Week 5

Week 5: Continuing with ident

Looking back at my last post of the wmv, I've decided to extend the length of the animation because it was slightly short and so I've added more frames upto 1000. This also allowed me to animate the earth into a slower rotation. To do that I edit and delete all the keys on the frame and add new keys about 200 frames each.

The next step was to create the logo. Using a box (coloured white), I will use it to apply for the "BBC" background. The text (coloured black) will be placed in the centre of it. Animating the logo is straight forward, I select and move the "BBC" and "one" at the same time from both sides. Another idea was to animate them to swirl around the earth but originally my thoughts was to make them move from both sides.

For the camera I almost find it difficult to place at its right location because it is suppose to be zoomed in, close range to the earth and then zoom out slowly. The problem is that I tried to use a line and then use path constraint so that the camera will follow the line backwards, but unfortunately it failed to move.

How I managed to get the camera moving?

It was quite simple, I set a keyframe, then gradually drag the camera slowly (while viewing on camera) so that I can see how it is zoomed correctly. No line needed.

My next step is to create a sun for the background as I want some lighting to shine to the earth. To create the sun, I start with a sphere. I've then need to edit/ create the element of the sun and so I've used Photoshop to modify it, using various filters such as Colour Balanace and Unsharp mask. It turned out satisfying but I am missing the final touch of the sun and thats the glow.



My first ident is almost complete. I now need to search for a theme/ music to suit the background.

Week 4

Week 4:

This week we've learnt how to animate the bones when we are dealing with character animation. This is going to be a short summary of what I've learnt. I basically used a cylinder for the skin, then from the modifier panel I select Bones and used LKlimb for the bones. I then need to place the bones inside the cylinder so that I can move/animate them at the same time. To do this, select the cylinder and from the panel, add the bones and select them.

So far so good:

Althought I have started working on both my idents already (but had no time to upload my progress), I begin with my earth ident/ ident 1.

I've created a sphere first for the earth. Then from the material editor, I used a bitmap image for the whole landscape.

With the background it is quite obvious that I would use a space image for this as creating it would be impossible.

Animating is tricky but it can be done. The very quick and easy animation I've done with the earth was to make it rotate slowly. I need this to go very slow and so setting the frames upto 800 will effect its rotation. With the camera (Free target) was straight forward, all was needed is to place the camera infront of the earth, then gradually move it slowly plus setting its key on the specific frames for it to zoom out correctly.

This is so far what my ident looks like. My next step is to apply the BBC logo and add sound/music for the background.

Week 2

Week 2: Using camera

My first attempt using the camera to animate the surroundings of an object etc. was quite basic and easy to use. What I've done was created a sphere/ face, then added a circle to surround the face so that the when I set the camera to Path Constraint, it will follow or go around the circle. Also I've selected "Target" from the "Object Type" for the camera so that it is targeting the object when watching on its view point.


This is how it will look like.

Week 2 - using camera

Week 2: Animating using camera angles

Our task this week was to create an animation of a room using the camera to constraint the right angles when watching the animation. Some pupils have used the camera to zoom in the room/ house but I've decided lets zoom out. Although this is my first attempt to use the camera for the animation I will find it useful for the assignment.


First to begin with I create a room by using "box", then I create another one for the doorway using another box placing it on a wall, then "Boolean" it.


I then create more boxes to extend so that I have at least another room. Also I've repeat the same method in order to create another doorway.

Now the main part is to animate with the camera. I place a "line" inside the room, setting its Initial Type and Drag Type to "smooth". That way the camera can then follow the line smoothly.


Right, to use the camera, I basically place it above the "line". Then to allow the camera to follow the line, I go to Animation, Constraints and select Path constraints. Which will then connect to the line. I set the camera to "follow" so that it will follow the line nice and smoothly. I've also need to rotate the camera as I've selected its Object Type as "Free".


There we go this is my animation.

New plans

New plans: Research board

Realising that the channel I was going to animate on, was ideally going to be alot harder than I have thought. In that case I have to re-think about my ident and start a new research and mood board. The possible channel that I could really go for is BBC1 since I admire the way they focus on the circling round with many different features.

In order to create an ident of BBC1 I need to research some what I find is interesting. Here are four images that I've basically searched on Google. These are the ones I find quite beautiful, some how it makes you feel comfortable.

New mood board:

BBC represents the nature, enviroment, people and the world. That is why the form of the circle gives me the ideas of what really meant about that circle.

BBC uses alot of many ideas for their ident. At the moment all I can think of is how and what I can use to animate to form a circle. One of my mood bored will be a person, kicking a football which then the ball rolls away on the grass and marks a circle of the BBC ident.

My second mood board will be a child holding a string attached to a balloon. The child then release the balloon and lets it float to the sky.


The third mood board is life of the world.

Research board & Mood board

Week 1 - Research Board:

During these first couple of weeks, I've been researching a few channels to give me some ideas for my animation "Ident". Since all I can remember is the most popular channels and I've decided to search for Channel 4. This is quite interesting process the way Channel 4 implement the structure and the ways they form the number "4" together in different scenes, such as the one from the High street estate and in Tokyo. I find it quite fascinating of its work.

Another good but funny one is the Homer Simpson one, where he touches the beers, dangaling from the electrical wires and he gets electricuted by them. Then from zooming out viewing the whole streets above, it forms a light of the number 4.

Mood Board:

Since Channel 4 always film at various locations around the world for perfection. I've decided for my first mood board to be in a location of nature which is the rainforest. My next idea would be living and surving through the rainforest. As of that you need to cook and so I've used a frying pan to fry sausages which will then form the number "4".

The second mood board is located in a train tunnel as the train travels through the end of the tunnel, you will see a number "4" above from the trees.