Here are some of my favourite stories so far.
1. Flippin Dizzy has just climbed onto the back of the seat behind me and looked lovingly down on me and flippin sneezed on my head, so right now I hate cats.
2. As it's a shop, you could have fun exploring the cat's reaction or attitude to lots of different customers... Knocking someone's hat off? Stealing a feather in a lady's hat? Making faces at babies so they cry? Stealing things from people's shopping bags?
3. A lady and her children came to see a litter of kittens I had, and when I ushered them into the room I was horrified to see the kittens had gone through my handbag and were now running about playing with several Tampax 'mice'. And yes, the children did as mummy if they could get some toys like that for their cat...
4. I did have a Siamese who loved retrieving - you could spend hours with her throwing toys and she would bring them back time after time after time. She viewed any visitors as potential toy-chuckers, and of course they would oblige, but not for as long as she wanted. So she would simply drop her toy into their coffee when they weren't looking! I made her lots of different toys from fur fabric, assorted sizes. Once she pestered a visitor to play with a mouse-sized toy but he ignored her. So she left the room and came back with a bigger one... rat sized. Still no response. She fetched a slightly bigger fur toy - small rabbit size. Nothing. Finally, in utter frustration, she brought in the big guns - a HUGE toy the size of another cat, which I had made as a joke from the last piece of fur fabric.... dragging it in while growling. Now that got a reaction!
5. While watching QI, Alan Davis was once woken up by his pet Alsatian who led him downstairs to show him a frog that had jumped into his water bowl. If I swapped this to Remus and in the shop I think it will still be funny. Below is a video of the part of the episode where Alan explains what happened.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Briefing/Scoping Document
Below is my Briefing/Scoping Document.
Project Summary
My project is basically an animated short, max of 2mins long or several animated shorts each about 30secs long. They are going to be about a cat called Remus who lives in a fish shop and is always upto mischief. The story is meant to make cat owners relate to the story and possibly input their stories into the story too.
Project Deliverables
* Study of cats, in books, on the internet, forums and observing in person
* Characters, sets, prop, designs.etc
* Concept Art
* Walk cycles and test animations
* Scripts
* Storyboards
* Animatics
* Animated short/s
* Posters
* Book of research
* Sketchbook (copies)
Possiblilities
* Website
* Teddies/t-shirts/stickers
* Life Size cut out
Project Resources and Timescale
* Cat Forum
* Animation Forum
Project Summary
My project is basically an animated short, max of 2mins long or several animated shorts each about 30secs long. They are going to be about a cat called Remus who lives in a fish shop and is always upto mischief. The story is meant to make cat owners relate to the story and possibly input their stories into the story too.
Project Deliverables
* Study of cats, in books, on the internet, forums and observing in person
* Characters, sets, prop, designs.etc
* Concept Art
* Walk cycles and test animations
* Scripts
* Storyboards
* Animatics
* Animated short/s
* Posters
* Book of research
* Sketchbook (copies)
Possiblilities
* Website
* Teddies/t-shirts/stickers
* Life Size cut out
Project Resources and Timescale
* Cat Forum
* Animation Forum
Idea for how to get unstuck with a story idea!
Just thought of a great way of getting ideas. I posted on a cat forum asking for any ideas for my story. This is a good idea as the idea of the story is for it to relate to cat owners and if the ideas come from them then its pretty likely it will :)
Below is the link to the forum post.
pet forums - cat chat - animated cat story help
Jay kindly looked at the stories on here and really helped seeing why my stories don't feel right. He reckons it just needs adapting so that the cat is the centre of attention and that my mum is atm with the fish tank being the main focus.
The cat is kinda a sidekick to it all.
Its true and that is probably whats wrong so I'm going to wait for more responses from my forum post and write some more but with the cat being the main focus this time. Thanks again Jay!
Below is the link to the forum post.
pet forums - cat chat - animated cat story help
Jay kindly looked at the stories on here and really helped seeing why my stories don't feel right. He reckons it just needs adapting so that the cat is the centre of attention and that my mum is atm with the fish tank being the main focus.
The cat is kinda a sidekick to it all.
Its true and that is probably whats wrong so I'm going to wait for more responses from my forum post and write some more but with the cat being the main focus this time. Thanks again Jay!
Disney observe animals & people before animating
Animators have studied, observed and animated animals for many years. Walt Disney actually thought observing people and animals was essential in making characters come to life.
Disney still does this today, most recently frogs were brought in for animators to sketch and observe for the frog characters in ‘The Princess and the Frog’.
“It’s really helpful for all the artists to study the real thing. That’s the basis of Walt Disney Animation, is you take the real thing and you caricature it and you observe it and you study it and then you reduce it down to its essence, and were really learning a lot, I think by looking at these creatures and these are really beautifully designed and so delicate.
We’ve got both the animators and clean up artists and storyboard artists and I think it’s helpful for all of them to really observe the real thing.
See how they move and see how their anatomy works.”
(John Musker and Ron Clements - Directors of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ – accessed on 3rd Dec 09 - http://media.digisynd.com/AQAAAGUwOk2VYybTmM5Ap0ACo64n1xNn______ew0d3GH4DxoRgO5gvLQUGFp1h1/play;frame=AQAAADkROLWvBZN5l0DfUP3YqYcn1xNn_____wZugl5h__r_tzC363swRO1bw7gP/)
Many animators start animation by animating humans so it can be hard for them to animate animals without their previous knowledge of animating humans having an effect. This is can be a reason why animation has a lot of anthropomorphism.
Disney still does this today, most recently frogs were brought in for animators to sketch and observe for the frog characters in ‘The Princess and the Frog’.
“It’s really helpful for all the artists to study the real thing. That’s the basis of Walt Disney Animation, is you take the real thing and you caricature it and you observe it and you study it and then you reduce it down to its essence, and were really learning a lot, I think by looking at these creatures and these are really beautifully designed and so delicate.We’ve got both the animators and clean up artists and storyboard artists and I think it’s helpful for all of them to really observe the real thing.
See how they move and see how their anatomy works.”
(John Musker and Ron Clements - Directors of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ – accessed on 3rd Dec 09 - http://media.digisynd.com/AQAAAGUwOk2VYybTmM5Ap0ACo64n1xNn______ew0d3GH4DxoRgO5gvLQUGFp1h1/play;frame=AQAAADkROLWvBZN5l0DfUP3YqYcn1xNn_____wZugl5h__r_tzC363swRO1bw7gP/)Many animators start animation by animating humans so it can be hard for them to animate animals without their previous knowledge of animating humans having an effect. This is can be a reason why animation has a lot of anthropomorphism.
My main question for dissertation
I spoke to Tracy and she agreed with the main question for my dissertation, Why is anthropomorphism so popular in animation and why is it used?
This week I've been really focusing on that question. I've started reading, 'Thinking with Animals: New Perspectives on Anthropomorphism by Lorraine Daston and Gregg Mitman' as it has a lot of information about anthropomorphism and why its used in other times and places, in evolutionary biology, in daily life and in film. So far it has been really helpful and I've made some notes from it, just have to get them into what I've done already. Its proving harder than I thought. I just can't seem to think right to do it.
This week I've been really focusing on that question. I've started reading, 'Thinking with Animals: New Perspectives on Anthropomorphism by Lorraine Daston and Gregg Mitman' as it has a lot of information about anthropomorphism and why its used in other times and places, in evolutionary biology, in daily life and in film. So far it has been really helpful and I've made some notes from it, just have to get them into what I've done already. Its proving harder than I thought. I just can't seem to think right to do it.
Friday, 15 January 2010
My Dissertation Abstract
I've just rewritten this. As far as I can tell an abstract is basically explaining what my dissertation is about in very few words. Basically sounds like a cut down version of my introduction but oh well.
Abstract
This dissertation will focus on the use of anthropomorphism and specifically its use in animated cats.
This is will be done by looking at how anthropomorphism can and has been used in the past and present in different cultures and styles of animation including any opposition to the use of anthropomorphism.
Anthropomorphised cats cannot just act well and like a human but also have to retain cat’s emotional and physical features so the study of acting, cat behavior and body language is a key area of research in this dissertation.
This study also looks at a book based on anthropomorphised animals and a film based on it, specifically, The Jungle Book. This is to look at how and why Disney changed the story and made the most of their characters using anthropomorphism.
Abstract
This dissertation will focus on the use of anthropomorphism and specifically its use in animated cats.
This is will be done by looking at how anthropomorphism can and has been used in the past and present in different cultures and styles of animation including any opposition to the use of anthropomorphism.
Anthropomorphised cats cannot just act well and like a human but also have to retain cat’s emotional and physical features so the study of acting, cat behavior and body language is a key area of research in this dissertation.
This study also looks at a book based on anthropomorphised animals and a film based on it, specifically, The Jungle Book. This is to look at how and why Disney changed the story and made the most of their characters using anthropomorphism.
My new dissertation Introduction
Below is my new introduction for my dissertation. I feel it's a lot more informative and clearly explains what is in my dissertation. It may need a bit of a less personal feel but I will work on that. I'm also starting to wonder is this is more of an abstract than an introduction so I will have to find that out.
Introduction
Anthropomorphism is when a non-human being, object, phenomena or element is given human characteristics and qualities. Anthropomorphic characters have nearly always been used in animation from Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) to The Aristocats (1970) and even in recent animated features such as Ratatouille (2007) and The Princess and the Frog (2010). The anthropomorphic characters that have always interested me are cats, from The Lion Kings, Simba to O’Malley from The Aristocats. That is why this dissertation is going to cover animation, anthropomorphism and cats. It is also so I can find out everything I should know before creating an animated short starring an anthropomorphised cat.
I am going to look at how anthropomorphism can and has been used throughout history and its uses in different styles of animation and the reasons for its use in animation. During this I will compare the advantages and disadvantages. I will also be looking at the oppositions to anthropomorphism try to relate it to animation.
Then I am going to look at how books have been changed when made into an animated film specifically looking at The Jungle Book. This is to see how and why Disney brought the characters to life with anthropomorphism and how they changed the story and why.
Finally, I will look at real cat behaviour, breeds, and body language and compare it to human qualities and acting to see how to give a cat, human qualities but still show cat characteristics, as this is the type of anthropomorphism I am after. I believe there are four kinds of anthropomorphism so I will also be covering what I they are and give examples. A lot of this will involve studying acting and the owner/pet relationship to bring my character to life and make them believable.
Introduction
Anthropomorphism is when a non-human being, object, phenomena or element is given human characteristics and qualities. Anthropomorphic characters have nearly always been used in animation from Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) to The Aristocats (1970) and even in recent animated features such as Ratatouille (2007) and The Princess and the Frog (2010). The anthropomorphic characters that have always interested me are cats, from The Lion Kings, Simba to O’Malley from The Aristocats. That is why this dissertation is going to cover animation, anthropomorphism and cats. It is also so I can find out everything I should know before creating an animated short starring an anthropomorphised cat.
I am going to look at how anthropomorphism can and has been used throughout history and its uses in different styles of animation and the reasons for its use in animation. During this I will compare the advantages and disadvantages. I will also be looking at the oppositions to anthropomorphism try to relate it to animation.
Then I am going to look at how books have been changed when made into an animated film specifically looking at The Jungle Book. This is to see how and why Disney brought the characters to life with anthropomorphism and how they changed the story and why.
Finally, I will look at real cat behaviour, breeds, and body language and compare it to human qualities and acting to see how to give a cat, human qualities but still show cat characteristics, as this is the type of anthropomorphism I am after. I believe there are four kinds of anthropomorphism so I will also be covering what I they are and give examples. A lot of this will involve studying acting and the owner/pet relationship to bring my character to life and make them believable.
Quotes for Dissertation
Sorry that its been a while since posting but been working on my dissertation and character designs. Will post some more sketches soon. Any way, below are some quotes I have found recently that I think would be good in my dissertation. Just not found where to put them yet.
******************************
"They carry the physiognomies of humans, and at the same time, keep their own lovable and honest animal faces."
(Balaz, B, 1952. Theory of the Film. Translated from the Hungarian by Bone, E. London:Dobson LTD)
"One of the most remarkable features of our domesticated races is that we see in them adaptation, not indeed to the animal's or plant's own good, but to man's use or fancy."
(Charles Darwin, The Origin Of Species)
"Something we’ve never seen, an entirely new category of computer-enhanced acting. With not a word of dialogue, he brings to life a close cousin to man with whom we can empathize, yet is never too human-like"
(Covert, C. 2005. What the Critics are saying about Andy Serkis as "Kong" [online]. Available at: http://www.serkis.com/kingkong/reviews.htm [accessed 10 January 2010)
"Humans use animals to transcend the confines of self and species; they also enlist them to symbolize, dramatize, and illuminate aspects of humans’ experience and fantasy. Humans merge with animals in stories, films, philosophical speculations, and scientific treatises. In their performance on many stages and in different ways, animals move us to think"
(Daston, D and Mitman, G. 2005. The How and Why of Thinking with Animals In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking With Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 1-14.)
"To imagine that animals think like humans... is a form of self-centered narcissism, one looks outward to the world and sees only one’s own reflection mirrored therein."
(Daston, L. 2005. Intelligences: Angelic, Animal, Human In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking with Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 37- 58.)
"Anthropomorphism with Anthropocentrism, that is, when humans project their own thoughts and feelings onto other animal species because they egotistically believe themselves to be the center of the universe."
(Daston and Mitman 2005)
"When we consider a new project, we really study it... not just the surface idea, but everything about it"
(Thomas, F and Johnston, O, 1981: The Illusion of Life. Italy: Walt Disney Productions)
"Disney animators knew well that the large eyes of Bambi would elicit an emotional response from audiences more akin to the affection displayed toward a human child than if they had drawn the deer’s eyes to scale"
(Gould 1979 cited Daston and Mitman 2005)
"The thrust of the limbs starts from the vertebral column and consequently moves to the pelvis, shoulders and legs. The spine reacts to every foot-fall."
(Pisk, L. 1975. The Actor and his Body. London: George G. Harrap & Co.)
"The walking of men is always after the universal walking of animals with four legs"
(Pisk, L. 1975. The Actor and his Body. London: George G. Harrap & Co.)
(Pisk is known for observing the walk of four-legged animals particularly cats)
"Study the creatures involved, film and analyse their movement, examine the texture of fur and muscle, even investigate the skeleton, But sometimes they are inspired by the personality of an actor who is performing the character’s voice"
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"Without personality, the character may do funny or interesting things, but unless people are able to identify with the character, its actions will seem unreal. And without personality a story cannot ring true to the audience."
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"The magic of Disney is based on anthropomorphism"
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"The mapping of human motion to a character with nonhuman proportions doesn’t work, because the most important things you get out of motion capture are the weight shifts and the subtleties and that balancing act of the human body"
(Richard Chuang (vice president of PDI)
"Anthropomorphism rules because, for most people, any other interpretation of the animal’s behavior- any suggestion that it might be motivated by other than human feelings and desires- would instantly devalue these (human and pet) relationships and place them on a more superficial and less rewarding footing."
(Serpell, J. A, 2005. People In Disguise: Anthropomorphism and the Human- Pet Relationship In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking with Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 121-136.)
******************************
"They carry the physiognomies of humans, and at the same time, keep their own lovable and honest animal faces."
(Balaz, B, 1952. Theory of the Film. Translated from the Hungarian by Bone, E. London:Dobson LTD)
"One of the most remarkable features of our domesticated races is that we see in them adaptation, not indeed to the animal's or plant's own good, but to man's use or fancy."
(Charles Darwin, The Origin Of Species)
"Something we’ve never seen, an entirely new category of computer-enhanced acting. With not a word of dialogue, he brings to life a close cousin to man with whom we can empathize, yet is never too human-like"
(Covert, C. 2005. What the Critics are saying about Andy Serkis as "Kong" [online]. Available at: http://www.serkis.com/kingkong/reviews.htm [accessed 10 January 2010)
"Humans use animals to transcend the confines of self and species; they also enlist them to symbolize, dramatize, and illuminate aspects of humans’ experience and fantasy. Humans merge with animals in stories, films, philosophical speculations, and scientific treatises. In their performance on many stages and in different ways, animals move us to think"
(Daston, D and Mitman, G. 2005. The How and Why of Thinking with Animals In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking With Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 1-14.)
"To imagine that animals think like humans... is a form of self-centered narcissism, one looks outward to the world and sees only one’s own reflection mirrored therein."
(Daston, L. 2005. Intelligences: Angelic, Animal, Human In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking with Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 37- 58.)
"Anthropomorphism with Anthropocentrism, that is, when humans project their own thoughts and feelings onto other animal species because they egotistically believe themselves to be the center of the universe."
(Daston and Mitman 2005)
"When we consider a new project, we really study it... not just the surface idea, but everything about it"
(Thomas, F and Johnston, O, 1981: The Illusion of Life. Italy: Walt Disney Productions)
"Disney animators knew well that the large eyes of Bambi would elicit an emotional response from audiences more akin to the affection displayed toward a human child than if they had drawn the deer’s eyes to scale"
(Gould 1979 cited Daston and Mitman 2005)
"The thrust of the limbs starts from the vertebral column and consequently moves to the pelvis, shoulders and legs. The spine reacts to every foot-fall."
(Pisk, L. 1975. The Actor and his Body. London: George G. Harrap & Co.)
"The walking of men is always after the universal walking of animals with four legs"
(Pisk, L. 1975. The Actor and his Body. London: George G. Harrap & Co.)
(Pisk is known for observing the walk of four-legged animals particularly cats)
"Study the creatures involved, film and analyse their movement, examine the texture of fur and muscle, even investigate the skeleton, But sometimes they are inspired by the personality of an actor who is performing the character’s voice"
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"Without personality, the character may do funny or interesting things, but unless people are able to identify with the character, its actions will seem unreal. And without personality a story cannot ring true to the audience."
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"The magic of Disney is based on anthropomorphism"
(Platt, E. 2000. How Disney Makes Magic. The Sunday Times Supplement. Date not printed. Volume 1. 7.)
"The mapping of human motion to a character with nonhuman proportions doesn’t work, because the most important things you get out of motion capture are the weight shifts and the subtleties and that balancing act of the human body"
(Richard Chuang (vice president of PDI)
"Anthropomorphism rules because, for most people, any other interpretation of the animal’s behavior- any suggestion that it might be motivated by other than human feelings and desires- would instantly devalue these (human and pet) relationships and place them on a more superficial and less rewarding footing."
(Serpell, J. A, 2005. People In Disguise: Anthropomorphism and the Human- Pet Relationship In: Daston, D and Mitman, G, Thinking with Animals. USA: Columbia University Press, 121-136.)
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