Pre-Production: Format Potential and Technical Limitations

Task: Evaluate the possible benefits and drawbacks of your chosen format for your animation by completing a test run.

Test Run:

Production stills:

 

Technical Limitations:

• Due to the use of DragonFrame and it's connected support to the college computers, I will need to be in college to shoot my animation. This means that the time I have available is limited to class time and any free time I find to film.
• The equipment available from the college is also not as sophisticated as some used within the industry, and so to try and reflect professionalism I will have to put more effort into the consistency of my piece. This will therefore be more time consuming, however the software is still advanced enough to ensure I can reach a high quality in my project.
• My chosen style of animation draws attention to the use of stop motion techniques. For example, in my test run I received the feedback that I should have put double-sided images on my paper figures in order to improve, as when the horse turns around we see a blank piece of paper. In hindsight I agree with this, however as it was a demo I am still happy with the recreation of the style I will use in my final piece. I feel it is creative enough to be engaging to watch and simple enough for me to recreate in a longer project.
• As I have to collect my photographs before I start shooting, and cut out their individual frames, my project is likely to be more time-consuming than my peers as I essentially have to complete two stop motion animations.
• Though this is not an issue that may arise from my choice of photographic medium, the facilities I have available to me in college will may make it harder for me to control lighting levels: since my wolf is a silhouette I need to be able to regulate lighting in order to ensure the wolf is visible amongst the background lighting. I will therefore use a separate right source (a torch) to project my wolf silhouette, and attempt to regulate the lighting in the room itself - however since lessons are at varying times of the day this may be a bigger problem for everyone.

Format Potential:

• A benefit of using my chosen style of photographic frames moving in a three-dimensional plain is that the movement of the characters is exaggerated. As shown in my demo, the movement of the horse feels more natural and flowing as the photograph is changing on the card and in the frame itself. This therefore creates a greater change of space in a shorter amount of time, consequently making the final video more realistic.
• As mentioned in the technical limitations, the photographic frames draw attention to the stop motion techniques used. While this could be seen as a drawback, I feel the emphasis on creativity enhances the project as a whole. Part of my target audience includes 16-34 year olds who are more interested in new and different productions, and so this would appeal to them.
• As I am using photographs as my characters, there is no particular need to have artistic talent. By avoiding the use of play-dough or drawn frames I am able to potentially reach a higher quality in my piece as I am not depending on the ability to draw or mold shapes to create aesthetically attractive figures.