Animation Experience (COMPLETED and marked)

The Animation Experience

by Sonia Woods

Background about the Project

The experience I had doing the animation project can only be described as bitter sweet. It was interesting and yet challenging but I had some good ideas. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend for some time, towards the end of the year, this led to my missing out on important lessons and information as well as practices which would have been of great help in propelling me forward in my creation. By the end of January, things got sorted however I had missed out on so much.

I tried to catch up but time was against me. So with my tutors suggestion I went for a much simpler project; using the camera and the stop motion tool to create something more manageable.

Project Idea

I had created a fish family on picnic. The children were in the water having fun, laughing and frolicking around, unaware that danger was lurking not too far away.

There was a boat, making its way toward the bay, where the fishes were swimming. It was carrying toxic waste, which it intends to dump in the sea, every minute of fun, was shadowed by the luring of the impending doom.

The reason for the idea

i thought that as the film was geared to children and young people between the ages of 12 to 16 years old, that it perhaps would be more affective and appealing if it was in an animated format, and that the objects were small, funny and much easier to be accepted by children and youth.

Things I enjoyed

I enjoyed making the cut outs, using the mounted camera and the stop motion software.

Things I found Difficult

At first i found using stop motion a bit daunting, however with the help of fellow students, who jumped in when i got stuck, it worked out quite interesting.

The camera was playing up because it got switched off and then it became a real problem and it refuse to take the pictures

Managing the camera at certain points in the project was difficult, ideally, it would have been more helpful I had more practicing before attempting the project, however, that i believe was a learning curve. I also tried to assimilate the process of animation speech, but somehow after i took footage of the scenes they got lost and i was unable to find them. therefore i was not able to complete that process of the project.

we tried switching it off and turning it back on but that was to no avail. I gave up tringin that evening as it was late, the rolling day i returned to continue using the tool, but someone else was using it. so i had to make do without diminishing the last part of the sequencing.

New Skills Learned

i learn how to use after effects, which at first appeared to be difficult to use, eventfully, however I got the chance to practice using after effects, and I found it to be not so daunting as was first thought.

Feedback from the Audience