Project 1 / The Cereal Machine!

For this project, I devised a cereal serving machine using random functioning parts. The idea was to develop a convenient method for preparing cereal at a fancy restaurant. I am basically expressing my love for cereal by placing it in a fancy restaurant setting. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to use a conveyor belt to take a bowl of cereal on a journey from the start to the end of the machine. My original idea was to have the cereal travel along a straight path while separate parts of the machine performed each function. To make it more interesting, I used a weighted see-saw and split the conveyor belt into three parts traveling in diverse directions. I also decided that I wanted the camera to zoom in and follow the bowl along it's path, all the way to the server waiting at the other end. There were several challenges I faced with this project. One of them was having to improve the physics of the machine by working with the timing. For example, I had to speed up the section where the bowl is tipping the seesaw. Also, the spoon was challenging because I had to create 3 seperate layers and try to animate them so that there appeared to be only one spoon. The spoon animation is not as smooth as I wanted it to be, but it came close.

Project 2 / Time is Lost

The concept behind this animation is that time is merely an illusion. I live my life by a clock, but ultimately, the clock is using a system of measurement that is nothing more than an invention crafted by mankind. I start with a typical clock and break it down in a bizarre fashion. I wanted the whole thing to feel abstract, so I kept the black background. It also helps when everything fades in the end, making it all seem like time is being completely erased from existence. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to experiment with the broken-up structure of the numbers of a digital clock. As I worked on the unraveling of the clock frame, I had this song playing in my head and I grew determined to use it in the final version. I felt the animation would be more intense and effective with it. I also decided to sync some blinking lights with the music to make it all the more abstract. I was glad to learn how to work with seperate compositions simultaneously and fit them together in the end. I did some experimentation with effects on the digital clock, and I'm satisfied with how they turned out. I think the ending is appropriate with the exploding dots and the disappearing elements. It sort of gives a "screw it!" feel to it, marking the exit of the concept of time from my mind, at least for this animation.

Project 3 / Gone Fishing, Gone Forever

This animation tells the story of a raccoon who is lonely and fatigued from boredom. His life in the wilderness lacks the excitement and wonder he yearns for. One night, he decides to try fishing to help forget his problems. There is a myth concerning the lake this raccoon has chosen to fish in. It is said to possess magic powers, and has been a key location for many legends told to the children of the wilderness. The raccoon is skeptical, but hopes that nevertheless this lake will hold some sort of answer for him. Thus begins a new, happier life for the miserable raccoon. It's a very uplifting tale, which can apply to anyone who ventures to a new place in hopes of changing their life forever. This has been my most complex project so far. It was a challenge to keep track of all the layers this time. I was originally planning to scan pencil drawings and animate those, but ended up starting simpler by drawing seperate parts of the raccoon and fish's body digitally. Also, I feel a couple of parts drag a bit because I wanted to sync it with the length of the song I chose.

Project 4 / Naming the Stars

Names are really fascinating, when you think about them. They are labels that are essentially stamped into people's minds as they think of you. When you are dead and gone, people may only glance at your name when reading about one of your achievements in life. You are therefore fortunate if you have an interesting name given to you at birth, rather than a boring name that will make you easier to overlook. However, there are plenty of names which, under normal circumstances, are pretty bland but over time have gained a celebrity status. And once a name has gained this celebrity status, it is almost unthinkable to reuse that name because doing so may bring about ridicule for its new owners. Like, if there are any "Michael Jacksons" or "Abraham Lincolns" walking around, it it difficult to take them seriously or treat them as an individual apart from their famous name-sharers. For this text project, I wanted to incorporate names. I decided it would be nice to try coming up with names that defined celebrities from old cinema, kind of like the ones you see on Turner Classic Movies. Gradually, I expanded this idea of using names by creating something like a promo for an old time Movie Studio.

Final Project / Steve the Egg

Some may think this song is complete rubbish, but I find it very creative. Who would ever think of an egg that wears pants, suspenders, and a tie and only washes his face on the 5th of July? It's like poetry to me. As implausible as it is, there is so much likability about it. This is what I call "beautiful randomness". I wanted to celebrate this short but amusing song by creating some bouncy animation to accompany it. I chose a panda to "sing" the song because he's husky but not necessarily threatening to the average viewer. I believe he suits the tone of the piece. I also find it ironic that panda bears actually eat eggs as part of their diet. This could be one of the greatest forbidden friendships of the century!