Homework for Friday, and Monday: 10/23 and 10/27

Due Friday!

Drop your Anything Project and your Life Drawing (Draw 12 characters, in perspective in the same environment!) on the server in the "Place your images here" folder on the server by FRIDAY at 3:00!


Due Monday!
Just as we did in class, find a 5 minute sequence of an animated or live action film, show, short, etc.  Draw the storyboards for that sequence! In order!  All of them!

You must use a minimum of 60 (3 pages) boards, but I imagine most of you will need at least 100. (5 sheets)  Go for clarity and quality!

In addition to that, read the two post below this one! An introduction to animated storytelling, and intro to cinematography!

Have a nice weekend everyone! =D

Introduction to Animated Storytelling!

Review the formula for a movie's "Three Act Structure" at these links:http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThreeActStructure
http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/pruter/film/threeact.htm
http://scripteach.com/?page_id=223

Introduction to Cimetography: Shot Types, the Rule of Thirds, and more!

Note: The following resources were compiled from various resources on the internet. Pick and choose and find what works best of you! That said, there are three books that will need to be in your library if you want to be the best at what you do, be it animation, illustration, or more cinematic photography.

Why are we learning shot types?  The only way for you to expand your knowledge as a visual storyteller is to know all of the formulas and conventions you have at your disposal.  Even one new frame could be the difference between an amateur production and presentation and a visual masterpiece of storytelling!

A list of helpful books for cinematic storytelling, good for both Animation and Live Cinema!

http://www.amazon.com/Cinematic-Storytelling-Powerful-Conventions-Filmmaker/dp/193290705X

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Shots-Vol-2nd-Techniques/dp/1615930876/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Shots-Volume-Shooting-Dialogue/dp/1615930558/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

THE RULE OF THIRDS:

http://digital-photography-school.com/rule-of-thirds

http://vimeo.com/14315821

VARIOUS CAMERA SHOTS:

Basic Shots: http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/

Advanced shots begin to manipulate the camera and treat it as more of a character in the film, moving and swaying between angles and shots to create a more lived in space:

Examples:  http://revision4gcses.wordpress.com/media-studies/camera-anglesmovementshots/

Dolly shots are some of the most advanced, yet easiest to preform in animation.  Dolly shots are where the camera trucks, weaving in and out of the scene, around characters, key environment elements, and other places.  (in short, move the camera from one side to the next)

Two Shot: A medium shot with two subjects.

Overhead shot (bird's eye view):  Camera is facing down from above.

Canted shot:  When the camera is tilted on it's axis so that normally vertical lines appear slanted to the left or right.  Ordinary expectations are frustrated.  Often used to create mystery and suspense in films to create a sense of unease in the viewer.

http://www.slideshare.net/StaceySmith1/camera-shots-and-angles-5618222

Handheld Shot:  "shaky cam"  sometimes played up in action scenes to suggest a state of unrest.

Remember that the shots you use already come loaded with information for your character to use.  Also remember that keeping the camera steady in some instances will give your character pivotal moments to come alive.

BONUS: Notes on camera angle diversity: Notes on camera diversity.

http://www.demotix.com/blog/advice/1072724/creating-shot-list-diversity-your-camera-angles-and-image-submissions

FOCUSED CASE STUDY that Teaches Cinematography: 
The Cinematography of the Incredibles, parts 1-3.

Staging and blocking for animation: 

Why do we stage and block shots?  To better plan our animation.  It's a good idea to have a list of documents for what our cartoon will be.  Printouts of our character and our character's expressions for easy reference.  Printouts or organized sketches for your characters.  Documents of the action and shot direction. Drawings of where you think your shots will be.  And, it makes you feel better about the work you do. Seeing the pieces of your cartoon come together creates a sense of pride in your cartoon, as if you are doing something important that many people are simply unable to do.  It's the truth.

Things to remember when planning cinematography:

Practice your draftsmanship!  Draw lighter in the beginning, sketch first, refine second!  We will animate our character through drawing frames!  Block out each shot.  Export your drawings out of Storyboard pro as a pdf.  You can board on paper, or photoshop, and scan in too.  but we will make an animatic of your work for the final.

The ULTIMATE 5-POINT CRITIQUE METHOD OF HELPFUL CONSTRUCTIVE AWESOMENESS (and stuff!)

• 1st:  What is the most successful thing about your walk?  (STORYTELLING) (+ +)
• 2nd: (+)
• 3rd: (*) Something working, but still needs to be refined further.
• 4th: (-)
• 5th:  What is the thing that needs the most improvement in your walk cycle? (- -)

Homework for Monday, October 20th!

Please come to class with the following!
Blue and Red Pencils, in addition to your usual materials! We will not animate on this day, but I will spend some class talking about how to use multiple colors for drafting animated works!

A)  Your Hour of Life Drawing!  Use the tricks we've learned about perspective and the like to capture the following:

1) Environments!
2) Figures with a sense of motion, weight, and movement!
3) Environments and figures together!

We have talked about perspective in class today, if you were absent, get with a student to see what you have missed! I'm giving extra credit on our life drawing assignment to any student that is able to "see one, do one, teach one...." that is, demonstrate to a student that was absent what we have covered today.

B)  In addition to that, clean up your assignments! You have the weekend to finish everything!  We will start class by critiquing what we have been working on! Monday will be a class no one is allowed to miss, and you will be graded for critique!  Feel free to glance at everyone's work on the server.  Be sure to save copies of your work!

C)  Remember: Your Anything Assignment is due Wednesday! You can do another research assignment!

D)  Also,
1) Make a blogger.
2) Make a youtube page.
2) Make a vimeo account.

(if you only have your school email address, please go to gmail and make a new, professional email address for yourself! The easy go-to one is firstnamelastname@gmail.com)

Check List for Midterms!

Midterms will be used to refine each of your projects for final grading! As an excellent rule of thumb, you want to have your six-second acting test nearly completed on Monday so we can give final feedback before you turn in each assignment. On the server, I have created a folder called "MIDTERM ASSIGNMENTS" that showcases how I want your work turned in and arranged.

Final deadline for all assignments is 5:00 PM Friday.  Any assignments that are timestamped later that this will be considered late.

I will grade based on the following for each assignment:

PROJECT 1:  BALL BOUNCE

• Craftsmanship: Clean lines? Solid transitions?
• Timing of your ball bounce: (Too fast? too slow?)
• Spacing of your ball bounce: (Positioning of your drawings. Remember to check the easing of your animation's movements!)
• Clarity of storytelling: Are we beginning to push away from your animation simply being a ball bouncing across the screen?  Is it becoming something new?
• Environment staging, color choice and pallets: Does your color scheme feel arbitrary, or does it supplement the "story?" Does the stage enhance the storytelling as well?

PROJECT 2: WALK CYCLE

• Accuracy of Figure Drawing
• Clarity of Walk Cycle:  Is the movement and motion clear?
• Solidity of volume and modeling: Is the character you have animated "on model?" (meaning: are the proportions for your character right?)
• Craftsmanship
• Color choice and environment:  How does the environment used in your walk cycle enhance your story?

PROJECT 3: WEEKEND RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

Grading will be done based on completion.

PROJECT 4: Six-second Acting Test (Remember: done at 24 fps. if currently done on 12fps, will need to double all the work.)

• Craftsmanship: (cleanliness of linear, clarity of figure, figure’s emotions)
• Weight distribution, volume, and spacing:  Does your character move believably within a three-dimensional space?
• Timing: Do your character’s actions have believable timing?
• Clarity of storytelling: Are we able to understand the story at hand through the character’s actions? Are those actions believable? Do they illicit an emotional response in the audience. (Question to think about: how do I want my audience to feel watching this scene?)
• Number of drawings: 72 Drawings, with properly labeled keys, extremes, and in-betweens.
• Consistency of drawing: Are your characters on model? Do they lose their solidity over time? Are lines shaky, or wiggly?

PROJECT 5: Weekly 1-Hour Life Drawing Sketches!

• FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY: bring your hour of life-drawing sketches to class!  I will review them, grade them, and give you specific tips for future classes! NO EXCEPTIONS!