Pre-production for Animation

Pre-production in any animation is the most important stage. Without proper and detailed planning the rest of the project is vulnerable to not meeting the standard that is required, resulting in mistakes and a loss of time and money. There are many parts to play in pre-production, there are around 7 notable areas that are going to be summarised in this post.


1) Story Arcs
Story arcs are a visual method of forming the main points of a story line. There are two examples of a
story arc to the right of this text. As it can be seen, the line represents the whole plot and the points where it rises and falls are used to show the main turning moments that effect the story significantly. Story arcs are created by the main writer for the game/film. When looking through some animation examples there was only one writer for Batman: Arkham Origins; Paul Dini. When researching a larger film such as Monsters Inc there was only a team of four Pete Docter, Jill Culton, Jeff Pidgeon and Ralph Eggleston. This shows that this isn't a large sector and is highly specialised.

 

2) Scripts
Scripts are an important part of any animation, especially those with voice actors or subtitles. Scripts not only present the dialogue that needs to be recorded, but they also contain notes that inform the voice actor what is needed from them. Scripts also help to create the feel for the animation and are used in the production of animatics in order for the animators to see if the timing of the voices, movements and overall scenes is right. This then allows the script or the animation to be adapted, saving valuable time and money further down the production pipeline.

                                 



3) Mood boards

Mood boards are the first part of planning for the visual aspects. A mood board is a collage and variety of many different thing ranging from pictures and text. The mood board artist draws on inspiration and ideas from their own imagination or from other artists and animators.

                           

4) Concept Art

Concept art is a term used to cover all the design work within a project, it covers a range of areas from character and environmental design to level design in games. It is the next step after the mood board. They are required in order to give the production team a base to work from and allow the director of the project to clearly plan out their ideas. Concept art not only creates the blueprint designs, but the level and environment artists are also required to create moods within their pieces to create the feel for the scene. Concept art is also used in the final designs, where they are also sold as merchandise.

5) Storyboards
Storyboards are self explanatory, they are created to tell the story of what needs to be produced. Each frame does not require drawing, although there has to be enough frames and enough detail in order to make sure the information is clearly transferred. Storyboards show placement of characters, when they speak, their emotions, and also the staging elements such as where the camera is situated in a particular scene.

                                                                               

6) Animatics
Animatics are very similar to storyboards. The pictures from a storyboard are inserted into a program to form a small film. It is then played and it then allows the director and the artists to judge timing, whether or not scenes need to be extended and cut and whether or not dialogue would work. This is vitally important, especially when it comes to TV series which have to fit into a particular time slot.

Despicable Me

Family Guy

7) Dope Sheets:
Dope sheets are a tool used by animators in order to write down their ideas into a structured and organised way. Dope sheets are used for the entire length of the production, with each scene broken down into detailed separate frames. Each row represents the frame, while the columns along the top of the page represents different information ranging from where the camera is at certain points, to the dialogue and how it is said.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Cineworld Advert 8/12/2013

After recently going to the cinema, I came across another good motion graphic so I decided to go with this one for my next deconstruction. For some reason blogger couldn't find the video when I entered the URL, so if you haven't seen the clip already you can view it here: Cineworld Graphic.

This motion graphic is a mixture of two things, it gives a little bit of information about what is coming next on the screen whilst also telling the viewers in the cinema to turn off their phones. It's done like this as the advert is only 19 seconds long, this means it gets to the point and keeps the attention of the audience. It is also meant to be done with the intent of a bit of humour, which is also engaging for viewers. At the end of the clip it also advertises Cineworld cinemas as a reminder of where you are.

This is a motion graphic that is rich in sound, unlike some of my previous blogs where I have suggested that the sound is merely there to compliment the animation, I feel like the sound brings more emphasis to this clip. I think it would be quite clear what was going on without the sound, but it wouldn't have such an impact and you obviously wouldn't be able to hear the information that isn't visually represented on the screen. There is music that can be heard in the background of the animation, it's quite jolly and subtle which goes alongside the cheerful 2D cartoon visuals. There are also diegetic sound effects for the boat where it blows out the certification bubbles. These little sounds just help to bring the animation together. Then the voice over can be heard, even he has quite a cheerful tone, he is used for information purposes about the certification, trailers and the main point of this animation which is to tell people to turn off their phones. As he tries to inform the audience he can be heard trying to talk over laughing that slowly gets louder and louder. The laughing comes from the little phones at the bottom of the screen to show how annoying it is to have phones on during the cinema. The music stops as he tells them to shush and starts again with a joyful little ending as they walk off. I feel the sound effects just bring light to the situation whilst also being effective in giving information. The way it makes the phones louder as the animation goes on also helps to in still the information about turning phones off in the cinema as it is makes the viewer slightly frustrated if they are trying to listen to the voice over information.

Throughout the animation there is quite a lot going on for such a short clip. The clip is very bright and cheerful in its colour scheme as well as the cartoon style of drawing. The hot air balloon/boat is cleverly done, by incorporating a projector and film clipboard to relate to overall theme of film and cinema. This is shown to be producing bubbles with little certification icons. The certification icons are kept encased in the bubbles which draws attention to them in a more creative way. The camera then pans down into a cinema as the background, with two phones who are both communicating with each other in the foreground. The animators have managed to create characters for  the phones by their overall actions and their facial expressions. When they have been told to be quiet they look shocked, their faces then change to sad and grumpy expressions which shows how they feel. Their bodies are also made to slump with arms crossed which helps to support their reactions to the voice over. The whole animation isn't very fast paced, with the camera rarely moving position. The sounds are all in sync with the visual aspects which makes the animation more pleasurable to watch. At the end the clip fades out to reveal the Cineworld logo, this is the only real bit of typography throughout, the white on black background makes it stand out well and easy to read. Overall I think this is a very neat animation as it is very rich to watch and to listen to, I like that it sticks to one theme so there is no confusion for the viewer about what they are watching. The whole style is there to engage and be appealing to all age groups and I think this is achieved well.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: John Lewis 8/12/2013

I chose this example of an advert as it is slightly different to the usual ones that can be seen. Motion graphics are largely used in advertising, and very rarely do they tell the viewer an actual story. This is because motion graphics are designed to be short, concise and to the point. This is mainly due to the requirements of the animation needing to fit into a specified time slot and they are also designed to keep the viewer interested and concentrating on the product the company is trying to sell. Therefore, producing a story within an animation would be quite difficult to achieve to a high quality and effective standard. However, this is where the newest John Lewis Christmas advert is an example of when it can be done, and done very well.

John Lewis is a retail company, so their main aims are to advertise themselves as well as specific products, in this advert though they concentrate on the story rather than listing items. It isn't very obvious what this advert is about until the very end where the name of John Lewis appears, so they've had to make this particularly long advert as engaging as possible in order to ensure people will see the name at the end. They've done this through the story-telling about a bear and a hare who are friends. The bear hasn't seen Christmas as it hibernates through winter, but this year the hare can be seen giving him an alarm clock so that he can wake up and join them. It is a very sweet and heart-warming story, definitely what Christmas should be about, therefore it connects to a wide audience. Children and young teenagers will appreciate the animals and the overall visual appeal, while adults will understand the meaning and story. The story isn't too long, I didn't feel like I was watching a 2+ minute video, therefore it made an effective advert.

There aren't any sounds throughout the animation, only a song can be heard. They haven't used any voice overs or foley sound effects for the animals either, which means the movements and emotions shown on the animal's faces had to be done well in order to tell the story. The song doesn't really do much for the animation except create a calming feel and makes the ending seem a bit happier and magical. Apart from that it's not made to be in sync or reflect anything else within the animation. I would say it is a song that goes alongside and compliments the visual effects rather than being the main element which 'makes' the animation.

The style and content of this animation is very different to most you would usually see in an advert. It resembles more what you would see in films, which is obviously the point. It is made up with a variety of techniques, it used real live sets combined with stop motion techniques. The animals were each drawn frame by frame and moved along the set where photographs were taken. A lot of detail and time went into this animation, and it shows. The animators have done well with creating the right movements for each of the animals, they've made the bear and hare have realistic walks, being careful not to make it seem too cartoon like. The whole style of the piece also is made to feel like a children's book, as the illustrations of the animals are what you would typically see. As said before, this makes it appeal to all ages as it is not made to be silly or childish. As said in the paragraph above, the music doesn't hold this piece together, and there are no sounds or voices that help to portray the story. This is where the animation was the most important, the way the set changes, the actions of the animals and most importantly the emotions on the animal's faces had to all be right in order to portray the correct story. At the end is the only time when text appears and it is very John Lewis in the sense of the simple black type. They could have easily gone over the top and made it sparkle to go with the magical theme, but I like they kept it plain and subtle. It didn't take away from the story and it kept the mood of happy ending going. If a company can make such a lovely advert, who wouldn't want to shop there?

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: The X Factor 07/12/2013

For this week's deconstruction I have chosen to use The X Factor's introduction scene. Nearly all motion graphics are used in advertising, although this isn't directly advertising the program, it is informing the viewer about the name of the show.

The introduction of this clip is set in space, starting off behind Earth before picking up speed and travelling through the planets until the well known 'X' is found. The 'X' is representing a meteor heading straight for Earth which in-keeps with the entire space theme. It also allows an opportunity to create a sense of how important and large the show is, the introduction itself is on a large scale which would imply that the show is the same.

The colours used throughout are all in keeping with the space theme, which has meant they've had to make sure the 'X' is as bright and bold as possible. They've done this by obviously staying with it's iconic red and black but they've made sure the text is in 3D and bright. Doing this also creates the feeling of heat and that it is travelling at an immense speed. Had they not done achieved the effect it may have not been clear what the 'X' was representing but most importantly, although the background is dark,it does have a lot going on in terms of planets and stars which could very easily distract the viewer from the main information. The creators also made sure to keep the feeling of speed ongoing throughout, apart from the way the text was created there was another method used. They made sure to have the background moving quickly and ensure the stars and planets got large on approach. The use of distance and perspective was also an important factor in creating the speed and scale of the clip.

As a title screen the only information it is meant to reveal is the name of the show that it is representing. This is achieved in a simple but creative way which was described in the above paragraphs. It is obvious right away which program this is representing as the adverts for the X-Factor always make the 'X' very prominent and noticeable.

The iconic theme tune for the show is used in the introduction, the same music is also used in any advertising so this helps the viewer to remember and link that tune to the title screen. This is useful as people that know the show will then be aware of it starting so that they obviously can watch it (or turn it over!). The music is made to be 'catchy' and helps to grab the attention of the audience. The music itself is also fairly fast paced, so the animation has to be the same otherwise it would not syncronise properly and would probably look very unprofessional.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Apple iPhone 5s Advert 24/11/2013

As mentioned in a previous blog, I've tried to ensure each motion graphic I deconstruct is as different as possible. I chose the advert for the iPhone 5s for its effective and simple style.

The most obvious example of motion graphics in this advert is the molten metal, in fact this is the only motion graphic used. When watching the animation you can see there is again no text present until the very end. The typography is simple and clear, only showing the name of the product. With many phone adverts, the main aim is to obviously sell the phone, sometimes they have a voice over naming the various new elements of the phone, or they have visual representations whether it is imagery or text. This advert however keeps the viewer guessing, this creates interest and encourages the potential customer to do some research and hopefully buy the product.

As said above, the advert doesn't really advertise any key elements to the phone, it instead builds up to the end. This plays on curiosity and creates a sense of intrigue to the viewer, another good way to sell the product. It is a very smooth and relaxing advert, the movement of the molten metal conveys this. The movements are true to how liquid naturally moves, although there is no change in speed throughout. The camera pans with the different areas of the metal as it moves in a variety of different ways, carefully moulding it's way to form the back of the iPhone. The smooth movements are pleasing to the eye, and are achieved very well, making it an overall pleasant advert to watch.

The staging is simple throughout, as said, the camera pans alongside the metal for the majority of it, staying at a consistent speed. The camera stops moving when the phone is revealed and that is about all it does. I have found a trend with the motion graphics where they keep the backgrounds as simple as possible, the main focus then appears brighter in comparison and therefore the product can't be distracted from.

There is a song that accompanies the advert, it is also quite a 'smooth' song, it doesn't change tempo or volume, the vocals also seem to say fairly monotone throughout. This therefore compliments the product and animation rather than drawing attention away from it. I also find the use of vocals and songs to be better for the selling of products. Songs are a lot more catchy and easier to remember, this ensures the song is stuck in my head (and I'm sure many other people's heads too), this helps to make the product memorable and increase sales. The music isn't in sync with the advert, as there isn't any actions or story for it to be in sync to. Although it does get to a more upbeat point of the song when the final product is revealed and Apple logo makes its appearance.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Honda Advert 24/11/2013

After surfing Youtube trying to find a different motion graphic I came across this pretty clever advert. I remember thinking how cool this was when I first saw it on TV, so here's my analysis.

This is an advertisement for the Honda car company, instead of just advertising just one particular product, this advert is different. It advertises the manufacturer as a whole. It achieves this by showing Honda's most iconic and popular vehicles being made by two hands. The hands represent the Honda engineer or designer, and is done in a very modern and interesting way, it is used to show how ideas and designs can be produced from something very simple and small.

This style of motion graphics is a combination of real-time video, 3D models and special effects techniques. The various models throughout the animation appear to be real, but there are also elements that are 3D models. This is done in order to make the transformations of the vehicles believable and appear to be done by the hands, the advert aims to be as realistic as possible. Examples of motion graphics that can be seen throughout (apart from the vehicle transformations) are quite subtle, from smoke coming out of the back of the bikes and cars, to the inflation of the squashed car.

The staging in the advert is very simple and gives a very modern feel. When viewing car adverts, their main aim is to advertise not only the car, but to show they have the most original ideas, they're all about innovation. The camera and lighting stays the same throughout the clip. The white background of the desk is simple and in keeps with the theme. It also is used to make the hands and the vehicles stand out, helping to maintain the viewer's focus on the main information. The hands are also another factor that don't move, this gives the impression that the viewer is perhaps looking down onto the scene through the eyes of the designer. This method helps to make the advert stand out as it is an unusual camera angle for an advert.

This advert is slightly different in the way it's set up compared to previous deconstructions, there isn't writing throughout the advert, there also isn't written indications of what the information is representing. The text only appears at the very end with the 'Honda' name and it's tag line. Instead, the vehicles replace the text's job, a lot of people would likely recognise at least one of the models shown so they could relate it to Honda. If they didn't know what the advert was about, the original and interesting idea is used to inform them about Honda's history and the way it develops it's ideas, potentially creating new customers.

Finally, there is a variety of sound used throughout the advert, mainly consisting of the real sounds of the vehicles and the clicking sounds where the hands change the object, for example altering the bolt to create an engine. There are also areas where songs and music are used, these are perhaps used to represent the years in which that particular vehicle was produced. The sounds are also very in-sync throughout the animation and are notably very clear and sharp, this is to keep the animation as realistic as possible.

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: CBBC TV Ident 2/11/2013

This week's blog is a follow on from my previous post where I deconstructed two short motion graphic examples from Bioware and EA. In this post I will be deconstructing a short TV ident from CBBC. TV idents are used to inform the viewer about which channel they are watching and are commonly used in the transition between two programs, or before the beginning of one. These motion graphics are an important part of advertising as the content they show represent the channel.

I chose the above animation as it is a good example of a motion graphic targeted to a specific audience. CBBC is well known as a children's channel, therefore the animation needed to be appropriate for the age range. If the viewer was unaware what CBBC was, the ident is able to provide an idea of the channel it represents, the most obvious indication being the green blob-like character.

The music is made up of a variety of instruments including guitars and drums, the use of sound is to accompany the movements and to create a more appealing ident. The sound isn't in synch with the animation and is also non-diegetic. The use of music within a TV ident is useful for bringing attention back to the screen. The choice of music was important as the animation itself is fast paced; opera music wouldn't have suited for that reason (it would also have proved very unappealing to children).

The colour theme of the motion graphic is kept bright and simple. The colours are very bold with the red background making the green of the character stand out. This is another way the motion graphic keeps the focus on the CBBC logo. The brightness is also visually appealing and as mentioned earlier is associated particularly with children and cartoons.

The camera stays static in the motion graphic, the background moves slowly whilst the kung-fu blob moves quickly around the screen. It is made to move from the background to the foreground and makes use of the entire screen area, again this makes the animation more interesting and creates depth.

Children's channels are frequently associated with cartoons and humour, so it makes sense for the idents to follow the same trend. The character is simple and 2D, with large cartoon eyes, this style makes it child-friendly. It has a personality which adds to comic value and keeps the children's theme present. The personality is shown through the movement and expression of the eyes (the brows are down to show determination and its serious attitude). The animation shows good examples of easing in and out with the kung-fu, this makes it appear 'true' to how it would really move and is also an example of anthropomorphism. The blob splits in two separate characters to create a miniature fight scene, again making the short clip more humorous and appealing to children.

Finally, the blob is branded with the 'CBBC' logo, the writing itself does not move, but again with the use of bold colours it stands out. Instead of just having the writing moving around the screen the blob is the main focus of the ident. This is an important and intelligent way of informing the viewer of the channel/service as children don't particularly find text interesting, therefore they associate the character with the channel instead. The most important part of motion graphics is ensuring that the product or service that is being advertised is clearly seen, this animation achieves just that.


By Kimberley Collins

Motion Graphics Deconstruction: Bioware and EA 19/10/2013

Over the next few months I will be deconstructing a variety of motion graphic examples for my FdA Animation for Industry course. I am doing this in order to gain a clear understanding of the important role they play, how they are developed and how effectively (or ineffectively) they portray the message/information they are sending.

Motion graphics are found in a variety of forms and are used for many different purposes. In this particular post I am deconstructing two short clips used to advertise gaming companies- EA and Bioware. The clips are used at the beginning of game trailers and the game itself in order to advertise themselves as the makers, but I also found with Bioware that the motion graphic itself changes depending on the game genre. 

Clip 1: Mass Effect 3

Clip 2: Dragon Age 2

I have chosen these examples for a variety of reasons, the main one was to show that motion graphics don't have to run for a long time to be effective. Both graphics are no longer than seven and ten seconds respectively, yet they still advertise the company effectively and also give the viewer a taster of what is about to appear next in the actual advertisement/game. 

The first noticeable aspect about both clips, is the simplicity in terms of the colour and the staging. The camera stays still and there is only one main focus of each. This simplicity keeps the viewer's attention on the most important thing-the company name. The use of both the 'omni-tool' (which is a main electronic/computer feature in the Mass Effect Trilogy) and the dragon both bring attention to the screen. The use of only two colours make the videos both bold and visually appealing. The colours don't tell the viewer what the actual game is about, unless they are already familiar with both franchises. 

The next aspect that is one of the most important elements for both are the sound effects. Even if the viewer isn't familiar with the games or their genre, the sound effects in both videos give a sense of what they are about. The sound is also another way to bring attention to the clip shown, the effect is made more powerful by the fact the sounds reflect what is on screen but are also in sync with the movements. When looking at both videos, the sound in Mass Effect describes the genre, Dragon Age creates more of an impact when combined visually on-screen; the genre is unclear with just the sound. 

The Mass Effect genre is sci-fi, futuristic and fantasy, this is portrayed using many 'synthetic' effects which are very clear, sudden and smooth, with a noticeable high pitch. This resembles what we, as humans, would associate with electronics, robots and futuristic gadgets. This, therefore implants the genre of 'sci-fi' into our minds. This is important for game companies when finding their target audience and clearly advertising their products. 

Dragon Age however, when listening to the sounds, does not clearly signal which genre it is placed in. The sounds are very deep and fast, amounting to what is a sound resembling a creature, in this case a Dragon. The sound fades out, ending on a deep, rumbling growl. The sound used in this video brings attention to the clip, and also creates a large impact when combined with visual effects.

The final aspect to be deconstructed is the graphics themselves, I have touched on colour and the objects, I have discussed sound, but neither of these clips would have the impact shown if they didn't contain the right moving images and animation. As said, both clips advertise the company 'Bioware' and also 'EA', but they too advertise the game they precede. In order for them to do both of these jobs effectively in such a short amount of time, they had one main focus and subject for both; the 'omni-tool' and the dragon. I will talk about each one separately:

Mass Effect 3: When the clip starts an armoured arm appears, quickly followed by the omni-tool wrapping itself very cleanly around. The colour, lighting and the way the tool smoothly and sharply wraps around the arm brings back the futuristic genre. The sound is also very in sync with the movements, making it appealing for both senses. The text for 'Bioware' and 'EA' appear large and clear in their recognisable fonts, making it hard to miss. The fact that nothing else is going on in the clip keeps the focus. The speed of the video changes, this again helps with the futuristic vibe. The beginning with the tool forming is very fast, it slows towards the middle where the company names are shown and then eases out slowly from the camera before speeding away into the darkness.

Dragon Age 2: As with Mass Effect 3, the main subject of this video is the red dragon. Even if the name of the game was unknown, most people could take a guess to assume that this game is set in the past, fantasy and its main theme is dragons. At the beginning 'EA' is shown, again in its standard font, it is encased in red which I would assume is blood. The red on white colour makes for a very vibrant scene, and again brings the viewer's eyes to the name. As the red trails return to the centre, the EA logo erupts quickly and turns into a dragon, at this point the sound effects are noticeably in sync as it flies around past the camera. At this point the dragon is also slowed down, to create impact and to provoke certain emotions in the viewer-whether it be fear or excitement. This therefore brings attention back to the game, before the dragon regains speed and disappears of screen for 'Bioware' to appear surrounded by the 'blood'. This stays on screen for the rest of the clip and again brings the attention back to the main objective of the advertisement. 

As this post has shown, motion graphics are a key factor in advertising and sending a message to a target audience within the gaming industry. This is only one example that motion graphics can be used in, and will be explored more in future blogs.

By Kimberley Collins