weekly comments #6

1. I re-learned many different types of shots, learned about transitions quite a bit, and we learned some new terms.
2. I'd like to learn to make great effects quickly and easy.
3. I was/am frustrated that I'm being with the premiere exercises.
4. I was happy to get some work done, and enjoy my morning off on Friday, I also kinda enjoyed the "I thought I was going fishing" parody.


As horrible as this Willy Wonka parody is, I actually find it relevant to our current work, and I also find it hilarious. I present: Will Wonk and the Chalk Factory.
http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=zAN-EEfmmTQ

response to using eyelines and framing article

Unique tricks are used in Silence of the Lambs to set the general feelings of the characters, like filming a character from an high or low angle to take away or give then more "power". But the film also used other tricks successfully and continuously, like perspective and eyelines. Lecter in this film is portrayed as dominant when he is standing up while his opponent in their battle of wits, is sitting. Also the camera tends to fully zoom in on Lecter as it only does a medium shot of the other person, making the other look like they are afraid.

Love it. I love finding neat, incredibly subtle tricks like this that require little effort to pull off. (Call me lazy) Also it feels like this is a sort of brainwashing on the audience, making them think what you want them to think. It's evil genius. And, I'm glad this article talked about this particular film, I find it to be the best, if not one of the best examples for here. Also, Lecter never blinks even once during this film.

response to physicists in animation article

Henderson is an intellectual, talented physicist who took up a career in the movie business. Companies that work in animation consult physicists like Henderson for help with special effects. In one movie alone, there could be hundreds of scenes with fire special effects, so Henderson's team splits up their time to efficiently create the effects. It's a complicated process to take an animated image and put it on a 3d object. The physics need to be right and that would take time and effort.

I do not envy this man's job. This sounds like hard work, and the only thing I know about physics is that I can't fly and gravity is a jerk. I like that they actually consult physicists for help on these matters. I know that animating something with perfect physics is very difficult, especially when it comes down to water and fire. So I don't see myself animating perfect bubbles any time soon. Maybe  some almost completely transparent spheres, that kind of look like bubbles.

weekly comments #5

1. I learned about premiere (having already forgot everything about it from last year) and editing clips and sequences.

2. I'd like to learn to make awesome special effects.

3. I was/am completely frustrated and confused that the link from the old blogs will never work, so I'm giving up on it entirely. I'll go find something else.

4. I was very happy to attend the field trip and tour Villa Maria, it seems like a nice place.

I found this YouTube video teaching people how to make a short documentary/video and thought it seemed pretty relevant for the class.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IwpjSvxPu4w

response to hiding a lavalier mic article

Firstly, it's stated that if one does not have to hide the mic, then they shouldn't. Hiding the mic can lead to potential audio issues. If it is necessary to hide it then it can be hidden behind or in the knot of the speaker's tie. To hide it behind the tie it can be clipped on or one could tape it on, preferably with gaffer tape. A good plan to tape the mic to a shirt collar, tie, or t-shirt, is to make 2 triangles with the tape,place them on each side of the mic and make a loose loop with the wire. It can also be hidden directly taped to one's chest, though chest hair could be a problem if not covered up, and taped to a woman's bra.

"Ew, that mic touched his chest hair." These tips were pretty interesting and seeing that in the near future I may be using these microphones, this could be helpful. I hope for my sake that I won't have to hide the microphone though. Hiding it seems to just be a hassle. And that chest hair thing...just no... Also I don't think I've ever heard of that gaffer tape but it seems cool. So that's something I should get. I honestly thought he was going to just rip his chest hair off when he put the tape on his chest, that would've been hilarious.

response to insights from a creature animator article

A creature animator should work on every little detail of the creature. When doing realistic creature animation, it is often a good idea to have some reference of the creature and it's movements/appearance. The animator could go to a zoo or watch videos on the internet of the animal. It's important to understand the motions and feelings of the creature that they are animating. And for imaginary characters one could study different creatures with similar attributes. One should also ask for others' opinions on their work, and accept constructive criticism.

It's nice to hear advice from professional animators, especially in creature animation because I know that I'm not great at it. I could imagine making some of the mistakes that they had listed. I've definitely been known to overcomplicate simple things. And I agree that researching a creature and watching their movements, activities, etc, is a good step to take before trying to animate it. You learn how they are supposed to move and react to certain situations. I also liked that she studied her own dog to get information for a dragon she was going to animate.

weekly comments #4

1. I learned how to actually put up a link from YouTube on to my blog (unless I just got lucky)

2. I'd like to learn how to make a convincing sound of a certain sound effect that I can't name for some reason. I also want to know what to do for my documentary.

3. I was frustrated that I was unable to hand my photo resizes in on time and they are now two days late.

4. I liked my montage and I liked seeing everybody's work that was put up.

Okay, so, this video is the one I tried to show like twice already. It shows someone Photoshopping pizza to look disturbingly similar to a real lady. And it creeps me out.
http://m.youtube.com/?hl=en-GB&gl=GB#/watch?v=9j656_RiO0k

response to movies manipulate your brain article

     Audiences during movies tend to keep their attention focused on the action and things that are moving. The things in the background are usually made with CGI and aren't payed as much attention to. This is because the filmmakers want to find out where the audience will be looking at and then they can figure out what they can fake and what they shouldn't. Apparently, the only things that can't or shouldn't be faked are physics and people's faces.
Faces are far too difficult to fake and still look normal, even with great technology. Physics also are hard to convincingly fake, and having things physically fall or roll the way they are supposed to, creates a sense of realism. The human mind is able to quickly take bits of information from one spot then take more info from another spot and immediately simultaneously process it all together to look like a continuous flow.

      It's always fun to hear about how people are controlling my mind...So this is great.
It only makes sense that people are looking at the action in a scene of a movie and not the details in the background. We all have this little bit of A.D.D. in which we observe everything moving around and ignore the uninteresting stuff. Although of course if it's choosing between looking at one of the 400 different people in the background, or the cool red car flying and flipping in front of the camera, which would seem more interesting?

Response to tips for game artists article

   In this article, former Rockstar art director Ian Bowden shares his tips for video game artists. His tips include being mindful of the current trends, but maintaining originality as well. He states that often people copy recurring trends in not only video games, but movies and art as well. Originality is key and copying what everyone else is doing is not the right way to leave an impression. Another tip to know is that one should never ignore visual quality on a game just because it's on a smaller screen (mobile games).  Every game should have the same amount of attention to visuals whether it's console or mobile. This however, does not mean everything should be in 3d with multiple polygons, it could be something as simple and sweet as angry birds or doodle jump, two of the most famous mobile games made. Bowden also states the importance for carrying a sketchbook around. It helps an artist realize the details in everything around them when they draw their surroundings. Bowden would take notes and make little sketches on anything from the cracks in the sidewalk, to people on television.

    This was interesting, to say the least. I've always been a Rockstar fan since I was rather young and played the first GTA game (that I was too young for and shouldn't have even been allowed to play, but eh.). These tips from Mr. Bowden are quite important for someone to know. I strongly agree with the originality one especially. In games, movies, books, and pretty much anywhere else, I've been noticing trends that people have been copying and they disappoint me. There's no originality anymore. One zombie movie does well and by next year four more come out. Or one film surfaces where a girl dates a vampire and it gets a huge following, then next thing you know there's a film where a girl dates a werewolf and one t.v series of a girl and her zombie boyfriend. Originality is key.