VIDEO & SOUND PRODUCTION // Final Project
Week 1 - Week 14 (01/04/2021 - 01/07/2021)
Fann Man Ling - 0344623 (BDCM)
Video & Sound Production // Mr. Martin
Final Project // Stop Motion
LECTURES
Week 1: Choose 3 favourite Stop Motion videos, and explain why.
Week 2: Lecture: Framing & Composition
Week 3: Lecture: Film Sound
Week 4: Lecture: Story Telling in Film
Week 5: Decide Stop Motion Style & Topic (environmental issue)
Week 9: Final Project Proposal Briefing
Week 10: Submission of Proposal
Week 11: Review on Proposal
Week 12: Review on Trial Shoot
Week 13: Review on Trial Shoot & Principle Shoot
Week 14: Review on Progression
INSTRUCTION
Module Information Booklet
FINAL PROJECT: Stop Motion
WEEK 1 // 01.04.2021
We were tasked to find 3 stop motion videos that we like and state them into the blog with the reasons given.
3 Favourite Stop Motion Videos
1. Fresh Guacamole (by PES)
I am amazed by this video and I kept watching it again! I would say using the toy elements to replace food and fruit in making the recipe is a very creative and brilliant idea. Moreover, great use of the sound effects makes the video soothing and oddly satisfying, as well as the editing skill is awesome when I saw he cuts the ball and it turns into dice.
Fig 1.1: Fresh Guacamole (Source: Youtube)
2. Fried Dumpling Stop Motion Cooking ASMR Clay Animation Mukbang Claymation (by W Motion)
This video is made by a Korean and I like this video so much as it is so calming and fun. The whole video is doing the Korean Mukbang ASMR thing by using clay to make all the ingredients and cook the recipe. The sound effects, foley, and editing are amazing and real. All in all, it is very satisfying to watch.
Fig 1.2: Fried Dumpling Stop Motion Cooking ASMR Clay Animation Mukbang Claymation (Source: Youtube)
3. DISTORTION. A Stop motion Animation (by Guldies)
The video is smooth, detailed, and has a very perfect loop. I appreciate how it shows its eeriness in the clips by using the clays, the great use of the sound effect and ambiance, as well as the dedication of the animator in creating this.
FURTHER READING:
WEEK 5 // 29.04.2021 (No class)
No class for today but we were given the task to read the articles provided by Mr. Martin in Google Classroom and we need to decide which stop motion style for our Final project later on, as well as we need to decide the theme between environmental issues and social awareness issue.
After exploring different types of stop motions (clay, paper cut out, model) on YouTube and coming across the "Nine to Five Ned" paper stop motion video by Brandon Ray (attached below), I've decided to opt for Paper Cut Out as my method in doing my stop motion as I personally think it is more possible for me to create my assets like characters and so on as compared to other types. This is because I can create the assets by drawing them out and cut them out without building them like using clay.
Then, I started to find documentaries or videos that are related to environmental issues on YouTube so that I can have my theme decided.
After watching the video, the "Deforestation" issue has left a strong impression on me that it is a serious matter, it is not just an environmental issue, it's an everything issue, but people still didn't aware or care about it. Therefore, I have decided to opt for Deforestation as my theme in the hope of raising the awareness of the public on this issue.
Deforestation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, flooding, and increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. However, the most serious problem is the vast majority of all species of animals that live in forests will lose their habitat. Without shelter and food from the trees, the animals die of exposure. That being said, they are forced to come into contact with humans while searching for new habitats and food, but at times they are attacked and killed. It is very heartbreaking because all of this caused by humans but the animals are suffering. Moreover, as a result, it causes a drop in their population and eventually leads to extinction which would jeopardize the Earth's ecosystems and food chain.
Henceforth, my idea is to create a stop motion animation regarding Deforestation and focus on the extinction issue.
WEEK 9 // 27.05.2021
Today, Mr. Martin briefed us on the final project proposal, which enables us to start our pre-production, and plan for the shooting or editing phase with suggested dates.
IDEATION
I had my rough ideas jotted down first, then I sketched it out roughly before I think of the plot segmentation, shot list, floor plan, and visual references.
Fig 3.1: Rough Ideas of story
Fig 3.2: Sketches_storyboard
PROPOSAL
Fig 4.1: Proposal_Draft 1
WEEK 11 // 10.06.2021
After getting feedback from Mr. Martin, I was suggested to alter Scene #5 Shot #17. Instead of showing the bears find a house with a garden of fruit trees from a faraway, showing the bears walk through the forest that all the trees have chopped down until they discover another wood and they trespass it which actually is human habitat could make the story more interesting and dramatic.
Therefore, I revised the proposal again by updating the storyboard, plot segmentation, and shot list.
FINAL PROPOSAL
Fig 4.2: Final Proposal
WEEK 12 // 17.06.2021
PRODUCTION
Props Preparation
After the storyline is confirmed, I started to create my paper puppets. All of the assets were drawn on drawing paper as I need a rather thick paper to be painted on with watercolour. As for some of the background assets, I coloured them with colour pencils on the unwanted A4 paper. The drawing and colouring process was fun, it makes me get that childhood feeling.
Fig 5.1: Progress_Painting
After done all the assets, I tried shooting some test shots to see if the process of filming could be run smoothly. I shot them by using a tripod, but it is so frustrating to use, I couldn't adjust the satisfying position. I also found that it is hard to move the parts of the puppet because some of the parts' sizes are too small.
Fig 5.2: Trial Shoot (3 sec)
Feedback received from Mr. Martin:
- The closing eye part is not obvious enough to be shown, it has to be reshoot.
WEEK 13 // 24.06.2021
Props Preparation for Principle Shoot
I faced some issues with the size and proportion of the paper puppets during my previous test shooting. Also, I found that the assets such as trees were not enough. Hence, I remade some of the puppets and assets. Additionally, I gave up on the idea of moving the parts of the puppets when they are walking or actioning. Instead, I decided to use the whole puppets and moved them as a whole. To avoid the assets move when I adjusting or shifting them during the shooting, I used masking tape to stick them. As for some certain scene that needs to move the puppet's part, I used a masking tape as well to stick the parts.
Fig 5.3: Paper puppets & Assets
As for the tree assets, I made them in both different patterns in order to differentiate two different habitats, one belongs to the animals' habitat, and another belongs to the human habitat.
Fig 5.4: Tree assets for bears habitat
Fig 5.5: Tree assets for human habitat
Actual Shoot
I was using Stop Motion, an APP on my sister's smartphone to shoot my stop motion. As the tripod is so frustrating to use, I came out with the idea to shoot it on a bookshelf. For the light source, I used a table lamp and ensured the lighting exposure was consistent.
Fig 5.2: The Actual Shooting Process
WEEK 14 // 01.07.2021
POST-PRODUCTION
Video Editing (Stage #1)
After finished the shooting, I started to edit the footage in Premiere Pro. Although the APP has automatically converted the raw images into a stop-motion video, the shots were too fast. Thus, I need to manually adjust and further work on them in Premiere Pro.
Fig 6.1: Adding ending credits by using "Legacy Title"
Result (Draft 1):
Fig 6.2: The Eye_Stop Deforestation (Draft 1) (03/07/2021)
Feedback received from Mr. Martin:
- Nice pieces there.
- But, more houses should be added in the clips to present it as a human habitat.
Video Editing (Stage #2)
After the feedback given, I've decided to revise the video. I added crossfade audio transition to all the audio clips as Mr. Martin suggested in Google Classroom. I further amended the clips by applying cinema fade-in (a presets downloaded from YouTube), adjusting all audio clip's volume, and applying vignette to the eye. I also did basic color correction to the clips by desaturating the video to achieve a moody feeling.
Fig 6.3: Applying crossfade to all audio clips
Fig 6.4: Adjusting all audio clips' volume
Fig 6.5: Applying downloaded presets' cinema fade-in
Fig 6.6: Basic correction_Adjustment Layer
Fig 6.7: Applying vignette to the eye
Fig 6.8: The Eye_Stop Deforestation (Draft 2) (04/07/2021)
Feedback received from Mr. Martin:
- The scene below should be added houses as well.
Fig 6.9: Feedback
- Why is the title "The Eyes"? Because the plural "eyes" could mean both of the bears died. If so, there have to be two "Bang" gunshot sound in the video.
Video Editing (Final Stage)
After getting the feedback, I tried to solve the issue (houses) by using masking in Premiere Pro. Turns out, it was easy to do than I anticipated. All I need to do is take a photo of the houses on clean paper, then using the masking tool in Premiere Pro to add it to the particular scene. Mask feather also be used to make the masking result more realistic. Besides, I also altered the title to "The Eye".
Fig 7.1: Feedback
Final Work:
Fig 7.2: The Eye_Final (05/07/2021) (YouTube)
FURTHER READING:
FEEDBACK
*Feedbacks have been mentioned in the content.
REFLECTION
I applauded the hard work and patience of those stop-motion animators and producers. Before I get to know stop motion animation, I thought it is cool and seems easy to make. However, by the time I really working on it, it is harder, it involves a lot of dedication, good deal planning, and patience to get good results. Above all, to get a decent stop-motion animation, it took me more time and effort, from making hand-drawn assets, setting up the scene and background, adjusting the movement of each puppets for each scene, to capturing frames by frames. Nevertheless, it is a fruitful experience for me and I learned so many things from this final project.
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