Just a update

Firstly, I would just like to say that I think the project is going well, especially considering all of the dissertation work. Everyone is posting good things on their blogs. Just a couple of things.

Firstly I would like to see everyone's work the last week of term so we can prepare for the presentation to Mike.

Secondly, over easter we need all backgrounds completed and all rough animation must be done.

If not we won't get the project completed.

Okay guys.

Let's get our dissertations over with.

Flash Coloured Practice

With all the dissertation work it just feels like term just began. It was suggested to me that we use Toon Boom Studio. Simon and I tried that but couldn't make no heads or tails of it. Then we use illustrator, hopefully using the live trace tool, but that came out fuzzy with broken lines, and it's difficult to colour. I just spent the last few weeks colouring all my frames in photoshop with no luck. Finally Simon discovers that flash will do it just fine. What a colossal waste of my time! Oh well, least I know how to make the film now.

I decided that it would be useful for me to practice flash, so using the coloured frames I did, I used them to do a bit of this Mort scene in Flash. Because they were coloured in photoshop it is a bit fuzzy. Also for some reason the frame rate a bit weird. That may have happened when it compressed the quicktime video. Gotta go two weeks to dissertation deadline.

Tutorials for 2D Animation

Harry sent me a link to this website that has tutorials for Digital Inking and Painting for 2D Animation. Hopefully, it can help, because I'm worried that my current method is taking too long.

http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/8173_digital-inking-painting-2d-animation.htm

Digitizing & Inking Line Art Drawings -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Cleaned Up drawings

I've cleaned up the drawings. I am hoping to start colouring them real soon. Hopefully Simon, will help. When parts of the characters are not moving, I drew them up on layers. I think we will either colour them in Toon Boom or Illustrator.

Prof put on gloves test animation

Well, here is the prof puts on gloves test animation scene. It's without the dialogue at the moment, but I hope to fix that. I noticed a couple of things I would like to change, places where it jumps. Hopefully I can see what it looks like with dialogue soon. I pretty happy with the change of expressions and the arcs.

Amendment

Here it is with the tweaks and the dialogue. Their are a few minor lip-syncing issues but overall I'm happy with it.

Brand New Completely Final Animatic

Well, here it is. Finally the final version of the story. All it needs now is the music and sound effects. Hopefully our sound guy James (aka Jason) can do that for us. Actually, I think all that work paid off. It's much snappier now and it flows much better than before. Great work Smiling' Simon, for getting this done.

Report and R.A.M Animation

Well, it's taken a little while but I finally finished animating both those scenes. It took longer than I thought as well, I only just finished today. I'm hopefully going to shoot the pencil test tomorrow, boy my hand hurts, but I can show you the R.A.M scene right now. I am quite pleased with these.

Changes to Script

Hi,

Well Mike had a look at the film last week and had lots of nice things to say about it which is good. His one comment was he got a bit confused as to what was on camera and what was off camera. The thing is it's all on camera, the viewer is supposed to be the audience watching it at home on their TV sets, just as they actually would be. He suggested overcoming this issue by having camera men working cameras, out of focusing and slight camera shakes. He also suggested something at the start just to fully indicate to the audience, so I came up with the idea of using a movie clapper board.
Looking at the script again, I have had feelings about it. Considering that it has taken me about a week to animate one 10 second scene, I am now fretting over the length. Will we be able to get this done in time. Considering this, I have gone in with a axe and chopped out anything that is not absolutely necessary. This usually resulted in bits of lines of dialogue going, however it did result in the entire disappearance of the scene where he describes the dental tools. I'm sad to see it go but I'm really worried here. Anyway here is the new script.

Script 09/02/2009

Movie Clapper Board.

Focuses In

Susie-May: Live from the Deep South of America. Brought to you by Aunt Marcie’s (Fatback Bits in Gravy). It’s The Professor!

Camera pans back revealing studio

Audience: Clap! Clap!

Title fades in

Prof: Howdy! Welcome to the show! Woops!

Prof knocks award of shelf.

Man in audience laughs

Prof: You know I keep knocking over this award I won at university for my thesis on the advanced growth of bananas. And this got me thinking…people slip on bananas. And what’s the opposite of slipping, sticking, yes. What do people step on that’s sticky, gum, gum, chewing gum. Thinking about gum, gums, we have gums in our mouths. Which is why today’s topic is dentistry. Whilst I get ready R.A.M why don't you tell the folks at home more about teeth.

R.A.M: Glad to Prof! Teeth are loose bones held to the jaw by soft tissue known as gums. When bacteria enter the gum line it eats away causing diseases.

Bacteria: heh heh heh!

R.A.M: So that's why it is very important to brush and floss your teeth.

Prof realises he needs help from audience

Prof: R.A.M

R.A.M initiates picture generator.

Lights flash over audience.

Stops on Mort.

Mort in first row eating a banana.

Prof grabs Mort.

Mort drops banana.

Mort gets rushed into chair.

Prof: Studying at university I witnessed many dental procedures. I can’t believe I’m doing my first one. Open Wide!

Mort: Hmmmmpfff!

Prof: Look at all these gingivitis filled gums… Isn’t that fascinating! Now let's get started.

Click, Click.

Prof: Hmmm having a bit of trouble here. Maybe if I pull a little. GULP!

Mort’s Tooth pings out

Ram: GASP!

Light falls down on Professor’s head.

Mort’s head swells up!

Mort: EEEE!

R.A.M jumps down, hops over to get Susie

Prof: Don’t worry it’s all part of the procedure I’m competent

RAM brings Susie back

Susie-May: Don’t worry because Aunt Marcie’s (Fatback Bits in Gravy) is not only a tasty snack, it is also an all purpose medical treatment.

Mort’s head swells back down.

Prof: Well we have come to the end of our show see you next time science seekers.

Prof slips on banana peel.

Camera pans out over audience.

Fades to credit sequence-showing stills from other episodes.

Susie-May: This episode was brought to you by Aunt Marcie’s (Fatback Bits in Gravy). Come all back now you here!

Prof puts on Gloves keyframe animation

Here is the Prof puts on gloves key frame animation. I'm really pleased with it. Funny thing is some key frames where so closed together they actually look like animation. I'm quite happy to move forward with this scene.

Tweaked R.A.M Animation

Here is the tweaked animation for R.A.M's big dialogue scene. It obviously needs some more work as the computer makes it a bit floppy, but I think the lip-syncing is nice and importantly, the key poses are much better now.

I also animated the next scene where he selects someone from the audience.

Prof puts on gloves key frames

Here are the key frame drawings for the "Prof puts on Gloves" Sequence. I'm hoping to try drawing in the lip-syncs soon and see what it looks like filmed.

Comments on Previous RAM post

After posting my RAM key frame animation, I animated the lip-sync. The lip-syncing, I'm pleased to say, turn out well. Unfortunately, upon second viewing, R.A.M is moving a too much. I was worried because he is essentially just a head, that if I didn't move it, he would look dead. So I film reference of myself and really exaggerated the head positions. However I moved him too much and now he's jittering about like a kid on a sugar high. I'm going to have to go back and make it much more subtle.