Holy Flaming @%$#*^!!!! An update!

The incredible Two Star Symphony finally has a full fledged music video for their fantastic arrangements!   Not only did I get to PA on an amazing set with a great group of talented professionals (and a psychotic insomniac donkey), but I got to animate the haunted illustration that appears in The Book In the Library.

As you will see from the whopping 3.5 second run time, all four members of the quartet writhe in flaming agony. Considering they are really cool people, it was a little odd and disconcerting planning and enacting their gruesome pain and suffering. (Well.... except for Jerry, the director. It was kind of disappointing not being able to push his gruesome demise further).

 In addition to animating all four members of the quartet, this was my first attempt at animating fire;  I would have liked to tinker with the flame animation looping a bit more, but deadlines.....

Here is the full 4 frames of animation as I submitted it (I think they had to trim about 12 frames from the beginning).    It needs to be viewed in HD mode, or it looks like fuzzy cubism. The full video for The 9th Level can be found on the Two Star Symphony site - it is gorgeous (I did mention that the entire cast and crew are BAD-ASS, right?)

the 9th Level Animation from Sophia Vassilakidis on Vimeo.

storyboards

Storyboarding for animation was a very 'unlearn bad habits' process for me. I used to storyboard live action projects of mine all the time prior to shooting and editing, but the nature of the beast never required me to draw out every glance, head swivel, phase of a reaction, flick of an elbow, etc. It was mainly a way for me to mentally orchestrate the actors and sets with the dynamic moving camera shots I love to employ.

So, I had to learn to be rigorous when showing my animated character's thoughts and actions.... Now if only I can force myself not to add the rack-focus-backwards-dolly shot or the high-angle close up to low-medium-wide shot, at least not while the characters are moving.....

ZOMG!

This is perhaps one of my favorite projects. I really wish I could put it on my reel, but as is there are some volume issues in Granny's head that should be fixed, and a couple of my instructors insist that my Munch homage throws the acting. But I like my spry little butt-burying biddy, and really.....

ZOMG! from Sophia Vassilakidis on Vimeo.


..... you can't argue with Zombie Elvis.

Although it would be nice if flipbook didn't composite more than 2 levels into visual mud. 

how to smash a roach

one of the first exercises i consider really successful. i should probably put a roach in there and squash it when the mallet comes down, just for entertainment value, but as a native Houstonian.....i really, really, really hate roaches. i can't even bring myself to draw them. 

testing the water

this online thing is not my forte. i find trying to communicate with theoretical total strangers ties my tongue, so please forgive any terseness, or alternately, flailing ramblings about my experience learning animation. 

i just completed my grad project yesterday at vanarts in traditional 2d animation. i intend to refine it some so i won't post it just yet, but here is one of my term 2 exercises, a wind walk. i know it's not perfect, but looking at it now i still feel that i managed to capture a good sense of weight and balance, and it feels fairly fluid without being 'rotoscopy'. (that was a word thrown at some of my first projects, and i've been working to improve my timing to make things livelier since then).