Paper printed stop-motion silhouette CG animation

Bad Apple!

Paper printed stop-motion silhouette CG animation

Beautiful use of stop-frame animation. When the video starts a hand places a small paper square on a small stand on a greed grid. This cements that the viewer understands that the video is created using small pieces of paper. What I particularly enjoyed was the frame rate printed just below the image (most likely to keep track of the paper, but also to show the viewer the process of time).  The creators soon remove the paper (which is animating quickly) into the air on string with the gesture of a character throwing an apple. The camera becomes a key player in the animation as it, as well as the animated scenes, zoom in, changes angles, and sets the frame of the video. Other techniques were to hold the camera still and have the paper move, and rotate. When a shadow is incorporated the creators created a physical shadow over the paper, and when the work inducated darkness would cover the scene in a shadow, then used fire the character had created to burst concentrated light unto the paper.  At another point there are three pieces of animated paper at once, and when zoomed in to one shapes burst out of the page and rotate away.

It quickly becomes apparent that the square of animation in the paper is properly aligned, always, which means a lot of work was done in editing to ensure that each frame of 6565 was perfectly connected. 

This work is a beautiful display of art and it incorporated so many aspects of animation including stop-motion by mizing computer art printed on paper and assembled with a camera. The animation itself is absolutely amazing, but it pales in comparison to the techniques used to highlight that work as described in the first paragraph.

Bad Apple!! - Stop Motion PV 

  Video posted comment:

sm9519847 - コマ撮り実験アニメ「6566／6566」【Bad Apple!!　ＰＶ【影絵】アレンジ】.mp4
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm9519847

**EDIT2: Ten months later and this video reached 1 million views. Thanks a lot everyone who spent time watching "Bad Apple!!" Extra special shoutout to those who felt inspired after watching this video. I can't take any credit for its creation but if it help bring a smile to y'all then I'm pleased.

*EDIT: Less than a week, the video has nearly 200k views and featured on Cirno ⑨ News Network. To show my thanks, I added annotations translating the song with a few comments during the interlude and ending. I prefer to watch it w/o annotations first to appreciate the video first. Then watch it the second time reading the subs if you are interested in the song.

It's been a while since I last uploaded something from Nico Douga and this one caught my eye. Followers of the Touhou game franchise would recognize the source song and video "Bad Apple!!" by nomico as it maintained 7 solid weeks on top of the Nico Nico Douga weekly rankings.

For the record, I don't own the video. It was uploaded by Shige-ruuu on Nicovideo.jp. If you have a Nico account, check out his other videos at - mylist/767941

 

  Want to know more:

Used an adjustable lamp, green-grid matte, rotating circle table, a clicker button... what appears to be a web cam on a positioning device.  Sheets and sheets of printed out, and then cut frames, that were stored - in order- in a box.

Bad apple stop motion - making of 

 

  Video posted comment:

http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm9560637

The music starting at 01:58 is IDOLM@STER「てってってー」(miku)

 

Rotoscoping Fan-Based Transition Video

  Character Dance Hit!

Without knowing the context of the video I found this, and many other animated videos on the web. These videos are all fan-based and include characters from anime participating in certain movements to transform into other characters.

【手書き】　何系でもないメガテン 

This video is from a video game, turned anime, Persona 3. And at the time when these videos were a hit on youtube this was the best one that I could find. At the time I did not know of rotoscoping and thought one artist had done the work, and others had copied. In my search for information about this blog I discovered the source of the clip which was an ad (I think for jackets) with a popular asian boy band.  I believe there are as many as 400 drawings to get the animation smooth, and drawers had to incorporate characters different outfits, and facial expressions.  

Once I found the boy band video, which was the source, I found an assembled compilation of some of the videos that were created by fans. Though it's not shown here I believe some fans mimicked other fan-drawn videos which caused some of the rotoscoping art to degrade over tracings.

Nanidemonai Collection

 

 I believe this clip to be a brilliant display of artistic ingenuity. The drawers have taken a live clip and rotoscoped it in various ways. At about 0:52 of the video above the artist added in a hair swipe, where the character incorporated a movement to restyle his hair.  The second dance shown at 1:07 uses only 2 characters who experience distinct wardrobe changes without incorporating the jacket aspect of the original video. At 1:26 you can see that the artist played with the original intent of the jacket motion. At 1:38 the artist incorporated colour, but didn't finish the video. At 3:27 the artist incorporated the jackets, but saw fit to change them to styles the characters would wear. 

I think rotoscoping has found a fan-based niche in the world of anime and video games, where popular dance video's or commercials can be interpreted by fans who wish to see their favorite characters do something amazing.   

Written by Nicole Wilk

 

A look at Music Art

A look at modern & abstract art with music

This video was found by a friend who fell in love with the illustrations and song, and then shared it. The video takes a modern take on the abstract form of art.
The opening scene starts with shifting cardboard cutouts of an audience, and a collage-assembled stage. Creatures and limbs hop unto stage with signs for heads to introduce the video.  

When the main character appears she instigates animation, by opening her mouth (wide) rain starts to fall on stage, and she abruptly closes her mouth the stage shifts to a new dark location where weird eyes on poles mimic stop lights, with bushes that are made up of hands. My favorite scene is a simple one: at 0:37 the girl is singing in colour on a plate, everything is cast orange and scales boarder the top and bottom of the frame. Carp swim around her and as she sings bubbles come out of her mouth. The scales on the boarder move at odd intervals, this is very simple but effective.

夜な夜な夜な 

This video incorporated computer-based collages to create a simple yet effective piece of commercialization art and was an unofficial PV for Yoeko Kurahashi. I enjoy this video and wanted to share it because of the effective use of creative imagery, the adaptation of media, and the conventions of art used.  

Written by Nicole Wilk 

 

From the source

歌:倉橋ヨエコ / アルバム「婦人用」収録曲「夜な夜な夜な」ショートver
映像:エジエレキ / 映夜祭'07 公開作品 / 非公式PV

Song:Yoeko Kurahashi / "Yona yona yona"(short ver.) from Album "Fujin-yo"
movie:Edielec / Played in Eiyassa'07 / unofficial PV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you enjoyed the above video, I urge you to check out the one below:

たま～電車かもしれない

 

This video incorporates shapes using a girl with a shawl to create her environment, incorporate her environment, make copes of herself and use shapes to perform transitions. Simply Beautiful. Check it!

 

 

The Joy of Books

Inspirational

Found this video by viewing it in class, thanks to Professor Franci Duran 

 

 

Written by Nicole Wilk

The Joy of Books

The Joy of Books is a beautiful one-and-a-half minute stop-motion video.  This video was shown during my year three animations class at McMaster campus and was recorded by a friend of my professor, Sean Ohlenkamp, who used a class of helpers to assist in the making of this multifaceted work.

The animation begins in an eerily Harry Potter feeling (magical) wide-shot of the scene-location. The music picks up speed as more and more books and motion occur within. From the outside, you see a normal bookstore, but once inside the store is alive. Books shift, move, organize themselves by colour, move around, and fleet over the floor. Extra buy items also come alive and provide a stable focus-point from the motion and color-calamity of the books.   

The sheer amount of work that has gone into this production (and in such a small space) is amazing. The mood is delightful, and creates a magical but eerie feeling whim from the books. I think this video is a beautiful example of what possibilities asking for permission to do animation can provide, as well as demonstrate the advantages of teamwork and co-operation.  

Information Provided by the Creators of The Bicycle Animation

After organizing our bookshelf almost a year ago (http://youtu.be/zhRT-PM7vpA), my wife and I (Sean Ohlenkamp) decided to take it to the next level. We spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto (883 Queen Street West, (416) 366-8973).


Everything you see here can be purchased at Type Books.


Grayson Matthews (http://www.graysonmatthews.com/) generously composed the beautiful, custom music. You can download it here: http://itunes.apple.com/album/awakenings-single/id496796623


But none of it could have been done without all the volunteer hands who shelved and reshelved books all night, every night. A special thanks goes out to:


Lisa Blonder Ohlenkamp
Mike Takasaki
Hannah Charlick
Liz Walker
Andrew Carty
Filipe Da Luz
Ruth Ann Cachero
Justin Turco
Adam Tuck
Michael Groppo
Curtis Denomme
Shannon Farrell
Steffi Raike
Jean Marc Douville
Mikhail Ferrara
Clayton Vrenjak
Rob Sturch
Marie Rupolo
Nery Orellana
Mike Greco
William Chong
Terri Vegso
Michael Leishman
Emma Leishman
Mike Kolberg
Ryan Speziale
Natalie Mathers




So who wants to help us do the Library of Congress next? :)

The Bicycle Animation

Inspirational

Found this video by viewing it in class, thanks to Professor Franci Duran 
 Written by Nicole Wilk

The Bicycle Animation

The students participating in this project took an old style of animation (check out a previous blog post here), and incorporated it into not just modern art but into a practical art demonstration of the secrets of motion. The animation technique I am referring to is an extension of the Zoetrope. The Zoetrope is a cylinder with long slits and sequence drawings on strips of paper that when spun appeared to be moving ( this was popular in the 19^th Century in Europe & America). The Zoetrope inspired the Praxinoscope, which in turn inspired the Zoopraxiscope.

The Zoopraxiscope was a projector device, designed by Eadward Muybridge, that used round discs with images printed around the disc rim that - when rotated - appeared to move.The design concept in The Bicycle Animation follows the same principle. By having the images (in this case laser-cut) rotate, the eye loses track of where to focus and the animation begins to blur into itself, but what happens with the rotation is that our eyes pick a point to focus on and as each piece if art hits that spot our eyes blur that to the one before, and the one before, tricking ourselves to believe the motion is still.

The bicycle animation uses the speed of the bike to get the smooth motion. The faster the person riding on the bike goes, the smoother our eyes can blend the animation. The wheels of the bike can change speed and duration, which makes the art "live art" in that it can change and grow in real time. I found this art facinating and wonder why it does not exist as bike deco's on the market already. For all the silly ways to customize bikes (like stickers), this art is beautuful and functional. A good material, even hard plastic, would be enough to create the art.

If this art was available for sale: I'd own two. 

One for each wheel!

If you liked this art, check out:
Béatrice Coron: Stories cut from paper

 

 Information Provided by the Creators of The Bicycle Animation

 If you would like to own a laser cut Bicycle Animation design please go to www.etsy.com/shop/katybeveridge1. These are not visible with the naked eye, it must be filmed to animate.

This is a piece created to question whether it was possible to film animation in realtime. Part of my CSM 3rd year disseration project I was looking at proto animation (really early basic animation) in contemporary design. I've taken a lot of influence from other contemporary designers who are using these techniques to explore the way we look at animation and how its made. As stated on my channel I have interviewed animators such as Jim le Fevre and in my research referenced other people using this technique such as David Wilson and Tim Wheatley who did this before me. I developed this project based on what is being done in animation right now as well as a lot of primary research into the history of animation techniques.

Big Thanks to my friend Stefan Neidermeyer who did the sound. The soundtrack is made up of various bike noies recorded during the filming process which Stef then remixed to make the amazing soundtrack.

Thanks to Henry Chung (http://henrichung.wordpress.com/) Fernando Laposse (http://www.fernandolaposse.com) and Dominic Roup and their great bikes for making an appearance.

Any Questions contact: katy_bev@hotmail.com

 

 

EMPTY

nothing here yet, sorry!

A look at rotoscoping

Kiss Animation

found by chance

This is a beautiful example of what rotoscoping can do. First, the animation sequence has a certain charm about being drawn in such a closely related to reality way, and the overall colouring add to the dreamy quality presented by the background decoration. The artist here used 43 frames in total to get the animation. By using rotoscoping the artist can seamlessly alter the image, for example the scene blow is from a TV show, Sherlock, and originally depicted a male and female kissing. By using reference material the artist was able to guess where limbs, eyes, clothing and body movement would have to go.

I thought this animation particularly effective because it incorporates many of the attractive qualities of rotoscoping: accurate depiction of the subject matter, interchangeable content, beautiful art, and frame-by-frame smoothness. I think a project similar to the undertaking of this artist would be highly beneficial to any animator. This art makes me want to try rotoscoping in a serious fashion (that is to say detailed images). Even whilst knowing the pain the effort would cause I feel the end result would be worth it.  

This art has 43 frames and was traced using Photoshop, from a television show. The artist altered the scene.

by Nicole Wilk

 

kiss animation by ~br0-Harry

br0-harry explains the process below

basically it was just traced from this very gif

and i used next pics to draw John

^ back ref. (but flipped horizontally obviously)

^ elbow and a collar

^face..

it was the most problem thing and i tried many images but ended up with these two. well ive been looking at one more with his eyes closed.. but it’s with the wrong angle, but you know better than nothing..
dunno what else to add.. do you still need to see the process of tracing? cuz it’s very boring and surely nothing new in it..

i thot later it wld better to got my own screenshots of that scene from Small Island with higher rez.. slow of me..

hope this helps.. It’s my first animation ffs, i know nothing bout how to do it..

kiss animation monochrome by ~br0-Harry