Change in Animation & Alice in Wonderland Behind The Scenes

What's really interesting to me is just how far we've gotten in animation. The technology and the process compared to the beginning of the whole idea of animation is just so wild to think about compared to the amount of software's and such that we use today. However when looking back on it, you can still see the core of the animation, especially for classic Disney films like Alice in Wonderland. It all comes back to a paper and pencil and from there what happens next is anybody's guess. I thought it was just fascinating watching this video, to see how much hand work went into the animation compared to the programs we use today.

Alice (in Wonderland?)

Think you know the story Alice in Wonderland? The popular novel written by Lewis Caroll in 1865 has been retold and adapted a countless number of times. However, there is one film adaption that perhaps is not quite as known as the rest. That film is called Alice.

Making IMDb's "Greatest Animated Films," list, Alice is a Czechoslovakian piece directed by Jan Svankmajer in 1988. Upon first watching, the film is quirky and off-putting to say the least. However, Alice is ultimately a work of stylized art.

The bizarre film employs powerful surrealist techniques in retelling this well known story. It is dark in mood, and transforms itself in wild and enchanting stop-motion animation. There is a lack of spacial continuity or relativity, which defies the boundaries of physics. Svankmajer animates just about every object and every thing to bring a chilling sense of life to the film.

The film's opening narration says the film is made for children. I'm not so sure. You can be the judge of that. Click here to watch (skip to 5 minutes to see the animation): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2jjkww

Green Screen Goodness

Hi there,

As I learn more about the green screen process, I become more confused and in awe of the spectacular animations that are produced via a single colored wall and a computer. Looking back at some of my all time favorite movies with this new, analytical lens has really led me to appreciate the amount of work and organization necessary to produce these graphics.

For example, take a look at these Harry Potter screen shots with the animation removed. This leaves only the actors, some set and the almighty green screen who is responsible for creating so much within the magical realm.

The movie certainly looks a tad empty when you strip away all of the magnificent backgrounds and beautiful locales that are expertly created by a green screen and a person sitting at their computer. Without this the film would simply be silly, and unable to portray the true essence of the work. Green screen technology has revolutionized modern cinema and has literally allowed films to soar to greater heights.

I've also included a still from the set of Alice in Wonderland...just for giggles.

Until next time,

Alex

5 Great Movies and Maya

This week, I was completely blown away and excited by Autodesk's program Maya. I have watched several different "behind-the-scenes" documentaries on several different films, and was able to watch as they created environments and creatures. For example, I loved watching how they made the creatures of the Lord of the Rings, and it is only now that I realized that they used the program Maya! I was so excited, and still am, to learn different aspects of Maya, even though there is so much depth and jobs involved in it. As I was researching I came across this article about 5 other movies that used Autodesk programs and the one thing they all had in common?: Maya.

The first was Inception, where they folded over the streets of Paris and had amazing settings.

Then there was Avatar, which was truly amazing with it's ability to combine live action 3D and CG effects. The actors of Avatar were so talented to be able to be on a virtually empty set and still perform as if they were in that actual environment.

Third on the list was Alice In Wonderland, which ties in my previous blog! Not only did they green screen most of the movie, but to find out that they used Maya as well really brought both concepts together in a way I never expected.

Fourth, was Iron Man 2. This was really cool to read because they not only used Autodesk 3D programs, but also made parts of the suits in actual life around the actors. Then they molded the suits later in computer graphics.

 Finally, and least expected, was Black Swan, when Natalie Portman turned into the swan.

Reading this article was eye-opening. There were a few that I suspected used Autodesk programs like Maya, but there were others that I never expected to find. After my brief experience, I can't imagine the amount of time it would take to do the things they accomplished in these films. It is truly incredible to continue to learn how "movie magic" is done.

By Amber Capogrossi

Imagining the Invisible

I know this blog is supposed to be for discussion on the post-production side of things and how motion graphics and animation are done, but this week, after being inspired by our class projects, I'm going to focus on the actors and their performances in front of green screens. As an actor at heart, I loved the opportunity to film on the green screen this week in class. It was such a fun moment to really test the limits of one's imagination. Can you really visualize the world you will be putting yourself into?  I was curious to find out how a professional set would look if there was an intense amount of green screening going on. The first hit I found was the most recent Alice In Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton. First watch this video:

Can you imagine being on set and having to see ALL OF THAT you in your minds eye? Our little exercise in class looks like a walk in the park compared to this. Everything is planned out in every detail. Every second counts, just as we learned in our own smaller projects. I think, for actors, this is exactly what they would live for. Being able to envision the world around you, while it is difficult, can really make a character come alive. I specifically loved watching how Johnny Depp played his character within the world his mind had helped create. Even when directions or creature appearances were called out, the actors had to be able to adapt to the world they were seeing in their minds and react. Watch this video and see the transformation of some of these green screens into the actual world of Wonderland:

This is incredible to watch these scenes come alive. It must be so rewarding for an actor to watch the film and see that invisible world come alive around their character. On the flip side, think about all the time, sweat and hard work the post-production crew put in to making this world come alive. (And I'm stressed about a thirty second clip!) It would be quite the joint effort. As hard or maybe awkward as it was for us this week (or maybe, like me, you really enjoyed it!), for a lot of professional actors it is just part of the job. In the beginning of this interview with Rachel Weisz (an amazing actress), she talks about what it is like for her to act with a green screen, specifically for the film Oz the Great and Powerful.

For a well seasoned actress to call it "simple" or "easy" is expected. I would think that if you walked onto a green screen set for the first time, you would be very intimidated and excited by the prospect. I have definitely been inspired by the ability of actors to imagine the invisible. What a talent to be able to act in a world that you can only see in your mind!

By Amber Capogrossi 

Animation Progress- Alice in Wonderland

The first time I saw Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, I had a hard time liking anything about the movie. Since 3D was being offered, I sprung for the more expensive ticket, which ending up just giving me a headache which detracted from the entire movie experience. When I saw the movie in theaters a second time (this time in 2D), I fell in love.

Unlike many films that have come before it, I felt that Alice in Wonderland did a fantastic, if not flawless job of integrating human actors into an animated world. There was never a scene in the film where the human characters looked out of place or as if they had been photoshop-ed into a clearly make-believe set. The character of the Red Queen is supposed to have a very large head. Obviously, the actress' head was no larger than the average person's, but the way this effect was presented made it easy to believe that while she is still a human, her head was absurdly large. Similar to the Harry Potter films where Hagrid (a half-giant) is shown as such, if we stop to think about the actors, we know they are average size, but the technology used for the movie never makes us doubt that they are a giant, or a queen with a giant head.

It is clear that as time goes on the technology for blending the computerized world and real world is improving. If you think about past movies that have tried to incorporate one into the other, I'm sure you can come up with some pretty bad examples. For example, while the Harry Potter crew did a great job with Hagrid, in the first movies I felt the scenes of Harry riding his broom during Quidditch matches (where his broom is possessed and he's bumping into the stands) where so painfully computerized I laughed out loud. The movie would have been better if that scene was left out than using a cartoony, Harry (who could have easily passed as a character taken out of The Polar Express, not a human actor). Moments like that break the illusion that what the audience is watching is real... if not in our world than in some other world. When we become aware that we're actually watching a movie, it loses that magical something.

Compare Toy Soldiers to the more recent Avatar and it is clear that we are making major strides in technology improvement. Here's a clip to see the Alice in Wonderland "Progress Reel," which I found to be really interesting, never have been inside an (almost entirely) green screen room. I think we all can still find amazement in behind-the-scenes clips like these despite the fact this is what we go to school for. http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1348404249/