SkElEt0n BrEakDoWn

Woohoo my first animation!

While working on this project I forgot my long lost love for editing video. Using Final Cut Pro opened so many more doors and possibilities than my old PC's Windows Movie Maker. However, my gain of experience and knowledge from this process encompasses a lot more than piecing together live footage.

Creating the Characters:

The first large step of this video was drawing the characters. Through very concentrated examination of the human skeletal system I was able to train myself to create multiple characters and moving bodies that can be seen throughout the piece. Seen below are the 6 different skeletal personalities: Sad, Generic, Cracked, Angry, Brainy, Flower.

My first attempt to animate these guys into moving cleaners was using the animation feature in Photoshop to create GIFs. Bringing these moving objects into FCP created a lot of problems due to awful image quality and 0 transparency. I then used another method of importing the images into FCP as PNGs and exporting each individual motion such as walking, pushing or flying as an individual .MOV file that I could import into my final sequence.

Stealthy Shooting:

My objective for this film was to use the concept of an individual's secrets or "skeletons in their closet" and turn it into an assisting pal rather than a burden. I knew that I need to shoot live film of my room being transformed from messy to clean, however I had to minimalize the visuals of anything other than the animated skeletons doing the work. I used the method of attaching strings to several object and manipulating them off-camera to get the shots and motions I needed. The Cage gave me some trouble with renting a lighting kit for this particular week of taping so I had to construct my own. Using about 8 different desk lamps and spot lights I was able to create a large improvement on Decker Halls dull lighting. I also kept in mind to shoot at still as possible by using multiple tripods and steady bases for my camera. In the final piece, the viewer can notice strings attached to certain objects such as a quilt and paper balls. I was unsure how to remove these and made the realization that it does not take away from the piece, yet adds to it and reiterates the humor of my first animation experience.

Other Creative Execution Techniques:

When piecing together my animations and live footage there was such a contrast between the colored hi-res film of my dorm and the linear, black and white skeletons that I decided to alter the live film into greyscale, old film theme. This helped piece the elements together in a much more smoother fashion.

I wanted the music in this piece to be simple, yet mean something more complex. I recorded myself on an electronic keyboard playing the background violin melody to One Republic's song "Secrets." When I heard this instrumental in the song I instantly recognized it as the theme song to an old watercolor animated children's show I used to watch. It is very soft yet playful and that is the exact effect I wanted in my film. To avoid severe repetition throughout the piece, I alternated different instruments with different scenes, using piano, violin and clarinet.

Imperfections are Imminent

Being my first time using animation, I know I have a lot to learn. Pacing throughout the movement of the skeletons is a little rough and given more time I would spend more effort on creating smoother, more natural body motions. The cartwheel at the end of the 'making bed' scene took about 35 different images whereas most other motions average on 10.

I also added a few extra letters to the word "protected" in the introduction creating "protectected" which I guess could imply EXTRA protection since they are deep, dark secrets.

Looking at this piece and receiving feedback from my class I realize that I could have dived into the concept more and created messier, or bizarre discoveries that would be implied secrets during the tidy-up process.

Ixnay the Strings.

I also would benefit from adding in sound effects from the characters themselves instead of relying solely on instrumentals.

Notes for the Future:

PNG > GIF

(image quality wise)

RENDERING IS THE DEVIL

(always account for the time it will take to render)

ex: Rendering final finished film - 22 hours

I actually googled how to shorten render time and used a nice tip of changing my preferences to render in RGB mode. This did cut down a lot of time. THANKS GOOGLE!!

Lastly, so many times during this project FCP, Ps, and Ai were just randomly shutting down. Conveniently *sarcasm*, Macs haven't fully invested in autosave. -_-

Never again will I work for more than 5 minutes without pressing Command+S.

Sea Dweller

Skeletons in your Closet

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Proposal for Final Project

"Sea Dweller: An Animated Short"

This final assignment will touch the areas of animation and video techniques introduced throughout this course that I have not yet displayed in my past projects. Techniques such as outdoor filming, rotoscoping and utilizing luma and alpha mattes to key out layered video. This nautical sequence will include live footage from a beach setting featuring a wooden dollhouse near the shore. I will use still images to manipulate the interior appearance of the miniature dwelling. The time of place is early morning where the viewer will be greeted by a disguised character engaging in a daily routine. The visuals will be accompanied by a song that follows the tempo of the animation. I chose the track "Fix It" from Grizzly Bear's 1994 Horn of Plenty album for its ambient vocals and distorted strings. I feel that it will fit really well with the piece. The scenes depicting breakfast and daily hygiene will lead up to the climax of the video and reveal of the true beach hermit living at the sea.

ATTACK OF THE BIRD MATTES

Overview of Animation Strategies

Join the Freedom Force by Martha Colbum

I like the chaos and fast paced movement in this piece. Also loves the background audio composition done by Knalpot of simple electronic beats paired with a drum line and varying guitar riffs. This cut animation uses carious forms of mixes media and gives dimension to the overall picture. This anti-violence animation is somewhat psychedelic in the way that it was filmed. It is jumpy and keeps the eyes unbroken attention so that the mind can follow the artist's message.

Subconscious Dive

Here is my sound/image sequence for project #2 using my audio from project sound & memory.

Audio Analysis of 'Subconscious Dive'

This is the first audio piece I have ever created. I had a lot of fun recording found audio clips whether it was breaking plates on the ground or making my roommate scream throughout Decker Hall. When I first began musing over the concept of 'sound & memory' my mind led me to the abstract subconscious memory - the part of the mind in which one is not fully aware of but still has influence on a person's feelings and actions. Over the time it takes to grow old, a human experiences a repetition of daily events and obstacles. Some instances may feel new, yet we react accordingly to our upbringing and uniquely shaped life story. The subconscious can be tapped into through forms of meditation, dream cycles or psychoanalysis.

For my piece, I constructed the atmosphere of a therapist's office in where a psychologist instructs the patient to take a 'Subconscious Dive' in order to help reminisce and heal a traumatizing memory. The spoken word and fast paced breathing in the audio is my recorded voice and I enjoyed manipulating the therapist's voice to resemble a lagging, eery male's tone. A lot of the sounds recorded use small objects such as window blinds, a stapler, a head

massager, drawers, coins and the sound of water falling in the shower. A ticking clock represents the passing of time throughout most of the composition. Some effects I utilized to help the frightening and tense theme of this piece are: expander, clip distortion, exciter, flanger, ensemble, pitch shifter and reverb as well as creating distance with varying the l/r sound outputs.

I really focused on the internal mind of the patient. You're listening to the audio as the patient experiences it, similar to having a front seat in the back of their eyes. The best part of the project were the critiques that I received from my classmates'. I made the audio with full intention of putting the audience in an uncomfortable state. I was slightly nervous to see reactions but the darting eyes, and tensed sitting positions of the listeners affirmed my motives. If I did not receive these reactions I would have viewed my project as a total failure.

Audio Critiques for Anthony, Kyle & Ryan

Anthony -

I hate losing stuff, yet my lack of short term memory makes it a daily routine to be searching for keys, phone, student id, etc. I was able to use my own experience to thoroughly enjoy Anthony's piece where he traces his steps with his inner thoughts accompanied by the usual college surrounding ambience. I appreciated the high quality of the clips demonstrating movement because of the use of different landscapes and ground textures to make an accurate detail of traveling around campus. A camera is an expensive object to lose and I was able to grasp the nervousness in Anthony's voice and pace. I was able to tell an immediate difference between the background noise of Eikhoff vs the Student Center and feel that the execution of capturing these areas was done very effectively.

Kyle -

I liked this clip because it illustrates the natural human activity of wasting time. I'm a serious boss when it comes to procrastinating, especially if I am equipped with the internet. The interjections of typing insinuate an assignment that desires completion. The sources of sounds somewhat confused me but also added to the meaningless information and entertainment we seek that help us avoid the task at hand. Overtones of eating and casual guitar playing also add to the emphasis of evading responsibility.

Ryan -

I loved this piece because it went with the theme of music triggering memory. Almost always when I listen to a song I am able to relate it to a past time, experience, a person or group of people or even what song would come next if I was listening to the full album or if I have previously put the track on a mixed cd. It is really odd how these small mementos are stored in my head and triggered by familiar melodies. The echoed countdown and the overtone of Pink Floyd throughout the piece puts the viewer in a past state. Also the choice of song that is demonstrated throughout the clip also tends to trigger the memory of an actual being or person when you think of 'Wish you were here.'

Rebisz & Hill

There was a close tie to which visual audio clip I enjoyed more. "Between You and Me" by Patryk Rebisz uses a stop motion effect in the setting of an already quickly paced and erratic city. The use of multiple perspectives gave the clip a more three dimensional setting. The background melodies assimilated to the mood of the clip or first-person and also the time of day. The perspectives cycle from Boy to Girl to Creep and back to Boy and the artist uses pictures in a picture to decipher location and origin and to connect the two main characters.

I also loved Gary Hill's "Around and About" because it is a familiar take to my approach for a storyboard and use of visuals for my piece. The pictures match up with the syllables and words being spoken in a calming male voice. Window panes, cinderblock walls, rotating fans, a chair and jacket are all disguised by closeup images and harsh angles that give the atmosphere of one small room setting to a stream of consciousness thought of 'disembodied ideas.' I also enjoyed the transitions, highlights, color changes and movements of the pictures across the screen. Although they were simplistic, the really added to the tempo of the piece and also gave a rhythm to the spoken word. I plan to utilize a lot of these techniques in order to deliver my sound and memory project.

Subconscious Dive

This is the finished piece of the Sound & Memory project that analyzes a psychiatrist's office and a patient's traumatic experience.

DB/BE & EBN

"AMERICA IS WAITING" 1986

DAVID BRYNE/BRIAN ENO: MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS ALBUM

America is Waiting screams 80s as a catchy, robotic sounds of compiled television/radio announcers interject to broken beats that seem to originate from broadcasted theme songs. The source sounds seem to be most likely electronically made with a few overtones of guitar thrown about. The large amount of sampling used throughout the piece is very impressive for it was not a familiar technique at the time of its production. This anciently innovative track immediately dragged me into a past time zone and also into a cultural feeling of oppression as the narrator reinstates 'America is waiting for a message of some sort or another.' The artists represented those who seek change or an answer.

"GET DOWN, GET DOWN" 1995

EMERGENCY BROADCAST NETWORK, TELECOMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

The short repetitive video clips seem to originate from broadcasted television. The violent overtones seek to instill fear in the viewer and simulate our slavery to the media. Emergency Broadcast Network made this track on the album to illustrate the control we allow television to have on our culture. The ridiculous and senseless people and programs that people waste their lives away attending to is moronic. We stay in our homes believing the scary reports on the t.v. screen instead of facing and embracing reality.

Furious Pig & Whitehead

"I DON'T LIKE YOUR FACE" - FURIOUS PIG

This 1980 A-capella number is done by a London cult sensation that put their main musical focus on developing a form of intense vocal chanting that ranges on various choreographed levels throughout the clip. It is hard to understand any actual language coming from the scit scat piece however I found an odd obsession with the emotions conveyed in broken outbursts and man-made sound effects. The non-linear narrative exemplifies the feeling of frustration one has when they find a deep disgust for a person. It is hard to explain oneself when sharing such opposition to a human being's born appearance, yet I feel that the song is not only shooting towards they aesthetics of a the shamed person but the stomach turning feeling the artists witness when they spot the disfavored body.

"EVA CAN I STAB BATS IN A CAVE" - GREGORY WHITEHEAD

A looping play on words is the narrative for this 1984 distorted audio clip. From just listening to the loop I was able to catch on the the statement being a reversal of itself. Whether read from left or from the right "Eva Can I Stab Bats in a Cave?" has the same phonetic sound. The clip chronologically gets easier to understand and each statement is separated by an exasperated, scratchy breath. Towards the end you can hear the repetition of vocal sounds as the sentence is said correctly and quickly looped backwards with a mirrored audio.

Notes on Audio Clips

This American Life: Episode 109 - Notes on Camp

08-28-1998. 57:36. Adam Davidson & Julie Snyder

This piece is a calming narrative of interviews and conversations that promote the benefits of summer camp to non-campers. Different examples of audio including memories and current life demonstrate the lifestyle and everlasting effects going to camp creates on one's life. Favorite moments, genuine friendship, esteemed mentorship and positive camaraderie are illustrated throughout the clip. There is several harmonic overtones that accompany the piece associating the listener to the essence of camp and "campfire music." The story is told in small chapters that each encapsulate an explanation for non-campers as to why their camp-goer friends' involvement has truly imprinted their lives.

Her Long Black Hair: An audio walk with photographs

2004. 46 mins. Janet Cardiff

The piece is an interactive audio piece that takes listeners through New York City on a path of corresponding sites and pictures. The piece is told by a sot female voice who narrates her surroundings including the background noise of daily city life and steady pace of footsteps. The artist instructs you to listen to the piece through headphones in order to obtain a full 3-D effect and she clearly states when to view each image that comes from the same area only many years ago. The piece links the listener to different periods of time and culture.

Dreams: Telephone Series

10-2008. Cardiff & Miller

There is no audio clip to dreams although the titles of each phone gave me some insight into what one would hear if participating in this installation. Dreams are pretty private thoughts, not usually heard over casual phone conversation. The artist manipulate the phone as a speaker for their piece allowing the viewer to interact with the audio as they please.

She Was a Visitor

1930. Robert Ashley

A monotone, scaly voice repeats the statement “She was a visitor” as overtones of deep choir voices and moans slowly creep up on the audio creating an eerie feel. This leads the listener to be put in a dark solitude voice with overhead feeling of a unwanted company.

Excerpt from Silence

1969. John Cage

Listening to the piece, I was more distracted by the tone of Cage’s voice other than the words he was preaching in monotonic succession. He speaks about United States’ expansive consumerism, oil rigging and the need for future resources. Cage introduces other characters yet narrates for them instead of including other voices in the piece.

The War of the Worlds

10-30-1938. Orson Wells

An original broadcast from Orson Welles begins with a classical interlude followed with a dialogue from the author speaking of life on an off earth and the event of this broadcast. Interrupt music gives room to an urgent message describing foreign sky sightings that trace from Mars to Earth. I find it humorous that the piece switches right back to the previously playing song after delivering such an odd message. The first event of action occurs right in the local area between Princeton and Trenton. I could only imagine the fear placed on Americans listening to this piece. It’s hard to think that a radio station would play a joke on the level of a country invasion. Interviews with experts give credibility to the accounts being reported. There is also a background sound of a ticking clock that creates anxiety as time is being tracked. The fear this piece implants in its listeners must have sent thousands of viewers into hiding.