Supervisor Meeting
1. Question - Focus your enquiry.
Possible questions:
- How can VR be used in the creation and distribution of stop motion animation?
- How can modern technology and software be combined with traditional practical methods and processes to create a animated product?
- What quality can stop motion achieve in a VR environment?
- How can VR and stop motion animation be used to represent character traits?
2. Context - Define your field.
I am a traditional animator and stop motion puppet maker, investigating the use of modern technology and software in a traditional field.
I am investigating the use of modern technology and VR in the field of stop motion animation, relating to the production of stop motion assets and also to the possibilities of production and distribution of stop motion films in VR.
This project will look at the use of modern software's such as ZBrush, Maya and 3DS Max and use of VR with Adobe medium to sculpt and create 3D printed puppet heads, replacement faces and hands, combined with the traditional processes of puppet production, such as armature building, costume, casting etc.
The desired outcome of this project is to produce a practical stop motion character, that has been created using a mixture of traditional processes combined with digital assets that have been 3D printed. The completed puppet will have been used to conduct test animations to ensure the character moves correctly and perform as desired. The captured test footage will then be experimented with to test the possibilities of re inputting the stop motion footage back into a VR environment.
The completed character will also look at the representation of characters and how background, traits and personalities can all affect characters body language, movements, appearance and presentation.
3. Method - How you’ll address your question in the context.
I will observe different people and the body language they use gathering data, I will make a selection of people and approach them to complete a questionnaire asking questions about personality, likes, dislikes, disabilities etc. This questionnaire and information will need to follow the universities ethics policies as well as UK data protection law. From this information, I will make sketches, or where appropriate take photos and videos to help me apply the body language they use to character puppets. I will make a selection of test shots using a plain armature and head to test the movements work, before producing the finished puppet.
I will research stop motion animators and studios who use modern technology to produce elements of their work. I will attempt to make contact with such people and gather information about how the processes work and also the benefit or detriment they bring to the stop motion industry. I may also investigate the cross over between very technologically advanced studios, such as Laika compared to very traditional studios that value the handmade aesthetic like Aardman to gain a variation of opinion on the topic.
I will research and learn how to use various 3D software packages to help me produce the practical elements in this project. I will continue to develop the skills i already have in software such as ZBrush, I will investigate software such as Maya, 3DS Max and Adobe Medium. I will use a combination of these software's to produce character heads and hands. I will also learn how to set these sculpts up to be 3D printed.
I will research different 3D printers available and what benefit each kind has, this could be things such as the materials they use of the efficacy and accessibility of the machines. After evaluating which machine is best for the work I need to produce I will explore where I can access the correct printer to produce my work.
I will then use this collected knowledge combined with my existing puppet making skills to produce a fully functioning stop motion puppet. I will produce a number of test shots for this puppet, applying the information I gathered about body language into the character.
I will also examine methods of capturing stop motion footage so that it can be re-applied to a VR environment. This is a relatively new area of investigation and is has a very limited pool of information. For this research I will need to approach studios who have began experimenting with this form of media. So far I have found an Isle of dogs behind the scenes VR video as well as the first VR stop motion film produced by Phil Tippett and Tippett studios. Phil is one of the professionals I will approach about my project to see if he would be willing to help or offer any information about this area. If I can sauce enough information about the processes required and can access the information, I will attempt to capture some stop motion footage that can be applied back into a VR environment. This captured footage could start as simply as collecting a 3D scan of the puppet and inputting the character into a VR painted environment, using apps such as tilt brush, or going as advanced to it been a VR/ stop motion video.
I will conclude this research by evaluating the effectiveness of the process compared against the final product. I will also send the finished VR video to various stop motion and VR industry professionals with a questionnaire to collect information on others opinion of the finished product. All of this information combined will help me to determine the answer to my proposed question.
A list of professionals and other elements I need to begin to research:
Phil Tippett - Mad Gods VR stop motion, approach and ask questions about how it was produced.
Wes Anderson's - Isle of Dogs behind the scenes, approach and ask questions about how it was produced.
Laika - 3D printing heads, approach and ask questions about how they was produced.
Character representations and body language -
3D software - ZBrush (up skill), Maya (Learn), 3DS Max (Learn)
VR software - Adobe Medium (Learn), Tilt Brush (importing 3D scans/ models) Making and importing videos/ animations.
Photogrammetry - How to capture the footage for a VR environment.
3D printing - how to set up documents to print, different materials and printers and what they are best for.
3D printers - location, access and cost of printers for me to use.
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