Donatella's 3D Computer Animation Blog

My 3D Computer Animation Progress
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6.7 Week 7 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 7: Qualitative Research

Introduction

Developing a methodology is crucial as it helps the audience understand how the researcher is planning to gather information to answer their research question. What follows next is a brief description of what type of research I am planning to conduct.

Qualitative Research

‘Unlike quantitative studies which are concerned with outcomes, generalization, prediction, and cause-effect relationships through deductive reasoning, qualitative studies are concerned with process, context, interpretation, meaning or understanding through inductive reasoning’ (Yilmaz, K., 2013, p. 313).

Since I would like to understand how Tim Burton makes use of the grotesque and uncanny in his characters, I will carry out qualitative-based research. I will analyze the dualistic nature of his character design, focusing on their physical and personality traits, in view of finding a pattern between the different protagonists. Then, I will examine how the director manages to trigger an emotional response on the audience by examining the emotional connection through the character identification and engagement with the viewers.   

Conclusion

In order to find an answer to my question, I will compare and contrast the characters from Tim Burton’s movies by creating my own data collection tool. In order to gather information systematically, I will establish common categories and guidelines on how to analyze the physical and personality traits of the main characters. 

Bibliography

Yilmaz, K. (2013) Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Traditions: epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26357806 (Accessed: 18 August 2023).

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7.6 Week 6 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 6: Reference Recording

Introduction

Before starting to work on my shots, I record reference videos to guide me on how to animate the movement of the characters. It is an essential step to help me identify key poses and breakdowns.

Reference Recordings

What follows next are only some examples of my reference videos. During the course, I learned that it is crucial to:

  • Record from a 3/4 angle rather than from a front or side view.
  • Record from different perspectives in order to visualize the movement of the character from different angles.

Further Comments

From my personal perspective, recording reference videos can be highly challenging since I sometimes misplace the position of the cameras. Furthermore, it can be difficult to find inspiration on how the character should to move, and therefore, it would be beneficial to work on my acting skills in the future.

On the other hand, it is important to understand that reference videos should only be a guide, and therefore, the animator needs to modify or exaggerate certain poses.

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6.6 Week 6 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 6: Literature Review Reading

Introduction

This week, I decided to go over and revise the books I have chosen as my key bibliography as it will enable me to get a clearer understanding on how to analyze Tim Burton’s movies.

Post-It Notes

As you can see in the picture, I used post-it notes to help me structure the information in the books. I used two different colors to set apart general concepts with explanations. This system will help me to quickly find any quotes I want to include in my research.

Conclusion

It is beneficial to organize the information with different color tags, as it enables me to memorize the quotes and descriptions which I am planning to use in my paper.

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7.5 Week 5 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 5: Defining Shot Hierarchy

Introduction

This week, I learned that it is highly beneficial to establish a hierarchy in the shots that I need to animate. In this sense, rather than animating chronologically, I can start animating the shots according to their level of difficulty.

Shot Hierarchy

  • A Shots: High difficulty.
  • B Shots: Medium difficulty.
  • C Shots: Low difficulty.

What follows next, are some examples of the shots I will need to animate according to their level of difficulty.

A Shots

B Shots

C Shots

Further Comments

Organizing the shots according to their level of difficulty is a great way of getting an overview of the time I need to spend on each shot. Since the A shots are the most difficult ones, I will need to spend more time animating them. On the other hand, the C shots are the ones where I do not need to spend much time on, as their level of difficulty is lower.

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6.5 Week 5 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 5: Establishing Key Filmography

For my research paper, I will analyze the animated movies The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Corpse Bride (2005), and Frankenweenie (2012) as well as the live-action movies like Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Filmography

Beetlejuice (1988) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Amazon Prime Video (Accessed: 21 August 2023).

Edward Scissorhands (1990) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 17 August 2023).

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 18 August 2023).

Corpse Bride (2005) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Amazon Prime Video (Accessed: 21 August 2023).

Frankenweenie (2012) Directed by Tim Burton. Available at: Disney+ (Accessed: 20 August 2023).

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7.4 Week 4 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 4: Previs Adaptation

Introduction

After editing the story in the past two weeks, I focused on adapting the previs animation according to the new script. What follows next is the new sequence I decided to include into my animation.

New Previs Adaptation

New Previs Adaptation

New Plot-Twist

As you can see in the video, I decided to include a plot twist into my animation to present the villain of the story.

As soon as Mr. Bones finds the pumpkin, he gets tricked and ends up trapped in a cage.

In the end, he manages to free himself and defeats the villain by distracting his horse.

Villain

Villain Stealing the Golden Pumpkin (Render)

New Villain

When it comes to the villain, I wanted the character to be a skeleton since the meaning behind the protagonist’s name [Skullchaser] implies that he goes after skulls. In this sense, the enemy is portrayed as a skeleton, who rides his skeleton horse. In addition, I wanted to present the villain from a low-angle shot to make him seem bigger and stronger.

Resolution

When it comes to the resolution of the animation, Skullchaser distracts the horse by throwing him a stone, which causes the villain to fall and break apart. The resolution of the climax is presented in a quick way as the animation is presented in form of a short episode.

Further Thoughts

From my personal perspective, adding this sequence was highly beneficial, as the plot-twist creates more suspense into the story. Rather than only fighting against the bats, Skullchaser has to face now a major villain in the story.

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6.4 Week 4 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 4: Establishing Key Bibliography

Key Bibliography

In order to work on my literature review, I decided to systematically list my key papers according to the four sections I mentioned before.

Tim Burton

Hockenhull, S. and Pheasant-Kelly, F. (eds) (2021) Tim Burton’s Bodies. Gothic, Animated, Corporeal and Creaturely. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Salisbury, M. (ed.) (2000) Burton on Burton. Revised Edition. England: Faber and Faber.

Character Engagement:

Smith, M. (1995) Engaging Characters. Fiction, Emotion, and the Cinema. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Identification:

Cohen, J. (2001) ‘Defining identification: A theoretical look at the identification of audiences with media characters’, Mass Communication & Society, pp. 245–264. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327825MCS0403_01 (Accessed: 5 June 2023).

Horror Genre:

Wells, P. (2000) The Horror Genre. From Beelzebub to Blair Witch. London: Wallflower Press.

Novak, M. E. (1979) ‘Gothic Fiction and the Grotesque’, A Forum on Fiction, pp. 50-67. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1344951 (Accessed: 31 August 2023).

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7.3 Week 3 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 3: Defining The Hero’s Journey

Introduction

In order to develop the main character of my animation, I decided to use the hero’s journey framework developed by Joseph Campbell. In this sense, Mr. Bones’ journey can be divided into the following twelve stages.

The Hero’s Journey (Mr. Bones)

Act 1: The Ordinary World

The hero of the animation, Mr. Bones, is introduced in his ordinary world, Halloween Town. The establishing shot at the beginning of the animation reveals the context and environment in which the story will unfold and the first scene introduces the main character and his occupation as an agent.

Act 2: The Call to Adventure

Mr. Bones receives a message in his office and is given the mission to save the Golden Pumpkin in order to restore peace to Halloween Town. The telephone call reveals what his purpose is throughout the story, what the main conflict is, while introducing the villain character (whose identity will be revealed at the end of the plot).

Act 3: Refusing the Call

Despite the fact that in some stories the hero may be conflicted in accepting the call to adventure, in my animation the main character has the role of an agent, and therefore, it is his duty to accept the missions he gets.

Act 4: The Mentor

The mentor of my animation is the voice that gives Mr. Bones his mission by the telephone. Not only does it present the main conflict of the story, but also the villain of Halloween Town. In addition, it also guides Mr. Bones regarding where he has to go in order to achieve his mission.

Act 5: The First Threshold

The Journey of Mr. Bones starts as soon as receives the Pumpkin Signal, leaves his office and heads towards the forest to find the Golden Pumpkin (which is the moment of no return). 

Act 6: The Journey

In this part, the protagonist faces some obstacles and enemies which make his mission more challenging.

Act 7: The Final Dungeon

During the chasing and shooting sequences with the bats, one of Mr. Bones’ guns gets stuck, which builds tension in the scene as his life is in great danger. However, he manages to escape and eliminate all the bats on time and find the Golden Pumpkin.

Act 8: The Great Ordeal (Climax)

Nonetheless, a slight plot twist happens by the end of the animation as Mr. Bones gets tricked and ends up trapped in a cage. The identity of the villain is revealed and the protagonist’s is under threat. However, by the end of this sequence, Mr. Bones finally manages to defeat the villain and has control over the situation.

Act 9: The Prize

The prize of my story is the Golden Pumpkin, which is essential to restore peace to Halloween Town. The protagonist’s mission is successfully completed by the end of the story.

Act 10: The Road Home

The animation ends in the same place where it began, in Mr. Bones’ office, emphasizing on the idea that the character has a non-stop workload.

Bibliography

Klug, C. and Lebowitz, J. (2011) Interactive Storytelling for Videogames. Oxford: Elsevier. 

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6.3 Week 3 FMP & Thesis Thesis

Week 3: Structuring the Literature Review

Introduction

The purpose of my research is to explore how Tim Burton makes use of the grotesque and uncanny in the characters of his movies to evoke empathy and create an emotional connection with the audience. In order to approach my research question, it is essential to establish my framework by developing the literature review.  

Literature Review Structure

The structure of my literature is going to be divided into four main chapters:

Tim Burton and the ‘Burtonesque’ Style: The first part will introduce who Tim Burton is, what his most famous movies are and what the Burtonesque style is.

Bringing Grotesque and Uncanny Characters to Life The second part will focus on defining the grotesque and uncanny.  

Emotional Connection through Character Identification The third section will explain how characters can create an emotional impact on the audience through character identification.

Character Engagement through Empathy and Sympathy The last part focuses on how characters are designed to bond with the audience through empathy and sympathy.

Conclusion

Working on my thesis has enabled me to explore several fields of interest as I do not only have the opportunity to analyze the artwork of Tim Burton from an animation-oriented perspective, but also conduct my study from a semiotics and psychology approach.

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7.2 Week 2 FMP FMP & Thesis

Week 2: Creating the Storyline

Introduction

In order to effectively develop the storyline for my short film animation, I decided to use as a reference the ‘Three Act Screenplay Structure’ by Syd Field (2005). This enabled me to revise, expand and polish the narrative structure I had created for my previs animation during the past two terms.

Three Act Screenplay Structure

Act 1: Set-up

According to Field, S. (2005, p. 23) in the first act ‘the screenwriter sets up the story, establishes character, launches the dramatic premise (what the story is about), illustrates the situation (the circumstances surrounding the action), and creates the relationships between the main character and the other characters who inhabit the landscape of his or her world’.

For this reason, it can be argued that the first part of my animation consists of the establishing shot (which sets up the Halloween context and environment where the story will take place), the presentation of the main character (who is Mr. Bones, also known as Pumpkin Chaser) and what mission he has to fulfill (save the Golden Pumpkin to restore peace to Halloween Town).

Act 2: Confrontation

The second act can be defined as the moment in which ‘the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that keeps him/her from achieving his/her dramatic need, which is defined as what the character wants to win, gain, get, or achieve during the course of the screenplay’ (Field, S., 2005, p. 25).

In this sense, the second act of my story consists of how Mr. Bones has to face some obstacles and enemies in order to find the Golden Pumpkin. This part involves several chasing and shooting scenes with bats which the protagonist has to overcome before finding the Golden Pumpkin in the forest.

Act 3: Resolution

Finally, the third act can be defined as the ‘unit of action that resolves the story’ that not necessarily needs an ending but a solution to the plot (Field, S., 2005, p. 26).

In the third part of my animation, I decided to present the climax of the story. After beating the obstacles and bats, Mr. Bones seems to have found and saved the Golden Pumpkin. However, I decided to create suspense by including a slight plot twist and revealing that he was actually tricked by the antagonist and trapped into a cage. The resolution of my story consists of how the protagonist frees himself by beating the villain and how he finally manages to restore peace into Halloween Town.

Furthermore, I created a circular storytelling structure as the narration ends in the same place where it began after the establishing shot (at Mr. Bones’ office). This highlights the protagonist’s journey and emphasizes how demanding his 24/7 workload is and how vital his presence is in Halloween Town. 

Bibliography

Field, S. (2005) Screenplay : the foundations of screenwriting. 4th rev. edn. New York: Random House.