The aspect I chose for Week 10 was exploring camera movement. I want to make the scene more lively through the lens. If there is no camera movement throughout the animation, it will feel boring.

In the first test, the camera was originally filming the river, then lifted and moved to the position of the character. Create the impression that someone is holding a camera and filming.

In the second test, the camera follows the character and then pulls out to capture the surrounding scene

The feature of this method of shooting is to introduce the scene gradually so that the audience can see everything I want to show according to my guidance. If there are no camera movements, the audience’s focus might split.

Test 3 was similar to test 1. The blur effect was used to create a feeling of focusing the camera, both of which produced a feeling that someone was shooting, making the picture more realistic and vivid.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/ewQVHTjdpsc

This week’s theme is texture, light and colour. In response to this week’s theme, I made an animation about my character’s adventure.

In the first version, the tone of the background has no change. However, I want to show through the change of weather and tone that there are not only joys but also difficulties during the journey. 

So in the second version, I made the next two scenes darker by changing the filter to further emphasise the sense of conflict.

I found it’s not really effective by only changing the filter. To further enhance the contrast, I added the Lens Flare effect in the first two scenes.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/Lw-WyCfyM7A

This week I focused on colouring and adding shadows to my characters. In response to this week’s theme Stillness, I iterated a scene about my character chasing a butterfly. I added background and some fireflies to my animation. Fireflies are almost stationary and can add some depth to my scene. The background is completely still.
 

For week seven’s exercise, I choose to make the metamorphosis of “Light/Shadow”. 

This is the second scene of my project, and I intend to show the plight of the main character at the beginning, loneliness and cold. At the same time, I wanted to display the emergence of hope, so I tried to manipulate light and shadow to show this effect: The sun rose and light dispelled the darkness.

I’m happy with my character shadows, so I didn’t change too much. I focused on iterations of the background. My background in this scene is simple, depicting the main character sitting in the corner of an alley through a long night. The background is too simple and makes it flat, I intend to make it look more solid by shadow animation.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/QDqblaOgfQA

In the sixth week of practice, I spent about 15 minutes thinking of a problem as the study focus for this semester’s IOL course. The problem is: In the opening of the animation, how to combine the characters with the background ingeniously?
In order to get a solution to the problem, I decided to break the problem down into a few assumptions.

-Try patterns background.
In test 1 I used pattern backgrounds. The shiny background is often used in anime fantasies. In this experiment, I found that the advantage of this background is that the colour of the background can be changed at will. If it is a general environment background, it may be strange to change the colour of the background at will, even if it can make the characters blend in. For example, I can change the pattern backgrounds to any colour I like, but I can’t change a forest background to purple or change a mountain to pink.

-Experiment with 3D software for the backgrounds.
In the test 2 experiment, I discovered the great influences of different backgrounds on the same scene. Since the test scene is a fantasy rather than a real one, my background can be more abstract. In the 3D test, the background colour was pure white, although the character’s colour hasn’t changed, they became lighter because of the background. 
I didn’t have enough time to create and render a sophisticated 3D background, but after this experiment, I felt that 3D and 2D worked well together.

-Try adding a shot transition animation to the background.
In the third test, I added a long-scale background to leave enough room for camera movements. I made the background hazy to make it more like a fantasy. 
With the addition of camera movement, the background becomes more three-dimensional, as if the camera is rotating with the person. I feel that this test is the most in line with my expectations.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/h-jzvotR8Ic
 

In response to this week’s theme ‘sound’, I start to match my clips with audio. These two scenes are 49-52 seconds of my animation, which is the last scene. I iterated the hand holding movement a few times trying to find the best position of how hand and paw hold together. 

49-52 seconds of my animatic(Edited): 
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/ETIARavuax1FqH9_1CRdP40BMRyvoKOJ9lJXGJvkoThx3Q?e=P8fF0q

Iterations:
Version 01:
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EcSMd1zZcFZJiweytujiCYEBWKGaBpvxx52IxS_cZpHfcQ?e=4fg2R0
This action gives the impression that the two characters are equal, like friends or teammate, but it lacks the feeling of caring and supporting for each other.

Version 03:
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EeGLUxiPqC9Mj6yiCrFlJNIBXikQBm0HVOuyVdO4q8zVVQ?e=QhDyHL
I intend to depict Nora and August as partners and family. This pose shows enough concern, but I feel the connection between the two isn’t strong enough, it’s like what an owner and a pet would do. So I choose version 2, they were holding on to each other, both to show that they cared about each other like family, but also to show that they had an equal relationship.

Software used in this week:
Clip Studio paint
Adobe Premiere

In response to this week’s theme ‘Timing/Spacing’, I decided to choose three clips from my current project ‘opening’ that could best represent rhythm, timing and tempo.

The first clip is the first scene of my animation. In my audio, there was a bird chipping sound, To match the audio, I decided to make a scene that has a bird and sky. Here, I tried to sync the timing of the audio with the animation. (The bird chipping sound has continued for 4 seconds approximately, I start to move the camera after 3 seconds.)

In the second clip, I made a scene showing characters opening their eyes. Following the sound beat of the music, I have to manage the duration of this scene to be between 3-4 seconds to create a rhythm, but also to leave space between each character’s movement to make my scene not too busy with too many elements

The last clip is about a butterfly flying past the camera. The butterfly’s wing movement creates a tempo. Moreover, the flight path of the butterfly is very special. Unlike birds and dragonflies, which fly in a straight line, the flight path of the butterfly is like a wave going up and down, which is also where I need to control the rhythm.

Version 01(Bird flying, Opening Eyes, Butterfly) :
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/ES6sG027MftIqUnDb-mA5fIBDGZiJttTuNt69If-h_DYOQ?e=fsmUau

Iterations:
Version 02(Bird flying):
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EZIvXZgs4xhNiszqTbss-8IBwYSUMgagx8XJlY4E9vNuEg?e=HeI7Ga
After experiment, I found it would be more lively to make the bird fly across the screen.

Version 02(Opening Eyes):
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EQ7toGhnsOdEnR2Gw7VymUoBr0AXiNDjkxV4YYMiWmnYGQ?e=kF0J1G
It still feels a bit chaos if I put them in the same scene, so I changed the timing.

Version 02(Butterfly):
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EcYH6Mb0bkZKiypFQPpblU8BaDuqOwoNTafTHUwk2hfARQ?e=5ouldk
I was thinking of redesign this scene because it was empty and meaning less, so I decide to add August into this scene to further illustrate his personality.

Version 03(Butterfly):
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/ETYr_iU0ww1Gj_YXJInvlxsBN08pes-vCffkXXaR13OvvQ?e=KLnZBY
Following Yee’s suggestion, I make August walk towards the butterfly to make he seems more intrigued.

Software used in this week:
Clip Studio paint
Adobe Premiere

Loop 01: 
The first loop I thought of in my animation is Run Cycle. Running is heavily used in Japanese anime opening because it can give a sense of progress, A longing for the future, and positivity.
In my animation, running symbolizes the adventure that my protagonists going to experience and their hope.
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/ETtaoSJYwzJLtS-1epbumv8BMIuMyiJTrHtK6P66_YRKlw?e=XGcJuc

Loop 02:
I used a background transition as my second looping animation. The four scenes symbolize spring, summer, autumn and winter, with cherry blossoms blooming in spring, wheat ripening in summer, maple trees turning red in autumn and white snow symbolizing winter. I put the SEASONS as a cycle in my opening because I want to express that the journey of my protagonists lasted many years and went to many places.
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EZ6yIjHUbe9Dv20XGwt-uO8BU4meSQ0VikDYD3gVeJ00MQ?e=NH9ZXG

Loop 03:
This is a loop of falling objects.  It is a effect that I want to add in my animation to enhance the sense of the season.
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/ESbf_LB9iCNGk6t9SDHMC9cBRKgOi6yGdECy3deuOsxrUA?e=vzrT6j

Combined Loop:
https://rmiteduau-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/s3951814_student_rmit_edu_au/EemmFpLLJ25MuX5mQzo1bpMBcogSKygptw6A2Ut1odu3XQ?e=7eVg6e

Software used in this week:
Clip Studio paint
Adobe Premiere
SAI
Adobe Animate