Final thoughts on the experience
As a whole this project has been a great experience. I was able to develop my creative skills, technical skills and research ability. Though project management (production diary and task list) which I have stuck to, I was able to work on aspects of animation that I have never looked into before and I feel that I have managed to overcome certain situations by looking at the project from different angles. The finished piece is reflective of the plan that I had set out at the start of the project and I feel that the process as a whole has been both challenging and enjoyable. There are some areas in which I would improve were I to revisit this project in the future but for now I am happy with the overall progress and production process. This animation is one that manages to capture the audience and show them a world that I feel passionate about and in this sense I would consider this project to be a success. I hope to take the skills that I have learnt here and apply them to projects in the future focusing more on technical animation and building my narrative ability further.
Updated task list
Updated task list
Evaluation of finished animation and project as a whole Part 2
Evaluating the animation itself, there are some aspects that work really well with others being something that were I to work on this project again in the future, i would polish further, mainly based on my own preference and the user testing that I received from the varied audiences who viewed this animation throughout the process. Firstly looking at the environment, it has a well lit rugged feel that clearly shows that it is an icy scene. It's vastness compared with the character can easily be seen during the slow pan of the opening shot. The wind effect here works well also to establish the harsh conditions. The movement of the character is strong and the audience can see the sense of fear and uncertainty on the characters face. One thing I noticed though is that even though the quality is HD1080, there seems to be slight blur on the opening shot.
The snow simulation was not how I had originally intended but from my opinion and that of the users, it looks better the way it is now, with the opening fade to title working really well at establishing the tone of the animation. The music here also works well and is effective in showing that dramatic nature that was intended. Looking back at the music and sound effects though, although they fit really nicely, the chance to have original music which fell through would have been a far nicer touch to the finished piece.
Having tried to crack the word "Cracked" in the opening sequence, it just didn't look right so i'm glad that I chose not to do this element. When the snowfall starts and we can see the character starting to become at peace n the landscape, there is an intended subtlety that there is peace and tranquility, a false sense of safety that will be disrupted soon after. This is a metaphor for how the mind of someone with OCD can jump from peace to chaos in the blink of an eye. The movement on the characters chest works well for breathing also.
The character models, were I to do this animation again in the future, I think I would make the characters more complex. I had intentionally made them more simplistic and added the many blendshapes for facial expressions in order to have the character seem more generic as if he could be anyone, while focusing on the emotions caused by anxiety. This can be seen in the shot where the ice begins to crack and the character drops down, a shot that I think should also should have slightly less pause when the character drops. The anticipation here is really nice though and I feel works well as part of the overall film. The appearance of the crack and the overall look of panic that unfolds on the character's face at the same time as the audience's realisation hits home very well. A criticism of this area would be the ice cracking sound effect. In some places it seems a bit much and that is another area that I would fix if I were to redo it in the future.
The run works nicely with the change in shots as the ice chases the character adding to the suspense. The highlight of this shot would be the character sliding to a stop which according to user testing is a real highlight of good timing. The camera angle switches at this point are smooth with the character really showing good emotion at this point. Fear appearing on his face as the ice cracks in closeup. The slight subtleties here as the character moves are a nice addition thanks to the supervisor albeit the shot being slightly bright in some areas. This point still has the shock factor that plays well through the animation until the cut to black. The moment of suspense during the black shot was a good choice as it continues to build on that feeling of isolation, the wind dies down here but I feel the ice cracking on reflection could have died down slightly more too. The music change here is far from subtle but evokes empathy in the viewer and makes them see the fear on this character as he realises that he is trapped.
At this point, (1:15) of the video, there is a clear sense of loneliness as the character is trapped, the slight movements on the ice here work very well with the stand up and sit back down being some of the strongest animation of the video. One clear issue of this is the way the lighting changes mid shot. This would be a major design issue that I would fix if I were to rerender this when coming back to the project at a future time. Then we have the important close up shot were the voices overlay each other with the different fonts and moving text. This was a very difficult process to find a way of representing the voices and letting it flow with the animation. This now flows well with the different fonts acting as conflicting voices constantly messing witht he mind of a person with OCD.
The end shot has some good camera movement as the audience is given the shock factor that it is all in the characters head with the therapist acting as the voice of reason that breaks through all the others and helps the character, proving to the audience that there is hope in this situation. The shot was a tough one to get right as the shot needs to be powerful. This transitions into the final quote that shows there is hope and leaves the audience thinking about the situation.
Overall, the animation seems to have been a success. Yes, there are issues that could be improved but in terms of an animation, a narrative and a piece that sets out to achieve a goal, it seems to be a success.
The snow simulation was not how I had originally intended but from my opinion and that of the users, it looks better the way it is now, with the opening fade to title working really well at establishing the tone of the animation. The music here also works well and is effective in showing that dramatic nature that was intended. Looking back at the music and sound effects though, although they fit really nicely, the chance to have original music which fell through would have been a far nicer touch to the finished piece.
Having tried to crack the word "Cracked" in the opening sequence, it just didn't look right so i'm glad that I chose not to do this element. When the snowfall starts and we can see the character starting to become at peace n the landscape, there is an intended subtlety that there is peace and tranquility, a false sense of safety that will be disrupted soon after. This is a metaphor for how the mind of someone with OCD can jump from peace to chaos in the blink of an eye. The movement on the characters chest works well for breathing also.
The character models, were I to do this animation again in the future, I think I would make the characters more complex. I had intentionally made them more simplistic and added the many blendshapes for facial expressions in order to have the character seem more generic as if he could be anyone, while focusing on the emotions caused by anxiety. This can be seen in the shot where the ice begins to crack and the character drops down, a shot that I think should also should have slightly less pause when the character drops. The anticipation here is really nice though and I feel works well as part of the overall film. The appearance of the crack and the overall look of panic that unfolds on the character's face at the same time as the audience's realisation hits home very well. A criticism of this area would be the ice cracking sound effect. In some places it seems a bit much and that is another area that I would fix if I were to redo it in the future.
The run works nicely with the change in shots as the ice chases the character adding to the suspense. The highlight of this shot would be the character sliding to a stop which according to user testing is a real highlight of good timing. The camera angle switches at this point are smooth with the character really showing good emotion at this point. Fear appearing on his face as the ice cracks in closeup. The slight subtleties here as the character moves are a nice addition thanks to the supervisor albeit the shot being slightly bright in some areas. This point still has the shock factor that plays well through the animation until the cut to black. The moment of suspense during the black shot was a good choice as it continues to build on that feeling of isolation, the wind dies down here but I feel the ice cracking on reflection could have died down slightly more too. The music change here is far from subtle but evokes empathy in the viewer and makes them see the fear on this character as he realises that he is trapped.
At this point, (1:15) of the video, there is a clear sense of loneliness as the character is trapped, the slight movements on the ice here work very well with the stand up and sit back down being some of the strongest animation of the video. One clear issue of this is the way the lighting changes mid shot. This would be a major design issue that I would fix if I were to rerender this when coming back to the project at a future time. Then we have the important close up shot were the voices overlay each other with the different fonts and moving text. This was a very difficult process to find a way of representing the voices and letting it flow with the animation. This now flows well with the different fonts acting as conflicting voices constantly messing witht he mind of a person with OCD.
The end shot has some good camera movement as the audience is given the shock factor that it is all in the characters head with the therapist acting as the voice of reason that breaks through all the others and helps the character, proving to the audience that there is hope in this situation. The shot was a tough one to get right as the shot needs to be powerful. This transitions into the final quote that shows there is hope and leaves the audience thinking about the situation.
Overall, the animation seems to have been a success. Yes, there are issues that could be improved but in terms of an animation, a narrative and a piece that sets out to achieve a goal, it seems to be a success.
Monday, 8 January 2018
Evaluation of finished animation and project as a whole Part 1
The first part of this evaluation will deal with the project pitch and how I feel that the finished product reflects the final pitch. I proposed to create a 3D animation roughly two to three minutes in length that related to the topic of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). As I stated in the pitch, this is an area that I feel very passionate about. It is something that I deal with on a daily basis and I wanted to raise awareness on the matter. The animation that I created definitely deals with this topic and is an animation that fits the time frame that was intended. Looking through the animation, it seems that it could be used to relate to other anxiety related mental health issues including depression as from user feedback, it looks like some people interpret it as anxiety as a whole. I like this idea actually as it makes me feel like there is an understanding for the topic.
The research undertaken in order to create the idea was important to fully understand the condition from a psychological perspective. The books that I studied really helped me when it came to analysing the various anxiety related symptoms, cognitive behaviour based therapy and deeper causes of the condition. These factors were important in creating the closed off and emotional nature of the main character. It was important to understand his emotions and feelings before he could be brought to life through his emotions and facial expressions. Here is the plot of the animation as outlined in the pitch at the start of the semester.
"This animation would focus on a particular aspect of the disorder, not necessarily well known and explore it through a story of a character struggling to cope. My main idea for this is that of a man making his way through the Arctic only to fight for survival as the ice cracks around him. As he comes to the realisation that he is trapped within an area of ice, he begins to break down. The environment then changes to a household scene where the man is cowering. It is revealed that the ice cracks are in fact metaphorical for the cracks in the path outside his house and he is struggling to leave his home due to the cracks that he is unable to pass. This shows us the real fear that many deal with due to this debilitating disorder."
I believe that this is very fitting to the theme of the finished piece. On reflection, the cracks could have been highlighted further as the metaphor within the ice cracking but at the same time the concept of the disastrous area where a person feels lost and alone is enough to then reference the reality and let the audience know the pain that an OCD related person has. It is enough of a contrast to put that shock factor into the audience showing them that something so small can be something so terrible when the condition is introduced. From the user feedback that was received this seems to have worked. The audience seems to be able to walk away from the video being able to empathise with the character and understand the situation and story as a whole. That understanding is one of the most important factors when it comes to successful animation.
As for the technical side of the research, it was important to look at some challenging aspects such as cracking ice and creating snow simulation. These issues would not have been possible without the trial and error and constant searching for solutions to better myself. When one aspect failed, it was key to look at a problem from a different angle, try a different method and overcome it. This happened in all aspects from the modelling and animating (which I restarted when I found the body movements weren't quite right) to the snow simulation and arnold watermark rendering when trying to output. I feel however that these issues were overcome to a strong degree and that the animation has improved based on this.
The research undertaken in order to create the idea was important to fully understand the condition from a psychological perspective. The books that I studied really helped me when it came to analysing the various anxiety related symptoms, cognitive behaviour based therapy and deeper causes of the condition. These factors were important in creating the closed off and emotional nature of the main character. It was important to understand his emotions and feelings before he could be brought to life through his emotions and facial expressions. Here is the plot of the animation as outlined in the pitch at the start of the semester.
"This animation would focus on a particular aspect of the disorder, not necessarily well known and explore it through a story of a character struggling to cope. My main idea for this is that of a man making his way through the Arctic only to fight for survival as the ice cracks around him. As he comes to the realisation that he is trapped within an area of ice, he begins to break down. The environment then changes to a household scene where the man is cowering. It is revealed that the ice cracks are in fact metaphorical for the cracks in the path outside his house and he is struggling to leave his home due to the cracks that he is unable to pass. This shows us the real fear that many deal with due to this debilitating disorder."
I believe that this is very fitting to the theme of the finished piece. On reflection, the cracks could have been highlighted further as the metaphor within the ice cracking but at the same time the concept of the disastrous area where a person feels lost and alone is enough to then reference the reality and let the audience know the pain that an OCD related person has. It is enough of a contrast to put that shock factor into the audience showing them that something so small can be something so terrible when the condition is introduced. From the user feedback that was received this seems to have worked. The audience seems to be able to walk away from the video being able to empathise with the character and understand the situation and story as a whole. That understanding is one of the most important factors when it comes to successful animation.
As for the technical side of the research, it was important to look at some challenging aspects such as cracking ice and creating snow simulation. These issues would not have been possible without the trial and error and constant searching for solutions to better myself. When one aspect failed, it was key to look at a problem from a different angle, try a different method and overcome it. This happened in all aspects from the modelling and animating (which I restarted when I found the body movements weren't quite right) to the snow simulation and arnold watermark rendering when trying to output. I feel however that these issues were overcome to a strong degree and that the animation has improved based on this.
Sunday, 7 January 2018
User Feedback Finished product and response
During the post production stage I showed my almost finished animation to fellow students.
Interactive Systems student
The animation is very smooth and flows very well throughout. The cameras also work very well in accordance with the animation as a key moment in the animation was when the ice cracks and the character slows down and slides to a stop then looks up after the ice has cracked. This would have been very hard to perfect in my opinion as making it look like the character is actually sliding on the ice and halting has been done very well. The models aren’t the best but do work very well with the animation as they have been rigged and skinned very well. The story line is very key in this and the way the awareness was portrayed has been done very well and gave the user an understanding of the issues people face. The sound is also key as it is what delivers the message through a different way, the music as well as the voices worked very well especially the part when the character was heavily breathing in the icy terrain. Overall the animation and sounds tied in very well to portray a great story that made the viewer aware and also interpret the story very easily.
This feedback is very helpful and highlights that I have achieved the goal of creating a piece that highlights the pain of OCD and anxiety. This feedback is proof that the work has been helpful to creating awareness and working as a coherent and powerful piece of animation for the audience to empathise with.
For the second bit of feedback, I find that the positive feedback is really good and that it is a response that fits very well to what I was going for. As for the negative feedback, it is understandable that these comments were made. The shader and skin colour issues seem to be a personal issue for the user as others have not mentioned it but were I to go and redo the project in the future this and the animation issue on the run would definitely be elements that I would work on, the close up run being the weakest part of the animation in my opinion. I would edit this section as well as lighten the therapist's skin tone and recolour the ice if the ice was seen to be an issue across many users.
For the third bit of feedback, the positive feedback is again fitting to what I wanted to see, the negative side is that the user knew my story and as explained there is biased knowledge there in that sense which means that a viewer may not necessarily grasp the concept straight off. Also the breathing is something that were I to continue working on in the future, I would edit further to the feedback given.
Thank you to these students for their valuable feedback.
Interactive Systems student
The animation is very smooth and flows very well throughout. The cameras also work very well in accordance with the animation as a key moment in the animation was when the ice cracks and the character slows down and slides to a stop then looks up after the ice has cracked. This would have been very hard to perfect in my opinion as making it look like the character is actually sliding on the ice and halting has been done very well. The models aren’t the best but do work very well with the animation as they have been rigged and skinned very well. The story line is very key in this and the way the awareness was portrayed has been done very well and gave the user an understanding of the issues people face. The sound is also key as it is what delivers the message through a different way, the music as well as the voices worked very well especially the part when the character was heavily breathing in the icy terrain. Overall the animation and sounds tied in very well to portray a great story that made the viewer aware and also interpret the story very easily.
Computer Animation and Visual effects student
This is an
evaluation for the final project of Joseph. I will start with the positive and continue
with the negative evaluation.
• Positive Evaluation:
• The first
thing I thought when I saw the final animation, was that the idea involving OCD
or any mental health issues is beneficial to not only a particular group of
people, but also to the whole society.
• Another
thing is how Joseph created the cracks on the ice and the snowing scenes. The
introduction scene, which starts with black screen and falling snow helps with
the overall aesthetics of the animation. It’s definitely something different
and catches the eye of the audience.
• The
majority of the movements and the facial expressions of the character are nicely
done and helps the audience to understand what is going on. For example, the moment
the character realises the ice is cracking and it take a nice startled position
with a scared face, which represents that something is really happening and the
character have to run. However, not all of the movements are perfect and I will
mention some of them in the negative evaluation. I do feel however that the crouch was well done and the character does accurately show fear.
• The
animation of the ice floating around in the water, after all the ice cracks is brilliant!
• Negative Evaluation:
• The first
thing I will mention in my negative evaluation is the shader that has been used
for the creation of the snow. In comparison with the falling snow, which is amazing,
the environment is not as good. The scene in the very beginning before the
introduction is too light and gives the representation that everything is made
of ice, even the mountains.
• The second
thing is the running cycle of the character. That was maybe the movement, which
I really disliked. The position and the movements of the arms are nearly unrealistic
to almost wrong, mostly because of the armpits being in a weird position.
• The final
thing I will mention, that caught my eye while watching the animation was in
the final scene where the character is in front of the hospital with the nurse beside
him was why she is purple and why she doesn’t have any textures on her shoes.
Overall, my
final opinion is that yes, it does need some fixing and re-rendering on some
scenes. However, in the end of the day the animation served its purpose to show
to the audience, how people with OCD feel every day in their life and have to
deal with on a daily basis. I personally think that this project was not only
beneficial to Joseph on practical (Maya) level, but also helped him to understand
OCD in a better way.
Computer Animation
Computer Animation
I really liked this animation overall. Your animation skills, for both body and facial animation, have improved tons since last year. The best looking bit of the animation is as the character slams to a halt in front of the cracked ice - the timing and body mechanics work super well here.
The environment looks really nice and you can definitely tell where the character is supposed to be and what is happening. Possibly the most effective part of the environment is the way you made the ice crack. It looks like you've taken a lot of inspiration from scenes in ice age.
The music works super well in context with the story, and the story itself is very effective. It's understandable and flows really nicely. Aside from a few minor animation issues, mainly tiny points that need more work on body mechanics, the only real criticism I would give is the breathing noises of the character towards the end of the animation are a bit disconcerting and possibly carry on for too long. However, since you're raising awareness for OCD it makes sense in this context, and I suppose in some ways it makes the audience feel the discomfort that the character is feeling.
The last thing is I'd say that because I've known from the start that the story is about the character not wanting to step on cracks in the pavement that this makes it really easy for me to understand. However, I don't think enough attention is brought to cracks in the actual pavement that the character is standing on at the end. A possible quick camera shot to show small cracks in the actual pavement might have made this a bit clearer for audience members who have don't understand what OCD is about.
The music works super well in context with the story, and the story itself is very effective. It's understandable and flows really nicely. Aside from a few minor animation issues, mainly tiny points that need more work on body mechanics, the only real criticism I would give is the breathing noises of the character towards the end of the animation are a bit disconcerting and possibly carry on for too long. However, since you're raising awareness for OCD it makes sense in this context, and I suppose in some ways it makes the audience feel the discomfort that the character is feeling.
The last thing is I'd say that because I've known from the start that the story is about the character not wanting to step on cracks in the pavement that this makes it really easy for me to understand. However, I don't think enough attention is brought to cracks in the actual pavement that the character is standing on at the end. A possible quick camera shot to show small cracks in the actual pavement might have made this a bit clearer for audience members who have don't understand what OCD is about.
For the second bit of feedback, I find that the positive feedback is really good and that it is a response that fits very well to what I was going for. As for the negative feedback, it is understandable that these comments were made. The shader and skin colour issues seem to be a personal issue for the user as others have not mentioned it but were I to go and redo the project in the future this and the animation issue on the run would definitely be elements that I would work on, the close up run being the weakest part of the animation in my opinion. I would edit this section as well as lighten the therapist's skin tone and recolour the ice if the ice was seen to be an issue across many users.
For the third bit of feedback, the positive feedback is again fitting to what I wanted to see, the negative side is that the user knew my story and as explained there is biased knowledge there in that sense which means that a viewer may not necessarily grasp the concept straight off. Also the breathing is something that were I to continue working on in the future, I would edit further to the feedback given.
Thank you to these students for their valuable feedback.
Creating credits
During the post production stage, I added credits at the end. This seems like a necessity for the animation. In this section, I added my name, University number, my email address a voice cast and once again a list of references. These are important to acknowledge the various sources and to put a proper conclusion to the video. I left a black space between the end of the animation and the credits in order to separate it from the animation as a whole. It is not part of the overall advert but just there for professional and acknowledgement purposes.
Saturday, 6 January 2018
Post Production: Issues and overcoming them
During the post production stage I encountered a problem with a small block appearing in the image sequence in Premiere Pro. This was not however on the actual rendered image.
Rerendering the stills for the ten frames or so that this happens didn't make any difference so using a legacy title shape, I edited colour blocks to match the background and edit the issue. This worked and resolved the problem.
Rerendering the stills for the ten frames or so that this happens didn't make any difference so using a legacy title shape, I edited colour blocks to match the background and edit the issue. This worked and resolved the problem.
Post production Words
The scene where the character is imagining all of the hateful voices has proved to be a challenge, but through creative decisions, managed to get it to a stage where I feel that it fits with the rest of the film. The voice over is smoother but still manages to create a sense of disorientation, which is what I was going for in trying to create empathy for the character.
The colour of the font was debated for a long time but after trying it in a few colours such as blue and green, red just seemed to fit best. In order to choose this, further user testing was done on five students via face to face interaction and asking them the colour that they felt suited best.
Here are the responses
3: Red
1: Green
1: Other (Light Brown)
Following this, using Premiere Pro, the fonts were edited and moved around, syncing with the voices as necessary. The creative choice to use different speeds and different font types was to highlight the various conflicting voices and thoughts that play in the mind of a person with OCD or anxiety. This, although subtle feels like it has a place now and flows better with the overall story. This shot is important as it is the transition from the icy scene to the big reveal of the last scene.
Here is the animation of this shot.
The colour of the font was debated for a long time but after trying it in a few colours such as blue and green, red just seemed to fit best. In order to choose this, further user testing was done on five students via face to face interaction and asking them the colour that they felt suited best.
Here are the responses
3: Red
1: Green
1: Other (Light Brown)
Following this, using Premiere Pro, the fonts were edited and moved around, syncing with the voices as necessary. The creative choice to use different speeds and different font types was to highlight the various conflicting voices and thoughts that play in the mind of a person with OCD or anxiety. This, although subtle feels like it has a place now and flows better with the overall story. This shot is important as it is the transition from the icy scene to the big reveal of the last scene.
Here is the animation of this shot.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
Updated task list and rendering update
Following the Christmas rendering period, here is the updated task list. The rendering process went very well but some re rendering may need to take place on the opening shot due to a lighting issue.
I rendered in HD1080 as it gave the most suitable quality for the animation.
I rendered in HD1080 as it gave the most suitable quality for the animation.
