Animating process

Youtube Video's 

I origionally planned to use my own footage for rotoscoping but as the story developed using my own footage become unrealistic. Once I had decided to incorporate animals within the animation I began looking for footage elsewhere. Youtube was the most useful source as they have such a huge libary to choose from. I primarily looked for footage taken from the Islands of Hawaii to ensure the footage was an accurate dipiction of Hawaii.

Screenshot Video

For rotoscoping I would need a large amount of frames close enough together to give the illusion of movement. For this I would press shift, command, 3 to take a screen shot of the video clips that I had put on full screen. I would use to space bar to quickly play and pause the screen for me to take the screen shots so closely together.    

Number Frames

I created a folder for each scene in order to keep everything organised. 

  

Open in gimp using two layers

For rotoscoping I would need to trace over frames that make a moving image when put together. To achieve this digitally I needed to open each frame in the gimp program in two layers. By doing this I could Lower the transparency of the screen shot and draw on the white layer. Using a tablet the process was fairly simular to tracing pictures manually. After I had completed the drawing process I would drag the transparency down to 0% leaving only the outlines I had made.  

Set transparency

In order to clearly see the pen marks the transparancy setting of the picture needs to be reduced. I bring it down to 50% as this gives me an equal visual of both the origional picture and the new canvas I will be drawing onto. After the picture is completed I will need to bring it down to 0% leaving only the new layer I have added.  

Trace over screenshot (rotoscoping)

Gradually fade out images (-10% each frame)

For each new scene added in I would need to include a transition. This involved me decreasing the transparency of the pen on the outgoing frame and increasing the transparency of the incoming. This process would take 10 frames to complete on each of the scenes makeing it a total of 20. These transition frames would take the lonest to complete as I would have to overlap images and alter the settings of the tools I was using.

Fade in next image (+10% each frame) 

Export image as pdf file

Once completed I would need to export the image. Usually Gimp would automatically save the file as an XCF file, this allows me to go back to the picture with all the settings the same as how I left them. This doesnt allow me to use the picture in editing programs such as iMovie therefore I would have to go on save as, then type in the name of the file replacing the '.XCF' with '.JPG'. This would turn the file into a picture file meaning I could use it like I would a photograph.

Final frame folder 

All of the finished frames were places in the same folder so I could highlight and put them all into iMovie at the same time.

Hawaiian Music

Finding royalty free music is one of the most difficult parts of the process. Ontop of the legal issue with using any music you want, finding the music that fits is also something that proves difficult. I also wanted to avoid it becoming like a music video where the visuals become background for the musical. Because of this I feel it will be best to try and avoid any music with lyrics as this may draw attention away from the animation.  

Animated depictions of Hawaii

Using YouTube I was able to look at a variety of ways Hawaii has been depicted and draw inspiration from these animations.     

 

Rotoscoping Study

My first introduction to rotoscoping was from watching bonus disks on Disney dvd's. They'd explain the process of how they'd bring the characters to life in such a smooth and realistic way by life drawing actresses who resemble the characters. As shown in the clip they'd get the actress to repeat movements whilst they would record them adding a Disney style to it. The model in the clip modelled for  Aurora as well as Cinderella and Anita (101 dalmations). 

Its the quality of movement that made these films so successful as they add a realistic element to these fantsy films.
     

Here is a clip of a more contempuary source showing the final producted of a rotoscoping styled animation. This video completly follows the same method I would be following for my fmp (digital rotoscoping).     

FMP Character Design

I created a variety of different styled Hawaiian girls based on the different styles of Animation I had looked at. I only used black pen as I don't feel confident enough to animate in colour. There are two things I wanted to keep the same, the length of hair and the large eyes. 

Storyboard (first draft)

This is my first draft of an animation based on Hawaiian goddess Papa. 

I felt confident with this draft of the story board and felt I have gotten some intresting movements that would translate well into animation. After this I was able to search youtube for videos that resembled my storyboard, It was at this point I had to begin again. Finding these videos that matched the description I had already layout was difficult. Therefore I began the process again but instead watched the videos and then created a story board, this way I knew what I had planned was achivable.

Second and final Story board


By doing it in this order I felt I had more freedom to change my ideas and go in another direction with the story at any time. Instead I used the storyboard as a record of what I had done rather than what I was going to do.   

FMP Movement Study

Life drawing from videos:

In order to prepare myself for rotoscoping I decided it would be good to take inspiration from a few youtube videos that reflect the style I am planning on going towards. Most noticeably I took inspiration from Tarzan and Pocohonatas as both present strong and powerful characters whom use body language as a form of communication. Both characters have Animator Glen Keane in common, who was supervising animator and designer of these character. He is concidered one of the best Animators of all time being held up to the successs of the nine old men (Disneys nine most influential).   

These drawings were inspired by youtube videos of dancers that resemble tribal or cultural dances that relate to my themes.

FMP Hawaiian Goddess Papa

The Goddess Papa (Papahanaumoku) is the mother of the islands and ancestor to all those born there as is her husband, sky father Wakea. She is considered the god of creation and is therefore worshiped by women specifically mothers as Papa gives life.

Papa is said to have been born on the island of O'ahu in the Halawa Valley, it is here that she grew up. She would move on to explore the other Islands of Hawaii, where she would eventually meet Wakea. Together they fell in Love and had a daughter Hoʻohokukalani, which translates to 'one that creates the stars of heaven'.

I origionally wanted to study the God Lono, god of agriculture, fertility, rainfall, music and peace. I origionally thought Lono was female but it later turned out Lono was a male. I had already made plans to and sketches for a goddess therefore I felt it would be better to continue on with a goddess and find another that fit the characteristics I had already began working on. 

FMP Gods and Goddesses of Hawaii

I made a choice to use the gods and goddesses of Hawaii as inspiration for my FMP. My original plan was to base my animation on reality and document the movement of people and tribes from around the world. After feedback it was suggested that I was naive on the subject and come at it from an western point of view where I view these people as exotic. I personal didn't feel the same but in order to not offend anyone I moved onto a more accepted topic. By studying folktales I feel I will have creative freedom to go about it in my own way.    

I decided I'd only study the female gods as i'd be using rotoscoping therefore it would make more sense as I could film myself for parts. I narrowed it down to five goddesses that most interested me mainly due to colours and movements that would be associated with their characters.

Pele Goddess of the volcanoes, as well as fire, lightning and wind.

Hina Goddess of Moon.

Laka Goddess of the hula.

Papa Fertility goddess. Earth mother.

Poliahu One of the four goddesses of snow. The rival of Pele.

FMP Hawaii personal references

FMP Hawaii

Because of the response to some of the sources I was using as references's for my FMP on indigenous tribes I decided it would be more reliable if I altered the topic to one that I had more reliable information on. As well as this I have my own photographs and footage from Hawaii from visits there over the years. 

In this months issue of National Geographic they had an article called 'pure hawaiian' where they focus on the native Hawaii. This gave me the idea to focus on this culture as it was one I was more familiar with and there is a huge amount of information on it. Below are a few pictures taken from the article which centres around the relationship the people of Hawaii have with water. 

Brief History on Hawaii:

The most popular believe is that the island of Hawaii was first populated in the 3rd centry by polynesians later followed by Tahitians who took over the island. Despite this popular believe there is still no evidence backing this and still a number of other theories of how  the population of Hawaii came to be. Amoungst theories are ledgends past down through generations of Native Hawaiians.     

It is known that the arrival of Captain James Cook had a dramatic effect on the population of Native Hawaii. The visiters brought with them diseases that the natives couldnt fight off. The population is estimated to have dropped as much as from 800,000 in 1779 to 37,656 in 1900.