Fields & Frames #2: Initial Ideas & Research

 Initial Ideas for Choice of Technical Process:

For this project, I began thinking about what technical process I wanted to explore first as this is something I need to know before deciding on a theme or topic especially as I find it easier to know what medium I am working with to come up with an idea. Furthermore, I am focused on developing my technical skills so this also helps me know what in particular I need to work on developing. The two processes that stuck out to me the most were motion graphics in After Effects or stop-motion animation using Dragon Frame. I am keen on using these two mediums because you can make unreal things real which is something that I am really interested in. They both give me more opportunities to be more imaginative and experimental in the way that I am looking for. However, rather than pursuing both processes in one project, I wanted to focus on one and really get to grips and feel more confident with it.

 Although I want to build up my portfolio section of motion graphic, I realised this could be done at any point whereas, with dragon frame, I didn't have the program or equipment so I should take the opportunity up to explore it more. I also realised that recently, the majority of my work had been digital and the process of making was very much all digital too. Although this has been great for developing my skills with using certain programs I started to feel as if I wanted to do something a bit more hands-on whilst working digitally; working more with physical materials as part of the process of making all whilst still having a digital outcome. My plan for this project is to focus on the process and experimentation. I want to use it to try something new. 

To figure out where my next steps, I noted down some basic ideas and features of what I wanted to explore for this project and to create a mood board of ideas and interests as well as artist research. 

- create 3. little gif type morphing things or one whole video

Initial Research Ideas

 To begin with research I spent a long time on VIMEO looking at different experimental animations which I thought was a useful idea at first. However, after a while, I began to feel hindered with what I could make as I found that the things I enjoyed watching, weren't things that I was interested in making for this project (e.g. Little sets with 3D characters ). 

Instead, I decided to find artists and work that I was interested in and found inspiring:

Stanley Donwood

Donwood is an English artist and long time collaborated with Radiohead to make all of their artwork evocative and haunting pieces. I am particularly interested in his work for Radiohead's 2016 album, 'A Moon Shaped Pool' and his 2020 graphic novel, 'Bad Island'. 

I am really drawn to his work with the band and especially his process of making. He is heavily involved in the band's recording process as he develops the artwork as the song unfolds. His work is very dreamlike, but can also be haunting and very nightmarish. 

Bad Island

The monochromatic, unsettling document of 'Bad Island' is comprised of 80 lino-prints that were created over several years. The novel takes the reader to an island where nature is thriving. However, it soon becomes apparent that things quickly become annihilated on this island by natural disasters. Man becomes on the island and begins to thrive creating civilisations in urban landscapes, beautiful in their own way, but soon becomes un-civilised and causes destruction. It is an extremely interesting piece as it shows history, beginning and ending on this one island. It is clear that it is an allegoric reflection of humans that seems almost too familiar and daunting to the reader. What really struck me was that throughout the first few prints, you could see the slender silhouetted figures blending into the background, only just visible but always present. Throughout the book, they become more prominent and have more of an impact. The simple character design by Donwood makes them seem almost silent but powerful. This is due to the lack of individuality in their physical appearance, and no facial expressions but two glaring eyes. I'm drawn towards this design as the character looks pretty innocent and the focus is not really on having prominent features. 

 I really liked this character design as it was simple and easy to replicate through lino cutting and if there was a slight difference it didn't matter as it wasn't prominent in the story. This led me to think that because the plan is to create a stop motion animation, having such a simple but effective figure will make it more time effective with recreating. Furthermore, due to the character's simplicity, I feel as there are lots of potentials to explore who he really is; is he mysterious, ghostly, a spirit, or a monster? In response to the character Donwood created, I created my own little version as displayed in the mood board, but I will have a go doing more designs to see all the possibilities. By looking at the simple figure, I imagined the character morphing into other things and playing around with transitions, possibly looking into morphing animations.

A Moon Shaped Pool

The patterns created on Donwood's work on 'A Moon Shaped Pool' were so amazing. His process of making is extremely interesting, he poured enamel onto a little outdoor pool he created and left the patterns to be composed by the prevailing weather. I like how he had little control and trusted the process as it's super interesting to see what the outcome is as you never get the same patterns. 

I really like the marbled style as it is different every time and I have some marbling ink and think it would be interesting to have a go at creating some samples and even maybe find a way to integrate it into my project:

-Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the painting on film workshop as I was working. However, I was really interested in it as I saw the outcomes of other student's works and they looked amazing. I really liked the abrupt changes it creates and I think this could work if I created the same effect with the marble back but with stop motion. 

BACKGROUND:

 Stan Brakhage 

Brakhage is an American avant-guard filmmaker who has made a pivotal impact in the 20th-century experimental film with over 200 of his films. He has explored different formats of work and techniques:

- Working with celluloid, painting, inked, dyed, and scratching on to it. He has also tried putting objects onto it 

- fast-cutting edits

- Using multiple exposures

Direct animation: the process of scratching, painting, or working directly on the film.

His most famous works of pasting objects onto film are his 1963 short 'Mothlight' where he pastes moth wings onto 16mm film. it tells the story of what a moth sees from life to death; from darkness to light, back to darkness. However, It is the light of the film that resurrects them and gives them eternal life.

"Over the lightbulbs, there are all these dead moth wings, and I … hate that. Such a sadness; there must surely be something to do with that. I tenderly picked them out and start pasting them onto a strip of film, to try to… give them life again, to animate them again, to try to put them into some sort of life through the motion picture machine."

 The fast-editing created by the 24fps switching of every frame with different wings creates an obscure almost static noise look. This editing technique and short duration of the film enhance the themes of death and transience. The reflection of the theme on the process is something that I would like to incorporate into my work as this makes the idea more reinforced. 

Becky Sloan & Joseph Pelling - Tame Impala: Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

The animated music video for Tame Impala's  'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards' was created using clay in a 2D way and was comprised of one thousand plasticine collages. The psychedelic video is completely mesmerising, full of intricate designs and luminous colours. I also like the rawness of the plasticine, the way they left some splodges, and the mixing of the colours in some of the scenes as it adds another element of fun to the video. It also creates a different type of marbling effect. They use simple shapes but the use of the colours and patterns making it more complex. 

 The pace of the animations is particularly interesting as some of the patterns move faster than other pieces and along with the colours, it looks very hypnotising. This is particularly relevant for the scene with the eyes opening and the changing circular background as they both move at different paces making it look almost as if there is a foreground and background. The transitions are also super interesting to me because it very seamlessly morphs into the next shape. As morphing is something that I am super interested in, I think it would be fun to focus on this too. 

IDEA: As a starting point for my piece,  I want to mess around with some black and white marbling as a background to whatever I animate. I think that marbling is a fun technique I can reuse prints and flip them upside down as it won't be noticeable and will allow me to be more time-efficient and save me overusing paper. I will stick to A4 size as this is easiest to capture with a dragon frame set up and will be easier to dye. My next step is to figure out a narrative or what I will animate on top. 

Originally I had the idea to cut out everything as I really wanted to be more hands-on. However, because I only came up with some form of idea and direction of where I wanted to take this project in the last 2 weeks, I definitely feel like that is unrealistic and instead, the animation will have to be done digitally on photoshop. 

MORPHING ANIMATIONS:

is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes (or morphs) one image or shape into another through a seamless transition. Traditionally such a depiction would be achieved through dissolving techniques on film.

Love & Theft (2010) - Andreas Hykade

The morphing, psychedelic animation grasped my attention as it explores cartoon characters and makes reference to animation and filmmakers (Bill Plympton and Ryan Larkin). The name of the seven-minute film itself was inspired by Bob Dylan's album 'Love and Theft'. I love how it starts off with simple animated character faces but then develops more into a kaleidoscope of complex characters who endlessly morph away. They melt and mold seamlessly into each other and remind me of Banksy's Dismaland, which ironically it was shown at. It has the same hypnotic but kind of terrifying feeling the longer you stare at it for as the faces dissolve and reform, some times into fun faces, other times into terrifying ones

I had a look at some of the storyboards and they were very detailed as they broke down each step of the transition:

I think the reason I am so drawn to the morphing effect is because I like the fun unexpected aspect of it, You know the beginning of the scene and the end, but its the process of getting from A to B which is so unpredictable and allows you to be as creative and absurd as you like. I want to have fun with coming up with the morphing with whatever I decide to animate about. I thing it is a good process to explore as I haven't done so within my work. 

'The Hat'  by Michele Cournoyer (1999) 

Whilst researching 'Love & Theft', I came across 'The Hat' animation which is a visceral experience that explores the naked and brutal honesty about the pain and abuse of a woman who is an exotic dancer. The experience almost allows the audience to share the pain of the woman whose body and soul are on display. The hat represents the viewer - the man. The woman becomes overwhelmed by the sight of this and the hat constantly resurfaces and soon becomes an obsessive object for her. Although it is sometimes hard and uncomfortable to watch, this again reflects the feelings of the woman in the animation. Black ink on white paper allows the story to be stark and tells itself through its flowing movements in a succession of troubling and striking metamorphoses. It is a blunt story that feels almost never-ending. 

https://www.nfb.ca/film/the_hat/

I want to create something stark and honest in the same way as Cournoyer and I think the black and white effects is a perfect way to go as it keeps the focus on the movement and flow of the story. I also think I want to make something where the audience can connect and relate to. 

Notes from a group chat with Ellie & Vicky:

From looking at my first drawing, I wanted to figure out who this character is and where I should take him. To do so, I had a chat with Vicky and Ellie so I could talk through my ideas and develop them more and to get some feedback:

- because I was so interested in marbling, I should look at why I want to use it and what it would add to the story. because water marbling looks so psychedelic and has the patterns of light reflecting off the water, it would be cool to start the animation off with the character emerging from the water and develop the story from there. I could even adjust the backdrop of the marbling according to the story in terms of where it marbled and how it links to the story. 

- keep the character simple and silhouetted as he seems innocent yet mysterious.  

- Look more into transitions 

Despite not having a clear idea and direction from my initial research,  it will be developing as I go along.

 TO DO:

- book 1-1 tutorial to talk through ideas

- create a narrative and develop the story further

- do marbled backgrounds

- storyboard