Qwertee

Today i did my final qwertee design (unless i think of another idea) I am actually quite pleased with it! Just couldn't resist making this when i got the idea. I have seen lots of ones that have drawn pockets on and though they were really cute and then this idea popped into my head! Very clever if i do say so myself :')

Submitted!!

Today we managed to resize our animation after asking around a bit. A techie guy told Aggie to use media encoder but it was taking quite a while and it wasn't really great quality anymore so i asked Mat in my tutorial and he said theres a much simpler way and our animation definitely shouldn't be that big! Turns out theres a quite easy way in after effects. Apparently the amount of kbps was waaaaay to high causing our animation to have a massive file size so we limited that to 10,000kbps which means its 10mb per second. This retained the quality while giving us a file under 200mb.
Both Mat and Annabeth looked at our animation and they both really liked it but wanted us to tweak a couple of things as they thought that would up our animations value by a lot! They said put some motion blur on some things that are moving fast. Which made it look so cool! and there was a bit of cleaning up to do on the smoke that i had moved with the puppet tool but i didn't know how. There was a really easy way! Annabeth just told us to click a button i pretty sure it was in opacity and it just magically disappeared! Very clever stuff. She also has a keen eye for editing and realised that there was a flash where the bulbs went back to just bulbs with nothing growing out of them so we changed that.
It was definitely worth putting in the extra work because now it looks even better!! 
Submission time!! Now we could finally submit our work. It was a very exciting and scary thing to know that we were entering a very big competition and people have said we might actually have a chance of winning. The video uploaded fine, then we went to upload the pdfs and they were too big! so Aggie used a compressor on her laptop. Then we just had to pay and that was it! 

It was such a good feeling to know that its all over and done with now and we are very happy with what we produced. I personally feel its the most professional thing i have produced to date. I honestly believe it would not look half as good if i didn't collaborate with Aggie because her illustrations are amazing and she was great to work with! Definitely glad i responded to her email!
Unfortunately as the rules state on the brief I am not allowed to upload our finished animation online until the winners have been announced, although i really want the world to see it!!!

So close...but yet so far

Today we were working on our animation trying to get in finalised and submitted so we knew it was all out of the way and done with. We Finished the animation after adding sound to it that we think feels like it was made for our animation. We used a royalty free track from http://www.purple-planet.com/international/4583971414 and decided to add some extra boards to show it off a bit more if they liked it which was something optional. We did a board explaining why we did what we did, then our idea generation then 2 boards with our storyboards on them.

  

We were then ready to submit. We went to upload our video at about 20.45 baring in mind that uni closes at 21.00, and it failed because the file size was a bout double the maximum we could have! So with only 15 minutes left we decided to leave it for the night and ask someone how to resize it but retain the quality the next day. It was so frustrating knowing we were that close to submitting and then didn't!! Never mind it will all get sorted tomorrow.

So close...but yet so far

Today we were working on our animation trying to get in finalised and submitted so we knew it was all out of the way and done with. We Finished the animation and decided to add some extra boards to show it off a bit more if they liked it which was something optional. We did a board explaining why we did what we did, then our idea generation then 2 boards with our storyboards on them.

  

We were then ready to submit. We went to upload our video at about 20.45 baring in mind that uni closes at 21.00, and it failed because the file size was a bout double the maximum we could have! So with only 15 minutes left we decided to leave it for the night and ask someone how to resize it but retain the quality the next day. It was so frustrating knowing we were that close to submitting and then didn't!! Never mind it will all get sorted tomorrow.

Artwork

Got a couple more things done, the pig and the fuel can. Looking good so far! :)

and the farmer but I'm not so sure on him. think his face needs some work as he looks a bit creepy!

artwork

So i finished the tractor in the style i want i think it looks pretty similar! quite happy with that and i think with shading and highlights from maya it will look quite good!

Qwertee

So i decided that i shouldn't waste half a days work so i edited my hunger games tshirt so it looked better on a shirt. i started off by just removing the background.

But i thought it looked a little weird just being cut off at the side like that. so i decided to draw more of her body.

It looks loads better now i would still like to get the whole body in but theres no room and i don't want to make her any smaller. Looks pretty cool now though. Though i preferred the actual image with the flames. 

qwertee

I had planned to do a qwertee design today. I decided to do a hunger games one. I reeeeeally like the artwork i did for it but it actually doesn't work very well as a shirt!! I guess i will have to rethink. Here is the design.










As  you can see it looks pretty awesome here...

But pretty rubbish here.... 

Responsive

I have started animating now, its going okay now i am getting more used to the software. I have not used after effects all that much so i am still learning. 
This is the storyboard made from Aggies drawings. I think they're absolutely lovely!! Aggie had a change of heart though. She thought it might be nicer if we use a typeface rather than hand writing. I agree that it looks nice and professional looking but now its not at all like our original idea with the continuous line that shows that everything is linked together. It still looks nice though and still gets the message across.

We had a crit on Thursday and we took these, we were going to show the animation we have so far but we were in a different room and couldn't really put it on a computer. We got so many positive comments!! Mostly about how beautiful the drawings were which they are! Some people said we should make the drawings bigger but I don't think they realised we were submitting the actual animation not the storyboard. But it did give us the idea to submit some concept art to show it off. 

Here are the comments we got:

• Very professional vibes
• definitely 'winner' potential - such a well adapted and appropriate tone of voice.
• Nice designs, lovely textures, clean and simple - effective.
• We like the combination of typography and book style illustrations.
• Spelt carbon wrong on the seventh image. Otherwise amazing. Perfect tone of voice for the brief - Beautiful as always.
• More design boards to show off this idea because its absolutely lovely.
• Illustrations are so good - can they be presented bigger? Need to give your work and amount of detail justice!
• Nice style, clear to understand
• Really nice style. Simple and gets the point across.
• Beautiful textures. Do you need a statement 1st board?
• Playful. Nice designs - very fitting for brief.
• This made me feel a feeling
• Amazing style and flows really well
• Nice consistent style!
• I've seen you making this and it looks great so far!
• Very professional. Would make a lovely book.
• I love it - looks so professional and consistent

I am really proud of us :) i just hope people like the animation as much as they like the art. We also thought it would look quite nice in a book.

applied animation

Today I started drawing my assets, the first being a tractor. Then Mat showed us how to make things interact with real backplates in Maya. so he showed me that i could also do that with my 2d assets making them easier to move and look like they're moving through 3D space. This is such a good idea! and will really cut down my animating tie hopefully!!! :)  Here is my 2D drawing in maya. It makes it look more real too cause i can add shadows and reflections so it will look like its really there!

qwertee

So i had an awesome idea one night when i was about to go to sleep so i didnt write it down, then when i came to make it i totally forgot what it was. Luckily i remembered after a while so i made it and was really happy with it. I got the idea because i had seen a tattoo ages ago that like ripped flesh and underneath is the spiderman suit. I thought this was awesome and it could work on a tshirt as a ripped tshirt but thought it would be cool with superman underneath!
So i snapchatted a picture to my friend asking what colour shirt to have it and she told me she thinks this idea already exists. well that totally ruined my day i thought i was being reallyl productive!! well instead of just admitting defeat i emailed qwertee and asked so that hopefully i didnt waste half a days work, no harm in  asking. They said its usually if its been trademarked or copywrited so I checked and i couldnt find anything like that so i submitted it and it got accepted! So now im very happy that my design didnt get wasted!

This hit 760 votes!!! I'm so happy with that!! Best one yet! even better than batman!!

Drawing styles

 This is just the cutest picture ever. aw! I like the style though its nice and simple and i like the use of gradients in the colour.








 The next image i believe is by the same person as it uses the same style. I also like how where the grass is it comes from nowhere but it just gives that effect of ground so the frog isn't hovering in mid air. 

I really like the colour palate used in this image, I think it is really nice and soft and I think could look a bit more realistic on a photographic background than bright colours would. The drawing style is also very cute!! Im not really sure cute is what I am going for I don't really have any characters in my animation. I just like the softness.

I am finding it really difficult to actually find images of objects that are in a nice style that I am looking for. These seem a bit more 3D than I had thought of but I do like the simplicity. I like the shadows and highlights as it would maybe bring it into the right world but I think everything is just a bit too perfect and rounded.

I quite like this style, I like the hand drawn aspect and it still had shadows and highlights in it but in a more natural way. I think this kind of style possibly mixed with the colours and softness in the characters above could look really nice. 

 I think this style is quite nice and simplistic but still has a bit of realism in it however i think its a little bit too flat maybe? and seems to be quite a bright colour palette.

I really like this. Its cartoony mixed with realism with some movement in it and it doesn't look flat its got lots of natural looking highlights and shadows. I think this could look quite nice as my animation style. I think it would fit quite well with photography. I would obviously have to make sure the images don't sink into the background but i obviously want them to match the right kind of tones. 

2.5 D

THIS IS AWESOME!!
Just learnt how to make something look 3D but its actually just 2D layers built up!
You have layers on photoshop and you put them into after effects,Theres a cube button which means 3D layer, you click that so theyre all 3D layers then you play about with the positioning so there is space between the layers.
Then you click layer, new, camera, and that gives you a camera and you can key frame where you want it to go.
I also moved the smoke across the screen using simple key framing

Tests/learning

I learnt how to create a parallax today. First you create your layers in photoshop, then you click filter, other, offset, and fill in the bits where the edges look wrong.

Next you import the file with layers into after effects. in there you click on the layer you want to move then click effects, distort, offset. You have to make the back move a little and the front move a lot. (i did it backwards to start with)

I could use this to do my background layer for responsive so it is constant.

animatic

So i did an animatic of our idea to see how it would go. I really like it and can't wait to do it properly!! the video ended up being 1 min 12 seconds but a few things went to fast but it should definitely end up being less than 2 minutes which is the timeframe we are allowed. So exciting! Here is is: Please note images used here are not final images, they're just for the purpose of the animatic...

Responsive progress

Last night, Aggie emailed me some information she had picked out from the living planet report, I then put that into a rough script as an idea of how we could use the information to make a story. heres the script:

Our earth has a big problem. Us. We are using more than Earth can provide.

·      We can cut trees faster than they mature,

·      Harvest more fish than oceans replenish

·      Emit more carbon into the atmosphere than forests and oceans can absorb

·      Carbon from burning fossil fuels has been the dominant component of humanity’s Ecological Footprint for more than half a century, and remains on an upward trend

·      In 1961, carbon was 36 per cent of our total Footprint; by 2010, it comprised 53 per cent.

·      Low-income countries have the smallest Footprint, but suffer the greatest ecosystem losses.

·      Populations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, has (fallen by half) declined by 52 per cent since 1970

·       

What we are doing to fuel our needs is destroying everything else

·      But oil concessions have been allocated across 85 per cent of the park

·      Drilling for oil could lead to habitat degradation and see the park lose its protected status and World Heritage Site listing, leaving its wildlife increasingly vulnerable.

·      Globally, habitat loss and degradation, exploitation through hunting and fishing and climate change are the main threats facing the world’s biodiversity

·      They have contributed to a decline of 52 per cent since 1970

·      Terrestrial species (animals that live predominantly or entirely on land) declined by 39% between 1970 and 2010. Causes:

o   Loss of habitat to make way for human use

§  For agriculture, urban development and energy production.

·      Freshwater species declined by 76%. Causes:

o   Loss of habitat and fragmentation, pollution and invasive species

·      Forest ecosystems provide shelter, livelihoods, water, fuel and food security for more than 2 billion people.

·      Food production accounts for around 70% of water use and 30% of energy use globally.

And theres a bigger problem

·      World population is growing at a fast rate

Meaning that our problems are only going to get worse, unless we start doing something to improve our planet

We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children

We can:

·      Produce Better – reduce inputs and waste, manage resources sustainably, scale-up renewable energy production.

·      Consume more wisely – through low-Footprint lifestyles, sustainable energy use and healthier food consumption patterns

·      Equitable resource governance – Share available resources, make fair and ecologically informed choices, measure success beyond GDP

Examples of solutions in action today:

·      Wind power provided for 57.4% of Denmark’s electricity consumption in December 2013

·      In Chile, Conservationists are working with partners to protect one of the world’s most important marine ecosystems.

·      In Australia, More efficient sugar farming practices are helping to conserve the Great Barrier Reef by reducing the impact of chemical and soil run-off.

·      In South Africa, Smart land-use planning has helped restore a critical wetland, allowing commercial tree plantations and a World Heritage Site to thrive side by side.

Changing our course and finding alternative pathways will not be easy. But it can be done.

We know where we want to be

We know how to get there

Now we need to get moving.

So I emailed that to Aggie and she came up with a rough beginning of a storyboard that she brought to the lesson. This is what she did:

And this was it in a more finished form:

So when we met up today, we really got stuck into it and were determined to create a finished storyboard. We did it!! :D 

 Here is our storyboard. I will write a description of what is happening to explain:

So firstly we have an image of the earth with handwriting over the top saying the earth has a big problem. 'The earth' is all fancy writing that is on one line and will continue through the whole piece. in the third scene, the line cuts through a tree 'we cut trees' and it falls over 'faster than they mature' 'harvest more fish than oceans can replenish' a little fish swims across then the nets come up full of fish. the line carries on and goes over the outline of a car and writes in the smoke 'emits more carbon' 'into the atmosphere than forests and oceans can absorb''what we are doing to fuel our needs is destroying everything else'

'Drilling for oil' oil starts glowing all over, 'carbon development' starts off with trees but they go down and disappear and skyscrapers appear in their place. 'energy production' power plants that are smoking 'this all contributes to habitat loss and degradation' 'causing a massive drop in population' the next page start with lots of land animals and they slowly disappear 1 by 1 'decline by 39%, the same happens for freshwater animals 'decline by 76% and marine 'decline by 39%' 'and theres another problem' 

'Our population is growing at a fast rate' babies appear at the bottom. 'meaning these problems aren't going to get better' 'unless we do something' 'protect nature' Someone planting a tree. 'reduce waste' image of a recycling bin' 'consume more wisely' wind turbines turning. 'Changing our future will not be easy' 'but it can still be done' 'we know where we want to be, we know how to get there, now we need to get moving' WWF image of logo appears.

Aggie is going to start doing the drawings and assets soon and send me them as she goes so i can start working as soon as possible. In the meantime I am going to create an animatic to try and show what is happening in real time, to see if it works and to see how long it will be, this will show us if we need to make changes before we start the real thing.