Session 3: Zu3D

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Session 3: Introduction to Zu3D

Using Zu3D we had an introduction to basic animation. Using single frame pictures with minute difference played in sequence, these individual pictures give the impression of movement.

 To begin with I drew a basic picture of an unfinished flower. This forms the basis of the rest of the animation, as the picture is then copied from slide to slide. It is copied identically in order that the picture remains consistent throughout the animation, so that the flower doesn't seem to move or appear in a different position.

After step 1, creating a basic picture, the next slide is created as a copy of the last one, only adding slight details. For example slide one would be a flower stem, which is copied onto slide two, with a petal added. This is copied onto slide three with another petal added. This goes on and on and building up a picture of a flower seeming to form. Although it creates the impression of movement, they are all separate pictures, thus called "stop motion animation" Other parts of the program where used, such as playing the process backwards. This made the flower appear to grow, then "ungrow" (for lack of a better word.) Backgrounds was added for aesthetic purposes which like the flower, was copied to each one, however there was no changes made to it, this consistency helped emphasised the flower's movement. We exported it to Tiny Pic and copied it to here on blogger.

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic

Session 1.2: Stop-Motion Animation

Session 1.2: Stop Motion Animation

There are three main types of animation used today: hand-drawing, computer generated and stop-motion with each having a different visual effect. An example of hand-drawing would be the classic Disney films such as Snow White, used in the early days of film. The Computer generated method is more modern and used in such films as Toy Story and Shrek.

Like hand-drawing, stop-motion is not a modern technique and has been used as early as 1906 in film, with the film Humorous Phases of Funny Faces by the Edison Company in 1906. In basic terms stop-motion is the method of using a series of frames that are slightly different, connected together to give the impression of an inanimate object moving. When making films or TV, the more popular methods of stop-motion animation include silhouettes, models, puppets, cut-outs and clay.

An example of stop motion is Nick Park’s “Wallace and Gromit,” which were feature length films, made with plasticine and metal armatures (a solid structure on which a weaker material is built around).

Rather than explain what techniques and equipment are used, you can view a video by the Digital Arts Guild.

 

 

 

Session 1.1 The last animation I watched...

The last animation I watched…

Despite working many underpaid hours in a cinema, I must say that I am not exactly a cinema-going or an avid film-fan. The modern films I have watched are few and far between, with the ones I watch being the ones that really interest me, such as comic book films or dark/crude comedies (yes, this is perfectly normal for a 32 year old man, don’t judge me!)

With this, I can’t exactly say I’ve seen many of the new animated films, but I still admit to enjoying a few that I liked whilst growing up, a particular favourite being “A nightmare before Christmas,” and being the last one I watched a few days ago after reminiscing with my wife (how grown up...) after too much cider.

The film is based on a poem wrote by the producer and co-writer, Tim Burton, made by Disney production and released under their Touchstone Pictures banner.

I won’t go into details about the plot as the fear would cause any reader to have a heart attack, so I’ll explain instead that it was animated using “stop motion animation” using puppets. These puppets were made with detachable parts, such as having different heads with different expressions.