mix mix render

working today on final changes to the film. The section with Leila is  in response to McLaren's letter from America about fireflies. It makes a really good combination with the skating animation sequence. Great to nearly be there!! .

I also feel this particular piece of the final film sits very well with many dance films I have seen.

I looked at a film yesterday which uses motion graphic really well. Its the first I have seen which I feel uses the technology in a great way and something to think about collaborating on in the future. Masters peer Link has expressed an interest in my future project on McLaren and it would be great to work with him on developing the ideas we started on...

EMBRACE from Ashley Rae Pearsall on Vimeo.

a busy week!

This week has been a bit crazy...the first of many such weeks to come is my guess! On the 16th July I had to search for clips I could not find of Zoe...found in capture scratch...under alicia!!! Then I continued editing and the drawing for the short dance sequence I am adding as an animation. I made them into a short movie to test them.I am spending so long in edit I am frozen by the time I get home at 9.00 pm. On the 17th I drew in the studio I am using...on the wall...and at home. On the 18th I had a job interview...huge!!!...but did not get the job On the 19th I started adding the animation to the live action to test. On the 20th I did one more film sequence in the studio...the last...which went really well.That was after a tutorial in the morning...which also went well. On the basis of the work done this week it is obvious that the film is now a response to a few of McLaren's letters but in particular the ones which signify his leaving Britain for America aboard a ship I now know througjh research was commissioned to take passengers on that journey during the war.(SS Caledonia). I am really excited about having made this journey in creative process and about this new focus. This trip was huge in terms of McLaren's future as it led to his going to join NFB of Canada eventually.The letter he wrote aboard the ship ...many pages...were beautiful in the way they express his feelings. It was a parting but an arrival I believe, to himself. And after all that I had to assist my husband in the running of Big Tent!! cooking for 30 and car park duty!!

animation

The first small piece of animation for the dance sequence I am working on. I am going to include about 3 times this much and know where it is going. I have already done some work on adding it with the live action but have had some trouble getting this to be recognised on my pc. some glitch between edit and exporting to quick time. My pc has also suddenly decided it does not want to recognise all elements of quick time...Is it trying to persuade me to upgrade or have I done it wrong...Let's see!! Thankfully I managed to try it out in an animatic...

edit reflect continue

The learning curve over the last weeks has steepened! I found myself feeling I ma at the top of the cliff but only two thirds of me are actually on top and gravity is fighting with me while I try to pull the rest of me up!!!
I have bee sortinmg through my edit files to make  sure I do not miss anything and to make it easier to find material. The drawback is of course that things go off line when I change their location but since I am also clearer about the location of things that is not as big a problem as I thought!

After testing a dance animation in the edit I went home and continued to draw more to make a decent length of piece...I find I am also progressively clearer about my choices as the final stretch approaches. I have added a few little sequences which I want to add...for example ripples...and I can see that I am going to be using this skill lots in future!!!

I am beginning to use effects more and find I am now much faster too at sorting what needs to be added and then accomplishing it. I am adding colour to norman's letters...and frustratingly I would like to have a whole lot more time to work on the whole thing. But I guess this is the whole point...to learn something which may change your path and which will provide skills to enhance your creative practice. I certainly am doing that!

A couple of days ago I had a problem with the timeline on edit...some recognition error. This is hard ...as I have no idea yet how to solve such things...but other problems are easier to fix, e.g. Have you pressed the button that says 'NOW'? (Andrew...bless him!) But mostly now it is about testing and rendering and waiting to see the result. During the wait I reflect...and write up the blog of course...and I am rewriting all my notes on editing so that I can cement the learning. I am told however that if I do not use Final Cut for a while I will forget it all...

how to realise the dance?

I am still trying to add other drawn ideas to my film but I also know I am running out of time!
I looked at a slightly different version of direct animation for dance... but I think this would be hard to clean up. It was good to keep this exploration going however and it still keeps me thinking about resolutions and keeps my drawing alive.

This is one of the last  frames from the short piece, the dancer begins curled and gradually rises up and starts to spin. the drawing does feel quite kinetic.....

"Thought of You"

Possibly the best animated dance piece I have seen so far. Having also looked at the blog on how this was made, I love it even more.The quality of movement Ryan achieves is really moving...in all senses of the word!!! I think the fact that he worked very closely with the choreographer of this piece is key to how he manages to transmit the emotion of the work.
The music is also really lovely...there has been an instant reaction from everyone I have shown it to....and I gather the same experience has been had by many others!! The choreography follows the music in a great way...catching the meanings behind the words beautifully. The potential of animation to add another level to the work is clear here. Somehow the extensions of leg, arm etc just seem to last a tiny bit longer....holding on to the best qualities of the dance and increasing them......
The overall length of the piece is also just right..tho I can see this developed into a suite of dance pieces following a story...maybe two solos..a group piece.
It certainly grabbed me and I was left thinking......  I WISH I COULD DO THAT !!

animated dance Erica Russell 'Feet of Song'

Feet of Song
A Film by Erica Russell

Russell addresses African rhythm and dance in this film in an almost cubist style.
This film was introduced to me by my photographer friend Marysia and I particularily like the tones of colour used in it. I studied Afro Caribbean dance technique during my years in Jamaica in the 70's and this film reminds me of that time. Studying the dance style helped me to understand the roots of many of the people there ( although the indiginous people of Jamaica were in fact the Arawak indians and they were wiped out by invaders and disease! Indians, Africans, Chinese, Libyans, Europeans and other nationalities were introduced to Jamaica over the centuries through the slave trade, Sugar industry etc).




I learned recently that Robert Burns was due to emigrate to Jamaica to work in the sugar industry along with many other Scots, but got his customs and excise work instead! I wish I had known that all those years ago!I did of course do a Burns supper while I was there...tho trying to explain 'Pusie Nancy' was interesting!