Thursday, 29 October 2009

My confusion and conflicting advice - dissertation

Should the dissertation be based on the development of ideas towards my final animation or is it a discussion of the theory behind my final animation?

Am I on the right line by what I have written as a dissertation plan? Am I pretty much writing what I had started on my blog but mixed with the anthropomorphism and jungle book stuff?

Anthropomorpism

Anthropomorphism is when a non-human creature, phenomena, element or object has human characteristics and attributes. For example an animal acting with human incentives such as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who is trying to not be late, he acts like a human because how he speaks, runs, dresses and has human emotions. For something to have anthropomorphism it only needs one of these examples so the White Rabbit is on the extreme end of the example. A more modest example is the cat from ‘Simon’s Cat’. Most of the time he acts like a cat, the thing that makes him have anthropomorphism is that he does small human like actions such as hitting his owner with a baseball bat or carrying a plant pot, obvious things that a real cat can’t do.

Most cultures actually use anthropomorphised animals as characters in their fables such as the Asop fables or the Just so Stories. I believe this is because animals are a big interest for children and can be an easier and more enjoyable way for them to learn to morals.

“The term derives from the combination of the Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos), "human" and μορφή (morphē), "shape" or "form".” Found on Wikipedia

Abstract

My project is going to cover the different ways cats can be animated and use that information to build my project. I am going to look at how anthropomorphism can be used and has been used. I am also going to look at different types of animation for example stop-frame, traditional and 3D. Then I am going to look at how books have been changed when made into an animated film specifically looking at The Jungle Book. Then I am going to look in detail at previous animations and documentaries of cats and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. For example comparing the animation, ‘Simon’s Cat’ with the much more complicated and time consuming ‘The Aristocats’. Finally I will look at real cat behaviour, breeds, body language.

Wednesday, 28 October 2009

Cat body language

I've been researching this as it will be important in making my cat actually act like it should. Below are 3 images I found explaining what different actions mean. I found them at http://www.messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm This site also has a lot of information on cat's body language. I am planning on going through it all and picking out any comments that will be especially helpful.






I also found the information below at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_body_language I have included my comments in red to what I have seen from Remus.

* Disgust - Lifting and subsequent shaking of a paw or paws. The more paws, the stronger a feeling is indicated; this can sometimes be a four paw affair with each paw being lifted and shaken in turn. This is possibly related to the identical action that's displayed after stepping in water.
Remus must be rather confused then. He goes in the bath and does this at first but then runs around in the water playing.

* Aggression - The swishing or sweeping of the tail in a wide swath, mid-air or against a person means the cat is trying to get the person's attention. And if the message isn't getting through, the cat may simply leave the room.

* Contentedness - Kneading with the paws on a person or, for example, a favorite blanket or sleeping spot. Young kittens knead their mother's nipples to stimulate the feeding reflex in her so that her milk flows for the kittens to suckle on. Cats may knead for a short or extended period of time, the extended period is sometimes interpreted by people as a sign of discomfort or restlessness, but it is more likely the cat is happy. Most cats will demonstrate this for about ten minutes at the longest.
Remus does this a lot to his favourite blanket especially just before he falls asleep. He also sucks it and purrs. I can't see it being a sign of discomfort more a sign of comfort and happyness.

* Relaxation - Sprawling on the side or back and, possibly, rolling about; this may be seen, for example, when a person enters the room or stirs from their seat. The cat may display this at the same time as the person's movement.
Remus will just fall and sprawl on his side any where. He can he sat behind you in the kitchen and when you turn around he will then be sprawled. It does say its a sign of relaxation, maybe he is.

* Greeting - A particular sort of vocalization, such as a low meow or chirp, possibly with simultaneous purring.
Remus defintley does this! If I go away for a few hours or a day, I come home and he talks to me lots and purrs while doing it. Its as if he is telling me off for going, welcoming me and telling me what he's been up to all in one long meowing session. He rubs himself on me lots as well and almost falls over doing so. I know this means he is showing me that I am his and that he was attention.

* Affection - A pressing of the face or top of the head against a person's body, leaving a scent as a marking of territory.

* Submission - Upon being approached, it will fall down on its side, indicating it is not seeking attention and is unwilling to put up a fight.
Remus does this to Matt (my friend) a lot as he likes to play fight with Remus. I think he has learnt to trick Matt sometimes though as he will do this but suddenly attacking him. Its funny as soon as Matt attacks him back he will start licking him as if apologising and will surrender again.

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

More sketches





My Dissertation Plan

¬¬Below is my dissertation plan. The headings aren't in order at the moment though. At some point I will rearrange them.


Title - The Animation of Cats

Intro - What I am going to talk about? What each subject will cover.

My project is going to cover the different ways cats can be animated and use that information to build my project. I am going to look at how anthropomorphism can be used and has been used. I am also going to look at different types of animation for example stop-frame, traditional and 3D. Then I am going to look at how books have been changed when made into an animated film specifically looking at The Jungle Book. Then I am going to look in detail at previous animations and documentaries of cats and comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each method. For example comparing the animation, ‘Simon’s Cat’ with the much more complicated and time consuming ‘The Aristocats’. Finally I will look at real cat behaviour, breeds, body language.

Aims -

Heading - Anthropomorphism What is it? Any thoughts and ideas for my work. Comment on books/films containing Anthropomorphism.

Anthropomorphism is when a non-human creature, phenomena, element or object has human characteristics and attributes. For example an animal acting with human incentives such as the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland who is trying to not be late, he acts like a human because how he speaks, runs, dresses and has human emotions. For something to have anthropomorphism it only needs one of these examples so the White Rabbit is on the extreme end of the example. A more modest example is the cat from ‘Simon’s Cat’. Most of the time he acts like a cat, the thing that makes him have anthropomorphism is that he does small human like actions such as hitting his owner with a baseball bat or carrying a plant pot, obvious things that a real cat can’t do.

Most cultures actually use anthropomorphised animals as characters in their fables such as the Asop fables or the Just so Stories. I believe this is because animals are a big interest for children and can be an easier and more enjoyable way for them to learn to morals.

“The term derives from the combination of the Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos), "human" and μορφή (morphē), "shape" or "form".” Wikipedia


Heading - Different types of animation
Compare them and why I would or wouldn't want to do it in each form. Including different types of backgrounds. Also, do tests in 3D and hand drawn to see which I prefer and I believe I am better at. If I feel more confident in one form than the other then it will be best to stick with that one. Also, remember my idea of possibly mixing 2 forms.

Heading - From Book to Animation
The Jungle Book comparison between the book and film.

Heading - Previous animations on cats
Looking at realistic and anthropomorpision cats. Write about positives and negatives.
Below are some examples that I could look at.

• Simon’s Cat
• Splat the Cat
• The Aristocats
• The Lion King
• Eye of the Leopard (Documentary)
• Cheetah Blood Brothers (Documentary)
• National Geographic’s The Secret Life of Cat (Documentary)

Heading - Study of Cats
How they move, look, breeds, sounds, reactions.etc.
Use books, magazines, internet, watching my cat.


Summary and Final Idea -
Tying it all together. How my research has affected my idea. If it changed it or re-inforced it. Describe my final idea.


References


Appendix

This weeks plan

Planning time again. Yeah not really that exciting and having a chest infection is making it harder to concentrate on actually doing the work. Any way, here is my plan of what I want to have done by next week.

• Finish writing Jungle Book part of essay
• Write rough intro
• Do 500 words on different types of animation
• Look at people and cartoon characters with the type of acting I’m looking for.
• Do life drawings and experiments for my human character
• Do a thumbnail storyboard for my short film

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Short idea based on happenings with Remus

For where this idea came fom you need to look at my Remus blog. I've loved the idea of doing an animation with the feel of 'Simons Cat' and I feel what I have wrote below has that feeling.

Blue text is Remus' actions and red is mine.



Remus the naughty cat


I'm working on laptop and eating a ham sandwich at the same time.

Remus stalks around the sofa, hiding, popping his out in various places. He then runs to his toy box and knocks it over.

I look up and awwww grrrr and roll eyes but go back to work.

The whole time Remus is looking Innocent but as soon as he sees I am looking away he grabs the Cat Nip bag and carries it to under the stool and rips it open.

I look up just as it happens.

Remus is eating it and smacking it (his pupils go big during eating).

I run to him yelling.

Remus runs off.

I get there go awwww as bending down and try to pick up the spilt catnip.

While doing this Remus comes back and starts jumping and rolling in it again and getting in the way.

Once only crumbs are left I go back to work.

Remus carries on messing the crumbs until he notices I'm eating my sandwich. He sneaks up and sits on the arm of the sofa.

I look at him and move the sandwich away.

He sneaks around the back and meows at me and looks at sandwich.

I shake head and move it back to my left side.

He waits till I'm not looking and goes behind me.

I look around think hes gone.

He then sneaks back to my left and he reaches to my sandwich in my left hand and licks my sandwich!

I look and then look away but suddenly shoot my head back and snatch my sandwich back.

Remus still has his tongue out during this but the jumps off the sofa as I wave my hand and look angry. He runs to the other side of the sofa and hides at the back of it.

I've been watching this but as he looks calm, I go back to eating my sandwich and working on laptop.

Remus suddenly pops his head up and does the glare he does when hes going to attack me on the stairs but then stops and meerkats to scope the room. He looks up and sees the string at the top of the curtain. (Zoom in as he notices it). He then goes back to the stairs stalk pose, wiggles his bum and shoots up the curtain as he's reaching...

I jump up and grab him and put him on the floor and finger wag him, he goes for my finger so I growl. I then fix the top of the corner and turn around to find him finishing my sandwich! I awwww and fall to sit down flopped on the sofa. Looking defeated.

He looks at me and pulls out one of his toy mice and puts it on the plate and slides it to me with a big grin.

My mouth drops and just turn eyes to camera and roll my eyes.

Thursday, 8 October 2009

Some stories on Cat's that I found

I have been looking around on forums for peoples favourites and using search engines for stories. The ones below are some I like the sound of. Some are books though so would have to either get them from the library or buy them. One thing I'm dissappointed in is that none of them are funny and I got my heart a bit set on that. I will keep looking though.

Gobbolino the Witch's Cat by Ursula Moray Williams
Why was I ever born a witch's kitten? Why - oh, why?" With his bright blue eyes and sparky magic whiskers, no one could mistake Gobbolino for a kitchen cat, but that's just what he longs to be. So, while his sister Sootica learns how to ride a broomstick and turn mice into toads, Gobbolino sets off to find a nice warm fire and a family to care for him. He has many adventures along the way and makes many friends, until he finally finds the home he dreams of. First published in 1942, Gobbolino the Witch's Cat continues to delight children - a true modern classic.

Catkin by Antonia Barber
Told in folkloric cadence, Barber's story is about the rescue of baby Carrie, who was switched for a changeling by the Little People. The hero of the tale is a multitalented cat called Catkin, so named because he was "...so small that he could sit in comfort on the palm of a man's hand." Because Carrie was stolen while in Catkin's care, the furry fellow risks all to venture into the enchanted land inside the hill. There, of course, he answers three riddles, the last of which frees Carrie but also binds him to that land forever. Posed with a final dilemma, the Lord of the Little People seeks guidance from the Wise Woman; her solution is to have the child and cat spend each winter in the underground realm and return to their own land each spring.

Slinky Malinki by Lynley Dodd
There are a few books on Slinky Malinki. He is one of the cats in one of the author's previous books, "Hairy Maclary Scattercat" - a feline character to match the canine Maclary. It features the adventures of the stalking and lurking adventurous cat Slinky Malinki who is a common cat during the day but becomes a thief as night falls. Written for pre-school children, with rhythmic, rhyming text. It has become a best-selling bedtime story book in New Zealand.

Winnie the Witch by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas
Winnie the Witch has a problem. Everything in her house is black. The carpets are black, the chairs are black, the bed is black with black sheets, the pictures on the walls are black and there is even a black bath. Winnie likes it that way. But Wilbur the cat is also black and, when he closes his eyes, Winnie can’t see him against all the other blacks in the house. After she’s stepped on him just once too often,Winnie decides that a little magic will do the trick. ABRACADABRA! and Wilbur has a red head, a yellow body, a pink tail, blue whiskers and four purple paws. Poor Wilbur! Even the birds laugh at him when he tries to hide up in a tree. Luckily,Winnie thinks of a new trick that can put everything right!

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Remus Blog

I just created a new blog to record all the naughty or funny things that involve my cat, Remus. He is a Bengal Cat and was born 14th May 2009. This is to give me ideas for a short that I am hoping will be the similar type of stories to the Simon's Cat shorts just with 3D characters, hand-drawn backgrounds and involve my own characters, the cat being Remus. The link to my new blog is below.

http://naughtyremus.blogspot.com/

Write my own story or use an already exsisting one?

I really like the idea of writing my own story but my lecturer, Derek thinks it will be too hard for me. I already have lots of ideas though so I have decided to look at stories and see if any interest me. It was recommended that I look at stories with Cats as cats are my favourite animal. While I am looking I am going to think of ideas for my own story just encase I don't find a story I really like.
Another idea is... could I turn a joke into an animated short film. I would like my short film make people laugh.

Monday, 5 October 2009

Anthropomorphism (An-thro-po-mor-phism)

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings, phenomena, material states and objects or abstract concepts. Examples include animals and plants depicted as creatures with human motivation able to reason and converse and forces of nature such as winds, rain or the sun. The term derives from the combination of the Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos), "human" and μορφή (morphē), "shape" or "form".

It is strongly associated with art and storytelling where it has ancient roots. Most cultures possess a long-standing fable tradition with anthropomorphised animals as characters that can stand as commonly recognised types of human behaviour.

Examples are:
* Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland
* Looney Toons
* The Magic Mirror from Snow White
* Lumiere, the candlestick from Disney's Beauty and the Beast
* Pokemon
* Simon's Cat


This is the idea of what I could research for my dissertation. The idea is that it will combine with my project, aiming it at the ideas of 'The Fish Shop Cat' or 'Just So Stories' ideas.

I also found a website that might help me write my dissertation. http://www.editavenue.com/writingtip.asp?cid=93302

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Lasseter Promises More Hand-drawn Animation

Animation Magazine made the following report on September 14th and I think it's brilliant news. I always loved the traditional hand-drawn animation and it makes it even better that my idol John Lasseter was the one to reveal the information! Below is report. The link to the original report can be found here -


Lasseter Promises More Hand-drawn Animation
By: Thomas J. Mclean


Pixar and Disney animation chief John Lasseter has built the studio’s sterling reputation on cutting-edge CG animation, but says Disney fans can expect to see a lot more hand-drawn animation in the future.

Speaking at Disney’s D23 fan expo in Anaheim, Lasseter gave fans a peek at the upcoming hand-drawn film The Princess and the Frog, and a new Winnie the Pooh feature due out in 2011, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He said that studios had made a mistake in focusing solely on CG animation.

“I never quite understood why the studios thought people wouldn’t want to watch it,” Lasseter said, according to a Reuters report. “What audiences didn’t want was bad movies.”

Speaking to press, Lasseter denied there was any truth to the rumor that Pixar was planning an Ant-Man movie as part of Disney’s recently announced plans to buy Marvel Entertainment.

He also announced some casting news for the upcoming Toy Story 3, confirming that John Morris will return as the voice of Andy. Jeff Garliln, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton and Whoopi Goldberg also will play voices in the film.

Friday, 2 October 2009

Dissertation Ideas

Seen as my tutor is demanding we have a title in less than a day I am trying to think what I can do! I strongly disagree with how he is forcing us to push a dissertation as I feel that any idea I come up with now will not be stuck with and will have wasted my time. I found the following quote and wish he would listen to it.
"The key elements to the writing of an animation dissertation are the same key elements that exist in the writing of any academic dissertation. Before beginning an animation dissertation, a great deal of thought must be given to the topic to be discussed. A poor decision in terms of topic at this stage may lead to a lot of wasted time and problems in completing the dissertation adequately."

Any way, here are some ideas.

* The quality of art and acting in traditional animation, and how 3d animation lacks this quality. (With this idea I could argue how 3d animation retains these elements just in a different way).

* How traditional animation influenced 3D animation. (Which is better and why? Do we believe that going back is needed like Disney are trying with 'The Princess and the Frog').

* The impact modern forms of animation have had on traditional. (3D, CGI.etc)

* The Future of the Animated Feature Film

Lion King Background Art

Well, I've started my research and the first Disney film I could think of was The Lion King as it has always been my favourite Disney film. The artists did an amazing job and I have always loved them especially the colours! l also love how they captured the African landscapes, its always made me want to go to Africa and see it for myself.







First Weekly Plan - 2/10/09

I've decided that each week I'm going to make a plan of what I am going to research and do during that week. Admittedly I might end up changing the start day so I might not get a whole week but any that I feel I didn't cover enough can be continued. I would prefer to avoid this though as I may use that as an excuse to not do it.

This week my plans are to: -

* Come up with a possible idea and title for my dissertation.
* Research DISNEY's traditional animation backgrounds.
* Do some practice paintings/sketches of background styles based on Disney.
* Find and print out any images that I can think of or come across that will inspire me.