Palmer G. Pattison

This is as far as I got: Walk cycle underlay, plus some very...

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:05:00 -0400

This is as far as I got: Walk cycle underlay, plus some very rough drawings (mostly keys) to indicate the performance.

In other words, another failed effort. Another GIPE.

Further efforts at character design.

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:01:18 -0400

Further efforts at character design.

I also started trying to remember how I used to draw people when...

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:59:19 -0400

I also started trying to remember how I used to draw people when I was younger, like in second grade. After making a few of these retro drawings, I started experimenting with ways to make that style work dimensionally, with the ability to suggest just enough anatomy and acting ability to meet the needs of this project.

One of the first things I did when I started this project was to...

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:49:54 -0400

One of the first things I did when I started this project was to email my parents and ask them to find, scan, and send some old photos of me when I was younger.

Rough animation, first pass (walk cycle) This is just to...

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:30:00 -0400

Rough animation, first pass (walk cycle)

This is just to establish the rhythm for the character’s walk cycle. Drawings are based on reference from one of Preston Blair’s books.

I drew the chart first, on an arc to help visualize the “up” and “down” positions of the character’s walk. Then I added the “metronome” to make sure I had the beat down correctly. I actually ended up modifying the x-sheet by hitting each beat two frames earlier than originally indicated, because that’s what felt natural when the audio was added.

Then I drew the character — keys first, then breakdown drawings, then the in-betweens. I wound up massaging the x-sheet even more, adding and dropping frames as necessary. I also advanced the whole thinganothertwo frames, so the music’s beat is timed to the complete footfall, rather than the initial heel-contact as originally planned.

The piano run at 0:11 - 0:13 also required a major rework. I wound up re-timing that part of the exposure sheet completely.

To make things even more interesting, the walk cycle switches after the piano run. Before the run, the left foot contacts on beat two, and the right foot contacts on beat four. After the run, the right foot contacts on beat two, and the left foot contacts on beat four.

Again, this pass is just to establish the walk cycle. The actual performance — with the character undergoing his costume metamorphoses — still has to be done. That’s also dependent on finalizing the character and costume designs.

Here’s what the x-sheet looks like after the data has been...

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:07:00 -0400

Here’s what the x-sheet looks like after the data has been entered into Harmony.

The first column contains the individual frame numbers.

The next column includes annotations about the song’s meter and the character’s walk cycle. LFC = Left Foot Contact, RFC = Right Foot Contact, LFP = Left Foot Passing, etc.

The third column includes time indicators for every eight frames. This helped me keep track of everything as I entered the data from the x-sheets my dad sent me.

The fourth column indicates drawing numbers for the first rough pass. “K” indicates key frames (each foot contact and passing position). “B” indicates breakdown drawings. Most drawings are on twos, except where frames had to be left out to maintain the music’s rhythm. This was slightly challenging because of the song’s syncopated beat, especially during the bit where the character’s steps match the piano rather than the kick drum.

The fifth column indicates the phonemes that will be used for the lip sync. Actual lip sync starts two seconds after FFOP (first frame of picture), and ends shortly after the twenty-three second mark.

The sixth column is for the audio track.

These are the exposure sheets that my father marked up for me,...

Wed, 02 May 2012 23:51:28 -0400

These are the exposure sheets that my father marked up for me, from the audio clip I sent to him. Indicated are: phonemes for the character’s lip sync; beat markers for the walk cycle; and special marks for the descending piano chords at 0:11 - 0:13 of the sound clip.

Which character? Should I use this guy (Thorndike)? A more human...

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:30:15 -0400

Which character? Should I use this guy (Thorndike)? A more human character?

“Project Duncan Snyder” Proposal This is the project...

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:31:00 -0400

“Project Duncan Snyder” Proposal

This is the project I wanted to do as my final project for Animation I but never completed.

The original requirements were to animate something that used all of the principles and techniques we had learned that semester: squash and stretch, walk cyles, metamorphosis, lip sync, etc.

This animation will have a character (representing myself, though not necessarily a self portrait), in a walk cycle toward the camera as the camera dollies back. The character will lip sync to a single chorus from “Try to Believe” by Oingo Boingo (Dark at the End of the Tunnel, 1989). The character’s costume will be constantly changing, never the same way twice, representing the different roles the he is (I am) expected to fill, by himself (myself) or by others. Total run time will be about 23 seconds, exclusive of title slide, etc.

Plan

March 27 - April 4: Character and Costume Design
April 5 - 11: Layout & Background Design, X-Sheet completed
April 12 - 18: Rough Keys, 1st pass
April 19 - 25: Finalize Rough Keys and Inbetweens
April 26 - May 2: Cleanup
April 3 - 9: Ink and Paint
April 10: Final presentation

The candidates for final submission for the Ron Saks...

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:44:20 -0400

The candidates for final submission for the Ron Saks Project:

Forest
Horses
Canyon
Cavern
Hills
Plain

Contact sheets for Jess Hess’ landscape photo project.

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:36:56 -0500

Contact sheets for Jess Hess’ landscape photo project.

"Project Ron Saks" Proposal

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:54:07 -0500

The story goes that Jim Henson went to his production team one day and said, “Let’s make a show that brings about world peace.” Knowing Jim as they did, no one raised an eyebrow; they just said, “Okay.” The result of that conversation was Fraggle Rock.

That was thirty years ago.

For this project, I propose that we create a story pitch for a new series with the same objective.

This is not: a knock-off, fan-fiction, or “Fraggle Rock: The Next Generation.” We are not copying the content or format.

We are: making an original story with the same ideals, taking inspiration from people like Pancho Ramos Stierle.

Deliverables

We will be creating a story pitch for a proposed animated TV series (traditional or computer animation is TBD). The pitch will include a brief description of the story, model sheets for five or six principal characters, and two or three “beat boards” (color drawings that illustrate key story moments and communicate the overall tone of the show).

Team size

This project will require five team members.

Required skills for all team members are:

The ability to experiment with a variety of shapes in creating characters.
The ability to use critical input from team members to make their character(s) fit in with the rest of the ensemble.
The ability to render “locked” character designs with good line quality.

At least some, if not all, team members must be able to:

Compose finalized characters into action scenes for the beat boards.
Color the beat boards using what you learned about color during your foundation year.

And of course, understanding of story and character development is a big plus!

Proposed Schedule

Tuesday, Feb. 28: Face to face story meeting. Character assignments are made to individual team members.
Thursday, March 1: Virtual critique. First pass of character designs are due. Team members critique each other’s work.
Tuesday, March 6: Junior reviews. No class. (Good luck, juniors!)
Thursday, March 8: Virtual critique. Final character revisions due. Beat board assignments are made. Some may be asked to do the line art while others are asked to do colors.
Tuesday, March 13: Lab time. We’ll work together to finalize the beat boards and prepare our story pitch.
Thursday, March 15: We present the story pitch in class!

Another failure. Nearly twenty hours of work, and this is all I...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:59:21 -0500

Another failure.

Nearly twenty hours of work, and this is all I have to show for it.

FML.

A modest beginning.

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:49:37 -0500

A modest beginning.

Sketches, round 1

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:29:25 -0500

Sketches, round 1

Reference montage: Pterosaurs

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:37:57 -0500

Reference montage: Pterosaurs

Reference montage: Triceratops

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:36:57 -0500

Reference montage: Triceratops

Reference montage: Tyrannosaurus Rex (and cousins)

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:35:52 -0500

Reference montage: Tyrannosaurus Rex (and cousins)

January 24 Class Take-away: Kayane Kouzoujian

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:03:02 -0500

First 40 minutes of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary
- Story is told after the fact
- Stylized cityscape, in both matte/background paintings and theatrical-style stage sets
- Tints differentiate time (then and now, time of day)
- Distended shapes are confined to memory scenes
- Stage make up, heavy lines on Dr. Caligary’s gloves
- Jagged stylization extends to (English) title cards
- Exterior scenes set on stage with different levels to create artifical sense of space
  - Sense of claustrophobia, even outside (as in passing among tents during the fair)
- Gradual reveal (used for maximum shock effect in monster movies and other films)
- Agitated graphic accents on title cards
  - Hook on “step right in”
  - Cross and dagger on “Mr. Alan is dead… murdered!”
- Gradual reveal leads to gradual awakening
- Another gradual reveal…. murderer’s shadow on the wall
- Pantomime (heavily exaggerated) acting
- Mislead:
  - Mysterious figure sneaking around before third murder, then apprehended
  - Villager confesses to attempting third murder attempt, but not to first two
- Questions of culpability
  - How aware is Cesare of what he is doing?
  - How much does Dr. Caligary know about Cesare’s night wanderings?

January 24 Class Take-away: Charlotte Belland

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:53:46 -0500

Review of old Munsell, pigment (subtractive) color project vs. additive, RGB/HSL processes we use in Media Arts.
Joseph Canzani videos: www.josephcanzani.com
Color Scheme Designer: www.colorschemedesigner.com
J.A.W. Cooper: Color schemes using details from existing works of art and applying mosaic filter http://jawcooper.carbonmade.com/

3 techniques:
- Making digital images look like they’re shot on film by bringing out the midtones
  - Make layer copy of an image, and desaturate the copy
  - Use “unsharp mask”
  - Change layer’s blending mode from “normal” to “luminosity”
  - Use alpha mask w/ opacity to selectively remove “unsharp” effect, to control viewer’s focus

Side trip:
- Making contact sheets using adobe bridge (also good for making storyboards from thumbnails)
  - In Adobe Bridge, go to the folder with the images
  - Select the images in Preview tab
  - Select PDF in Preview tab, specify parameters (page size, layout, etc.)
  - Use “Output Preview” to check your work
  - Click “Save” to generate PDF
  - You can use a graphic or text watermark to protect your contact sheet

3 techniques, cont.
- Coloring behind the lines of a scanned drawing in photoshop
  - Create empty layer, move it under original layer
  - Set blending mode of original layer to “Multiply”
  - Add color to bottom (empty) layer
- Changing the color of lines w/o changing strokes
  - Lock transparency in line art layer
  - If using a scanned image, use layer mask
    - Use Alt key and click in layer mask’s thumbnail
    - Copy and invert (Ctrl+I) original image (from its layer) into the layer mask
    - Use “fill” to fill image with black (which will make the drawing visible)
    - Create blank layer, place under layer w/ mask, merge down
    - Lock transparency as above

What art student are you? (Chuck Dillon, http://blog30x30.blogspot.com/2009/06/which-student-are-you.html)