The Signalman - a ghost story
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
The Signalman - a ghost story
I used Moho for all the 2D animation in my 2016 short "The Signalman". The 3D animation was done in Animation Master, and the figure sculpting in 3D Coat. The 2D animated parts where imported as image sequences (with alpha channel) into Animation Master and placed as flat animated elements in the stage setup. The 2D/3D mix worked very well I think.
Watch here:
https://vimeo.com/156326280
Watch here:
https://vimeo.com/156326280
- synthsin75
- Posts: 9968
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:20 pm
- Location: Oklahoma
- Contact:
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Great sound design, music, and style. Looked like you were going for a sort of stop-motion feel. The walking seemed really stilted, but aside from that, very well done.
- Wes
Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/synthsin75 (Thx, everyone.)
https://www.youtube.com/user/synthsin75
Scripting reference: https://mohoscripting.com/
Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/synthsin75 (Thx, everyone.)
https://www.youtube.com/user/synthsin75
Scripting reference: https://mohoscripting.com/
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Thanks for looking and for the words, Wes! Regarding the stiltedness:
In all of my animations I'm using what could be called "simulated stop motion". Instead of letting the software determine the interpolation between the keyframes, I prefer to do the animation manually frame by frame, limb by limb, moving the characters parts, as I would if it was a real puppet or real cut out parts.
By using this technique, I want to achieve an organic feel that is very far from the bland slickness of normal computer animation. And hopefully the unavoidable jerkiness and roughness of the resulting animation will by far be outweighed by the amount of life and personality.
For the same reason I almost never use computer generated textures or computerized aids (eg mirroring) when sculpting or drawing. Every texture is made by freehand drawing/painting and every model is sculpted by hand using no symmetry or doubling or reuse of parts.
In all of my animations I'm using what could be called "simulated stop motion". Instead of letting the software determine the interpolation between the keyframes, I prefer to do the animation manually frame by frame, limb by limb, moving the characters parts, as I would if it was a real puppet or real cut out parts.
By using this technique, I want to achieve an organic feel that is very far from the bland slickness of normal computer animation. And hopefully the unavoidable jerkiness and roughness of the resulting animation will by far be outweighed by the amount of life and personality.
For the same reason I almost never use computer generated textures or computerized aids (eg mirroring) when sculpting or drawing. Every texture is made by freehand drawing/painting and every model is sculpted by hand using no symmetry or doubling or reuse of parts.
- Luke Marcatili
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:28 pm
- Contact:
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Very nice hand-made look to the artwork and a nice sense of mood in the film. The lighting on the character was great. I agree- I think you could add a bit more life to the movements of the character while still retaining the stop-motion style you're going for. The walk of the main character could be given a bit more life and weight just by animating through the key poses of a walk cycle so you have the contact and passing positions rather than the legs just animating back and forth.
I shared it on Twitter
I shared it on Twitter
www.marcatili.com
Illustration & Animation
Illustration & Animation
- Little Yamori
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:23 am
- Location: Gecko Town ;)
- Contact:
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Really moody and gloomy, well done in establishing the set up.
Was wondering about what software you used for the sound integration, it really came off crystal clear.
Good job,
LY
Was wondering about what software you used for the sound integration, it really came off crystal clear.
Good job,
LY
Little Yamori
Creator at http://www.IslandBuddies.com
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GECKOT0WN
Creator at http://www.IslandBuddies.com
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GECKOT0WN
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Wow, well done!
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Thanks for nice words and advice
Sony has recently sold Vegas to german Magix, so it is now named Magix Movie Studio Platinum.
All editing, color grading, some effects, titling AND sound editing and mix was done in Sony Movie Studio Platinum (of the Vegas family of editors). The same software managed the final encoding into MP4.Was wondering about what software you used for the sound integration, it really came off crystal clear.
Sony has recently sold Vegas to german Magix, so it is now named Magix Movie Studio Platinum.
- Little Yamori
- Posts: 616
- Joined: Thu Jul 18, 2013 4:23 am
- Location: Gecko Town ;)
- Contact:
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Thx,Tore wrote:
All editing, color grading, some effects, titling AND sound editing and mix was done in Sony Movie Studio Platinum (of the Vegas family of editors). The same software managed the final encoding into MP4.
Sony has recently sold Vegas to german Magix, so it is now named Magix Movie Studio Platinum.
I'll look into it as all the sound on my final animations comes out really terribly.
LY
Little Yamori
Creator at http://www.IslandBuddies.com
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GECKOT0WN
Creator at http://www.IslandBuddies.com
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/GECKOT0WN
- djwaterman
- Posts: 292
- Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:36 am
- Location: Sydney
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Tore, I love your work, I think I'd watched all the others some years ago and I recognized your signature style on this. I like it when the software being used falls away and all you can see is the art, this is one of those types of works.
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
Thanks for those words, DJW! Makes me really glad!
- Barry Baker
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Fri Aug 27, 2004 6:58 am
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Re: The Signalman - a ghost story
I love the look and atmosphere of this film. It really has the feel of the golden age puppet films of Eastern Europe, and I respect your desire to be true to that by moving everything frame by frame. However, if you study the animations of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia (as they were) of the post war period up to the eighties, it did not stop animators like Jiri Trnka from injecting a huge amount of expressiveness into the character movements. I think you could allow yourself more finish to the walks and gestures without sacrificing the handmade feel.
Nevertheless, my congratulations on a terrific piece.
The Hand by Jiri Trnka, 1965:
https://youtu.be/cS4Th36zN_g
Nevertheless, my congratulations on a terrific piece.
The Hand by Jiri Trnka, 1965:
https://youtu.be/cS4Th36zN_g