I have recently been spending time working on more key skills such as lip syncing, as well as ‘turning’ a character whilst walking. Whilst I feel slightly more confident in lip syncing, and have learnt to rely more on a smaller range of shapes so as not to emphasize every syllable, I still feel that …
Author archives: Kat Miles
Learning to be a better animator
Having recently watched my peers’ excellent LIAF animations, I have been keen to spend more time working on volumes and timings in animation. I’ve been watching various walk-throughs on how different animators use pose-to-pose vs straight-ahead. Generally I’ve been using straight ahead animation techniques, but realise that this only works for more loose animations, and …
Coronavirus and Community.
Recently I have been thinking about the impact that coronavirus has had on different ideas of community in the UK and around the world. Some communities have ‘banded together’, with individuals helping the elderly and vulnerable around them. Many of those individuals though, might also have about 700 rolls of toilet paper still stashed away …
Who should make what art and when?
The date is the second of June, and currently, there are marches all over the globe in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA. A friend recently suggested that creativity can help to spread messages in situations like this… Why don’t I (and other animators) work to make films that help movements …
Isolation Week ?
Like what I imagine is the majority of the world’s population, I have spent numerous weeks in isolation. This has had some creative benefits… I’m taking courses on how to draw light sources and human anatomy. I’ve made some paintings for friends, and played lots of music. The downside centres largely around finding motivation to …
Opera and Animation
Recently, I saw the ENO’s production of Madame Butterfly. The staging was exceptional, with use of lighting behind the stage to provide breathtaking silhouettes. The silhouetted style reminded me of Lotte Reiniger’s paper cut animations, and really highlighted the visual significance of achieving a clear silhouette in animated storytelling. It would be interesting to try …
Disney Animation Studies
I have been looking recently at the art of Disney studios early Pioneering artists, such as Milt Kahl and John Lounsberry. These artists placed a lot of focus in acting elements like held poses for dramatic effect to give the audience time to take in gags. The oval for eyes in early cartoons (credited to …
‘Ganzen Paradiz’
‘Ganzen Paradis!’ I have been giving more thought to possibilities for animated documentary production for my final year film. I was thinking about a radio programme that I heard a number of years ago about a Dutch monk who had dedicated his life to looking after geese – A niche interest! I reckon that a …
Triplets of Belleville
I recently watched the film The Triplets of Belleville, as I am keen to familiarise myself with the work of Sylvain Chomet. The film was beautifully made, with excellent character designs, and use of colour that reflected French comic art pallets. The film made excellent use of camera angles, and achieved close-ups that exaggerated the …
Informative graphics animations
Following on from the documentary based animations project, I have recently been watching short clips, either general knowledge or news-based, that rely on short graphic animations to illustrate points being made. These short films are increasingly common in popular media, and are either solely animations, or incorporate live action. For instance, the clip below uses …