Happy new year to all. Todays production post is a still from my color script. Before the end of 2021 I was working on putting together a color script for the film. It took a few weeks but I finally finished it and have started coloring scenes. The image below is not a final color, some of it is subject to change but the final look will pretty much look like so.
animation art
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todays update is a pose sheet. these are some of the keys for the scene, i have been working on this for more then 1 month now. im really happy with the out come but there is still much todo before it is ready for color.
although im not active, i am devoted to my art and usually do a good job at putting time into it daily. some days are better then others. somedays i end up redoing the entire scene, however it is all for the best. i trust the process and dont want to rush because of FOMO. It will be ready soon but not till its done.
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today update is a few key frames from the second pass of the scene im still animating on.
hand comes from off screen
contact frame
last frame
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todays update is a continuation of the last two updates. its the scene im currently working on. its a updated animatic version, it has some updated animation but still a ways from being final.
as i’ve mention previously, this version of the film is closer to the original animatic and boards, it was not the route i was taking but i recently starting questioning if i was happy with the direction i had settled on months ago. i will animate the scenes and play around with the editing but i wont know which way it will go until the very end.
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final draft of the scene
todays update is about one of the opening scene. Above is the final design still for scene. Below are a few different variations of FRANK smelling his roses.
We start with the first draft I did on a very old piece of hardware, about 3-4 years ago when I started putting together a rough animatic. My goal was to capture the movement of both FRANK and the roses.
1st draft, done on a very old cintiq about 3-4 years, got it from a friend as payment for a job
Next we have the 2nd draft done about 2 -3 years go, this draft is just cleaner but the movement stayed the same.
2nd draft, done about 2-3 years ago on a 13 inch cintiq, borrowed from a friend
We finally we have the 3rd version done about 2 year ago. Same movement but the roses have been cleaned up and detail has been included, making the next pass to be a simple clean up pass.
However the roses have been reanimated, I wasn’t happy with the shot so i decided to redo it, in the past I would have dreaded reanimation a shot, but after spending so much time with this project and my goal being to make it the best possible, I really did not hesitate on the idea. Once I said, I gotta re do this, I simply went and started. I knew it would take some time but it would be worth it. As of this post its almost complete.
3rd draft, done about 2 years ago
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today update is about the evolution of a scene
below are three different variations of a scene. Only the first one is different. the bottom two only have updated animation but the cuts remain the same.
the scene is the introduction of the device into FRANKs life. It wasn’t a slap in the face for him, and the story was it came from his neighbor, who had himself just experience the device and was over it. I liked the idea that it was being passed down from one person to another. this was from the first draft which was a longer story.
this variation had a reduced number of cuts. as the project evolved I started to remove things from the story. I am fascinated by directors who can tell a story with very little. part of the reason for doing this was to experiment with the story telling and to shorten the film and it’s production.
this third animatic variation has updated animation but the cuts remain the same. at this point I have decided that I will keep it this way. I feel as though I have stripped away everything that can be removed without telling a different story. I removed the neighbor because in the end I felt he wasn’t that important. FRANK and the device are the stars and how they come to meet is something I hope I have done a well enough job on.
At this point all these scenes have been fully cleaned up and are ready for color. I have not updated the animatic yet, but I will soon enough. I feel great with where I am in production and how the scenes are turning out. I do miss the old story a bit, but this being a solo project I have had to make decision that have trickling effects. I am however very excited with what the final will look like.
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today update is a back ground and a few of its versions.
below is one of the wide shots of FRANK’s apartment. it is also the first time the we see his brick wall and window. this was one of the first backgrounds i drew when coming up with the story, its concept is pretty simple. i have always loved brick structures for many reason, one reason being brick will last a really really really long time signifying strength and endurance. its many small pieces fitted together to prop up one large structure. all the metaphors a side brick is made from the earth and have many color variations, these two things alone where enough for me to select it. i also dated a girl who lived in an old Brooklyn apartment with a brick wall…(there is definitely something subconscious there)
almost final version, done in tvpaint
early draft for animatic usage
first draft, done on animation paper with pencil and ruler
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todays up date is a color study for our big lovable green guy FRANK
i knew from the beginning of my film that FRANK would be green. for many reasons, one being his design influence is the incredible hulk. also his connection to his plants made it natural to go with green. so below is a fun little spread i put together of a few different green shades. im pretty certain about the final color selection but which one do you like best?
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todays update is a oldy but a goody, MOOD BOARDS!
A mood board for those who dont know is a study of the films mood. through the exploration of color one can set the mood of the scene. I made this about 2 years ago, i think i have uploaded these before but they are so good that they deserve a second mention.
old mood board study
old boards
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todays update is some really old concept art
i think i did this about 4 years ago, i think i was actually on a plane from Europe when i colored these. furniture design is something i actually really enjoy. below that is some early pot color palette. this film has a heavy muddy color palette.
old concept art
old concept art
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todays update is about backgrounds!
rather a specific BG (as it is usually abbreviated) or rather a few versions of the opening pan.
i just wanna say thank you to anyone who ever reads this, i appreciate that you took the time to look at my art and read a few of my words. my goal is always to inspired and educate so i don’t mind sharing my process, i like the open source community and i feel myself drifting into that for when it comes to my work. much of the work i share will be spoiler stuff for most and while im trying to not share enough that the project will still leave an impact, i also want to be open and give people a reason to come back to the site, any who thank you enjoy!
1st draft
the above drawing is the 1st draft of the pan background, these were digitally done about 4 years ago in photoshop.
the below drawing was the next version of it and a bit more elaborate. i did this one a long with the rest of the 1st batch in pencil. i really enjoyed drawing this version.
2nd draft pencil and animation paper HD size
3rd draft
the above draft was done about 2 years ago using TVPaint, my main animation program. FRANK will be my 3rd project using it since i bought it why back in 2012. couldn’t find a good version of the pan, so this mock up will have to do.
and finally the latest version of the pan. a more cleaned up and closer to final version. the one we will see in the final project will be a bit different still, these thing never end you just run out of time and have to leave it, such is animation for me.
4th draft almost final!