Stock Footage from  the Prelinger Archives
Music by the Venetian Snares

Emma O’Neill

My concept for this video was from an experience I often have, which is a de ja vu within a de ja vu, in other terms a feeling that I’ve already had a feeling of already having a feeling, if that makes sense.

I used rotoscoping, which turned out to be an extremely time consuming process, to complete the animation portion of this project.

The story is that the girl is having this de ja vu within a de ja vu, and she’s trying to process the differences between these feelings, and if it actually happened, or was just a dream.

I was trying to go for an extremely abstract, dreamy, out of consciousness which was completed with the overlaying of the animation with stock footage of flowers. The flower garden is symbolic for this dreamy world she lives in, where she’s floating aimlessly trying to decipher between reality and her dreams.

In the end, I used a song by the Venetian Snares with type, because I could not get a good recording of the script. In the end, when I chose to put the words in the project, they flowed more freely and were less stuffy than the script. Even though at first it might come off as cliche, I think once the viewer reads more into the subtext of the actual project as a whole, and not just the text, they understand the feelings I conveyed.

It was a difficult project to complete, with hours upon hours gone into rotoscoping. If I were to do it again, I would plan a more complete storyboard and have the project completely mapped out, whereas this time it was done slightly on the fly.

My favourite part though is the animation, which was enjoyable although time consuming. If I were to do it again, I would make the movie shorter, so I could have more complete animation.

The concept of my countdown video was a sort of “how to” video to getting dressed in the morning. It is also an exploration of integrating a more “designed” feeling into basic video. The giant clock on the wall represents time as well as the countdown, while the information squares explain each outfit to the viewer. Overall it is a more technical exploration of AfterEffects with a basic, but visually interesting, concept.

The intended audience for this work are people who are interested in the integration of technology and film, ie motion designers.

The key message of this work is how getting ready in the morning, at least for the girl in the video, is a complicated process in which each piece of her outfit is selected based on how it fits into the end product of the outfit, or, how the whole is a sum of its parts.

This work was highly inspired by the opening sequence of Stranger than Fiction:

http://www.artofthetitle.com/media/film/2006/stranger_than_fiction_opening_480p.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=510&width=874

So far for the countdown project I think I’m going to TRY to animate tshirts in After Effects, much like the D.A.N.C.E. music video for Justice that So Me did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWV4TIb776Q

I’m pretty sure it’s possible, because Suffoca did it in stop motion animation as well:

http://www.suffoca.com/

I want to make it different enough that it’s not just a ‘copy’, and has it’s own innovations, but still hails to these influences. I just feel like the clay and lego and objects forming a number has been done so many times I want to try something entirely different.

Also I need to get some more After Effects experience!

The other day I watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and a lot of the little tricks Michel Gondry used like a shot on one character that would pan across and then the same character would be on the side but in the same scene.. kind of? Anyways, I found that somewhat inspiring and I’m trying to think of ways I could use that trick with numbers, how it wouldn’t be just static but moving within the same scene but each new number unravels in a way you wouldn’t expect. Not sure what I’m going to use to do that though.

I was also thinking of using this old moulding clay I have and make little monsters that transform into numbers. I’m not sure though, I wanted something more original and with a little more ‘wow’ factor. And perhaps with more substance.

I have to keep thinking on this.

Also, I was thinking about just arranging the sequences in final cut then dropping it in after effects and adding filters like warmer colours or a lens flare… maybe.

We also need to tighten up the music so it fits a clearer story.

Anyways, that’s how it’s going so far.

Outside

Sitting on my Porch

-cars, distant traffic, planes
-wind on houses trees, leaves rustling
-tires on pavement
-occasional people, sounds of walking, small conversations
-someone playing music loudly on their mp3 player

Inside

Food Court

-a lot of people talking
-loud > quiet conversation
-laughter
-sounds of eating
-walking, doors opening
-keys jangling
-occasional clapping

B

-concentration, separating the voices from the others, deeper, more unique voices are easier to hear ie high pitched, deep.  Laughter helps you pinpoint what people are talking about.

C

2 sounds that evoke an image

A Car’s engine in the distance – My bed.

Rain –  Purple and black clouds

2 images that evoke a sound

http://yayeveryday.com/post/6832 – crackling fire

http://yayeveryday.com/post/6799 – wind and birds chirping

2 sounds that evoke a feeling

Record player  - nostalgia and melancholy

Clock ticking – staring at the ceiling, boredom, agitation

2 sounds that provoke a thought

Piano – I wish I had learned to play

Accordion – I really want to go to Paris someday

2 sounds that compete with an image

http://yayeveryday.com/images/post_images/2009-9-28/6814/1254176085.jpg – Waterfall

http://yayeveryday.com/images/post_images/2009-9-8/6390/1252400228.jpg – Lawnmower

2 sounds that work to counter to an image