Zoetrope/ zoopraxinoscope

As part of my light animation test I have decided to invest some time into harking back to the original means of creating film through craft & light: the era of Zoetropes, Kinetoscopes & Zoopraxinoscopes!!

With the weather turning beautifully snowy I decided I wanted to make the most of the white background & reflective surfaces. as well as normal light painting I wanted something that would look organic & magical.
I have decided to create an approximation of a zoetrope. I will project light through a spinning disk of cut out images - (for example a walking cycle of a man). With the spinning motion of the disk of cut out shapes, the light will luminate through and project the images onto a canvas, the canvas in this case will be the white & reflective snow!!

I will build the zoetrope and the spinning mechanism out of household items, use LED/torch lights for my projector light, and if needed I will salvage an old canon 55mm lens to project the light source.

I will then add this to my final light animation test.

TOY STORY ZOETROPE



LASERLIGHT ANIMATION

basic computer animated light tests

I have completed my first basic baby steps into CG digital light animation. I used a light plug-in compilation, particularly 3D stroke & Form. these programmes are for 3D light drawing & computer generated light, smoke & particles.

-I created a new solid layer in after effects, and applied Form to it. I then created a base shape to animate.


I set different paramaters such as twist & disperse to change the flow, size & movement of the particles. these were key framed on the timeline.


Once I had the keyed settings I loaded up 3D stroke and dropped that on the layer. I then simply used the Pen tool in after effects to create a path for the 3D stroke to follow, I then changed the start & end points for the effect to follow and I had my light drawing effect.


Heres the finished basic test

ROTOSCOPING

This is my research into the different styles that can be achieved through rotoscoping over live footage - I will attempt several of these styles when I rotoscope my greenscreen footage of myself.

Watercolour painting effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvrnLlqQca4

Ink and paper storybook effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKIUHpyRk1I

Interpolated rotoscoping ie Scanner darkly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIu0NMDjtCI

Abstract expressionist style

http://www.blogger.com/goog_453129351

semi-Realistic style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIT87On4ktU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi2U-Ewn-vQ&feature=player_embedded

3D Stop motion re-shoot

Despite my best efforts in Post production my original footage for my 3D stop motion shoot will have to be 90% scrapped & re-shot!
I have keyed out the greenscreen and started to drop the background elements in for the test, however the camerawork is beyond any post-production miracle. This has hammered home the point that its important to get it right 1st time on camera, and maybe also that the best form of control in a test is to do everything yourself including the camera!

* one shot has a part of the background not covered by the greenscreen in-shot - I cloned a part of the replacement foreground over the mistake which makes it slightly misaligned by millimetres



* the camera is unsteady and constantly shaking and moving the shot = I attempted to motion track the keyed out footage and the background image together constantly repositioning it to rectify the bad camera work, but the result is still sub-standard.

* because the camera was not being white balanced between changing positions or the changing of lights the colour of the puppets skin tones & the greenscreen change between certain shots = I did a curves adjustment in the colour correction menu in an attempt to match up the different colour shades however this made only marginal difference.

* Also because of the bad lighting there was slight shadowing round the puppets outline, keying became difficult to get to be incredibly accurate = I had to trim and feather the outline between the green background, shadowing and the actual puppet this led to slight bleeding-in between background & props/armature

Creatives Oath!

While researching light animation an animator for haitsu (Ipad light animation vid) stated they got their ehtos for their company from a creative advertising business in Japan - the manager had given them a creative code of conduct, I thought I would stick this code up to remind myself to complete this craft development module in the most thorough and innovative fashion possible!!

1. Create work for yourself; don’t wait for work to be assigned to you.

2. Take an active role in all your endeavours, not a passive one.

3. Seek out large and complex jobs. Trivial tasks debase you.

4. Welcome difficult assignments. Choose them. Progress lies in accomplishing difficult work.

5. Once you begin a task, complete it. Never give up.

6. Lead your fellow workers. Be an example for them to follow.

7. Set goals for yourself to ensure a constant sense of purpose. This will give you perseverance and hope for the future.

8. Move with confidence. Confidence gives your work force, focus and substance.

9. Find new solutions. This is the way we ensure satisfactory service.

10. When conflict is necessary don’t shy away from it or be afraid. Conflict is the mother of progress and the source of aggressive enterprise. If you fear conflict, you will become timid and servile


http://www.dentsu.com/

attempting light animation

As I have completed my initial Augmented reality test and I am halfway through with my stopmotion greenscreen & 3D test I am looking to start my light animation test mixing up light effects created with lighting shot on a camera recording at a slow shutter speed, composited with 3D computer generated light effects and patterns.

Computerised light animation

Plugin test - Trapcode Form from Rbelion on Vimeo.

Natural on-camera light animation

Light Animation from jyoti on Vimeo.

stop motion greenscreen & mixing with 3D

I have completed my test filming for my Stop motion Armature against a green screen.
I plan to :

-to key out the greenscreen in after effects



- to replace the background using still images and animation footage


- to insert 3D models into my scenery


- once at sufficient knowledge insert a 3D generated & animated character into the scene for the armature to interact with


# 3D BACKGROUND PROPS = Mannequin, Russian Doll, Escher stairs/images, dali elephant/ walking crescent moon
# Melt/liquify face as a layer on the realtime mannequin