Action!

I wrote up a little tutorial on recording actions in Photoshop, so you can edit large batches of images automatically. I used Photoshop CS3 here.

This is my first tutorial on anything, ever, so bear with me! ;P And let me know if there's anything too vague or confusing.

Recording the action:

1.) Create a folder named "source", and another folder named "destination" (you can name yours whatever you want of course, but this makes it easier to explain :P).

2.) Place your scanned panels in the "source" folder.

3.) Start up  Photoshop and open your first scan.

4.) Open up the Actions panel (Window>Actions). Click "Create an action" and name it whatever you like.

5.) Press the "Record" button.

6.) Make whatever adjustments you'd like (change color, contrast, etc.)

Cropping: If you don't want/need to crop your panels then just press "Stop" in the Actions panel and skip the next steps

7.) If you want to add cropping to the action, your scanned panels should be somewhat consistent  in size/placement. For example, I have all of my panels scanned like this:

7a.) Crop the first panel:

   
  










7b.) Go to File>Save As and save the cropped panel to the "destination" folder.

c.) Open the History panel (Window>History). Select the last step in the list (Crop) and delete it. This should undo the cropping.

d.) Crop the second panel:

e.) Go to File>Save As, and save the panel to the "destination" folder, but this time make sure that the "As a Copy" box is checked.

f.) On the Actions panel, press "Stop".

g.) Close the file without saving, then delete everything in the "destination" folder.


Applying the action to your scans:

1.) Go to File>Automate>Batch.

2.) In the Play menu, Choose your action from the Action list.
   
3.) In the Source Menu, choose "Folder",  then click "Choose" and set the "source" folder as your source. You can leave all the other boxes unchecked.

4.) In the "Destination" menu, choose "None".

5.) Click OK.

Done! If everything went right, all your cropped and edited panels should be in the "destination" folder.

Hope you find this helpful!





  

Story Reel Coloring

Here are a couple of Jamie Hewlett's animatics for Gorillaz' music videos. I just wanted to throw them out there, i think the limited color really packs a punch and emphasizes the key points. Since we don't have as much time something like this might be a good alternative to storyboards with full color palettes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYDmaexVHic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMOFd4-6xA

Presenting next week

Hi everyone,

So we have to present next week, and this will count for a grade. So! Remember to practice. Try incorporating sound effects while you present. Change your pitch and pacing when you say certain things. Pause for dramatic effect. Be very excited about your part. If you're excited, then it'll pass to the audience. Have confidence! We're all there to support each other so don't be afraid or shy. :)

Sounds

Recording:
-Bird
-Bird Posie
-Octoladies
-Octopus

Stock Sounds:

• Boey
• Splash
• Dive
• Bubble
• Wosh
• Whiteboard squeak
  
• cave man grunt
• wipe sound
• purse snap
• ambient sea noises
• spray bottle
• ketchup bottle
• bubles
• water/whispy
• bubbles
• holy/violin music
• whistle/slide flute
• trumpet
• violin
• ding/ping for wink
• seagulls
• smoke/cigar
• yonk/woosh
• swish
• lasso
• light soaring sound
• whistle lasso
• swoop
• gasp.scream (starfish)
• swoop
• dolphine
• splashing
• rubber stretching
• wheph
• splashing
• rubber glove
• crack whip
• snap
• wind
• splash
• splash under water
• whale
• cave/rumble
• break water surface
• trumpet or dave
• jet
• triumphant music
• heavy squeak
  
• bubble/sigh
• suction cup
• bubbles
  
• whipping away
• 2 balloons rubbing/rubber cork in vial
• taa-daa
• grunt
• wosh
• bubbles escaping/wind knock out
• bubbles
• balloon blowing up
• flying/woosh
• woosh
• squak
• fart/balloon sound
• splash
• glurp
• buble
• splash coming out
• triumphant music
• dun dun dun
• wet slap
• flapping
  
• under water splashes
• under water scream
• swimming sounds
• chomping sound
• heavy/swimming fast
• woosh
• break sound
• tool sounds
• airplane sounds
• propellers
• epic airplane music
• motor
• propeller failing/engine failing
• cupping/hickey skin suction
• falling airplane sound
• snap
• plane diving
• touch of fish flapping
• water crash
• bubbles
• woosh
• clunk
• exhale
• soft bubbles
• swoosh
  
• prit
• splash
• bubbles
• holding breath under water
• woosh
• rubber glove
  
• splash
• rubber on rubber
• hinge opening sound
  
• sparkle, harp, ping
• animal balloon
• bubbles
• happy instrument

Any music soundtrack for the background.

Preplaning to go to Storyreel

What lies ahead?

• Addressing all notes on the boards to date.
• Finalizing all panels in your boards
• Make sure everything is clear.
• Clarify staging in those panels
• Cleaning up panels
  
• It doesn't need to be super clean like animation.
• writing and recording final dialogue.
• something simple
• compiling sfx and music
• camera moves in red
• symmetry pass:
  -look through to see if the screen is flat
  -If its symmetrical is it symmetrical for a reason? Or is it just boring?
  
• If you have dialogue, put it on a separate strip underneath the board
• Instead of redrawing bigger to fit a better composition, you can just cut into the paper.
  
  Ultimate goal of a story reel:
• To keep everyone working together as a team.
• See what each person is interested in:
  -sound effects, music, cutting, etc
• To make the work entertaining, consistent and high quality as possibe
• Make sure timing is right
  -timing can make or break a great gag
• To shoot for a specific ideal such as the Little Mermaid reel we watch
  

Class notes from October 12th

Rebecca:
Have some breathing space for clarity with the group of birds. If need to, have a closer shot to show the gag.

When they're talking, have bubbles come out.

Nick:
Play with the star fish pose smoking more. Start off with a close up of him, and then zoom out to the octopus grabbing him.

Have a drawing of her reacting/being happy/squaking at seeing hte star fish.

Invert the placement of the starfish when the octopus puts him down

Test with the sound if you should show the slap or not.

Make the dolphin look like he's really trying to pull on the starfish

Watch the placement of the octopus an the whale (add bubbles to show him swimming in and out),

Change the configuration of the octopus flying so it's vertical.

Add action lines when needed.

Myself:
Have a long pan with bubbles going one way and then going the other way faster.

Push the bird away further from the blow fish in the first scene.

Draw octopus falling n bigger paper.

Karsen:
When the octopus is watching the hang glider person falling, have him watch, and then another panel of him grabbing the hang glider tightly for deer life.

At a point, you don't need the other jelly fish. Have the bird hit the plane. Have him shake his head. And then the other fish falls off.

Angela:

Rather than have the bird stick her toe in. Have her look around frantically for the octopus. Have her put her head down in the water. Sees him. Comes out and gasp. Looks around and finds the jelly fish and put it on.

Instead of having the octopus shake of the shell, have him present the clam as if he's presenting the pearl like a ring box.

Add one more long shot at the very end.

---
I'm so proud of you guys! Our group is doing so well. Thanks <3

Bird Revised 2.0

Here's another version of the bird. I kinda like the previous one more. I think three strings make it too busy, and the square thing was a good idea in theory, but I don't like how it looks. What do you guys think?

Revisions

Bird Revised

Here's the revision of the bird. I tried it with the collar and it looked too much like a duck. Haha, so I took it out. Tell me if you guys think I should change anything else.

Notes from October 05

Here are the notes from class.

Rebecca:

Make sure he has a distinctive square shape. I think you had one frame, where it was questionable.
Fix the direction when he first sees the bird
Fix the staging with the bird and her friends. She should be in the middle and everything should be really clear.
With the determined shot, make him more thinking and less angry looking.

Nick:
With the two girl birds and her shot. Keep the two friends close and keep her separated. Have them be more gestural.
Suggestion- have the starfish flip over with ti's butt in the air shaking when the bird comes to try and eat it.
Fix the angle of projectile with the dolphin and starfish.
Reverse the shot when he's coming out of the whale. (Which I think you did already).

Myself:
Have the complete back shot of the octopus doing something with his tentacles.
Make the starfish more grumpy.
Have the camera zip up to the blow fish.
Don't crop too much of the blow fish.
Have him blow into the blow fish, and as he gets bigger, the camera backs up.
Frame the blow fish with clouds as he drifts by.
Have the bird look up for consistency.
Push the Z-axis more for when they're skipping on the water.

Karsen:
Make the octopus happy for seeing the bird on the plane.
Suggestion- Perhaps add the starfish to the airplane to bring him back. If you do, make him absolutely miserable.
Add a shot of the octopus going through the water and the shark exiting.

Angela:
Push the look of concern on the bird.
Have more than one hand hugging her at the very end.
Don't just have her flying with her friends at the end. Have her see what she's done wrong. Do an "oh no" expression, have the other birds point and laugh, make her look hesitant, perhaps have her look back and forth, and then a "screw it" expression, and have her go help the octopus.

That's it! Keep up the awesome work everyone. I'll fix the bird designs and have it up by tomorrow. I don't think the boards have to be on model yet, since it's still the roughs. I'm not sure though. It's your call. :)

Panel for Alex

Here you go, sorry about the quality...

Character Designs

Hi everyone, here's my version of the characters. I guess we can vote on which one we want and go with that one.

Notes from September 28

Here are the notes from last week. I'm sorry for posting it so late. I've been really busy.

Rebecca:

Use two tentacles when drawing the square.
Make the sponge bigger.
After the ink, don't have him look up, make his eye half lid.

Nick:

Have 2 star fish in the lasso scene.
Have the first bird swoop down.
The octopus ducks.
Then the main bird scoops down.
And then he tries to lasso her.

For the swing shot:
Show one point of the rock. Then truck up
Have one tentacle latch on.
Show other point.
He latches on.


When he's falling have him come down in the water and pass the camera to off screen. Then have him come back into screen and see the whale.

With the whale scene, have him flying up looking happy and determined.

Myself:
The starfish is too much of a tangent.
Have the starfish get snatched
Then you see the tentacles building
Then out to the starfish with a bow
Then have the blow fish laughing at the starfish (blowing up while he laughs)
Then grabbed by the octopus etc.
Have the blow fish and octopus fall into the water and then comes up with the sting ray

Karsen:
When he comes up with the sting ray, have a "what the" expression but goes with it.
Push the staging with the octopus more.
When he's thinking have him use all arms with different poses. One scratching his head, one holding his chin, etc.

Angela:
Move Move the panel so we see what she's seeing. Have her want to go into the water, but doesn't like it.
Then sees the jelly fish and go in.
Really push the hug by having him hug her with all arms and really squeezing her
Have an aquatic transition at the end after you show the bird and the octopi.

Kay that's it. Sorry it's late again. Keep up the good work everyone.

Character Designs (work in progress)

Here are a few of the sketches i have done to figure out our character models. The octopus is pretty much down to one design, but as you can see, the seagull isn't. Let me know what you think of them as soon as possible.