3D Character Animation

During todays session with Jay we learnt how to create a simple character using Cinema4D, this was very simple and straightforward and it was enjoyable to create something which we could then go on to develop, it was also very fun.

So we started off with a simple cube type shape and then manipulated it using the various tools which are on the software for us to use. It was a very straightforward workshop and enabled me to complete the work quickly and efficiently with minimal mistakes.

This was the beginning of the character, where we created the shape and then smoothed it out in order to create a rounder and nicer looking shape. 

Below is my final image. 

Bread Type

This has to be my favourite session of the year which was held with Nick, we created typography out of bread which was very interesting and allowed me to unleash my creativity. We were set the task of creating the entire alphabet out of bread but unfortunately for mine and joe's case, we over complicated our strategy which meant that we were only able to do a few different letters with out bread. Me and Joe tried to create something which was layered and purely original, as opposed to the similarities between everyone else's work.

Roll Up Effect

During todays workshop with Sara we learnt how to use a roll up effect on After Effects in order to animate images which we had previously created before the session. This effect was something which we had been building up to for a number of weeks whilst learning other effects as well. This effect was one which I found highly interesting and useful to learn how to use.

So firstly I began by choosing an image to trace which would create the basis for my design, this therefore meant that I had to select various different parts of the image to go on different layers, this meant that different parts of the image would move at different times therefore making it animated

Initial Image:

Developed Image:

So this particular image is very basic, so then i moved on to create it all in monotone colours in order to make the image slightly simpler and more aesthetically pleasing. 

I also had to change the size of the original canvas so that it was suited to HD standards and that it would be versatile for when I published it. 

We then moved on to importing everything into After Effects, this meant that i had to make sure that everything was on a separate layer when importing it. This would allow me later on to separate everything out so that it all animated at different points. 

We also started off the animation by using the camera tool to get the image mainly off screen, this would also enable a sort of 3D effect to happen. We set up the camera using the settings below to ensure that the optimum quality was achieved throughout the movements we created.

On the screenshot above, I have demonstrated how the different layers are layered over one another from a 3D aspect, this therefore demonstrating which pieces are to roll up in which order, by doing this it made it much easier for me to visualise what was going to happen before even animating the piece. Once the animation was ready to be animated, I added a textured background and began to apply the roll up effects to the pieces.

Castle Animation from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

Infographics Using a Simple Transition Slide

For this workshop we were told not to do any prep work, and all of the work needed to be done during the session. We were given small slips of paper with information on them and we needed to animate them within 10 seconds however we wanted.

I started off by creating four simple characters on Illustrator, this didn't take long as it was something which I have previously created and I developed it.

These characters would be the basis for my piece, the words that I got given, read as : "The first student representative council (now the student union) met on 30th November 1927" this demonstrates that the information provided was short and concise therefore making it much easier to animate. 

I then moved on to create a simple video where the information was conveyed quickly and simply. I also added a transition slide where a rectangle just wipes over the piece in order to get it to link to the other pieces which we created. 

Infographics Using a Simple Transition Slide from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

Self Publishing - Manipulating Typefaces

Considering all of the workshops we have, these are by far my favourites, due to the practicalities and the different, spontaneous things which we get to create. During this session we were given three different type faces to work with, we had to pick certain parts out of letters we liked to create a stencil, this would then be printed onto an A2 sheet in an interesting way, the images below demonstrate both the process and the final outcomes. 

Adobe Premier - Slideshows

During this session with Jay we were introduced to Adobe Premier, a piece of software which is perfect for making show reels. This session achieved something very similar to what we did with Sara at the beginning of the year. It was simply making slideshows which transitioned professionally, we also looked at basic text effects that we could use in order to illustrate the different images and videos which we included within the show.

Show Reel example using Adobe Premier from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.
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Slideshow Example, using Adobe Premier Pro from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

After Effects - Use of Effects, Lighting and Cameras

During this session with Sara we were taught mainly about the use of Z Space, which makes the animation almost 3D, it allows the user to start using the extra space which is available. It is a dimension of white nothingness, where neither time, nor space exist. By using this is makes animation a whole lot more versatile, it was something which we touched upon last year which is incredibly useful in order to make a high quality animation. 
For this particular session we were asked to create media to use previous to the session. I wanted to make something which represented where I was from, I used some of my own photography to trace and then create an animation out of. 

This was the original image which I used, it was taken at Mow Cop Castle, which is in Cheshire. It is the highest point in the area and looks over the Staffordshire and Cheshire plane. This image was taken on a summers day last year, in which I took a number of images and this was a particular favourite of mine. 

This was the image which I created from this, and each section is on a completely different layer so that I would be able to use the layers in order to create the animation. When moving the piece into After Effects I also changed the colours to make them completely monochrome, this gave the piece a more vintage feel and made it seem more traditional. I also added textures and lighting, along with brief information about the location.

Castle Animation from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

After Effects - Working with Hand Drawn Images

This has to be one of my favourite sessions which sara has ever done with us. Previous to the lesson we were told we needed a minimum of three drawings, which were all in the exact same place on each separate page, this would make it much easier for us when we used them within after effects. Previous to this session I knew that I wanted to link it to my Imminent Self studio brief, therefore I created several drawings of a lip moving, which included scars which were similar to mine.

All of these images were then scanned onto the computer to ensure the quality was the best. They were all imported into Illustrator so that they could be edited and because I drew mine using pencil I needed to change the white and black balance so that they stood out a lot more. 

These images were then imported into after effects. They were sequenced together and a textured background was added. I found that mine moved much too fast for my liking and therefore I changed the composition speed to make it seem more realistic. This was a fairly simple technique which created an interesting piece. I also inverted the colours, along with adding a wiggle effect to my text to make it seem more interactive for the audience.

For my final piece, I added two more different compositions, which included text and movement of the image sequence. I was incredibly happy with the final outcome of my piece and I will look further into these techniques when applying it to my studio project. 

Working with Hand Drawn images from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

After Effects - Rotoscoping

The first thing that we were introduced to during this session was the following video. It demonstrates what rotoscoping is and how we are supposed to interpret it. Rotoscoping is an animation technique used by animators to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, when realistic action is required. 
Young The Giant: Something To Believe In from Drew Tyndell on Vimeo.

This video demonstrates professionally how rotoscoping can be used, I personally think it is a very useful technique which can be applied to almost any form of promotional material which uses animation.
To begin this session we had to use footage which we took there and then or had bought in. I chose to film joe in order to work on something straight away.

We then moved the image onto after effects and chose various focal points on each millisecond of the piece, we had to ensure that the clip was only one second long to make sure that we would be able to complete the piece within one session. We had to basically cut around where we wanted the movement to be seen over a timescale, this proved very time consuming and often quite temperamental.

For my final piece I added lemons and moustaches as it was a sarcastic piece and I thought it was highly amusing.


Rotoscoping from Jessica Mountford on Vimeo.

Self Publishing - The Portrait

This has to be one of my favourite sessions we've done so far this year. We focused purely on ourselves in order to create a number of different portraits which had been worked on over and over.
We began by working on our uni card photo, which we deconstructed and made into a completely new image.

We then moved onto photocopying our face there and then, this was particularly amusing seeing what different faces we could pull in order to make a strange looking outcome. I felt particularly insecure about mine and therefore the whole image won't make it to this blog post, but the deconstructed one will as it was part of the workshop. 

We then moved onto drawing one of the deconstructions we had made, I chose to draw the first one which I created, we were only allowed to use black pen in order to produce these drawings to ensure that they were all free hand, quick drawings. 

Our final piece was to create a copy of a piece we had already created using a number of different half tone textures which we had been given, this was my favourite technique which we used as it gave me the opportunity to work with a texture which I haven't worked with before. It was the piece which took the longest and it was extremely interesting to do. 

This was my final piece with the original piece along side it to demonstrate where i had got my ideas from. I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and I will definitely be experimenting with these techniques in my future work.