FMP: EVALUATION

Screen shot from REM (my final outcome/animation)

Throughout the Final Major Project (FMP) I was able to learn about a topic that has interested me for a very long time: Dream Logging. However, not only was I able to explore this topic, but I was introduced to new ideas such as, higher planes of existence, the third eye and sleep paralysis. It is accurate to say that these ideas captivated me, and my project turned more towards theme as a result. I have definitely moved away from the project proposal that I made at the start of the FMP. I have produced an animation that still connects with my project title, Dream Logging because it’s content is inspired by a dream I had logged and drawn out, but the lucid part of my project faded fast. I enjoyed looking into lucidity and generating potential storyboards that explored the suggestion of escapism through lucidity, but ideas like astral projection were so much newer and unfamiliar to me that I could not resist taking them on.

In regards to my final outcome, I am not completely pleased, as some of the effects that I applied have not turned out as I wanted them to. For instance, near the end of the animation the dreamers skin colour is supposed to fade back into a grey scale colour, but instead a very abrupt change from one shade to the next occurs. The sound was a bit too relaxed, which caused the more dramatic scenes to lose some of their impact. Aspects that I would consider to be successful include, the entrance of the third eye, the underwater scene and the running scene. As a result of slowing the film down, the underwater scene provokes a feeling of suspension, which adds to the transcendental feel to the piece. I think that the sound was successful in helping create a transcendental mood too, but it did mute any potential for dramatic tension. However, I was never aiming to make an animation that was anything other that euphoric, transcending or perhaps a little bit creepy. I wanted to make sure the viewer felt as thought they too were in this dreamy space and I did not want harsh sounds to break that spell. Overall, I think my piece was most successful in creating mood, perhaps stirring up some peculiar emotions.

During these seven weeks I was able to learn a lot about how important research is and how much it can benefit your work. Being aware of other people’s work and ideas can only strengthen your own, but it also pushes you to create something that is more unique and individual. For instance, looking at René Magritte’s work help me design my character and researching the New Age Movement lead me to all the wonderful ideals that are now prominent components to my storyline. I have also improved dramatically on my animation skills and become more aware of how long the process actually takes when drawing out each frame by hand, a naivety that did not fend well for me in this project.

The process that I found most enjoyable is between the character designing and making the music/sound. Both of these tasked allowed me to sink into this creative zone and really try to understand what I wanted to portray, but also what I wanted the viewer to see (these became two separate things in my mind). The sound was a very important choice for me because it hugely effects the emotions experienced by the viewer, the mood of the film and what becomes most important in the piece. The most tedious part of this project was the animation production, purely because of how uncooperative my technology was being and I did not allow any time for this issue in my timetable.

Within my final outcome my goals have been achieved. When watching it over, I personally feel that the idea of a desired to escape is prevalent and degradation of the most commonly experienced reality is firmly stated in the visuals. I believed I have produced a project that explores ideas effectively and is open-minded. However, this open-mindedness did not help with my time management. Although, I do wish I had documented earlier research more thoroughly and carried out more animated experiments, I am pleased that I produced a peace that, at the end of it all, still preaches (in a more obscure way than initially planned) the connection between our desire to explore our dreams and our desire to escape reality.

FMP: REM (My Final Animation)

My final animation. REM by Elloise Rosemond

The process of making was a very slow and stressful one due to my computer having a lot of technical difficulties, but I was able to finish it in time to create a decent animation, which lasts approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. I created the animation using Flash Professional. I imported each edited image (editing was done in photoshop) into Flash and ordered them in the correct sequence for the bathroom and end bedroom scene, but also for the photos of the dreamer and other random objects e.g. the moon (the circular kaleidoscope with a blue filter seen in the animation when the water wave is introduced). The third eye animation was drawn straight onto the stage in Flash, which was a challenge because I was not really working with any guidelines on the movement of the eye, apart from the stills of my storyboard and it was helpful to refer to any life drawing that I had done in the process of this project. When I had finished with animating in flash and exporting the film, I imported it into After Effects where I added the Kaleidoscope film as a background layer to the Flash animation. Then rendered the film and imported it into iMovie.

Once I had finished the animation and watched it back, it surprised me how fast everything I had produced pasted by. When I exported it into iMovie to edit it, I decided to slow the whole thing down 25%. This created a more dreamy mood, allowing every movement to become more significant. 

I am not completely pleased with my final outcome as some of the effects that I applied have not turned out as I wanted them to. For instance, near the end of the animation the dreamers skin colour is supposed to fade back into a grey scale colour. However, it is a very abrupt change from one shade to the next. The sound was also a bit too relaxed, which caused the more dramatic scenes to lose some of there impact. There were some aspects that I like such as, how I visualised the underwater scene and the movements performed by the eye. A feeling of suspension is received and it adds to the transcendental feel to the piece.

If I were to redo the animation I would have managed my time more effectively so that I had enough time to correct the imperfections I have now noticed after reflecting on my work. Although, I am please with the animation of the third eye, which I personally feel to be the most important component of my story.

FMP: Animation Experimentation

Screen shot of animation experimentation

Photos are author's own

This animation experimentation was my chance to test out a walk cycle and the movement of the photos that I had taken. I found the walk to work really well in that it showed a certain kind of casual air, yet with perhaps tweaking the movement of the head of the character it could become curious, walking as if not really knowing, but looking out for something. The mirror scene experiment also went well. I could really invasion the rest of the animation and the pixilation effect with sure add something different and positive to my final piece. This process has been really helpful in preparing me for the production of my final animation as I have an idea of how long thing may take me, but also what would be the best way to stage things and layer objects.

FMP: Final Design

Final bathroom scene design 

Final astral plane design

Photos are authors own

These photos portray the final designs for the environments in my animation. I really like the astral plane environment as it successfully illustrates a vibrate space, but also implys mystery. However, it blends in with the iris on the eye. I am hoping that when the kaleidoscope background is moving and the iris pattern is stationary that the two patterns will seperate more.

The bathroom scene successfully portrays a more dull and dormant environment through using just the pencil lines and the black and white version of the dreamer. However, I do worry that it may be too simplified. Although, it may create a more effective juxtaposition between each plane of existence.

FMP: Design & Style Development

Photo's of screen shots of a film of the inside of a Kaleidoscope

Media experimentation for the wave of water in the astral plane

Photos are authors own

I started experimenting with medium and aesthetics in my animation, taking inspiration from the film The Science of Sleep where Gondry uses cellophane as a substitute for water (in the imagined scenes). I found it to be really effective, but also peculiar. My thinking was that it's aesthetic could mesh well with my animation as both are exploring a rather quirky topic. However, it would definitely be the most time consuming. Therefore, I think I'll be using the digital technique. 

The two kaleidoscope images show what the kaleidoscope looked like under different light intensity. I prefer the bottom one because the colours are more vivid. I also added a blur effect to the bottom one on iMovie.

FMP: Character Design

Dreamer character design

Photo's of final dreamer character

Third eye character design

Photos are authors own

The first dreamer character design is focused more on what I envisioned whilst creating my storyboards, transformed into a more detailed image. I like the clothing that I chose to give the dreamer as it reflects a very laid back, authentic view of a person that is in their own home just about to go to sleep. However, I want to portray her as more of a free spirited person, seen in my second design. As someone who is technically part of the new age movement, I want her to fit the part visually, using stereotypical features such as, hairy armpits, baggy clothing, short hair and in an unrestricted, euphoric pose.

Then I started thinking about the previous idea I had, which was to animate the dreamer using the pixilation technique to suggest a strong connection with reality. So I went with this idea and proceeded to take photographs of my cousin that would then act as key frames in the making of my final animation.

However, the experimentation I done (see above in the coloured and grey scale versions of my character) made it clear to me that I wanted to alternate between these two colour states in oder to distinguish between my dull portrayal of reality and the vivid, energetic portrayal of the astral plane.

The third eye design was really fun to do, as I was able to do a lot of experimentation, in terms of what medium to use and what the iris should look like. Initially, I was working with solid colours for the iris, then patterns and then images. Whilst thinking about using different images in the iris I generated several images, including a star, the earth and water. Then I remembered a piece by René Magritte called The False Mirror. This image depicts an eye in a face that is filled with a blue sky and clouds, excluding the pupil. I then tried using a picture of the sky in my eye design and felt it to be the most effective.

FMP: Final Storyboard & Animatic

Final Storyboard

Animatic for final storyboard

Although, these both show the accurate turn of events, I do not want my final animation to visually look this mundane. The protagonist is essentially the dreamer. It is her third eye that escapes out of her head into the astral plane. Initially, the eye tries to take the dreamer with them on their astral plane journey, but the body is too heavy so the eye leaves. It is attracted to the moon and goes seeking it, but a wave washes the eye away and it ends up back in the girls head. However, when reviewing this ending it was generally seen that some permanent change need to occur otherwise this whole episode that the view witnesses is all for nothing. In my final animation, when the dreamer awakens, I am going to put kaleidoscopes in her eyes. I will now move on to developing the visual representation of my animation.