Finished setting up the blog!
Research question development:
My first serious thoughts on honors began just after christmas of third year. Around this time I became involved in several projects being run by the fourth years of the time. Having an insight into their chosen research subjects and project development allowed a clearer vision of the goals I would be aiming for. Over the next few months I jotted down research ideas as they cam, around the end of may I collected the most promising subjects and consulted my tutor, Lynn. This is the list I took her:
1 Do the various styles of movement in animation have advantages or
disadvantages when compared to one another?
2 How to asses the quality of your own animation
3 Can animations be sold like rigs and models on, for example, turbo
squid?
4 Sound and animated performance
5 Using animal traits to enhance human performance
6 How closely can reference footage be followed?
7 Expressing relationships between characters through performance
8 A study into techniques that increase and audiences empathy with
animated characters
9 How influential are micro-movements in a characters performance?
10 How effective is the se of contrast in movement
11 Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement
During that discussion the last 4 ideas were highlighted. I spent some time looking into each and settled on 'Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement'. This, though, didn't last. Throughout June I imagined every possible way of taking the idea forward while considering both my own interest and what would be achievable. A study in micro-movements began to look the more favorable option. By the end of the month I had switched over and broadened the topic into 'A study into facial expressions in animation'.
This seemed to be the one, I began researching the subject through the second week of september. Two problems became evident. The first: this is a well documented and popular area in which a year long study was looking less justifiable. The second: there seemed no clear way, to me, of incorporating a short production that would complement the study. To clarify: my main aim for the project is to produce a single animated piece of high enough quality to impress any future employer. It was while struggling with these problems that my current topic hit me; in cg productions, do massive budgets justify the increase in quality. This is a rough description, the wording is yet to be refined.
These are my notes from that initial idea:
Quality of short films verses the quality of larger productions.
Are massive budgets justifiable for the gain in quality?
- Try to produce a high quality short with a low budget
How do some big budgets get it wrong?
How do some low budgets get it so right?
Where do bad low budgets go wrong?
Big budgets getting is right... wow
Box office receipts justify rising costs, are audiences going for the big budget movies or the epic visual appeal?
Could the same box office results be achieved with a half / quarter the budget for production?
Films | Tv series | Adverts | Music videos
What are the costs: case studies of several productions of varying budgets but similar quality, what are they doing differently?
How is quality judged (box office sales / image quality (not just resolution))?
Question ideas (for those currently in the industry)
Which area in production budgets are the most likely to run away if not controlled tightly?
considering the cost (money, man power and time) which is the most efficient / rewarding part of the production process / pipeline?
If one part of the pipeline had to be axed, what part? and is it actually conceivable to remove such a part?
Where is there a lack of literature on this topic?
How this idea came into being:
Throughout the summer, alongside my thoughts on the honors subject, I have been pondering my future career. I have an interest in visual effects and finished third year with a growing passion for animation, hence the common focus through all the topics considered for honors. After graduating I intend to find a job as an Animator, Modeller or VFX assistant and work up to Head of Animation, VFX Supervisor or Head of 3D. Alternatively, but by no means the lesser option, I will try to find work in a smaller studio that will encompass more than one element in the pipeline. With a greater understanding of how the various elements in a production pipeline work and come together I would have a greater chance of succeeding in these aims. This research topic is a perfect opportunity to build my understanding and create tangible evidence of experience which can be presented to potential employers. Another advantage to this is the chance it presents to talk with those currently in positions overseeing productions about the way they work and potentially to pass on to them knowledge gained from my research.
My first serious thoughts on honors began just after christmas of third year. Around this time I became involved in several projects being run by the fourth years of the time. Having an insight into their chosen research subjects and project development allowed a clearer vision of the goals I would be aiming for. Over the next few months I jotted down research ideas as they cam, around the end of may I collected the most promising subjects and consulted my tutor, Lynn. This is the list I took her:
1 Do the various styles of movement in animation have advantages or
disadvantages when compared to one another?
2 How to asses the quality of your own animation
3 Can animations be sold like rigs and models on, for example, turbo
squid?
4 Sound and animated performance
5 Using animal traits to enhance human performance
6 How closely can reference footage be followed?
7 Expressing relationships between characters through performance
8 A study into techniques that increase and audiences empathy with
animated characters
9 How influential are micro-movements in a characters performance?
10 How effective is the se of contrast in movement
11 Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement
During that discussion the last 4 ideas were highlighted. I spent some time looking into each and settled on 'Using techniques from sport to inform animated movement'. This, though, didn't last. Throughout June I imagined every possible way of taking the idea forward while considering both my own interest and what would be achievable. A study in micro-movements began to look the more favorable option. By the end of the month I had switched over and broadened the topic into 'A study into facial expressions in animation'.
This seemed to be the one, I began researching the subject through the second week of september. Two problems became evident. The first: this is a well documented and popular area in which a year long study was looking less justifiable. The second: there seemed no clear way, to me, of incorporating a short production that would complement the study. To clarify: my main aim for the project is to produce a single animated piece of high enough quality to impress any future employer. It was while struggling with these problems that my current topic hit me; in cg productions, do massive budgets justify the increase in quality. This is a rough description, the wording is yet to be refined.
These are my notes from that initial idea:
Quality of short films verses the quality of larger productions.
Are massive budgets justifiable for the gain in quality?
- Try to produce a high quality short with a low budget
How do some big budgets get it wrong?
How do some low budgets get it so right?
Where do bad low budgets go wrong?
Big budgets getting is right... wow
Box office receipts justify rising costs, are audiences going for the big budget movies or the epic visual appeal?
Could the same box office results be achieved with a half / quarter the budget for production?
Films | Tv series | Adverts | Music videos
What are the costs: case studies of several productions of varying budgets but similar quality, what are they doing differently?
How is quality judged (box office sales / image quality (not just resolution))?
Question ideas (for those currently in the industry)
Which area in production budgets are the most likely to run away if not controlled tightly?
considering the cost (money, man power and time) which is the most efficient / rewarding part of the production process / pipeline?
If one part of the pipeline had to be axed, what part? and is it actually conceivable to remove such a part?
Where is there a lack of literature on this topic?
How this idea came into being:
Throughout the summer, alongside my thoughts on the honors subject, I have been pondering my future career. I have an interest in visual effects and finished third year with a growing passion for animation, hence the common focus through all the topics considered for honors. After graduating I intend to find a job as an Animator, Modeller or VFX assistant and work up to Head of Animation, VFX Supervisor or Head of 3D. Alternatively, but by no means the lesser option, I will try to find work in a smaller studio that will encompass more than one element in the pipeline. With a greater understanding of how the various elements in a production pipeline work and come together I would have a greater chance of succeeding in these aims. This research topic is a perfect opportunity to build my understanding and create tangible evidence of experience which can be presented to potential employers. Another advantage to this is the chance it presents to talk with those currently in positions overseeing productions about the way they work and potentially to pass on to them knowledge gained from my research.
Research aims and objectives, draft 1
1 Define the issues relevant to this study
1.1 What is meant by budget
1.2 What is meant by quality
2 Production history with focus on budget and quality
2.1 Create a brief synopsis of the development of cg pipelines
2.2 Examine the varying types of cg involvement in productions
2.3 What are the extents of budget in the industry
2.4 What are the extents of quality in the industry
3 Discuss comparisons between specific studios
3.1 Illustrate point of interest through examples
3.2 Draw together these points for project guidelines, points
may vary depending on the type of project
4 Produce a cg short
4.1 Set goals for quality and budget
4.2 Set up pipeline following the results of the research
4.3 Produce the short
4.4 Evaluate wither the production was under budget and
achieved sufficient quality
