Animation Peer Review.

Today we had the opportunity to watch our seminar groups stop-motion animations.  I was very impressed with them all, the ideas were fantastic and I was extremely impressed at the imagination and creativity of my peers.

Rhian Davies, a member of our group presented her animation; 'Solution No Pollution', to us all today and I found it compelling.

The Message
Rhian's animation was a simple tale of a stick man enjoying the fresh air after a tree had grown from the ground.  Unfortunately, the stick man chops the tree down and burns the wood by using a match which releases Co2 into the atmosphere.  The stick man becomes ill from the unhealthy air and grows a new tree to clean the air.  The message was very clear and the topic used is strong in schools today.

The Sound
The animation was supported by soft music which represented the animation beautifully.  The music had no vocal which meant the viewer was not distracted by lyrics.  Another advantage of having music without lyrics was that Rhian was able to use sound affects to her animation.  You can hear the crackle of a fire, and the stick man has the line 'oh no!' which made me empathise with the stick man's unhappiness of his actions; a clever use of identification.

Technical Ability
The use of paper and clay at the beginning showed a good technical ability.  It was simple and effective and must have been very time consuming.  Rhian used speech bubbles with very little words so not to distract the viewers attention or confuse the working memory.  The fire scene was incredible as with paper, to create the flickering movement, is very difficult. The movement was simple which did not take away the focus of what was being viewed.  I was not distracted by an array of things going on so my eye was drawn to exactly what was going on.  If the stick man moved, my eye was on him, if the tree moved or the fire flickered that is what I was looking at. The whole animation was very creative and cleverly put together.

Enjoyment
I thoroughly enjoyed Rhian's animation.  It was professional but also raw.  After I had viewed it I felt as though I should do more for the environment as the message was strong.  I could easily see this very animation being seen by schools all over Wales as an environmental message.  A very enjoyable viewing.

The Circle Of Life

Using Zu3D, as a collaborative piece of work, our group constructed an animation called The Circle of Life,  that we showed to an audience for critical analysis.  Our story represents a baby growing into adulthood, meeting a girl, having a child then growing old and dying.  We imported music to represent the story and to add emotion to the viewing experience.  We incorporated humour, fun and sadness into our animation with specific movement, sound effects to create identification whilst using different backgrounds to set the scene.  The concept was to be kept simple yet effective as in Mayer's (2001) cognitive theory of multi-media learning so not to overload the working memory for a deeper understanding of our message; life goes on.

 

Me moving the characters frame by frame.



It took a whole day to create all of the characters, a day to film the animation and another day to create the sound.  In my opinion, the adding of the sound was the most difficult.  We used the song Take Me On My Way by Rusted Root, as a main sound as it tied in with the theme of our story.  We then incorporated sound effects over the music to represent movement and human sound for the characters. 

 

This was a fun but time consuming learning experience which required patience while using both fine motor skills and higher order thinking. It can be planned for in cross curricular lessons and is not only a hands on way of learning but is also stimulates cognitively. This video of Zu3D at BETT 2015 shows how children learn with animation in a deep and interesting way. 

 

 

Our stop-motion  creation came with some technical problems. We forgot to save our completed animation as a movie which resulted in the sound disappearing. We did however record the animation with a mobile phone so when we presented our stop-motion animation we ran the sound off the phone to the computer whist playing the animation.

 

I was very proud of what we achieved.  The story as a passage of time in a young boys life was felt, laughing at the humour and I was moved by the ending.  I believe as a group we worked very well together, and even in the face of disappointment on discovering the hard work we put into the sound exactly matching the movements was in vain, we found a way to solve our problem.  It was not perfect, however it worked and I was very happy with the result.

This is the video that we recorded using a mobile phone.



This made me reflect on how sound does in fact have an enormous impact on a visual experience.  Sound does offer the viewer an added dimension of drawing ones attention and empathising with characters and understanding the message.

This is the animation we achieved with just the music background but without sound effects, it does not have the same affect than with the audio affects attached.
 

Overall, this learning experience came with positives and negatives, however as a whole it did reap many rewards.  I have learnt patience, stamina, organisation skills, team work, communication skills and reflective practice, all of which will assist in my career journey both as a primary school teacher and for the learners that I will be learning with alongside.

What's the BETT?

The Bett summit opens today in the ExCel Arena in London offering an insight into the future of technology within education.  Its purpose is to inspire and open our minds to the possibility of innovative technological breakthroughs that could be seen in future learning environments.

 

 

This planned arena conference offers all persons working or interested in educational technology a plethora of innovative breakthrough products that are believed to enhance learning allowing the learner an infinite learning space.

But, is technology necessary in education, and does it benefit the learner in any way?

Teachers plan for every lesson and within that plan, the intended use of technology is incorporated.  However, Aubusson et al (2014) explain that this can be dependant on the teachers technological ability and efficiency, and the schools regulations and policy.  Aubusson, et al (2014) study on technology in education found that technology has a positive learning impact and an enjoyable rich task experience for the learner.

Atis (2013) disagrees, arguing that technology in school is rapidly growing to meet the learners needs, educationally and socially, however its over use in the classroom was noted as having a negative affect on the learner.  Atis (2013) further explains that computer use does not always meet the need of the learner's engagement especially when the technology is not used to its best advantage.

However, Yanez and Coyle (2010) explain how multi-modal technology; using audio, visual and tactile products cater to all learning styles and provide an interesting and enjoyable learning experience.  The learner is said to have the ability to visualise problems rather than misunderstand verbalised direction and have increase cognitive visual recall after learning with technology.  However, the authors go on to explain that technology in education can come with problems of their own.  There is the problem with internet access or a slow connection, or calibration difficulties on interactive whiteboards. Studies have revealed that new technology in schools are, in some cases, not used to  full advantage.  Teaching professionals could use the new equipment as a simple replacement to the old and some do not allow the learner to use the technology therefore the teacher remains to deliver learning, not allowing the learner to take learner ownership. 
The authors call for more research for a deepening of understanding of technology learning and state that teaching professionals should be instructed on soft wear and usage to implement the intended use successful learning in this manner.

We live in a technological age where even the youngest children can use I Pads, mobile telephones and use a mouse on a lap top.  The internet holds an infinite amount of knowledge to learn from and allows communication from contacting friends, following iconic people or to people in other counties around the world.  Educational software and applications can engage the learner, making the learning experience fun and hands on, more than a book or having a lesson delivered.  There is, nonetheless. a call for a balanced learning environment, one rich with many different learning resources, however, technology as a cognitive and tactile learning tool that offers a rich and meaningful learning experience can not be ignored in todays technological age.

An Interesting Way to Teach.

Today I came across a fantastic visual literacy website; The Literacy Shed, that offers animation that can be used within educational planning. In their Shed Full of Animations there is a fantastic array of animations to choose from to incorporate into lesson planning.

This animation; BROKEN: Rock, Paper, Scissors offers a wonderful insight for children into what it would be like if Rock, Paper and Scissors from the popular game, ever met.  The animation itself creates an awe inspiring atmosphere without words with the ambiance created through the fabulous 3D animation and atmospheric music.


 

The story line is gripping, a little scary and extremely moving which, in my opinion, will entice the viewers attention and create Identification, empathy towards the characters thus allowing the educator to embed many of the aspects of the curriculum such as P,S,E, Literacy, Creativity, Communication, Thinking Skills and ESDGC into this creative lesson.

 

The Literacy Shed offer these ideas into meaningful and thematic lesson planning for this particular animation which will cover most learning objectives in Key Stage 2 however could be adapted to Year 1 and 2 in the Foundation Phase, and supports outcomes required by the Literacy and Numeracy Framework.
 

Teaching Ideas

• Write character profiles for the 3 main characters.
• Compare and contrast the character traits.
• Write a description of paper from the point of view of Rock.
• Think about the game and how Rock could defeat scissors.
• Create a wanted poster for Scissors.
• Create models of each character out of suitable materials, e.g. origami for paper and clay for rock.
• Create setting descriptions for each character's home.
• Write the story from the point of view of each character.
• Write the dialogue between Rock and Paper when he tried to persuade her to come with him.
• Add tension to the narrative for the chase and battle scenes.
• Focus on story endings, starting when Paper wakes up. 
• Write 'Origins' stories for each of them, where have they come from? How where they created?

This web site really is a fantastic resource and I am glad that I found it.  Planning creative interesting lessons for children that will engross and interest the children is a key requirement for todays learners so they believe that learning is fun and is also invaluable to the practitioner to combine many curriculum requirements into one lesson. 

Watching animation to deliver a lesson however comes with many angles of learning and as Ploetzner and Schlag (2013) explain learning strategies must be developed for the learner to internalise and draw meaning from the animation.

Stories in the Making.

Creating a story board is the initial stage to creating an animation.  By doing this you organise your ideas and create a step by step plan to incorporating movement with sound.



 

By using this technique, as a group, we created a storyboard for our animation The Circle of Life.  Karen J Lloyd  explains that a storyboard is not simply a bunch of pictures, it is a form of communication that explains the process of an animation sequentially and in an organised manner.

 

With our storyboard completed we were then able to start creating our characters, organising audio through music and sound effects, choose backgrounds and decide upon movement. We decided to challenge our creative abilities by using clay for our stop-motion animation.
 

 

Our Storyboard

Our Characters

The use of a story board to  plan our stop-motion animation has enabled myself and other group members to plan the story, sound and movement.  This is an invaluable tool, not only as the group were able to make decisions prior to filming, it gave focus to the groups aim and encouraged debate, reflection, organisation and decision making.  We were able to brain-storm our ideas and compromise direction as well as delegate different tasks.

Reflecting on the use of a storyboard has allowed me to understand the collaborative work that has to be conducted.  Working as a team, sharing and decision making are all skills that the learner will construct as they bounce off ideas in a fun and interesting learning experience.

Making the figures was a very enjoyable. We used oil based clay to mould the characters as this was provided.  This type of clay is according to Stop Motion Softwear website the best for shape durability and movement.  Water based clay such as Play Doh will dry out and crack.  I made the baby, the grown man, the woman (including her growing tummy) and the stork.  I tried to make as much of each character out of one piece of clay, however with clothing it was quite difficult so with my characters the head, hands and legs or feet in the case of the grown man, were separately connected.  This concerned me as I thought that they would detach but after connecting them and trialling movement I was pleased that they remained connected.  I also found that balance was an issue so producing a figure with equal weight and out of proportion feet was time consuming and sometimes fiddly. 

Not being as experienced as some in creating models for animation I followed the advice given on a blog called Animation for Education which I found very useful.

 

When making models from Plasticine look for the following:

1- Simple, bold designs.

2- Large features which are easy to animate and bring to life.

3- Make sure the models can stand up on their own.

4- Make models large enough to animate and move.  (Animation for Education, Accessed 2014)

 

Global News: An Auditory Space.

Making an interesting sound recording which can grab the listeners attention with only using their hearing sense is a difficult task.  Within a group today we published a spoof recording of a news report for the class to peer review. Using the theme of news readers, myself and two others recorded a topical news report on Audacity.

This fun, hands on learning tool allows the learner to record themselves along with other sounds relevant to the theme that the learner has chosen.

This requires many skills including team work, communication, organisation and it also builds confidence.  During the lesson there was a learning buzz with laughter and team discussion as each individual organised and got into character.

On reflection of this activity I was interested to research further how sound in animation can change a viewers perspective of a character.  During our attempt at becoming newsreaders we instinctively changed our personas to become the characters that we were playing.  We became professional, clearly spoken with a tone replicated from what we hear of newsreaders on the television and radio attempting to make our characters credible.  This has made me realise that sound has a profound affect on the listener.

Collins (2013) explains how the use of sound in film and animation influences Identification, and Psychological Role-Play, where we understand, empathise and feel that we become the character on screen, in equal extent as the visual aspects of film and animation. The author argues that especially within animation, sound brings reality and credibility to the animation allowing the viewer to identify strongly with the characters.  The visual representation is also argued not to be the only space where a viewer identifies and experiences the story, but auditory space is as important when representing a the stories and characters of film. However, sound must be organised in a way that a camera would be and is a scientific process of auditory space.  Cleverly, sound, can create difference in scenes by using placement of microphone and speaker set up allowing a sense of distance, to make the viewer turn to view another aspect of the film, to create mood and develop auditory proxemics: volume to create empathy and identification.

Sound in film is a scientific and technical process that surprisingly has many strands. In the case of our topical news, many of the aspects of auditory experience were intuitive, however on reflection many of the different components that Collins (2013) argues could have been used to improve the quality and deliverance of our Global News coverage.

 

The Importance of Sound

'[Sound] is a magical thing...it is the thing that can add so much emotion...it's a thing that can add all the mood...It sets the tone...'         

 David Lynch

Silence can arouse emotion in itself, it can feel peaceful, mournful, lonely, moody or sinister, but in film can it mean the same thing?  If you have ever tried to watch something without the sound it can be quite boring and meaningless.  Sound in film, as David Lynch film producer states, can be 100% of the film itself.  Sound relays meaning and mood, giving the viewer a feel for the situation the film is portraying.  Reflecting on this I was reminded of the famous Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho shower scene.  This 1960's classic horror is filmed in black and white, a far cry from modern HD high specification colour films.  However this film is iconic and a perfect example of how sound sets a mood and conveys the emotion of a character.  Try watching the scene without the sound first, then watch it again with the sound, you can see and hear that the appropriate sound makes a tremendous difference to the film.







 

Knowles-Marshall for Film Sound lists three different types of sound that is used in film.

   

1. Voice

Voice adds personality and expression to film.  It can transfer feelings such as fear, hate, love, comedy or simply give dialogue to tell a story. 

2. Sound Effects

Synchronous sound effects will allow the viewer to hear a door opening while watching a door opening of footsteps crunching through autumnal leaves. Asynchronous sound is added to increase emotion or add a touch of realism to a scene.  For example the sound of cars beeping their horns could connote a sense of urgency and also give a realistic view of time of day.

2. Music

Music in film is not normally noticeable but can add mood and emotion to scenes. It can also be used to link different scenes together or be used to recognise the oncoming of danger or happiness.  Music can also be linked to a particular character or area of the set for instant recognition for the viewer.

 

Similarly, in animation sound is used to connote actions, emotions and pace within the story which makes the animation come to life.