Evaluation

Comparison:
Two pieces of work that are similar to what I have made are the videos Stop Motion
SUPERFIGHT by Corridor Digital and the music video for Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie. In
Corridor Digitals video, we both had two characters
fighting in a room, though their video had more space
and props to work with. They had a more detailed
narrative as well as several scenes that added more
interesting effects to the story, such as freefalling
upside down, gravity shifting and a giant wormhole
monster (made of random materials).
However, both of our videos had a form of cliff-hanger ending and used paper to create effects
rather than adding them in post. Due to the large size
of their set, Corridor Digital also had the freedom to
use props to create a setting, more movement for
their characters and could add lighting to their scene.
Finally, their animation was much smoother, most
likely as a result of more frames and a faster frame
rate.
On a more technical side the channel used a professional DSLR camera rather than a GoPro, which
made their framing look less janky. Though one thing
I used that they didnt was a larger variety of moves
for my fighters. They also added a motion blur to the
characters at certain points to give them more
momentum in certain scenes.
For the music video, we both had the constraint of
using a much smaller area of space. As such some of the
movements are slightly limited. Though the music video
got around it by having various materials and props
move around the actress to create scenery. They also
create a different variety of effects using the materials
ta hand, such as socks into fish and leaves and pillows
as clouds.
They experimented with different camera angles and
zooms to direct focus on certain aspects, such as when
a fish is swimming by, allowing them to also show
the emotions that the main character is feeling. Though, my animation does seem a lot smoother
in places, whereas the music video is a bit jumpy in places and so is hard to follow, most likely as

a result of a slower frame rate. Furthermore, they dont use sound effects in their video, which
sometimes takes away from the narrative slightly at certain points.
Final Evaluation:
The brief I was given stated that I make a 30 second short animation, fitting under genre, whether
it be horror, comedy, etc. It had to contain no more than
two characters and had to use objects as props. I decided
to use a top-down format and based the narrative on an
animation I made a few years ago. The end result,
despite a few changes that had to be made, was a great
success in my eyes. The short was funny, visually looked
to a good standard and showed off some interesting
effects.
The brief didnt ask for a specific genre, so I chose a
comedy, which was well met. All respondents agreed that
the video fit under a short drama and comedic, saying it
was well executed and very slapstick1. When asked
about whether or not the video was creative8, all answered
yes, though a few things could have been added, such as:
more choreography, more locations and effects (a specific
example is a cathode ray monitor screen to at the video
game aesthetic). Due to the nature of the video being quite fast paced, with a lot going on, the
effect would make it hard on the viewer to watch, so I disagree with this.
The planning of the project was thorough, with a few contingencies in case of obstacles in the
future. Acquiring materials wasnt difficult and all fit into
the animation perfectly. During the filming, there were a
few issues in timing, as certain sections took longer than
anticipated, such as the shield part. As a result, I needed
to undergo a few more filming sessions. In conjunction
with this, finding times for my actors to be available was
difficult and so an edit was made to the narrative in
which the actors would turn into red and blue stickman
versions of themselves. Though originally not intended, this change made the overall animation
much better.
The soundtrack and sound effects for the animation fit perfectly, which wont come under legal
scrutiny due to them being royalty free or self-recorded. The song created the right mood of a
lively and somewhat comical fight. The sound effects I recorded with the actors went without a
hitch and gave both characters more life. I had freedom to pick and choose these sounds as the
brief didnt specify what to use in that regard.
One major issue that wasnt anticipated for was the fact the
GoPro I used had a wide-angle lens. As a result, the
unedited images looked distorted and had too many
unnecessary things in frame. Each frame would then have
to be edited and re-positioned in post, which did turn out
well, but there are certain parts where there are clear
camera jolts.

On a technical level, majority of the respondents said that the animation was smooth5 and to a
good quality. However, it was mentioned that the posing at some moments felt unnatural at
points. This was noticed during the editing, and could chalk up the choreography and the wideangle lens on the camera used, as mentioned previously.
The main points brought up, by respondents, about the technical quality6 are that the camera
quality could have been better and that there could have been some form of colour grading.
Though I agree that camera could have been better and there should have been colour grading, I
think too much would have been too much for the viewer and detract from what little there was.
Another section of the brief stated that the target audience had to be all ages and genders etc. I
believe this was met to a good standard, as the violence in the video is comedic and doesnt
contain gore or blood. Furthermore, there is no bad language and other inappropriate content.
If I could make the animation again, the main thing I would change would be the set and rigging.
The set-up I had much too limited space and the camera had a wide-angle lens that made the
frames look odd. If given the choice, I would have had a much better quality camera rigged to the
ceiling with a remote to take the images, as well as a real-time view of what the camera sees. If
possible I would have layered the previous frame over the current view so I could compare the
movements. The camera change would also have allowed me to use a larger room and so have a
larger set to work with. This would allow for better movement for the characters and their
moves as to create more impact on their hits.
Though agreeing that the video fit under the conventions of a top-down style2, respondents said
that it would be better if the space was larger and perhaps with a green screen. Though a green
screen would help with various effects, I believe that it wouldnt help with the chosen format.
Also, the brief asked for effects and props to be made from objects, and so a green screen couldnt
be used.
Another benefit to the larger area would be that I could create a much more appealing setting for
the narrative. A fighting arena, or shifting scenery, with various props and weapons could have
made the final video a bit more engaging. I would also make the overall production longer. The
narrative in the piece is quite short, with a lot of aspects brushing by quickly. The final video is 30
seconds long, which is bare minimum provided by the brief. As it mentioned a maximum of 3
minutes, there was definitely room for further narrative.
In regards to the setting used, as none was specified in the brief, I used what space was available.
Taking into account the time, budget and conditions; the respondents7 agree that the backdrop
and setting is messy, random and uninteresting. Im with agreement on this one, as the
location had a lot of clutter around the frame, even after editing it. Furthermore, it was quite
confined and didnt entirely fit the narrative, so more research into better locations and set design
would be used if I made the project again.
A final minor change that I would have liked to make would have been to improve the unclear
narrative, as mentioned by respondents. Those who answered3 said that it was clear, but was very
simplistic. Agreeing on this point, I believe that the narrative could have been developed a bit
more, with it simply being longer perhaps. Similarly, to the narrative, respondents said the
characters4 were basic. Their fight was quite unspecific with few hits on each other. A way to fix
both these issues could have been giving a reason for their fight, through a live action intro scene
at the beginning of the scene. This would also have added to the humour of the video too.

Animation Industry:
Despite the limitations and obstacles that occurred, I think I would be suited for the animation
industry. I stayed patient throughout the tedium and managed to make a good quality video that
is funny and entertaining. The animation was quite smooth and the editing was to a well enough
standard through the sequencing and sound design. Though there are various obvious
improvements that could be made, I believe the video is to a professional standard.
References:
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