See Hear - Week 5, Sand Animation

The next technique to try was sand animation; I liked the look of this technique from the examples we were shown on Monday. I researched Rebecca Manley a bit more after we were shown her work and I particularly liked this animation for a coffee advert:

 
Carte Noire - Steam from Rebecca Manley on Vimeo.

I love the golden background against the dark sand, resembling coffee of course, and creating a rich, warm atmosphere. Most of all I liked how the transitions between images were animated (the images forming from and dissolving back into steam from the coffee) - it is very fluid and lively, and worked very well with the sand medium I think.

For the next animation I wanted to do something different from what I had already done. So I decided to develop my original idea a bit and started to sketch a deer to add some character to the animation. I imagined my soundtrack taking place in a forest (a bubbling stream, floral or leaf-like shapes), which led to the deer idea, and a deer can also be drawn relatively simply/stylised. This idea may or may not be used in the final animation, but it was good to try something new and something a bit more complex that what I had done so far. I imagined the deer as more of an "idea" in the animation rather than a physical, realistic looking animal. As the camera follows this stream/river idea and down a waterfall, the deer could form form there and interact with the floral/leaf-like shape that floats up as part of the flute-part of the track:

Of course the gun shot then follows in the track, but I don't want to leave the animation on that note! So I am thinking that the deer figure could appear again after the gun shot - again this idea that the 'character' is less of an actual animal but more of a symbol for the environment, which is disrupted momentarly but then comes back...   just some new ideas floating about to add some more interest to the animation!

I then made more little thumbnails of each frame involving the deer to give me a rough guideline. The coffee advert inspired me in particular when working with sand. I wanted the line of the stream to form the deer and I think sand worked perfectly for trying this:



I really enjoying working with sand as it was easy to re-do things and draw into it, plus I think it has a nice-looking result. This is another short experiment, but I may do more animating with sand. The only problem is it will be harder to work with colour, unless I add colour digitally perhaps. I am happy with the deer idea and I think it worked quite well with the soundtrack - the large ears of the deer particularly can be quick and 'fluttery' in their movement, which suits the flute sound I think.
The new deer idea may also be a good way to play around more with the animation in terms of colours, movement and metamorphosis...