This is touching on what was told to us in the first lecture we had that I said I would get around to. It’s going to cover a lot of ground taken as notes but I’ll provide the necessary screenshots from the presentation we were given for more context.
Despite it being just one film we have to make compared to the past two years we are still having the uni year structured in parts, these now corresponding to the relevant stages in film production; pre-production (deadline – 24th November), production (deadline – 30th March), and post-production (deadline – 19th May). I’m going to break down how this is structured and how I will work to fit with the schedule.
The intention of this project is to take the skills we have learnt the past two years both from university and outside of it to create a final thesis film at a time range of no longer than 5 minutes, though I’ve heard a lot of suggestions to go even less 5 minutes is my target. On top of the film we actually have a Project Book that must be completed and handing in as well, an illustrated book, it will cover the year as a whole detailing our thought process as to how and why we did what we did akin to the variety of Art of books for both games and movies. And even more, we need to create promotional material and an edited reel of our best work for the intention of handing it in with our cvs to prospective companies and studios.
It goes without question that we also need blog posts weekly, more specifically before our tutorials as to get verbal feedback. I’ve already covered my approach to this in the State of Affairs (Updated) blog.
Pre-Production
To develop an authorial voice within the animated form, looking at a broad range of narrative and visual styles to aid the evolution of an original piece of visual storytelling. To develop materials in support of your thesis film. To gain an understanding of the stages and requirement of pre-production for a short film. This is where it all begins, we will be establishing our ideas and then getting from mind to pen and for us 3D animators pen to actual computer generated creations while also showing that we actually know what we are doing.
What We Need
- Pitch – we are pitching our idea to the entire class on the 27th October (3 and half weeks as of today). This is simply to explain our animation showcasing character/set designs, some illustrated storyboard or animatic of our story all in order to receive both feedback and, at least in my case, get better use to presenting. I’ll aim to have at the least a storyboard, character and set designs in time for this. I don’t think either of my two ideas will actually contain any dialogue so a script isn’t as necessary.
- Pre-production completed – On the 24th November (a month and few weeks from now) we need to be completed with pre-production and ready to animate, this means;
- Storyboard & Animatic & Shot List
- Character / Asset / Set Designs
- Colour Board
- Schedule (I‘ll probably create a gantt chart tomorrow or so for this)
- Script (if there is dialogue)
- Final CG Models for Props / Characters / Set as well as Textured
- At the end we will evaluate how well things went and where we intent to improve on.
Feedback will be given as written.
Production
To develop and showcase your animation and storytelling skills. To gain an understanding of effective pipeline, planning, and scheduling in your animation production. To demonstrate communication of your concept through your film production. This is the core of production cycle as we actually start animating, when it refers to pipeline I assume thats the ability to be able to structure our work so as to get one part completed before moving it onto the next stage? I’ll make a note and ask.
What We Need
- Pitch – we need to do another pitch on the 16th February where we essentially update the class on our progress for some more verbal feedback. I would like to have my test renders and lighting at least sorted by this point with blocked animation stepped.
- Production Completed;
- Sound Design such as foley, voice work (Idea one is set in a city so i’ll probably have background voices).
- Titles & Credits
- Lighting Set-Up and Complete
- Test Renders
- Animation Blocking (stepped) (This is basically the very rough animation with the characters in their main poses throughout the scenes)
- Animation Blocking (splined) (I’ll ask what this is)
- And once again another evaluation on where we are, what we liked, etcetera.
Post-Production
To develop a substantial portfolio to showcase your skills development within the production of an animated thesis film. To be equipped with the skills and understanding of the animation industry and identify your place within it. To develop self-promotional materials to support your career goals. To understand the process for submitting your film to festivals. We need to be at a point as to where we can leave university with something we are proud to show to potential clients and studios as well as an understanding of the actual cogs of the industry.
- Our final edited film with finished sounds, title and credits, and so on. The requirements are that it is rendered at 24 frames per second in mp4 at 1280x720p. If I want to submit this to film festivals then the pixels need to be a more comfortable 1920x1080p.
- Final edited reel at 1 minute of our very best animation. I’ll probably do some on the side animations as well to give me more choice.
- Promotional Materials (thats again if we want to send this to festivals)
- x4 high resolution stills in .PDF at a format of 896mm x 843mm.
- The Project Book.
- And all the necessary files and such for submitting to clients such as the cv and so on.
- And the final evaluation of the year in total.
I want to submit my work to festivals as I think it’s the best way of getting it out there and seen by as many people as possible so I’ll aim to create the promotional material as well.
My Animators Blog 