My Project So Far (UPDATE: SHOT 4 COMPLETE)

Hey everyone! My project is going along swimmingly, although it's taking quite a bit of work to get there. I am still consistent with my goal of one shot per week, although I'm taking about getting he first verse done by November. As you can see by my previous posts about this project, I have given a description of my project and uploaded storyboards. The video is a bit different than the storyboards, and that's okay. It does not have to follow them exactly.

Here's how it goes down it Photoshop-I open up the video, make a layer copy, then I make individual layers for the outlines and colors. It's not easy work, and it is taking a while to get the shot how I want it to be. With camera movement, I have to keyframe each outline to stay in place.

In the third shot, I learned how to make a mask layer and copy and paste it to my main actor. (During shooting, the elastic kept ripping from the mask so I told my actor to hold the whole mask with one hand. I drew over his free hand and that's why I had to copy and paste it later.) I also learned that you don't have to worry about minimal movement. If something is not moving as much, just use one layer. Use video layers to actually rotoscope maximum movement. It's much easier and you don't have to go through all the pain of drawing every single detail. (Well, I like to pay attention to detail, anyway. Nothing wrong with that.)

I also learned to work as a team for this project. You can't get everything done in one day, but I filmed my actors' and extras' scenes during my Seminar time at school. (I also used up another time after school for different extras and my actor for only a few scenes.) I learned how to be a director and work with a cameraman.

I would not do anything the same since my shots are all different. What I could do differently, though, is try and not make it as hard on myself. I pay way too much attention to little details, and it always takes me a long time to fix them. I could also find a shortcut for drawing back and forth on each frame. (Hopefully there's a way!)

And this is just the start of it. For now, enjoy these 3 shots I have to share. After all my shots are rotoscoped, I will edit with music in After Effects. I have loved making this project and it challenges my animation skills really well. Let me know what you think of the shots! Watch these videos without sound. Music will be added soon.

The very first shot. In this one, I used one regular layer for the buildings and positioned/keyframed it. 

I used a video layer to rotoscope myself since the camera zooms in. MUTE THE SOUND.

In this shot, there is little movement at the beginning, but the camera pans at the very end. Since my body is not moving, I rotoscoped myself lip-syncing the words. My head moves too, so I had to focus on that movement. MUTE THE SOUND.

This shot was where I had to use a mask layer to get my actor's arm to be exactly like the actor. I had to ask for help from my teacher at this point, and he scaled the arm to the other side of the body. I have to admit that this shot took longer than my previous ones. MUTE THE SOUND.

Shot 4 is complete! This one took me a while. When my main actor's body turns, I had to make the pumpkin look 3-D. I had to make it look like it was actually moving around his head, which I was successful at. I think this one is my favorite so far. MUTE THE SOUND.