juliacael3016 - Tumblr blog

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: Work Completed

I’ve finished my film and for the most part I am happy with it! I think I would have liked to do some more intricate linework and if I had more time I would have liked to outline the background as well as the actress. I think the soundtrack came together well, and I stuck with the original sounds I found. 

Ultimately, it’s been a gruelling process - rotoscoping is not my forte as I don’t think I have the requisite patience, but I’m proud of myself for doing it anyhows. 

I think the stylistically the film attempts to articulate the feeling of heat exhaustion, but I’m wondering if there is more I could have done to make the film less ‘tidy’ and more ominous and vague. 

In the broader context, I think my film is experimental but definitely could have branched out into more of an abstract style like other experimental works (Berlin Horse, how can I not bring it up, it is iconic). I think going forward it would be good to use other software outside of the rotoscoping app which enables me with more animation options - in hindsight I regret not trying this as I was very limited e.g. there is only one brush stroke you can use. 

Overall, I’m happy with the completed film and hope the marking gods look on me favourably. Thank you for the great unit! 

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: Progress Update

It is taking me much much MUCH longer than I anticipated to complete my 315 frames. I am slowly but surely getting through it though. 

I’ve been thinking about how my work is experimental - and I think a key part of this is that my film looks at a distinctive visceral experience and it doesn’t take aim to entertain an audience. I think in this way my film diverts from traditional film making and becomes experimental. Like the blasted Berlin Horse, it’s repetitive and plays with visual effects and how this can illicit certain reactions in a viewer. Again, with my research, it’s been difficult to find experimental films as most film making sticks to a linear narrative and structure. Not to say that my film isn’t structured and doesn’t have a narrative, but I’m looking to evoke a feeling and bodily reaction that isn’t tied to traditional story telling. 

I’m pushing onwards - and am eager to get the final stage where the film starts coming together. 

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: Progress Update

I’ve begun rotoscoping and BOY is it time consuming. I should have learnt from the first project that I underestimate how long this will take me, and I’m becoming increasingly concerned about having the project submitted on time. 

I’ve stuck with my original vision, and have been using fine lines to outline the subject. In my footage, I have a couple of shots of Nell drinking water. I originally planned to stick to red, yellow, orange, white, grey and black - but have now added blue to the palette as I think this articulates ones dire thirst and need to hydrate when experiencing heat exhaustion. 

At the moment, my focus is to get all of the 315 frames completed and then I’ll begin stylistically repeating certain sections and adding in my own animations. I like how in my first project I utilised text on the screen to add a hectic and overwhelming visual element (see in my first project how towards the end I write the words over the top of each other until they fill the screen) and will use this technique in this film also. 

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: Progress Update

I’ve captured all the footage I can for my film, but unfortunately it was not in ideal circumstances. I wanted ‘authentic’ footage in a sense of people who had actually completed a glass object and were feeling exhausted afterward. Unfortunately, the day I came in to do my filming all of the hotshop was off and couldn’t be turned on. My friend Nell was my actress, however it’s somewhat noticeable in the background that the hotshop is not operational, but I’m hoping this won’t effect my film as I don’t think this would be an obvious spot to the average eye. Additionally, I wanted some footage of Nell collapsed on the ground but she didn’t seem too keen on this idea. I contemplated getting her to film me collapsed on the ground but thought that it wouldn’t make sense in the final version having two actresses. 

The film I’ve taken adds up to one minute of footage, however I’m not worried about meeting the 2 minute minimum requirement as I was planning on repeating footage anyways to add to that delirious feeling. I’ll now need to begin rotoscoping - wish me luck!

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: More Inspiration

I took a look on the web today to see if I could find some other rotoscoping works to serve as inspiration for my final film. 

I’m finding the research process rather hard as experimental films don’t easily appear on youtube, and I remember John mentioning a site that was good for experimental films but I can’t seem to recall it. 

I did stumble upon this one video on youtube which I enjoyed. It’s a creepy rotoscope animation about a monster - what I enjoyed the most however was the way in which the ambient noise added to the off-putting atmosphere. 

I think this video is a good example of that ‘mist’ sound I found earlier, and it’s solidified me in the belief that I’ve made a good sound choice for my film. 

‘Glass of Water’ Short Rotoscope Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klyL-pX_8U8&ab_channel=Rightcolours

I also found this video, which I’m not sure if it is considered rotoscoping or not because it’s partially pixelated? It’s quite violent and graphic, and I’ll definitely not be taking inspiration from this style in my film - however it was interesting. 

Scary Rotoscoping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_t80BtuqPI&t=4s&ab_channel=sassypenguin

[juliacael3016]

Final Work: Soundtrack ideas

I’ve taken a look at some audio that I think will add to my final film. I searched for ambient noises that I think articulate the disoriented and numbness that comes with heat exhaustion. Ironically, in my searches I often had to add ‘scary’ at the end of my phrase e.g. ‘white noise scary’, otherwise the results that turned up were often relaxing. 

I’m feeling confident about the soundtrack choice, and will experiment with layering these sounds to achieve that confusion and make the listener overwhelmed. I also experimented with whispers today in the audio and had to make some changes, as I feel as though when the whispers are too easily heard they sound relaxing instead of disorienting. I’ve decided to turn up the ‘mist’ and ‘static’ sound to flood out some of the whispers, and I think this achieves the desired effect. I have also decided to add in fire crackling - because not only does this illicit the feeling of heat but the layering of many sounds is overwhelming. I’ll see how the audio works with the film once it is completed. 

Mist sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M31yu9qqJUg&t=6s&ab_channel=AmbientiumSonitus

TV static sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LxpYpb7O1A&t=7s&ab_channel=TheBronzeCat

Fire sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgHKb_7884o&t=977s&ab_channel=CatTrumpet

[juliacael3016]

Final Project Proposal

Synopsis:

I’d like to make my final project about heat exhaustion, continuing on with my focus on glassblowing from my first project. I think that the feeling of heat exhaustion can be quite a sense-numbing experience, and in my film I’d like to capture this by highlighting the movements and feelings of the body through rotoscoping. Stylistically, the film will incorporate colours that capture heat (red, yellow, orange) and colours that communicate ‘numbness’ (white, black, grey). I’ll continue to rotoscope via the stopmotion app and will use a finer line to make it look as though it was rotoscoped by hand. 

Techniques:

My primary technique will be rotoscoping, however as I’m achieving this through the stop motion app - the video is shortened into frames that don’t flow very smoothly and as a result, incorporate a stop-motion feel. The stop-motion technique is achieved by utilising frames that aren’t smoothly connected, and the resulting effect is that it looks as though I’ve taken images of my subject and then put them together in order to achieve the movement. These techniques relate to and enhance the goal of my film, which is to simulate the disorientation and inability to function correctly which is felt when suffering from heat exhaustion. 

- Other experimental film works that relate, conceptually or aesthetically, to your film (include references).

Research and Inspiration: 

Films I’m inspired by include: 

- Sims ‘LMG’ by Matt Scharenbroich

- ‘Purple’ by Yuki Tam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kSdfvJGlGU&ab_channel=YukiTam

- ‘Lemonade’ by Brad Hansen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkYYQNLWa2A&ab_channel=RetroCarsForever

 - ‘Ethereal’ by the RotoJam Collective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVEiSFo5Q28&ab_channel=RotoJamCollective

I particularly like the style of ‘Purple’ and ‘Ethereal’ - think these both aesthetically capture elements I’d also like the capture. The linework in both is thin and mimics that of rotoscoping achieved on paper. The blobs of colour and amorphous forms in ‘Ethereal’ also conceptually align with my work - whilst in this film the colour palette and amorphous forms are delicate and whimsical, I’ll be using the same techniques to communicate a more woeful feeling. I think taking inspiration from these films will be useful when thinking about the style of my film. 

Soundtrack: 

I’d like to incorporate ambient sounds that replicate those heard in the hotshop - deep humming or ‘mist’ sounds. I’d also like to utilise static to elicit that disoriented numb feeling, and experiment with whispers. I think the layering of whispers in the film will again add to and achieve a disorienting effect, and communicate the way in which heat exhaustion can feel as though your body is telling you to stop. In this way, using my action voice mimics that visceral feeling of ‘stop, this is overwhelming’. 

Timeline: 

Pre-production (Week 10-11): My first step is to capture some footage of an actor in the hotshop doing things which communicate the feeling and result of heat exhaustion, and the things that can cause it. The footage will include the person resting, drinking water, wiping away sweat, sweating, standing at the glory hole working and opening the furnace (exposure to extreme heat). 

Production (Week 11-13): I’ll upload the footage onto the stop motion app and then begin the process of rotoscoping. This is expected to take a considerable amount of time. 

Post-production (Week 13-14): Once the main task is complete (the rotoscoping), I’ll go through the film and edit to ensure it is fitting to the style I want to achieve. I’ll also then create my audio. 

[juliacael3016]

Music Idea #1 

[juliacael3016]

Rhythm Project: Idea 1

I’d like to rotoscope a series of rhythmic movements commonly seen in glass blowing. Glass blowing is all about rhythm, and people who work with glass often describe it as a dance with material. Glass blowing is all about repetition and timing - and the fluidity of the material is quite hypnotising. I am often hypnotised by the material and I think the trance glass can put you in is like a dream. 

I’d like to utilise the looping elements of zoetropes and create a looped rotoscope of hot glass techniques. I think I’d like to focus particularly on strip gathers and, utilising rotoscoping, expand on the potential of the material unbound by its physicality.  

Sound: 

I am torn between using elevator-esque mind-numbing music to enhance the ethereal properties of the glass, or using actual sounds you hear in the hot shop/cold shop or a combination of both. I think I will utilise a combination of both 

Areas for Development: 

I think my concept is strong, but I need to actually dive in and begin experimenting. I also need to do some additional research so my project is well informed and thought out. I’ll begin the development of my project by seeking to answer these questions: 

Depth and breadth of research:

What have you looked at?

What other works inspired you?

Are there any contemporary applications of this kind of technique you found useful?

Exploration and experimentation of medium

What techniques have you explored/ experimented with?

What worked well for you?

Why did you pursue the techniques you used?

[juliacael3016]

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Idea 1 for Rhythm Project - rotoscoping glass

[juliacael3016]

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Idea 1 for Rhythm Project - rotoscoping glass

[juliacael3016]

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Idea 1 for Rhythm Project - rotoscoping glass

[juliacael3016]

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Idea 1 for Rhythm Project - rotoscoping glass