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ae after board concept concepts cut digital effects elements festival film final frame hand-drawn kitchen mood objects over post-production pre-production printer production puppet rough scan scanner script sound story storyboard style sundance test tests text thoughts timing tool update v.o. video vo voice voice-over weekly
Week 10.
19 Nov
Had a lot of trouble rendering.
Finally got 8 sections from AE and then used Final Cut to mend the parts and add the VO and FX.
Rendered:
Full 1080p (Animation)
YouTube 1080p (H.264)
YouTube 720×405 (H.264)
Website 640×360 (H.264)
I also began moving all related videos to a new YouTube page.
www.youtube.com/myseniorproject
(I didn’t want my portfolio page to have too many versions of the senior project.)
If I had planned better then the project files and rendering would be a lot faster and cleaner.
But I did do my best to clean up and organizing.
If I had also planned better I think I could have had a more dynamic piece than the simple camera work I have now. However, I am still proud of the way the project turned out.
Week 9.
19 Nov
I finished the sound effects.
Had some quirks to fix with animations as well as adding some zoom and elements.
Week 8.
08 Nov
Made some fixes to the last rough cut.
Started adding some sound effects.
I still need some musical audio.
Week 7.
01 Nov
I refined some of the fixes for the first rough cut.
I re-organized and cleaned up my project.
I tried to make the project easier to look through (in case I need to in the future).
And I started to render out some of the larger pre-comps to work faster.
Week 6.
25 Oct
I finished and refined all the elements.
Thursday I shot the “green screen” footage of my lips talking.
Friday I started an animatic with the elements,
Sunday I ended with a very rough cut.
I forgot to save the animatic version before I kept going.
Crap.
Week 5.
18 Oct
I played some with the puppet tool to try and figure it out.
It could definitely save some time animating.
Shifting into Production.
I made a list of all the elements and objects I’ll need.
I began making my elements. Took longer than I thought.
I originally was going to make all the objects in photoshop, but printing-tracing-scanning was actually easier.
Project Objects List
16 Oct
Backgrounds:
flowers
texture
mountains
sky
clouds
Indian frame
Green Screen
Myself
Lips
Other
Boom Mic
Feathers
Tee-Pee standing
Tumble Weed
Male symbol
Female symbol
Old Map
Camel (from front)
Bus
Car
Puppet Tool Tests
13 Oct
I tried playin around with the Puppet Tool in After Effects. Not too hard to learn, but hard to be intricate with small images.
Week 4.
11 Oct
I played more with the style frame, I wanted to include Indian aesthetics through an American technique. I researched Indian paintings and art to try and find common elements.
I finalized the script.
I edited together a rough voice-over to make a more concise storyboard.
Storyboard – Timing
10 Oct
00:00-01:13
I’ve had the same conversation my whole life.
01:14-03:03
“You’re Indian, do you live in a tee-pee?”
03:04-04:04
I’m not even that kind of Indian.
04:05-04:23
My name is Brandon.
04:24-05:18
My last name is not Patel.
05:19-06:08
My Dad is white.
06:09-07:03
And my Mom is from India.
07:04-08:19
“Do people ride camels and elephants everywhere?”
08:20-11:06
They ride trains, cars, and buses, just like people over here.
11:07-14:12
That’s like asking Australians if they ride kangaroos and dingos.
14:13-15:10
“Do your parents work at a gas sta–”
15:11-17:01
No. My parents don’t own a convenience store,
17:02-17:15
taxi cab,
17:16-18:04
hotel,
18:05-18:19
a dairy queen;
18:20-19:12
they’re not doctors,
19:13-20:06
they’re not engineers.
20:07-21:02
I don’t wear turbans,
21:03-21:21
and I don’t worship cows.
21:22-23:04
I EAT hamburgers all the time.
23:05-23:20
I’m not a terrorist;
23:21-24:23
I don’t even speak a second language.
24:24-25:21
I speak ENGLISH.
25:22-26:22
My name is Brandon Morris.
26:23-27:13
I’m half white,
27:14-28:02
half indian;
28:03-30:00
for some reason that makes things a little bit different.
Final Script
09 Oct
I’ve had the same conversation my whole life.
“You’re Indian, do you live in a tee-pee?”
I’m not even that kind of Indian.
My name is Brandon. My last name is not Patel.
My Dad is white, and my Mom is from India.
“Do people ride camels and elephants everywhere?”
They ride trains, cars, and buses, just like people over here.
That’s like asking Australians if they ride kangaroos and dingos.
“Do your parents work at a gas sta–”
No. My parents don’t own a convenience store, taxi cab, hotel, a dairy queen; they’re not doctors, they’re not engineers.
I don’t wear turbans, and I don’t worship cows.
I EAT hamburgers all the time.
I’m not a terrorist; I don’t even speak a second language.
I speak ENGLISH.
My name is Brandon Morris.
I’m half white, half indian;
for some reason that makes things a little bit different.
Style Frame Thoughts
09 Oct
Indian Aesthetics:
Color Palette is muted, gold
Flat, 2-Dimensional
Decorative Patterns
Plant life
Large plants become Patterns
Grass and sky have gradient at horizons and ground plane
Tight negative space
Decorative borders
American Technique:
Simple hand-drawn elements
Stop-Motion paper cut-outs
“Doodle”-esque
Hybrid
Simple landscapes, scattered plant life
Patterned large plants, simplified
Simplified decorative border
Decorative patterns added to clothing
Watercolor gradient made with markers
Color palette is muted India-esque, shiny gold
Tight negative space
Week 3.
04 Oct
I made mood board for ideas. I also made a style frame and storyboarded the script. I did some green screen tests Saturday. I’m not sure if stop-motion toys will blend enough with paper cut-outs. I’m still playing with the style frame to see.
Week 2.
27 Sep
I originally was going to create a small narrative based on the Life of an American Firefighter. But I felt, as my senior project, this didn’t reflect myself enough. So I re-focused my concept on conversations I’ve experienced that deal with stereotypes. I still want to use animated paper cut-outs and somehow use stop action animated toys.
Rough Script
25 Sep
VERSION 1
VOICE-OVER:
I’ve had the same conversation my whole life.
“You’re from India? Do you live in a tee-pee?”
No, I live in a house, and I’m not that kind of Indian.
My name is Brandon. Not Apu, and my last name is not Patel.
My dad is “white” and my mom is Indian, from India.
“Do your parents work at a gas station?”
No, my parents don’t own a convenience store, taxi cab, hotel, Dairy Queen, and are not doctors.
I don’t expect you’re parents to own a Wal-Mart or Chik-fil-a.
“Do people over there ride camels and elephants everywhere?”
They ride in trains, cars, and buses. Do Europeans ride horses everywhere?
I’m not that different.
I don’t wear turbans, worship cows, drink cow blood, or eat monkey brains.
I DO eat hamburgers all the time.
I’m not a terrorist, I don’t even speak a second language.
I speak English.
My name is Brandon Morris, I’m half-white and half-Indian.
For some reason that makes things different.
I’m just an average person.
VERSION 2
CALM INTRO
I’ve had the same conversation my whole life.
“You’re from India? Do you live in a tee-pee?”
No, I live in a house, I’m not that kind of Indian…
BEAT STARTS
My name is Brandon. Not Apu,
last name’s not Patel, and im not hindu
My dad is “white” and my mom is Indian,
don’t think feathers, think Indus Valley region
“Do they own a gas station?”
they don’t own a gas station, hotel, or taxi cab,
they’re not doctors, or workin’ in labs.
they’re average people, just like you
I don’t expect you workin’ at a Starbucks drive-thru
“Do Indians ride camels and elephants everywhere?”
They ride trains, cars, and buses to get here and there.
Do you think Alaskans ride polar bears?
I don’t wear turbans, or pray to cows
So don’t assume all that, it’s very low-brow.
I’m not that different.
Do you detect an accent?
I don’t speak Indian, and I’m not a terrorist.
I only speak English, I’m no linguist.
My name is Brandon, and I’m multiracial.
I’m from the ATL not the jungle.
I’m just an average person, just like you.
So stop the stupid questions, ‘cus none of them are new.
VISUAL NOTES:
Paper cut-out drawing of me, animated to the VO.
Paper images and toys animate to match script.
Kinetic typography to VO as well.
Concepts
22 Sep
UPDATE:
CONCEPT:
Growing up half-white and half-Indian in the Southern United States, race and stereotypes have come up. I’ve had the same exact conversations about Indians and stereotypes for 22 I guess about 17 years now.
THEM: Does your dad own a gas station?
ME: No, he’s white. Does your dad own a Wal-Mart?
T: Do you worship cows?
M: I love hamburgers.
T: I love the dance at the end of Slumdog Millionaire.
M: Of course! You can’t make a serious movie about India, and not include a dance. It wouldn’t be Indian…
It’s a conversation about conversations.
EXECUTION:
A voice-over of myself having a conversation with the camera/viewer about growing up and the conversations. A paper-cut out figure of myself will animate to my voice, stop motion and paper cut-outs with toys will animate with the script, and maybe the use of kinetic typography (either in post, or stop motion).
PRE-CONCEPT:
Stop-motion and toys are what I originally used to make videos when I was younger. My brother and I would have our super heros fight bad guys and create car chases. Using a combination of flat paper cut-outs, miniature sets, and post-production, I want to re-create that fun childhood atmosphere, but of course with more professional look.
NARRATIVE CONCEPTS:
1. Take the Greek story of Prometheus. It would begin by cutting back and forth from him cold and shivering, and him trying to make a fire without luck, to night falling and him slowly walking up a flight of stairs. He is then seen again running frantically down the stairs with his back on fire holding a large book that says “How To Make Fire (And Other Things)”. A giant bird swoops down to pick up Prometheus and he drops the book. It ends with a giant boulder and bird with liver his mouth.
2. The first film with a cross-cutting story was The Life of an American Fireman, it’s about a burning building and the firemen that come and rescue the people. It shows two story lines parallel with each other. Using this form of editing and this storyline, a miniature set would be built of of the firehouse, the burning house, and the road between. The story is full of suspense, danger, and hopefully rescue.
3. Since high school my friends and I have gone on camping trips to the same island, at least once a year for about six years now. We all go to different schools or work in different areas. But we all meet up, drive down, grab groceries, canoe out, and camp on the island. This would be reminiscent of, but different from, Georges Méliès’ The Impossible Voyage. It would begin with a car leaving a city and driving down long farm road, pulling into town then food shown being stuffed in the car, pulling into a house and another car begins following and they both have canoes on top, reaching shore, canoeing on water as sun sets, reaching island, tents popping up, fire starting up and smoke rising as the sky darkens, and stars come out.
Week 1.
20 Sep
My original concept was to create a music video for the band Little Tybee. However, with their October tour and a 4:30 song, a animated music video in 2 weeks by one person wasn’t the smartest idea. I do still want to do a really well shot music video for the band though.
So with music video out of the picture, my original idea of stop-motion, toys, and a childhood-mindset begins to circulate again. Stop-motion and animating toys is how I originally started video. The idea of building a small miniature set of both 3-d and 2-d items is very appealing.
Then I saw the two videos below. They blew me away. Taking a simple story and showing only the important parts just so you understand what it is. This is the direction I wanted to go.
Sundance 2006 The Fall from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.
Sundance 2006 Flame Out from DIGITALKITCHEN on Vimeo.
Hello.
14 Sep
Hi, this blog was made to track my Senior Project. I have 10 weeks to plan, shoot, and edit my senior motion graphics project. Check back for updates and news. Also check out my other links for other info.