the end.

Personal reflection

So. Its finally done. Our big fat film is finished and I am a happy camper once more. Thursday was the highlight of this whole year I think. Showing our film and flaunting my shottily-put-together folio was a great way to finish my final day of uni for 09. The bags underneath my eyes are starting to creep back into my skin, my shakes and aches are gone and the churning feeling in my stomach is no more. Heres cheers for a proper night sleep and not consuming 3 cups of coffee per day. I’ve realised I’ve lost about 3 kgs over the past two weeks with stress, but its all over now, and its time to reflect on the good the bad and the ugly things that helped or hindered the film’s construction. Either all. It was all educational.

The pre-production stage of our film was where I felt I was the least helpful as my drawing style wasn’t really compatible with the art treatment Paul was going for. So it was more a time to sit back in the passenger seat and take in the atmosphere. I liked learning about the different camera angles designed for the story boards. The best way to learn is by watching other people. And the up / down / supercloseup shots were something id never considered for animating, but was quite fascinated by it. Come animating time it was also quite a challenge to nail the shot without having the animation look wonky. After watching a few pre-production presentations I woke up and realised how much more we should have done, and regret not having things properly managed and imagery all finished properly weeks in advance.

Production stage was my time to shine I though. Over the july holidays I smashed out 23 scenes and was pretty impressed with my progress. I realised I forgot how tedious animating was and how time consuming it is until I got into it again. Oh my. I think on a personal level too, it would have been best to just have an intense week of animating, and no rest or play until it was all done. Just so it could have been done and finished within a small time frame. Instead of a whole month. Also I hated having to draw things on separate frames I found it was such a bitch having to scan shit in with one or two marks on the paper into Photoshop and then having to line it up. Towards the end I flagged the separate layers and just animated things on one full shot. Tedious maybe, and yes, you professional animaters might cringe, but it was easier to colour and assemble in after effects that way. By the time I reached shot 23 uni was back in full swing and colouring was taking place. Unfortunately for me I forgot about the last 3 shots and had to animate them a few nights before our film was due. Fuck my life. SO, despite my lists being checked, it is essential kids, to double check, triple check, and quadruple check your lists.

I think in the last month was when I learned the most though. It’s a shame we weren’t together as a team for too much, but everyone was caught up with their own stuff really. Work, uni, unrelated uni or work things. That’s when I absorbed the most info. I’m pretty glad they were there all the same, lol even though they might have wanted to rip me a new one for asking so many questions or having my files all over the shop.

COLOURING certainly crept up and bit me on the ass. I had no idea how tiring that was going to be. With the shading and the highlights and this and that. Mind you, the vintage effect it had on the film was fantastic, but my blurry eyes and lumpy finger was begging me to stop. Amanda really helped me on this one. Hoorah for msn!
She gave me heaps of photoshop brushes to use, showed me the magical alt + click between layers so that the shadows just mesh onto the flat. As well as how to create your own actions and layer shit properly.

Fuck sake. After effects is the devil. I reckon I only figured out how to use it well in the last week hey. Clicking in the png sequence was helpful. But I only realised u have to change the frame rate from the standard 30 to 12 the other day. Paul probs wanted to suicide when he got all my renders. Shame shame shame. I learned to be more organised with my files. And even though I thought I was pretty clever with arranging them. I so wasn’t. but I also cleaned up dodgey stuff in AE with the eraser tool and paint brush. Woohoo.

But yes, overall even though its been a pretty full on year with the animation project, I think its been really beneficial to me. Learning things all the time. Osh by gosh.
A good experience and something that’s going to be remembered every time I composite / animate / colour.

This is l-dizzle. Thanks for your time. Over and out.