Stop Motion

What is Stop Motion?
Stop motion is a form of animation type. Stop motion animation can also be known as stop frame animation and is created by capturing images a frame at a time by photographs. The actual animation is created by the slight adjustment to what ever you are taking a photograph of by taking over 100 photographs and putting them together to create a animation.

Evaluation 

What were the ideas that inspired the group?
We took inspiration from short stop motion animation videos that our tutor showed us in class, she showed us clay animation clips of peoples heads and food, we toyed with the idea of both faces and food before getting other inspiration from films such as 'Sausage party' and general ideas of creating an animation around the idea of fast food. We decided that we wanted to create a 15 second long animation involving around 180 photographs - 12 photos per second. We would base our animation around cooking fast food, this would include a hot dog in a bun with mustard sauce, fries on a plate with ketchup, a candle, a salt and pepper pot and a frying pan with onions inside it.

What have we done?
We started of by creating the main clay piece for the animation this was the 'Hot Dog' we started by rolling out the red clay into a cylinder 'sausage' shape, we then created the bun part to the hot dog by rolling out an orange shade of play dough on to a fat surface to create a rectangle shape, we then moulded the orange dough around the cylinder shape to create the appearance of a 'sausage in a bun'. we finished the hot dog by creating the mustard; this was done by rolling a small piece of yellow clay into a cylinder shape and then moulding it in a zig zag motion to create the appearance of sauce.
Next we created the fries to go with the hot dog, Emily my team mate rolled little yellow pieces of clay into small cylinders and then moulded them into the shape of fries making sure they were more rectangular than rounded at the ends. I then created the ketchup by rolling out the play dough the same way that I created the mustard for the hot dog. Ryan another member of the group created the plate for the fries to sit on this was down with white play dough and was rolled out flat as thin as the dough would go and we used a lid from the pot of clay to create a template for the plate. Emily and Ellie created both the salt and pepper pot and the sauce pan with onions. The s & p pot was made by creating a ball of dough and then moulding it into a oval rectangle type shape, adding details to the top and side of the pot. The sauce pan was made by rolling out a green piece of clay out flat into a circle to create the bottom of the pan, a cylinder shape was then constructed to create the outside of the pan and a rectangular shape to made the handle. onions were produced by using small little brown and black pieces of clay cut out in the shape of a diced onion. After this entire process we finished making the props for our animation.

What have we done well?
Over all, I feel that the end products of the clay food turned out well and were successful. All food were in proportion and looked good in the video clips of the animation. They took around an hour to make all pieces which meant that we had good time management; therefore had enough time to find the right lay out with the props and shoot each part separately and then together in enough time before we began to edit. We worked well together as a team and each member of the group has a key part to play in the creation of the animation.

What could we of done to improve?
To improve our animation we could of taken more photographs so that the video looked more streamline and more put together. As we only took around 100 photographs instead of 180. In addition to this we could of created a coloured back ground with props painted in the background so that the video looked more realistic instead our background was a simple white.


*insert images of stop motion animation here*

Exploring Animation

Exploring Animation 
Animation - Drawn

Animation is a sped up display of a number of different still images, that are positioned in a specific way in order to create the illusion of movement. Animation resonated from the Chinese shadow lanterns and optical toys in the 18th century. Not until the 20th century were animators such as Emile cohl creating cartoon strips onto celluloid. Still to the present day animators use motion pictures to create animations. The most famous was Walt Disney, who is best known for this cartoon films such as 'The Jungle Book'. Hand made animations are created by a series of the same drawing with the slight adjustments on the image like in facial expression and movement to portray the illusion of movement when the images are speeded up.

Animation - Digital 

Computerised animations how ever were completely different thing and didn't come to surface until the 1960's, this was digital animators successor. In order to create such animations, artists used software like Adobe Flash in order to build up a sequence on a computer, while adding in special effects in film- this was called computer generated imagery or CGI. More computerised animations had there advantages for their Creator's as they were cheaper in order to produce, faster to create and animators would be able to control every aspect of the process. To start off with social sites such as Youtube and My Space- which no longer exists became the platform for un-none creates to get there animations out into the public eye, this created an artist enterprise.

Animation Timeline 

Date	Event
1887	The start of it all  A man named H.W. Goodwin invented a celluloid film which could hold images. It was made of gum cotton and gum camphor.
1892	An early moving-picture production  A man in France named Emil Reynaud opened a theatre using an invention called the Praxinoscope. It used turning mirrors to reflect images and produce a 10 to 15 minute "moving picture."
1893	Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope  Using the celluloid film developed by H.W. Goodwin, Edison was able to produce moving film pictures on the wall. The film moved over a series of wheels to produce the pictures.
1899	Sound is captured  Using a magnetic recording device, sound was recorded for the first time. Animation enthusiasts would latch onto the technology.
1900	The Enchanted Drawing  A man named James Stuart Blackton used animation techniques to produce a short film. It documented the drawing process of characters, without ever showing the artist; this made it seem that the drawings simply appeared.
1908	The first official animated film  A Frenchman name Emile Cohl produced a film called "Fantasmagorie." It was a hit, and is known today as the first true animated film.
1914	Gertie the Dinosaur  This short animation film became popular quickly. It was created by Windsor McCay.
1915	A patent on the process  A man named John Bray developed and patented a streamlined process for creating animated films. He tried, unsuccessfully, to force other companies to use his designs.
1920	Felix the Cat  A man named Otto Messmer, who had been working in animation for a few years, created a character named Felix the Cat. Felix was very successful and even ended up including dolls and watches.
1922	Laugh-O-Grams  Twenty-year-old Walt Disney began his first animation film studio called Laugh-O-Grams. It failed after only a short time.
1928	Steamboat Willie  Walt Disney didn't give up on making animated films. In 1928 he released a short film called Steamboat Willie featuring Mickey Mouse and using sound for the first time, and it was an instant hit.
1930	Warner Bros. Studio is born  Looney Tunes was supposed to be a spin off on the Silly Symphonies produced by Disney. It soon took on a life of its own and became very popular.
1930	Other popular charters  Throughout the 1930's, several now-iconic characters were created. This included Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Daffy Duck.
1932	New technologies  Walt Disney developed the use of 3-strip Technicolor animation. In 1935, Len Lye created a method of painting directly on film strips; he used it in his animated film "Color Box."
1937	The first full-length film  Walt Disney produced the first ever full-length animated film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a major hit.
1940	Iconic characters grow  The next decade brought several new popular characters to life. This included Woody Woodpecker, Mighty Mouse, and Tom and Jerry.
1972	Computer generated movies  At the University of Utah, and man named Ed Catmull developed a method of creating computer generated movies. It used scripting language.
1993	3-D and beyond  Apple computer company produced a method for creating 3-D films, and in 1995 Toy Story was released as the first full-length 3-D film. The animation industry would never be the same.

Drawing write up's

Face Drawings

Step by step

1. Draw an ellipse shape.
2. Draw a line through the centre of the oval vertically and horizontally.
3. Make two marks where the edge of the nose should be.
4. Draw two ellipses for the eye shapes on the line. 
5. Make three points along the length of the nose at a varying distance to show the contours of the nose. 
6. Connect these lines and add subtle nostrils. 
7. position the mouth by drawing a flat line beneath the nose.
8. Add eyelids by creating a curve for the over the eyes and create a curve for the eyebrows.
9. Add a symmetrical curve for the cheeks from the corner of the eye and from the tip of the nose.
10. Shape jawline.
11. Begin to add hair to the hair and eyebrows, always reference here if you want to create a specific style.
12. Finish the drawing by adding a flat line beneath the chin. 

drawings 

review

Over all these two drawings took be around 3 hours to complete simply because i took my time to add extra detail and shadowing to create a more realistic image, i used different shades of pencils to create depth and tone and ear buds in order to blend out my shading to create a softer shadow. Taking more time over you drawing makes the outcome of your drawing more detailed and realistic, With the simple steps listed above you can get a basic outline of your face and the structure, adding detail with shading portrays more structure and makes the image become 3D.

Final project and Evaluation

Final Project- Photography 

Evaluation 

Planning

I find it quite hard to plan photographs, as i feel planning them means that they look too fake. Therefore I simply planned the places and styles of the photographs not the actual structuring of the photographs, that way i think that they came out quite natural.

Artistic Techniques 

I used a number of different camera angles to take different shots for my photographs, this was so that i was able to get different perspectives and create different atmospheres in each image. To edit my images afterwards i didn't use a specific soft wear i simply used the already existing camera soft wear on iphone to edit and adjust the settings in the image. I used the settings to change the colouring, brightness, contrast , tone, shadowing ,lighting and black point in each image, this was to make the quality of the image the best that i could get it. Over all each image took around 3-4 minutes to edit.


Have they been successful?

Yes i think the majority of the images that i had taken were successful, however next time i will plan out my images more and make sure i have more scenarios and models in my images instead of repeating the same people in my photography. This is so i can create more variety in my images.

Inspiring artists 

Along the way of doing my research looking at different types of photographers and different areas in photography i have found many people who's work i find inspiring. A lot of the artists that i like do a lot of urban and street photography i find that i like the aesthetic and look of those images more than natural surroundings in photographs, that setting is kind of what i took as inspiration for my own images.


Overall

Overall i think my final piece has turned out quite well, i used a few different camera angles to create different perspectives and edited the images so that they stand out and are dramatic. I tried to portray shadow and light in my photographs to create tone.

Photography Rules

 The Rule of Thirds 

The Rule of thirds is a guideline which was put in place and applied to the process of creating visual images. These can include; designs, films, paintings and photographs. The guideline suggests that the image should be divided into nine equal parts, placed by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two vertical. People have claimed that positioning the subject within these points can help to create tension, more energy and interest in the composition.

The image below is divided into 9 sections, the horizon of the image sits at the horizontal line on the third section of the image. The tree is placed at the intersection of the photograph and grid, this is also known as a crash point. Not all main focus points of the composition have to be positioned directly on the lines in order to take advantage of the rule of thirds. When preparing to take a photograph with the rule of thirds, it is important that you take into consideration the main focal points and put them as close as you can to the intersection lines, they don't have to be perfectly aligned just close enough, the process of taking the photograph using this method can take a little more time and thought however can help to create a better image. if you are unable to take the image with just picturing the grid, there is typically a grid within the settings of your camera or even iphone.

Leading lines 

In order to grasp the views attention, photographers use leading lines to create a specific point in the images hat they take. Leading lines are natural limes in an image that the audience would typically gravitate to when looking at an image, leading lines create attention to a certain point to lead to another point and some times even out of frame. Anything with  a definitive line such as; a fence, horizon, a bridge, road can grasp the views immediate attention. In order to create an image that uses leading lines in the correct way you need to understand how to properly utilise the leading lines. Placing leading limes paired with the subject so that they are arranged within the rule of thirds can portray a professional photograph which shows that the image is dynamic. in order to create symmetry within photographs it is important that both sided of the image a almost mirrored, creating two equal parts 

Symmetry and patterns 

In order to create symmetry within photographs it is important that both sided of the image a almost mirrored, creating two equal parts, so that both sided of the image are similar but its important to remember that they should not be the same. The two equal parts can be divided either vertically or horizontally, creating symmetrical photographs can create unanimity and harmony in an image and is much more aesthetically pleasing for the viewer to look at. There are many different ways to create symmetry within a photograph however the most common method is to just divide the image into, to create a sort of mirror or reflection within the image.

Pattern in photograph can either be man made or natural and refers to the repetition of something within the image. Pattern can be enhanced by thought provoking patterns that can be seen in graphic elements, like colour, shape, tones  forms and lines that are repeated on themselves within the composition.  Pattern can help to create highlights in photography and is used to isolate from the surroundings in the image. Applying the main focus of the photo to the pattern can portray endless repetition and can take distraction away from anything else from the picture.  

View point 

View point is a way of looking at something, in a photographers perspective the view point is what you are taking a picture of from the cameras perspective. All photographs have a subject or an area that they are taking a photograph of, when you see that subject that you wish to take a photo of you aim the camera in that direction and you take the picture, the view point is what you are aiming to take that photograph of, for an example if you were to take an eye level photograph of a person you would aim the camera at the subject so that their head is in the shot this image is taken both from the photographers and the cameras perspective and view point. The image below is taken from the perspective of a person looking down, the image was captured by tilting the camera down at an angle to show as if the photographer is looking down, this is his viewpoint.

Using the background 

The use of backgrounds in photographs is a tricky thing to master. They can be both man made and planned backgrounds or natural backgrounds ( outdoors, nature, unplanned). The fashion industry typically use colour as a background for their photographs as it can make the focus on the model stand out more, typically they use colours like white, grey or red.  Blurred backgrounds in candid photographs can also help to create the portrait of the subject in an image become the main focus. block colour as a background puts the main focus on the subject, where as if the background is already pretty busy it can be distracting and can take the focus away from the subject that you are taking a photograph of. 

Depth in photographs  

 Its pretty hard to create depth in photographs from turning a 2D image and turning it to give a 3D feel. The are many ways in order to portray depth in your images however there is no fixed rule in how to do it. Some of the ways to take photographs that show depth is to take photographs that show foreground interest, images of portraiture,  changing viewpoint, framing the scene, to use leading lines, changing angles and layering. 

Framing 

Framing is the technique of blocking of parts of the image so that the subject or image is the only focus, so that all of your attention is drawn to that particular part of the image. Natural framing if done right can create beautiful images that are elegant and captivating. Natural framing is when you use an element within your image to frame the subject in the image , framing can be created by a multiple of different things such as doors, windows, trees/branches, arches, tunnels and clouds. To take photographs with the appearance of frame work you just have to position the camera so that the subject is in the centre and the element that you are using to frame is around the sides.

Use of cropping 

Cropping is the process of removing the outer parts of an image to improve both the image and the framing of the photo. Cropping helps to accentuate subject mater and change aspect ratio, cropping depending on the application can be preformed on photographs, film and artwork. Cropping is an important technique in the editing process and if done right can portray the image in a interesting or compelling light. Nearly every editing soft wear whether that be for film or photography has a cropping tool and is very easy to use by dragging to the area you wish to crop or cut out of the image. hi xx xd

Experimenting shots 

Abstract photography, also known as non-objective photography is the type of photography that is both experimental and unplanned. This type of photography or type of shot, is a means of depicting a visual images that does not have any immediate association with the subject, but has been created though the use of photography equipment and use of materials. Abstract photography can isolate some fragments within a natural scene in order to remove the context away from the view. The purpose is to create an unreal perception from the real objects and can include the use of light, shadow ,texture and can convey a sensation or impression. 

Balancing Elements 

Balancing elements refers to the main subject within the photograph as being off-centre, even though it is following the rule of thirds. This creates a more interesting photograph however it can leave a type of void in the scene which can portray a feeling of emptiness within the image. The key to creating a beautiful image is to find the importance of balance in your images. You can balance the image by including your subject and other of less important subjects in order to fill space and create a more captivating image. Placing the subject on the outside of the image can create an uninteresting photo and views are unlikely to be intrigued, therefore the main subject of matter should always be within the intersection within the rule of thirds or within the centre of the image.

Depth of field

Depth of field is used in order to enhance your images so that they are sharp and appear to be in focus, In almost every image that will be a specific area within the image that will appear to be in front of or behind of the main subject in the photograph so that that subject is what is in main focus. The aperture of the photograph is referring to the amount of access  of light that is being given through the camera; the size of the aperture determines the amount of light that enters though the lens.  Using the aperture setting on your own camera is the simplest way to control your depth of field when you are preparing to take your images.

Mimicking Art - Games mimicked By Art

Art Deco and Bioshock

The game Bioshock was released for the windows system and xbox 360 games in 2007. Bioshock was the first person shooter video game to be developed by irrational games, the game was designed by Ken Levine. Bioshock compelled game play with benchmark graphics, ear-hunting sounds, genuine scares and a surreal sub- aquatic classic theme through out the game. The games special unique and aesthetic setting was what completed its originality. From its reveal the underwater city of rapture is an amazing achievement for design, its art deco style was a work of wonder for the gaming community .

The use of art deco in his external and internal space creates a specific look, the style of the design is from the 1930's and 1940's and shows the advancement of technology with geometric forms and patterns.

Bioshock's use of art deco in both Rapture's external and internal spaces to create a distinctive look  with the use of advanced technology to highlight geometric forms and symmetry in the patterns with the vibrant, contrasting colours. This was created in order to demonstrate opulence and fits in with Andrew Ryan's creative design ideas perfectly. The design was also created as it was well in budget for the whole concept, You can make something art deco and it is automatically low-poly and fits into a gaming budget perfectly because of all the large designs and big shapes, less detail means more money saved. The architects of Rapture; Simon and Daniel wales were massively influenced by the contemporary art of William Van Alen and William F Lamb who created work like Chrysler and Empire State. While also taking ideas and inspiration from Raymond Hood who was an artist and sculptor who worked for years as an art deco specialist. Overall Bioshock took ideas from Art Deco and used this type of art as inspiration for the design in there game, i feel that they really managed to grasp the idea of art deco and created a beautifully designed video game.

Niche Film- This is England

This is England - Niche Film

This is England was created and first produced as a film in 2006, how ever quite unusual followed later on with 3 series following on from the British Drama film. This is England was directed by Shane Meadows and follows the story of a group of young skinheads in 1983. The film portrays the subculture of its time and looks at the west indies culture of the 1960's, exploring the Ska, soul and reggae music which was adopted by the white nationalists and supremacists. This is England explores why this led to a division of the skinheads. The reason for the name 'This is England' is explained as part of a scene in the film; as character called 'Combo' who was recently released from prison, expresses his nationalist views using the phrase 'This is England' as part of a conversation. 

The film follows the story of a young boy named Shaun who was played by actor Thomas Turgoose in the film this is England, lost his Dad in the Falkland War, which really takes a tole on him as a young boy, getting bullied for the clothes he wears due to his mother not having much money after his fathers death, forces his to join the skinheads. Shaun earns the respect of the skinheads when he stands up to their teasing; he later becomes apart of their gang and loves having new and slightly dangerous friends - to his mothers disappointment, as the skinheads change both Shaun's appearance and attitude. Shaun finds him self in trouble with the return of racist ex-convict Combo, who was played by actor Stephen Graham. This causes a divide between the skinheads, while also an array of different aspects affecting the group with relationship issues between the boys; the girls and the parents.

Style of Art - Surrealism

Surrealism 

Surrealism is an artistic movement that began in the 1920's the movement aimed to create art work that is depicted from the subconscious and imaginary mind. Surrealism extends from normal traditional art as it can come from political, revolutionary actions and ideas but is focused on ideas that are to be seen as 'unreal'. Surrealism is best known for its visual art work and writing. As part of the surrealism art movement, artists paint unnerving, illogical scenes in order to create strange and distorted images of creatures and everyday objects. Surrealism is a platform for artists to quite literally turn their dreams into a reality by painting with more developed techniques to allow the unconscious to express it's self.

Salvador Deli 

An artist who is most famous for his surrealistic work is Salvador Dali, Salvador was one of the most versatile artists of the 1920's. Not only did work as a surrealistic artist but he also turned to become a successful writer, while also making paint, sculptures, fashion and advertising.  He was known for his flamboyant personality which personally i feel came across in his art pieces. Ever since the death of his brother he was told that he was the reincarnation of him. This left an impression on the child at a young age, and he later painted his dead brother in many of the paintings he composed. He claimed to have manifested hysterical rage and random outbursts towards his family and friends which was also portrayed through his art pieces. Salvador was born on the 11th of may in 1904 in spain, at a very early age he was encouraged to practice his artwork, this then lead to Dali studying at an Academy in madrid. When Salvador visited Paris, France, he met with artists such as Picasso, Magritte and Miro; these interactions lead to the artist first surrealism phase. His most famous surrealism painting is called ' The persistence of memory' within the painting are a number of melting clocks and ants in a beach landscape;  the are both images that Salvador placed in a unusual context. The creature that was centred in the middle of the image was painted with a deformed eye and nose that was draw from Dali's own imagination. Although it was said to be his own interpretation of a self portrait, some of the features on the creature such as the eye lashes were portrayed as insect- like.

Dali used in the painting 'The Persistence of memory' many colours as the background of the horizon he used a light blue which is faded into a darker blue and then to a yellow across the top of the painting. Under the sky line is the sea or what looks like a large pool, on the right is mountain shaped rocks and a small lone pebble. He also used a regtangular shape elevated, and on the top was a single pebble. Within the image is a lifeless hollow tree, with a silver pocket watch, which appears to be melting. The ground is a dark shade of brown, and black in some areas. On the ground is a large figure with no limbs or other human like characteristics, many people have said that the image is his own interpretation of himself. 

Camera angles

Oblique / Canted  image 

This type of angle is originally a dutch camera angle and is also known as a dutch tilt, canted angle or oblique angle . For this specific shot the camera is set at an angle on its axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at the side of the frame, in order to create an image that is shot non parallel with the bottom camera frame, this creates an image that is tilting as if someone had turned their head to the side.

On the ground 

This shot is created when the camera is facing towards the ground at a some what angle. It can also be taken from angling the camera from off the ground normally facing upwards.

Straight up
The straight up angle is created by facing the camera at an angle facing up towards the subject to create a straight up type of feel when creating an image.

Up side down 
As the name suggests this angle is created by turning the camera a full 180 degrees so that the camera is facing up side down, this angle is used to create a feeling that a person or character in a film is see things upside down, or as if the person is hanging up side down.

Eye level 
The camera angle makes using certain locations at which a camera or video recorder is placed to take a certain shot. a scene or a series of images can be taken with many different angles, in order to portray emotion. The eye level shot is what is most commonly used to take photographs and is taken from a personal point of view , looking straight forward. It is the most easiest shot that is used for photography and is just angled in a middle straight forward position.

Bird eye view 
This type of angle is as the name suggests from a birds perspective as if the bird was taking a photograph. The camera is elevated so that the view of the subject or object is from above, these can often be used to take photographs like Ariel photography or created blueprints and floor plans.

low angle 
This can be used in cinematography and is shot from an angle positioned low on a vertical axis, that is below eye level normally looking up, sometimes this camera angle can be shot below someones feet. This angle can created images if they are of a person to be portrayed as a subject looking strong and powerful.