Circle of Strife

I met up with Simon (my supervisor) yesterday to discuss . . . *shudder* my Honours Paper (worth 25% of my final mark). Theoretically, the purpose and reasoning for the paper is pretty sound. It should discuss – quote “a set of ideas in relation to [my] work and its place in the world” unquote . . . a beautiful utopian circle cycle where the work inspires the paper which inspires the work. Yet . . . it’s something I’ve been struggling to write.

My first idea was that ‘action speaks louder than words’ – in that action based animation conveys messages more effectively than verbal communication. Only, when reviewing my work, I realized my message was not only reliant on action – but also the style of camera cuts – and intended sound design. My theory fell flat - so that had to be scrapped.

Then followed discussions with Lynne (our Honours Paper lecturer) and she suggested a lot of ideas . . . pushing more for a delve into the symbolic nature of my piece – the stork, the baby, the concept of flight etc. And finally, it felt like I got what my paper should revolve around . . . not so much the technical (e.g. movement) but rather the content (e.g. symbols) of my animation. And to a degree that was right. But with art there is rarely an absolute way of doing anything.

Shortly after talking with Lynne, I had a consult with Simon and discussed where I was steering my paper – towards ‘content’ – symbols and metaphors and stuff. But Simon knew that that direction wasn’t where my heart was – and encouraged me to pick a topic I could research with passion - like the genre of 1930s Animation - something like that.

Fast forward a trawl through a pile of books (I keep getting away with perpetual “renewing”), scrawl through a list of links Simon suggested, and a day poised over my keyboard – I wrote a 1500 word Preliminary Outline. I submitted it and waited for feedback. Yesterday sitting on the steps of Elywn Lynn I got the verdict I suspected . . . it was overly broad, overly opinionated (and unsupported) – a pretentious little piece of writing (though Simon was too kind to put it that bluntly).

My problems are that I need to get my head away from trying to argue one genre’s (e.g. 1930s cartoon shorts) superiority over another and instead find something to compare/analyse. So now . . . I just have to watch a lot of cartoons – and try work out what that something is. Or find a something. I have to watch cartoons. Did I ever tell you I love being a student at COFA?

I managed to find half a dozen DVDs of Fleischer and Harryhausen short films at this discount place in Town Hall for $2 each. I always thought those cheap DVDs were dodgy and only the stuff that stingy parents would buy for their kids instead of 'Finding Nemo' – but it’s Fleischer! And Harryhausen! It’s sad that that work is in the discount bin, but it works out for me.

I cut my third animatic this week and reviewed it with Simon. It needs a few minor edits, hence, a fourth animatic. I’m tired of making animatics. I just want to start animating . . . but I really need the animatic sharp as possible. I’m hoping that with a sharp animatic I can start laying down a soundtrack – rather than waiting for the animation to be completed before I work on the soundtrack.

Summary so far . . .

For those unacquainted with my animation and its progression so far, this entry is a summary. The general synopsis of my animation goes something like this:

"Fly, Baby, Fly is an animation about a baby who is so affected by the experience of flying with the stork who brought him home, that he doesn't want to develop the ability to walk.

The film opens with the stork flying the Baby to his home. During their journey the Baby develops a passion for flying, so when he is dropped down a chimney into his real home, it's disappointing, even devastating.

Over the next year, his parents encourage the Baby to walk, but he just dreams of flying.

Everything comes to a head when he tries to fly out a window, and is saved by the stork. When the stork puts him back on his feet, he discovers the ability to walk, and realizes that the reality he has been ignoring and denying is actually a wonderful thing to be appreciated."

This is the current design of the Baby. There haven’t been any objections to him so far, so he will probably remain as is. I’m pretty happy with how he’s turned out. His earlier incarnations were very precocious and Uncle Fester (Addams Family) looking which were a bit creepy.

This is the current design of the Stork. I’ve been saying it for a while, but I don’t like the design, or at least how they are in these sketches. There is something very . . . boring about the Stork here. It looks too . . . animal like. I plan to anthropomorphize the Stork, have him as a sort of alert, paternalistic character towards the Baby.

So yeah . . . this is where I’m at after 3 scripts, 1 storyboard and 2 and a half (because I’m in the process of creating a third) animatics!

Goodbye and Hello

Last year (my 3^rd year in my Digital Media degree) I produced my first short cell animation entitled ‘Orville’ about the misadventures of little alien. Producing ‘Orville’ was an experience I learned a lot from. I’ve returned again to complete a year of Honours for the same degree – to produce ‘Fly, Baby, Fly’- to build on all I learned from ‘Orville’.

As the subheading suggests, I’ve started this blog as a sort of progress diary on my Honours Project – a short 2D cell animation called ‘Fly, Baby, Fly’ (momentarily called ‘Fly, Bye, Baby’ – until my paper class pointed out it had connotations of a drive by shooting :S)

TO MYSELF & MY SUPERVISOR/S . . .

I’ve noticed of late that I’m losing track of where I’ve been progressing with this project. My mind is constantly considering things, so much so that by the time you have a chance to respond to ‘that document I emailed you last Thursday’ it’s old news and I have something else to propose.

Hopefully this blog will keep us on the same page. And save a lot of time explaining things too. :)

TO MY FAMILY & FRIENDS . . .

If last year is anything to go by, very soon the production of ‘Fly, Baby, Fly’ will kick into full swing and I’ll be a fairly absent entity (more so than now). No longer the ever lingering green dot on gmail chat. No longer the quick facebook respondee (well . . . maybe). Haha . . .

This blog will hopefully explain my absence . . . and clear a lot of mundane conversation (of me explaining where I am with this all) for when I do see you. I much rather hear about you anyway.