16 mar 15

Tim
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh03
sh08
sh10
sh20

did:
sh04

• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Mee
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 keyed

• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Chris
Production Calendar says:
doesn't indicate what work was to be done.

*production calendar does not clearly indicate total number of shots, or what work will be done for today's class.
• Add description to influences: how do they inform your piece?
• Synopsis is minimal and contains an obvious grammatical error. please fix.
• Influences are just links: add description of how they impact your piece, and make the links into clickable words instead of URLs.
• Correct spelling of the word "Production Still": attention to detail makes you look good. Inattention to detail makes you look the opposite.
• Make production calendar page link go to another tab rather than replacing your blog.
• Shot list: mark shots as "easy," "medium," or "difficult," and tally up the number of days it will take to animate them.
• If you have revised your animatic so that there are fewer shots, this should be reflected in your shot list/production calendar
• Add dates to the production calendar all the way to the end.
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Meghan
Production Calendar says:
animated:
DURING BREAK A: S16, Title, Credits

James
Production Calendar says:
4 Shots rough animated *Please make the Production Calendar functional, and indicate specific shots and dates.

Done: ???

• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs
• Put finished shots together to start building a new animatic

Cynthia
Production Calendar says:
sh25
sh26
sh27
sh28
sh29
sh30
sh31
sh32

Done: all shots marked as "in-progress"

Andrew
Production Calendar says:
• preliminary backgrounds 3, 4, 5 done. sh07, 08 animated.
• sh09, 10, 11 animated.
• sh12, 13, 15, 16 animated.

Done: None.

• Add dates for final backgrounds in Shot List & Production Calendar
• add festival program-style synopsis to "About" page

Andre
Production Calendar says:
*no work indicated

• Fill in missing dates in your Production Calendar

Ra'shon
84 seconds animated (no shot list or production calendar on blog)

• Production Calendar & Shot List?
• Rework story beginning and end so they reflect the cliché upon which the story is based.
• Rapidly passing the point of no return, here. See me in class.

Posted 2 layouts for BG's.

Production Calendar says:
• shot03back 
• shot4back 
• shot05back

Greg
Production Calendar says:
living room.

Done: part of living room.

• Add seconds to each sequence defined in Production Calendar (e.g. "Commercial, 24 sec.")
• Embed movie into "animatic" page.
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Marc
Production Calendar says:
84 seconds animated & colored.

• Shot 24
• Shot 25
• Shot 28

• "ending sequence"

Work Due for March 2nd, Week 6

*Note: missing production stills and incomplete Production Calendars/Shot Lists bring your grade down each week they remain unfinished. Grades are available on Digication.

Tim
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh07
sh15
sh14
sh16
sh05 animated (from last week)

• Does the Production Calendar include all of your shots? 
• Total number of days of animation (easy, medium, difficult) still needs to be added up. How many backgrounds, total?
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Notes: one shot, unidentified, posted to blog, 1 second duration.

Mee
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh09
sh10
sh11
sh14
sh15

• sh04, 05, 06, 07, 08 posted. Post other finished shots. Revise Shot List/Production Calendar as needed.
• Questions: re-size multiple images in Toon Boom; coloring in Toon Boom
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Notes: no work posted.

Chris
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh14
sh15
sh16
sh17
sh18

• What's the difference between the red and the strike-throughs on your production calendar? It's not clear. Please fix.
• Add description to influences: how do they inform your piece?
• Synopsis is minimal and contains an obvious grammatical error. please fix.
• Influences are just links: add description of how they impact your piece, and make the links into clickable words instead of URLs.
• Correct spelling of the word "Production Still": attention to detail makes you look good. Inattention to detail makes you look the opposite.
• Make production calendar page link go to another tab rather than replacing your blog.
• Shot list: mark shots as "easy," "medium," or "difficult," and tally up the number of days it will take to animate them.
• If you have revised your animatic so that there are fewer shots, this should be reflected in your shot list/production calendar
• Add dates to the production calendar all the way to the end.
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Notes: 60 seconds of rough animation posted. Good progress with animation this week, but cannot tell what shots are what until shot list and production calendar are updated. See notes, above and make sure to make revisions.

Meghan
Production Calendar says:
animated:
sh21
sh22
sh23

Notes: Done. Make note of which shots have been posted and update Shot List. Good progress.

James
Production Calendar says:
3 Shots rough animated *Please indicate which shots in the Production Calendar. (sh04, sh05, sh06 indicated only in Shot List, which is not chronological)

• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs
• Put finished shots together to start building a new animatic

Notes: Shot "Chair get up" posted (sh04?).

Cynthia
Production Calendar says:
sh05
sh06
sh07
sh08
sh09
sh10
sh11
sh12
sh13
sh14
sh15

• Embed video into blog post rather than just using the link to make it one step for the viewer to see
• ps - I like your "Apple" animation from Object Animation class: nice acting, rich color and lighting

Notes: Production Calendar says sh05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, animated, sh12, 13, 14, 15 in progress. Please note which shots are done on post.

Andrew
Production Calendar says:
preliminary bg sh03
preliminary bg sh04
preliminary bg sh05
sh07 animated
sh08 animated

• Synchronize production calendar and shot list.
• Key animation posted for sh06; sh05 zoom
• Add dates for final backgrounds in Shot List & Production Calendar
• add festival program-style synopsis to "About" page

Notes: bg03, 04, 05 posted. Keys for sh05, 06, 07 posted.

Andre
Production Calendar says:
shot07 bg
shot08 bg

Shot List says:
sh07 animated

• Fill in missing dates in your Production Calendar

Notes: no worked posted to blog.

Ra'shon
60 seconds animated (no shot list or production calendar on blog)

• Production Calendar & Shot List?
• Rework story beginning and end so they reflect the cliché upon which the story is based.
• Rapidly passing the point of no return, here. See me in class.

Notes: no work posted to blog.

Greg
Production Calendar says:
audio editing/timing finalized.

• Add seconds to each sequence defined in Production Calendar (e.g. "Commercial, 24 sec.")
• Embed movie into "animatic" page.
• Need printable production still based on Annecy specs

Notes: no work posted to blog.

Marc
Production Calendar says:
60 seconds animated & colored.

• Revise Shot List dates so they reflect a regular working pattern.
• Synch Production Calendar to revised Shot List.

Notes: roughly 50 seconds posted to blog.

Work due for February 23rd

Tim
animated:
sh01
sh02
sh05

notes: Are your backgrounds done? Yes.

Production still (the image on the about page)? A couple of observations: you might consider reworking the background: the wallpaper is busy (tone it back), and the curtains interfere with the human character (tone them back and make the fold lines thinner, less dark, and out of the way of the human's face).

Not sure the Production Calendar includes all of your shots. Double check. Total number of days of animation (easy, medium, difficult) still needs to be added up. How many backgrounds, total?

last week:
animated:
sh01
sh02
sh06 
sh13 
sh14 
sh17

Mee
animated:
sh04
sh05
sh06
sh07
sh08

notes: Shot list says: sh01-08 for feb24 - think you mean feb 23. Sync up Shot List and Production Calendar.

animated (from 09feb15):
sh01
sh02
sh05
sh06
sh07

animated (16feb15)
sh03
sh04
sh07
sh08
sh09
production still
finish blog
notes: rough animation looks good. revise your calendar to catch up.

Chris
animated:
sh10
sh11
sh12
sh13

notes: looks like shots 3,4,5, and 7 are animated? What's the difference between the red and the strike-throughs on your production calendar? Make sure shot list and production calendar are in sync. Looks like you are significantly behind, according to what your shot list/calendar say.

Post finished shots to blog.
Missing production still.
Add description to influences: how do they inform your piece?

animated (from 16feb15)
sh07
sh08
sh09
production still
finish blog
notes: make production calendar and shot list functional. Remember: 12 seconds/week if the calendar does not make your schedule clear.

Meghan
A: S06, S07, S08, S09, S10, S11 *assume A = animated? Post stills to blog.

(16feb15)
backgrounds: 
bg03
bg04
bg05
bg06
bg07
bg08
bg09
bg10
bg12,
animated: 
sh04
production still
finish blog
notes: Good progress!

James
4 shots animated (which ones?: sh02.1, sh04)
notes: add dates to shot list and production calendar for specific shots.

(16feb15)
2 Shots rough animated (which two shots?)
production still
finish blog
notes: Nice animation. Put finished shots together to start building a new animatic

Cynthia
background numbers 17,18,19,20,25,26,29,32
"animating in progress" sh03, 04, 05
notes: update production calendar as per shot list dates

(from 16feb15)
5 backgrounds and production still (which ones?)
production still
finish blog
notes: Nice backgrounds. Please indicate which shots they come from in both the blog post and the production calendar/shot list.

Andrew
animated:
sh05
sh06

notes: Post new work to blog. Synchronize production calendar and shot list.

(*16feb15)
animated:
sh01
sh02
sh03
sh04
production still
layout (?)
finish blog
notes: revise production calendar/shot list to reflect changes

Andre
shot05back (last week)
shot06back cleaned colored

notes: not sure what else was done. Complete the production calendar to match the shot list and dd finished work to journal page

(*16feb15)
bg sh03
bg sh04
bg sh05
production still
finish blog
notes: finalize story idea.

Ra'shon
48 seconds animated (no shot list or production calendar on blog)
notes: quickly reaching the point of no return! nothing done.

(*16feb15)
36 seconds animated
show work
production still
create blog
notes: See me.

Greg
48 seconds animated
notes: Post work. Lack of functional shot list and production calendar are hurting your progress grade.

(*16feb15)
36 seconds animated
production still
finish blog
notes: make Production Calendar functional or post 12 seconds/week.

Marc
Production calendar and shot list give no dates - this is hurting your progress grade.
Post new work.

12 seconds animated for this week
sh05
sh06
production still
finish blog
notes: make Production Calendar functional or post 12 seconds/week.

Work Due for February 16th

Tim
animated:
sh01
sh02
sh06 
sh13 
sh14 
sh17
production still
finish blog
notes: Backgrounds look good. What are your questions regarding Toon Boom?

Mee
animated (from last week):
sh01
sh02
sh05
sh06
sh07

animated (this week)
sh03
sh04
sh07
sh08
sh09
production still
finish blog
notes: rough animation looks good. revise your calendar to catch up.

Chris
animated:
sh07
sh08
sh09
production still
finish blog
notes: make production calendar and shot list functional. Remember: 12 seconds/week if the calendar does not make your schedule clear.

Meghan
backgrounds: 
bg03
bg04
bg05
bg06
bg07
bg08
bg09
bg10
bg12,
animated: 
sh04
production still
finish blog
notes: Good progress!

James
2 Shots rough animated (which two shots?)
production still
finish blog
notes: Nice animation. Put finished shots together to start building a new animatic

Cynthia
5 backgrounds and production still (which ones?)
production still
finish blog
notes: Nice backgrounds. Please indicate which shots they come from in both the blog post and the production calendar/shot list.

Andrew
animated:
sh01
sh02
sh03
sh04
production still
layout (?)
finish blog
notes: revise production calendar/shot list to reflect changes

Andre
bg sh03
bg sh04
bg sh05
production still
finish blog
notes: finalize story idea.

Ra'shon
36 seconds animated
show work
production still
create blog
notes: See me.

Greg
36 seconds animated
production still
finish blog
notes: make Production Calendar functional or post 12 seconds/week.

Marc
12 seconds animated for this week
sh05
sh06
production still
finish blog
notes: make Production Calendar functional or post 12 seconds/week.

Work due for February 9th

According to your Production Calendars as of 02feb15:

Tim
• sh01, sh02 animated. did: new voice recording posted on blog. need to get shot list/production calendar working.

Mee
• sh01, 02, 05,06, 07 animated. did: worked on animatic ending. update shot list/production calendar.

Chris
• sh03, 04, 05, 06 animated. did: 15 seconds(?); make shot list/production calendar functional.

Meghan
• BG's 01,02,03,04,10,11,12,13 done. S01,02,06 animated. did: BG01, 02, 11, 13; S01, 02, 06. update shot list/production calendar.

James
• animatic completed. did: animatic done
• 6 shots animated and cleaned up (which ones?). did: keys for shot 01 drawn, need to be loaded

Cynthia
• 19 backgrounds completed (which ones?). did: 12 BG done.

Andrew
• bg 01-05 done. did: did rough layouts for BG01, 02

Andre
• sh03 animated. did: BG03 done; Sh03 keys done

Ra'shon
• blog/calendar not posted: 24 seconds animated.

Greg
• calendar not posted: 24 seconds animated. did: 14 seconds *see 7 seconds on blog

Marc
• production calendar incomplete: 24 seconds animated. did: sh01, 02; not posted to blog

Check blog notes

Hi Class,

Please check the blog notes on that tab for things that need to be revised to get the blogs up to snuff.

~ Chris

Spring 2015

Hello Class,

Ready to work with you to make some strong films this spring semester. Get your blogs online and see you tomorrow!

~ Chris

great show!

an enthusiastic audience, a collection of works with originality, quirkiness, and variety...

good job, everybody!

: )

here's a list of the junior animation shorts that screened (and a couple that nearly screened), in the program order, with both sections of juniors (elliot cowan & myself):

• Timothy Martin – Hitman He Was

• Andrew Applegate - Shaded In

• JonathanMcGuire – Brotherly Ever After

• Alleanna Harris - Why I Hate Ducks

• Austin Alexander – Socially Awkward

• Meghan Loeb - No Luck, Charles!

• Kaitlin Graziano - Bigfoot & Baby

• Garion McCauley – Mornin’ Joe

• Evan Maron – Shellter

• Dwayne Gaither - Kite Flight

• Alexa Gibney – Till & Toil

• Michael Green - Lunch Menu

• Shannon Brice - The Lady of Shalott

• Chyna Shyland - Hateful Thangs

• Kurt Freundlich – Thunder’s Secret Food

• Tahirah Pryor – Amity Fruit

• Jacqueline Bauwens - Life Is Butt A Dream

• Elsamar Muniz - Cat and Kitten

• Phillip Stankus - Tetragon Hall

• Marianne Murphy - Being A Girl

• Allison Buhl – Bad Food, Good Times

• Jim Dai – A Fireman’s Test

• Caterina Vivona – Boulderdash

• Jessica Marcus – Weather Dealer

• Angela Kim – Little Archer

• Benjamin Howell – Beloved

• Zachary Hardy – Randumation

• Mark Pappajohn – The Gladiator

• Nishant Thelakkat - Drawn Incorrectly

a few screenshots to come...

jr soph screening

from our very own timothy martin

: D

...and the flyer for the show:

faculty crits

faculty crits will take place the week after spring break - monday, march 17th for our section of junior animation.

please prepare for the crits by having both an online animatic, fully updated with your latest files, as well as a Quicktime movie loaded onto the classroom iMac in case of internet connection (or other) problems.

there should also be sound - scratch music, diegetic sound (real sounds) on the animatic. it doesn't have to be final, but there should be audio.

please let me know if you have questions.

50% through rough animation

We're at 50% of the way through rough animation at this point - where do you stand in relation to that? In front? Behind? On target?

Do you have calendar dates set for cleanup, color, or whatever your technique requires?

Check out the production stills on the "student blogs sp14" page - starting to get the feeling these pieces are going to become films...


Please make sure your production calendars & shot lists are up to date: that's our contract.

character history

character history questions - not all of these may apply to your character, but even the ones that seem irrelevant can reveal aspects of someone's personality that can tell you how they would behave in a situation.

adding these to your "about" page counts as extra credit.

~ Chris

taglines and production stills

Links to festival programs, showing production stills and taglines:

• Annecy
• Hiroshima
• Animafest (Zagreb)
• Ottawa

blog format

• use the simple template (like this blog)

Pages:
• Journal: place homework videos & other images. This is where posts are created.
• About (Production Still, Tagline, Inspiration, Character History, Influences)
• Shot List & Production Calendar (link to Google Drive document). Template here. Shot List gives dates for specific tasks. For most of you, this means: rough animation, cleanup, coloring, and compositing/editing. The Production Calendar uses class dates to indicate what will be finished for a specific week, loaded on the blog by 9am. These need to be clear and easy to understand, with color-coding for work that has been done.
• Naming Conventions (folders, shots, character drawings, backgrounds, sound, etc.). See link on "The Ogre & the Mermaid"for an idea of how to organize your drawings. Naming convention suggestion, below:

my junior animation (folder) > (folder) sh01 >

(file) sh01_001_chicken.jpg (for character)
(file) sh01_bg.jpg (for background)
(file) cluck.aif (for sound effect)

Identify an image by its shot number, the drawing number, the character or background it portrays, and the type of file it is.

Organize PSD's by labeling each layer in a multi-layered document:

sh01_001_chicken_rough
sh01_001_chicken_clean
sh01_001_chicken_color
sh01_layout
sh01_bg

Depending on your technique and approach, you may need to create the following folders:

• animation > shot #
• backgrounds > shot #
• sound
• project (After Effects and Premiere)

Put these sub-folders in a single, main folder called "junior animation," or whatever the title of your piece is, so that if everything needs to be transferred to another computer, After Effects and Premiere will be able to find individual items. Backup your work regularly to a second hard drive. Start now.

I find the clearest way of naming versions of the same file is to add the date. For example, successive iterations of the main timeline file (After Effects or Premiere) would look like this:

om_main_01_27_14.aep
om_main_03_03_14.aep
om_main_03_17_14.aep

etc.

(om = ogremermaid, main = main timeline, 01_27_14 = the date, and aep = After Effects Project)

One test of your ability to work with other people, as well as being able to demonstrate your ability to make it through a complex project intact, without getting lost and/or frustrated trying to find files, or versions of files, is file organization and naming. Do not leave things unlabeled or un-dated. Pretend that someone else will need to step in and easily understand how to locate a particular file.

springing into action in 2014

Hi Class!

Welcome to Junior Animation, where you will make an animated short from the animatic you created last semester in Storyboarding.

As a reminder, these are the guidelines for the piece:

• 90 seconds to 2 minutes in duration, including titles but not credits
• in order to be accepted as finished, the work must be:
- fully animated and colored as per the agreed-upon design aesthetic
- equipped with a fully-realized soundtrack (sound effects and/or music)
- a 1920 x 1080, H.264-compressed Quicktime movie
- handed in on May 5th (Cinqo de Mayo) for the May 6th Junior & Sophomore Animation screening, to be held at 7pm in Connelly Auditorium, Terra Building, 8th floor.

This is your first opportunity to make a fully-realized animated film of your own creation. It is a large undertaking that requires organization, discipline, perseverance, and inspiration. As your first major work, it is also an experiment, and you will make many mistakes and discoveries throughout the next 15 weeks. The main thing is to keep your eye on the overall target and to make consistent, regular progress towards your goal of completion - do not let the speed bumps throw you off course.

I will serve as your guide and producer, your cattle prod and your fellow problem-solver, and you will be part of a class where everyone is expected to contribute constructive criticism and share in the process of making a film.

So let's have at it and make some animation!

~ Chris