New short "Schopeng" [wip]

[slowtiger]

http://www.enigmation.de/schopeng1.html

This is the basic walk cycle for a new 2,5 min short. The idea is quite old, in fact I wrote it down 20 years ago that I wanted to make something with a certain piece of music. Last year all the pieces fell together, so I finally started that film. It's going to be 8 pallbearers, 2 coffins, and 2 corpses - at least.

I still have to tweak the colours, but I'll do that when I have more different scenes layouted. Right now the two front characters and the two back characters are the same, just switched position (BA instead of AB), and the back ones made a bit darker. I started with multiplying just one walk cycle, but that looked too mechanical.

[Klaus Hoefs]

I like the animation - to be more precise: the hats. Not sure about the feets, imo they are a little too much in rhythm also the loop reinforcing this impression.
Some words about your drawing style which looks for me too much like Flash animation (the Anime Studio influence ?) and also which maybe more important they are looking much like the well known MOOMINs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Moomin_characters.png (54.77 KiB) Viewed 22099 times

If I may make a proposal you should go for more personal with the characters and also with the environment style - although I understand that you are not aiming for this (obviously). But I think that abstraction, minimized and reduced forms have a strong base in personal experience and long time drawing practice e.g. in development of the characters which then may lead to unique abstraction. Please don't get me wrong, of course I know you're experienced - but I just wish you wouldn't jump too easy in that kind of reduction you're offering now.
---
BTW, I have an invitation for the Berlin Film Festival in February, maybe we have the chance to meet there or maybe there is a 'Tricktisch' around ?

[ten_zero]

I like this Cool running and line works, mixed limited and full motion.
Maybe, the reason for us (growth up with Japanese Animation) is that "Maximum expression by a minimum line and movement" by TEZUKA Osamu is got used to seeing.
For example,

16 and 8 cell mix per 1 Sec running.

P.S.

Spoiler : P.S. message with Youtube movies :

Some words about your drawing style which looks for me too much like Flash animation (the Anime Studio influence ?) and also which maybe more important they are looking much like the well known MOOMINs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomin)

Moomin_characters.png

In Moomin's design, Klaus attached picture's design is Tove Marika Jansson official recognition.

When the Moomin was produced in Japan in 1970's, it was broadcast in such a design.

However, Tove Marika Jansson was angry, "This was not a Moomin that I drew", and returned to an original design, this.

but next, Japanese mother said, "It is expressionless and scary".

[slowtiger]

Klaus: Yes, in this small size it looks very clean - I was even accused for using Flash! But in the original HDTV it's all pencil strokes. The BG definitely will get more brush work - mind you, this was just a test for the overall motion.

I will keep the feet, in fact, the whole film will be totally in sync with the music - that's the idea behind it. But I don't plan to over-use loops, there will be lots of perspective shots. If I can create the impression of a 1930 toon with their "all the world is moving to the beat" feeling, I'd be happy.

The Mumins - of course I know and like them (especially the Hattifnatten), but I hadn't had them in mind. The more I simplify, the more often it has been done before - have a look at Pictoplasma and the like, the output of "cute simple characters" is amazing. No matter what style I use, somebdy will point at it and scream "this looks like X". So - if I can't possibly avoid it, I just do my best to do my own. I definitely don't want to go the other way and use a very complex style (like yours) because that would seriously minimize my output.

Funny fact: This film's story was entirely created in a dream. My girlfriend says: "Don't dream any more films, you are so slow to draw them afterwards!"

[Paul Fierlinger]

Personal style should be sought in one owns penmanship. I am convinced that if grade schools would pay the kind of attention to cultivating good penmanship in children, which was in the recent centuries part of all culture's standard education (and ceased to be pursued in the second half of the last century) many more children would have grown up into becoming unique artists with unique ways of expressing unique views of the world. I think it's a mistake to search for style for the mere purpose of minimizing the workload. After all, the purpose of art is to find a way to express ones feelings about life and to express a personal opinion.

@ten-zero: Your example of what should be considered minimalism misses the point, in my view. Pretending to be an animator without any comprehension of what it means to bring art to life and using watered down characters of the tired Disney school has little to contribute to the world. You have in Japan a much more interesting animation artist, Yosi Kuri. Whatever happened to him? Why haven't we heard more of him?

[Paul Fierlinger]

While answering my own question by Googling Yoji Kuri myself, I came upon this most revealing article on the subject of independent animators in Japan. The little samples of their art is enchanting in today's world of animation fakes. These guys know how to combine minimalism in form as well as motion without giving into the barbarism surrounding them these days; my heart goes out to them! I also noticed how much they are driven by their need to express their personal views and feelings. I wish artists like this group would be more heralded on these pages.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... CBQQ9QEwAw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ten_zero]

You have in Japan a much more interesting animation artist, Yosi Kuri. Whatever happened to him? Why haven't we heard more of him?

You are able to find his many many informations and artworks, if you ask Google in Japanese language.
久里洋二/KURI Youji is still alive, keep Animated and teaching many young Japanese Art Animaters(not JAPANIME animators).
He has a seminar schedule on August, Hiroshima Anime festival 2010.

Spoiler : :

KURI Workshop of summer in Youtube Japan

[ZigOtto]

thanks Paul for the link, interesting interview, indeed.
I'm very pleased (but not surprised) to see you like Yoji Kuri,
I've seen a retrospective of his work while ago in Annecy,
this man is quite a "Head", independent (if this word has still a meaning),
away from any conventional road, sometimes squarely politically uncorrect,
with a unique sens of narration, plus an unequalled rythm player,
mixing skilfully minimalism (the form) and spirit (the content),
from memory, his little films were all pure delights,
even if sometimes, a bit disturbing for our brain's comfort .

unfortunately, his art had very little room in the animation market in the seventies,
I thing if the web was existing by these years, no doubt he would become very popular,
... this kind of nugget seems to be now fewer and fewer in the Animation Makers folk .

edit:
thanks Ten-Zero for your jananese links, I can see he is teaching in an Animation school,
I hope his students are aware of how lucky they are to have him as teacher ...!

[Paul Fierlinger]

plus an unequalled rythm player,
mixing skilfully minimalism (the form) and spirit (the content),
from memory, his little films were all pure delights,
even if sometimes, a bit disturbing for our brain's comfort .

I remember particularly one short which showed a man reading a book in his house and this goes on for a long, long time; just the guy reading, sitting on a chair in the middle of his little house. Right when you begin to feel that he is carrying this stupidity too far, the man lets out a huge fart and that's the end of the story. It was brilliantly timed because the entire theater in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a very erudite audience, burst out laughing. Only Yoji Kuri could have proved that fart jokes are funny if you position them in the right place, the right time and the right way. I never missed going to any shows with his films in them and still have one of his books at home.

[ZigOtto]

It was brilliantly timed because the entire theater in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, a very erudite audience, burst out laughing.

agreed, it's quite a performance to build a film around a trivial fall, even unexpected, with absolutely nothing during 99% of the time.
I must add he was not bad in sound partition too, this contributed a lot in making his (black, sometimes foolish) humour successful, imo.

[Animark]

Hi Slowtiger,

the gravediggers looks funny for me and I would like to know, what the will do in their next actions. I ask me, what happens inside the coffin. Is there somebody in, or is it empty? Please, don't tell me, I will be patiant and wait for your next results.
I think the characters are designed in your "typical" reduced style I have seen in your other movies (with the wall and with the bus stop), where they works good. I think it depends a lot on the rest of your story if they should get more personality, but generally I like to see a little bit more differences between them.

@Klaus
Yes, I am planning to organise a "Tricktisch" Meeting in february. Are you in Berlin during the hole Berlinale? I could try to make a date then.