Month: June 2020

Hi friends,
We’ve already reached the end of term! Time really flies. I’m not sure how I feel about this chapter ending. I think I already miss my classmates and lecturers. It’s really been a great 2 years and I’ve met the most kind, patient, generous people here. I wonder when we will all meet together again? Will we all meet again? Here’s a photo from last year of all of us.

So, I’ve decided to dedicate this post to sharing with you my personal feelings about the submission today. Overall, I’m quite happy with my submission as it was truly, truly the best that I could have offered. There’s been numerous all nighters (including this one haha) but it all came together in the end.

When I watch my graduation film, there’s still alot I want to improve on. Perhaps the timing and maybe re-recording some of the onion / garlic voices. I think this is something to consider doing before the Big Show!

What I’m pleased with?
– Effort: First of all, i’d like to give myself a pat on the back. Only 6 months ago, I was so unfamiliar with maya, After Effects, Premiere, Animation in general – ALL of these software. Even within maya, rigging was a completely new thing to me. I invested alot of time and effort into learning these under pressure and truth be told, it was really hard and frustrating at times.
However, such a steep learning curve only allowed me to learn and now I feel much more equipped in various skills.
– The music : I am truly pleased with Dan’s compositions. His music really brought the animation to life and conveys the world that I envisioned. It helped pace the movie in a way that makes it cinematic.
– The overall look: The matte, soft look really came through with this render. I also want to try rendering with others like RedShift one day! But for now, I’m very happy with it!

What would I changed?
– I think I would have looked after myself a little better if I were to do it again. I was often sleeping very little hours, sitting with poor posture, not doing exercise, consuming junk food while rushing for the deadline. I’m really feeling the effects of it now haha! Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to rest up now.
– Spending more time over the holidays learning software like After Effects properly. It would have sped up my production and editing time significantly if I were more prepared beforehand.
– Being a bit more brave with the animation poses. Sometimes I feel like I’m limiting my characters because I’m scared of ‘too much’. I think being more loose with my animation might make the performance more organic. This is something I will keep building on!

I’m really happy with the outcome but I’m ready to make something even better soon! I hope everyone has been well.

Stay safe,
Until next time,
Katie

References:
[1] Unique. 2020. [film] Directed by K. Chan. United Kingdom.

The short that I’d like to share with you today is called ‘Armstrong’ by Russ Etheridge. 

It’s a very eye catching piece on the list of Vimeo staff picks. It tells the story of a heroine solving a moon mystery. As soon as the moon disappears, things start to get a little strange. We anticipate the solution to this mystery thought the film [1].

On Russ Etheridge’s website, she shares that her unique style stems from a place of simplicity. She wishes to remove all the unnecessary and just keep the minimal that is required to tell the narrative. 

Moreover, her unique style is the result of hybridising 2D artwork and styles onto 3D structures. The 2D style gives it a unique and refreshing aesthetic, why the 3D gives the short a little more depth. There are also scenes with only 2D which works really well because it’s not jarring. It also fits in with the overall look of them film.

What I like the most about this is the overall look of them film. It’s very unique and has a personality of its own. Moreover, the colour palette chosen really suits both the story and the medium.

The choice of choosing minimal is something that I also incorporated into my graduation film ‘Unique’. I felt the same, in that it lets the audience and myself give attention to the key bones that tell the story. Overcrowding shots may do you very little favour. Moreover, it’s an aesthetic on its own. Exploring a little outside to touch on various different colour palettes and implementing 2D designs into 3D is something that I’d like to try out this summer!

In terms of story, it’s not one that I’m overly keen on. I recently enjoy animations with a bit more depth and meaning. In terms of artistic animation, this would cut it for me. However, something with a bit more meaning would stay with me for longer. I’m still unsure what the message or point of this film is after watching it.

Did you like it? Let me know what you think! 🙂

Until next time,

Katie

References:

[1] Etheridge, R., 2020. ARMSTRONG. [ Video ] Available at: <https://vimeo.com/388446129> [Accessed 1 June 2020].