Drawn Animation Research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk8pAPv6TwQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u46eaeAfeqw
These two drawn animations are very similar to one another in the way that they are drawn and the ideas behind them. The one main difference is that one has the plot revolving round a particular character, a simple stick figure. Other than this, they are practically identical. One other similarity is that the stick figure animation has a coherent storyline as it is following him as he walks through town, whereas the other animation is seemingly random. This animation also includes colour.
The two animations involve shapes being 'pulled' and altered by the animators hand and being made into new objects or tweaked slightly. Other times these objects turn into something else entirely by morphing and twisting into a new shape. I think the plot behind these animations are unique and original and I would be interested in doing something similar. I think that both are entertaining and memorable for different reasons. The stick figure animation almost has a persona, and the animator encourages this by helping him in his every-day tasks and problems. The other animation is quirky and imaginative in the way that a creature or object can turn into something completely different in a straight forward but fluid motion. I think both of these animations would have required a lot of half work and planning, and both used a lot of photographs considering the length and how smooth the photographs run. I think these animations are good reference samples as this is almost exactly what I plan for my animation to be like, bar the animators input in changing the drawings.


http://www.wimp.com/wallanimation/
This animation is a different type of drawn animation but it still follows the same processes. This animation features outside surfaces, such as brick and gravel, and uses paint. As they use what is seemingly paint, it leaves a lot of residue and left over grey paint where they've painted over it to start the next image but this is unavoidable. What's significant about the film is how detailed it is and the thought that's gone into the transitions. It begins by showing some of the surroundings which is a pile of rubble and dust, then from a corner a many armed creature appears. From this, it goes through many forms and guises, from a spider, to a man, to many different shapes. The ways in which it morphs into the next stage of it's evolution is what's so entertaining, as they're always very creative and original. Half way through the film, the creature crawls back into it's corner as a brain, then reappears as it did at the beginning of the film and it plays in a loop. I think this is a nice touch because of the continuity.
None of the animation is shot using a tripod which I think is necessary for this type of animation to be a success. This is because of how much the creature moved around, it would have seemed odd if it had been partially still and partially jerky. As the camera follows the creature around, there are many angles used which would also have been made difficult if a tripod had been used. Many photographs must have been takes because the animation is extremely fluid and almost seems real-time, and also the animation is nearly 4 minutes long. As far as I can see, not a lot of editing has been done on this video, as it wouldn't need any. The colours don't seem to have been altered and the drawings seem accurate enough. I've decided against using this form of animation, as it would be quite a large scale project and it would take more planning than I have time to do. I also think that doing a drawn animation on a white board with a marker would be much more efficient as there would be room for error, and it wouldn't be so messy. I also think that using a white board and a solid line would be easier to animate rather than an ambiguous painted line. However I do think this work is very much a success as it features a very flowing plot, creative ideas and smooth transitions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayvIT8H9uRI&feature=related
This animation is a very basic drawn animation. I have considered following a similar process for my own animation, using my finger as the 'pen'. Although the animation has no coherent storyline, it works well because of the amount of photographs they used. The drawings flow very smoothly and I think the fact that she's using her fingers/hands for the pen and eraser is quite imaginative. I also like the way that the animation uses different colours as it gives the film some variation. My favourite part is nearer the end, where the drawn line is seemingly being chased by the animators hand. I think this works well as it gives the drawing a personality almost and is quite unique. There is also some referencing used as at the end she emulates a pac man game using the same technique. I think this animation works well because it isn't very adventurous, the drawings are very small and basic and there isn't much actual art or movement involved. When it comes to making my own drawn animation I plan to do it a lot larger and more detailed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djV11Xbc914
This is a very famous 1984 music video by A-ha, which is mainly animation. This was my inspiration to create a drawn animation as I really enjoyed this video, and I think all the different techniques used are very inventive and the entire thing runs really smoothly. The video features a lot of drawn animation, which starts off as just line drawings. There is also some film footage incorporated into the video which links in with the drawn animation in a really smooth transition. This video proves that to create a professional and successful animation you don't need to be an extremely talented artist, you just need the basic outlines of images for it to work. The animation also features drawings coming off of the page, which is also seen in advertisements for 'Saga Cruises' and 'McDonalds'. The animation doesn't necessarily relate to the song it accompanies, but they compliment each other in their pace and tone. However both of the aspects run to the same theme of a love story, which is portrayed visually and through the music. I can understand why this video was so popular, as it was a break through using drawn animation as it was so professionally done and life like, and also won 6 awards and nominated for 2 others. The animation is heavily edited and most probably created using a computer, as there are a lot of complicated transitions used and the drawings move completely fluidly. The video used a drawn/live action animation combination called 'rotoscoping', which is where the film footage is traced over frame by frame so that the drawings and characters seem more realistic. The animation includes three thousand frames, and took nearly 5 months to complete.