The Wonderfull Noman '07

Done and dusted!

2008-03-09T15:31:00.010+01:00

Chris and I proudly present the result of our collaboration!

This is the final edit of the collab from Chris and me, from last november. This is not ment to be funny for everyone, tho we did do it for fun for us.
It still contains quite a few mistakes, that we had actually taken out but didn't quite got through with the final render for some reason. We finished the animation in november, and the sound in february. Actually we wanted a serious soundtrack, but since we both hate doing sound, the trip to the sound studio rather gave us an opportunity to record radioshows than a soundtrack. So here we are. Now we are done with it :]

This blog is closed!
Go to our graduation blogs instead:
Chris - Bianca

How I animated Noman:

2007-11-16T22:20:00.000+01:00

- linetest (crude proportions, only going for motion, no mask)
- circle test (circles keep proportions and are good for controling the line of action)
- cleanup (leaving some space for the mask)
- colouring (+ adding mask and failing parts)

We have yet to finish the sounds and then we will put the result of our collaboration up.
After that this blog is officially finished and done.

FDMX article

2007-11-13T01:03:00.000+01:00

READ THE ARTICLE HERE

Chris and I are the first to talk about the project in the Student's comments. They even featured THG! Awesome :]

We have decided we wanted to finish our movie properly. Because of our Final Year Major Projects kicking off now, we hope to get it done ASAP.

But for now I moved back to my final years blog:
GOGOGOGOGOGOGO

To Norwich and Back

2007-11-10T15:04:00.000+01:00

It's a tale unlike many others. The St.Joost students went to visit their Norwich collab partners at the end of this project. All were nervous, some excited. *cough*

I know I was, at least. I'ld finally meet the person who I have been collabing so well with for the past month. I traveled for >13 hours till at last we arrived at Norwich Train Station. The Norwich students would pick us up. We arrived slightly earlier. The first couple of English students started showing up. But everyone was just really too shy to go and talk with their partner for more than just "hi". I remember me just directly backing off several meters and hiding behind the others after I had greeted Chris.

After everyone was there, we went to a cafe to chat properly tho. After that all the Dutch students went along with the students they were staying at.

After a little bit of sleep, everyone went to the Norwich School for Art & Design on tuesday to tweak their movies.

Chris and I finished compositing our animation. Practically all animation is done now, even tho some parts are not perfect. We don't have any sound, and for some reason did the last render still contain some errors we had already fixed.
But it didn't need to be finished or be perfect... I would show it to you now but unfortunally the movie file I had got corrupted. I'll try to get it and upload it later :]

It's 2 minutes long, whereas the requirement was 30 seconds!

All our posters were mounted up, and there were cardboard cutouts of every character. In the end we could even keep the latter for ourselves!

The days there were lovely and everyone enjoyed to more or lesser extent. I for one loved it, and taking part of this project was really awesome! Thanks a lot to everyone who helped, were part of it and especially thanks to Chris for being such a wonderfull collab partner. This will not be the last of what you see of us D:

Killing time

2007-11-05T02:31:00.000+01:00

Because of the ever so nearing deadline my last animations suck so bad I want to sit in a corner and cry....HO NOES!!

Sc 13/14/15/16

2007-11-04T14:17:00.000+01:00

Another quick layout of the composition and timing. Again not perfect, but it gives an idea! I changed scene 15/16 a bit from the storyboard.

I also noticed how 16 and 17 don't flow all too well in another, so I need to animate a little turn towards THG after the mask is up. Because in sc 16 Noman's body has his arse towards THG, whereas in sc 17 his body is fully facing THG. I think I need to size Noman down some to make the cut more logical.

"THE BIG CHUNK" IS DONE!

2007-11-02T20:54:00.000+01:00

I finished animating Sc_17-22. To get an idea I quickly composited both our animations together in Adobe Premiere. I noticed how both the importated files lose massive quality (esp in the goose walk). So need a solution to that. But at least they seem to communicate with eachother!
I don't know why the bg turned pinkish on youtube but it's actually bright white.

To do-list:
- Sc 23: - stop of bounce, 180degrees turn-around, clean old jump, re-use turn-around
- Sc 15/16: omg my head hurts just thinking of that scene. Why did I want a close-up there??!?!
- Some still drawings: photobooth, photo strip, Sc 12.
- Composite it all together: Premiere fails? -> go to -> Shake.

Posters

2007-11-01T20:57:00.000+01:00

Chris and I made 5 original posters to exhibit in Norwich. They say completely nothing to very little about our animation. The film poster is just straight misleading. But we had fun. As always.

Treat or DIE

2007-11-01T11:20:00.000+01:00

For some reason their night was very succesfull.

part 2

Who needs a mask -

2007-10-31T00:03:00.000+01:00

if you got a pumpkin?

Happy Halloween part 1! (even tho Holland doesn't actually celebrate it..)

Sc 17/18/20 linetesting

2007-10-30T21:08:00.000+01:00

I thought I might show you a little linetest. I have already finished scene 19 yesterday, but will edit it directly in with Sc 17/18/20/21/22/23 which I am doing now... So you will get that big chunk tomorrow. After that it'll generally all be re-uses (and some frames to get into the next re-use, like which I have to make now from the nudge into the hop cycle).

In this linetest:
- shake of head
- little jump (which is for "look mam! no hands!" and "i've got a better idea!")
- first nudge

Needless to say:
- Youtube slows vid's down or skips parts so you gotta watch it for a second or even a third time to get the right speed.
- It's not on-model (doh) and has no mask animated in yet, but you get the general idea of the movement!

Hop much?

2007-10-27T17:15:00.001+02:00

So this deals with about 50% of my animation.

MaybeI'lleditthemotionofthemaskalittlelater.

Sc 13/14

2007-10-26T21:48:00.000+02:00

Fanart - updated

2007-10-26T18:27:00.000+02:00

Someone I know from a forum (nickname: Fieldy3000) asked me if he could make a 3D model of Noman. hah!
previous version of the turnaround: 1 2 3 4 + noman and screamer

I could make "Noman - IN 3D!" now ;]

GO GO ANIMATE

2007-10-26T02:03:00.000+02:00

After 3 days of "holidays" a.k.a. not being here, and 1 day of writing an essay with deadline on today, I am - FINALLY - READY TO ANIMATE

HAR-HAR

Full Animatic

2007-10-21T20:39:00.000+02:00

Chris made an animated animatic! It has the general timing, but we just talked through it again, and some shots will be scrapped (8,9,27) and some a bit slower/with longer holds.

We basically came to the conclusion that we don't really have to watch the timing or size with our characters when they are in the same shot. Most of the timing can be solved in the compositing.

For me this means the following:
12. hold (maybe a little walk-cycle+stop)
13/14. hold, turn of head, hold
15/16. hold, flip up mask, hold
17. hold
18. shake of head
19. hold, with blinking cartoon lines to show he has no arms
20. nudge, hop-cycle
21. hop-cycle re-use flipped, new nudge
22. hop-cycle re-use
23. hop-cycle re-use, end, jump (re-use of sketch), nudge re-use
25/26. hold
27. (not in storyboard, but is him entering booth) hop-cycle re-use
28/29. still drawings

So basically I mainly need a good hop-cycle ;]

Ignorance is BLISS

2007-10-20T00:43:00.000+02:00

NO, NOMAN, SHARKS DON'T MAKE GOOD FRIENDS

Playgrounds mid-presentation

2007-10-19T21:02:00.000+02:00

Today we had a little presentation on the Playgrounds festival in Tilburg (www.playgroundsfestival.nl).
There was a live-connection with Norwich over the webcam, and we had a huge screen to show our stuff on. Rene for Breda, and Tom for Norwich told about the education given at the school. Then they told a bit about the project, and let three groups talk about their specific colaboration. Chris and I were the first to do so, followed by Linde+Bram+Martin and Jantien (who's paired up with Hannah, but Hannah was ill today).
I had the feeling I was talking total nonsense and chaotically browsing thro both our weblogs. I wanted to let Chris do a bit more talking, but I just couldn't shut up!
But people seem to have gotten a good idea of what we two were doing and what the Norwich-Breda Project was about. Plus, most of all, people enjoyed our characters, ideas and animations - which makes me very happy!

Now I am really exhausted. If you want to read Chris' P.O.V. on today go to his blogpost!

edit*
Me and Chris presenting from Holland's P.O.V.:

more at: the AV/AN blog

Storyboard nr. 3 ...

2007-10-18T16:02:00.000+02:00

It's very rough, but you'll get the idea :]

And the edited script:

Be sure to also keep checking out Chris' blogs for more drawings!!

Little guy is going down.

2007-10-18T12:24:00.000+02:00

..don't ask.

NOMAN goes TOURIST

2007-10-18T04:01:00.001+02:00

A ladykiller.

THG goes TOURIST

2007-10-18T03:35:00.000+02:00

THG with camera kept reminding me of -

Third idea!

2007-10-18T03:01:00.000+02:00

Chris and I mindboggled the whole damn day to try and solve our mystery. We were both rather satisfied with the first story, but it obviously left some people confused.
So we decided to start with a clean sheet, and think up new ideas.
At some point Chris said he had sketched THG with a photo camera. This kind of interested me and we started with that.

In order to let the characters interact without barriers, we decided to make Noman solid/almost completely opac.

This is the script we wrote so far:

failed

2007-10-17T22:43:00.001+02:00

I thought of letting Noman appear in the frame like this:

But not only does it look incredibly cheap, it also confuses. So... back to the drawing board... I think it kinda works for the teeth, so maybe I should draw in the teeth like that and let the rest fade in.

storybored

2007-10-17T16:34:00.000+02:00

This is the storyboard that goes along with the new idea.

I am personally still kinda sceptic... Not as to that it would be too much work or anything. But it's kind of an odd way to tell an even odder story, and the light-turning-on part in the beginning becomes absolutely unnescessary... I also don't like the ending half as much as the other ending.. Any thoughts, anyone?

edits 1

2007-10-17T13:56:00.000+02:00

Chris talked with suzie for some crits on the idea we had, and suzie suggested we should let Noman interact more with THG. They thought that it might be an idea, to let the mask fall of Noman, through which he because visable. THG puts on the mask and because invisable. The other heads notice the change and the newcomer and decide to attack him. Noman quickly takes the mask off Eyebrows and puts it on. Becoming invisable just in time.

This is Chris' drawn version of that idea. His written version can be found as a comment here.

Script (full)

2007-10-17T11:59:00.000+02:00

I made a jpg of it. But it's available in a word document as well. Gonna send that out for crits.
Chris is at NSAD recording the first voices for his goose. That way we can start timing our animation. He hasn't read the full script yet, so it might differ a bit.

Today, we both are going to start with animating the shots where our characters are solo in the frame. Like Chris will start with the light switching on and see how he can solve the bitching part.
And I will start with the mask getting drawn in (frame 8+9).

Once we have the voices a bit, and we let our teachers check the script and storyboard, we can can set up an Xsheet and draw the poses into frame. From that we can start animating.
Unfortunally I am off during most of the holidays next week, but I think we will be able to handle that.

Storyboard!

2007-10-17T00:08:00.000+02:00

Chris did a lot of hard work today and made some storyboard sketches and a test animation! You can see it on his blog -> click
I read it all through and then drew a more precise storyboard, re-using some of his shots, which were good.

Ignore the crappy text I wrote all around it:

We mind boggled a bit about frame 8 and 9, because initially we wanted to introduce Noman without mask, but it would have much more impact if we introduce the mask first. Giving the public also a change to see the mask that scares the geese at the end in detail.

The more sketchy storyboard with a previous version of frame 9 is here -> click

Concept

2007-10-17T00:06:00.000+02:00

Yesterday Chris and I set down and brainstormed about the meeting of our characters. This was our concept from which we both made storyboards seperately:

"THG (three headed-goose) switches on light. It comes into frame argueing (about something), yawns - because it wants to sleep. Noman comes in, and THG feels intimidated (one head). The other heads decide it's bedtime and switch off the light. In the dark, the mask of Noman glows, and the more dumb head we name "eyebrows" sees it. In panic he switches the light back on. The others turn it back off again (or let him turn it back off) and they all 3 see the glowing mask. They scream and run around in distress. Breaking things and knocking things off. Finally THG crashes somewhere outside of the frame against a wall or something."

or in short:
THG switches on light, comes in frame argueing, yawns etc. noman comes in, THG feel intimidated, THG switches off light, joseph notices mask, switch back on, switch back off, all notice and drama happens.

Different size relation.

2007-10-15T23:42:00.000+02:00

Probably works better. Chris and I are currently brainstorming on the story!

Chris,

2007-10-14T23:57:00.001+02:00

if you see this tonight: I've got to meet with my teacher tomorrow in the afternoon and hope to present him some ideas for our animation. Can you think some out, and write them down on your blog, or in a mail, or something? I will do the same :]

-Bianca

Oi!

2007-10-14T20:43:00.000+02:00

Chris made a title page, and I added in Noman and some colors.
I am not sure if the size relation is right. How far up does a goose reach on a grown-up human?
Anyways, Chris is going to cutout-animate his THG in AfterEffects, and I will handanimate Noman in TVpaint - which all you english students never even heard of! It's a very usefull bitmap-animation-program (maybe it even comes close to the god-status of PhotoshopCS2)...

Jump - jump - JUMP FOR JOY

2007-10-14T19:29:00.000+02:00

Yay, chris and I made contact, now we can get things going D:<

Blablablabla..

2007-10-13T23:36:00.000+02:00

A corner ghost is a domestic ghost.

They don't particulary stick to one person, but they do prefer angsty/self-unconsious/sissy/depressed people. They usually hang around at the same house for a while. They don't move along with the owners, but they can get tired of one house and just walk to another to start stalking there.
Corner ghosts can walk through walls, like many ghosts.

They don't make sounds, like a "poltergeist". And they aren't visable to most people as well. The only way normal people sense the presense of a corner ghost is by the unconsious feeling of 'being watched'.

They are actually quite friendly, in the sense of that they are not agressive and they don't do harm, quite unlike e.g. an incubus. As previously mentioned, they are really dumb. This also means they can get really excited by the most simple things, like... meeting another character.

If a corner ghost is on the move, it removes the mask, lifting the feeling of 'being watched'. At the point where it meets an enemy or a victim it quickly flips on the mask.

Let's meet!~

2007-10-13T01:39:00.001+02:00

Nobody thought of making pictures of our digital meeting with England. Well, I made some crappy ones with my phone. To give you an idea?~
We had strong drinks, beer, chips and candy, and afterwards some of us stayed at school for the weekly bar that was open.
Our little meeting went quick and smooth. We had a lot of fun! I guess our counterparts in England had fun as well..?
I don't know how exactly the connection was established since I came late due to an exam, but it was a skype connection and it worked just fine D:

contacts!

2007-10-11T17:27:00.000+02:00

Right :]
msn: pentanitroaniline@hotmail.com (a clear case of copy-pasting)
skype: rag_aivie
and the general gmail adress is in my profile.

Model Sheets

2007-10-06T14:10:00.000+02:00

Noman (No-man.. I R original..) is quite a passive character. He doesn't want to actively scare people with his wicked mask. I doubt he even realizes that it is his job to scare people. Or that his mask is scary. He does not speak, but communicates in sounds and wild movements. He is quite naive... See, he's just too dumb to scare people conciously.

But he may become reactive when confronted with another character. I am not quite sure if the mask also changes expressions. If it does change, it would probably change expressions everytime we blink, if you know what I mean.
>:D ... :[ ... >:( ... :D ... etc

Other character traits will probably become visable in combo with your character :]

Character Sheet

2007-10-06T10:53:00.001+02:00

...
In case my handwriting is unclear, it says:
- is actually innocent and dumb (can drool at the most)
- cannot speak (he makes sounds tho)
- sits in corner and does... nothing... except for looking at you
- Jump, Walk, Shakes the mask up

Size relation to a grown-up:

A 600 dpi pic can be found here -> click

Character Concepts

2007-10-06T10:52:00.001+02:00

These were my first Character concepts. I chose the bottom right one.
Yes it looks like a hollow/miyazuki ghosts etc. Indeed I was inspired, but mostly I just wanted to draw a wicked joker like mask and a creature with a mideval styled belly (big round bellies R T3H FUN).

Introduction

2007-10-05T14:31:00.001+02:00

Hi Norwich!

I'm looking forward to collabing with one of you!
My name is Bianca, 22. I prefer traditional 2D animation on paper, but am also adept in many computer programs, esp. Photoshop. On the left you can find some links of websites with some of my stuff.

I hope to be collabing with another 2Der but am also open to other techniques. Myself, I will mostly likely work in TvPaint.