Pre christmas update...

The Video you [hopefully] just watched is the most recent animation i uploaded to YouTUBE. I've taken the idea of a canon launching a band's demo CD into the sky causing it to explode like a firework, a metaphore I'm using to indicate success, to create a 3D animation. I have use a program called 3D studio max to do this. I was going to try and stick to stop frame for this project in an effort to keep away from computers, although we have already see that this is clearly not heppening. I made this animation because I had a flue like cold and I had no ambition to leave my bed room. The value in animation this way for me is that because the animation process its self is so fast I am able to make timing judgements a lot more successfully. It occures to me that using this method [most computer based forms] of animation as a previsualisation device will help me improve the 'flow' of my stopframe work. I will speak more on this later [, when I know more about what I'm trying to achieve myself]. I still prefer the aesthetic of hand animation.

The next animation I will show you is the second stop frame test for the introducing brief. This animation exists as a 'tweaked' version of the first test. Some of the sprites are larger, its in 16x9 aspect (according to the brief) and the animation sticks to the [one of the earlier] oiginal storyboard[s].

And perhaps its time for a word on photography...

I plan to pick up the photography again after christmas; wether as hobby or as my course practise is unclear. This is a decision I will have to make following the completion of the BBC Brief. I'd like to do some fashion photography and protraiture. Wether or not I do it for the course [Cassey] or for my own sake is going to interesting.

Tests...

This is the first bit of animation I've done it ages :). Took it total about 2 hours (spread out of a number of 10 minute stints.)
The timing of the piece isn't too hot. And I was rushing it towards the end but it shows a technique. The canon is way too small and the video was supposed to be 16x9... Thats why its a TEST. I was never going to get everything right the first time. Now I need to decide what to do next. I might have another go at the same animation.

Animations!

Here is the first test frame from the first test animation in my first bedroom studio.
I made some shapes on Illustrator, printed them out, cut them up and animated them. I'm curently half way through the clip about 7 seconds. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Josh's spare room turns Hi-Tech.

Since the last post I have decided to animate the a version of the canon idea. The animation suites in uni are frequently busy and I've not stop frame animated in a while so I decided to make my own setup at home. Doing this would make it easierto experiment. I woulnd't have to wait for a turn on one of teh animation macs, woudn't have to clear everything away at night. It also means I can work after 5:30.
Anyway, the setup is simple, camera above, fixed focal length lens, flash. I used some fairy lights as ambient light so that I could work without switching lights on and off for each frame. The fairylights weren'tbright enough to really affect the image (Colour temperatures and all that).

Josh has a toothache...

Hi there cyberspace (how 'Dear Diary' did that sound),
I've explored a few ides for the title sequence. I pictured 'BBC Introducing' as some kind of comet or space entity that is about to crash into earth; Or maybe that the comet was the next great artist yet to be discovered, about to crash land on our planet.
I thought of 'Introducing as some kind of trampoline or canon (I preferred the canon) that launches new artists onto a stage at Glastonbery.
I started to storyboard the idea I mentioned before where the title sequence is a journey for the artist starting from the artist practicing in their front room, playing in a pub, recording a demo, sending it off to BBC Int' then getting Airtime then playing on a stage at some international festival. So the animation starts and ends with the band playing. I figure I can use the same picture/loop of the band throughout the whole animation. As I'm writing this I think the idea of BBC Int' being a canon is far more quirky than my idea so I wonder if I've (yet again) gone for the safe and straight-forward option. I think I need to spend more time on ideas.
As for the animation style. I'm going to try, the whole process it going to have to be quick so I've opted for stop frame. What I plan to do is use cut up bits of photographs and colored paper to animate on an enlarger stand. This is something I can do at uni or at home with a digital camera easily. Its also going to be a quick and tactile process (In theory).
I'd better do some tests...
I'll post some story boards and test videos here soon.

Josh

BBC Introducing

Brief:
30 Second title Sequence for an internet based show showscasing new bands from leeds (wider scope than leeds?).
This is not the official brief, this is what I've picked up so far. Further details may surface later.

Initial thoughts:
BBC Introducing showcases new acts and bands as is a means of giving bands access to the BBCs Radio, Television and Event networks. Presumably with the goal of certainly getting recognition and perhaps a recording deal.

The Title Sequence Is a Journey - from playing in your front room/garage, singing with a hairbrush in front of a mirror or whatever all the way up to playing on a stage at glastonbery. Going through stages like playing in a pub in from of 3 people and a dog, sending in a demo cd, playing on an internet tv show. Selling the dream...

Not everyones dream...
Broken, hand me down equipment -> New Fancy gear
No money to make your music, working in a chipshop -> Riding in a limo


BBC Brief: Is the title sequence just for Leeds? If this is the case should I be making somthing that would apply more nationally? Somting they could potentially use when/is they expanded. Or is this going to just stay in a studio in leeds? (Maybe, I could go down with my camera and take some pictures of the bands playing? ;) )



So a journey, this is my corrent idea. At this stage I'll be generating some more ideas. I don't want to make the mistake of running with the first idea until I'lve exhausted some others.

Some useful links before I forget:
http://www.myspace.com/bbcintroducing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/introducing/
http://www.youtube.com/group/graphicsatleeds

Time for somting new...

Phototography things haven'y been going too well recently and to be honest, it really been getting me down. I've not been doing the kind of work that I feel I'm capable of soo I felt it was time to put my money where my mouth is and change tack. I stated in my first statement of intent back in september that I wanted to do more animation and even make a short film. At this stage photography was a hobby, a hobby that frequently informed my work but not a hobby that I felt was my best practice. Anyway, enough said on that point.
So what am I going to do?
I have picked up the 'BBC Introducing' brief to make a title sequence for a internet TV show. I see this brief as a good way to distance myself from photography (at least for the time being out it back in the Hobby bracket). I've got until January to produce a finished title sequence. Not a hugh amount of time so my ideas are going to have to be fast, lean and clever. As I write this I've already been doing some research and have started to generate a few ideas so I'm going to discuss them but in a new post.
Good luck me.

P.S. I don't think my photography is bad. I think I've produced some interesting pictures but for whatever reason I've not been able to get into any photographic projects.

Current Learning Agreement

• I intend to study photography


1. This was something I was initially unsure of because I don’t see myself as a good street or documentary photographer.


2. However, I’m interested by lighting and I feel my photographic strengths lie in creating and lighting a scene using my knowledge of lighting and experiments in alternate forms of lighting.


• I intend to photograph a series of pictures on the subject of nightmares and uncomfortable sleep.
  
1. The pictures will be surreal.


2. The photographs will be constructed scenes with props and actors


3. Inspiration has come from common nightmares like chase/attack, falling, stuck in slow motion, embarrassed (naked dreams).


4. I have researched into the psychology behind dreams.


5. I have also collected a number of dreams people have written down. Artists, Writers and my own peers.


6. See the myth of the Incubus.


7. I intent to include incubi in my work as a metaphor for whatever it is that causes the dream. For example, financial worry.


• My recent work has been experimental.


• I have been using alternative forms of light, candles torches and glow sticks etc.


• I’ve also been building my own light courses
  
1. I have a technical interest in doing this.


• I intend to use these techniques for the dream series.


• The technical exercises have produced nice aesthetics without meaning. The subject of dreams will give me reason to be using the techniques.

The above painting is by the artist 'Henry Fuseli'. The creature sitting on the woman's chest is an Incubi (Incubus, demon). They are said to have sexual intercourse with their sleeping victims (Succubus, the male version). They drain the victims and cause them to experience nightmares. This is one of the explanations for the weight on the chest some sleepers feel when they awake. I intend to use incubi as a metaphore in my pictures for the weight on the mind of the sleeper (or the unrest) that causes the dream; finiancial worries, worries about work or personality issues.

Here are some of my recent images. My interest in using alternate forms of lighting (usualy using a log shutter) is apparent in these images.

Some of my own work:

Here I have used glowsticks and a torch to 'paint' the room. The exposue was about 15 seconds during which time I walked round the room drawing in detail with a torch.

Here is another frame where I ahve 'painted' the scene witha torch.

I constructed a ringlight using some fairylights. It wasn't really powerful enough but I've got another plan in the pipeline using the flashes from desposible cameras.

This is proving to be my 'All Time' favourite Jeff Wall picture. I enjoy studying lighting and this image entriguing. I'm not sure exactly what Wall is trying to say here but I think the lightbuibs on the celing are amazing.

I also like this picture by Wall. Its a set-up but it looks like it could be spontanious.

What I like about richard Avedon's work is not somthing that I can put my finger on, however, I do think me manages to catch a moment that summes up a mood or an aesthetic; a few fractions of second later an the mood would be completly different. I gues that I like how moody Avedon's work is.

Work by the American photographer 'Gregory Crewdsen'. The main appeal of this image for me is the cinematic quality. It is this style that I beleive Crewdsen to be most renowned for.