Storyboard workshop

Todays workshop was extremely informative, helping me to understand the variety of uses for storyboards and how to approach animation. Storyboards can be used to test out ideas that could take all day to test in After Effects in a matter of minutes, helping to streamline practice. Keeping a log of discarded ideas could help me to understand what works and doesn't work or keep complex ideas in mind for a time when I have the skills to make them work. I need to keep my storyboards and blog them to show how my ideas progress and how they are constrained by the limits of After effects or my knowledge of it.

I can show changes of pace in the movement on my storyboards by the number of frames it takes an object to move a certain distance. Movement attracts the viewers attention and can be very useful within the composition. Objects placed in the centre of the frame will be interpreted as stationary even if the background is moving. People are often scared to animate objects overlapping the frame which limits the impact of the animation. Everything on the screen will appear small because it is dwarfed by the frame itself. By have objects scaled up so that only part of them is visible I can not only create scale but suggest  objects or a whole world outside of the frame. these techniques can make the viewer fell like they are in the centre of the animation, making it appear more real. in the same way that we can suggest objects outside the frame we can imply actions or movements outside of the timeline by building suspense up to an event without actually showing it, like blowing up a balloon until it is about to burst but not showing the bang itself.

The animations I have made so far have concentrated on demonstrating the movements from my book instead of communicating the tone and emotion of it. One simple movement done well can have much more impact than a complex composition. Movements are not always constant, a balloon being blown up will inflate in stages as the person breathes in and out, a stone dropped into water will change in pace as it hits the water. I need to focus more on the nuances of each individual moment so that they create a connection with the viewer.

lots of animators avoid using walk cycles and having tried to make one this week I can see why. I don't think the chase scene I made is intrinsic to the sting and I could find more emotive elements of my book to use instead. I think I need to change my plan for the animation! I wanted to scroll across the entire book and animate the characters as it scrolled. The idea could look good but would not provide any real incite into the books narrative and could end up being a confused version of the book itself. I am going to work on some storyboards that explore more dynamic compositions and simpler animation that helps to demonstrate the tone of the book and could create intrigue in the story instead of hurriedly trying to tell it.

Plenty to do! Lost some motivation with this project but its back now!