Week 15: Examination Week

Examination Week

Good Luck to All! 

Week 14: Presentation of Final Project

This week should be a study week, but we have presentation of our final project. We present our video and animation project.

Below are screen shots of our animation project

Introduction

The weather is so hot on that day

The bird felt so thirsty

The bird search for water

The bird found water bottle

The bird tried to drink the water but failed. He got an idea.

The bird put stones to the bottle

 Moral of the story

Problem faced during this project:

1) Time limit: Both of us busy with our Research Study project, we have limited time to sit down and do the complex animation. So we come out with this simple animation but we do applied some of skills that learned in this class optimally. We hope so.

2) Lack of drawing skills to produce the high quality graphics for character in this animation. But we try our best to provide the simple motion to show the story. If we were given more time to drill the skills, we believe we can produce better animation in the future.

Week 13: Discussion on Animation Project

This week, we have discussion with group members regarding the animation project. Our group (Me and Rafidah) have decided to develop  animation entitled "Gagak yang Bijak". We have collect some information for the project, prepare the script and storyboard, and working together to draw the characters. The process is quite tough  because  we think we are not so "gifted" in drawing. But we will try our best to produce the animation based on the technique that have been learned in this class.

This week also, Dr. Jamal give some short briefing about Final Exam format. So, that means exam is around the corner. Have a lot of revision to do!

Week 12: Script, Storyboard and Animatics

This week, we have learn about Script, Storyboard and Animatics. I've collect some information about the topic on the web. Fom my search, below are some information about Script, Storyboard and Animatics.


Script

Script is the written document for the animation

The format consists of three aspects:

1. The interplay between typeface/font, line spacing and type area, from which the standard of one page of text per one minute of screen time is derived. In the United States letter size paper and Courier 12 point are mandatory; Europe uniformly uses A4 as the standard paper size format, and has no uniform font requirement. 
2. The tab settings of the scene elements (dialogue, scenes headings, transitions, parentheticals, etc.), which constitute the screenplay's layout. 
3. The dialogue must be centered and the names must be capitalized. A script usually begins with "FADE IN:", followed by the first scene description. It might get more specific, e.g. "FADE IN ON AN ECU of Ricky as he explains the divorce to Bob." A script will usually end with "FADE TO BLACK", though there are variables, like "CUT TO BLACK" for abrupt endings. 

Storyboard

A Storyboard is a sequence of drawings that is used to help visualize the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details key events and scene changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing what is occurring in the scene. It is often the first opportunity for others to experience a real impression of the animation before it enters the production stage.

The Storyboard helps to finalize the development of the storyline, and is an essential stage of the animation 

process. It is made up of drawings in the form of a comic strip, and is used to both help visualize the animation and to communicate ideas clearly. It details the scene and changes in the animation, often accompanied by text notes describing things occurring within the scene itself. 

Animatics

Animatics are animated storyboards. They are used for various purposes depending on the medium for which they are being produced. Animatics are used every day in the advertising industry to test commercials. They're used to preview scenes of live-action films before they are shot. 

Up until just a few years ago, animatics were produced by filming or videotaping storyboards. Over the last ten years, animatic production has become much more sophisiticated. Animatics are now produced with the aid of computer animation (2D or 3D), with special visual effects once reserved for high-end Hollywood productions.

Week 11: Animation Technique using Flash

For this week, we learn about some animation technique in Flash. Dr. Jamal has demonstrate several animation technique such as panning, zooming and fades.

Panning

1. Panning is moving the camera across a wide background and stopping at significant spots where the action is taking place.
2. To pan scenes in Flash, simply create a background image that is significantly larger than the stage.
3. Create a motion tween which moves the image across the visible portion of the stage.

Zooming

1. Use zooming to bring the camera close to a single object or to widen the visible range to include a larger amount of the content. Zooming in Flash is achieved by using a motion tween and the Free Transform Tool (while holding shift to constrain proportions) and just resizing elements on each layer. 
2. Select the frame where you want to start your zoom, right-click the frame and add a Motion Tween. Note that when you are zooming multiple layers you will need to add a motion tween to all layers that you are zooming. 
3. Next move the shuttle to the frame at which you want to start the zoom, right-click in each layer at that frame and Insert Keyframe > Scale (so that it doesn't start zooming prior to that frame). 
4. Move the shuttle to the frame where you want your maximum zoom, and select the motion tweens in each layer to be zoomed by holding down the shift key and clicking each tween. 
5. Finally, select the Free Transform Tool, hold shift, and increase or decrease the size of the content as needed.

Fades

1. To fade in or out, simply create a new layer, insert a Blank Keyframe at the location you want to start your fade, and draw a large black rectangle over the entire visible portion of your stage. 
2. Right-click the rectangle and Convert to Symbol and name it Fade. You can now use this symbol any time you want to fade in or out in the future. 
3. Next, right-click the frame where you want your fade to end and select Insert Frame to extend the black rectangle until that frame. 
4. Add a motion tween to the black rectangle frame. Now, you merely change the alpha to 0% or 100% at either end of the tween depending on whether you are fading in or out. 
5. To fade in, move the shuttle to the last frame of the tween. In the properties tab under 'Color Effect' select 'Alpha' from the drop down and move the slider to 0%. Finally, a nice clean fade in.

Week 10: A Must Have - 12 Basic Principles of Animation

This week, we were supposed to present our findings on Basic Principles of Animation. Some of our colleague (including me) gave a short and brief explanation on animation principle that we chose earlier on the elearning site. So, we manage to get some general overview / information before Dr Jamal introduces the topic in the class session. And, from my search in the internet, basically I will outlined 12 Basic Principle of Animation;

• 
  
• 1. Squash and stretch
• 2. Anticipation
• 3. Staging
• 4. Straight ahead action and pose to pose
• 5. Follow through and overlapping action
• 6. Slow in and slow out
• 7. Arcs
• 8. Secondary action
• 9. Timing
• 10. Exaggeration
• 11. Solid drawing
• 12. Appeal

-Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation (1981).

Week 9: Mid Semester Holiday

This week we have mid semester break. While enjoying our holiday, we started with our group video project. We prepare the script and storyboard and start shoot footage for our video assignment. Hope that we manage to produce good video ;)