For my 3D style piece, I wanted to look at environments that accentuate character performance with harsher and more stripped and focused lighting that will bring to detail the nuances of the character’s facial performance. Considering this, I thought of contextual applications of real-life interviews to help ground this documentary in its more realistic and serious nature. My initial environmental idea that was conceived in my head was a simple, minimally modelled room reminiscent of a police interrogation room where nothing draws massively the viewer’s attention away from anything apart from the subject that is speaking.
In a similar light, I thought the use of an office which includes each individual’s nameplate and objects that seem relevant and symbolic of different elements that represent them as people or what they are saying to the audience to give them a further sense of personality without having to inherently speak it.
3D Environmental Concepts
Expanding on this design idea, I started making some simple models of this harsh metallic table and chair, without creating a surrounding environment so it is easier to single in on the character performance.
Rough Table and Chair Model
The main element I wanted to focus on with this environmental piece was the overall lighting. My plan was to make it very intensely focused and bright on the character’s face, by creating a slight downcast to make prominent the sharper points of the face. In the book Aesthetic 3D Lighting: History, Theory and Application, states how “moods are often triggered by particular lighting scenarios” and accentuates the example that stylising lighting of horror movies light can be “placed at unusual locations so that the lights create exaggerated highlights and shadows” (Lainer, 2018, pp. 4). As this is similar to the overall tone I wished to create within my render, I started my testing with the most primary light in the scene. The overhead light.
Very rough First lighting render test
As clearly visible in the above picture, I was able to create an effective-looking mesh light with enough dimness in the bulb to create a gloomier, overcast look. However, I still needed to populate the scene with additional lights to add clarity to the overall setting and massively reduce the noise.
Initial Test Render
Creating a ‘3-point’ lighting set up, I added a main frontal area light to reduce noise and light up the front of the scene, a light on the character’s left, to help increase the shadows cast over their facial features, and a backlight to help form a slight rim light around the silhouette of the character.
Lighting Set-Up
As stated by Lanier, it is important to consider the reflection, transmission and absorption of light (2018). They state how when the wavelength of light interacts with a material surface, the light is “absorbed and the light energy is converted to heat” (this seems to appear on darker surfaces), or it can be absorbed and re-emitted, creating reflection (Lanier, 2018, pp.7). Since the hue of the material tends to be lighter on a reflective surface, I created a backplane with a standard grey tint, so that aspects of the area lights would reflect and light up the back of the chair, creating an object separate from the background and foreground.
Mood Lighting (Background Added for Light Reflections)
When adding my character performance into this set-up, I really wanted to focus on upping the texture specular so that the character would reflect on the surface of the table, exemplifying the idea of coldness and of solitude further.
Scene test with Added Character performance
Below is the finalised look that I was able to create, I wanted to keep the character’s specular level higher to give them a ‘glossy’ and toy-like appearance to separate it from reality in a way that purposely feels performative and intentional. I feel for this premise project adequately portrays the mood and overall feel I am aiming for with visual conveyance. However, if I do decide to push for this visual there will be many more things taken into consideration, such as further detailed texturing of both assets and character, and more extreme lighting set ups (Perhaps with the inclusion of colour theory) to convey further emotional expression.
Strong highlights and contrast
References
.Lanier, L. (2018). Aesthetic 3D Lighting: History, Theory and Application. New York, New York: Routledge.
My initial inspiration for motion and stylistic interpretation derives from 2D ‘puppet-like animations such as South Park and the works of Lotte Reigner. For example, below is the piece ‘Cinderella’ by Reigner (1922) the works rely strongly on the flat silhouette to imply motion. An idea I wish to expand upon outside of my premise project is to create puppet-like movements within 3d space, essentially creating a 2D rig within Maya.
Below highlights the setup for such a 2D rig, In which all of the different manipulatable limbs are separated into layers, in which they will be exported separately and exported into photoshop, where alpha channels will be created. After assembling these into Maya, the rotation pivots will be moved similarly to the motion of the puppet, aesthetically.
Layered Limbs for Rigging
Environment
A big inspiration for the concept of the more cartoony and 2D reminiscent background was work from the series Adventure Time’ and ‘The Midnight Gospel’ which capitalizes on a rounder, softer and colourful shapes to accentuate its otherworldly-ness and fictional nature. I think the contrast between fictional audio and the unrelated crazy magical world that is presented in work such as the midnight gospel creates a very interesting individual use of the animated documentary which Is something I would like to test and consider for my own project. I think, by confronting a viewer with something so crazy and unrelated to the real world, it forces the animated documentary’s performative nature to be so evident to a viewer it does not try to be fictional and embodies the relationship between the real world and the experimental and how they can combine to address something of importance. I feel I can use this contrast to create an ironic distance between people’s time spent locked inside and their address on the mundane and the bright and colourful world they wish or intended to live in during this time.
Still From Adventure TimeStill From The Midnight Gospel
Environment Drawing
Similarly to the earlier mentioned character, the environment will need to be created in layers, so that a foreground, midground and background can be extracted. This is essential as, in the process of movement, different parts of the environment move at different points due to distance and eye recognition. For this to look achievable I will need to create a ‘parallax’ in which the foreground, midground and background do not move as a single piece of geometry, but move as separate layers to create the illusion of distance.
Layer separation and art
An important consideration when creating the illusion of distance is colour saturation and shadow, as the foreground will be the most focused and saturated, and the opacity and shade will cascade into the distance.
ForegroundMidgroundBackground
Placing the character into the environment, I want to make it clear to audiences that this environment matches this interviewee’s character by stressing square shapes, that match his face and tonally the whole world is engulfed in tones of blue.
3D Environment Integration
Placing these into Maya, allowed me to experiment with layering and distance as well as camera angles and movements. For this process, I integrated temporary placeholder 3d objects to allow for early composition considerations.
Layered 2D planes in Maya
I also discovered early on that my drawings were not long enough to cover a large distance of space since I decided to create a shot that pans to the right. In this light, I decided to duplicate and extend the road to allow space for a car to travel downwards since a car journey is directly referenced in one of my interview audios.
Early Camera TestsExtended Environment
below is the initial playblast test that helped me understand how the camera and environment parallax will work within 3D space and allows rough composition set-up for environmental modelling.
Initial Camera Test
Below are some added 3D assets such as clouds and tree models to help start integrating the 3D assets within the ‘2D’ scene. I think this process allowed me to understand compositionally that some 3D objects will need to be moved to allow for further depth of field, and highlights considerations down the line of using more 3D models than 2D planes to build a more convincing animated world.
Issues and Solutions
While in theory, I understood the concept that PNG files do not render within Arnolds render, I initially struggled to be able to get differing file types such as Tiffs and Jpg to work cohesively with alpha channels in Maya. My initial problem was exporting the alpha channel somehow invertedly, which highlighted several issues with my understanding of exporting photoshop alpha channels.
Alpha Channel Reversed
Starting fresh, I created an image plane, added an Arnold texture and added a UV Planar unwrap. I created a UV Snapshot and opened this file within photoshop.
Following the below tutorial helped me understand where my previous issues were lying, and it was predominantly related to the aistandard surface settings. When extracting an alpha map from photoshop, once loaded into the ‘geometry’ tab of the aistandard surface, it utilises the alpha map and applies the alpha channel to the image within Arnold’s renderer.
After following the tutorial I was able to successfully apply and render the image plane within ‘Arnold’ with the alpha cut applied. This allowed me to go on to create several render tests to understand how I will assemble and blend the 2D and 3D drawings together effectively.
Arnold Render View with Transparency
Below shows the initial render test with some of the stylised models I have created, and indicates some important steps for me to consider going forward next week.
Firstly, I think learning and applying the Aitoon shader will help blend the models into the background more effectively.
Secondly, Applying earlier 2.5D tests of utilising the 3D model’s adaptation of my 2D drawings will allow me to animate to the lip sync.
Assets such as the ‘car model’ need to be created
Further render tests
Images Rendering in Arnold
Abstract Lines and Colour
While not explored for my premise project, I have brainstormed potential background ideas that expand on the abstract nature of ‘fantastic’ environmental representation. I could adapt pieces of work by artists such as Kandinsky to create floating shapes and colours to accentuate the contrast between reality and subjectivity in the background of the animated performance.
A key part of my film is the secondary environment of the inground ‘grave yard’ which involved a lot of skeletal mesh. I initially had a lot of considerations to go through when starting this environment, as my first idea was to create the world as a separate Maya scene which I would model and cut to in post-production. However, I found that this process would prove very difficult in selling an effective pan-down shot, and decided to model this environment directly below my stage so that they are part of the same scene file.
For this final shot, The lighting set-up proved to be much simpler than the former, as there only really needed to be two lights to convey visually what I wanted the audience to see. Using a primary, frontal key light with the same intensity as one of the stage settings, and a stronger focused spotlight on the hand, allow for a dark and eerie setting with only one focal point.
Previs
As stated in the book 3D Animation Essentials, “Pre-visualization is a technique used in film and television that utilizes 3D animation to plan the pacing, cuts, and camera angles of a sequence. ” ( Beane, 2012, pp. 114). This step is essential as part of the 3D animation pipeline, as in a typical production it will save a lot of time and money planning out the entire movie without the extended quality and effort. This planning felt particularly useful for my film, not necessarily in the different camera angles due to its flatter, less dynamic camera action, but in planning the timing and spacing of the dance movements for my characters to the sound and music.
Beane also stressed that the pre-vis stage of production is also a key time to understand where you are directing the audience’s eye, and Instead of using camera angles, I have used lights to pinpoint very clearly where the audience should be focusing (2012).
During the process of creating this pre-visualization, I came across several issues which will need addressing in order to fix the finalised look of the film. The main issues I wish to address as the scaling and staging issues, as the skeletons appear much too large on the stage, to the point where several of their movements are hidden behind the curtain. In the next week, I will ensure that my character rig is scaleable so I can resolve this issue without having to make any drastic environmental changes.
The second key issue I wish to fix is the overall look of the ‘underground’ area as I feel it looks a bit flat at present and lacks the environmental depth that will add drama and effect to the piece.
Going forward, I need to ensure my rig is finalised and functioning, making sure there are no issues regarding the parent constraints which allow detachable limbs. And the last improvement consideration will be my main source of stylistic inspiration when it comes to dancing, as I feel the motions highlighted in the previs did not have a clear enough contextual stance.
Animation Test
Looking more time contextually at dance moves heavily related and associated with the 1920s/ 1930’s contexts. Watching the video From Ballroom to Broadway (1980) I was able to gain a further and more contextual understanding of the Charlestons’ historic relationship to theatrics and the theatre, and how the two dancers move and react with each other on stage. Applying this to my characters and timing it to the music had a kind of comedic effect which I enjoyed, especially the idea of mirror image dancing between them. However, this dance has a certain level of complexity and I am not sure how or if I will be able to fluently fit this within my animated piece, especially due to the fact they are avoiding an obstacle throughout the motions.
In order to efficiently plan my animation and rendering over the next 4 weeks, I created a shot list in which I can track and break down the different shots I need to produce and finish this 1-minute animated work. I have already made good progress with the introductory title card, and it is completed and rendered. I have also rendered the shots regarding the hamlet reference (as highlighted in previous weeks) and they are ready for editing.
For the next week, I have already started shot 3, and aim to have shots 3, 4 and 5 within the next week.
References
.Beane, A. (2012) 3D Animation Essentials. Indianapolis, Ind: J Wiley and Sons.
.From Ballroom to Broadway. (1980). Publisher: Footscray, victoria, Australia: Contemporary Arts Media.
Today’s workshop covered the topic of staging and designing cinematic animation for action movies, and the task at hand was to block out key essential poses that highlight and push clarity in performance. Taking into account methods learned in previous animation workshops, I used silhouettes to truly clarify and understand if the pose is working in its most effective manner considering aspects such as limb visibility. It is important to be able to clearly identify each part of the body within a pose for the best and most effective audience understanding.
For this task, we blocked out a Deadpool rig coming towards the camera and swinging a sword for dramatic effect. We also had to ensure that the camera was animated, to assist in selling the action-charged shot, as the more dynamic it appears, the more successful it proves to be.
Initially starting the first of my adapted animated interviews, I wanted to use this footage to explore my more ‘realistic’ animated portrayal, as I felt the content in which she was speaking felt more serious and fitting for my initial aesthetic idea.
What I particularly found really interesting about this video is the subtle movements. She does not move around drastically, nor are her mouth movements very pronounced. A lot of the expression is in the eye movement, which I wanted to explore how to communicate emotions with eye movements. Since eye movements make up most of the emotional facial expressions, this should help with selling the performance (Tinwell, 2015).
Blocking
An essential part of the facial performance is the blocking of key jaw bounce/ viseme poses that time correctly with the audio. Due to the context of using pre-recorded footage as a reference, I felt it may be considered insensitive, particularly to the subject issue at hand. This brings to attention one of the slight ethical dilemmas of the animated documentary and its re-enacted nature. Due to this, I tried to interpret the original footage into a somewhat realistic portrayal of the performance.
One of the main things I did after blocking what Kenny Roy describes as the ‘core poses’, I tried to interpret the eye and eyebrow movements from the footage, but exaggerate them ever so slightly so the expression and intention are clearer. However, it came to my attention that one of the main issues is that they move too uniformly together when they should be slightly offset to add more realism. The same can be said about blinking, as this is a technique often used within CG animated films (particularly Pixar) to add a realistic quality. This is something I intend to add to the splineing process.
Smoothing
Creating the smooth and splined facial animation created leeway to add additional details, such as subtle cheek and nasal movements to help sell further the mouth and eye movements. During this process, I also added some slight subtle body movements, as even during a mid-shot the movement of the rest of the body needs to be considered. I think what draws back the realism of the shot is the lack of hair movement, however, the chosen rig did not have easily controlled hair, and the volume would have wildly changed and looked even more unconvincing. Looking into this as a future potential, I have found a few hair rigging tutorials that may be beneficial for the cause. I may also look into using N hair for more detailed simulations in future.
Finished Shot
Referencing the animation in the modelling environment, I had to adjust and re-analysed the movement now that she was sitting down. One of the main issues I had again regarded the rig itself, as their IK switch option did not work correctly, and therefore I could not convincingly place the hands on the table without them following the lower body movement. In order to sell the shot better, I kept the hands up the table and tried to animate the shoulders and arms within FK settings, to give them the appearance they weren’t just plainly following the body. I think this added largely to the unconvincing movements of the body itself, as I felt I could not move it too much without also affecting arm movement. I think in I future I will be warier of my rig choice, and when going forward with the documentary I will most likely model and rig my own characters so that the style is consistent.
References
.Roy, K. (2014) How to Cheat in Maya: Tools and Techniques forCharacter Animation. Abingdon, Oxon: Focal Press.
. Tinwell, A. (2015). The Uncanny Valley in Games and Animation. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.
After my initial render test, I found that it appeared flat and the lighting did not showcase any of the modelled backgrounds, without any clear accentuation of the character and the skull. In the initial storyboard, I have drawn a dramatic spotlight that falls onto the skull. Trying to translate this into 3D, I was able to create a much more effective and cleaner shot by researching and testing Arnold’s renderer sampling.
Test Render 1
Storyboard
Below showcases the final render I was able to produce as a test for this shot, as due to the new and improved 3-point lighting set-up, I was able to accentuate the background with a soft focus. By raising the sampling of the specular and sss settings, I was able to drastically reduce the noise and create a cleaner, more in-focus close-up shot. While there isn’t a dramatic spotlight which focuses just on the skull, I liked the idea of using the same spotlight that is present in the wide shots, so that the cut between the two did not appear so drastic.
Improved Render
Rigging
In previous weeks, I had begun to place the joints within the skeleton rig, however, after attending a workshop which explained the process of joint placement in a cleaner and more professional manner, I decided to start the process from scratch. This included first of all addressing issues of my model, to make the skin binding process less problematic later on.
Model Cleanup
The first issue I encountered was separating the fingers from the hand mesh so that they could rotate independently which, due to the nature of the model, works with a ‘floaty’ and disconnected aesthetic due to the obvious lack of muscle.
Separating fingers from mesh for better rotation
The secondary aspect I needed to fix was the mesh grouping and overall mesh hierarchies so that they move and function together as they would within a real human body. Due to the numerous issues that I faced and encountered during the collaborative module with the seagull models and rigs, I was able to learn and adapt from these mistakes (such as incorrect transformations) with a better understanding of rigging preparation.
Clavicle Rotation in Human Arm
Freeze Transformation Issue
When setting the freeze transformations on all the different sections of the mesh, I had some issues in which some of the parts of the toes would enlarge considerably and realised it was related to the mesh group’s history.
Mesh Enlargement
In order to fix these issues, I removed all the relevant mesh from the group and deleted the group in the outliner. Then I selected each individual piece of mesh and deleted its history and froze the transformations. When regrouped this removed the issue, and functioned correctly.
Fixed Toe Mesh issues
Before beginning the rigging process, I ensure that all of the mesh worked hierarchically and, and was connected and cleaned correctly so there would be minimal issues later down the line. This is uniquely important to my project especially, as I have plans to use the unrigged model to potentially animate the different limbs falling down a hole. In order for this to happen in a sensical way, I feel as though the main attaching joints that will work hierarchically in the rig should also work hierarchically in the mesh groups.
Thinking about how the upper body Rotates Heirachally
Joint Placement
Starting the joint placement process of my character rig, I started with the spinal area, which is the central point of the joint hierarchy in the pelvic area. From here I manipulated from the front and side viewports, the rough exact placement of each point, but only by rotating the different joints hierarchically to avoid messy translations.
By placing locators at the various joint placement areas, there is a clearer idea and indication of where the joints should be created and rotated, so I completed this process on both the arms and the legs and began to place the joints in a similar fashion as to that above.
Placing Locators For joint Orentetation accuracy and PlacementRotating Joints into correct placement
A Key point we learned in class was to create clusters so that the central point of the mesh could be snapped to, enabling more accurate joint placement within the inner folds of the joints within the fingers and toes. This was an extremely useful tool that I will always consider during the rigging process going forward.
Creating Cluster to Assist Joint Placement in Fingers
Technical Issues and Solutions
one of the key elements that I had already pre-planned contingency time to figure out was the creation of a detachable rig. Initially, I had issues with considering how I was going to go about it. My first idea was to create a separated rigged leg and attach it to the same group as the rest of the body. However, in doing so, all that happens is the joints join the rest of the rigged hierarchy. Since this was not the intended outcome, I explored the use of different parent constraints that would allow the joints to follow the main hierarchal joint without being inherently attached to it. This way I could skin weight the mesh to the joint, and have it detach from the model with the same control.
Parent_Constrain to make Detachable
I also repeated this parenting process with the upper arms, so that they could be detached in a similar fashion, and once all the joints were functioning correctly hierarchically, I was able to start thinking about IK handles.
Completed Joint Placement
IK Controls
A Key issue I found early on in the process of creating the Leg IKs is that it limited how detachable I could make the rig, as the lower legs would not have the same individual control as previously. However, The leg itself where it was joined at the hip could still be detached, and I viewed that as successful due to the fact it would not be highly necessary for a vast majority of the film.
Functioning Leg IKs with pole Vector Controls
when creating the foot rig, we learned in a class workshop that by layering different groups together and designing with different functions, you could create options such as toe taps and foot rolls. Applying this to my rig will prove useful long term, as a lot of my planned dances for the characters derive heavy influence from ballet, which required the toes to be expendable for animating purposes.
Groupings with different functions
Issues and Solutions with Legs
One of the initial issues I encountered with the IKs in the leg was the exploration of using two joints instead of one, in an attempt to make them detachable. My initial theory was that, if I created two joints at the knee, I could skin weight the surrounding mesh of the femur and Tibia (and Consequenctly the fibia) to have 100% influence on each. while they functioned in FK mode, Within IK it caused several issues with the knee, as the use of several joints caused an unnatural and strange bend that would not have worked. Fixing this, I decided to focus on the upper leg is detachable, while the rest of the leg functioned like a normal IK System.
In a similar light, I began to have the same issues with the arm Iks. The initial problem I seemed to be having was that the arm IK would not bend when manipulated. My initial thoughts were that perhaps I had used a single-chain resolver. However, This did not appear to be the case. Looking at the tutorial linked above, I found that with the addition of an extra joint in the forearm, I was able to connect an IK handle to the joints from the upper arm to the new joint and it would bend in the correct way. However, It is imperative to change the centre point of the Ik handle to the wrist joint, so it is easily manipulatable.
Arm Ik Join Addition
The Iks within the arm though however, did not allow me to be able to detach the joints effectively, and even with an IK/FK switch I realised that the task would be time-consuming and was not necessarily needed, as the arms do not make contact with the ground or objects that really require IKs. In this respect, I made a list of videos that will be useful for this pursuit when I find it necessary to learn and try.
Skin Weighting
Initial issues in which normal skin binging options did not effectively apply to my skeleton character, as the influence needed to be directly affecting each joint 100% in order to act and move effectively like real bones rather than skin. In order to do this, I selected each joint and added a weight flood to the areas (especially the detachable ones) in order to get the correct impression of movement.
Fibia detachment due to incorrect skin weighting
Since I had initial issues in which the ribs were moving independently from the spine, I attached the influence to the part of the spine that connects with the clavicle and arms so that they can twist and move as a unit when it comes to placing constrain controllers.
flooding the ribs influence to a spinal point so they follow correctly
Below highlights the skin weighting and how it functions with twists in the spine, as it was the only part of the mesh I did not apply 100% influence, to allow space for mesh twisting and bending.
The skin weighting methods proved effective, particularly when creating detachable arms and legs, and I was eventually happy with the outcome and the result of my trial and error.
Removable Joints
Constrains/ Controllers
The last step I had to cover was creating the join controllers, as I had to ensure that they were attached correctly in order to manipulate the detachable elements without disturbing the skin weight painting.
When adding controllers, I feel an important step as a rigger Is to consider the transform and rotation limitations so that animators do not break the rig. In this respect, I added several limitations to the hip controller primarily so that the legs would not start reacting incorrectly regarding volume.
Limiting Information
In spite of the issues I had with the leg control, I found I eventually had to opposite problem with the arms, as the extra join that separated the upper arm (humerus) and the lower arm (Radius and Ulna) was required for correct skin weighting in order to make them detachable. This part was essential for my shot animation, so after the addition of this, I committed to FK animation in the upper body.
Bending Incorrectly, added extra joint
In the end, I was able to create a fully functioning rig that was capable of detaching itself the best I could manage to get it within the time contains. While it is not perfect and could be explored much further in terms of IK/FK switches and More extensive facial controls, I feel the rig will suit just fine for the animation and animation style I intend to create going forward. Next week I will finally begin the animation process and will create some animation tests to push the rigs limitations.
This week during we class, we learned how to utilise unity in order to create an Augmented Reality three-dimensional object appear via photo recognition.
The initial step requires using a website called Vuforia Engine (https://developer.vuforia.com/), finding an image online and saving the same image to a mobile device. Then log into the Vuforia engine and upload the chosen image with the correct aspect ratio and size for the device you intend to utilise with the AR camera.
The downloaded files from vuforia can then be imported into unity as a package, that can be attached to an AR camera as a database. This then displays the previously saved image in unity that a 3D object can be placed onto (I have created a cube), which then appears once the AR camera viewpoint is opened.
Trying to achieve dramatic spotlight light sources to enhance my performative drives for the short sequence. Due to my personal lack of experience with using the Arnold renderer and lighting in general, I decided to follow a tutorial regarding the utilisation, intensity and spread of the Arnold area light.
Youtube Tutorial on Arnold Lighting
Following the above tutorial I was able to create a ‘spotlight’ look with the Arnold area light, however, did not direct the viewer’s attention to any one character due to the larger spread of the light.
Area Light
By Adjusting the attributes associated with the spread and normalising features, a spotlight effect can be created with an Arnold area light which exemplified the character figure in a better light.
Low Spread Area Lighting Effect
Utilising this by adding three area lights into the scene to create a 3-dimensional lighting set-up, I also used a Key frontal light to act as the main primary source light. As stated in the book Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting (Lanier, 2015) “In the standard 3-point lighting scheme, a strong key is placed to one side of a subject” and in doing this ” a fill light is placed on the opposite side and is at least half the intensity of the key” then “A rim light is placed behind the subject so that it grazes the subject’s edge” (2015, pp. 11). Applying this to the below images created the effect I wished to make the character under the spotlight effectively stand out.
The image above highlights the finalised rendered look that I intend to complete the film with going forward. While the increased number of lighting set-ups within the scene may increase the render time, I will try to effectively plan my render timing so that I can complete everything to the highest quality I am able to.
Visual Tests
One of the initial things I did once the environment and lighting were set up, was to re-create frames of my storyboard within 3D to really start pushing for my finalised look development. In the below render tests the images had a much lower exposure than in the Arnold render view, however, I took this opportunity to play with editing to see how the look can be manipulated in post-production.
‘Trapdoor’ Tests
Taking these test renders into Da Vinci Resolve, I was able to play around with different colour correction settings to figure out the best exposure, gain and lift settings would be to make the black and white edit look effective while retaining image detail. While this looks ‘old’ and creates a ‘vintage’ effect, I still feel that the image appears quite flat, and there is not enough lighting at the back of the stage to create an effective depth of field. Going forward with my renders I will add an additional area light on a lower intensity that will light the stage enough to leave the impression of the mesh that is further back.
Video Tests
Due to the fact, that my project is very music reliant, I took some of my tests renders and moved the skeletons in key poses to time with the beat of the music used within my animatic to get a sense of motion and timing later on during the animation process. I also utilised this time to test the ‘vintage film’ effect tutorial within Da-Vinci which emanates the effect of film rolling, that has slight scratches and dust over the lens. I think this editing style is effective, however, the quality of the initial render will need to be improved for further image clarity.
In order to do this I will add the additional lights mentioned earlier, and test out what will be the lowest but best quality render sampling settings going forward.
For the initial premise project, my intention is to use three people to explore performance, style and storytelling devices in order to get a better scope when focusing on my final piece. Looking at how I intend to start my documentary, set the pace, and scene and introduce the interviewees in a way that cross-examines and compares the drastically different days that ended in months of confinement within one’s own home.
Documentary and Relationships to Video Game Landscapes
While not directly explored within my premise project, some of my recorded content involves people’s experiences with video games and lockdown which I find a very interesting visual identity to explore within the realm of animation. Below highlights a clip from The Midnight Gospel (Trussel, 2020) that discusses a person’s experience playing video games, and while they are recounting it there is violent imagery showing that matches that of the description in a way that visually matches the identity of playing a game without directly matching the spoken content.
In this light the film Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey (2008) utilises the video game space of second life to address a mans experience within the game itself. I like the idea of taking direct videos from video games and incorporating them into my film also, showcasing directly the virtual world within a virtual world.
Documentary Footage Edits
Below is a rough edit of my introduction to start considering how and what the overall tone of my film will be. I intend to explore and use this cross-story cutting to answer specific questions one at a time to allow for aesthetic contrast between different interviewees but similar content.
However, adapting these interactions for my premise project, I have decided to use these specific clips and turn them into animated works over the next few weeks to start exploring different visual concepts and narratives.
Interview 1
I feel this clip has a lot of potentials to explore my first aesthetic consideration of utilising police interrogation rooms as the overall tone is more serious and dark in nature. For this, I intend to adapt the performance to a semi-realistic world where there is real-world accuracy to the approach of overall character performance, however, remains stylised enough that it does not breach into aesthetic realism. I still wish to present this world as something that feels ‘fake’ and plastic but resembles reality in its direct mimetic substitution.
Interview 2
I feel this video leaves space to explore the secondary and alternate aesthetic test as it mentions travel and different locations which allows ample room to explore my visual environments from last week. Due to this, I want to try and explore the incorporation of 2D and 3D virtual environments and how I will effectively work on this going forward.
Documentary films watched for further Consideration
Well’s expansion of animated documentaries’ coherence through performative modes of actuality, bring to attention further considerations in the categorisation of animated documentary and what this entails in terms of subjectivity.
An interesting point Wells initially brings to attention is the idea that Norman McClarends Neighbours (1950) constitutes an animated documentary. Despite being created via live-action, the method of ‘pixilation’ in live-action contexts classifies this in technicalities as a form of animation that manipulates real-world aspects (1997, 41). Wells also argues that this film perfectly fits into Grierson’s idea of the “creative treatment of actuality” as while being represented via fictitious means and a pre-determined plot’ it represents something that is wholly real in the nature of human behaviour and war (1997, 41).
McClaren, 1950. Neighbours
I think this provides an insightful opening into the loose categorisation and definition of what an animated documentary can and has the potential to be. This being said, here are Wells’s 4 primary modes of animated documentaries.
The Imitative Mode
In its essence, the imitative mode of the animated documentary is the simplest form to understand, that it attempts to replicate live-action documentary. A point Wells makes abut the use of animation in this context is that it is effective in “clarification through simplification” (1997, p.41). I also think this can be applied to aesthetic considerations concerning the relationship animation has with educational videos taught to younger children. Wells links this further with the ideals of John Halas who described animation as ’penetrative’ in its methods of depicting the unseen and impossible to visualise (1997, 41). A Key film Wells mentions that relates to this mode is The Sinking of the Lustiania (McCay, 1918), as it directly attempts to conceptualise a real life event in a realistic style.
The Subjective Mode
Wells states how the imitative mode and the subjective mode are hybridised within parody and can be defined as ’mock documentary’ (1997, 42). Using key examples of animations that fit into this category, he includes the parodies of MGM by Tex Avery such as The Isle of Pingo Pongo (1938), Detouring America (1939) and Cross Country Detours (1940). I think whats interesting to consider with TheIsle of Pingo Pong (Avery, 1938) is that it uses the authoritative ’Voice of God’ audio that is reminiscent in early animated documentary history, and visuals that make fun of the reality they portray at every turn, yet use these in combination that bring attention the realities of human prejudices and stereotyping of the time period.
Avery. 1938. The Isle of Pingo Pongo
Wells expands on the subjective representation that is availble within the tool kit of animation:
“Animators enjoy exploiting the fine line between the plausibly ’real’ and the overtly ’surreal’ because it exposes the false-hood of objectivity, and further, and much more importantlty, challenges the homogenous ideological certainties and illusionary cultural stabilities” – (1997, 43)
I think this provides and interesting perspective, and further discusses my point about The Isle of Pingo Pongo ( Avery, 1938) as by pushing itself as a ’Mock-umentary’ it not only inherently parodies the non-fictional form itself with its forced performance of fact and its exaggeration, but applies this to the concept of all documentaries and the potential absurdity of their ’implied objectivism’. In terms of more subjective experiences he discuses the work of Marjut Rimminen’s work ’Some Protection’ (1988) which spotlights a young offenders experience with prison and allows room for viewer empathy and engagement with a ‘morally incorrect’ member of society.
The objective goal of the documentary form provides insight into experience, but as Wells states the irony surrounding the subjective documentary form is that it ”moves beyond the basis as the expression of an individual voice and find correspondence in viewers to the extent that is articulates social criticism”(1997, P.43). I think in application of Some Protection, it states a valid point which is often misunderstood when faced in a live action presence due to predetermined bias and that is the ability to have full control of the aesthetic capabilities of expression. Wells expands on the Idea that this voice allows room for the ’Feminine Aesthetic” as it conceptualises the visual experience of women within the ”patriarchal agenda seemingly at the heart of live-action filmmaking” (1997, p.43). This offers thought on how the capabilities of the animated medium can bring forward misrepresented and repressed societal realities.
Rimminen. 1988. Some protection
The Fantastic Mode
“This effectively is a model of documentary which is re-locating the ’realist’ mode within a seemingly non-realist context” (Wells, 1997, P.43)
Wells indicated a prime example of the fantastic mode of animated documentary is the work of Jan Svankmajer, who displays topics of real social context in a wild, disturbing and Unworldly manners while utilising worldly objects. I think reflectively looking at this lens of documentary making it pushes the boarders further on what can be classified as document, and is similar in the way McClarens neighbours could be considered
Svankmajer. Dimensions of Dialouge. 1982
The Post-Modern Mode
The post-modern mode, in relation to Paul well’s description, rejects the ’notion of the objective authority and asserts that ’the social and therefore ’the real’, is now fragmentary and incoherent” (1997, P.44)
A clear example Wells accentuates is Paul Vester’s” Abductees” (1994) as it documents people proposed experiences of alien abduction without condescension but also without factual basis. It amplifies the voices of social experience artistically through the lens of several different arts which help distinguish each story with the rough drawings created by the interviewees themselves and adds personality to subjective experience. Wells argues how animation is “the most important art form of the 21st century” and pushes itself within the documentary genre only to further secure its spot as such.
Vester. Abductees. 1995
References:
.Wells, P. (1997) ‘The Beautiful Village and the True Village: A Consideration of Animation and the Documentary Aesthetic’, in Wells, P. (ed) Art & Animation. London, United Kingdom: Academy Group. pp.40-45.
