Walk Cycle

Car Park Barrier

I plan on incorporating this, along with the car entering the parking lot, into my first scene using multiply layers in Premier-Pro. This is so that I don’t have to redraw the background for every frame.

First Scene Background

Essay Plan, Introduction & First Paragraph

Essay Plan

Paragraph 1

Introduction

Paragraph 2

Write about animation in general and the different types of animation.

Paragraph 3

Talk about Japanese animation and lead into writing about Hayao Miyazaki.

Paragraph 4

Write about Miyazaki-san’s work using my Neighbour Totoro Spirited Away and Ponyo as main Examples.

Paragraph 5

Write about Miyazaki-san’s influences and how he has influenced others.  

Paragraph 5

Conclusion

Introduction & First Paragraph

This essay will be exploring and analysing the work of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Animation in general terms will be discussed with reference to various books including The Fundamentals of Animation (Paul Wells, 2006). The specific style of Hayao Miyazaki is discussed using the films Spirited Away (2001), My Neighbour Totoro (1988) and Ponyo (2008) as key examples. Miyazaki-san’s influences are discussed as well as his influence on overs.

The Fundamentals of Animation (Paul Wells, 2006) states that “animation is one of the most prominent aspects of popular culture” [Wells,2006] it goes on to explain how animation is present in all aspects of pop culture. The films of Pixar, DreamWorks and Studio Ghibli continue to present animation as traditional narratives. However animation now has a massive presents in other areas of pop culture such as TV, advertising and even live musical concerts. The internet, video games and mobile phones also ensure animation, in some form, is always a part of the general zeitgeist. Despite these new platforms for animation and new technology in animation, specifically the rise of CG animation, the traditional techniques remain. Traditional drawn animation and stop motion animation are still being made however western culture is currently dominated by CG. In Japan however traditional animation is very much still a mainstream media.

Heavy Ball Animation, Second Attempt

Still a bit fast because I had to delete some frames because it appeared to fall too slowly. However it is an improvement over my initial attempt.

Final Animatic (no sound)

The Quay Brothers



Stephen and Timothy Quay AKA, The Quay Brothers are identical twins from Pennsylvania who creates extraordinary stop motion animation. There work is very distinctive because of is dark surrealist style. The plots of the Quay Brothers animations are minimal and vague. This is not a criticism as there animations are intended as an experience; it’s not supposed to be a satisfying narrative (in the traditional sense).

The Quay’s work shows outstanding attention to detail in terms of colour, texture and light. It is especially disturbing when organic and man made textures are mixed. An example of this is the scene with the stopwatch in Street of Crocodiles (1986); the watch opens to reveal that it is full of gore.

Fig 1: Colour, Lighting & Texture


Perhaps there most accomplished short film, or the film that best describes there style is, Street of Crocodiles. Director Terry Gilliam selected Street of Crocodiles as one of the ten best animated films of all time. Gilliam described his admiration for the film saying: “I came to Europe and somehow wound up working in a style that felt like Polish animation. As an American, I always wanted to be seduced into this strange decadent, rotting idea of Europe, and the Quays have created that world in a manner which hypnotizes me, but which I don't fully understand.” [Gilliam, 2001]. The Quay’s influence can certainly be seen in Gilliam’s work, the Quays were perhaps the influence for the baby masks in Brazil (1985).

Fig 2: Brazil Masks

The Polish animation Gilliam is referring to is that of animators like Walerian Borowczyk who was a huge influence on The Quay Brothers. Borowczyk's animation Renaissance (1963) shows a similar attention to lighting texture and colour, it has clearly influenced in the Quays work.

Bibliography



TheGuardian, 2001, The Ten Best Animated Films of all Time, [online] Avalible at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2001/apr/27/culture.features1

Zeitgest Films, 2007, The Quay Brothers, [online] Avalible at: http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=quayretrospective&mode=filmmaker

Image List

Fig 2, Brazil Masks, 1985, Movie Still, [online] Avalible at:  

http://zoneofthefree.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Fig 1: Colour Lighting & Texture, Street of Crocodiles, 1986, Movie Still, [online] Avalible at: http://lyssahumana.tumblr.com/post/454520817/defrag-szin-nitescence-brothers-quay



Car Character Movement Sketches

I have made a series of sketches trying to figure out how my character moves.

Forward

Reverse

Skidding Toward Crash

In this drawing I have shown some key frames in the movement, because the movement wasn’t apparent in my previous drawings.