Burning Big Fat Cat (wip)

[Klaus Hoefs]

This is something from (my wip) Burning Big Fat Cat
It's a project about refugees stranded on European coasts. Breaking in our ordinary lives.
-----
From Intro:

[Klaus Hoefs]

Inside his room, getting out after having a shower

[Soom]

I love these drawings!!!

[Klaus Hoefs]

Thank you very much, Soom.

Here comes the intro-animation. It is starting after having a view from the inside of a modern cafe.

http://www.khoefs.de/mg_bbfc/preview_30_7.mp4

[qt]512,320,http://www.khoefs.de/mg_bbfc/preview_30_7.mp4[/qt]

[Paul Fierlinger]

This looks and sounds very promising; I presume you created the entire soundtrack because the two, the imagery and the sounds make for such a perfect match -- just wonderful. Of course, I like the last scene best because of the well executed animation... it isn't rotoscoped, I am pretty sure of that, but were you observing frames from some live action footage kept somewhere to the side? In any case, I'm just a big fan of close to realism of body language when it comes to setting art like yours into motion.

I think you have worked out well the effect of creating an opening of a story by starting with more mechanized graphics and music which gradually leads into well observed true nature.

[2dbert]

These drawings look lovely. May I ask whether the car drivers for example were actually drawn on paper and scanned/shot or done digitally from scratch? The lines are so subtle and lively, and I'd love to know whether this can be achieved with TvPaint's tools.

[Soom]

I actually like the static drawings much more than the animation (I actually love them - but I already told that ) - I feel like digital altering of their shape just adds the annoying feeling of unnatural transformation and they somehow float for too long in the frame. And the last scene - (Paul) - I am pretty sure is rotoscoped, at least it 100% feels like it, which I personally don't like. I have seen your other films on your website, and I think you are not an animator in the traditional sense, which, in some cases is a good thing, because then you can't ruin your drawings with "proper animation" and your way of animating works better with your style in my opinion (that's why I'm sure this bath scene is rotoscoped - it's not really your way of animating...)
What I also would pay attention to, is the rhythm of the film - the editing, the timing of scenes and actions. It feels a bit floating and as if lacks a spine - a rhythmic balance... I love the sound track by the way!

P.S. But I also understand that artists like you, with their own distinct style and concept, usually will just do what they want to do, so no problem if you ignore anything we say here, and just do your thing!

[Klaus Hoefs]

Thanks to all for watching this intro and for replying.

2dbert,
there is no scanned work here, it is all inside TVP. I have done the drawings mostly with a simple pen 4.5 Size, dark gray color, 95%opacity.

Paul,
Yes, I did the sound all by myself. Usually it works best to have the sound first but in this case it wasn't. I think it is an advantage to have a close control on sound and music if doing by your own.
I have started to teach a life drawing class since last year again, and as a side effect the chance to draw by myself. Anyway for the the animation of the protagonist I used several photos as a reference and I put a lot of work on the inbetweens and the little details in one motion.

(Soom),
I think that is the reason why it is so different with my earlier film, which are in concept much more limited animation. For this intro I also was thinking of animate the cars sit in traffic frame by frame and not computer generated. I thought people would love it, but the result was not satisfactory. The cars were horrible time consuming and looking pretty "nervous". In fact after showing it to people I made the experience that they don't mind much if the motion of cars is computer generated. And by the way, same in many cases with rotoscoped motions

[Klaus Hoefs]

Here is the scene before (cafe´).
http://www.khoefs.de/7_9_15.mp4

shot 1

shot 2

shot 3

[Paul Fierlinger]

I think what you are developing here is a working marriage between properly animated drawings and CGI manipulated animation that just might work out but for only one reason, which is that the drawings are skilled renditions, simply very good drawings, and designed to function in both parts of the hybrid style of yours in such a way that your laziness becomes almost forgivable.

Just a notion of caution though: I suggest you concentrate more on your edit decisions. The first man in the cafe's first scene exits but since you haven't inserted a single frame of a breather, the new man entering from the right looks like the first one has changed into the new one, which I don't think was your intention.

[Klaus Hoefs]

The first man in the cafe's first scene exits but since you haven't inserted a single frame of a breather, the new man entering from the right looks like the first one has changed into the new one, which I don't think was your intention.

I was thinking about, and to be honest, I liked the idea to have the irritation of transforming people outside the screen. But now, after a few days and after your critic it is pretty clear to me how pubertal my decision was ! Thank you.

[Soom]

Very interesting!
The only thing that really bothers me, is the last person to exit towards the camera - he disappears too soon creating a strange cut. I would rather approach him completely to cover the whole frame, then the transition to the title would be much better in my opinion.
And I love the drawings, I said that already several times
As for the street sequence - the floating cars still bother me a bit, If I were doing it, maybe I would have added more velocity change into driving dynamics - slow in/out more, and maybe also add some "boil" effect to the wheels or other parts of the drawing (redrawing the same drawing 4 times and putting them on a cycle to make the line shake a bit, to add more movement to the static drawings), but this is just my taste

[Klaus Hoefs]

Thank you very much, Soom.

the last person to exit towards the camera - he disappears too soon creating a strange cut

I think you are right, it could look better with the additional frames.

redrawing the same drawing 4 times and putting them on a cycle to make the line shake a bit, to add more movement to the static drawings

Mhm, by now that looks like a fake trick to me . Anyway, I think I will complete more scenes first and then I will think it over again.

but this is just my taste

But I really appreciate "your taste" !

[Paul Fierlinger]

Mhm, by now that looks like a fake trick to me . Anyway, I think I will complete more scenes first and then I will think it over again.

I can't emphasize enough how important this direction of thinking is to me as well. This is one of the reasons I like to have my projects made of several clips (up to 12). This is because I am constantly returning to those earlier clips I would have at one point considered completed only to change a camera move or add or subtract a few frames based on how my current clip is progressing but also the feedback I get from others. Sometimes just extra space in time will make me see things differently.

[Klaus Hoefs]

Extract from Red Fat Cat:
http://www.khoefs.de/extract1.mp4


[qt]512,288,http://www.khoefs.de/extract1.mp4[/qt]