Bailey MeCey

Summary

For this module, the goal is to create a 30 second stop motion animation that utilizes effective audio and text animation. To go about that, I read sections of Liz Blazer’s Animated Storytelling that highlight sound and world design. I also researched different methods of employing sound and text animation into animation, and how that can help reinforce the theme of the overall work. Then, I created my animation of two dogs in the park who must work together to save a stuck ball from a tree.

Reading & Writing

No matter what your production is, sound is an integral factor in success. If you do not have good sound to support the visuals, it can hamper the entire animation. When we talk about sound, there are two types of sound, diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is where the sound is visible on the screen, like two characters having a conversation. Non-diegetic sound is sound that is not visible on screen, as the orchestral score for a movie. These can both be used in their ways, and have the power to draw the audience into the animation. Sound can also be broken down into three different categories; sound effects, music, and dialogue. What’s important is not to just use these three as much as possible, but to show restraint when needed.

What’s incredible about animation is that it allows the creator to design every facet of their world. How creators design their world and the rules the world lives by is called world-building. The world in which the story takes place must abide by a certain set of rules, or else it will confuse the audience. Some of those rules include.

Time and Place: What is the location and time period?
Natural Order: What are the physical rules?
Social Order: What are the societal rules?
Day-to-Day Life: How do characters act in everyday life?
Family & Community: How is the community structured?
Technology: What technologies do the characters use?

Following these rules doesn’t mean you have to be ultra-realistic, if anything it means you can experiment and find influences from anywhere. However, the rules help to establish a logical consistency to the audience can focus on the theme, tone, and story.

Research

For this section, I researched different methods of using audio and text animation effectively. The examples range from cinematic classics to modern YouTube sports videos.

Nothing is more all-encompassing when it comes to sound as was the trailer for 2010’s Inception. The booming orchestra soundtrack was so influential that it became a meme because so many trailers would go on to use that same style of music for their trailers. Even with that, the trailer for Inception still stands up on its thanks to holding balanced each of the audio pillars are, from the narration, sound effects, and music.

Secret Base’s Pretty Good is a YouTube channel focusing on the odder moments of sports. The trailer for episode 13, Randall Cunningham Seizes the Means of Production, is my favorite with how the sound editing is balanced with the narration, music, and sound effects. Then, the music comes up surprisingly with the intro title. I like how it startlingly grabs your attention but doesn’t feel off with the rest of the style.

I love movie and intro sequences that don’t try to be super flashy but focus on the tone and music that will play out. One of them, 1979’s Alien, is a masterclass of how to do an intro sequence for a horror movie. There is a slow panning shot of space, with the title name slowly appearing over time. The music lets the audience know something foreboding is on the horizon, and the movie is not going to rush.

Another great example is the intro sequence for Stranger Things. Again, it takes its time and focuses on the strong text animation panning out to reveal the title come together. The music also informs the audience of the 1980s influences right out the gate.

Create

I built the original concept for my linear story idea but modified it in some ways. Instead of an outsider trying to fit into a group, the plot and conflict center around two dogs working together to get a ball out of the tree.

The beginning starts with the new small dog entering the park and being barked at by the big dog. The complication centers around the big dog getting his ball stuck in the tree, and enlists the help of the small dog. It ends with the small dog getting the ball unstuck, and the big dog saves the small dog after it falls out of the tree. It ends with the two of them becoming friends. From my original idea, there is a clearer conflict and complication that raises the stakes of the story than what was there before.

Along with the stop motion narration, I used a variety of music, sound effects, and background noise to help flesh out the action and story. What before could have been a friendly dog coming up to say hello transforms into a gruff dog barking at the new dog thanks to the sound effect. I also added an intro and outro sequence with moving text to help frame the animation.