Sequences, Scenes and Frames?

There is a need to understand the fundamental differences of events, sequences, scenes and angles. An event is usually made up of sequences. While scenes are made up of angles. Usually, scenes and angles represent the panels in a storyboard. When you shift to various angles in a particular scene, in principle, what you are doing is shifting the focal point in terms of composition in a given panel.

Frames belong to the production stage. The problem is when we, through impulse, do not follow the logic and reason of the process. Counting frames is not part of the pre-production stage. What we tackle is the fundamental deconstruction of events, sequences, scenes and angles.

When we breakdown an event into sequences, we are trying to understand the dynamics of an event. A wedding is an event that has several sequences. Bridal preparations is a sequence. When we breakdown the preparation into several scenes, we come up with the fixing of the hair, fixing of the make-up, fixing of the wedding dress and others. When we select a particular scene, let say for example, the fixing of the make-up, we choose several angles or sizes. We may choose to do an extreme-close-up of the lips while being applied with lipstick.

The more we breakdown, the more detailed and intimate the event. It also determine the focal points as well as the unity of the event's composition. By understanding the dynamics of events, sequences, scenes and angles, the more we are able to utilize creative economy in any animation output.

Breaking down the units of animation, we are able to effectively edit the storyboard as well as the dialog track. Sometimes, some panels are not really that important in completing the function and form of a storyboard.

Creative Management In Animation Material Development

We are always confronted with the problem of conceptualization. Especially when we are ask to solve inherent problems within a concept. How do we then go about in doing a make-over when a concept fails to pass the beauty pageant test?

There are many methods with regards to creative problem solving but the method that I like the most is called SIMPLEX Method.Simplex provide a definite end game for any problem-solving task. Often, when a creative team embarks on problem shooting campaigns, the process is so vague that we always ask the question: Are We There Yet?

Simplex provide a definite timetable and end result for any problem solving scenario. In a nutshell, the process is summarized in the following steps.

( Taken From Mind Tools)
1. Problem finding
Often finding the right problem to solve is the most difficult part of the creative process. When using Simplex, actively seek problems out. Wherever they exist you have opportunities for change and improvement.4. Idea finding
The next stage is to generate as many ideas as possible. Ways of doing this range from asking other people for their opinions, through programmed creativity tools and lateral thinking techniques to

2. Fact Finding
The next stage is to find out as much information relating to the problem as possible.

3. Problem definition
By the time you reach this stage, you should know roughly what the problem is and should have a good understanding of the facts relating to it. From here the thing to do is to crystallize the exact problem or problems you want to solve.

4. Idea finding
The next stage is to generate as many ideas as possible. Ways of doing this range from asking other people for their opinions, through programmed creativity tools and lateral thinking techniques to brainstorming
5. Selection & Evaluation
Once you have a number of possible solutions to your problem, it is time to select the best one.

6. Planning
Once you have selected an idea, and are confident that your idea is worthwhile, then it is time to plan its implementation.

7. Sell Idea
Up to this stage you may have done all this work on your own or with a small committee. Now you will have to sell the idea to the people who must support it. This might be your boss, a bank manager or other people involved with the project

8. Action
Finally, after all the creativity and preparation, comes action! This is where all the careful work and planning pays off.

Simplex provides the needed structure in problem-solving. Given that the inherent pressures in creative team development and management, it is good to know that there is a system that provides that needed life-line in cases of creative meltdowns.

Types of Genres

In order to understand the premise, one must determine the genre of the material. Usually there are four types of genres namely; 1. primary, 2. compounded, 3. qualified and 4. combined. Let say for example your material is using the primary genre called drama, the structure of the premise will have two main structural components namely; 1. the dramatic problem and 2. the dramatic solution. The dramatic problem serves as the subject of the premise while the dramatic solution will serve as the action of the premise.

When we refer to the conflict model, the premise represents the central problem of the material. Within the framework of the central problem are the character's conflict and the story's conflict. From these two conflict arcs, the material will move from the dramatic problem to the dramatic solution.

This is the reason why we need to know the genre of the material. Or else, we won't be able to construct the Bible and eventually construct the Beat Outline of the Material. In theory, when we combine the approach to reality (the look) and the genre ( the feel), the end result is what we call the unified art direction of the material from the character designs, background designs and other related designs.

Reframing An Animation Concept

When a concept breaksdown, the creative flow stops and tempers flare up. This is the natural consequence when there is what I call "creative blockage". The first thing to do is to understand the concept and the person who developed the concept. Sometime, the person who developed the initial concept tends to be protective with regards to his or her concept construct. There is nothing wrong with that as long as the creative flow is not disrupted. But when stubborness is at play, I feel, it is no longer creative.

Applying a neutral and objective process is essential at this point. I do not believe harsh methods that are said to be effective in drawing out creativity. That is a lot of bulll shit. In fact, studies show that harsh methods tend to breed ass-shits than creative mavericks. Subjective inquisitions are not effective when deadlines are about to catch up.

In my case, I always use an objective trouble-shooting method called Reframing. Reframing, when modified to fit a particular creative need, is a constructive method that identifies that potential of a concept by editing out bad parameters and reframing a concept by mounting it again using alternative parameters.

The method, I realize, is so disarming because everyone is aware that there are steps and components pertaining the material. It gives a creative team the needed space to step back and understand the concept and the main proponent behind it. Individuals give their evaluation through a dynamic called 'replacement". Reframing guides a team towards a more defines rules of engagement. In fact, it saves time and tears.

Experimenting What?

Experimental Animation is a phrase, if my communication one is correct, that tends to have a colorful reputation. Often, if we can not understand the content of an animation material, automatically, we call it experimental. This is how we " understand" experimental animation.

To be technical about it, Experimental Animation is always in the future tense. Anything that is past or present is not experimental. The conception of this animation movement is geared towards the invention of new artistic, technological, commercial and cultural devices, methods and processes in the field of animation. So, if you are using existing methods, processes or devices, you are not part of the general scope of experimental animation.

Furthermore, breakdown of communication is not experimental. The creation of new language... that is experimental. Thus, if you do not understand the content of an animation material, then, this is simply a breakdown or non-deployment of any communication construct between you and the material.

Some animators, not all, use experimental animation as a cliche to hide from real animation principles. Ignorance is not experimental. There is, therefore, a clear difference between breaking the rules and breaking through the rules. A barbarian could easily break the rules by simply not taking a bath. Breaking through the rules requires a lot of heartfelt and genuine sentiment of meaning and understanding.

I met a lot of "so-called" experimental animators who insist that they are changing the face of Philippine Animation. But when you look at their works, you tend to ask the question... " is this guy for real?'

Watching, in animation, a singing vagina will provoke anyone. But at the end of the " freak show", did it matter at all?


When is experimental... experimental? I feel that experimentation is always about challenging the conventions because there is a need to challenge them. If experimentation is just a measure of a whim or a desire to show-off, well for me, it is beyond the scope of experimentation.

When an animation writer is ask to write a material, he or she starts with the vision.

When an animation writer is ask to write a material, he or she starts with the vision. The vision is the abstract form that needs a function. The function is provided by the commercial model when dealing with mainstream animation or by the artistic model when dealing with alternative animation.

After constructing the model, the writer proceeds to examine the model and determine the source and the type of idea or ideas. After interpreting, validating and analyzing, the writer will now consrtuct the concept using several parameters. The parameters gives the concept the needed form and fuction.

From the parameters of the concept, the writer will start to construct the premise of the material. The premise is divided into three arcs, the story, the characters and the world. The said arcs will create the Bible of the material.

With a tight Bible, the writer begins to construct the material's outline using the animation beat method. From the beat outline, the writer will expand it and from the treatment. And finally, form the treatment a master script will be created. The master script will be transformed into a story board.

Getting That Idea

In Hollywood, there are creative individuals whose main bread and butter is come up with "commercially brilliant ideas". With emphasis on the word "commercially". Idea, by nature is abstract. An idea is not a concept and a concept is not an idea. A concept is relatively more concrete than an idea. Some may argue that a concept is a collection of ideas. Ideas that are put together in order to form a concrete action plan with regards to the overall material.

Judging an idea is subjective, some may hate your idea while others may adore it. What is important is that the haters are within the parameters of non-decision makers and the lovers are those who call the shots. In the "prelims", the key people are the producers and the creative directors. Your team mates may hate your idea but what can they do. In the end, the best idea is the idea that sells itself to the immediate consumers and not your immediate

7th Akira's Nightmare Basic Animation Scriptwriting Atelier

7th Akira's Nightmare Alternative Animation Basic Animation Material, Outline, Treatment and Script Development and Management is slated for the month of April 2009. We thank those who are participating in the ongoing animation workshop (6th Akira). For Registration: Please indicate full name and contact number mobile phone : 09215081060 This new workshop series will focus on four distinct fields namely;

1. Animation Material Development and Management
2. Animation Beat Outline Development and Management
3. Animation Treatment Development and Management
4. Animation Script Development and Management

The newly improved program will aid animation professionals create commercial animation contents that are within the contemporary sense and sensibility of the general population. For students ( UP, La Salle - St. Benilde, UST and Ateneo) who are about to take up their multimedia-animation thesis projects or are preparing for their thesis projects, the workshop will serve as a tutorial aid in order to augment their needs to finish their respective projects. The Animation Scriptwriter : The Creative Process When an animation writer is ask to write a material, he or she starts with the vision. The vision is the abstract form that needs a function. The function is provided by the commercial model when dealing with mainstream animation or by the artistic model when dealing with alternative animation. After constructing the model, the writer proceeds to examine the model and determine the source and the type of idea or ideas. After interpreting, validating and analyzing, the writer will now consrtuct the concept using several parameters. The parameters gives the concept the needed form and fuction. From the parameters of the concept, the writer will start to construct the premise of the material. The premise is divided into three arcs, the story, the characters and the world. The said arcs will create the Bible of the material. With a tight Bible, the writer begins to construct the material's outline using the animation beat method. From the beat outline, the writer will expand it and from the treatment. And finally, form the treatment a master script will be created. The master script will be transformed into a story board.

akirasnightmare08@gmail.com
akiras_nightmare@yahoo.com
http://akirasnightmareanimationforum.blogspot.com/
http://akirasnightmare.blogspot.com/

Whimsical?

Whimsical, as defined, in my opinion, pertains to a content that is characterized as fanciful notions that tend to make complicated human affairs simple. Usually, such point of view is defined as erratic and unpredictable. Thus when, let say, a romance is qualified as whimsical, the complexity of any romantic encounters are deliberately given simple forms that are erratic and unpredictable. Perhaps, this is what we see in Korean Romance in general but there are exceptions of course. What appears to be a complicated situation is ironed out into simple translations in a whimsical fashion.

Irreverent, as defined, in my opinion, pertains to a content that is characterized as vulgar or insolent notions that tend to make simple human affairs complicated. Usually, such point of view is defined as cynical and pattern forming. Thus, when let say, a drama is qualified as irreverent, the simplicity of any dramatic encounters are deliberately given complicated forms that are cynicall and pattern forming.

FPJ movies are actually irreverent action flicks. Meaning , content tend to be cynical and pattern forming. Now, when I say cynical and pattern forming, I am not referring to the brand name FPJ rather I am referring to the situations the brand name is deployed. Furthemore, simple human affairs are often transformed into complicated scenarios from which the brand name becomes the deus ex machina in the material. An element that reinforces the notion of "pattern forming".

Robin Padilla action movies are whimsical in nature. They tend to be fanciful and erratic. Wherein complex human problems are given simple solutions that are often the results of human whims. one can consider that Robin Padilla is also a brand name, but the obeject of the whims, unlike in irreverent FPJ movies, is the brand name itself. Though Padilla movies like FPJ movies are event driven, still the former as a brand name is clearly the source of the qualifying element.

The terms whimsical and irreverent may qualify as assortment of genres. Once can construct an irreverent romantic comedy like "There Is Something About Mary" or a whimsical romantic comedy like "Amelie". One can also push for an irreverent horror or a whimsical horror in a certain extent. "Saw" as a Thriller may be qualified as irreverent and Friday The 13th as a Horror whimsical in nature.

Sometimes, the need to gun for a refreshing genre is subject to how we might qualify it. In comedy, screwball as a term qualifies the feel of the humor. High class projections of making elite human affairs look stupid and funny tend to be social vehicles to uplift the emotional gaps between classes.

Whimsical or irreverent, these qualifying terms give layer to a material that needs to be different from other materials.

Choosing The Right Genre

In developing your material for animation, it is important to be deliberate in choosing your genre. Often, genre selection is given a mechanical role in material development and management. In fact, there are times when the whole process of material development and management is taken for granted. Most often, the problem is spotted when during production or worst, during the exhibition itself. There is a huge gap between having the animation talents needed and having the the appropriate animations talent required.

Genre selection is not an easy thing to do. Material developers and managers need to determine if it fits the vision, the idea and the concept. Note that this is just one of the parameters in a material. Thus, the task of understanding the personality and behavior of a material is vital is approximating the potential success of an animation short or feature.

Animation For Kids @ Mind Tap Studios

Mind Tap Studios and Akira’s Nightmare Animation For Children are planning to set-up a comprehensive and relevant animation program for kids Summer 2009. The core value of the program is to establish an animation education program directed towards the development as well as management of the creative and technical potential of a child in the field of animation. This is not just a short workshop, this is a full blown animation education course that this tailor made for children. For early inquiries, pls. call

Maila Fermil
Business Director of MindTap Studios
mlfermil@yaho­o.com

We will probably initiate several orientation meetings with parents or guardians who are interested in giving their children that creative and technical edge in animation.

For more information about Mind Tap Studios and Mobytoons, check out the following sites.

http://www.mobytoons.com/community/community.html

http://www.mindtap-ph.com

Students from other colleges and universities are welcome to visit our studio @ Asia Pacific College, Magallanes. Just contact the following numbers.

Contact Numbers

639178217851 ( Bong)

639289738592 ( Maila)

7295951 ( Mind Tap – APC)

7th Akira's Nightmare is slated for the month of April 2009

7th Akira's Nightmare Alternative Animation Basic Animation Material, Outline, Treatment and Script Development and Management is slated for the month of April 2009. We thank those who are participating in the ongoing animation workshop (6th Akira). For Registration: Please indicate full name and contact number mobile phone : 09215081060 This new workshop series will focus on four distinct fields namely;

1. Animation Material Development and Management
2. Animation Beat Outline Development and Management
3. Animation Treatment Development and Management
4. Animation Script Development and Management

The newly improved program will aid animation professionals create commercial animation contents that are within the contemporary sense and sensibility of the general population. For students ( UP, La Salle - St. Benilde, UST and Ateneo) who are about to take up their multimedia-animation thesis projects or are preparing for their thesis projects, the workshop will serve as a tutorial aid in order to augment their needs to finish their respective projects. The Animation Scriptwriter : The Creative Process When an animation writer is ask to write a material, he or she starts with the vision. The vision is the abstract form that needs a function. The function is provided by the commercial model when dealing with mainstream animation or by the artistic model when dealing with alternative animation. After constructing the model, the writer proceeds to examine the model and determine the source and the type of idea or ideas. After interpreting, validating and analyzing, the writer will now construct the concept using several parameters. The parameters gives the concept the needed form and fuction. From the parameters of the concept, the writer will start to construct the premise of the material. The premise is divided into three arcs, the story, the characters and the world. The said arcs will create the Bible of the material. With a tight Bible, the writer begins to construct the material's outline using the animation beat method. From the beat outline, the writer will expand it and from the treatment. And finally, form the treatment a master script will be created. The master script will be transformed into a story board.

There are several principles that governs the fundamental construction of the 3D Environment and Ambiance.

There are several principles that governs the fundamental construction of the 3D Environment and Ambiance. In a nutshell, these principles are within 3 main planes namely; 1) perspective of the audience, 2) perspective of the characters within the measures of the environment and the ambiance and 3) the perspective of the designer. These three main planes are moving towards the direction of 1) the feel of the material which refers to the genre and the 2) the look of the material which refers to the art direction.

Let say for example, texture ( real or virtual) is a principle in design that affects the overall construction of the 3D design of the 3D world. Contrary to the old definition, texture is not confined within the construct of the background. Meaning, texture in the revolutionary definition definition refers to the 3 main separations of space within a given environment and ambiance namely; 1) the foreground, 2) the middle ground and 3) the background.

If space is infinite in 3D technology in terms of its x axis, y axis and z axis, then we look at the environment and ambiance not in a concave unified view rather in a circular view. Therefore, given that we agree on the initial statement, activity and action in the space is a moving loop, therefore, texture in this case, is not flat rather it has volume.
Volume in texture is then achieved if and only if the designer is able to separate space into three parts with the notion that each part of the space has a beginning, middle and end.