Animation
From the first time I tried to animate, I started thinking, how the hell am I supposed to animate? Our initial animation works were drawn frame by frame on paper. I thought that when we started using professional software on computers, we would no longer need to do this. But this year I still draw animations on the computer frame by frame in photoshop. I’ve really wanted to explore other methods, and now I finally have a chance.
The method I explored is tween animation.The principle is very simple. You only need to draw the first and last frames of an action, and the computer will fill in the rest for you.
My first reaction was: Wow, it’s so easy, let’s do this.
My Process
Step 1:
Drew every moving part of the person.
Draw different eyes, mouth shapes and gestures.
Step 2:
Right click, convert all parts into symbols and name them.
Step 3:
Assemble the body and split the image into many layers.
Step 4:
Parenting the layers according to the body structure.
Step 5:
Create new key frames, move the human body, and add classic tweens. (Then just repeat this step)
Final Project
For the frame-by-frame animation it would take me about 7 minutes to draw each frame. For tweened animation, it took me half an hour to complete the first 6 steps, and the rest would take up to 4 minutes for each added frame..
Which method takes less time?
My calculation result is: when your animation is 10 frames and below, frame-by-frame animation takes the least time, and when it reaches 10 frames or more, tween animation saves more time.
Finally, my answer to the question of how to make animation is that if your animation has a lot of character movements and time is tight, it is best to use tween animation. If you pursue extreme details and are willing to spend a lot of time, then frame-by-frame animation is your best choice.
Digital Media
I’m not a good singer, so I have to choose a song that is easy to sing. Recently there is a very nice Chinese song called 西楼儿女.
Process
I worked with Juan on the recording of the song and we worked really well together. It was actually my first time recording an instrument.
After recording, we put everything into Adobe ProTool to finish the song.
Final product: “西楼儿女”
西楼儿女” is a Chinese song, the original creator is Hailai Amu. This song attracted me because it seems to have a strong appeal.
The main theme of this song is sad, but the sadness reveals a strong reluctance to reality. The lyrics are told from the perspective of a person who has struggled for many years but ultimately failed and the young people. It is very touching.
Finally, I sang the song along with the accompaniment and used the handpan to add music to the song. I also beautified my voice and added sound effects in Adobe ProTool. I hope you like it.
English
I really enjoyed our English assignment where we had to write a lyrical piece about anything and read it in class. Mine was about a pine tree that grew on a cliff.
