ReAnimating Analog Animation

So everyone’s done some form of physical animation (analog) where it's either fixed to a disk or stored in a flip book. So I figured it would be a good idea to cover some of the many different methods of reanimating for presentation on digital platforms. (For the sake of this I will not cover what the teacher did not)

Step 1, Capture of the frames.

This can be done one of 3 ways.

Method number 1: recording

In this one you physically play the medium before a camera that is recording, this is the simplest method of documenting and porting the analog animation to digital mediums however it also returns the lowest quality and least usability. For this you would set up a camera in a stationary position (tripod recommended) and start the recording. Set the focus to the point in which the analog animation will be played back and then set it in motion.

The video file the camera produces will be your documentation for digital presentation and can be trimmed and converted, however its quality is set at the capture and the analog playback.

Method Number 2: Digital stills

In this method you would take individual photographs of the frames of the animation and then line them up in a program like Photoshop or after effects. (Some other forms are covered) For this you would set up still camera on a tripod and the medium of the animation as parts that you would swap out form in front of it as you take stills of the frame by frame animation. (snap a photo, change to next frame)

The digital stills will now need to be aligned in another program for proper display, however depending on the resolution of the camera you could have a nearly limitless quality to recompile the animation with. This will also normally produce a better looking digital presentation than method number 1.

Method number 3: Scanners are your friends

We’ve all heard the horror stories of scanners flubbing up color and contras for artwork however once calibrated they are fantastic and can produce even better quality than a good digital camera for digital stills to work from. For this you will need a decent scanner and know your way around the software for it. One down side to this method is that its incapable of documenting 3 dimensional analog animation, along with you will commonly have to decompile the analog animation (flipbooks, some rotary weal animation systems too). Simply scan the frames in and store them. The digital stills will now need to be aligned in another program for proper display, however depending on the resolution and quality of the scanner you could have a nearly limitless quality to recompile the animation with. This will also normally produce a better looking digital presentation than method number 1 however its quality over method number 2 depends on your hardware and software.

Recompile methods for capture methods number 2 & 3

Photoshop:
Difficulty: minor
Hardware requirements: MASIVE
Image Quality: MAXIMUM
Portability: Maximum
Recommendations: Photoshop x64, 8GB’s RAM, lots of time.

This method has proved to be capable of the highest quality animation possible form the different methods I’ve tested. The resolution can be whatever you want and the exporting process can send it to a video file, image stack, or animated gif or mng. (I do not recommend .gif however MNG has very little support)

Import the frames by File>Scripts>Load Files into Stack
then click Browse... and select all of the images you are using.
I recommend checking the box for "Attempt to automatically align source images" as it will try to even out any jitter in your capture.
Now hit "OK" and wait for it to finish loading the images in to layers.

Now is when you will want to use the animation timeline. To add this simply go to Window>Animation
now that that is up hit the small icon at the upper right corner of the animation pane. using that menu select "convert to frame animation"
Once again using that menu now select "Make Frames From Layers"
Now select all the frames (Shift click in windows) and hit the drop down arrow on a frame.
From there select a frame delay (this is the time between frame updates, 0.1 = 10fps) or set a custom time (24fps = 0.0416667)

saving

To export as video or flash file, go File>Render Video and then set how you would like to export your video

To save as an animated image, go to File>Save for Web & Devices
Select .gif and set the color palette to 256. Form there you will have to play with the settings to get an optimal result.

To bring in to another program (like aftereffects) for compilation simply save the document as a .psd or .psb (psb supports files larger than 4GB's) and then import the file to Premier or Aftereffects. (it will import it like a video file most of the time)

Windows Movie Maker 6 and down:
Difficulty: it's so easy, a caveman can do it
Hardware requirements: medium (a 4 year old computer can do this easily)
Image Quality: eh... it can be ok, normally kind of low
Portability: lowest
Recommendations: Windows XP and up, 1GB of RAM

I used to use this method for animating as I didn’t used to have Photoshop or after effects and Final Cut X was (and still is) a crash prone pile of "what happened?" and so this was my only way. It’s 100% free for windows users and returns ok quality.

open movie maker and then go to "import media", select all of your frames and let the program mull about for a while.
Once the images are imported go to Tools>Options
Click on the tab labeled "Advanced"
Now change the picture duration to what you want your frame delay to be (windows movie maker 6 is limited to a minimum delay of 0.125 seconds, or 8fps). Also select your project dimensions of either 4:3 or 16:9 and set to NTSC if it isn’t already.

NOW! you can import the frames to the time line. Do this by shift click selecting what you want and drag your mouse to the time line and release. Now you wait...

(i never said this was speedy)

Now that the frames are in the time line you can export by clicking on "Publish Movie"
Select "This Computer" hit next, now name it and set the destination then click "next".
You have finally made it to the quality’s selection page, minimal isn’t it? For best results use the "more Settings" option and set to Windows Media DVD Quality (3.0Mbps) or the wide screen equivalent (depending on 4:3 or 16:9)
Now hit publish and it will render your video file

Alternative finishes:

These are different things you can do,
form here you can reimport the video file and hit of the effect panel for the speed up effect to double your frame rate to 16fps or higher.
You can also add some export scripts like I have for 720p and 1080p resolutions and high bitrates.

Link for the download = HD scripts for Windows Movie Maker

---Additional methods to be posted---
I’m already at twice the word count as the teacher wants anyways
This post brought to you by HTML, we get stuff done with no one else can

My Favorit Stop Motion Animator

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I would add commentary test about the videos however Blogger refuses to allow text to be added after the second video and there after.
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Well, after a elongated period of lacking time to do anything for this class Ive got a few minutes to place up this entry. (i hope nothing much is due this week, the cylibus and teachers post suggest first things due next week)

for a long time Ive followed a YouTuber names MysteryGutarMan who, from his very first introduction to YouTube in 2006 to now, has proudly produced many stop motion animations involving everything from people to spoons.

his latest is a prime example of his dedication to more traditional methods of animating. developing it in a 3 dimensional environment to allow for shadow and a rich traditional look and feel.

Traditional Animation

So out of the entire collimation of stress and anxiety experienced in setting up my first Linux file/game server, prepping for my sisters graduation, motherday, and an awards ceremony. i would have to say learning how much I hate animating on paper takes the cake.

I have never animated anything beyond stick figures traditionally before. My beginnings in animation were with flash and its reasons for why it’s taken over commercial animation are becoming far too clear to me now. Its union mode is fantastic for tweens and its time focus workflow makes animating in 2D a breeze. (Not to mention the built in tween modes are nice for smooth motions) Well once I got the hang of a tablet it was simple. So for this assignment I decided to attempt it 100% traditionally and boy was I crying for flash fast. So here are some things I learned about traditional animation along the way.

1: it’s a pain to keep sizing.

--my solution was to first mark out the maximum area allowed and then to stack the sheets of paper on top of each other over a light box. (well a clear clipboard and a lamp)

2: its messy no matter what you do.

--my solution was to animate on separate sheets of paper and to then transfer them via light boxing to the final surface. However even this proved messy as when inking it tended to smear.

3: it’s going to be shaky no matter what. (unless your Disney)

--never got a solution, it was simply an impending thing with animating traditionally.

4: X-Acto knifes don't like circles.

--try as you might it will never be round...

5: think before you do.

--I just finished making the disks, but have nothing to place them on for spinning... so wish I could just go File>export>Movie>Quicktime>save

6: and lastly, it takes HOURS LONGER.

Critiques…

What I had prepared for my in progress critique was fairly barren when compared to what others had completed. Mine consisted of a simple walk cycle and a basic fire animation layer in the back. Just as I had guessed, no one could guess the myth given the material on hand. This is obviously the single biggest thing I need to improve on the work. However that wasn’t surprising in the least bit because I had only recently started on the actual displayed work. Prior to Tuesday of last week, i had spent all my time trying to make it possible to sync 10 to 12 monitors.

Of things discussed, besides from getting something more apparent with in the video, I liked the generally positive feedback I got to the abstracted animation approach. A few agreeing that if it were to be actual legs a number of people would focus on what they are wearing rather than what is happening; which was the intended purpose. I liked getting some feedback on ideas for audio queues, the energy people gave to a voice over narration that followed the animation was positive enough that I’m now gathering my audio recording hardware and prepping for narrating. (However I may still not use it, never really liked my voice)

While listening to everyone’s feedback I also gathered some new ideas of my own that were very much influenced by the critique, such as diversifying the onscreen material. I could vary the animation slightly, add some basic backgrounds and possibly make an attempt at incorporating the large classroom projector to continue the immersive experience I am aiming for.

Lastly, I enjoyed the few technical questions that arose in both how it was presented (asked by a classmate last Thursday) and what I did to create the many individual videos and animation portions. As the name of the blog implies, I’m a computer geek. One of my favorite things is to teach people what I know about computers, and particularly, push the boundaries of what’s possible.

My Attempt at Making up for Missing the Film Festival

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the film festival in any length due to having a tripe planned to Utah that began mid-day on Thursday. (This trip was planned two years in advance) however I have attempted my best to view as many things from the film festival online, mostly threw YouTube, in order to hopefully get a grasp of what it was like and to wright up this entry. Below are some snippets of my thoughts on some of the many that I watched.
Phi Phenakis Tiscope
1:38 By Gary Schwartz
A cut out stick figure made of wood and a maple leaf bottle cap walks about a bronze relief map of a city. Other maple leaf bottle caps interject through the film till it ends with a spinning effect of them.
Fa Fha Pha Ottawa!
58s by Gary Schwartz
Stop motion short film that heavily involves round disks with a hoping person on it being rotated on various surfaces and tables in a workshop. There is a level of ambient noise, a grandfather clock and kid’s lafter along with a very 8bit sounding bas track.
Split Description
8:14 by Andy Moore in 1994
A video of stuff, it presents two seans of either similar of opposites by placing one in the center of the other. Some are so similar that they appear to be simply another shot of the same scean while others are so opposite you wonder why it’s even done. eventually it begins to present 3 seprit pictures however it has transitioned to Black and White by this point. Also the sound track has shifted from a mostly silent, minus the tick noise when changing a shot, to a constant hum of engines on a plane and some electrical static. At 5 minutes it starts playing very short clips of music in repetitive rotations, while presenting shots and alternative shots of cities.

FOREST STORY TRAILER
John Dod
A lively animation of a forest monster partying with apples.
47th AAFF Animation Trailer
Can I just say that out of all the trailers I’ve watched I’ve enjoyed this one the most? It’s beautifully animated, the camera panning in its spot on and it’s wonderfully fluid. The sound work is unique to it and is catchy. Not to mention I had no clue Google was involved in this film festival in any forum, that list of sponsors is really quite something!
Bad Ass Apple Box
2:54 by Martin Thoburn, JDSY, Adam Hunt, Jon Moodie
A quick video, it was produced in 10 hours and had to be around 3 minutes long, the required subjects were a box, something old and an apple. This on won the competition. Of the video it mostly resembles a music video with a constant tonal quality to it along with some forum of, I guess, singing/lyrics.
Mecanismo Olvidador - preview
By Juan Camilo Gonzalez
A sample of the full work, it demonstrates the mass of the animation with fluid motions and a rough look from the added unnecessary lines giving it a unique style.
Retouches
By (non listed)
Retouches is an example of animated painting and ink work, something I’ve never come across before. The animation is fairly smoth and something I didn’t expect to see. I wish I could see its full length work as it would have been interesting to see more of it in motion.

A Different Kind of Lecture

Heading towards to lector hall, all I could think of was how boring listening to an artist say artsy things was going to be. I had previously sat in at some guest artist things and was bored out of my mind at most of them. However Gerry’s was different, I was surprised to be greeted by him and then asked what I wanted to be. I was caught a little off-guard but replied that I wanted to enter the video game industry. He too seemed a tad caught off guard at my response but gleefully continued on with a congratulatory statement. From that point on it was obvious that this guess artist/speaker was going to be different form the rest.

Unlike all of the other guests that have done talks, Gerry obviously shied away from a visual presentation and for good reasons too. His fluidity of subject and motion threw what he had to offer would not have worked well in the confines of a PowerPoint presentation.

His lecture started off by asking us a few unanswerable questions and giving everyone a chance to give their opinions. Eventually he started to talk on a media Theorist named Marshall McCluhan who answered all questions with more questions. One particular thing we were told to note for our teachers was his opinion on tools and their influences “We shape our tools, and they then shape us” instead of one of the predominant answers of we shape them or they shape us. This outlook on technological social evolution has been well proven in recent years by the internet. Gerry’s lecture emphasized that everything is in relation and that there is always a hidden effect of that relation. That hidden effect is what we must balance with the positives of the change when deciding to embrace new thing’s but is commonly overlooked.

Along with his theo-blabber there was some art hidden in there. He made note of how art has shifted in its position in society. It is now free to and has been a critique of society’s evolution. Art now serves as the sounding board for questions others are not willing to directly confront.

However out of everything said, there are two things I would like to quote that have resound the most with me.

“You do not learn in a room, you learn in the world” something I’ve believed for a long time.

And

“If you dream a dream alone, it’s a dream. But if you dream a dream together then it becomes reality.” That is and has always been the only difference between reality and imagination and will become even more truthful with time. (this needs something, oh i know! LINK)

Me in 100 words (a list)

update
Turned website names in to links to profiles
updated again
correct wording for a few things and fixed a broken link
Updated yet again
added an oddly missing peace of me...
......................................

I take up residency at

-DeviantArt

-YouTube

-Xfire

-Steam

-ADJLFF

Interests

-Star Wars (before Lucas screwed everything up)

-Star Trek (TNG is best)

-Computers

-Art

-Video games

-The Internet

Hobbies

-Computer repair and optimization

-Video Gaming

-Video Game Testing (EA Games)

-Drawing

-Digital Art Production

-Hacking

-Moding

-Research (computer)

Shows

-Star Trek

-Battle Star Galactica

-Star Gate SG1

-American Dragon Jake Long

-Friendship is Magic (why I like It I don’t know)

Movies

-Star Wars Episode 4-6

-INCEPTION

-The Matrix

-Pokemon 2000

-Back to the Future!

games
-Star Wars Galaxies (you will never find a greater game)

-Pokemon Chrystal

-Halo Combat Evolved

-Mirrors Edge

-Portal 1&2

-Team Fortress 2