How I Created My Animation

Planning Process:
Before I could even start to create my animation and models, I had to research and plan more into it. This consisted of mindmapping a few different ideas that I could use and resort to if I changed my mind at anypoint on what i wanted to base it on. I also had to research into what models i would use/make and how i could make them to have the effect of looking realistic, i drawn a few ideas on paper before i started to make them with clay. I also researched into the soundtracks that i could feature in my animation, i came up with about two or three which are listed in my 'Animation Ideas' blog post. I also had to download and covert my soundtrack so that it was ready to use and edit in when it came to making my animation.

Production Process:
After i had done all my planning and research I could start to create my models. I took the sample models that i had previously drawn out on paper and used them as a guideline whilst i was creating the actual clay models. This took me a few lesson to create them as i wanted them as detailed as i could get them so it would give my animation a realistic effect. I started with making the sunflower head, then the stem and then the butterfly and the grass. I would say that most difficult part of creating the models was making the sunflower as i had to be precise and carefull with the petals.
When it came to making my actual animation all i needed was a mac computer and a working camera. I started off by attaching a plain white A3 piece of paper as the background, I used this so that you couldn't see the table in the background of it, on that I then started by adding a little piece of grass at the bottom of the page and snapshotted it and repeated that until the grass was all along the bottom of the page; when played back this makes it look like its growing on the page. I then adding a little piece of the stem each time clicking the camera and repeated that also, i did the same all the way up the stem until the sunflower head appeared. I then slowly moved the butterfly all around the page, after each movement I made i clicked the camera icon to take the image of it and repeated so until i eventually moved it off the page. I then started to roll the grass ip each time so that it looked like it was dissapearing and did the same with the stem. When it was just the sunflower head left on the page i squished up into a ball and rolled it off the screen. I then exported it from iStopMotion and into my documents. It took me upto four+ lessons to create my models and one lesson to create the animation in.

Editing Process:
After I had created my animation, i then imported it into MovieMaker so that I could edit in the opening and ending credits along with my soundtrack. I chose to go with the soundtrack 'Seaside by The Kooks' it took me one lesson to do all the editing in.

Animation- Proposal

Brief

'At the end of the academic year, BTEC Media at Middlesbrough College is planning to stage a festival to celebrate student success and to showcase work produced by students at all levels. Previous expos have resulted in commissions for students and provide excellent experience. As your contribution to this expo, you are asked to produce an original animation sequence in a medium and technique of your choice, to run for a minimum of 20 seconds. This sequence must include titles, credits and audio. The content of the animation is your own, and could be based on an excerpt from a film, a joke, a song, or from your own imagination.'

Proposal

For this assignment the animation that I am going to produce is just a short simple one, I have chosen to create a 20-30 second animation showing sunflower being produced. The reason why i have chosen to base my animation around this is because I feel that its quite a simple animation to do and not many other people in the class have created anything like that. To make my animation video I will need an animation camera, the software that I will be using is iStop motion to create my animation in. I will be editing the clips using the iMovie software. I will add credits and a backing track to my animation. The reason why I will be editing in credits is so that my animation will look more advanced and a better quality. The backing track that i am using to go over the animation is going to be the tune of Bob Marleys- Dont Worry Be Happy. To get the music track i will convert it from Youtube using an online video converter and then dragging the music into garageband along with my animation. The reason that I am using this backing track is because it gives off a happy positive vibe. The equipment that I will be using to produce the animation will be a suitable camera that connects into the computer to use with the software, i will also be using the software programmes such as iMovie and iStop Motion. I will also be needing access to the internet so that i can do my research and convert my soundtrack from.