Through this week’s study, I have learned how some science fiction props in special effects movies are added to the characters. First, we need to set up two different project teams, one to calculate the motion of the camera by adding tracking points, and the other to calculate the motion of the character’s head by adding tracking points of the face. The combination of the two data allows the props to follow the movement of the character very accurately without deviation. It should be noted that the motion mode of the camera is different for different tracking materials. Sometimes, the motion mode of the camera needs to be given in the attribute, otherwise the correct motion of the camera may not be calculated.
Schematic diagram of tracking points on the face:
Import the helmet model into the software, and match the exact position of the face in the first frame, then click “Project Points on 3D Models”, and then recalculate camera movement. This allows the movement of the face model and tracking points to match the movement of the character’s face.
In Maya, put the helmet under the camera group and this allows the helmet to move with the character’s movements.
Take 2 films you enjoy and break down the character development and story development throughout the film: Analyse how the main characters evolve Analyse how the characters drive the story If there are similarities between your films point this out and why you think they are following a similar structure if so.
Bao:
Bun mother, is busy in the kitchen making steamed stuffed bun. She gave the steamed stuffed bun, to her husband to eat. Her husband ate them as usual to go to work. When she picked up the last steamed stuffed bun in the steamer, the steamed stuffed bun came alive. It is crying loudly, the woman was scared to vomit out the steamed stuffed bun in her mouth. When she looked carefully, the steamed stuffed bun long out of the hands and legs and looks like a baby. The woman held it happily as if it were her own child. Bun baby in her side happy run accidentally fell down, package mother distressed to repair it. Bun mother, also give bun baby height measurement. Take it shopping for groceries and snacks. They get along very happily. Bun baby is also growing. One day bun baby was carried away by a puppy. Bun mother is very anxious, finally save bun baby back,and wash clean it. Bun baby grew into adolescence and wanted to play football with kids his own age. But bun mother stopped him for fear of getting hurt. Bun baby secretly and peers kick the ball, bun mother interrupt it strongly. She is afraid that bun baby will be hurt, but this has aroused bun baby rebellious mentality. He deliberately drank beer in front of Bun mother. Bun mother was curious about what her son was doing. She opened his door and peeked at bun baby. Bun baby found her, angrily slammed the door, shut her in the outside.Bun mother cooked a good table, trying to bond with his son. But he put on sunglasses and went out with his friends. Bun mother is very lost, angry, a person to eat all the dishes. Unexpectedly, at this time, bun baby brought back her girlfriend, and packed up ready to move out. Bun mother temporarily can not accept that bun baby to leave the fact, want to prevent it from leaving.The two had a heated argument. While the two were pulling at each other, Bun mother swallowed it. Bun mother regretted, a person lying in bed crying. Dimly, she saw her son returning. Bun baby brought bun mother the cookies he liked to eat when he was a child. The two men made up their relationship again. Finally, the whole family sat together to make steamed stuffed bun, and the daughter-in-law also learned how to make steamed stuffed bun, and the whole family got along with warmth, harmony and happiness.
How the main characters evolve:
Bun baby: Bun baby is actually bun mother’s son incarnation. He was nice and sensible from birth. But when he entered adolescence, he gradually wanted to see the outside world and play with other children of his own age. However, bun mother keeps him out of contact with the outside world for fear of injury, which inspires his strong rebellious mentality. Feelings grew apart between mother and son. As he grew up, he had his own ideas, but also need to have their own space. However, bun mother meticulous care, let him more disgusted and rebellious. Finally, one day, when he took his girlfriend home, packed his bags and declared independence, the conflict between them completely exploded. Finally, the son came home to visit her with the snacks he and his mother had eaten together as a child, and the two reconciled. From this, we can see that he has grown from a child into a strong-minded and mature adult who can not only take care of himself, but also comfort those around him.
Bun mother: Bun mother is a typical Chinese mother. The child has grown up, but the parents’ mentality has not changed, refusing to accept the fact that the child has grown up. Bun baby accidentally touch,injured and was bitten by a dog outside, which all made bun mother very scared, so she always took care of bun baby and protected him. And even forcefully cut him off from the outside world. But what she didn’t realize was that Bun baby had grown up and was capable of protecting himself. He had a mind of his own and was no longer that child. She stubbornly used to get along with her son in the same way, only to get more intense alienation and resistance. Finally one day, Bun baby came home with his girlfriend and announced that he wanted to get married and become independent. Bun mother stunned, she could not accept the fact that their children left him, the two people broke out a fierce contradiction, she in a very fierce way, the small steamed stuffed bun swallowed down. Finally, the son came home to visit her with the snacks he and his mother had eaten together as a child, and the two reconciled. The whole family got along with warmth, harmony and happiness. From this, it can be seen that Bao has accepted the fact that her child is grown up and independent, and has learned to respect his thoughts and opinions.
How the characters drive the story:
Bun baby came alive from the steamer, which is the beginning of the story.
Bun baby was bitten by a dog and injured ,which all let bun mother distressed. This explains her subsequent meticulous care and protection of her son. When bun baby into adolescence, eager to contact with the outside world. Bun mother is afraid that bun baby will be hurt,so strongly stop him, which inspired his strong rebellious psychology, as bun baby’s age gradually increase, feelings grew apart between mother and son. This is the rising action of the story.
When he took his girlfriend home, and packed up ready to move out, Bun mother temporarily can not accept that bun baby to leave the fact, want to prevent it from leaving, two people had a fierce quarrel. While the two were pulling at each other, Bun mother swallowed it. This is the climax of the story.
The son came home to visit her with the snacks he had eaten with his mother as a child, and they reconciled. This is the falling action of the story.
Finally, the whole family sat together to make steamed stuffed bun, and the daughter-in-law also learned how to make steamed stuffed bun, and the whole family got along with warmth, harmony and happiness. This is the end of the story.
If anything happens I love you:
In a small town, a couple sat down to eat together in low spirits, without any communication.And the souls behind them are quarrelling. Pointing fingers at each other, They imagined each other being angry at them. The man looks at the woman, tries to speak, finally sighs and walks away. The woman looked up to speak, but saw his leaving figure. The conflict between them is not resolved.The man saw the blue paint on the wall, thought of the good memories, but in a moment of pain turned away. The woman went to the door of her daughter’s room. She could not face it and shut the door. The mother looked at the flowers in the flower bed in frustration. She used to love them very much, but now she turned away in pain. The man was sitting on the couch drinking, and the woman was getting clothes from the laundry room when she saw her daughter’s clothes and burst into tears. The ball was knocked off the washing machine and flipped the switch on the daughter’s favorite music. The mother heard the song, followed the sound to the daughter’s room, then the father also followed the sound to the daughter’s room, the mother showed the father daughter’s clothes. They glanced at each other. It was as if they saw their daughter’s spirit pop out of the music disc and play with the black cat. At this time, the soul of the parents, and the soul of the daughter tightly embrace together. The father broke the silence and sat down beside the mother. They recalled their previous memories. They drive in the road, the family talking and laughing very happy. Cut to the moment the baby was born. In a twinkling of an eye, the child grew up and learned to eat by himself with a knife and fork. Twinkling of an eye, the child will kick the ball, mother in the side tending flowers and plants, father accompanied the child to kick the ball, accidentally kicked the wall broken, the daughter painted blue paint.Her parents held a party to celebrate her birthday. She received a present from a little boy. Daughter back schoolbag, into the school, parents gratified watching her leave, but their souls desperately want to stop her, but all to no avail.After she entered the school, the school bell rang. Then guns were fired across the American campus. There were lots of kids screaming, the sound of ambulances. As shots rang out, the last text message from her phone was: if anything happens I love you.These were the daughter’s last words, which like rain on parents. They are very remorseful and bitter. Daughter wanted to go to comfort, but saw their figure walking farther and farther away from each other.Her daughter tried in vain to hold them back. Then she suddenly grew big and forced them together. Let them see each other, let them see the sun.It was then that they realized that it was her daughter’s greatest wish to have them together. Finally, they are able to face each other, accept that their daughter is gone, and heal each other’s wounds. Keep their daughter in their hearts forever.
How the main characters evolve:
Parents: Facing the sad of the sudden loss of a child, they can not face, escape, blame, become indifferent between each other, and go further and further away from each other. However, when they heard their daughter’s favorite song and went into her room, they realized that their daughter was unwilling that they go further and further away from each other. Just as they regret letting their daughter go to that school. Eventually, they accepted their daughter’s departure and clung to each other to heal their wounds.
How the characters drive the story:
A couple sat down to eat together in low spirits, without any communication.And the souls behind them are quarrelling. Pointing fingers at each other, They imagined each other being angry at them. The woman looked up to speak, but saw his leaving figure. The conflict between them is not resolved, which is the beginning of the story.
When the woman was getting clothes from the laundry room, the ball was knocked off the washing machine and flipped the switch on the daughter’s favorite music. The mother heard the song, followed the sound to the daughter’s room, then the father also followed the sound to the daughter’s room. In their daughter’s room, they recalled their previous memories. This is the rising action of the story.
The daughter went to school to study, but with the sound of a gun, the daughter died. In the face of sudden bereavement pain, they cannot face, they are very remorseful, painful, and go further and further away from each other.Her daughter tried in vain to hold them back. Then she suddenly grew big and forced them together. Let them see each other, let them see the sun.This is the climax of the story.
It was then that they realized that it was her daughter’s greatest wish to have them together. This is the falling action of the story.
Finally, they are able to face each other, accept the fact that their daughter is gone, and heal each other’s wounds. Keep their daughter in their hearts forever.This is the end of the story.
Similarities & Reason:
They all follow the basic principles of narrative: the beginning, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the ending. Because the beginning of the story introduces the basic background and environment of the story to the audience, and the rising action shows and highlights the main contradiction. At the climax of the story, all conflict broke out. In the falling action, the protagonist realizes his problem and transforms. In the end, the balance of character relationships is restored.
Their story is coherent, In ‘Bao’ , when bun baby was young, Bun mother and he, on the bus together to eat snacks, very happy. After they quarreled, the son brought the same snack to his mother, in which are their fond memories. In ‘If anything happens I love you’,the plaster on the wall was broken by their daughter when she was playing football, and she painted it with blue paint. After that, every time her father looked at the blue mark, he remembered his daughter.
They are parents who love their children very much, but they have great difficulties and struggles in their hearts about about the problem of their children. But because of their love for their children, these parents grow up.
They both created their own unique narrative styles, and at the same time, they both made use of animated anthropomorphism to give the story a powerful image that leaves a deep impression on the audience. More reflects the strong feelings of parents to their children. In ‘Bao’，bun baby is compared to bun mother’s son, so that the narrative effect is more exaggerated. In the climax, Bun mother swallows bun baby, which is exaggerated and shocking. This makes the character’s previous emotions, contradictions and conflicts fully embody. In ‘If anything happens I love you’, It takes the method of adding partial memories and adding souls. Put what happened before in the back of the narrative, the narrative way is novel, better highlight the theme。The black ghosts are the soul of the daughter of the parents and them, which fully reflects the inner activities of the characters. At the same time, it increases the dramatic conflict. In the climax, the daughter forcibly pulls the parents together, which is more dramatic tension.
Through this week’s learning, I learned how to calculate the motion of the camera by adding tracking points. You can adjust the contrast and color of the image to improve the accuracy of tracking points. We need to try to add trace points to all four parts of the image. (Note: Moving objects or reflections objects cannot be tracked)
Tracking points on different objects in the scene
Camera calculated value ( The lower the value is, the more accurate the camera solution result will be. Improper tracking points can be appropriately deleted to improve accuracy)
The width and height of the camera focal length need to be found according to the pixel attribute in the upper right corner of each tracking footage.
When the camera result is calculated, import it into Maya and build the model according to the tracking points
First of all, through this week’s study, I learned that the structure is the same whether you write a novel or anything else. Everything in the movie exists for a reason. From reality to fantasy, from normality to chaos, it needs to create boundaries. Once the hero crosses that boundaries, he eventually confronts and tries to overcome his inner flaws. There needs to be a contrast between these two worlds. When you understand what the obstacles are, what they want, you have a story. Character attraction, character design and acting, that character is so expressive in his movements. The script has beautiful curves (the character’s circumstances) :
You can define a story in two ways, he defined a story as a curve, and another way, a circle. Many stories follow a simple, basic plot pattern. This mode is called a story arc. Description: Introduce the characters and the problems they face. ( Introduce the background, characters and questions) Push events: This is part of the rising action. The rising action moves the plot forward by showing the characters struggling with their problems. Climax: The climax is our most intense moment, where the caharacter faces legal or other crises. Descending action: Moves the plot from climax to conclusion. Resolution/Resolution: Return the story to stability by showing the climactic end result.
A story, as a circle, is another way of thinking. It’s a circular journey. Because you go back to the final solution, which is to go back to the beginning. But when we got to the starting point, everything changed.
From top to bottom, the moment when the hero enters a new environment and is forced into it, usually means that the hero is struggling with some kind of incredible force. The second one defines the inner struggle. Once the hero crosses the chasm, he finally confronts and tries to overcome these, his shortcomings or problems. From left to right, overcome your inner fear or weakness. A character can be a protagonist or a villain. They can be dynamic or static. They can be round or flat. A character that experiences internal growth or learns important lessons is called a dynamic character. A static character is a character that changes very little throughout the story. They tend not to learn any important lessons or make any major changes, and circular characters are usually well-developed lifelike characters with realistic emotions, conflicting emotions, and multiple traits. Flat characters, on the other hand, usually have a latitude and often lack emotional depth. We might know some of their characteristics, but we might not understand why they are the way they are, because the author wants to give the reader a little bit of doubt.
Each story has the same eight archetypes: Heroes: What makes them heroes? Nobody could do it, he did it, they changed the world, that’s why there’s a hero. We experience the journey through the eyes of the hero. Mentors: Their job is to provide motivation, insight, and training to help heroes. Gatekeepers: Their job is to protect this particular world and provide the tests necessary to prove a hero’s commitment and worth Pioneers: Pioneers announce change. They tell the audience and the hero that significant change is coming, and it doesn’t even have to be a person, it can be an event. It can be a shadow over Los Angeles, which means something is about to happen. It can be an event or force: the start of a war, drought or famine, or even an AD in a newspaper. Shapeshifter: The man’s loyalties are not entirely clear. He may or may not take the side of the protagonist. They keep the audience on edge at dusk. If you want to keep your readers interested in your story, you need a good shapeshifter. Shadow: Shadow is just the opposite of hero. Not necessarily bad guys, they’re just the opposite of heroes. If you don’t, they do. If the girl is organized, he is sloppy, if she likes sports, he hates sports. Usually the opposite is true. These are two worlds in conflict. Cheater: This is a very interesting character in many ways, but their function is to show us the absurdity of the situation. In order to increase the tension, in order to relieve the tension, so the appropriate use of a cheater, can keep the audience up to speed. Audiences enjoy their disruption of the status quo, turning mundane worlds into chaos with their quick diction and body movements. Let the character see the absurdity of the situation and possibly force change. Allies: There may be a team, or Allies, whose main job is to fill in gaps, or flaws in the hero.
Key considerations: 1.Establish your character’s personality or behavior for the movie or scene. 2.Determine anatomical details and limits of body fluidity and movement required (stretch and squeeze) 3.Identify all the actions your character performs in your artwork 4.Design drives the actions and emotions of the narrative 5.Clearly frame or lay out your characters in a scene 6.Audio is designed to support the character’s performance and actions. Audio determines time, and voiceovers are sometimes used to replace parts that don’t require animation.
Animation through the re-interpretation of human form, the use of anthropomorphism, inanimate objects to life, is an important part of animation. It’s usually anthropomorphic plus human features of the animal. That’s because we’re interested in the human experience. You just put in an object, a property or an asset, and on that character, that character is immediately a person. It has a cup in its hand, or it has a belt, which we know is a human gesture, a hint. The character’s actions should convey the necessary actions related to the narrative, what the character’s dilemmas are, and how you reflect those issues is very important. The attitudes and emotions of the action’s execution will be contectualized and emphasize the narrative goals. The most important is that it connect the character’s dilemma with the audience. Either it drives the narrative, or we understand the character’s thinking. Either way. Any random movement or emotion can confuse us. Absurdly exaggerated, but it is doable. The action is so fast and not naturally, but it is almost a style. In animation, if you move it as normal, it will look bad. For example, if a character raises an eyebrow, it could be a very important key piece of information. If there are any unsuccessful behaviors or you don’t exaggerate them. Either the characters don’t express success or you don’t make us think.
At the same time, I also learned about the types and functions of different film titles. One, a very powerful opening sequence that, of course, introduces the theme of the film and two, the title sequence tries to tell the basic information of the story, assuming a virtual cognitive environment. Third, subversive discontinuity and deliberate destruction of frames, a lot of graphic matching, which has more to do with the evocation of the background than direct communication.
I think I need to spend time working on: how to convey drives, you know you’re going to have a lot of environments, you’re going to have multiple threats. Do you have the means to express yourself? In other words, do you have enough scene, structure and technology? To tell a story with a character, you need interaction, contrast and challenge. What drives the plot? It could be a headline, it could be a open store, it could be a river when a photo or a sign, because it’s a cut to the next scene. In other words, it drives the plot and takes us to the next part. So whatever’s in there, whoever’s on the screen. They are all used to move the plot along.
When chihiro’s family moves due to his father’s work, chihiro has to leave the previous school and go to a new and unfamiliar environment, but they get lost on the way and stumble into a temple.
Need
Behind the temple, they found a market street where Chihiro’s parents sat down to eat while chihiro looked for an exit. When she came back, she found that her parents had turned into pigs while eating. She searched for them in fear, but could not find them and the way back. At this time, she truly realized that they had strayed into a ghost world. Chihiro breaks down and cries ，while her own body is gradually fading away. At this point, Haku appeared and gave her a pill and saved her. He tells Chihiro that for surviving as a human and saving her parents in this world, getting a job from Centipede Grandpa is the only way.
Go
Chihiro hit courage, to find the Centipede Grandpa, the Centipede Grandpa told her that if she wanted a job, only signing with Mrs. Tang a contract, can do. Chihiro under the leadership of Xiaoling, to find Mrs. Tang. Under Mrs. Tang’s threat and inducement, Chihiro still insists on that she want to have a job. Mrs. Tang helpless and she signed a contract. Chihiro became Xiaoling’s assistant.
Search
Haku takes Chihiro to see her parents, who have become pigs, and she vows to rescue them. With the help of the Haku, Chihiro remembers his name and his way home. She decided to work and find a way to save her parents. Chihiro gradually adapted to life in the soup house.
Find
One day, the rotten god came to the soup house to take a bath, and everyone retreated, so Mrs. Tang gave chihiro this most difficult task. Chihiro accidentally found it pricked with something, Mrs. Tang immediately aware that he is not rotten god, is the river god. Finally, the people of the soup house cleaned up the river god’s trash, and the river god rewarded Chihiro with a pill that can save her parents. Chihiro waits for Haku to return to help her rescue her parents.
Take
However, at this time, Haku in order to steal the seal, injured, Chihiro alone sneaked into Mrs. Tang’s bedroom. Accidentally met the Mrs. Tang’s baby, baby coerce modest Chihiro to play with him, but the Haku is going to be killed by mother-in-law’s assistant. At this time, the paper puppet who followed Chihiro turned into Mrs. Qian . She cast a spell to turn Mrs. Tang’s son into a mouse and Mrs. Tang’s assisant into her son. Chihiro gave him half of the medicine which used to save her parents in order to save haku. At the same time, the faceless man enters the soup house, eats the frog and becomes bad. In order to save the people in the soup house, she gives the remaining half of the pill to the faceless man, and the faceless man changes back to his original appearance.
Return
Chihiro sets out on her way to find Mrs. Qian, hoping to win her forgiveness, lift the curse and save the white dragon. Mrs. Tang found out that her son had been switched. Haku said that if if she hope he can help her to retrieve her son, she has to release Chihiro and her parents back to the human world. Mrs. Qian told chihiro that the spell she cast has been lifted, whether it is Chihiro’s parents or haku, can only rely on her own to save. They gave her a talisman.
Change
When Haku flies back to the soup house with Chihiro, which reminds Chihiro of her childhood memories, she tells Haku his real name is Kohaku kawa. This let the Haku really find self. White dragon brought back the son of Mrs. Tang. Mrs. Tang travelled agreement, lifted the contract with Chihiro, gave her the opportunity to find their parents. Finally she really found their parents and returned to the human world.
Breakdown the characters in to their archetypes
Chihiro – Hero
In order to save her parents, She has to force herself to adapt to the new world. From a little girl who is dependent, nostalgic, evasive, timid , she gradually grew into a strong and brave girl who faced difficulties and challenges without fear of taking risks. With her own growth, warmth, kindness and courage, she saved herself and her parents, and also brought help and growth to people around her.
Haku – Mentor, Herald, Allies
He was the master of the river god, the river was filled up, he lost his home and signed a contract with Mrs. Tang. He gradually lost himself. The first time he saw Chihiro, he remembered her. He told her it was dangerous and she needed to leave quickly. Since then he has been giving chihiro guidance and help. In the process of getting along with Chihiro, he also gradually found himself.
Chihiro’s parents –Herald
They have been leading Chihiro into new environments, because of his father’s work, Chihiro had to leave the previous school, transfer to a new school. Parents in the journey, inadvertently adventure, let Chihiro into a strange ghost world.
The faceless man – Shapeshifter
He is a lost man who can change for better or worse. In the beginning he was a lonely lost person, not knowing who he was, where he came from. He was a reflection of the world he was in. Because he met and liked Chihiro, he entered the soup house. But the environment of the soup house changed him. He swallowed the frog and gradually became a man with endless desires. Chihiro used the Dan medicine given by the river god to let him find himself, and eventually he is with Mrs. Qian, had their own place to live, become a good man.
Mrs. Qian – Mentor, Threshold Guardian
She follows the rules of the magical world and punishes those who break them. At the same time, she would give kind guidance and advice to those who were lost.
Mrs. Tang – Shadow, Threshold Guardian
She was vain, evil, greedy and selfish. And the guardian of the rules of this magical world.
The frog – Trickster, Shadow
He is selfish and greedy. At the same time he acts funny, they show the audience how things can get out of hand.
Centipede Grandpa–Mentor,Allies
He seems cold, but he is soft-hearted. Although when Chihiro came looking for a job, he refused. But after that, he gave her direction, helped her, protected her, and was her strong ally.
Mrs. Tang‘s– Allies
He was taken good care of by Mrs. Tang and eventually grew into a giant baby. While traveling with Chihiro, he saw the real world outside and gained real growth.
First of all, through this week’s study, I understand the animation language: scene scheduling. It refers to all the visual information in front of the camera, which is composed of various elements designed to convey to the audience the important message that the director wants to convey. These important elements include: setting and props, costumes, hair and makeup, facial expressions and body language, lighting and color, positioning of characters/objects within the frame, etc. The scene can manipulate the viewer by establishing certain expectations and then changing direction. The setting needs to be matched with it’s period, and the mixture setting of different periods does not convince the audience of the truth of the story. Items are very useful for identity and interaction with other characters. Clothes, hair and makeup say a lot about a person’s personality, status and job. Facial expressions and body language can reflect a person’s inner emotions ; reflect the relationship with another character; reveal the characters and understand what makes them change. The movement of the character’s position will lead the audience’s vision to follow it in the scene. Lighting and color are used to create different atmosphere effects, to highlight characters or objects, to reflect the character’s state of mind, etc. Color can be used to define the emotional and atmospheric tone of the movie. In color collocation, a certain degree of balance needs to be mastered. Finally, we learned different depth of field and shooting methods.
What I personally learned from this course is that each of these elements is critical to the success of animation. As an animation creator, I need to spend time to study and research each module individually. Especially, the lighting atmosphere, color, the way of the lens connection and so on. Otherwise, When we are creating animation, we may make some avoidable stupid mistakes, which greatly affects the overall animation quality.
At the same time, I also learned about the birth process of animated films, and the promotion of the development of animated films by the pioneers of animation creation. There are certain controversies in the birth and development of animated films. It is considered as a science. Artists are encouraged not to use it basically. However, the animation film has its unique existence meaning, it has carried on the cruel rejection to the painting realism and the film naturalism, the animation has become the artist’s work extension to a large extent. The way animation is produced is constantly changing. The innovation of animation production mode will greatly affect the animation production mode and benefit.
I think I need to spend time on: visual culture is an aspect of culture expressed through visual images. It covers scene scheduling, visual metaphor, aesthetics, color composition, rhythm, etc. The script is like the human soul, while visual culture is like the human face, which, to a large extent, sets the aesthetic tone of the film. In the commercial market, visual culture plays a vital role in animated films.
In the process of making Walk Cycle, I learned how to make use of animation curves to create the following movement of props on the character, which is very important for increasing the flexibility of animation. The motion of the center of gravity of the character is similar to that of the ball. When the character is walking, the overall model also needs to be appropriately stretched. In the production of emotional walking, the accuracy of pose of each key frame and the rhythm of key frame are crucial. Meanwhile, the center movement of gravity of walking movement in different emotions is different, which requires my further study and learning.
Can you describe how the elements of Mise-en-Scène in the following scenes?
Fantastic Mr. Fox-Chemistry
Settings & Props
The first scene: the sign on the door reads: Co-ed, all species, basic chemistry, etc., which allows the audience to understand, at a glance, the location and background of the story happening. The second scene: the chemical reagents and drugs on the table, the periodic table and the chemical element model in the back clearly show that this is a chemical laboratory, the chemical reagents that constantly react, let the audience know that it has a certain danger. The notebooks on the desk indicated that they needed to record the experimental information in time. But the materials posted on the back, the posters and the ecological model on the left make the audience confused. Why so much biological information? But it also shows the audience that they are doing very complex chemical experiments. The place of two groups of experiments were separated by a shelf, indicating that they were separate groups, and the Blue Fox hold a lighter in his hand, and the Mole walked in with a box, indicating that their experiment had just begun. The disarray of equipment in the Mole’s box showed that he was a careless man. The ball on their table was blown off by the blast to show how powerful the explosion was.
Costume, Hair & Make Up
The male fox is dressed in white, indicating that he is a clean, neat and meticulous person Female fox wearing little flower skirt, the pattern on the skirt and her face spots are very harmonious, let us think she is really a very beautiful fox The blue fox, wearing a blue shirt, was thin and gentle, in sharp contrast to the Mole in size and strength; His blue eyes and blue clothes made him very handsome and suave The Mole wore an orange sweatshirt, indicating that he love sports and was a careless and powerful man The glasses on their face also played a very important role, it can let the audience understand the chemical experiment is very serious and dangerous. Meanwhile, it also have the effect of the props. When the chemical explodes , it played a protective role, the glass turned to be yellow,also reflected the power of the explosion. The female fox use it to cover the spots on her face, this is also a very important part in the story.
Facial Expressions & Body Language
At the beginning, the female fox looks out of the camera, which tells the audience that there was something outside the lens that attracted her very much. The male fox was focused on the chemical reaction intently, he’s saying magnesium and he’s got a pen in his hand, ready to record, which means he’s very busy. This very simply tells us what they’re doing, and the relationship between two characters. The female fox is his partner. The performance of the character is progressive. The male fox, called once, the female fox slow half clap, He was a little impatient at this time, the male fox called once again, the female fox did not respond, at this time, the male fox impatient to snap his fingers, the tone has become higher. By the third time, the male fox was in an emotional outburst and asked her what she was looking at. There was an obvious emotional progression between the three times of taking things, which promoted the development of the plot to be reasonable and natural. The blue fox looked at the female fox tenderly. Meanwhile, the Mole came in with the box and put the equipment down heavily. It was obvious that he was a careless man, and the Mole was in a strong position in their relationship. The Mole made fun of blue Fox’s clothes, and said he dressed like a girl. By making gestures with his hands, he vividly explained what he was talking about. The Mole grabbed something and put it in the reaction cup. When it exploded, he laughed. This shows that he was reckless. Blue Fox, very calm, steps out of the frame to get the fire extinguisher. Even though it is not shot, but the audience has already imagined the whole action in their minds. The surprise on the female fox’s face and the jealousy on the male fox’s face indicate that they are paying attention to the experiment next door The blue fox fanned the smoke with his hand, can not help turning to see female fox looking at him. The female fox praised the blue fox that his ears is beautiful. The blue fox looked very shy and praised the female fox that the spots in her face is beautiful. At this time, the female fox generous leak out the spots in her face and chat with blue fox . The male fox, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and finally interrupted them. These details show that the blue fox and the female fox are attracted to each other, which makes the male fox a little jealous. In the last shot, the male fox angrily turns his head to show that he is indeed jealous and angry. The performance and emotional expression of these character are very vivid and accurate.
Lighting and Colour
The first scene: there is a light directly hitting the door, while other corners are dark, and the texture on the wall is hard to see. This is because the director wants to show that the information it emphasizes, that is the information on the sign at the door. Lighting in the core place leads the audience to see what the director wants them to see. Where there is no information to convey to the audience, darken, reducing the audience’s attention. The second scene: a darker ambient light is given on the whole, and there is a bottom-up light at the chemical reagent and the book. These two lights emphasize that the chemical reagent is reacting and the reaction data needs to be recorded. The background plate, the chemical reagent behind it, the chemical element model all were given seperate light by the director. These props are what the director wanted to emphasize, which can show the characteristics of the environment. The third scene: There is a special highlight to show the explosion. After the explosion, the flash of light is also very natural. The forth scene: There is a light from top to bottom, give a person a kind of anacreontic, full of the feeling of surprise.
The color of the film: the main tone is yellow, orange, and dark red. The highlight is yellow, the shadow is dark red, and the transition is orange. The overall color is unified, even if there are many props in the picture, it will not make the picture messy, and the overall color collocation is coordinated. Part of the reaction reagent and flame are blue and green, while the male fox and the blue fox wear white and blue, which are relatively outstand in the overall color. These are the point that the director wants to distinguish from the overall environment color in color and want to emphasize, but these colors do not disrupt the overall tone.
Positioning of characters/objects within the frame
Use the rule of thirds to determine the position of visual focusApplied symmetric balance
Using the rule of thirds is used to locate the position of characters and the key message the director wants to convey. The symmetrical balance was also applied in the scene.
What role does the shot choice (Cinematography) play in the scene.
The first shot is a parallel mid – range shot that emphasizes both detail and shows location，which allows the audience to understand, at a glance, the location and background of the story happening. The second shot is a parallel mid – range shot , with the two character performing in the same frame, reflecting the relationship between the characters and introducing the environment in which the story takes place. After that, the camera panned to the right, indicating that the blue Fox was in the same space as them. They are on the right side of the screen, so that the audience could clearly understand the position of each character. The third shot, like the first shot, is a parallel mid – range shot , with two character acting in the same frame, reflecting the relationship between the two characters ,and the environment in which the story takes place. The camera then panned to the left to show the emotions and reactions of the two characters on the left. The fourth shot is the close-range, side shots, the main object is the blue fox, look at his facial expression and reaction, to show the audience his inner activities. The fifth is the close-range, side shots. The main object is female fox. Look at her facial expressions and reactions to show the audience her inner activities. The sixth and seventh shots are both close-range, side shots. Compared with the front shot, the continuous close-range side shots show a closer relationship between two character. In the seventh shot, the female fox is in the foreground and the male fox is in the back, and we can clearly see his facial expression in the far corner when the female fox is talking. According to his faical expression,he has something to talk. After that, the shot cuts back to the mid-range shot, and the lens connection process is natural and smooth.
Research Activity 2:
Anomalisa. Charlie Kaufman 2016
Can you describe the mise-en-scene in this picture? How are the characters placed in the frame?
There is a half-opened suitcase on the left; a pair of slippers beside the bed; a red-brown carpet,;two bedside tables; very neat and flat bed sheets; a corner of the head of the bed has been folded in and there is a small card showing that the bedsheet has been cleaned. This scene clearly shows that the background of the story is a hotel and they have just arrived the hotel. The man wears a black sweater coat; gray shirt; grey hair; brown pants and have some wrinkles on the face. The lady wears a deep pink sweater coat; colorful shirt; grey skirts ; neck with a necklace and has a long hair. Although she looks younger than men, but the wrinkles on her face and couples sweater coat, shows that they should be a pair of husband and wife. They lay side by side on the bed, their hands on their bellies, staring foolishly at the ceiling, their faces unhappy. They looked, a little tired, like people who had travelled a long way and had finally had a moment’s rest. In the scene, there is a dark ambient light, and in the nightstand, there are two highlights to simulate real hotel lights. In the middle, there is a relatively bright and soft light hits the faces of the two people, highlighting the focus of the picture. The overall color palette is dark red and yellow, and the overall lighting is soft, creating a warm, healing atmosphere. The role is placed in the center of the picture, partly symmetrical but partly asymmetric. Panoramic shots are shot from above, and detailed but presentation of facial expressions and body parts can very clearly reflect the inner activities of the role.
Research Activity 3:
Hitchcock, A. Rebecca (1940）
Can you describe the relationship between the characters?How do we know what the relationship is?
The two of them are supposed to be in a master-servant relationship, with the hostess on the left and the butler on the right. Their relationship can be seen in their clothes, their hair styles. The woman on the left is dressed in gorgeous, beautiful, fashionable clothes, with a string of jewelry around her neck. Her hair is a very popular lady hairstyle at that time in that period, and you know that she is relatively wealthy. The woman on the right, dressed in black overalls with a white bow in front, her hair tightly tied up, was the standard look of a butler at the time.
Can you describe how the mise-en-scene works together to tell us what the relationship is?
But their relationship was not harmonious. The mistress looked up at her with expectant eyes, but the housekeeper stood erect, businesslike, with a face of denial and contempt. She stood at a higher level and embodied her power. Most of the light fell on the hostess’s face, expressing her hope, but very little on the housekeeper’s face, indicating her indifference and refusal.
Research Activity 4:
The Breadwinner, 2017
Can you describe the mise-en-scene in this picture?
There were dark yellow buildings on both sides of the road, and in the sky, there was a jumble of high-voltage lines. The pedestrians on both sides of the road, except for the girls, were all men. They wear white hats, long beards, and clothes in gray or dark colors. These all show that she’s somewhere in the Middle East. The girl looked back vigilantly; the left hand tried to wrap oneself more tightly; the right hand tightly grasped the package; the girl’s eyes were full of panic, as if worried about what dangerous things. These all give a person a kind of nervous feeling.
What type of shot is it?
It’s a medium shot.
What is the camera angle?
It’s a horizontal front shot lens.
Where is the character located in the frame?
The character is in the middle of the frame, slightly to the right, to make the frame partially symmetrical.
What is she wearing?
She was wearing a grey-green dress, a red towel and a crossbody bag
What is the depth-of-field?
It is a shallow depth of field.
Describe the colour palette?
The main colors of the painting, dark brown and dark yellow, show the repression of the environment. Only the girls’ towels are red, highlighting the main characters.
Describe the lighting?
There is a bunch of sunset on the left, slanting on the girl’s face, so that we can clearly see her facial expressions and movements, highlighting the inner activities of the protagonist. Overall, there is an ambient light, but the light is dim, resulting in a lonely, tense and depressed atmosphere.
Reference:
1.Wes Anderson. 2015，Fantastic Mr. Fox-Chemistry. Available from:
Through this lesson, I learned how to diagnose video frame rates ,how to add time codes in AE and export image sequences, and how to export and import reference videos in Maya, etc. The most important is :every 8th frame for a key pose (leaving space for a breakdown in between – on 4’s). In the process of making, I was confused about the binding between the barbell and the hand. When the direction of the hand changed down and up, it could not be flexibly bound to the barbell completely, so I thought of a solution: binding twice, and adding key frame switch in the middle. However, this method was still flawed, and I wanted to find a better solution to solve it.At the same time, I think its movements are not soft enough, and its limbs are a little stiff and not natural enough. I will make further improvements in the future. Confused: I wonder how the character’s center of gravity and spine motion curves are displayed. Later: When I have time, I will find an audio clip I like and make an animation.
I learned and knew the importance of following and the right key poses in animation. When I have time later, I will add another working of emotional walking.
First of all, through this week’s study, I understand the reason why politics affects the media. Due to the powerful influence of the media, the government needs to supervise the media to some extent, because the opinions of the media can influence and persuade the masses to a large extent. Local media need to report and spread within the framework of local “political correctness”. My personal takeaway from this class is that animation, as part of the medium, also needs to be politically correct. As an animation creator, while expressing my own ideas and concepts, I need to respect and abide by the local “politically correct” ideological framework in a reasonable or appropriate way. Otherwise, it is likely to be attacked by viewers or exposed to risks such as lawsuits.
At the same time, I also learned about the important role of animation in documentaries. It can vividly and intuitively show some things that cannot be directly photographed, or things that cannot be restored, such as dinosaurs and galaxies. It can express complex concepts more intuitively. By offering new or different ways of looking at the world, it changes and broadens the limits of what and how we present reality. Immersive presentation allows the audience to better understand and receive information. However, as a documentary, the biggest controversy of animation lies in its authenticity. It relies on pictures to provide evidence for events, while pictures are derived from the reality that has already happened. Its authenticity cannot be completely guaranteed. It only shows what the animator understands, which may mislead the audience to think that what is shown is the whole thing.
I think I need to spend time studying: character gestures and postures: they are very important in character design and initial character positioning. Character standing posture and body language: inadequate movement greatly affects the expression of animation emotions. Spine and fluidity: Play a very important role in the reasonableness and smoothness of animation movements.
In the process of making Ball & Tail Animation, I learned the importance of following, which can greatly increase the flexibility and softness of actions. However, I still need further study and improvement in specific swing rhythm and amplitude.
