Animation
For this project we were tasked with creating 10 GIFs depicting classic movie tropes. We were required to create 3 Low-Frame Gifs (2-4 frames), 3 Medium-Frame Gifs (5-8 frames), and 4 High-Frame Gifs (8+ frames). I began by focussing more on classic romantic comedy scenes, as these types of movies are one of my guilty pleasures. I tried to avoid googling typical movie tropes, as I wanted to reference some of my favourite movies in my work. I started by planning out which tropes would work with the different frame rates, simpler ones having less frames, and more detailed ones having more frames. Once I had decided this I went back through and began story-boarding each of my ideas.
After struggling from jumping into an idea too quickly in the previous project, this time I spent a long time planning out what exactly each GIF would contain. Looking back I believe this was a mistake, because ultimately this meant I had spent almost a full week and a half solely planning out and sketching my ideas, instead of just jumping in and exploring animation and getting a feel for it. Due to this, I felt rushed to create some of my GIFs and I think that is noticeable in some of them.
Looking at my finished work, I think it would have been interesting for some of my GIFs to have less movement in them. When planning, I really wanted to focus on incorporating a story into each GIF, which then led to the shorter GIFs looking clunky and unresolved. I almost wish I had created some with a simpler narrative, such as a flickering light in horror movies, or a tumbleweed in a country and western movie. In doing this I think my work would look and feel a lot more polished, and due to their simpler nature would allow me to work at a better rate. I also wish I had tried to make the GIFs work in more of a loop, as that is the beauty of GIFs. Due to me trying to add a "story" into all of the GIFs, this meant a lot of lower frame ones don't have much space for me to create a loop, without adding more frames- ultimately moving them from being a low frame gif, to a medium frame one.
After struggling from jumping into an idea too quickly in the previous project, this time I spent a long time planning out what exactly each GIF would contain. Looking back I believe this was a mistake, because ultimately this meant I had spent almost a full week and a half solely planning out and sketching my ideas, instead of just jumping in and exploring animation and getting a feel for it. Due to this, I felt rushed to create some of my GIFs and I think that is noticeable in some of them.
Looking at my finished work, I think it would have been interesting for some of my GIFs to have less movement in them. When planning, I really wanted to focus on incorporating a story into each GIF, which then led to the shorter GIFs looking clunky and unresolved. I almost wish I had created some with a simpler narrative, such as a flickering light in horror movies, or a tumbleweed in a country and western movie. In doing this I think my work would look and feel a lot more polished, and due to their simpler nature would allow me to work at a better rate. I also wish I had tried to make the GIFs work in more of a loop, as that is the beauty of GIFs. Due to me trying to add a "story" into all of the GIFs, this meant a lot of lower frame ones don't have much space for me to create a loop, without adding more frames- ultimately moving them from being a low frame gif, to a medium frame one.
Low Frame GIFs:
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Slipping on a Banana Peel:
"Slapstick Comedy" style, person slipping on a banana film. Thought about adding birds flying around head after final frame, but wanted to keep the number of frames low. |
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Coffee Spill:
A classic Rom-Com trope, leading lady spills coffee on pristine white shirt, ALWAYS before a hugely important meeting. |
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Stabbed in the Back:
Running up to the conclusion of the film, the two love interests have beaten the odds and survived. Mid celebration, one pulls out a knife and kills the other in a final plot-twist. The other is left heartbroken- and well, dead. |
Medium Frame GIFs:
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Sliding Under a Closing Door:
A action movie staple, the hero is running towards a closing door, to make it through they must slide underneath. This is probably my least favourite GIF I made, I'm not happy with the movement of the body, and think using more frames would make it look less disjointed and jerky. |
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Reaching for the Last Item on a Shelf:
Another classic Rom-Com moment, the two love interests both end up trying to take the final product in a shop. This scene will either lead to them falling in love at first sight, or an ongoing feud which ultimately follows an "enemies to lovers" path, and end the movie together. |
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Dramatic Makeover Scene:
Teen Rom-Com's are well known for their makeover scenes, where the "quiet, shy, nerdy" girl is COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED, just by removing her glasses and straightening her hair. |
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High Frame GIFs:
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An Approaching Train:
A classic old-school action movie trope, the main character is all tied up in ropes, desperately trying to escape a rapidly approaching train. I wanted this GIF to slowly pan out, dragging out the persons wriggling, with the train only actually being in frame for the last couple of frames. |
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Soaked by a Passing Car:
A woman who is feeling very blue, is drenched by a passing car. *Bad Day by Daniel Powter starts playing in the background, as a montage of her current hardships fade onto screen*. |
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Racing Towards the Airport Terminal:
A classic scene from many Romantic Comedies. After lots of miscommunication between characters and approximately 90 minutes worth of building tension, he is racing through an airport terminal, flowers clutched in hand. Hopefully that's not her flight taking off in the background... |
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Disappearing Mysterious Figure:
A mysterious character on the opposite train platform, who weirdly seems to disappear as a train passes by. A scene used in many suspense/thriller movies. |
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Overall, I am happy with the GIFs I have created with this being my first ever attempt at animation, and in a more simpler and cartoony style than I am used to working in. I can see there is definitely some room for improvement, and think once I can fully grasp that sense of balance between enough idea development vs too little development, I will be able to make use of my time much more efficiently.