r a c h i n t a ' s

Ghost blog

2010-03-18T01:42:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been forever but I didn't realise I had any follower! However, if you didn't know, I have another blog on my website at rachintaplatts.com. I update that one regularly. More than here anyway. :S

Blast from the past

2009-01-29T03:44:00.000-08:00

I've uploaded a music video I did during art foundation. Just a random fun thing to do to avoid actual work. Starring Lars Wijers, Claire Pattison and Jonathan Palmer (aka Awesome Wells). Music: Me Gustas Tu by Manu Chao. Enjoy!

Eyes that follow you

2009-01-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

I've finally figured out a bit of Flash. The script was made by a guy who I've never met called Leigh Swift. He's Jane's friend. BUT I figured the eyelids all by myself!! Hurrah! I would also like to thank Niall. If it weren't for a forced one to one tutorial, I still wouldn't have figured it out. Thank you for putting up with me. I give you...

MOONFACE

The blinking might be a bit fast but I'll tweak later.
Now I'll have to do the rest of the website :-<
Oh but i can sleep peacefully tonight.

Seeing red

2009-01-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

After watching The Addams family the other night, I wanted to draw a red hair girl with some gothic outfit. I pictured her to have a big wavy/frizzy hair with cream dress and some kind of pose but she ended up looking like this. I'll improve next time. Also I need a model! Where is life drawing class when I needed one!?

I love pink cheeks...

2009-01-16T14:55:00.001-08:00

Just an update to show I'm doing something, even if it's a little.

The joy of air drying clay...

2009-01-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

So I can create things like this! It's a gift for my friend, Miriam's 21st birthday which was two years ago but I finished it only a few months ago. It only took three days in total... It had a silk black ribbon around it but I think Miriam decided it was rubbish and ditched it. Though, I can't take the credit for the plinth. That was made by Niall, who is very handy in that department. It'll be Miriam's birthday in a few days, I was hoping that since I gave this one recently, it'll count as a 23rd birthday present but I think that is pretty cheeky.

Apparently, she is in the process of making my birthday present which was last month. I have no idea what it is, obviously but hope I don't have to wait for two years...

Oh yeah, this is what she looks like. I've sculpted her prom hairstyle because it was easier.

dolls, dolls...

2009-01-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Since graduating, I've had a creative blockage on animating so I thought I would like to go back to making things. During the summer, I became a fan of reading the blog of Black Apple who makes lovely dolls with simple template so I thought I'll give it a go. Also it was a chance for me to take out my old sewing machine that I haven't used since A-level Art.

These were my first attempts. I've altered some bits to it and added beads as eyes. The doll on the left meant to have a brown skin colour. I've tried different ways of dyeing the canvas with paint and coffee but the result isn't as successful as I wanted to be. Still, I'm happy with how they've turned out. Oh yeah, I didn't get to use the sewing machine as it was too tricky and I get impatient with any form of machine.

Below is an unofficial Edward Cullen doll. A vampire character from Twilight. I like the golden beads I've sewn for eyes but I should have done it by paint. However, I think Steff is pleased to have him.

Then there's Hannah's present. She likes frogs...and I thought I'll make a mini Hannah with a frog suit. Ta-da. Mini frog Hannah is meant to be brown but I didn't want to ruin the canvas with other attempts to dye it. In the photo, she is sitting nicely next to an adorable pin cushion from the Oxfam charity shop. I like it very much.

Final Attraction animation

2009-01-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm back. I forgot to add a link to my final animation, "Attraction" from last year. I didn't get to do the autumn scene but enjoy! Oh yeah, it says music is done by Jonathan Palmer but he'd rather be known as Awesome Wells. Please check him out :)

cabbage doll

2009-01-07T15:22:00.000-08:00

A doll I made for Ana who doesn't like to eat green vegetables.

rough animation

2008-04-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep so this is what I have done so far that I have put together. I've got a lot to do... Tonight, I've tried to use masking on AFX but then it crashed and I realised I haven't saved it so I'm going to try again tomorrow. And...just looking at my animation on youtube...not really sure why it's going so fast :S

Yay animatic!

2008-03-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

After a lot of fiddling about in trying to make the film smaller, I can now show my storyboard animatic at last. There are a few scenes that I'm not happy about such as some shots, timing etc but this is just to give you an idea of what's the story about. Hope it's clear. Also, forget about the title. I'm still not sure what to call it.

Update

2008-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

I've done the animatic. Not 100% happy with it and it'll take forever to upload on youtube and I'll have to half it (need to figure out how to make it super small to be able to upload it as a whole animatic. I mean I've rendered it as a draft and half the resolution. Then on Final Cut, changed it into the format suitable for the internet...nada nada nada). So tonight, I give you the background sky. It's a test, but I will use it for the final film after I've jazzed them up in photoshop. The object at the bottom is is a trunkless tree. The top is the summer sky and below it is the spring sky and where the credit is going to roll. I've used the knowledge from the two day animation workshop at Chiddingly Festival to make this. Basically, easy peasy, coloured tissue paper stuck on tracing paper and then shone a light from the back, *click* et voila. Next step is to upload the animatic...

Hairy decisions...

2008-01-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

I was going to ask other people's opinion of which hair she should have but then after pondering and a few votes, I think it's best when her hair isn't so big.

Also suggestions on title without giving away too much? Row suggested "Hair of Mystery", o ho!

Not much. Doodles of character.

2008-01-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

Unfair...she still looks hot with a beard!

2008-01-24T04:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, no animatic yet but LOOK! Niall sent me a pic of a bearded Salma Hayek. Very well photoshopped. Martin pointed out that she looks like his dad, but he is looking at her from the other side of the studio. Apparently, she's going to star as Madame Truska in Cirque du Freak, which I really want to see when it comes out. I wonder if beards on ladies will be in fashion after this film and my soon to be amazing masterpiece animation...ha ha haaaa...SIGH.

Bearded ladies revolution!

Mim's present

2008-01-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Made a Rod Stewart cushion.
It's our in-joke.
No one gets it.

In Mim's crib, innit.

2008-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is Miriam. She does design for publishing. I steal her cookies and milk and distract her from working. That is my job. Also I'm leeching her internet.

Animatic is rather delayed but still aiming to finish by tomorrow. Some time in the evening though...
Things to do:
1. line test
2. scan character design & style of animation

I really don't feel like spending the rest of the day staring at the computer on AFX...nor do I feel like walking back home in the horrible wet Norwich. Someone should hurry up in inventing the teleport machine or maybe I just have to pass my driving test.

Boo to yellow Post-it notes!!! Just the yellow ones.

Coming soon...

2008-01-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

...hopefully by Monday, an animatic of my storyboard. Badly drawn but it'll be done. Having trouble with some of the rescuing actions and the interior of the bearded lady's house. Anyway, need opinion once I've put up the animatic. Currently in studio, getting my storyboard roughly done for animatic. It's Miriam's birthday bash tonight so I'm not sure how much I'll get done. So I better log out and get on with it. Ciao :D

Still no internet at home.

It's 19:05...

2008-01-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

...chocolate overload, alone and waiting to watch Jesus Camp.

Had a one to one tutorial with Lloyd Burr today. He's an ex-NSAD animator student. It was helpful but, it sort of confirmed that my animation does look like it'll be over the maximum time. However, I still need to make a timed animatic of it just to be sure. Also he suggested that the bearded lady doesn't reveal herself until the rescue scene. I wasn't sure at first because the bathroom scene was the first thing I thought about in the storyboard and I always play it again and again in my head but yeah, it makes perfect sense. That also means it has shortened the film by a few seconds. Yay! I'm nearly happy with the storyboard so far. Aiming to get it done before Suzie's tutorial tomorrow.

Besides updating the blog, I am currently sketching character design and looking for images of newspaper stalls. The studio will be closing soon, so I'm migrating to the SUbar with the possibility of tea overload, alone and waiting to watch Jesus Camp.

No internet.

2008-01-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

Our house isn't a happy house without the internet. I curse Tiscali. I'm currently on Chris' so I can't write much. Also nothing much to say. Boring daaaaaaaaaaaay. Chris is so tidy and clean. Everything is neatly stacked. Neeeeerd, which is the subject of my dissertation! Geek rather... Chris has just informed me of this

No one told me there is a book on it. Anyway, got to go home. It's late.

My head is going to explode!

2008-01-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

I can't get the rescuing scene right!!

Problemos problemos:
1. Judging by the amount of post it notes, it looks like my animation is way over the maximum of 3 minutes but then I can't say that for sure just by looking at it and timing it in my head. Stupid.
2. Jump shots, jump shots everywhere. I can't get around it.
3. Running out of post its... Why don't they make post it notes 16:9? You would think someone would've requested it. I should!
4. Why oh why did I not just do short stories??
5. I can't show anybody what I am talking about because I haven't even blogged the storyboard.
6. Dissertation.

I'm going back to staring at the storyboard again now. Should really be doing my dissertation but I can't move on to that until I am slightly satisfied with the storyboard...dilemmaaaaaaaaargh..

It's late but...

2008-01-08T16:54:00.001-08:00

I've been meaning to post some things a while ago such as this comic I did during art foundation at City College Brighton & Hove 2004/05. Looking back, it's disgustingly cheesier than it was at the time. Nonetheless, it was published with my classmate's comics on Ace Comics. I would like to point out that I didn't choose the font for my thumbnail on the cover. Enjoy.

Also this cute creature is from Bas! Reminder: he was my dutch animation partner for the Breda project. Hum, just realised I haven't uploaded the unfinished final film of Ian & Lam's Counting Sheep...

One more thing

2008-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

I forgot to add. I had a tutorial with Keith Tutt earlier on and he seems pretty happy with what I've got so far. However, there's going to be some slight changes in parts of the story. Also he commented on a few camera shots and jump shots...aargh, I thought I know what I am doing. Clearly noooot. Anyway, I am going to revise through my storyboard and hopefully scan the rough version tomorrow to blog. So much to do guys...not to mention, dissertation. Argh, that word kills... Speak later.

What gives?? An update?? Shocking...

2008-01-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am rubbish, but it's okay now because I'm making it up by putting another moodboard. Not just that either! Oh no, you will now read what's my animation is going to be about. It'll be boring written words with no pictures though at the moment. Next step is to blog the storyboard. One at a time, yes? Another thing, I'm not very good at writing but hopefully the synopsis below will make sense.

THE CHARACTERS

Bearded lady is a former circus freak who has settled down in a small town. She's aware that outside the circus world, no one will accept her as she is. So she shies away in her circus memorabilia filled home most of the time. Summer is her dreaded season. She would have to shave her beard and since the temperature is too hot, her beard will just grow quicker than usual. So she gave all that up and just let it be. An alternative way is to dye and wrap it around her neck as a scarf, but it was pretty strange to wear one during a hot summer's day. This of course has caught the attention of a bald newspaper seller. Even though they didn't actually have a conversation, she was happy that he spoke to her. She never had that with anyone in this town. That is one reason she chose to live there, people seem keep their business to themselves, but she then realised how lonely it feels. From that moment, the bearded lady took a special interest in the man. Every so often she would buy a newspaper, just so she can get a little attention from him. The newspapers she bought pile up at home and unread. Her disguise unveils as she sacrificed her appearance to rescue newspaper man with her beard.

Bald man is a very friendly and charming man, who'll greet anyone that passes by his newspaper stall. Most people would say he's the happiest person in town. One hot day, he noticed a woman wearing a scarf. She left him fascinated. The usual times when she will buy a newspaper, he will say hello but the lady returns the gesture with a bashful smile. Every opportunity he tries to talk to her, she hurries away. Until one winter's day, the lady forgot to take her paid newspaper. He saw this as an excuse and chance to catch up with her. As he ran after her, he slipped on the icy bridge and fell off the edge. However, he was rather lucky to hold on to a bit of the bridge. He was then rescued by the lady. He didn't realise what he was holding on to until he saw that it was the lady's beard!

THE STORY

It's summer, sun's out, ice cream van's out and the town's people are out wearing something as light as possible. A young boy out with his mother stood in front of a newspaper stand. The bald man that tends the stall, starts making a paper hat to amuse the child. As his mother called out for him, he notices another customer intensely reading the main headline about an incident at a circus. The peculiar thing about this customer is that she wears a scarf around her neck. Maybe she has cold neck? He thought. So he asked if she wasn't too hot. His voice startled her a bit as if no one has ever spoken to her. Nervously, she shook her head and hand him money to leave quickly. Leaving the bald man curious as to who the mysterious lady was.

Autumn came and bald man tries to catch the newspapers that was blown by the wind. Bearded lady appeared and handed a few papers she seem to have picked up to help him. Bald man thanked her, she smiled and left as usual. As he was about to call out, he stopped because she was a rather fast walker. She heads home to her comfort zone. Her house is the only one that has high hedges. That is to reassure her that no one will ever find out. She looked at her newly purchased newspaper and sighs. Another day of not saying a word to bald man. How pathetic she thinks. The rooms are decorated with circus related memorabilia of posters, banners, costumes and farewell gifts from her circus friends. Through the doorway of her bathroom, she washes her face and beard, leaving her sink with dried and fresh dye. As she does everyday, she stares at herself in the mirror while drying her long beard with the same sad expression.

(OK, not sure about the next scene that is set in winter)
A fairly large lady tells bald man to get well soon, bearded lady came by as usual. As she was about to pay, bald man shivers and gave a huge sneeze. Bearded lady pops her hat onto his head and hurries away. She walked away faster than usual because she felt out of character. He called out for her, “Lady! Lady!' for he has no idea what her name is. So many people were doing their Christmas shopping that day that they're all bashing into each other. Unfortunately, the slippery bridge and the amount of people with bags causes bald man to fall off the edge. Bearded lady saw this happened and ran to the edge to see if he's okay. Fortunately, he held on to a part of the bridge. The lady then unfolds her beard to rescue him. People were cheering but stopped when they realised that she has a beard. Bald man was out of breath and quite shock too. She didn't stay long and runs away as she has expected this is what's going to happen as the result of her action.

A headline is showing an exclusive interview with a heroic bearded woman. The headline is on a newspaper that is laying on the bald man's lap. He comfortably has his head on the bearded lady's shoulder, while her beard gently sits on top of his head. They're in a park where the cherry blossoms blooms in springtime.

I give you moodboard!

2007-11-30T03:25:00.001-08:00

Images I've printed off from the internet to get the feeling of what I want in my final film. I want to do another one because it's rather lame getting images from just the internet but, this will do so far. My aim is to make a bible for the post-production of this project. Anyway, got to dash. Millions of things to do. Oh ya, last night I had a blast from the past. I read a comic strip I did in art foundation (2004/5) from a magazine that I never received! I'll speak more about it later and might post the comic!

Akh!

2007-11-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

I know I've been terrible in keeping up to date with things... So many distractions with having the internet at home now (we didn't have one before). Now that the Breda project is over, I am currently continuing my final major project for the degree show and trying to do dissertation (yawn...always avoiding it). I haven't actually posted the final animation of Ian & Lam. It's not really completed because there are some scenes missing with no sound, but I'll put it up soon. Watch this space for the bearded lady story (that's my graduation film)....

Posters!

2007-11-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

This is my character development sheet...

...and mugshot :D The background is done by Bas obviously.

Final storyboard at last....

2007-10-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's late Bas but tell me if there's anything to edit.

Corgi doodle

2007-10-22T06:42:00.001-07:00

Simplifying my corgi.

Rough final storyboard

2007-10-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Rough storyboard

2007-10-20T03:05:00.001-07:00

Yeah!

2007-10-17T02:59:00.000-07:00

A quick note to myself and Bas that we have a structure to our story!

Ian counts sheep going over the fence to fall asleep. Suddenly Lam appears and disrupts his counting by not jumping. In the dream, there will be sequence of Ian trying to get Lam over the fence. He succeeds in the end and Lam jumps over the fence and out of the dream. While Ian is still in his dream bubble, Lam wakes him up and then close up to Ian with his ear twitching. Black out.

Moving on to storyboard for a more visual idea ^__^

characteristics

2007-10-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

just characteristic diagram of the two types of animal to give more ideas.

Rough coloured Ian

2007-10-15T03:26:00.001-07:00

Sketch book work of other characters

2007-10-15T03:13:00.000-07:00

Doing things slightly backwards but I'm just putting previous ideas up :D

Character design for BREDA

2007-10-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

This is Ian the corgi. He's an old dog who can't walk properly (so bending his knees is a little bit of a challenge) and is rather senile. Besides using his stick for walking, he also uses it to poke things out of curiosity. His right ear twitches now and again if something irritates him, especially with his case of OCD. Ian rarely speaks, but does grumbles a lot.