Mudbox Wokshop

Friday 1st November we had an introduction workshop on how to use Mudbox. I've never used Mudbox before but felt that it wasn't too intimidating to begin using, due to some familiar tools that I'm used to in Maya.

Here is the original head base object which we imported into the scene:

Here it is again after testing out the sculpting tools on it in Mudbox to turn it into an alien-type character:

There is quite a range of different sculpting tools and stamps to use, to create different effects.

...there's a lizard shape that might be quite fun to work from!

Animation Script Writing 2

Practiced some observational
drawing during the workshop.

Wednesday 30th October - Attended the second script writing workshop led by Mark Grindle.

Notes taken during the workshop:

Projects:
Just come up with a title! It is the audiences first clue about the film.
A 2 minute film is completely different from a 3-4minute film.

Character, storyteller and audience share the same logic - overlapping. Allows you to step into the character's shoes at will.

3 word to always come back to during script writing:

Power
- Protagonist can become the mirror of the antagonist
- Relationship between protagonist and the antagonist
- Relationship between story/character and audience, power over the audience, power of the storyteller
- See a film twice, 1st time just enjoy the film, 2nd time watch the audience and see their reactions to it, note down when and what reactions they had to the film, you can create a map of the film's story from this.

Desire
- What a character needs/wants/intent, their goal
- Define what position the character is in
- Let the audience decide what is right for the character
- Don't let the character know what they need, but let the audience know, dramatic irony. Let the audience know right from the beginning.

Destiny
- Messages in our heads to make us conform to something
- It's the ..."if you don't do that, ..."
- Always a sense at the end, the characters don't end there.

Who is the audience?
Characterize the experience of the viewer, how will an audience respond to your film? Attitudes and attributes boil down to what the ideal audience for your film would be.
Test story ideas with people. If it's a comedy, really test it with others.

Research & Writing - Abstract

Wednesday 30th October - Handed in the next written assignment for the Research Skills & Methods module. The task was to write an abstract based around the research we have been doing and describing the proposed work for Masters. Within this we were to write about the context within our project, key artists that we may be influenced by, and the perspective that we will be exploring within our own work. Also an explanation of the methods we intend to use was needed.

Through my own research for this, I referenced Ed Hooks book 'Acting for Animators', it has turned out to be one of the most useful books I have come across for learning about performance within animation. It looks at some of the key concepts that I wish to explore within animation, including acting, movement, realism and empathy: