Completed Artifact

I have edited all the footage I have gathered to come up with a final piece for hand. I am pretty happy with what I have come up with, mainly because I have learnt so much about all the different materials I have experimented with. I have also found out what materials I will be using for my extended practice project. Which is Plasticine and the medium sized armature as they were the best to work with and they also looked how I wanted the look to be.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Purves, B. (2010). ‘Stop-motion’ London. Published by AVA Publishing SA.

Harryhausen, R and Dalton, T. (2008). ‘A Century Of Model Animation from Melies to Aardman’ London. Published by Aurum Press Ltd.

Alger, J. (2012). ‘The Art of Making ParaNorman’ San Francisco; California. Published by LAIKA Inc.

Purves, JC Barry, (2014). ‘Stop-Motion Animation; Frame by frame film making with puppets and models’ London, Publishing PLC.

Lord, Peter and Sibley, Brian. ‘Cracking Animation’ London, Published by Thames and Hudson.

Millock, S. Mckinnon and Saunders (2014) Interview with Gowthorpe, S.

Date 13th November, Leeds

O’Brien, B. (2014). ‘Jiri Trnka’s The Hand’. [Online]. (Accessed: 30th December 2014). Available at: www.Prettycleverfilms.com  

Nusair, D.(2008). ‘Beetlejuice Review’. [Online]. (Accessed: 3rd January 2015). Available at: www.reelfilm.com  

Neil, (N/A). ‘Matches: An Appeal’. [Online]. (Accessed: 7th January 2015). Available at: www.keyframeonline.com/Animation/Matches:_An_Appeal

VacaVerde, (2014) Interview with Gowthorpe,S. Date 29th August, Leeds

Image Bibliography

Fig.001

Neil (N/A) Matches: An Appeal, Available at:

http://www.keyframeonline.com/Animation/Matches:_An_Appeal/1564/#.VK0Qril_vN4

(Accessed: 7th january 2015). 

Fig.002

Jess and Garrett ( MAY 24, 2010) The Lost World at BAM, Available at:

http://www.whrtny.com/2010/05/lost-world-at-bam.html

 (Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.003

Ravi Varma (Feb 13th, 2011) Jiří Trnka, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1965, Available at:

http://asifa.net/international-news/%E2%80%9C50-animated-films-for-the-50th-anniversary-of-asifa%E2%80%9D-%E2%80%93-contest-results/

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.004

Steve West (Oct 5, 2011 ) The Fix Its from Batteries Not Included, Available at:

http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/10-robot-friends-movies-buddies-real-steel.html/4

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.005

Jonathon Rosenbaum (March 1, 2001) Beetlejuice, Available at:

http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/2001/03/beetlejuice/

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.006

Kieron Gillen (November 4th, 2009) Wrong Browsers: Free Wallace And Gromit, Available at: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/wallace-and-gromit/

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.007

Joshua Mosley (2002) Building Armatures for Clay Animation, Available at:

http://joshuamosley.com/tutorials/claymationArmature/armature.html

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.008

Grace Diggens (February 23, 2013) Building the Armature – Final Ball and Socket,Available at: https://gracevdiggens.wordpress.com/tag/ball/

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.009

Ben Whitehouse (26 May 2010) Puppet production, Available at:

http://stopmotionben.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/puppet-production.html

 (Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.010

Caitlin Roper (16 Aug 12) How ParaNorman used 3D printing
 to make stop-motion animation cool again, Available at:

http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2012/09/features/the-boy-with-8000-faces

(Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.011

Kurt Halfyard (October 28, 2011) Shorts Program: THE SANDMAN, Available at:

http://www.rowthree.com/2011/10/28/shorts-program-the-sandman/

 (Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.012

R.L. Shaffer (MARCH 22, 2010) Fantastic Mr. Fox DVD Review, Available at:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2010/03/22/fantastic-mr-fox-dvd-review

 (Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.013

Ken A Priebe (March 11, 2011) 'The Advanced Art of Stop-Motion Animation': Building Puppets: Part 3, Available at:

 http://www.awn.com/animationworld/advanced-art-stop-motion-animation-building-puppets-part-3

 (Accessed: 7th january 2015).

Fig.014

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Ball and Socket armature’ [Photograph] 

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.015

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Simple wire Armature’ [Photograph]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.016

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Milliput wire armature’ [Photograph]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.017

Gowthope, S (2014) ‘Fabric Model’ [Photograph]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.018

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Latex Model’ [Photograph]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.019

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Plasticine Model’ [Photograph]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.020

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Concept Art - Old lady’ [Pencil on Paper]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Fig.021

Gowthorpe, S (2014) ‘Final Design - Old Lady’ [Digital ]

At Leeds: Leeds College of Art

Artifact- Finished footage

Here is the finished footage of the animation tests.

I did very simple movements of a side walk cycle, front walk cycle and a walking down a step. The small plasticine model was pretty hard to animate as it was very small and tough to move.

The animations are not as good as I wanted but it was only a test to see how it fells when animating.

The fabric model I found the easiest to animate due to the size and the joint being very malleable.

I found that the animations were much smoother in the transitions in this model.

This is the latex model, I absolutely hated animating this model as it was very large and heavy so it kept falling over. I constantly had problems with moving the joints as they were very stiff.

Artifact- Finished Models

I have finally completed all 3 models. They consist of a plasticine model, fabric model and a latex model. All the models have the same clothing made of the same materials. This is to enable the models to relate to the same character.

 This is the plasticine model, I really liked the outcome of this model as it looks the best. This is probably because the facial features are more noticeable than the rest. The main thing that I do not like about this model is that it is extremely small so it was hard to do tiny details.

This is the fabric model, I had a lot of complications in making this model especially when adding the hair. I had to experiment a lot into finding the best way to apply this hair, I eventually got the hair attached at satisfactory level. I would have liked to have got it to a better standard but I was vastly running out of time. Another problem I had was the creases in the face which ended up being a happy accident as it help to emphasize the wrinkles in an old ladys face. This model was the best sized model to me as I was able to create small details with ease. 

For the final model it is the latex one. This model was the one that turned out the worse. I had all sorts of problems in just fattening up the model, this was because it was so big. The shape of the model constantly kept moving. It was also the most time consuming model as I had to paint on various layers of liquid latex. I even had problem with creating the small details, for example the buttons kept falling off. I am not very happy with the outcome of this model. 

Resolving your Research Project (Academic Conventions)

1. Introduction

In this lecture I wish to look at a not uncommon way of writing and structuring books, dissertations and theses. This approach, I will argue, involves the writer announcing at the outset what he or she will be doing in the pages that follow. The default format of academic research papers and textbooks, it serves the dual purpose of enabling the reader to skip to the bits that are of particular interest and — in keeping with the prerogatives of scholarship — preventing an authorial personality from intruding on the material being presented. But what happens when this basically plodding method seeps so deeply into a writer’s makeup as to constitute a neutralisation of authorial voice, a limitation, a faux-objectivity?

• Derrida, J. (1987) Glas, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press- Richard Eckersley design.

Academic Conventions are like an institutional framework for your work.

They structure and standardize.

They aspire to academic.

Academic conventions can help you to structure your work and show the research that underpins it.

At this level you are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical knowledge of practice
• Apply theory to practice
• Analyse relevant material
• Evaluate theory and evidence within the context of study
• Reflect – critiquing and critically reflecting on your learning and using this to improve practice.

Deep and Surface Learning.

Surface Approach.

• Concentration on Learning Outcomes
• Passive acceptance of ideas
• Routine memorization of facts
• Sees small chunks
• Ignore guiding patterns and principles
• Lack of reflection about, or ignorance of, underlying patterns and theories
• Little attempt to understand
• Minimal preparation and research

Deep Approach

• Independent engagement with material
• Critical and thoughtful about idea and information
• Relates ideas to own previous experience and knowledge
• Sees the big picture  
• Relates evidence to conclusions
• Examines logic of arguments
• Interested in wider reading and thinking
• Ongoing preparation and reflection

How do I evidence deep learning?

Academic writing is formal and follows some standard conventions

Each academic discipline has its own specialist vocabulary which you will be expected to learn and use in your own writing

The substance of academic writing must be based on solid evidence and logical analysis, and presented as a concise, accurate argument.

Academic writing can allow you to present your argument and analysis accurately and concisely.

Aim for precision. Don’t use unnecessary words or waffle. Get straight to the point. Make every word count.

If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use cautious language (such as ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘could’, ‘potentially’).

Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid over-long sentences and to aim for a mixture of long and short sentences for variation and rhythm.

Avoid repeating the same words

Avoid abbreviations and contractions

Avoid slang words and phrases

Avoid conversational terms

Avoid vague terms

Abbreviations and contractions are informal, and are best avoided in academic writing. For example:

‘Department’ should be used instead of the abbreviation ‘dept’.

‘Is not’ should be used in place of the contraction ‘isn't’.

Compare the following:

‘The individual was sentenced for nicking a bike.’

‘The doctor looked kind of worried when he reviewed the case notes.’

‘The individual was sentenced for stealing a bike’

‘The doctor looked slightly worried when he reviewed the case notes.’

In many academic disciplines, writing in the first person is not acceptable as it is believed to be too subjective and personal. Many tutors prefer impersonal language to be used in assignments.

First person sentences use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.  For example:

• We have considered...
• I suggest that...
• I have observed...

First person sentences use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.  For example:

• Consideration has been given to...
• The suggestion here is that...
• It has been observed...

Preliminaries- Title / Acknowledgements / Contents /  List of Illustrations

Introduction- The abstract / Statement of the problem /Methodological approach

Main body- Review of the literature / logically developed argument /Chapters / results of investigation / Case Study

Conclusion- Discussion and conclusion / Summary of conclusions

Extras –   Bibliography / Appendices

Resolving Your Research Project

15th Jan – 4pm - 7 weeks away

http://estudio.leeds-art.ac.uk/course/view.php?idnumber=ba_printed_textiles_l6

Getting Stuck

Ask yourself why are you really stuck?

Avoid negativity

Picture what being ‘unstuck’ would look like

Visualise

Project Self Assessment 

• Write down the major aims of the project
• Give a brief summary of the work so far
• Comment on your time management
• Do you know what the final project will look like?
• What steps will you take to ensure it gets there?
• What areas of the project are you worried about?
• What ‘risk management’ plans do you have?
• How are you going to use the remaining tutorials?

Running out of Time

• 15th Jan- 7 weeks away
• Refer to your original plan
• Be more disciplined than ever
• Don’t prioritise the practical over the written element, or vice versa.
• Set targets
• Scale down your ambitions if necessary

Some other general advice.....

Presentation / Academic Conventions. Refer to the guides on eStudio carefully.

https://drive.google.com/a/students.leeds-art.ac.uk/file/d/0B_9HI_FPjv2Zb2llbnB2eElDUGc/view

Harvard Referencing should be used in the text to show where you have got your information from.

You need to try and back up everything you say with a reference (unless it is common knowledge)

See the examples linked on eStudio

BIBLIOGRAPHY SHOULD BE APHABETICISED BY SURNAME AND SEPERATED OUT INTO TYPES OF RESEARCH SOURCES (BOOKS / WEBSITES / JOURNALS / VISITS…)

You can also use images, e.g. pictures, photographs or prints to substantiate your ideas and arguments.

Try to label these in a detailed manner stating the artist or designer, medium and source of your illustration.

Conclusion

In this lecture I have attempted to highlight the simultaneous necessity and limitations of a variety of academic conventions that institutionally frame research at undergraduate level. Put in slightly different terms, the necessity and limitations of structure per se. In doing so I hope to have broadly outlined a method for academic writing and the presentation of research in such work. As has been suggested, the contradictory nature of research sources on this topic can be disorienting for the budding researcher and, because of this, the importance of each individual finding consistent, but workable and personal, methods and approaches cannot be over-emphasised. Ultimately, ‘the default format’ of academic research, alluded to throughout, is one of many institutional codes, or discourses, that we have to learn to operate within, or perhaps subvert from within. The success of this maneuvre will ultimately determine ‘success’ in institutional terms, in the form of a grade but, hopefully, not at the expense of ‘success’ in different terms, be they creative, artistic, personal or such like.

P.S a lot of the information has come directly from web resources. 

Context of Practice 3 Presentation of the Artifact

Here is the presentation of the original idea of the artifact I am to create.

So far I have only created armatures. They will soon be skinned once I have decided on what materials I am going to use in doing so.  

The character that will be used is the old lady/ witch. It will be the same character used for each puppet, this will then help me to see which material works best. This will be seen in a comparison video which will en-tale all the models doing the same movements next to each other.