Continuing Editing

Editing is the creative force of filmic reality...and foundation of film art. - V.I. Pudovkin,1915.

Continuity editing refers to arranging the sequence of shots to suggest a progression of events.

It is the predominant style of film & video in the post-production process of film-making. The purpose of such editing is to establish a logical coherence between shots.


Eg: 

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-8SQlKc9Os&feature=related (Boy Climbing Stairs)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=qoaw7iTPlZc (ROLO)

In film, continuity refers to consistency (Eg: Hair-style and clothes matches from shot to shot in a scene) whereas in editing, it refers to the sense of continuous, connected time and space within the video. Of course this sense of continuity in editing is illusionary.

Temporal (time) & Spatial (space) are two kinds of continuity editing.

Different techniques had been developed to show such an illusion, which included distance shots, camera angles, sound techniques, etc.

Techniques used for Temporal Continuity:

• Diegetic Sound: It can be explained by the sounds which have actually occurred in the story during the scene being viewed. It includes the off-screen sounds which comes from within the film-narrative world.
  
• Match on Action: A match on action is when some action occurring before the temporally questionable cut is picked up where the cut left it by the shot immediately following.
  
  Eg:
  A shot of someone tossing a ball can be edited to show two different views, while maintaining temporal continuity by being sure that the second shot shows the arm of the subject in the same stage of its motion as it was left when cutting from the first shot.
  
• Cross Cutting: It is a technique which conveys an undeniable spatial discontinuity.
  It can be achieved by cutting back and forth between shots of spatially unrelated places. In these cases, the viewer will understand clearly that the places are supposed to be separate and parallel. So in that sense, the viewer may not become particularly disoriented.
  
  Under the principle of spatial continuity editing, crosscutting is considered a technique of spatial discontinuity.
  
• Dissolve: A dissolve is a simultaneous overlapping transition from one shot to another that does not involve an instantaneous cut or change in brightness.
• Fade In / Fade Out: A Fade In is the gradual transition of an image to black whereas Fade Out is just the opposite.
  Both forms of transition (Fade & Dissolve) creates an ambiguous measure of temporal illusion that may constitute diagetic (narrative) days, months, years or even centuries.

Techniques used for Spatial Continuity:

• The 180^o Rule: It is a basic guideline that states that two elements in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other.
  
  Eg:
  If  Orange Character is on the left & Blue Character is on the right, then Orange should be facing right at all times, even when Blue is off the edge of the frame, and Blue should always be facing left.
  Shifting to the other side of the characters on a cut, so that Blue is now on the left side and Orange is on the right, will disorient the viewer, and break the flow of the scene.
  
  If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle.
• The 30^o Rule: The 30° rule is a basic film editing guideline that states the camera should move at least 30° between shots of the same subject occurring in succession. This change of perspective makes the shots different enough to avoid a jump cut. 
  
  Too much movement around the subject may violate the 180° rule.

• Establishing Shots: The camera shot of the scene to establish with the viewer not only the place but also the time of the scene.
  
  Eg: A skyline shot of London.
• Master Shots: A master shot establishes the relation of the characters with each other and their surroundings.
  
  Eg: A scene of a restaurant shot at night and characters shown sitting at a table.

To be continued...

Basic Principles Of Animation

Ollie Johnson & Frank Thomas (Disney Animators) in their book "The Illusion Of Life: Disney Animation" - 1981, introduced 12 Basic Principles of Animation.

These principles were:

• Stretch & Squash
• Anticipation
• Staging
• Slow In & Slow Out (Ease In & Ease Out)
• Pose To Pose
• Overlapping Action & Follow Through
• Arcs
• Secondary Action
• Timing
• Exaggeration
• Solid Drawing
• Appeal 

The main purpose of these principls was to create an illusion of characters adhering to the basic laws of Physics. Not only that, they were also created to deal with more abstract issues, such as emotional timing & character appeal.

Drip, Splat, Boing - Continued

One thing I thought of deciding first with this project was to choose between the medium of animation – 2D, 3D or Stop Motion.

I’m more keen on doing this in 3D. One reason to do choose so is to put all my bookish knowledge on modeling, texturing, rigging & animation into actual practice of some sort & this would be the perfect opportunity for me to do so.

I am a little more focused on the underlying concept & the storyline.

The three animated movies for Research on Timing are:

• Planet Hulk
• Presto
• A Christmas Carol

Life Drawing - 1

Animation As Perceived...

Animation constitutes of a particular & distinctive form of cinema and operates as a langauge of expression in a range of diverse media forms.

It in itself is a surreal world where, it can be brought to life by an animator’s imagination & style.

Animation always has been perceived in different forms.

Norman McLaren’s words define it as “Animation is not the art of drawings that moves, but rather the art of movements that are drawn.” Based on the misconception that animators are wholly concerned about the frames, Norman states that animators are less concerned with frames and more with space.

With the advent of computer technologies, animation has definitely become more about the space. This states that traditional & contemporary animation are same. Even with computers making animation work way simpler, it is the animator’s pro-filmic investment in the artificially constructed modes of movement that is the heart of animation (Mike Wellins). He simply informs that it is the imagination & style of the animator & his/her work that makes animation alive, computers & various technologies are just the aid.

Early Animation:

• Animation didn’t emerge as a fully functional & distinctive as cinemas but as experiments to show movements in images from the long past untill recently.

To Be Continued...

Rigging - Continued

When rigging a Biped Character (Eg. Human), draw joints separately for lower body, i.e.:

1. From Hip To Foot
2. From Pelvis To Head
3. From Chest To Hand (Wrist)
4. From Wrist to Fingers (Individually)

Note: 

• To Duplicate Joints - Mirror Joint Option can be used.In animate menu - select Skeleton - Mirror Joint
• When mirroring, make sure that you select the Child Joints and not the Parent Skeleton.

In Animate Menu - Select Skeleton - Joint Orient.

Orient Joint:

It is required to make sure that the joint orientation is matched with the world orientation.

Note: 

• In Outliner, select the complete joint , then Joint Orient.
• To view Joint Orientation : Display - transform display - Local Orientation Axis.

Drip, Splat, Boing - Initial Concept...

One of the ‘no-answers’ philosophical sort of question of my life which I’ve been looking forward to get some answers :“Why is it so hard to build, where as so easy to destroy?”

In other words put, if you would have ever noticed, it is very very difficult to build anything, where as it is very very easy to destroy. Doing something negative/evil is always easier. Being positive/good is the hardest part. This particular thing relates to every thing you see around, be it in friends, dating, trusting someone or even something like technology,architecture,etc..it is always always has been easier to destroy rather than keeping and maintaining it. The funniest part is that it always becomes like a never ending cycle.

For Drip, Splat & Boing, I would try and portray the same. Initially I’d problem relating these three words with the complete concept. After talking to Matthew & Leoni, I think I’m a little more focused on how to  delineate it.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

• I’ve to stop being technical in every approach towards any form of art.
• Definitely need to think outside the box.
• Meaning of the 3 words:
• Drip can be defined as a drizzle (as in drizzling of rain),boorish, stupid & boring person. After consulting a thesaurus, it seems that the word drip is associated more with negative characteristics of a human being.
• Splat (splatter) can be defined as splash, douse, make something wet. It can also be linked with making something dirty,smear. Splat is also linked with the word Drip.
• Boing is a versatile word. It can denote a bouncing action. It can also be linked to sexual innuendos, a male erection. It also relates to an expression or sound effect of showing something interesting.
• A quick tutorial session with Leoni helped me to make the concept a little less vague. She gave me some really good ideas on how to relate these words. One of them was showing the formation of Stalagmite with dripping of Stalactites. It was a wonderful thought – simple yet intriguing enough to transcript the underlying concept.
• I’m still on the process of researching & coming up with ideas on depicting it with some form of emotion based on relations.

Making of Little Warrior (Part 1)

Reference Image:

Reference Image from : www.google.com

This image as in my previous modeling, was used as a reference in front & side view.

The modeling was started with blocking of the torso with cylinder. The leg & arm were extruded from the torso & matched the reference image.

Here’s the screenshot of the model done so far (in Smooth Polygon):

File Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?0d966myyuqb2bf3

Practice By Theory

Theory refers to the contemplation or speculation in oppose to any form of action.

Often contradicted with practice,theory always has been a knowledge base for practice. Conceptual way to study always has involved theory which has always been a method long followed since long past. Always there has been a contrast between conceptual method & methodical approach towards study, where methodical approach generally relates anything to do with practise.

It always has failed to make understand that theory & practice go side by side & none can solely be the true approach towards study. Theory applied to practice leads to these thoughts:

• Theory towards practice is a cognitive method. It leads to hypothesis & testing ideas. It is always questioning something. It is practice that puts these hypothesis & ideas to test. Practice proves the theory.
• Theory acts likes a manifesto. Theory is the starting point/source of any practice. It is a base of ideas for practice.
• It proceeds towards development & contribution to the society, theory i.e.
• Theory is  a continuum – Never fixed. Keeps on growing based on the results of the practice.
• Theory defines the codes & conventions for the society to base its actions upon.
• Theory increases the knowledge base whereas practice helps gainsexperience. Knowledge & experience – 2 most important things for a person’s success.
• Theory acts as a measure to define if something is good/bad.
• Practice can a synecdoche for theory & vice-versa.

Introduction To Maya - 1

Introduction To Maya Interface:

• Types of Viewports:
• Front
• Side
• Top
• Perspective
• Note: The 1st 3 Viewports are also known as Orthographic View
• Basic Polygon Tools:
• Cylinder
• Torus
• Sphere
• Cube
• Use of Boolean Tool – Union, Difference & Intersection.

Research: Ways to create Object (With/Without Interactive Creation)

• Interactive Creation – helps to create an object (Polygon, Nurbs or Sub-divs) from scratch
• Non Interactive Creation – gives a ready-made object in the viewport at 0,0,0.

Important Notes:

• Hold V to snap the object to vertices.
• Hold X to snap the object to the grid
• Shift+D duplicates the object with the offset.
• Press W for Translating an object
• Press R for Scaling an object
• Press E for Rotating an object
• Press Q to just select the object.
• Press F to zoom in on an object/edge/vertices/face
• Press Insert to shift the pivot of an object.
• Press P  to Parent – Child objects. (see Advance Maya – Rigging Notes)
• Press S to set Key for animation
• Preferences option can be used to adjust the playback time of the Time Slider.
• Component Mode is same as selecting Vertices of an object.

Exercise 2:

Create a Toy Train using the Basic Polygon Tools.
Animate it to make it move.

MAYA Project Name: Exercise 2

File Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?1nub16gsl8expp7

Tools Used:

• Polygon Tools
• Boolean – Difference
• Bevel
• Smooth Polygon