Loop De Loop: Bug - Evaluation / Reflection / Finalization of Animation

Quite happy and more-so impressed by my own prolific production ethic as I was able to create a full-fledged animation within days. Although I had to overcompensate with work-per-day just to reach the deadline, the animation itself was intrinsic motivation enough. Subject to the realization from my previous LoopDeLoop animation, I gave three-dimensional depth to my moth while it was flying around without the expectation that it would feel like a solid-character. It just proved that in order for me to achieve that depth I just needed to cast frame-by-frame consistency aside and let my drawing movements flow more freely, eliminating all such self-imposed boundaries. Compositing the whole animation in After Effects (the entirety of the moth being one photoshop footage file, the sprays another, and the cocoon the final one) gave me a much bigger freedom in using motion blurs, directional blurs, and the entirety of the animation effects in AE to make the movement more subject to overlapping action. For example, the stretch of the cocoon as the moth falls back in was not intended - instead I animated it with mesh warp while compositing as without it the movement seemed too still. I will never again composite an entire animation through Photoshop alone (like I did with Love is Love) for it creates files too detailed for seamless editing and all looping aspects of the animation have to be done manually. Loop submitted on the 26th of January.

Loop De Loop - Bug - https://vimeo.com/252909451

Loop De Loop: Bug - Initial Production and Mind Map

I chose Loop De Loop once I got clearance from the tutors as being acceptable due to me doing the same project for the previous portfolio building choice. Again following my predisposition of being versatile when it comes to style, I used this opportunity to experiment with different brushes and techniques. With the theme being "bug", I got several more instant-ideas then the last time. In comparison to the smooth, polished style alongside the affectionate motif during the last animation, I wanted to do something more sinister this time. Furthermore, with minimal time remaining until the LoopDeLoop deadline (January 28 - I started doing this project on January 21), I needed to be as efficient as possible. Thus, based on an old digital drawing concept of an album cover I made (keyword: cocoon), I decided on the style that I wanted to emulate. Considering that the animation was to flow in a falling vertical fashion, I needed to think about HOW I was going to effectively animate that - using After Effects as a composition tool. Finally, in order to calculate whether I was going to reach the deadline without stress, I set out to do the idle assets of the animation first (the cocoon and bug spray), which proved to be arduous but manageable.