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 Photoshop and Corel Draw on Wacom Tablet.

Animation Review: Shrek Forever After

Initially I had some reservations about viewing the latest and final installment of the Shrek franchise in 3D yet despite some minor issues with the standard issue 3D glasses, I think the 3D effect added to the film in a positive way.

Nowadays nearly every film is released as 3D and the mind boggles with and laughs at the possibilities (think The Lakehouse in 3D lolol). But unlike live action films that suffer with the novelty factor of adding the superfluous layer of 3D viewing, the addition of 3D to an CG animation feature can establish a greater sense of connection between the audience and the characters and their environments. Characters and environments that are rendered to create a sense of depth are given a fullness that, in the case of Shrek, stops just before venturing into the unsettling viewing platform of the uncanny valley, partly due to the character style and partly due to the selective employment of the 3D technology.

Aside from the addition of 3D, the final Shrek film was a pleasant surprise. All the familiar characters are there and although at times it seems to labour along well trodden paths of plot and humour, there is a lovely freshness to the film wherein the familiar meets the new;a theme that is echoed in the storyline.

Overall, a beautifully rendered and forwardly looking CG animation that sets the standard for the industry and stands confidently beside Shreks 1 and 2 (I prefer to pretend Shrek 3 never happened) no mean feat for a fourth installment in any cinema franchise.

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Special FX

One of the things Im most pleased with in relation to this project is the exposure it has given me to the Toon Boom Animate Pro2 software and in that respect I'm glad that i chose to work with Toon Boom. I feel that i have really gotten to know the software and the potential that it allows through this animation piece.

Two effects i used were the glow effect and the integration of a lightening strike. The first effect was done within the program itself through the use of the module library function and gaining a deeper understanding of the network connections. Its not so much the result of the effect in this project, more the knowledge i gained from including it. The effect would have worked better had the background been darker.









The second effect of lightening was one i kind of worked out for myself by watching old cartoons and slowing down the action to frame by frame motion to see what happened to the characters and backgrounds during a lightening strike. This visual coupled with the sound effects gives the impression of a 'storm of anger.'

Production Documents

For a detailed shotbreakdown and production schedule please click the following link :)

Characters Enter Stage Left

This week i've been finalising camera shots, madly learning all about toon boom and putting the characters in their places. So far things are going well and Im liking the way the characters seem to 'fit' in their settings. Finishes a couple of scenes with the little imp today and got a little thrill when i saw the imp blink......'HE'S ALIIIIVE!!!"

I'm also pleased about the type of animation i have chosen to tell the story of the muse and her imp. The narrative drives the animation, rather than it being animation for animations sake.

Got about a week before its due. Will update when i can :)

Backgrounds

Sample use of Toon Boom Animate Pro 2 multiplane feature. Need to revise the size of my backgrounds to ensure that i get everything in the field guide, but I'm really enjoying this process, i wish we did an entire subject about the creation of backgrounds, the use of background and camera and the intergration of character, animation style and background together. I think that would help immensely.

Titles

Trying to establish the theme of the piece from the opening credits. Found a great piece of royalty free music by Kevin Macleod, 'Lightless Dawn.'

Revision

Have been working on another yet related project for character animation (see previous post), actually its been quite useful to take a break from the Moonlit Evil project as it gave me a bit of distance from the storyboard, thus allowing time for revision.

Looking over the storyboard i was able to cut repetitive shots and establish the number of backgrounds and recycled backgrounds required for each section.




I'm thinking of approaching this as a series of 16 shots or scenes rather than as a complete project, i think this will allow me to apply attention to each aspect of the mini film.

Next stop, the animatic.

NatChapmanLimbusGrass.mov

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