Final Storyboard

After narrowing down my initial storyboard, I had to lay out the details of the sequence I want to create ready to animate, so here it is:

I think this story will work well because I am testing the limits of each technique, which will hopefully allow me to compare them effectively. I haven't specified some of the actions for each technique because I thought it would be better if I could have the freedom to experiment at the time of filming, to get used to the materials I'm using and see what I can come up with that way, documenting my results as I go.

This idea to experiment is inspired by Aardman, who describe how they discovered how to portray the emotions of Gromit through playing around with plasticine.

I personally prefer my moodboard version of a storyboard, since that example clearly demonstrates the differences in each technique, even with just the images, so I will take this into consideration when developing my animatic.

A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit - Analysis

Aardman studios are most commonly known for their contribution to the stop motion animated film industry. Two of their most iconic characters are Wallace and Gromit; created by Nick Park, they have starred in 4 short films and a feature length film.

Their very first appearance was in A Grand Day Out, a simple story of the two characters travelling to the moon to find cheese. After 6 years of production, a combination of Nick Park's solo efforts and then receiving help from the team at Aardman, it was finally finished in 1989.

At the time, the only dominant animation techniques were 2D and Stop Motion, so Park decided to go with the later. This allowed him to keep the characters looking homemade by keeping some of the fingerprints on the plasticine and using various materials to create different textures; in a way, stop motion seems to be the most relatable animation there is, because pretty much anybody can mould their own plasticine figures (including children), so the audience can see how something so simple can be given life and emotions. A Grand Day Out is a good example of this, with such an imaginative storyline it's almost like a child came up with the idea.

Despite this, the comedy is very subtle and cleverly sprinkled throughout the film, most of which a child wouldn't really understand, which makes it suitable for a family audience. What I think people like about Wallace and Gromit is the relationship the characters have; Wallace is the only one who can talk, despite him being clever enough to invent things he's oblivious to what's going on around him, where Gromit the dog is very loyal and looking out for Wallace, as well as being handy himself. Gromit expresses his emotions through his eyebrows and body language, which requires the artist to have a certain skill set to express that emotion effectively through stop motion.

In the sequence where they are building the rocket ship, I can tell Nick Park worked hard to show the potentials stop motion has, by using real materials (as oppose to artificially made in the computer) to create the illusion that the characters are alive.

It wouldn't be nearly as good if it wasn't for the music accompanying the film; Julian Nott is the talent behind this aspect of it. It's the changes in tempo which describe what's happening in the story without having to narrate it, as well as the characters emotions and the iconic Wallace and Gromit theme tune.

Overall I love this film, but if it was made in the current day and age I don't think it would be as successful as it has been, because most films now (even short films) have such a big, movie-like plot that A Grand Day Out would be lost among the CGI. If this film hadn't been made however, it wouldn't have influenced the stop motion animation technique as it has or made Aardman quite as successful as it is.

Leeds International Film Festival...

The films broadcasted at Leeds International Film Festival were of a very high standard. From the line up, four films in particular stood out to me.

The first is 'Tsunami'. This charming film is an example of hybrid animation, creating a 3D animation to give the impression that it's painted on 2D animation software.

The second, 'Snowfall', is animated incredibly well - smooth, slick movements in a soft stylised manner.

'Pawo' has a simple style yet it works well for the concept of the story. It is animated very well in 2D.

Lastly is 'Warm Snow', the only stop motion film on this list, created unusually with sand, which gives the piece a naturally rough look, yet it is accompanied by smooth animation.

All of these films use a variety of animation techniques; the predominant one overall at this event was computer generated animation. The possibilities with technology seem to be endless, with a variety of artists from around the world interpreting this art form in many different ways.

Steamboat Willie - Analysis

Instead of a story, in 'Steamboat Willie' it seems almost as if Mickey Mouse is discovering sound for the first time, which of course is appropriate since this is the first film Disney made accompanied by sound.

I can see the principles of animation being put to good use here, which makes the film feel more creative and in a cartoon style, yet complete and believable; the exaggeration in the characters actions is particularly notable for entertainment.

Compared to modern films, it still stands as a strong cartoon, particularly the use of decent animation and the syncing of sound. I intend to talk about it in my dissertation as a revolutionary piece of work which truly started off Disney's long career of producing animated feature films.

Updated Storyboard

Since creating my initial storyboard, I decided it was too long to accomplish a decent animation within the time limit I have for this module, so the best course of action was to narrow it down to the basics which represent a brief practical history of animation within the film industry.

The red crosses represent the panels I am cutting out of my storyboard

This being from the first feature length film, Snow White (which was hand drawn), to stop motion (with plasticine), to CGI (Autodesk Maya); I believe this will be a simple yet fun solution to stand by my dissertation.

I think I can get away with this because the timeline I will illustrate should document the details of the history in animation, and also be a resourceful document for me to refer to later on, and possibly even display to audiences to show I have done thorough research into the facts.