Apparently, it's too big to upload onto blogger, so please see my vimeo site here.
I was originally planning to create a vector overlay sequence to add color right on top of the stop-motion. It was supposed to just be transparencies that moved right along with the motion of the photographed napkin pieces, in different colors, but it was sadly a complete failure. I don't really know why I decided to dive into something so crazy and impossible, especially when this is only the second time I've ever used flash!
SO instead, Tyler recommended that I incorporate digital animation in some other way, like separately at the end, in its own scene. I was determined to actually use what flash had to offer, so I tried this route, and I think it's a nice little twist at the end, even though it is struggling to fit in with the original stop-motion.
2 comments:
Laura:
From concepting to storyboard to finished piece, I feel like the initial stop motion animation feels very clear, appropriate to your object, and well thought out. The unique aesthetic of stop motion helps to add to this hand generated feeling overall, underscoring the intimacy and physicality of a napkin. I like how clean your transitions are from one action word to the next, to the point where they're indistinguishable. Each action though, through your use of adequate timing, is still clear.
I like that at the end you experimented with the digital possibilities of flash, contrasting the stop frame style with flash renderings. I question the continuity though. It feels as though it was tacked on at the end, not only because of this difference in media, but because of to completely different feel of the way you've animated your word. The scale and motion are completely different, and much less dynamic than your stop frame. I think it may have helped to create another story board near the end of the project, when you decided to add on this additional scene, and figured out how to more successfully integrate this style. Perhaps it happens at the beginning and the typographic napkin transitions into the hand made one, resuming your initial stop frame. Perhaps it happens it the middle, where a transition allows so. It all goes back to it feeling like two distinct ideas.
Formally though, I think everything is working quite well. I like that you took on the challenge of stop frame, and I'm impressed by the fluidity of it. Each action is literal, but I don't mind that there isn't a conceptual approach besides your rendering style: I think the literality of your actions only helps to underscore their real world equivalents, constructing a more realistic and captivating finished piece. I know you learned a lot about flash in doing this project, and I'm excited to see where you go from here. I think once we all understand the difficult language of flash, we'll be able to utilize it more as a tool for animation than a burden. Overall, very interesting, captivating work. Put it in A5!
Your exploration of using real napkins was a great idea. little did you know, shape tweening the color bars would be so difficult. it's not like you knew it would take such a long time, so i think it's great you tried. but now you know!
the animation is timed exquisitely, and the transitions offer a nice meaningful element between frames. it's very clear and smooth animation, and very playful as well. it reminds me of when i was a kid and i would start to play with my food and napkins when i went out to eat.
i can't stress enough how glad i am you stuck with the analogue technique. it offers a more interesting narrative to a flash animation. you mentioned people had trouble understanding your storyboard, but now that i look back on it, i think it's very clear.
of course, there is the one issue you already know i am going to talk about. i understand tyler wanted you to add a new vector segment onto the end so you could gt some flash practice in there. i saw you working through your process of colored overlays, and in that aspect in learning to shape tween was a great exorcise for you to understand flash more. it seems very disconnected though from the beginning. it seems strange it comes on at the end, after the napkin has crumbled up rolled off screen.(great ending there) i heard ramzy suggest putting it in the beginning, and i will agree. it seems strange the word napkin twirls onto the stage to pick it up. adding it to the beginning allows you to introduce the word, as well as see her put it down off frame, a good transition piece as the start of your animation. although the style of the girl is really cute, i think some good humor would go a long way with a small fat kid wiping his messy face in the beginning. this might work well with the playfulness of your animation as a whole. i can just imagine the greesy grime dripping from his chubby cheeks as he plays with his napkins. great job. i am super stoked about it! wheeeeew!
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