will do more work from now on. i will keep upload my blog in time to recording and critical my works everyday or every week. Welcome anyone post comment, ideas or suggest to me. Moving now!

my love animation video

this is an advertisement of Hillton, the line transform is so good. love it.

animation practice for taxonomies

this is an animate for taxonomies use flash working on 2 days. it's not a good visible result. i try to learn using shape and other simple things to give more strong visual impact. if you have some ideas to improve it welcome comments.

animation storyboard for taxonomies

this practice for evaluation myself, i try to use shape and color to express emotion. using composition to give a strong visual impact. used to be, i tell a story use characters acting.  in this practice i want to thinking about animation in a new way. but i was failed. fortunately, this practice had given me a new way understanding animation. share with you. hoping to see some advise on how to improve it.

story: my favorite color are red, yellow and blue. red make me happy, blue give me sensible mind，and yellow give warming feeling. i hate black, it looks like give press.

taxonomies 50 images

these pictures have some similar elements from one to the next one. i love this practice. it  gives a good journey for my brain. so enjoy it.