Tuesday 23 February 2010

Looking at Slapstick

Today I was talking to Phil about my story board. We were brain storming ideas of how I should go about making my storyboard. We thought of the beginning and the end, but the middle was giving me some trouble. So Phil told me to look at some slapstick comedy to give me ideas of making some thing simple into something disastrous. So today I watched a lot of slap stick cartoons, mostly Goofy's series. I first looked at Donald Duck because in every situation he always looses his temper, So I thought I could look at the temper outburst of slapstick, the second was Goofy because he always turn something simple into a disaster, and I also know that he has a very flexible body, since he turns into knot with the object he is using. I thought he would be a good reference for the contortionist part of my story. And finally Tom and Jerry, these guys are just full of slap stick, with hurting each other, the expressions they make when feeling pain, and their bizarre rivalry of cat and mouse.

Here are some videos I found to be very helpful with my story.

Goofy The Art of Skiing


Donald Duck Bellboy Donald


and Donald Duck Sea Scouts

Monday 22 February 2010

My storybaords: phil can look at them when he has time

Here are my storyboards for my shot story.
The first one is about the main character coming outside to see everyones houses covered with Christmas decorations. He then look at his house and felt left out so he went back in to see what decorations to cover up his house in. He found some fairy lights but they are in tangles. few moments later the character got himself tangled in the fairy lights. The character then hopped to the window to look at the houses again to motivate him to decorate his house. He then notice a big bird like shape coming close, it is a plane. The character was amaze at how close it was, he then lost his balance and fell from the window. When he woke up he see the plane up close. I haven't finish this storyboard but it ends with the character closing his eyes and hope nothing bad happens to him. When he open his eyes he see everyone's houses destroyed except his. The character then picked himself up still tangled and hopped to his door calling it a day. But when he got to his door, he discovered it is locked and that's how it ends for the story.





The idea was good for the time, but I realise that there were some holes like why the plane crashed into the houses and why his house unharmed. The idea was that the plane hits all the houses that were lit up, but misses the one that aren't. I also felt that this idea was insensitive, because it has a plane crashing into houses. Don't want to be heartless to the people who suffered this ordeal.


The next Story board is follows the same idea but this time it starts with the character on the roof. He looks at the houses to inspire him to decorate his house. he then takes out the fairy light but they are in tangles so he tries to untangle them. In the sky however we see pilots who are lost in the sky until they see a row of lights. Back to the character we see him all tied up by the fairy lights, he then see a plane parked near to his house. The door of the plane opens on top of the character. Again I have drawn out the ending but it ends with the pilots making a mistake and leave, the character then slides down the house onto the ground.



This also sound good but I felt I could of done better. I did bother making the character this time, but when I might consider his design for my final character.


The last one is another path for the second storyboard idea, it takes right after when the character tries to untangle the fairy lights. Out of frustration he tosses the fairy lights in the air, not knowing he is wrapped by them. The fairy lights are then caught by the plane's landing gear. The character is then pulled by the plane. It ends with the plane landed at the airport, we then pan to the left seeing the character all tied up in the most uncomfortable position. We then see him waving good bye to us.



I like this idea but I might make some changes. For one I could remove the scene with him looking at the houses. And maybe have an airport employee coming outside seeing the character tied up. The character could be waving at him.

Tell me what you think

Rope (1948)

Today I watched the film 'Rope', by Alfred Hitchcock, and it is amazing.



It begins with a murder in an apartment. The two killers Brandon Shaw, played by John Dall, and Phillip Morgan, played by Farly Granger, killed their former classmate David Kently and they hid his body in a big chest. The two of them then turn the chest into a table by placing a table cloth on it, candles and food to serve their guests. No one suspect a thing, they felt that the crime they committed was the perfect crime. Until they notice that David is missing and the two host/killers are acting very weird. Soon one of the guests, Rupert Cadel played by James Stewart, stated to suspect that the two hosts did something to David. Near the end of the film he found out that Brandon and John killed David, Brandon said they did it because he lacked the intelligence for living, but Rupert felt there was more to it that that.

I had my doubts when I heard this film was about two killers covering a murder and trying to keep it a secret from their guests and all of this was in one big shot with no editing. But hearing it and seeing it are two different things. When I watched this film it stated with the murder, but when I heard the victim screaming it didn't feel convincing. And at that moment I thought this film would not be too interesting, until when the guest for the party arrive and started to talk to each other. Getting to know the type of people the two killers hang out with. We also get to know the killers them selves, understanding them a bit more. For example Brandon stutters when excited and he always see people who are not smarter than him as inferior and which there was a law to kill them, I don't know if those was a joke or not but it's not funny. What impress me the most is how Rupert at first believe that same way as Brandon but once he actually see David's dead body he realise that what he was thinking is a horrible and sick world. Again I don't know if what he was saying was a joke but Davids dead body was a real eye opener. What I really like about this film a lot though is how Brandon just act normal but at the same time saying in his weird way that he killed someone and you don't know how or were I put the body. It also feels like Brandon is playing a game with Phillip, seeing who will keep quite about the incident the longest. And all this was one big shot with no editing, only the begging was edited but only once
It shows that you don't need to edit films too much as long you have a solid story and an idea of how the shots will be taken.

Thursday 18 February 2010

Black Hole

Today I watched Black Hole. It is about n employee who was printing some documents until one of the documents came out with a big black circle. He thought nothing of it at first until he place his cup of coffee on top of the circle, the coffee then vanish. He then discover that the circle was a dimension hole. He then started to experiment with it like placing the hole on the vending machine, to see if he can get some candy, he was right. Then suddenly from a playful experiment to abusing the hole's power by using it to break into the safe of the company he works for.



The objects I found when watching this film was an employee, a black hole and a safe.
The first act starts with the employee printing out some documents. Suddenly one of the documents came out with a big black circle. He thought it was nothing and placed the circle top of an object. He then drank his coffee and placed it on the circle. The coffee then vanished. Soon he discover the circle was actually a black hole.
In the second act he then started to experiment with the black hole by using it to break into the vending machine to get some candy.
In final act The employee the decided to use the black hole for his own greedy deed by breaking into the safe of the company he works for. He stuck the hole of the face of the safe and started to take out the money. He then went inside the hole to get some more out. Until the hole drops from the safe and the employee is then trap inside.

This short shows what would happen if someone who is miserable at his job, founds something that is out worldly, in this case the black hole, and abuses it's power for their own deeds. But beware of the consequences or your greed might be your down fall.

The Annoying Orange

Today I have stumble upon a weird short animation series called 'The Annoying Orange'
It's about an orange who talks to the fruits, vegetable, and the objects around him while annoying them at the same time. It ends with the objects that he is talking to end up being sliced, juiced or kicked. While nothing happens to him.
This is a weird seires because it keeps the same theme, Orange annoy the objects, the objects burts out of rage saying to the orange how annoying he is and finished with the objects that the orange is talking to dying.
Sometimes there are points when the orange doesn't annoy the objects and sometime the orange gets annoyed himself when someone annoys him.
And all of this is done in 2 minutes. It's weird yet amusing.

Reach

Today I watched a short film called Reach. It's about a robot, which is the size of a mouse, who want to go outside. But it can't because it is connected to it's power supply, which is a big box. However the little robot doesn't care it still wants to go outside.



This short film is very cute and emotional. The cuteness comes from the little robot with it's adorable expression, While the emotional part comes from the robots shear determination to go outside to see the world.
I saw how the three act set-up was done. The first act is for the robot to power up and observe it's surroundings. The second comes when we see the robot struggeling to go outside with the obstcules stopping it, one of them is the power supply and the other is a screw that weadge it's self under the box. And the final act is the robot finally breacking free from the wire that connects it and the box and finally able to go putside only to be stop by one final obstacule, it's own short live power supply.
This short was well thought out with us rooting for the little robot and it's freedom, it's too bad that in the end it didn't get it.

Sunday 14 February 2010

New ideas: Santa's Coming, A & B The Christmas Cracker

I fought of two stories that both sounds good and a bit realistic.

The first idea is for now titled Santa's Coming.

Act one
It begins with Santa landing on the roof of a house ( the way the decorations are placed on the roof of the house resembles that of an airplane runway.) Once he is on the roof Santa the went down the chimney like a contortionist.

Act two
When Santa enters the house through the chimney he then started placing down the presents. He heard a noise from a toy that startles him (he bumped into a tree that has some decorations on). He was relief until the tree he bumped into fell on him. when he got up he placed the tree where it was, but then the lights went on. it was the mother.
She said in a tired voice " Yawn* who's there, is that you dear, are you placing the presents?" Santa was thinking to him self what to say in this situation. " you even worn a Santa's outfit just in case the children might come down stairs how sweet of you" the Mum said. Santa replied "hhhhoooo" while nodding his head. The Mum gave Santa a kiss on the cheek and said " I'll be Waiting for you upstairs when you're done." The Mum went up stairs, Santa was again in relief, and so he gavers his things so he will be on his way. At the same time when the Mum was in bed, the farther said in his tired voice " Yawn* who was that dear?" The Mum replied I was just talking to you dear, you were down stairs placing the present under the Christmas tree. Yawn* you even worn a Santa's outfit. The Dad replied " that's good of me placing the presents under the Christmas tree and wearing a Santa outfit." he then woke up and spoke in a surprise voice " wait what?".
Santa over heard their conversation and decided to be on his way. He was making his way to the chimney but was caught by the fairy lights. The noise from upstairs gotten louder. When Santa finally gotten out of the fairy lights the Dad came down stairs.

Act three
The Dad spoke in an angry tone" Who's there?". Santa was then panicking and out of desperation he jumped out the window, leaving he's bag behind and ran for his life.

I thought I would make Santa speak in ho ho hos. The thing about this story is that it's sound like it's too long but I could try to make it fit in one minute if this was my final decision.

The next idea was for now called A & B the Christmas Cracker.

Act one
A and B finished eating their Christmas dinner so it is time to open the crackers.

Act 2
The goal is to see who gets the most prizes from the crackers the most. B keeps getting more prizes from the crackers then A, Which is really annoying him. A then finally snaps. He then tied up B with some fairy lights and stuff him in a small package (the package might have a bow on it with a card saying to Somewhere love A). A then went to the Post office and tells them to post the package to somewhere. We then see a montage of how the postmen deliver the package, it finish with the airplane taking off. A came home but sees B sitting on a chair looking angry.

Act3
A then nervously sat down and saw one last cracker on the table. It ends with the two of them opening the cracker with an explosion aimed at A, but A finally got his prize

They might speak in mumbles but we get the idea of what they are saying from their gestures and small thought bubbles diagrams.

This sounds appropriate for my one minute story because it's short, but I need to check it out my self.

Thursday 11 February 2010

Last Week Maya Homeworks

I finished both the two conversation scene and the bouncing ball tutorial. The only one I found quite difficult was the bouncing ball tutorial, but only the moving key frames on the animation graph. I didn't know what was the transformation tool was, but I do now.

2 Conversation


Bouncing Ball Test

Tuesday 9 February 2010

Pre-visual/Hyperreal

Today I was looking at animatics, to know more on what they are and how to make one. I then stumbled on an interesting technique on animating storyboards called hyperreal. Hyperreal is the same as animatics but with the use of 3D. It is meant to show more off a realistic view on a storyboard with the use of 3D models. When I looked at the example of Hyperreal it sort of reminded me of the pre-visual technique.

Here are two links, the first one is the hyperreal/pre-visual while the second shows the actual footage. They are both from a cereal advert.





I don't know if im right that hyperreal is the same as pre-visual, but it is very interesing.

Timmy's lesson's in nature

While I was looking at examples of storyboards I came across a cartoon called Timmy's lesson's in nature. each episodes are roughly one minute, so I thought watching them would give an idea of how to make something funny within one minute. And it sort of helped, first they introduce the character and the location they are in, then the object which is an animal. Finally what did he do to the animal and what was the cause of his action. And it ends with a message saying what to/not to do when seeing the animal.
Here is a link to three episodes of Timmy's lesson's in nature.

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2007/9/Timmy-s-Lessons-In-Nature-Lesson-2-373182.html

copy and paste.

Monday 8 February 2010

The Other Story ideas

All of you heard my first story idea, if not just look at my past post titled: For Phil 02/02/2010. Well here are my other story ideas.

The other idea was my own version of Phil's idea for my story, which was having the main character setting up decorations on his house, while at the same time having trouble with them. When the main character finally finish setting up his decorations a plane came and landed next to his house mistaking it as a runway.
My version was that saw everyone's houses with decorations and he felt left out. while getting his decorations out he notice some of them were tangled up. While he was untangling them, the main character got himself tangled in them. While stuck he heard a noise coming from outside, them main character saw a plane through his window. He them slipped and fell outside. In the plane the captain saw the houses all light up like a runway so he decided to land there. The main character saw the plane coming and he was scared. The plane knock down all the houses except the main character, since it wasn't lighten up. The main character decided to go home and rest but he was locked out.

My other idea was that a wild animal was running around the airport and the main character, who is one of the luggage people in the airport, thought he could handle this since he let it out by accident. It ends with him tying it up with fairy lights, that got snagged on him while casing the wild animal. And by that time everyone knows what he done.

The next idea was having the main character untangling some fairy light that he found, the plane saw this and started to mock him so the main character handed the fairy lights to it, but the plane also found this difficult. It ends with the main character untangling the fairy lights, and a magical spirit came out of it and thank the main character by giving him one wish. He wished that he knows how to fly, so the spirit gave him wings, but he meant he wants to know how to fly a plane.

Those are the ideas I have so far. Tell if any of them sounds good or not.

Sunday 7 February 2010

Unit 4 Story Telling: Houses

Today I was looking at houses in uk just in case I need a scene outside the airport









Unit 4 Story Telling: Fairy Lights

Today I was looking at the different types of fairy lights. Funny that their names are Fairy Lights yet most of them look like flowers.











Unit 4 Story Telling: Airports and Planes

Today I was looking at different Airports, mostly Heathrow, to give me more of an idea of how an airport should look like. I even found a map to an idea of the layout of the airport










But while looking at the control towers of the Airport I discovered that there are different shapes to them. For Heathrow it has a slim pole with a box on top, however other control towers are pretty fancy and nice to look at.




















I also look at the shape of a plane for my airport.











Thursday 4 February 2010

The questions for my essay, phil could look at it if he wants.

I wrote down some questions which I think might help me with my essay a bit more. I will be looking at how the film is structured and how it was edited

Beginning
How is the main character introduce? what is the main character's goal, what location is the main character in?

Middle
how did the story developed throught time? What are the crisis that are Stopping the main character from reaching his goal.

The End
Did the main character stop the crisis? Did the main character finally found his goal? Did the story leave a possible sequal?

How was the film edited? Was it done in a fast pace, slow pace or both? How are the angle's of the shot's effect the mood of the film?

The film I might look at is 2001: A Space Odessy, because I was always curious about the film, or one of the movies we watched with Phil.

Battleship Potemkin stair scene

While I was looking at editing I came across a film called 'Battleship Potemkin'.
This clip is taken at the stairs scene where a lot of people from russia got gun down. it's really sad seeing this and the editing really increase the saden feeling.
I don't know how to upload a video so here's a link, copy and paste it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZOFRtmMj8o&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Maya homework

Today I finished texturing my barrel next will be the reasure chest and the background

Tuesday 2 February 2010

For Phill

Okay this is the idea for my story.
It is Christmas and the main character is setting up the decorations. He check the time so he can pick up his relative from the airport. while he got there he couldn't find his relative but he found his luggage. Little did the main character know that his relative, who's a contortionist is inside one of the luggage ready to surprise him. Until a big commotion happened in the air port. A man bumped into the main character and he got one of his luggage mixed up with the relative. The man had no time to check them so he ran with the luggage with the relative inside it. When air port security ran pass the main character one of the dogs smelled one of the luggage the man left behind. Soon the air port security chased after the main character. At the man's hide out he opened the luggage and the relative popped out saying surprise. The man and his cohorts looked in confusion. few minutes later the relative got accepted as one of the man's team while the main character is in the air port security holding cell getting checked for drugs. at the end the relative made a call to the air port saying that he is coming over there while the main character is very mad because of the whole ordeal.

Monday 1 February 2010

Unit 4: Story Telling 1

Today I was coming up with some ideas for my story but first I did some research, mainly on Contortionist.
What I gathered Contortionist can bend their bodys in werid shapes. I also found some pictures on contortionist. Most of them feel a little boring because they all bend that same way but some of them are very cool and creepy epspecially bending themselfs to fit inside a box.
When I was looking up the word contortionist in my dictionary, I found out the word contort means twist, I thought that was very interesting.
















I also did some brain storming today about the type of story to tell. The first idea was a three part story that involve each item that where given to me. The first story involve the fairy light, second a contortionist and third a man being chased in an air port by a miss understanding. The second idea came up when I was talking with Laura. It's about a worker at the air port getting all tangled up in fairy lights while putting them up. And the last idea was a more develped version of my previous idea of the main character being chased by air port security. But the contorionist is a reletive to the main character. The fairy lights didn't much of a big part in this story they just got hung up on the tree, I did thought of having the reletive telling his cousion not to put up the fairy lights because he was going to bring very special one's.