Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Storyboarding Nursery Rhymes Part III

I thought it would be good to finalise the storyboards and work into them a little further by adding some lighting, shadows, and overall definition in the frames so they read better to the viewer. I decided to be very reserved with the amount of colour I used so as not to hinder the drawing or design, but also to make sure it communicated what I wanted. In order to keep it subtle I used the 'multiple' and 'overlay' layer options on Photoshop to add hints of colour to certain aspects of the panels and give the impression of light over the mountains and village featured in the story. It worked quite well overall and provided a suitable finish for the storyboards. 

Finished Storyboard

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Storyboarding Nursery Rhymes Part II

Following on from the previous session, today I took the first draft for my nursery rhyme story board and made an improved version that is better presented and created whilst utilising all the feedback I had at hand from the peer review session from the previous day. I tried to add more detail and make it clearer to the person looking at it what is going on in each scene.  The addition of detail in the background and at different positions in the panels made it have a greater sense of depth and therefore conveyed the scene and the atmosphere of the scene better. I also included tone to make the images seem less flat. From a technical point of view I also tried to mix up the use of camera angles slightly and exaggerated them a little more for the purpose of this, and with the feedback in mind. Finally, I added short, concise notes below the panels to communicate any ideas or thoughts that were difficult to express in the panel alone.

Refined Storyboard

I was quite please at how refining my initial storyboard went as I managed to stick to the initial idea that I had but improve the quality of the drawing and overall communication that the storyboard had. I felt like I did quite well overall at presenting the storyboard considering it was the first time I'd attempted to do a storyboard like this.

From here I'm looking forward to working into the storyboards further and perhaps adding some colour or 'effects' to the panels to convey lighting and shadow that could be featured in a final animation if the project with this storyboard was ever taken that far. I feel like I learnt a lot in the first two days of this task both technically and about what I know and need to improve. From here, I look forward to using storyboards again for the next task we do that requires them, and overall I feel like they are an essential tool when creating a story for a motion picture or animation.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Storyboarding Nursery Rhymes Part I

Today, during the session we were asked to create a story board between twelve and eighteen panels, to recreate a nursery rhyme of our choice. This was the first time I was really putting what I'd been taught about storyboards from the morning session in to practice. I decided to choose a fairly well known nursery rhyme, one that I had heard multiple times and was already quite familiar with. So I chose to do the nursery rhyme; 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'.

Initially, during the research segment of the task, I was surprised to find out how long the nursery rhyme actually is, and there were several verses of it that I'd never heard before.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

When the blazing sun is gone,

When he nothing shines upon,

Then you show your little light,

Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveller in the dark,

Thanks you for your tiny spark,

He could not see which way to go,

If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,

And often through my curtains peep,

For you never shut your eye,

'Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,

Lights the traveller in the dark.

Though I know not what you are,

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

How I wonder what you are.

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

How I wonder what you are.

How I wonder what you are.

The first step for me in creating the first draft of the storyboard was to recognise anything important and of relevance from the nursery rhyme that would constitute a solid storyboard and a well rounded story that would flow nicely. I highlighted anything that inspired a panel or two for the storyboard and began thinking of how I would translate the dialogue into illustrated parts of a story. From this I thought it would be interesting to allow a historical context into the story that was implied with the idea of a traveller using the star to navigate as it says in the third verse. From this my imagination ran away with me slightly and I decided to create a kind of tribal or medieval setting where the star was worshipped by villagers that lived in mountains below it.

Initial Nursery Rhyme Storyboard

After I finished the first draft of the storyboard we peer reviewed each others and then provided constructive criticism based on what we thought could improved slightly both artistically and technically. Some of the feedback I received for my storyboard included that I should provide arrows or some form of notation that convey the movement in each scene. This would be vital in industry for the animators to know what to animate for each panel or scene. In terms of the art style, the general consensus was that the drawing was quite flat and delicate, where for best results it could have perhaps been more weighted in parts and 'rougher' in order to really communicate what's going on in each scene. I found this feedback very useful and will move forward with it in mind when I produce the second draft of the storyboards. 

Storyboard Inspiration

After having a task based on story boarding, it's made me realise the importance of them and them being as accurate and as informative as they can be despite lacking in visual detail. From the session I have realised how difficult it is to take a story or an idea for a story and convert it into a concise and easy to understand story board format. I think the reason for this is due to the fact it takes a lot of independent thinking that wouldn't always translate well to someone else's mind frame, for example picking out the key scenes from the story and even in the story board format making the narrative easy to understand and simple to follow.

There is a number of things I think I will try and consider and incorporate into any story boards based on how professionals work and layout their work. Firstly, keeping the actual drawing simple on the storyboard seems to be a common feature, yet it's easy to understand because of the composition of the panels. I think it's important to prioritise composition and action over aesthetics. Another aspect I want to be able to take from the work I've seen is the ability to use rough notes of a visual and written nature in order to make the flow of the story and visuals easy to interpret and understand since being able to do this is very important and necessary in order to be a good storyboard artist.

Brave an animation created by Pixar Studios and directed by Mark Andrews and

Brave Storyboards

Brenda Chapman. The story boards for the film were created by storyboard artists; J. Garett Sheldrew, Ted Mathot, Maxwell Brace and Scott Morse. Below is a scene from the film in it's original story boards. There's a few things you notice about the story boards at a glance, first of all the storyboards lack colour and remain only as values at this point in production stage, perhaps the colour palettes and colour schemes for the film was decided later on and lighting etc was decided at this point. Second of all the amount of detail in the individual panels decreases as it moves away from the camera, but the only section in the scene with a real amount of detail is the focal point of the scene for example a character. Perhaps this is a technique that the artist used in order to pass on information the the animators about what to focus on during the scene. Within the storyboard you can also see a huge range of different camera angles and types of shot, from close ups to wide shots. Some really interesting compositions have also been used like the shot on the sixth row down and the third panel across where the camera is positioned as if you were looking past someone to view the character in the scene. I really like these story boards as I think the level of detail is perfect or more than enough to convey the necessary information and features a bunch of extra aspects that really set the tone of the film already.

My Neighbour Totoro is the 1988 film Directed by Hayao Miyizaki and created by Studio

My Neighbour Totoro Storyboards

Ghibli. The film is very whimsical and this is shown through the loose style of the initial storyboards Miyizaki created for the film. With this storyboard I love the simplicity of the line work where the scenes are almost perfectly represented but at the same time look free and sketchy. He has used a single colour to mark the shadows and communicate the type of lighting in the scene whilst adding a little more detail and attractiveness to the storyboard, making it so the image doesn't merge together and is easy to read. In addition to this there are notes to the side of the illustration perhaps giving directions for the camera or a particular way in which he would like the scene to be animated, or even additional notes on what's going on in the scene so it's clear to the animators and other people working on the film. I really like the loose style of this storyboard as in this case it gives a really good starting tone for the rest of the film and portrays it's whimsical fantasy style very well from the beginning, being able to convey so much character with so little is something I'd really like to be able to do and Miyazaki makes it look effortless here.

5 Centimeters Per Second is another Japanese animation, this time directed by Makoto Shinkai for a 2007 release. The film itself features some of the most captivating and picturesque settings I've ever seen in an animated film, and I often go back to watch it just for the backgrounds and environments that it features. The storyboards for 5 Centimeters Per Second feature a crazy number of different camera angles that are also used in the film but are less noticeable there. Seeing the initial stills from the film in storyboard

5 Centimeters Per Second Storyboard

reminds you of the large variation in the way that this film utilises the camera, different close ups and obscure angles are used in ways to really draw you into the film as the story is being told, and make you feel you are a part of that world. In terms of how the story board is presented, it feels quite organised and structures, and the drawings are very clean but equally they feel like sketches that could be altered at any time if they needed to be. Like Miyizaki, Shinkai also combines notes with his storyboard illustrations perhaps to make the narrative depicted easier to understand and follow. The notes could also be ideas and thoughts he had whilst he was drawing and planning certain scenes. I think as a director Makoto Shinkai has really great vision for animation and film as a whole, this is clearly evident in his work.

Introduction To Storyboarding

Storyboard by Mike Butkus

Storyboarding is one of the most important parts of the pre-production process when it comes to any form of motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive sequence. The main purpose of storyboards is to communicate the flow and direction of the sequence to other people working in the production pipeline of a particular project. Overall, the use of a storyboard allows you to pre-visualise and plan a motion picture through the use of illustrations and images. One of the things I like about storyboards is that they're allowed to be rough and expressive, and as long as they are clear and informative you can produce them in any way you want. For example, the images for the storyboard could be created using any kind of medium, from pencil and ink to the use of digital media. Ultimately storyboards are purely there for direction purposes and will never be seen by an audience when it comes to the final finished piece, therefore they don't have to be labored over. It is due to this that they depict the story and the action in a very raw and simplified form, stripping it down of any unnecessarily details. 
However, that being said, storyboards can also contain a certain level of complexity. After all the more detail it contains the more easily ideas and content will be communicated to others. Important details such as expressions, camera angles, and dialogue that takes place in the scene can be included because of this.
It's important when creating storyboards to make sure you convey all of the necessary information and imagery, the best types of storyboards and hence final product is when the storyboard artist uses a mixture of camera angles so that the overall piece is much more interesting to work. From what we have done in terms of storyboards so far, I have learnt to make sure to include any movement if I can in the storyboard which can be indicated as simple as placing arrows to show direction of movement. On top of this notes can also be added to explain what's going on in certain frames and to add any extra details that may be harder to convey through the storyboard alone.
Overall I enjoy the process of creating storyboards and I plan to try different ways to communicate using them in the future using different media and for different types of projects, and to add to this I fully appreciate storytelling in this simplified format, I think it allows you to envision the story well during the transition between concept and final motion picture. 

12 Basic Principles of Animation

The 12 principles of Animation were first introduced in the 1981 book, 'The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation', a book by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. The content of the book was based on the work of leading Disney animators since the 1930s. The purpose of the principles is to put forward ideas and considerations to utilise when animating in order to produce more realistic and visually appealing animations. In order to do this they covered areas such as basic physical laws and the illusion of character emotion and appeal.

The principles were originally thought of and dedicated to hand drawn animation, but also translate into the modern day use of computer generated animation.

Squash and Stretch
The 'squash and stretch' principle is considered the most important of the 12 principles of animation. It implies that through animation, a materials weight and fluidity can be translated. It can be applied to a multitude of different objects and one of the simplest examples commonly used is the animated bouncing ball. When applying this principle to a realistic style of animation it's vital that the volume of the object remains unchanged despite its interaction with other objects and whether it is squashed or stretched. However, in some cases, for comical effect the volume and the objects ability to stretch can be exaggerated.

Anticipation
'Anticipation' is used in order to express to the audience that an action is about to occur and also to prepare them for it. The principle of anticipation also makes the action appear more realistic, for example, a character setting off walking need to build up momentum in order to start walking. This type of action to start a movement emulates real life, hence creating a more realistic and fluid animation style. The anticipation principle can also be applied to less physical actions such as characters anticipating the arrival of another character or event.

Staging
The principle of 'staging' applies to animation, but also to mediums such as film and theater. The purpose of staging is to direct the attention of the audience to a point of interest. Whether the point of interest be a character or action happening on screen, it's important to emphasise on the important aspects so that the audience can follow the story closely and with ease. Johnston and Thomas referred to staging as 'the presentation of any idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear', whether this is an action, an expression or a mood. There are multiple ways to make sure the action is staged and emphasised to the audience such as positioning of characters or other important aspects of the scene, or positioning the camera accordingly. Overall, the purpose of this principle is to make what is on screen relevant to the audience and avoid any unnecessary detail. 

Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose
This principle refers to the two different drawing processes in animation. 'Straight ahead action' refers to drawing every individual frame of an animation start to finish. This allows for a very realistic and fluid style of animation. Overall the 'straight ahead action' approach to drawing animation gives a very dynamic illusion of movement, however some if the drawbacks include the difficulty in maintaining proportions and accuracy when drawing subtle differences between frames. In contrast, the 'pose to pose' approach to drawing means that key frames are drawn out and others added later. This style is mainly used for emotional or dramatic type scenes of large wide angle landscapes. The two types of processes are often worked in conjunction with one another. 

The use of computer animation eliminates some of the difficulties and drawbacks with straight ahead action, however pose to pose is still used when it comes to pose to pose because of the advantages it brings in terms of composition. 

Follow Through and Overlapping ActionFollow through and overlapping action are two closely related techniques that allow for movement to be rendered more realistically, and also give the impression that characters and objects abide by the laws of physics, for example the principle of inertia. The first technique, 'follow through', refers to for example loosely tied body parts to a character continuing to move even when the character themselves come to a stop, due to the momentum acting on the body part. The technique, 'overlapping action' refers to different objects moving at different speeds and times, for example if a character is walking, his arms will be moving at a different rate to their head. Both of these techniques allow for a much more realistic style of animation when applied because they apply to real life, they can also be used on inanimate objects such as a car antenna on a car.

Slow In and Slow Out
In real life for most objects and the human body, they need time to accelerate and slow down near the beginning and ending of an action. For this reason, animation has a more realistic look if near the beginning and ending of an action their are more frames or more drawings, because the action at this point is slower. Movements that this principle would apply to would be something like a character standing up from a sitting down position or starting to run from a walking pace. An example of this is the bouncing ball animation, where the ball accelerates as it falls.

Arc
In the physical world, more objects follow an arc like trajectory as appose to say a straight line trajectory and should adhere to this principle in animation in order to emulate reality and create a sense of realism to the audience. This principle is also shown in the bouncing ball example, and can apply to countless things. For example the rotation of a characters limb. However, fast moving objects travel in more or less a straight line as you observe them, for example a bullet moving through the air. If an object moves out of this trajectory generally it will appear erratic and not fluid to the audience.

Secondary Action
Secondary action is used in scenes to emphasise certain actions. A person walking will also be simultaneously moving their arms and head, this emphasises the action rather than draw attention away from it. Along with this the character could also be showing emotion or expressing a mood, which adds to the feel of the scene and develops the character and action further.

Timing
The timing principle in animation terms refers to the amount of frames or drawings for a certain action. Using the correct amount of frames for a given action allows the object to appear to have weight or be made of a certain material based on the weight it looks to have and how it interacts with other objects.

Exaggeration
Exaggeration is a technique reserved for cartoon based animation, where making it realistic would perhaps be considered dull or uneventful. The level of exaggeration is dependent on the artist and how they want their animation to be perceived, and if they want a realistic or particular style. Exaggeration defined by Disney was to remain true to reality but to make it seem more wild and extreme. However it is important to employ restraint when using exaggeration and find balance when presenting the scene.

Solid Drawing
The principle of solid drawing related to drawing objects in a given three-dimensional space with weight, volume, anatomy, light, dark etc. Traditionally, art classes were taken in order to achieve this level of skill when drawing and being able to represent forms reliably and at a high level. As an animator it's important to be constantly drawing and trying to improve your level of drawing and taking life drawing classes amongst other things to encourage improvement and accuracy.

Appeal
The appeal principle relates to the charisma and suitability of characters, just like the appeal or charisma of actors and actresses displayed in film and theater. Charisma doesn't necessarily relate to the morality or sympathy of a character. Creatures, monsters and villains can also possess certain levels of appeal due to the way they are portrayed. One suggested technique for improving the likability of a character and allow them to connect to the audience is to make their face easy to read with good symmetry.  

Introduction to Photoshop

     

Masking/Blending Attempt

Having spent a lot of time on Photoshop previously, I was looking forward to being reminded of some of the features I had forgotten about and possibly learn something new about the software. The morning session was quite straight forward and we were shown the basic tools of Photoshop and how to navigate around. After being introduced to mask layers and how to use them we were given a selection of images to use and compile in order to utilise the 'mask layer' feature. The image on the left was created by taking an image of a helmet and an image of a man's face and overlaying them in order to create the idea that he's wearing it. Quite straight forward up to this point, but fun nonetheless.

One of the biggest things I got out of the morning session was the idea that I should use keyboard short cuts in order to make my work flow quicker and the general navigation around Photoshop more efficient, so this is definitely something I will be trying to practice and use in the future. 

Masking/Blending Experiment

The second half of the Photoshop introduction included showing us some of the more intermediate features of Photoshop. We were also given the opportunity to use the Wacom tablets which was something I hadn't done before, but got used to quite easily. After around half an hour of using the tablet you begin to use it more instinctively than before and it becomes less of a new feeling. The tablet gave me more control when using the eraser and brush tools for example than controlling them with a mouse, so I felt I had more freedom to experiment and create the image I wanted.

The image of the right was a masking/blending experiment where we had to collect four or five images from the album and over lay them to create an interesting composition. I tried to mix up the type of image I used and gather images with textures that I could overlay and create and overall interesting image. Once they had been overlayed I added sections of colour and altered the saturation and hue on certain layers to change the feel of the image.

   

Tablet Practice

Here is an example of
something I attempted in
order to get used to using
the sensitivity and line weight
settings on the tablet. 

I used the marquee tool tocreate some circles on the pagethen applied different pressures ineach to give a different value.

Final Piece 

Nearing the end of the session, we were given the task to create a 'final piece' based on what we'd learnt throughout the day. I had the idea to create a scene featuring different altitudes, starting with the ground, then mountains, followed by clouds; and finally, an image of space. I laid the images out on the canvas, slightly over lapping them before I created the mask layers for each one. After this I altered the levels and saturation/hue so that they were slightly of a slightly more similar tone before starting to merge the images together. I also tried to remove some of the colouring and vibrance of some of the images using the mask layer technique so that they were of a much closer level.

Overall I'm quite happy with the finished image, I think if I could improve it I could have altered the levels and hue/saturation to give a more interesting or compelling feel. However it turned out quite close to how I had envisioned it and I learnt a lot from the creation of the image.