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OUR WORLD production journal

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OUR WORLD production journal

Hello.

I am starting a production journal thread for my film OUR WORLD. It is a film I began a few years aog and had to put on the "back burner" so I persue other opportunities. Now the time is right to finish the film. It is a sort of ANIJAM project. Other animators will contribute animated segments.

The opening begins with a young French artist, Henri, who sports 6 green hairs. Without pretension, Henri creates the WORLDd. Henri exits the frame...here's the thing...every segment begins with and ends with... the WORLD.

Each animated segment will say something about the WORLD and because of the structure of the film...it has a built "fix-it" mode for the WORLD. No matter what one says about the WORLD...because the next animator needs the WORLD no one can destroy it

So far segments involving heros, sports, terrorism, music and love have been created. These along with the opening I have animated in 2D.

Though I must say I am not bowled over about the music and love sequences...so I may scrap them!

The project has evolved into an international project with young animators from The Internationale FilmSchule in Koln, Germany working on 2 sequences they will create.

This thread will help motivate us by showing pictures, drawings and hopefully links to mov. files.

I have no idea how it will turn out...but it will be creative, different and...who knows.

Thanks.

Larry L.'s picture
Larry web site http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com [/URL]blog: [U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated [/U] email: larry.lauria@gmail.com
The Latest News

Hello.

We had a very wonderful video conference on Thursday. We are looking to make it a weekly thing. The EVOLUTION group presented their latest animatic (much shorter) and some new character designs.

Everyone is so dedicated and invested in their work.

The video discussion went on for over an hour. It was decided we need weekly "meetings"- so Thursday mornings will be it....

I will put up more visuals soon.

Here Scat!

Hello.

Yes, the last two drawings were revised key drawings; where I go back and tighten up the drawings a bit. I will test them before I do final clean-up.

By the way, my downfall is that I AM NOT A CLEAN-UP ARTIST- never had the pleasure - I always animated- even at the start 30 years ago. Would I rather animate than clean-up? Sure!

Here are some ruffs... you'll see what I mean. I like ruffs - they are more spontaneous and more alive...

Thanks.

Ah, thanks! Makes perfect sense. In my experience I enjoy the craftsmanship of clean-up, but I'd never want to do it if it were a choice between that and actually animating. As long as I'm learning (or reviewing), the last picture has a chart on it. Is that first and last drawing as two extremes, a breakdown drawing halfway, and then two drawings favoring each extreme? Trying to understand the notation vocabulary.

I LOVE rough animation. Love it love it love it. The spontaneity, even to an extent the line quality. Having a rough line (which itself is multiple lines) is like being real and implied at the same time. I wonder sometimes why many other professionals balk at the idea of using rough drawings for a finished work. Not that they'd sell or is in a studio's piece, moreso say something they'd enter into a festival. I tend to believe sometimes that much like keeping something in near-silhouette, backlit, or plain old leaving something to the imagination, that our brains see a rough drawing and actually "see" what lines among the rough scribble look best and make the most sense, so it's almost as if by making several to choose from all at once it's better odds that you'll come out with a drawing that pleases everyone with a rough versus clean-up work. "The more you shoot, the more you score." What do you think?

Weekend Update - a rainy weekend

This weekend was a banner weekend for my end of the OUR WORLD film.

I was able to finish the keys for the SPORTS sequence. I began to reinforce the lines on the TERRORIST sequence. I thought I hadn't inbetweened the TERRORIST- but I was wrong-either that or the animation gremlins came in after midnight.

Since I finished the SPORTS sequence a week ahead of schedule and since the TERRORIST seq. is almost done - I revisited the MUSIC seq. - I was ready to throw it out but then some ideas on how to fix it came to me...so I did. And I am really pleased with it now.

Then I added some tweaks to the SUPERHERO seq. ...what a weekend!

Shows you what a rainy weekend will do for you.

The KOLN ANIMATION SCHOOL

The Koln animation school is a wonderful one year program. The director of the course, Alexandra Ohlsen brings only the best folks in their fields to teach a week at a time.

The last couple of years, academy award winner Michael Dudok DeWitt has be the "Grandfather" for animation. He oversees the stories and animation.
The course is 2D. They bring layout artists to teach layout, character folks (me) for character, BG painters for BG's, etc.

The students have to do a 2 or 3 month internship and they also work in groups to produce and animate short films. Normally, only ten students are in the course. This year the students are doing sequences from my film. The students also attend the animation festival in Annecy as part of their course.

This year's course started in September 2004 and will end in September 2005.
In September, the course will take a 6 month hiatis to re-tool so an extra 3D year can be added in 2006.

You are right, Koln is a great city. I feel my roots eveytime I am there. My mom grew up in Dusseldorf - only a 1/2 hour away. Koln is very vibrant and fun-loving...and then there's the culture, the people, the Rhein, the outdoor cafes....amazing!

Thanks.

The finished drawing

Hello.

Here is a drawing with Ty B. Bear as an artist - I showed an early version of the sketch- a couple of days ago.

I am waiting to talk to the German students this morning- so I finished up the sketch.

below the unfinished and finished drawings...

Thanks,

Geez that class sounds like a dream... I'd love to burn the flesh off my knuckles in something like that...

Film Communication

Hello.

The German school- Internationale Filmschule in Koln- really is a wonderful one year program. It is intense - yet really good. For that, you have to thank Alexandra Ohlsen who created the program and finds the professionals to visit and to teach the workshops. She treats everyone so well.

Our phone conversation has been postponed to Thursday. At Alexandra's behest, I went out and purchased a webcam - so they are going to configure their webcam and tomorrow we will meet on the web via our webcams and mics and talk about the project- pretty cool.

Here's what happens when you give a crazy animator a webcam!

Fun thread Larry. The webcan conference with the German students sounds great. It is always cool when a project that has been on the back burner is finally ready to play with agian. Hope your break has been going good!
Chris Myers

Those are some pretty distinct pictures from what I remember before. You sort of have half of a Gary Shandling(sp) thing going on. (The casting thread's bug got a good bite of me =)

Hi,
over the weekend I thought a bit more how the Astronaut can look in his spacesuit. This is the result I like most. Just a plain front view (I did a quick paint job to the line drawing)
At the moment, I think he might not be “cartoony” enough, he still looks to real.
Furthermore I did some scribbles of the rocket he uses. However, these outcomes are probably to complicate to animate.
Perhaps if I have the time I will do some tests with 3D rockets if I can match a 2D look. However, some of my group are a bit reluctant about 3D.
Tomorrow, we have a whole day to work together on our project, perhaps we can then agree on a cohesive style.
Cheers,

_____________________________
Cornelius

www.connimation.de

That's a Tming Chart

Hello.

Yes, that's a timing chart! This particular chart has two key drawings - a breakdown (1/2 way) and a slo-out and a slo-in. The slo-out and slo-in are close to their respective key drawing,

Thanks.

That's a Tming Chart

Hello.

Yes, that's a timing chart! This particular chart has two key drawings - a breakdown (1/2 way) and a slo-out and a slo-in. The slo-out and slo-in are close to their respective key drawing,

Thanks.

The Show

Hello,

Whenever possible, I travel 7 minutes to the beach to see THE SHOW.

THE SHOW is the sunrise on Tybee Island, Georgia. I just park my CRV and take a stroll along the beach- with my handy dandy digital camera.

This is also the beach where I did most of my shooting for my live-action film- IN SEARCH OF OSAMA...

I took a snap of my 2D work area in my studio...some pictures of THE SHOW and about half the shells I found this morning.

What a terrific way to begin a day!

Thanks.

Good thread!

Hey guys!

Wow, this is turning out to be quite an interesting thread!

Nice to hear about the Koln animation course. Sounds very good, and great fun!

Just a few questions:

Is it sort of an MA course? How do you get in? Privately funded?

Do you work on projects and learn aswell, with the basics expected of you already?

And on Annecy...

I might be going, but don't know where to stay. I don't mind camping either. Where are you guys staying? You know anywhere you could recommend, camp sites or cheap hostels/hotels?

It sounds a great festival though! Would like to go, but have to sort it out soon.

Thanks,

Adam :)

Ah Annecy!

Hello Splash...

In France when you stay in a hotel - you can have as many people stay with you as you want.

There are campgrounds and youth hostels here. Check out the website for the festival and the town.

http://www.lac-annecy.com/

http://www.annecy.org/home/index.php?Page_ID=2

My wife and I have a room in town.

Book soon- because some accomodations are already sold out.

Thanks.

More material to come...

Hello.

Now that I have a short break...it gives me some time to work on my project and to settle into a fluid production flow.

The challenge with making an animated film - is time management (at least that's how I see it). How to allocate the time you have available to be the most productive. First, I cleared almost everything off my plate and have spent some time organizing the film and the animators who will partner with me on this project.

I really enjoy these types of projects because they involve others and this motivates me. Also, because of the very nature of the film ie. dealing with OUR WORLD, I hope there is some substance and enetertainment in the film.

I have keyed in five sequences for the film:

The opening with Henri, the French Art student.

A squence about MUSIC - which I am not happy with even though it is 95% keyd and inbetweened.

A sequence about SPORTS - which I like and am inbetweening and cleaning up.

A sequence on a SUPERHERO with a PAGER - Just a bit of tweaking there- otherwise it's ready for digital ink and paint.

A sequence on TERRORISM - whic is keyed out and being inbetweened.

A sequence on LOVE - which I am not happy about - it is so cute and sugary- I don't know. Part of the problem is that I am a romantic at heart...

I have atleast two other folks here in the States doing individual sequences and 7 German animation students from the Internationale Filmschule Koln producing two or three sequences.

More may be added.

So that is the "State of the Art" for now.

I hope to accomplish much this week.

Thanks.

Here I am before I shaved my beard and lost 20 pounds (and twenty years)...and a promo image from OUR WORLD.

Pleased to read you, Cornelius! I was an animation student at the IFS in 2003. Perhaps they showed you the previous years' short films. The team I was part of did 'Icarus'. (Jan did the hero, computer wiz Corinna the old eagle and I animated the three villains.)

Making it part of the course to contribute segments to a project like My World sounds like a fabulous idea! I freely admit I'm a little jealous.

Hi Jabberwocky, great to hear from somebody else from the IFS here in this thread! Yes, of course we saw your film. I liked it!
Yes, Larry's idea is indeed great!

Nice to hear about the Koln animation course. Sounds very good, and great fun!

Just a few questions:

Is it sort of an MA course? How do you get in? Privately funded?

Do you work on projects and learn aswell, with the basics expected of you already?

This course is a further education program. At the end you will get a certificate which list the program contents (AFAIK)

You have to apply with a portfolio containing drawings, paintings, etc. If this portfolio is okay you are invited for an interview. Depending on both you are allowed to participate.

It is privately funded, in some cases you can get money from state.

Parts of the course are theoretical, the other and much larger part is more hands on. The instructors give you work to do. For example: In the layout part of the course we were given a storyboard sequence and we had to design the backgrounds.
The ultimate goal of this course is the creation (and completion) of an animated short film. On this project you initially have to come up with story ideas, then a script etc. I think about 2 or so months before the end of the course you have almost no more lessons, instead you have to work on the film.

If you me with basics, how to draw? Yes. For Animo (the 2D animation program we use for pencil tests and compositing at the IFS) you get an instruction.

For more information visit the IFS homepage: http://www.filmschule.de/engl/frame_engl.php3

Over the Easter holidays we all hope to prepare some images we can post!

_____________________________
Cornelius

www.connimation.de

Cheers Guys!

Thanks a lot for the info guys! I'll get on it!

Cornelius: The course at Koln sounds really good. We're producing a final film too in our 3rd year. Should be good fun!

Larry: Thanks for the info. I'll make some enquiries and see what I can sort. I'll let you know if I'm going.

Look forward to the thumbnail posts guys!

Adam

I like the concept, it has to be a good exercise. Not trying to buttkiss here, by the way, but that
HAND DRAWING's [edited b/c of omission] gotta be one of the best solid-construction (at least it appears that way) animation drawings I've seen in a WHILE. So...full...puffy...structured....My deep kudos!

Storyboard Panels- Astronaut Group

Here are some storyboard panels from the Astronaut group's animatic- it will give you an idea of their design style and direction.

Thanks.

Storyboard Panels from the Evolution Group

Hello.

Here are some of the Evolution group's panels from their progression reel...here's their look and direction.
Thanks.

My mistake. I was thinking of just a slow in or out -alone-....which could also be halfway between the one extreme and the breakdown. But since you slow in -and- out, you couldn't have halfway between -both- extremes because then the timing is perfectly consistent. Aha, I say!

If you have two extremes and a breakdown, with a slow in and slow out at the extremes, then the breakdown will be halfway between, with the slows favoring the extremes on either side. Assuming we're talking about a five-drawing sequence, that is...

Our First Video Conference

Hello.

The other day we had our first video conference with the students in Germany.

It took an hour to work out the bugs- but it was great to see the students in Koln and to hear them speak about their animatics and character designs.

I have a link to their animatics...but I will allow them the pleasure of posting them and their character designs. I may grab one or two frames for now and add them.

Both sequences they propose are a bit long - and... the substance is there - so they can distill their work.

The idea of talking to them live- (it was 12:00 pm here and 6:00pm in Koln-) was a real hoot! It took me a while to get used to hearing my voice delayed by a few seconds as it reached Germany.

The entire project is gaining momentum.

I have encouraged them to post their photos, designs and weblinks- so you will see more very soon.

Thanks.

Yah, my mistake - I spaced again. In my attempt to "review" I screwed myself up. Putting just one breakdown would indeed get faster (1), but it wouldn't be a true slow out if we're on five drawings because it would have to get progressively faster/farther-spaced (3). I was just thinking that if someone was using my wrong system, you'd have to favor on either side because going halfway both ways would give consistent timing (2) which is no timing at all.

Attachment 
Some Character Designs from Gernany

Hello.

Here are some character designs from the school in Koln. This is one of two sequences being produced over there...

This is the "evolution" team's work.

THANKS.

Hi everybody!
I'm one of the students from the International Film Schule Köln working on Larry's interesting project!

Yeah, it took a while to overcome the technical difficulties involving the videoconference but in the end we were all glad that it worked!

We are a group of 7 students and we now have 2 films in preproduction.

Currently we don’t have any final titles yet, just working titles:

“Astronaut Story” and “Evolution”

I’m working on the astronaut film with 3 others. After long discussions and several discarded ideas we finally come up with a story (yeah, we had some help from other students of the filmschool to create a (hopefully!!!) understandable story)

In the last few weeks we wrote a script and started storyboarding. 3 days ago we did a preliminary animatic using the storyboard panels. At the moment it doesn’t has a cohesive look because 3 of us drew different sections of the storyboard and we haven’t decided on a final style yet. Currently it is 3min45 long.

Larry gave us a feedback on the animatic today! Our group will probably discuss it on Monday and see how we can improve our storyboard and animatic.

At the moment I’m setting up a website with more info about the film (character designs, layouts, animatic, who we are, etc.)
As soon it is ready and the others of my group approve it I will post the link!

I could also write about the other film but I think it is better that somebody from the other group takes on this task.

A big thank you to Larry who provided us with such a wonderful opportunity to contribute to his project!

- Cornelius

_____________________________
Cornelius

www.connimation.de

Atlanta trip

Hello

My last post was from Atlanta. I was there doing portfolio reviews for SCAD.

I didn't bring any of my film to work on- on the road. Atalnta can be too fun a place...

I did do some drawing - nothing with the film- here are the latest Ty B. Bear drawings- one is finished - one is in progress.

Thanks.

Thanks.

Thanks more stuff is on the way!

Here are some thumbnails from a sequence...the MUSC sequence which is keyed out and inbetweened and I still don't like the end result...

And and early Henri model sheet.

Man Larry...I must say I have ALWAYS loved seeing your thumbnails. Very inspirational and also shows the importance of planning!

Looks great!

Here is a color key BG

Hello.

Here is a color key BG from the "Astronaut" group in Koln.

More Stuff!

Here's a few more...

The animator at work, sequestered with his art...

...and a couple of key drawings I am reworking from the Sports sequence ofr the film.

By the way Rob...I wanted you to do a segment!

Thanks.

Those drawings look pretty clean for being in-process. Did I miss something? I might be spacing but the drawing underneath it was a different position (ergo probably not a rough) and there's no evidence of building. Did you just eye the thumbs and do them so crisp in one take? That's pretty talented, they're without flaw in terms of staging, rendering, etc..

These are semi-clean...

Hello.

Thanks for the questions. Goody, this could be educational too...

The key drawings are semi clean...I will put up the REALLY ruff drawings later. Have to scan them first...I want to maintain my progress...

Thanks.

Pleased to read you, Cornelius! I was an animation student at the IFS in 2003. Perhaps they showed you the previous years' short films. The team I was part of did 'Icarus'. (Jan did the hero, computer wiz Corinna the old eagle and I animated the three villains.)

Making it part of the course to contribute segments to a project like My World sounds like a fabulous idea! I freely admit I'm a little jealous. ;)

Mr. L. - you shaved off your moustache? I almost died from shock. :D Congrats on the brilliant idea!
I must visit Cologne again, soon.

More Contact today!

Hello.

Had a chance to "talk" with Cornelius- one of the German students with the Astronaut group. Our "talk" occurred using Messenger.

This is the time frame in the IFS course where the students spend 2 plus months doing an internship with a studio in Europe.

The folks in the Astronaut group are working out their story and finalizing their character designs.

They will continue with their internship until they meet at the animation festival in Annecy. Actually, Annecy is where we will meet up with them, too.

I plan to pencil test segments of my film this week and cut them into the final leica reel. I have redone several smaller bits in the film.

I will see if I can rustle up some current images.

Thanks.

Hi Larry,
Your film sounds like a wonderful and fun experience, but correct me if I'm wrong is this like one of those shorts like "Anijam" or "Pink Komkommer"? or are all people aware of what is happening in the sequences before and after their own?

"check it out, you know it makes sense!" http://miaumau.blogspot.com/

I'll be Back!

Hello Jabber,

I plan to attend the animation festival in Annecy this June (where I will see Cornelius and the other German students) and then visit some more of Europe, before returning to Koln to teach some more.

Annecy is the best animation festival in the world. I have been twice- I love it.
Fortunately, living in Savannah we have tons of family always willing to house sit and to beach it!

I WILL NOT BE AT....ugh...SIGGRAPH!

Hey Larry!

Like the idea, went on your site aggeesss ago and read about it, and wondered when u were gona finish it! lol, but i know how it is.

I like the thumbnails best, thye're very nice. The artwork looks great too.

If your bothered about the cutesy-ness of the love sequence, u could send it to some non-romantics! I for one!

I know that everyone has their own ways though, and I am more gritty, (with drawins and narrative ideas anyway).

Anther thing i was going to say was what's the koln film school like? because my uncle lives in koln, on the rheine and I just came backfrom there a few weeks ago. I went to visit him for a week, it's a really cool place, and alot going on. Just wondered what the film school's like.

Although I'm thinking about trying to visit America or Europe (or maybe Asia) for inspiration in a year or so.

Sorry to go off the track a bit!

Adam:)

The key drawings are semi clean...I will put up the REALLY ruff drawings later.

That's the whole thing. They're all-the-way clean. I would think, even though they're the most important actions, they wouldn't get winged (though the job is done well); that they'd be built just as all other poses are, with some evidence of setting up (solids, rough mark-making, line of action, etc.)...

Unless by that you mean those last two photographs -are- in the process of clean-up...

Thanks

Thanks. for the feedback.