The Animation of Man

While searching through Vimeo once again I came across a short stop motion animated film that used paper cutouts. It's a simple story, the evolution of man, but the paper cutouts are charming and give evolution a whole new feel.

Another aspect of this short that I find incredibly intriguing is that the created left markers on the paper, so the process of stop motion is visible. I think this helps the audience realize that stop motion animation is incredibly time consuming and a very involved process. I also like that the creator put themselves into the work, even if they were just a hand.

This is a beautiful example of paper cutout animation and I hope to try my hand at it someday.



The Animation of Man

Oma, a short animated film

https://vimeo.com/164076380

I recently found this cool animated short called Oma by Karolien Raeymaekers.
It's about a young girl who has to conquer her fear for her own grandmother, who is terminally ill.

Onirik

While going through different animated videos posted on Vimeo, I came across a very beautiful animation. The video was made by two animation companies, Fink and Colts. The video is described as a "surrealistic journey through the minds of creative people". This video is a way to show the creative processes of different artists and how they can truly make their animations come to life. It's very entertaining and gives us a different perspective to animation. Check it out!

https://vimeo.com/154579371

Onirik from Fink on Vimeo.

An Object At Rest

An Object at Rest is a short animated film I found while looking through Vimeo's collection of animated shorts. On their front page there are some incredible examples of animated shorts including Wire Cutters and Ascension to name a few. An Object at Rest was the one that caught my eye though. A charming little short about how a mountain is worn down over time, the style is almost whimsical, and the tone seems to be cheerful but with some darker undertones. The water color style and pastel colored pallet help aid this style.

I never really understood how vast a resource Vimeo is, but now I think I'll be using it much more in the future.



An Object at Rest

Jamón

I'm the kind of person who is always browsing Vimeo for good short films because it's such a fantastic collection. If you're new to Vimeo I recommend at least following "Vimeo Staff Picks", they curate some amazing stuff. I'm also part of the "Everything Animated" group which posts exactly what it sounds like, animated shorts! This is one that I found a while ago and has remained one of my favorites.

Jamon is a Spanish short by Iria Lopez about a pig who lives in a human's world. It's tragic and funny and definitely deserves a watch. I'm a sucker for traditional animation and this one is beautifully done using silkscreen backgrounds.

If you have time please give it a watch! I promise you won't regret it.


Jamón film from iria lopez on Vimeo.

FEELINGS

This has and probably always will be one of my favorite little animation shorts. It's so simple--and yet when I first saw it I teared up with nostalgia. Nate Milton, the animator, wrote down thoughts and feelings from his childhood and then used a pastel-like material to create the piece.

I like this animation because it's just a collection of feelings and moments--not necessarily a story or narrative. It's also a fresh way of making animation, with traditional materials as well as computer software. It just has a very organic feeling that I really respond to.

I hope you all enjoy it!



FEELINGS from Nate Milton on Vimeo.

Interesting Animator

http://stephenmcnallydraws.com/

Above is a link to the website of Stephen McNally, a very talented Irish animator I recently discovered while looking through Vimeo videos.  A lot of his videos combine the use of 2D and 3D animation, giving his work a unique style. He has also uploaded several making of videos that break down the steps he goes through to create such interesting animations.  I strongly suggest you check him out.

Here's his vimeo page too: https://vimeo.com/mcnallystephen

Pineapple Calamari

Pineapple Calamari is a short film that has been recently highlighted on many animation news sites. It was created as Kasia Nalewajka graduation film and was produced at the National Film and Television School. This stop-motion production features a racehorse named Pineapple Calamari and his life with the two caretakers that look after him. The short has a lot of shifts in tone over the course of ten minutes. It starts off on an overwhelming happy note, takes an unexpectedly morbid twist which then leads into a rather creepy situation. There are a few endearing parts thrown in however and the stop-motion, especially on the horse, and beautifully crafted sets definitely make it a short worth checking out. It can be found through the link below:

                                                        https://vimeo.com/119044030

Walk Cycle Tutorial

As soon as I sat down at my computer and started to design characters that I would like to animate, a horrifying thought came to me. I have no idea how these characters move. I couldn't fathom how someone could animate a human--say--throwing a ball and making it look natural. Let alone a drawn character with different physical rules than a human. How would I make a cartoonish-looking figure walk and bend and express themselves?

I wasn't interested in making my characters too realistic, and wanted to pursue a more comical tone. After browsing through my hoard of favorite animation videos on Vimeo, I found that I was drawn back to an animator named Charles Huettner. I followed him a year or so ago and found that his style intrigued and inspired me. Digging through his videos, I found an excellent Photoshop animation tutorial that might prove useful for anyone wanting to animate a walk cycle of a character that isn't necessarily human. The first video features Charles Huettner and Caleb Wood animating in photoshop and the second is a finished animation by Charles Huettner. 

I hope this inspires people as it inspired me! Get animating! 

Photoshop Animation Tutorial from Charles Huettner on Vimeo.

The Jump from Charles Huettner on Vimeo.

SPARK

This afternoon, I was greeted by this video on Vimeo.


RALF HILDENBEUTEL - SPARK from Boris Seewald on Vimeo.

I was immediately draw to it. Initially, because I saw dancers; they're so poised and elegant. As I watched, I was amazed at how beautifully the graphics (all done in After Effects) complimented the music and movement of the characters. Those styles of music and dance generally are not paired together. In this piece, however, they work. The director, Boris Seewald, describes the work as "an encounter between classical dance, geometry, and electronic music."

The 2 minute mark is where the piece really starts to get intense. The dark character meets the innocent one. I'm wondering if this has any Swan Lake influences... The lighting changes are truly incredible and only add that much more drama to the already ascetically interesting piece.

Social Change Through Animation

I find that some of the most effective ways to trap people's attention about something important is with well designed motion graphics. Below are some social messages I found on Vimeo promoting social issues, and what we can do about them:


The Innovation of Loneliness from Shimi Cohen on Vimeo.



Water Changes Everything. from charity: water on Vimeo.





TakePart: Participant Media - Waiting For 'Superman' - Infographic from Jr.canest on Vimeo.



Beyond Bytes from Florian Köhne on Vimeo.



The World Is Obsessed With Facebook from Alex Trimpe on Vimeo.



History of the Internet from Melih Bilgil on Vimeo.



Master Plan - About the power of Google from Jonas A on Vimeo.

Coda

Coda [koh-duh]

1.      Music. a more or less independent passage, at the end of a composition, introduced to bring it to a satisfactory close.
2.     a concluding section or part, especially one of a conventional form and serving as a summation of preceding themes, motifs, etc., as in a work of literature or drama.

My senior year of high school I started to really get into animation and motion graphics and my video teacher noticed that. He suggested I take a look at Vimeo's animation category section. I did, and saw some pretty weird (but amazing) works of animation. Here are just a few (though I will try to get to most of these in these blogs):

Parallel Parking

The Walking Dead Fan-Made Intro

Inappropriate Flash Mob

I've been checking Vimeo almost every other day since my teacher suggested I do so and I can't say that I've been as moved as I was when I saw "Coda" almost 2 months ago. I have watched and rewatched this film probably upwards of 15 times by now.

Its animation style is simple, yet effective, and its sounds are clean and immersive. Aside from those, it is the music and, of course, the story that makes me keep coming back for more. Starting from around 5 minutes until the very end, the dialogue becomes one of the most beautiful pieces of art I have ever heard. I would love to talk about with anybody, though I don't want to spoil anything in this post. I'll let the film do the talking. (I couldn't wait another week to share this film with you guys)

Coda

Weekly Inspiration: Good Your Journey

I came across yet another video on Vimeo that was inspirational. I found the simplicity in this video to be the best, the inspiration for Good Your Journey was the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The animation in this short are all shapes, particles, etc. -- basically everything we've covered in class-- but I find it intriguing how these minor skills in after effects, if executed well, can create an amazing short. Beyond this short animation, Stephen Mlinarcik has linked his personal website to his Vimeo page, I encourage you all to take a look at his webpage, he has not only created animated, directed, and edited shorts but he has also composed, photographed, and performed-- just proving how the media industry is all art, and there is pleasure in being able to be good at multiple formats. 

Good Your Journey from Stephen Mlinarcik on Vimeo.

25 Things Motion Graphics Artists Use

This video showcases the various techniques and finishing touches motion graphics artists commonly use to make their work look more professional. As a class, we know how to use most of these already. This was made by Derek Lieu on Vimeo. Here is his blog post breaking down all the techniques in the video so they are easier to follow by reading instead of watching.
http://www.derek-lieu.com/2014/04/26/25-simple-tricks-for-better-motion-graphics/


25 Simple Tricks for Better Motion Graphics from Derek Lieu on Vimeo.

Audi - Shapeshifter

Over the course of the semester, we have learned varying techniques in After Effects such as motion tracking, compositing, and particles. The tutorials offered by Video Copilot have really served as useful resources from the start to finish of a composition. But, after seeing some of the animation he did for Star Trek's opening title sequence, my eyes were stretched wide open to the endless possibilities in motion graphics and animation. I started doing some research into advertising and how companies actively utilize motion graphics to promote their products. After searching throughout various video sites such as YouTube and Vimeo, I wasn't surprised to find that companies that produced more expensive products (and therefore acquired greater revenues) had the ability to reach out to motion graphics companies to better promote their merchandise. One of the greatest commercials, from what I could find, that incorporated as many aspects of techniques that we've learned in class was the Audi Shapeshifter commercial from 2011.

While the video is 4 years old, it's stylistic approach to graphical design, cohesive transitions, and intense particle construction make the technical aspect of this commercial relevant to similar productions today. Even though the commercial stresses the car's versatility and freedom to adhere to any circumstance, it presents the argument that it be able to out-preform and outlast the competition. Motion graphics and animation don't just focus on technical design; there is always a story to be told. Audi's Shapeshifter commercial was able to successfully entice viewers in a little over two minutes.

"Box"

I want to share with you all this super interesting video on Vimeo made by Bot & Dolly. They created motion graphics to be projected and mapped onto moving surfaces. They then captured everything you see in the video in-camera, there is no motion graphic editing done to the footage. All the motion graphics you see on the surfaces have already been designed and projected onto the surfaces in real-time as they filmed. Check it out below:

Box from Bot & Dolly on Vimeo.

Stumbled upon this NikeSnowBoarding short video on my Vimeo timeline, because most of us are still working on our title sequences and just playing around with fonts and such I thought this would be a good inspiration. This is a 2D piece, so I liked how they applied depth through some effects-- that i can imagine being possible on After Effects.

Let me know how you feel about it.

Nike "Never Not" from Mike Bishop on Vimeo.

Sequence

This short film appeared on my vimeo newsfeed and in it's short 20 minutes it has both captivated my attention and FREAKED me out. I think everyone should take the time to watch this, it is overall extremely well crafted.

Sequence from Carles Torrens on Vimeo.

Roz Chast

She's a famous cartoonist, who has made a great career off of telling her personal stories and memories through cartoons. Her work shows, and she explains how there is no right way to draw or make a cartoon. I appreciated her artistry and found her story inspirational.

At Home with Roz Chast from NewYorker on Vimeo.

Blank Canvas...

Since we are all braining storming on our title sequence projects, I came across once again another video that is both a beautiful title sequence and inspirational. Blank Canvas is a show that features artists and their passions and dedication to their respectful craft. The color is phenomenal, and the graphics are great as well. The placement and timing of the video with respect to the audio is all well done, and is a lesson to all of us that a title sequence is much more than just an introduction. It is a representation of what the audience is about to witness, a representation of the show or film. A great title sequence makes way for a great show/film. 

             

                   Blank Canvas from Ayhan Cebe on Vimeo.

With respect to the title sequence,  Blank Canvas, with your knowledge of the film/ show that you all are thinking of erase the old title sequence and create a new one on a blank canvas. 

Till next time,
Krystal