Workshops and small tasks
Random character design activity
The task was to create distinctive characters by using randomised requirements by using a website called Character Generator. The first character was 79 years old spy. Thinking about the profession of this character I decided to give him a gun attached to his belt to show that he is sort of a secret agent like James Bond. I also gave him a glass of wine because the spy goes to various places and events to spy on people. It made him look like an undercover spy who casually goes to a banquet to target his next victim, just like this tiger on the floor.
The second character was meant to be a builder who likes listening to rap music. I imagined him as a strong man who has to work hard lifting all the materials to build a house and also enjoying listening to his mp3 player while working. To express his love for the particular type of music I gave him a cap because it reminded me of all these teenagers who follow the fashion of their favourite rap singers. He also has some tools attached to his belt to show he is very handy mad prepared for any type of building work.
Participating in this type of challenge was a good warm-up after the winter Holiday. Character randomizer it's an interesting tool. However, I probably won't use it in the future. It is because when I plan characters for my comics they tend to have specific traits and colour palettes connected to the story. I rarely pick anything at random.
3 prompt story activity
I was given three random prompts, and the task was to turn them into a script within a few minutes. It was an interesting way of generating ideas for the story, but it was also a bit stressful for me to come up with ideas and write them down within 10 minutes. In the end, I came up with a story about girl who's having trouble getting to school on time. Once she arrived at the school the lessons ended, she woke up, and it was all a bad dream.
I also drew a little story board to see how the story would look. Showing the character in constant rush because of being late to school made the story board chaotic. It looked like the character was always stressed out and in rush.
I think it very much expressed how I felt while writing it. It is interesting how the limited time I had impacted the story. It definitely shows that I should make sure to spend enough time on planning and writing ideas.
Photoshop Animation
The first lesson about animation taught me how to create a stop motion animation in photoshop. This method very much reminds me of the old fashion animation of Mickey Mouse, which was made with graphite on paper in a similar way of creating layers to merge them into animation. Modern days allow us to use software to replicate this technique digitally in better quality.
My first attempt was to make a bouncing ball. It required me to create layers of the same picture of a ball positioned slightly lower than the previous one. I created a timeline and turned layers into frames.
Although animating in Photoshop it's a very time-consuming process, I enjoy old fashion way of drawing each layer one by one. I feel like I have more control over what I draw rather than using tools to manipulate some things, such as characters in my animation.
I also did some practice animation of the establishing shot of a city and the bubbles. In theory, doing animation in photoshop sounds easy but time-consuming, but not if you copy and paste the same object on created layers. It allowed me to create an animation of opening clouds without the hassle of drawing it over and over again.
Adobe Animate
I created two simple animations to show two different motions that can be created in Adobe Animate. The process included drawing an object and converting it into a symbol. Next, I created a classic tween to make the cat and mouse run from one side to another.
Although it was a simple process, I did not enjoy drawing in Adobe Animate.
Storyboard Pro
I never thought an animating tree will challenge me and test my patience so much. When we were originally introduced to the storyboard I thought it will be an easy process like all the others. However, the technology decided to go against of what I intended to do. I created an animation of a tree by using a bone tool to make it wiggle from side to side. The problem was when the tree was animated it had this moment when it turned all green. I tried to draw a whole new tree three times and it kept happening. For the first time in my life, I actually had to ask a teacher for technical support. Despite everyone's trying it still did not work in the end.
That's the type of problem I would not like to have in my final animation. That's why I will stick to photoshop for now.
Sound Studio & Adobe Audition
My group and I recorded various sounds in a sound studio. We had to be creative to imitate sounds like water, water drops, sand, and more. For the sound of the mermaid walking on sand and dragging the prince of the beach, we used dry rice. We pressed the rice with our fists to create footsteps and run our hands through the rice to make the sound of something being dragged through the sand.
We also used a bucket of water to create water dripping by dropping coins in the bucket. I came up with the idea of bubbles for underwater sounds. I used a plastic straw and blow it into it with different pressure to create a calm and aggressive bubble sound.
We tried to do voice acting and recorded some lanes from our script. It turned out awful as none of us was good at it. My acting was especially terrible as my voice was breaking because I felt a bit embarrassed. In the end, we all agreed to only use the noises without actual dialogue. It would be better for us and the audience as it will give people the freedom to imagine what the perfect voice would be for the characters.
I read animated comics, and I think the comics are more enjoyable when there is no voice acting. The sound effects and soundtracks are relaxing and it gives you the freedom to imagine your favourite characters having the voice you like.
Original soundtrack
Edited sound