My unfinished animated film

 

This brief was if possible even harder.

 

I’d been told I’d have to make an animation about metamorphosis in advance. That sounded simple enough. Just draw one thing changing into another.

But, when I, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. heard that we were supposed to make a film with a status quo, cause and effect, character and, themes, it because clear to me something with an actual story was needed.

It took me a while to find something that hit all the right notes for me. But in the end I settled for a story of spiritual as well as physical transformation.  One from sadness to happiness.  I was heavily inspired by the piece of My Little Pony fan music “Lunar Nocturnality ~ Celestial Diurnality”

 

One of favourite pieces of music, and influenced by the fairy-tale films of Lotte Reiniger.

 

Once I started I found myself challenged to come up with ways of making my work faster to fit within the 3 and a half week deadline. I animated on threes. I tried poses-to-pose animation. I used my lightbox as creatively as I could. And the bits that were actually animated I think came out very well, my first ever walk-cycle is surprisingly good if I may praise myself.

 

This was also a big learning experience for me in terms of yearning how I best work.

I work best in silence. With no people or books or the internet to distract me. Because those don’t just distract me. They sap my energy. I’ve learned I can make good animation using threes and pose-to-pose. I know that an adrenaline rush from some sudden exercise can really bring my creativity back when it’s flagging. I’ve learned that I am not good at drawing faces or expressions at all. Hence why I made my characters faceless.

But I’ve also learned I can get better at them. Of the two facial animations I did the second one is miles better than the first one.

 

There were times when I wanted to give up. That I felt that I’d picked the wrong subject and that I should pack it in. But when I saw my drawings move, and just how well they move. I have no doubts. This is what I love doing move than anything-else.

 

I just need to lean to draw faster and better,