These are some videos I shot to use as reference for the 2D animation of the male character.
They are organised in seperate parts that could be easily fitted together, because the overall idea is that I animated over one part and when it is done I can give it to Heba so she can start the camera animation in 3D. This is so we can both be working at the same time, but still on our own areas.
Ok there's an error with uploading some of the videos so you can only get to few the first part of the reference, but you get the idea.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Starting on 2D
As the title has stated I'm starting on the 2D side of the animation. For a test I thought i'd do a 2D illustrator image with a few graphics just to see what the style could look like.
It didn't take very long and is pretty rough in areas but it's just to show an example of what the animation could look like.
It didn't take very long and is pretty rough in areas but it's just to show an example of what the animation could look like.
Heba's cave model
This is an image of the 3D cave model Heba is working on.
I think it is a good start except a lot needs to be changed in order for it to be good for our commercial.
For starters, the cave needs to be deeper so when it zooms in the beginning it will seem like a much more immersible/realistic cave.
I also felt the shape was too square for a cave, it should have a lot more curves, and jagged pieces also, a real mix, definitely not as square as it is now.
The texture wasn't bad but I felt it could be more realistic as the texture used, though it looked like rock, didn't really look like cave rock.
I found a texture online that I felt did do a better job and tested it out. The rocks are also slightly smoother just to test.
Heba's frames
Heba's updated storyboard frames.. I couldn't be bothered to show them all as bloggers image uploader is incredibly annoying. And presumably Heba has put all them up on her blog anyway. Just an update on what she is doing.
Finished animatic - although rough
Yeah.. it's a bit sketchy, but hopefully you'll get the general idea.
Finalising story
Finalising story and EXACTLY what will happen when music plays. (in time with music)
Now that the music is done (at least enough for now) I have been working on what exactly is going to be happening in this commercial. After a while I came up with what exactly would happen.
The commercial would start off with the screen zooming into the dimly lit cave. It would fade to a clsse up of a wall showing the 2D artwork/silhouette of a man. A 2D beast silhouette will then emerge from the top right of the screen.
The 2D male character will then slowly lean downwards to pick up a spear off the ground. He will then quickly raise it up in defence against the creature and the screen will zoom into the spearhead (all in time with the music). After this it will cut back to the man who will then use the spear (or whatever weapon it is) to destroy the ground underneath him.
The character will then slide down a shoot of rock with the beasts arms coming out from several directions trying to grab him (travelling right down the slope)
.
The character will then smack into a rock on the way down and go flying across the wall (the camera following the character the entire time). He will land with a thud (again in time to music) and raise himself off the ground. He will look up and it will cut to a zoom in of his head with the creatures face next to his. It will cut back with him running the opposite direction (left). He will then jump over a rock in his way and, upon landing, will break the floor yet again. This time trapping him in a hole. The creature will then creep down the hole and towards the character. At the last few seconds it will turn into the silhouette of a woman and will thrust the male character against the wall. This is what will then cause the screen to shake and the 3D rock to fall down the screen and crack open on the floor. This is also where the music will fade out.
The screen will then cut to the broken rock and will slowly zoom in onto the Fossil Product with which the end part of the music will fade in.
Also, throughout the animation, everywhere the man travels, stylised 2D graphics will emerge and possibly at the end with the creature/woman transition
Here are the frames I drew for it also.
.
Now that the music is done (at least enough for now) I have been working on what exactly is going to be happening in this commercial. After a while I came up with what exactly would happen.
The commercial would start off with the screen zooming into the dimly lit cave. It would fade to a clsse up of a wall showing the 2D artwork/silhouette of a man. A 2D beast silhouette will then emerge from the top right of the screen.
The 2D male character will then slowly lean downwards to pick up a spear off the ground. He will then quickly raise it up in defence against the creature and the screen will zoom into the spearhead (all in time with the music). After this it will cut back to the man who will then use the spear (or whatever weapon it is) to destroy the ground underneath him.
The character will then slide down a shoot of rock with the beasts arms coming out from several directions trying to grab him (travelling right down the slope)
.
The character will then smack into a rock on the way down and go flying across the wall (the camera following the character the entire time). He will land with a thud (again in time to music) and raise himself off the ground. He will look up and it will cut to a zoom in of his head with the creatures face next to his. It will cut back with him running the opposite direction (left). He will then jump over a rock in his way and, upon landing, will break the floor yet again. This time trapping him in a hole. The creature will then creep down the hole and towards the character. At the last few seconds it will turn into the silhouette of a woman and will thrust the male character against the wall. This is what will then cause the screen to shake and the 3D rock to fall down the screen and crack open on the floor. This is also where the music will fade out.
The screen will then cut to the broken rock and will slowly zoom in onto the Fossil Product with which the end part of the music will fade in.
Also, throughout the animation, everywhere the man travels, stylised 2D graphics will emerge and possibly at the end with the creature/woman transition
Here are the frames I drew for it also.
.
Working with music
At the moment I am working on the music that will be used for our commercial. We have decided to use the track "E-Talking" by Soulwax. We listened to various tracks and styles but none other than this track sounded good enough for our type of commercial.
I believe that in order for the commercial to flow properly, both in story and timing,
the track needs to be edited to the 30 seconds gap the commercial has so that the story can fit around it.
I often find it easier to create a story around a track of music rather than the other way around.
What I have edited I think is good enough for the moment. The track unedited had a long intro which is far from ideal, so it had to be cut down. Luckily, noticed that around 40 seconds in the buildup ends on a nice beat and then the beat changes. This was brilliant to start off with and the track continues on a nice beat after this so hardly any editing was required. Of course though it needs to end.
We had previously decided we want the Fossil product falling at the end and this is a good place to and a fade out to the music or even a straight cut.
Below is a screenshot of the entire music track edited. The music track is in green. The blue is the intro and outro animatic images.
As shown above I tried this with a fade out and a fade in back when the camera shows the Fossil product on the floor and I think it worked well.
It just needed one more minor touch to the end bit of the edited music track. This was to add a lowpass effect to the sound output. This made the end sound more tinny or like radio. I felt that this would create less emphasis on the music and more on the imagery on the screen (such as the Fossil Product).
Below is the Lowpass I used on the end of the track.
I believe that in order for the commercial to flow properly, both in story and timing,
the track needs to be edited to the 30 seconds gap the commercial has so that the story can fit around it.
I often find it easier to create a story around a track of music rather than the other way around.
What I have edited I think is good enough for the moment. The track unedited had a long intro which is far from ideal, so it had to be cut down. Luckily, noticed that around 40 seconds in the buildup ends on a nice beat and then the beat changes. This was brilliant to start off with and the track continues on a nice beat after this so hardly any editing was required. Of course though it needs to end.
We had previously decided we want the Fossil product falling at the end and this is a good place to and a fade out to the music or even a straight cut.
Below is a screenshot of the entire music track edited. The music track is in green. The blue is the intro and outro animatic images.
As shown above I tried this with a fade out and a fade in back when the camera shows the Fossil product on the floor and I think it worked well.
It just needed one more minor touch to the end bit of the edited music track. This was to add a lowpass effect to the sound output. This made the end sound more tinny or like radio. I felt that this would create less emphasis on the music and more on the imagery on the screen (such as the Fossil Product).
Below is the Lowpass I used on the end of the track.
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