Question four.

Explain and illustrate three different ways in which emotion can be conveyed in a film - eg  through cinematography, visual design, effects,  sound, character design, symbolism.

Expressing emotion in films needs more than the dialogue and a good script. It is conveyed through visual design, effects, sound, character design, symbolism, and cinematography. All of these create depth to the film, which creates emotion. They help create emotion in different ways, which helps the viewer understand why the characters are feeling the way they are, or what the characters are feeling. It also helps to set the mood for the scene, and what possible emotions will be expressed.
Cinematography can add to the emotional impact of a film and can express the feelings of a character without the need for dialogue or music. Great cinematography adds layers of meaning to a film. This includes camera shots, camera angles, camera movement and lighting. Alfred Hitchcock was a master when it came to cinematography. He was able to capture suspense in his films using cinematography.

Image one

In the image above, the viewer will feel as though that they are in the car with the character, hearing her thoughts as she drives. It also feels personal, as thought it is a place that the viewer should not be. This is created by the camera angle and the lighting.
Visual design is also important when it comes to illustrating emotion in a film. It creates emotion by the presence of the characters, and the staging. The camera angles and lighting is a key part in the design, helping to create balance in the scene.

Image two

In image two the emotion is dark, gloomy and miserable. The only light coming from a window from the top left of the scene, which is high lighting the characters expressions. The emptiness of the room and the darkness also sets the mood of the scene, and what emotion it will be portraying.
Sound is a brilliant way to illustrate emotion in a film. The high pitched 'shreaking' tone of the violins for the shower scene in Psycho for example. The music captures the emotion of the character and the scene. It is intense, quick, powerful and terrifying. The music is nothing complex, and there is no real build up with the music to prepare the viewer. This creates suspense, and a way to relate to the character emotionally as the viewer did not expect what was to come.


References

[Woman driving Psycho] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://nipufilm.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/psycho-1960.html> [Accessed 24 May 2012].

[Sweeney Todd] n.d. [image online] Available at: < http://www.noupe.com/design/what-popular-movies-can-teach-us-about-design.html> [Accessed 24 May 2012].

Question Three.

What is  'composition' and why is it important to understand its rules?  You can focus your answer on either film or animation.

Composition is very important when it comes to directing a viewer's comprehension and enhancing meaning in a film or animation. It helps create balance, which leaves a pleasing result.

There are three main areas to look at when discussing composition: focal point, leading lines and blocking the exits. 

The focal point is used to direct the viewer's eye towards the important detail in the scene and this can be done with focus, light, and contrast.

Image one

Image two

The images above directs the viewer to the butterfly on Bambi's tail. This is the focal point: the important detail in this scene. All the characters are focused on the butterfly. Further the body language of the animals leads the viewer to this focal point. The lighting is being used to highlight the focal point. There is a bright spot where the characters have been placed in the centre of the scene. This is contrasting the dark background of the forest, therefore the viewer is drawn to the focal point.

Leading lines give the viewers a pathway to follow, normally this can be looped to take the viewers eyes back to the focal point. It entices the viewer to see what the character is seeing.

Image three

Image four

Looking at this still image from the Disney animation Bambi, there are clear leading lines leading the viewer to inside the log. There is a clear pathway from the characters eyes and body langauge shown clearly in image four. This is not a looped pathway, as there is nothing to be seen by the characters to be looped back.

The final area is blocking the exits. This is to make sure the viewers eyes do not wander from the intended focal point

Image five

Looking at the above image the main characters can be clearly seen, although it is a dar scene. There is nothing eyecatching about the background that would distract the viewer from the main focal point. The focal point is shown as more of a silotte against the snow scene, standing out dramatically.


 Reference


[Bambi and a butterfly] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://www.artknowledgenews.com/2009_11_05_20_45_23_the_library_of_congress_will_feature_molto_animato_music_and_animation.html> [Accessed 17 May 2012].

[Bambi and a log] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://www.alfredhitchcockgeek.com/2005/09/five-reasons-why-bambi-is-disneys-most.html> [Accessed 17 May 2012].

[Bambi in the snow n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/56032/bambi-platinum-edition.html> [Accessed 17 May 2012].

Question Two.

What are "the twelve principles of animation" and how do they relate to realism? To what extent are these principles still valid in the era of computer animation? Choose any two principles and use them as a focus of your answer.

 

The twelve principles of animation were created in the 1930's by the Walt Disney Studios. The principles were used for productions, creative discussions and also to train new animators to be more skilled. They also became part of the foundations of hand drawn character animation.

(Tito A. Belgrave 2003) "The twelve principles are mostly about five things: acting the performance, directing the performance, representing reality (through drawing, modelling, and rendering), interpreting real world physics, and editing a sequence of actions." This gives realism to the characters, and is why the 12 principles are still relevant in today's modern animations. Some of the principles have been adapted for the use of 3D Computer Animation such as, visual styling, blend motion, and cinematography.

One of the key principles is Timing. Timing refers to the number of drawings of frames given to an action, which translates to the speed of the action in the animation. It adds emotion and intention to the characters performance. Correct timing also makes the object appear that it is abiding to the laws of physics.

Another principle is Squash and Stretch. This is an important principle as it gives a sense of weight and flexibility to drawn objects. It can be applied from simple objects such as a ball bouncing to more complex objects for example the structure of a face. It is important that the objects volume does not change during any squashing or stretching motion. It needs to remain balanced or it would not portray realism. 



Image one

The image above gives an example of timing, squash and stretch motion. The image is of a ball being dropped and bouncing along the floor. Timing is needed to give realism: from the ball dropping from a height to the ball bouncing along the floor and coming to a stop. The squash and stretch gives realism to the image, making sure that there is a balance with the object. If the ball is being stretched, it needs to balance the squash.

References

CGS features, 2003. Applying the 12 Principles to 3D Animation. [online] Available at: <http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/applying_the_12_principles_to_3d_computer_animation_by_disneys_isaac_kerlow> [Accessed 15 May 2012].

Tito A. Belgrave, 2003.Applying the 12 Principles to 3D Animation, [online] Available at:<http://www.cgsociety.org/index.php/CGSFeatures/CGSFeatureSpecial/applying_the_12_principles_to_3d_computer_animation_by_disneys_isaac_kerlow > [Accessed 15 May 2012]

Wikipedia, 2012.Twelve Basic Principles of Animation. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation> [Accessed 15 May 2012].

[Ball bouncing] n.d. [image online] Available at: <http://digitalworlds.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/breathing-life-into-animated-objects/> [Accessed 15 May 2012].

Question one.

Explain how storyboards are  used in film and animation, paying particular attention to the differences between different types, purposes and industry work flows.

When creating a film or animation, it is important to start with a storyboard. A storyboard can help plan the narrative of a film or animation, becoming a blue print for the production. It can be produced in rough "thumbnail" [image one], or it can be highly detailed [image two]. Most storyboards can be categorised into three types; passive, active, or interactive. Passive storyboards tell a story to the user. Active storyboards try to make the user see a movie that hasn't been produced yet. Interactive storyboards let the user experience the system in as realistic a manner as is practical. After the storyboard is produced and approved by the client, the filming or modelling of the animation can begin.



Image one

Image two

Robert Finlay (2011) posted about storyboards that "It is both an artistic and logistic process allowing the film crew to have a visual idea of what the director wants in the scene before the actors, actresses, props and set get involved." This is what the basic concept of a storyboard is, and what it aims to achieve. Further it is used by the director to eliminate unwanted scenes and filming requirements from the production. It's a way to keep everyone 'on track' in the production for example the producer, the animator and other departments, it allows the director to prepare the camera rolling in advance and also to see the possible end result. The storyboard should be clear so that everyone can understand it at a glance.
Moreover, storyboards are useful for most productions as they help with the cinematography and editing. However, in some productions shot lists would be used rather than storyboards because they are live action, for example a transmission of a live sporting event.

Robert Finlay (2011) suggests that "Film and animation production takes a great deal of planning; just as any complex project would. This is why the role of storyboarding is so vital." I would agree with this statement. It helps a production to run smoothly as there is a visual aid avilable, guiding the producers towards a successful production.



References

hasustorm.com. Types of storyboards. [online] Available at:<http://hasustorm.com/books/English/Addison.Wesley.Managing.Software.Requirements.2nd.Edition-LiB.chm/032112247X/ch13lev1sec1.html> [Accessed 13 May 2012 ].

Robert Finlay., 2011. The role of storyboarding in film and animation. solutions.co.uk. [blog] 06 April. Available at: <http://www.solutions.co.uk/Blog/2011/The-role-of-storyboarding-in-film-and-animation.aspx> [Accessed 13 May 2012].

Image one - [Shrek 2 storyboard] n.d. [image online] Available at:<http://bradleygale.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/storyboard.html> [Accessed 13 May 2012]

Image two - [The Golden Compass storyboard] n.d. [image online] Available at:<http://jaeeunfilmblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011_05_01_archive.html> [Accessed 13 May 2012]