Animation Warm up !

Hey guys,

its been a while since Ive pushed some puppets {feels like forever -2d } ......so to relieve my mind I decided to do a one evening Dialog TEST for the {mind to hand} preparation for next weeks RobotChicken work. I picked out a quick clip and broke it down.



I forgot 2 big things about stopmotion - It takes 10 times longer to set up FOR A SHOOT than I ever remember...{SUCK - I hate set up!!} I also forgot how much you have to pay attention to all the body parts not just the acting areas. About a second in I remembered that and took it into the rest of the anim. You have to track every single body parts path the whole way through the animation.

OVERALL - the TEST was a success though - due to the warmin up the hands and remembering to pay attention too all aspects of the shot. I also used an animation lunchbox - which they use on the show....so it was good to get into their workflow.{Its a great tool by the way} I can see my animation quality jump ALOT if I keep useing it. The test also allowed me to flex my improvisation muscles - A shot rarely goes as planned....I use my pose choices at the begining of a shot as a guideline....The space and physical aspects of a puppet always throw off you plan.

FAILs of the test - My Stageing was weak and my poses wernt complimentary to the stageing.....I should have set up the shot specifically for my chosen poses or....chose better poses for that stageing. - Again- I just wasnt thinking clearly - Late and Tired.

Another thing that happened that I hate to see in my animation is everything is moveing at the same time....I really hate this and when I can stop it the animation quality jumps up ALOT! I really have to be very consious in my next test to stop this from happening again.

Timeing is everything in animation.....and I wish I Got a little more fun in this test than I did. Next time.

I also shot directly onto the cameras memory card....and ran out of room by the end of the shot.
Doooghh!! I guess Ill need a larger memory card next time.

over all.....I know I can and will do better. I Will try one more really quick test this weekend to make sure Im confident mentally before I work next week.

I hope you guys enjoy it.

justin - jriggity

ROBERT LITTON MADE ME CRY!

SHEL HERE....

justin and i kicked ourselves all the way to our SCORE meeting with Robert Litton last night for not bringing a camera......we were very excited to hear the themes he had been playing with for the film and wanted to document the occasion.

it was definitely an occasion worth documenting.....so EXCITING and MOVING to see robert dive into justin's story and it's characters and immerge with these musical tastes that express and enhance all the emotions justin's been frame by framing his puppets through the past couple years. talk about thrill!

ROBERT LITTON GETS IT. so exciting to hear how he's broken down the story and aims to sometimes counter and sometimes meet the acting dynamics.....his interest is not just to support the acting but to keep an emotional tension building, i love that at the most intense moment in the entire film (and easily overdoable musically) he's decided to drop out all together in order to not manipulate the audience about how to feel here, but rather leave them with their own personal outlook on life to decide what might happen next. very CLASSY!

you decide.

i don't know what we would have done with a camera there, it's so not about visuals, in fact i spent most the time with my eyes closed picturing different scenes in the film while robert did his music magic (somehow managing to use the piano to represent a full orchestra --and harmonica of course). he really did bring the story to life on a whole new level.....and at one point as we pictured Gerald the Dog feeling the Little Girl rejection and Robert brought in a sort sad version of the "hopeful Gerald theme" it actually brought tears to my eyes.

as soon as we got home we popped in the film and watched again imagining the music that was still ringing in our ears....

POWERFUL STUFF....we are more excited than ever.....we gave robert a LOCKED version of our edit (one week earlier than our selp-imposed deadline....thank you very much!). so this month while robert writes music, we clean frames, do end credits, look up festivals, think about booking a PARTY place to show it, etc. EASY SNEEZY!

sept 30th we go to capitol records and record it all with a full orchestra.....for that we will most definitely bring a camera and post some visuals.

8 Days Left and A Ton A HAPPININ !!!

Hey Guys,

Ive been bustin ass to make my date and its lookin good......I might even finish early with our LOCKED Timeing . I have finished the Toughguys 2d section ......its in pencil test scratchy form but the timeing wont change and the points all come across . It is also all composited into the stop moshots and works well in edit .I am halfway finished with the {Doggys Last Thought} 2d section. This required me animating the door that the Adopters enter....swinging open revealing the Mighty unknown {QUESTION MARK?}. Then an animation of Gerald nodding "NO" while takeing a seat in rebellion of the Acting hes been doing for all the other Adopters. .........In other words - He decides to be HIMSELF !

On other Notes - {My Mold and Casting Adventures} are going great! I have 4 of my characters in Resin Form.....and the others on there way. They Look great and it feels awesome to know long after my sculpy sculpture dies ....the Molds and resin will keep them alive!!!

MUSIC- Me and Shel met with our composer yesterday and watched the film together. We talked about how the audiance needs to feel at key moments - How Gerald feels in His Key moments....We also talked about where music could come in or leave to increase emotional Impact!! - it was really thrilling to watch Robert work......Watching him figure out the puzzle with Technique and Emotion . I am so FREAKIN Excited!!! We get to hear Geralds theme on Piano this next tuesday night. I cant wait to lay my ears on it.
- MOLI.COM.......did small piece on myself and our film for their MoliRollers segment! It is really hard to see yourself on Internet tv......but Its great for our Film and future doing what we do {Make Stop Motion Films}.....here are some links! I feel Honered that they would think enough of my project to do a piece on us. Thanks MOLI!....and Thanks Ryan Mcculloch!!

http://www.moli.com/p/moli_roller/1645/0/1/QXJ0cyAmIEVudGVydGFpbm1lbnQ=

and Last bit of info Which is incredibly POWERFULL.....I got a JOB on the ROBOT CHICKEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DREAMS!!! I am going to be working for 4 days in early september at {ShadowMachine Films} animating on my very first TV show. I cant describe how completely -Dorkily- Happy I am to have this opportunity. I will do my best to create work that is up to the quality that many of the shows great animators have done before.

I am planning on animateing a Dialog test next week to warm up these hands for my first jaunt on the show.....this means Ill have a new anim to share with you guys soon!

Thats It for now!

justin - jriggity

Titles and a { Last Big PUSH!! }

Hey Guys.

Heres the latest News.....Me and Shel did some Titles tests this sunday afternoon.
Heres some examples-We had a bunch of ideas....but this one seemed to get across what we wanted -{handmade and 3d}






Im really happy with the concept but the image quality was so bad compared to the Digital cam images.....that I probably will shoot it again ......but in stop mo with my Digital camera instead of the video cam.

and we also set a Deadline for final Locked time....and Delivery to our Composer.

{September 1rst} Is our Final Date....What that means for me is alot of work in a short ammount of time....I am up for it and excited to get the music rolling on GLD.

So SHEL my partner and producer made me up a schedule and it says WE are going to miss a few HOT dates ....but we are accepting this for the finalizeing of the film.
I will pretty much try to work on the film every day in to the deep nights in order to make it happen. This shouldnt be too hard due to a nice period of not pushing.

One of the big benifits of working on these 2d elements is that I can go to bed at any point of working on it. its not like im in the middle of a shot where i risk a camera jump or lighting change.....or just plain lose the flow of thoughts.

I can come and go anytime my daughter jumps on my head.

So now that I have finished the 2d elements of the Wealthingtons...I have started the Tough guys section.....It will follow the same rhythm as the first...except instead of a Poodle-showdog it will be a Growling Bulldog that Gerald will try to emulate. I hope to finish the toughguys keys tonight or monday night. Then go right into compositing the rough pencil work....and then cleanup and color by the end of the week.

Then one last 2d animation of the dog doing some acting and Im done with the FILMS True story telling neccesities.

The last bits needed for my deadline are the Title which me and shel have done some roughs for. Heres what we were thinking.

thats all for now.

jriggity

1rst Draft {Composit of 2d elements}

Hey guys,

Heres my first draft of the 2d elements comped into the scene. Getting it all to choreograph time wise was the time consumeing part .....otherwise its been easy .



I would like to add a few more elements before I ship it but ...heres its a taste.

jriggity