About this project
For our Zenith unit, we were assigned to plan and produce an individual project that focuses on demonstrating our growth in Freestyle and showing our passion on the topic that we choose. This unit is named the Zenith unit, which Zenith defines as a culminating point for the years spent at Freestyle.
Self Reflection
For my senior zenith project, I chose to learn more about 2D animation and the animation techniques commonly used by 2D animators. Through my project, I observed and experimented with techniques including Rotoscoping, Rear curtain light emission/synchronization, and also 2D effects animation. I focused this project on 2D animation rather than 3D animation, because 2D animation was something that sparked my passion for animation, and I wanted to use this unit as an opportunity to research about the Japanese animation industry that has valued 2D animation over the decades. As a result, I created two short gifs that incorporate the two techniques, Rear curtain light emission and 2D effects animation, and also a short animation video that incorporates Rotoscoping. This project was overall challenging for me, as I was completely new to the techniques such as rear curtain light emission and 2D effects animation and the process of testing to implement these techniques to my animation was time consuming. From the techniques that I learned, I was most interested in 2D effects animation, where I studied the motions of effects including fire, water splashes, explosions, etc. Rotoscoping was the most challenging for me, as I had to trace the 3D motion video frame by frame, which took more time than I expected and could not completely finish at the end. From this experience, I learned the importance of setting artistic priorities before starting on a project in order to be satisfied with my work in the future. Overall, I enjoyed the amount of freedom that I received in this unit to focus solely on things that I am most interested in. From my zenith project, I hope that the audience will become more familiar with 2D animation and its manual beauty that cannot be mimicked through 3D animation.
Process
Final Product Video
Zenith Celebration Video