Size & Compostition

Since we are working with a digital camera that is not manufactured for making movies, the size of the images is different when capturing than the size of the images we are going to use. (wow, long sentence ...).

For this movie we are working with a Fuji FinePix S2Pro.
It can capture images at the size of 4256 x 2848 px.
The images that we actually need, so we can print into 35-mm film, should be at the size of 1828 x 988 px.
WRITE THIS DOWN GEEKS!!

It is not only the amount of pixels that is to big it is the proportions of the image.

It is therefore difficult for the photographer/animator to work with the picture they see.
He/she have to imagine it inside the picture they see.
There is some advantage in that. It gives the director a possibility of choosing another framing after the scene is soot, and even make movements.

An example from the latest scene is here.
The director have to mark for the animator the area in the image that will be used.

Complicated take

The next task after the first take was done, was to build the scene for take no 2.
This appeared to be more complicated than we anticipated.

Running from and to 3 different positions, changes in focus and shadows all over the place, is a hard task to plan.
At this time we were in Copenhagen but we could sneak in to a public library to try to look at the positioning of Spot.

We found that the picture was to tight, and that Spot had to run much closer to the camera. This took the rest of the day and the day after to build as Spot has to cover about 1,5 meters in only 10 steps. In some of steps Spot is actually in the air!

3 days later Mikael is still struggling with this take but hopefully we'll be able to look at it tomorrow.
meanwhile we got early and partial versions of the take.

The control web-cam, standing in a different angle, normally used for "line tests" is the one angle you normally don't see.
The other one is the correct picture.
Mikael had to move the line test camera since Spot was running directly at it, in that he created a spontaneous cut "on the fly". We should try this more often :)

Hopefully we can persuade Mikael to write his own experience of this take. Until now he and Erik have been very shy.
Click on the picture do watch a q-time of both angles at the same time. (Please wait until the movie is loaded. It can take some time).

The 1.st shoot

The first take is done.
While we were away Elinor animated Splodge laughing until he gets a snow boll in the face.

Since we didn't have access to the Internet we couldn't watch it and it was frustrating for both the team in Trollhättan and us in Malmö. Is it good? then they can tear the set down and put up a new one. Is it not good? then they'll have to redo the take.
Finally Erik took a decision that the take is good enough and they could go on with their lives ...

Click on the picture below to view the take. (Q-time).
Note that it is not yet retouched or have correct colours.

Financing Forum in Malmö

"Spot and Splodge" was presented as one of the 10 selected projects to a full house at the first financing forum in Malmö, BUFF:FF.
The reactions were fantastic.

While we were a bit nervous, since it was the first PowerPoint presentation we ever made, many in the crowd said later on that the presentation was perfect.
They really loved the characters and some said that for once we not only have good characters to work with, we also have good stories and the capacity to make hi-quality animation.
One can never be tired of hearing things like that :)

We feel now much more confident about the future of this project and we hope to be able to present it in the Cartoon Forum in September.
Until then there is a lot of work to do, and the applications to Cartoon Forum must be sent not later than 23 April.

BUFF:FF was part of the Children's Film Festival BUFF that had it's 24th edition.
We had the honour to open the festival with our latest short film - Aston's Stones - that received great responses and we immediately invited to several festivals.

A book store (Akademibokhandeln) just on the other side of the street of the premiere theatre, hanged a large poster and piled many books with Astons Stone's (and even one book with Spot and Splodge in Snow Storm) at the shop-window, and Lotta spend the rest of the evening signing books for those who saw the opportunity.

During the festival we also received the message that Aston's Stones was selected to the official competition in the animation festival in Annecy.

The make over

Spot and Splodge have arrived with an express delivery just before noon on a fantastic sunny (spring sun, +4 C) Saturday. You can see the light falling on Spot.

Lotta had to work all day to make the puppets fresh and tidy. They did need a make over.

The color of their skin, the color of the nose, the spots and the dots and the shoes.
The rings around their eyes had to be more brown and Lotta had to apply more rouge to their cheeks.

After a long concentrated work even Lotta's eyes got a bad squint :) and the puppets a bit mischievous.

Some delay

Today was supposed to be the day of the first shot in this film production --> Splodge gets a snow boll in the face ...

Elinor has already made about a second of animation when we got to see Splodge for the first time (until now it was only Spot that has been working).

Unfortunately we discovered that some of the colors around the eyes, the nose and the shape of the teeth were not really the way we wanted them to be.

So both puppets are now on the express way to Stockholm for some makeover.

More props

To give a realistic impression that someone is living in the house of Spot and Splodge, you have to fill it with a lot of stuff.

The coffee cups are taking form (not painted yet), and the shoes are waiting to be colored. (The puppets has in fact always shoes on, but in one scene they take of the shoes so we had to create extra shoes).

A candle holder (and a candle), a warm bottle and a toy car that is ... a toy car on the floor.

PROPS - Small things

Making small props demand a lot of patience, specially when some one is nagging with a camera all the time :)
Lotta is making small cups, a kettle and a basket for the gloves to be hanged near the door.

Making Mini Books

Spot and Splodge are not the intellectual types.

Though they have a lot of books at home it is not clear if they can actually read. But after a long adventure it is always cosy to sit and read a good book. [The picture to the right is from the 1st book, "Spot and Splodge in Picnic" (2005)]

There are no tiny books to buy in the book store or to borrow in the library. (but they should start a "Mini book" department).
The books are therefore made specially by hand. Mostly by cutting old magazines (IKEA catalogue is very useful).
Then painting them to make them look more boring ...

Storyboard

The storyboard in now ready. The development was a strait forward process of adaptation from the book, and Paco that did all the drawings came with some nice suggestions.

Here is page 14 (with Swedish Dialogue).
Klick on the picture to see it larger.

More tests - Mouth expression

Erik made some tests to change mouth expressions (and some snow).

Here are two pictures from that test.

First animation tests are here!

Klick on the picture or this link
to watch a short QuickTime.

It's great to see the character Spot alive (without trousers thoug ...).

The ground will be sson covered with snow.

Elinor Bergman made the animation tests.