Scarlett Correa and Madeleine Lachesnez's artist statement

Scarlett Correa and Madeleine Lachesnez

Stop motion project

Due: 9/30/13

Artist Statement
"Henry"

Our story revolves around the process of animation through a short glimpse in the life of a curious and enthusiastic octopus that has a very difficult time making friends. We found this to be a topic that allows the audience to empathize, while also being something we don’t give much thought to when it comes to animals, who can be social creatures like us. So in spite of being very kind and friendly, whenever our cheerful octopod protagonist approaches another sea creature, they ignore him or are too busy to stop and say hello.

We chose to animate all the creatures in a very loose style that maintained artistic integrity where it was still clear that each frame was hand drawn, rather than going for a polished Disney look. We took care to use perspective and framing to our advantage by emphasizing certain scenes that were pivotal to the story, the most important one being the introduction of our octopus friend, Henry, who is an example of the illustrative process. Although we could only do 8 to 10 frames per second given how labor intensive our approach was, we aimed to make the movements as smooth as possible through subtle changes in each frame.

                  There is some difference between our animation styles, which we decided to keep in since animators typically work in teams and work around each other to come up with a final product. Since our video focuses mainly on the beginning stages of that process, we let the audience inside our world as creators.

Altogether this project was hugely insightful and allowed us some firsthand experience in the world of animation, a field we already had enormous respect for. We learned some tricks for simplifying and looping images that reduced our work load while still allowing us the smooth movement of characters. We enjoyed the process immensely and hope to be able to work on something like this again in the future.

Collaboration Responsibility Form

Please answer the following questions and email your answers directly to me. Be honest and responsible of your writings.

1. Please describe your role in this teamwork experience. Name specific job you did in producing this stop-motion animation, like designing the character, idea developing, taking photographs, or editing in Final Cut Pro X, blogging... Be as detail as possible.

2. Who is the leader of your group in your opinion? Who is the one contacting members and arranging a meeting/shooting/task?

3. Comment on your partner/partners' contribution to this project. From 1 to 10, give your partner/partners a score in their teamwork behavior.

4. How is your collaboration experience? Do you enjoy it or feel frustrated about it? If you have another chance, what parts you would do differently? Or wish your partner/partners do differently?

Diaries of BoxMan

As humans we seem to posses the innate ability to categorize groups of people through stereotypes. Because of this, our collaborative stop motion project sought to feat the stereotype of the “nerd” and the “hot girl,” while making an anticlimactic spoof out of the idea.

The story line begins in a house party, divided into the “cool people” clique, and the ever forgotten “nerd.” As the party progresses, and the tone is set with the music, the girls hit the dance floor leaving all the men behind. When the girls approach the “cool” guys the dance with them, the guys immediately deny; yet when BoxMan is asked into the dance floor, he is immediately engaged in the idea.

            As the story line progresses, an encounter between BoxMan and the “hot girl” crumples the stereotypical nerdy interactions that the audience has concocted in their minds. 

Diaries of BoxMan is a story about how the underdog can succeed. We named the man character BoxMan in relation to the personality traits that the nerd typically embodies. The people, scenes, and objects are composed of simple geometric shapes to dissipate any distraction that could cause the audiences’ attention to veer away. We decided to use clay to create the people and paper to create the set. The set was created in photoshop and then printed out and assembled. The group managed to leverage the simple look and feel of the objects, along with the funky feel of stop motion animation to create a light and funny experience for the viewers while managing to address a serious situation in our society. 

Tara and Tatyana's Artist Statement: Dil and Duh Go Get Coffee

    In "Dil and Duh Go Get Coffee," Tatyana and Tara wanted to spoof a normal event, meeting a friend for coffee, by adding a surreal twist using Dil and Duh, two matchbox-sized Play-doh shoes, and making a human-sized kitchen look like an expansive and arduous landscape.  Along the way, Dil and Duh encounter any hiccup possible: water, dirty dishes, refrigerators and ovens.  Viewers are able to relate to the shoes’ journey if they have ever experienced a day where it seems like they would never get to their destination because they hit every obstacle along the way, but what separates viewers from the shoes is the obstacles they face are not the obstacles humans face, and their destination is one that would take us two steps, which creates a humorous effect.   Many of the stop-motions shown in class were thought provoking because the artist slightly shifted reality, such as the one with the man making guacamole, and the event appeared believable because photographs seem to provide evidence that it happened, yet it is fantastical, because the viewer knows it cannot happen.  We played on this contradiction in thought that stop-motion creates by portraying a believable scenario in an unbelievable way, literally and metaphorically providing a new perspective on a familiar setting.  Dil and Duh is short for Diligent and Dumb, symbolizing the characters’ personalities and approaches to their journey; Dil is focused and aware on his journey, while Duh seems oblivious and lost.  A third character is introduced, that of a ubiquitous owl who appears throughout the video whenever the shoes experience a problem.  He seems to be responsible for the obstacles the shoes face, and serves as a constant to balance out the two extremes, to unify both the shoes’ turbulent travels.  Lastly, we used narration and dialogue for sound.  The shoes’ speech can be described as “stream of consciousness,” because they voice what is on their mind, and narrate what is happening to them as it’s happening.  Without speech, the stop motion runs the risk of looking like a string of random events, the shoes wouldn’t be as relatable, and their motives wouldn’t be as clear from the beginning.  Also, the hyper speech and dramatic inflexions compliments the stop-motion’s quick tempo.  Lastly, we chose to duplicate some of the images, especially close-ups of the characters, to create dramatic and/or awkward moments, where we wanted to grab the viewer’s attention.

In-Progress Report (Take 2)

    Tatyana and I are still following the journey of Play-Doh shoes, but we changed the setting from an outdoor scene, to a kitchen scene where the two shoes are travelling through an obstacle-ridden journey to meet for coffee.  During the in-class critique, we discussed how we didn't want the lighting to change with the time of day.  With an indoor setting, we are able to control the weather and lighting, thus preventing either factors from adding unintentional meanings to our concept.  We also felt we could be more expressive with the obstacles the shoes were presented with.  Also, we decided against using two pairs of shoes, and are instead having each character be portrayed as a single shoe.  Dil is a pink shoe with blue laces, and Duh's color scheme is inverted with pink laces on a blue shoe.  Using only two shoes adds to the meaning of their journey, coming together so they can be a single pair.  Lastly, we added an owl figurine that lurks in the background throughout the piece, not only serving as an obstacle himself, but suggesting that he is the one creating all of the obstacles for Dil and Duh.

Stop-Motion Progress

I'm in group 4 with Isabela and Esteban. Our concept/idea is that a nerd is talked into going to a party and at the party he is very awkward and lonely during the first half. Later in the party he is invited to dance and the nerd turns out to be an amazing dancer. The nerd now stands out and is considered a cool kid. The nerd is even offered a kiss from the prettiest girl with luscious lips. The nerd declines. This is a story about how the underdog can succeed. We named the man character Boxman because of the shape of his head and body. We are thinking about titling the video "The Diaries of Boxman" because the video is similar to a diary in the way it gives you insight into another persons life. We want the people, scenes, and objects to be made from simple geometric shapes. We decided to use clay to create the people and paper to create the set. The video is meant to be funny and cheesy. Right now our video is coming along well. We have taken all the photos and started the editing. All we have to do is add sound and work on an artist statement.

Group 4 - Video Practice

Isabela, Esteban, and I practicing the different video shots that we learned today in class.

Tara and Tot's Storyboard!!!

Dil and Duhm [working title]

Tyra and Madeline's storyboard

Madeline and Tyra's Storyboard

Scarlett's and Madeleine's Storyboard

We decided on telling the story of a friendly octopus who keeps trying to socialize with uninterested sea creatures. After a long day of trying to make new friends with no luck, along come two girls riding whales who decide to befriend him!

Something funny I found online that relates to our class

Psycho

^ I thought I'd share that link with you guys because I found a post about what was probably going through Marion's head during her conversation with Norman. I cackled and I figured you might enjoy it too.

Project 2 - Storyboard

I'm in group 4 with Isabela and Esteban. We finally came up with a clear idea and concept. Attached is our storyboard and below is a link to a quick stop-motion I made on my own. We completely changed our idea so this new project has nothing to do with hand control.

Our concept/idea is that a nerd is talked into going to a party and at the party he is very awkward and lonely during the first half. Later in the party he is invited to dance and the nerd turns out to be an amazing dancer. The nerd now stands out and is considered a cool kid. The nerd even leaves the party with the prettiest girl there. This is a story about how the underdog can succeed. 

We want to use paper to create this stop-motion, similar to the one in the video below. We want the people, scenes, and objects to be made from simple geometric shapes, just like the one in the video below except it will be better quality. The video is meant to be funny and cheesy. 

Project 2 - Scarlett and Madeleine L.

Our story revolves around a giant octopus that lives under the sea. We want to explore his life and his daily adventures in a very cartoony, hand drawn way. We each are going to draw a certain amount of frames and will be contributing equally to the video. We will feature the octopus as the lead and then be adding a cast of supporting characters, mostly other sea creatures/sailors/ect. Materials needed would be drawing utensils for main sketch as well as color, mostly blues/water color tone, watercolors paper/sketchbook, lighting for photographing, and camera.

Group 4 - Project 2 Idea

We are still in the brainstorming process so we are not 100% sure what the concept of out stop-motion will be. Right now we only know that we want do a type of video that has hand control. Some examples of inspiration are shown in the videos below. For this project we will need hands of course and also a nice subject for the hands to control. We will know more about the concept, items needed, and setting once we find a clear focal point.

Project 2: Animation

Me an Tara [forgive me, Tara and I] are really interested in travel and passage, especially that of inanimate objects. Of course first thing that comes to mind are shoes- not exactly original but it's what we have so far. We were thinking of two pairs that travel at different ends and eventually meet up. The first way of creating this concept, is by taking pictures of these shoes with us, or other people, wearing them. Then in Photoshop we would take away the person using the extract tool. More details to come!!!
-Tot and Tara

Project 2 Idea

 a, what is the story/event/concept?
We (Tyra King and Madeline Morales) will be doing a very abridged doodle stop-motion of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner
b, what objects/characters/items you need for your animation? how you can make it? (material, medium, size)
We will be using pencils/pens and paper to create our piece 
c, what kinds of setting you need?
The settings will be created through drawings. The story takes place at sea. 

Critique for Project 1

After project 1's crit I realized the parts that were working and lacking in my project. The use if repitition was a point many of my peers brought up. I agree that my method of drawing attention to the doorknob and cell phone could have been done a little differently. I was told that the sound effects added volumes to my project, which I agree with completely. As a whole I wish that the videos were shown before the artist gave their explanation so that we could have our own preconceived notions that could be confirmed or further explained.

The Camera Eye

You were very serious when you said it was a tuff reading. The wording is interesting it takes a simple theme but describes it in a complex way. There was some strange wordy information that I believe could have been taken out. I wish this reading was more to the point because after reading it I’m still trying to digest everything I just read. I understand how it speaks of the camera and film and some of the history behind it but there was definitely a lot more that was there that I could not completely interpret. I’m not quite sure why the writer feels so strongly about the development of film and the history behind it. They seem to be a bit bias about things and I wish I could have a full understanding to be able to respond properly. I liked the writing more in the beginning than I did later on. At first it seemed to be kind of poetic and then it slowly veered out into a one sided argument. 

Critique Response

Overall, I think that the critique process went well. I would have liked to see the videos prior to hearing the artists statement. This would have allowed me to experience the work without having prior knowledge of the effects and messages conveyed throughout. It gives the audience the opportunity to determine whether the message was successfully transferred through the piece.
As far as for my personal montage, If I was to continue working on it, I would like to look for other sound options. While using no sound still conveys the main point of the montage, the notion of sound creates a more chaotic environment for the audience, and thus conveying the message more directly.

theCAMERAeye

After reading it, The Camera Eye speaks to me about the processes of editing, critiquing, and the limitations of imagination. Even after re-reading it, it is difficult to decipher the full meaning of the text. As I read the introduction the first time, I couldn't help but feel a sense of mockery from the author towards critics. Shamelessly defying where true art comes from, and their process of how an audience experiences a piece. As the article continues to develop its argument, It seemed to be speaking about the impossibility of true imagination, because once we imagine it, it can become a reality.

Overall, while it proves to be a very interesting article overall, the main point the author is attempting to make is lost amongst all the flattery in the language.

The Camera Eye

I just read the article The Camera Eye and I was wondering what it talks about. I could not quite understand the language and what the author wanted to pass on to your readers. It was an exhausting read, especially for me who do not have English as my mother tongue. Regarding the use of the camera, I only know the basics, light and brightness adjustments are things unknown to me.

The Camera Eye

    From what I gathered from the essay, the author focused on the camera eye, the human eye, and reality.  All of these are separate entities; yet they interact with each other to produce a stationary or moving image.  This was articulated when the author wrote, “Consider this prodigy for its virtually untapped talents, viewpoints it possesses more readily recognizable as visually non-human yet within the realm of humanly imaginable.” Perhaps there is no such thing as a “stationary” image though, because a photograph has a drive in some way and captures motion, and the technology is in a constant state of change.  This article, in the most poetic of terms, personified the photograph.  While I share in the general confusion towards the class, I feel like the author is baffled by images’ complexity as well, and sorting through all of their meanings and implications.  This essay reminds me of an essay I am reading for another class, Susan Sontag’s “On Photography” in which Sontag shares a similar thought with this author on “reality” as it relates to photography.  Both authors recognize photographs tweak some degree of reality based on the photographer’s perspective and how the capture the scene.  They captured an event, but it still a personalized version of the event that sways the audience’s reaction.