Conclusion

By the time I completed this project, I had learnt a considerable amount about the different processes involved in making an animation. Although there are some changes from my original idea proposed, I am pleased that I was able to get the end result I wanted.

I've treated this animation as a segment of a larger film, so that if I wish to work on it further I may do so, but I've made sure that there is a definite beginning, middle and end. I have also tried to make sure that each shot leads smoothly into the next, and to make them interesting with close ups, long shots, and some slightly more dramatic angles for the camera.

I found the experimentation phase very useful, as it eliminated certain techniques that originally seemed to suit the project, but in the end were either too time consuming or didn't have the desired effect. An example of this would be green screening the pastel drawings, since drawing the character digitally had the same effect.

I have also learnt much about rotoscopeing and posterizing, and have established a good work flow using this technique. I was also happy that I was able to use some of my photography and film footage when using the posterised effect for my knight. I feel I have learnt a lot about movement and space through rotoscopeing.

The process of making sound effects for the animation was interesting too, and I was surprised to find that certain sounds could be manipulated to create completely new sounds, such as the knight's armour sound used for the ghost. I had planned to create my own music with my piano, but in the end it was not needed, as I was able to distort the sound of the swords to create a tempo for the animation.

One handicap with rotoscopeing is that it is very true to life, so exageration of a scene is very limited. The unique aspect of animation I admire is that it can convey imaginary scenarios in a way that is imposible in reality. In this particular project however, rotoscoping was a very good technique to use to protray my idea.