Test animation + set (Grandma)
Now that I have a workable puppet ready, I need to familiarise myself with how it (she) moves.
I have been learning about different forms of lighting but will delve more into that practice later; initially I'm working in the computer studios and the daylight limits my options here for consistent light. I used a couple of the rostrum lights pointed downwards, though the effect of this would be much clearer in a darkened room.
What began as a simple test of movement soon felt like an exercise in getting into character. The nature of stop-motion lends itself to 'straight-ahead' action, unlike some of my other animation projects where I have planned key frames ahead of time. This meant that I could respond to what was working in the moment, and I found myself reacting to what I perceived Grandma was thinking.
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I'm beginning to appreciate how much animation is really about acting. Grandma's spirit is something that lives vividly in my memory and so I recalled her typical response to being on camera in real life - to play up to it in a joyous, big take! It wasn't until this moment that I felt close to a feeling of the real Grandma. The likeness of the puppet is fairly close but there's a unique magic in animation that literally brings it all to life.
Here's another short snippet of practice from a day of tech issues. I wasn't able to shoot a long enough piece of animation but nevertheless I'm beginning to think about how to make a convincing zimmer frame walk. At this stage, I evidently need to slow the action down and perhaps study film of elderly people walking to get the proper timing of the legs as she moves the zimmer frame.
Earlier that day I had been testing lighting in the designated stop-motion room. Due to problems connecting to the computer I didn't get to shoot much but I recorded the setup. At least I am understanding the importance of setting the stage, establishing mood through lighting before taking a shot.
This is a live view of Dragonframe (previously used for the collage caveman short) when I was trying to focus on the face. It also gave me a sense of what a close-up shot would look like.
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I have kept the painted details on the face very minimal so lighting is essential to bring out the dimensions of the sculpture.
I'm able to use the university resources so I borrowed a Canon M50 camera and some different coloured lighting. When it comes to shooting the final version, I want to have at least three-point lighting, which we learned about this week. It would help to have some subtle backlight to bring out the figure and evoke atmosphere.
My next proper animation test was done at home using my phone and the program Stop Motion Studio, which is new to me. Filming with my phone wasn't my first choice- unfortunately Stop Motion Studio is compatible with specific digital cameras, one of which I will need to borrow later from university. Oftentimes there are annoying unforeseen obstacles related to technology that take up much more of my time than actually creating things. It must just go with the territory. The frustration's a reasonable price to pay though for the magic possible with animation.
This test was an interesting mixed bag of both jumpy and successful moments. The walk starts in an unconvincing way, with the feet hopping/sliding. You can see my realisation of how to better communicate the walk as the shot unfolds. Grandma then takes a step as she moves the zimmer, rather than moving the zimmer and then having her feet catch up.
I can see where I can bring more subtlety to certain moments, giving actions a second to breathe. The temptation with animation is to have something moving constantly, to maintain the sense of life. However, it can be most effective to have a pause, giving the illusion of the character actually thinking and responding. For example, I was trying to show Grandma clicking a camera, which could have used a little extra half-second of acknowledging the action.
After a long time away from stop-motion, I feel like I'm rediscovering a real love for it. My passion for animation originated with classic Aardman, and I dabbled with my early shorts 'Sid' and 'Window Seat' when I was 17 but haven't revisited the process since. Those two-minute shorts are linked below. That experience is ever-present in my mind at the moment as I look to improve on the somewhat crude action of my first attempts.
I'm grateful to have the stop-motion assignment as part of the course, otherwise I don't know if I would have tried again anytime soon. In my efforts to become a professional artist, I lost the inclination to play, never starting projects purely for the joy of it. One of the obvious lessons from the course so far is how much can be achieved in a very short space of time- it doesn't need to be a masterpiece to be richly rewarding and definitely a valuable use of time.
The Set
For the puppet project we are collaborating with students in Interior Design. It helps to concentrate on the animation knowing that I will not need to be making the entire set as well.
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Early in the year, I gave a brief description of my time period/setting for Grandma's scene and as I understand it, the Interior Design students chose from the list of our descriptions. Emily would be my set designer. I really lucked out with someone who was enthusiastic and responsive to the brief, so I never had to worry about communication or whether the set would be ready in time for me to start animating.
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The set, when first trying it out on the day of receiving it.
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I was pleasantly surprised that Emily got to work on specific furniture like the armchair and bird-table in a dedicated manner and earlier than I was expecting. It's a pretty ordinary setting but the details really make it feel like a homely, lived-in space. The skirting boards, the plug sockets and light switch, the texture of the walls, the radiator, the multitude of books, the felted carpet; it all brings a humanity to the environment. The exterior brickwork around the window is also a welcome addition, as I imagined having at least one shot looking in from the outside. I tried to give specific asks and directed Emily to my blogs showing sketches and photos of the flat, yet it's still quite a relief to realise those ideas were listened to and acted upon.
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It has been a welcome change to other collaborations on creative projects in my past, where I usually end up concluding I'm better off doing everything myself. The more positive experiences like this I have, the more I think about a variety of possible future career options. Should I end up working in the animation industry, these kinds of collaborations are essential to making grander films.
The next phase will be preparing the set for filming. There are a few final additions I want to make: photos on the wall, small props and an exterior backdrop. I could easily get obsessed with getting even more details in there but I need to just go ahead with the animation.
Personal touches
Scratch my last statement - I did end up getting preoccupied with the details!
This is the trouble with this being such a personal project, I felt the environment needed to really feel like Grandma's space. Even if the layout of the flat is different to how it was in reality, the extra touches can really enrich the texture of the set and make a scene that feels true to life.
Here is the set at the time of filming. Ultimately I decided to temporarily remove the felt carpet for ease of animation. Despite the appeal of the authentic carpet, it would make moving the feet much more difficult as I couldn't consistently stick the soles down. Instead I went with this alternative - using our dining table as a stand-in wooden floor.
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Since Emily had taken care of the main furniture, I was able to concentrate on small things that only someone who knew Grandma would identify as important. Naturally, I needed to fill the walls with family photos so I printed them out on glossy paper to size specifications. There were a few pre-made miniature photo frames from a previous student's project which I was grateful to receive and repurpose here. Additionally, I made some frames out of mountboard and acetate: a couple of group family photos and a Monet print that adorned the walls in real life.
These extra pieces may be unnecessary for the animation but feel essential for that sense that Grandma has made the space her own. All made from simple craft materials e.g. modelling clay, paint, paper, mountboard...
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Custard tart plus white plate
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Mug of tea plus coaster
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Walking stick
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Photo album
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Bonusprint photo packets
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Wicker screen
For some suggestion of a wider world outside the window, I painted this backdrop in acrylics. It's a section of the buildings across the road from Grandma's flat in real life.
