Looking at house styles

Through time, stop frame animation has spawned many ‘house styles’. Despite sharing the same fundamental process, these styles are very distinctive in both their appearance and overall feel. The methods in which these types of animation are created and the assets used also differ from one another. I intend to research and mimic some of these styles before choosing one in which to create my final piece.

Whiteboard

Below are some examples of whiteboard animations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vZ0iqUS6sg  Video 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBhGczIxChM  Video 2

Original titles:

-Stop Motion | Whiteboard Animation: The Marker Maker

-a whiteboard animation proj001

Observations:

Assets used

-Obviously both animations make use of a whiteboard, other assets include a black marker and the animators hands. The black marker may be used because of the strong contrast it has with the white background, making the drawings more visible. The bold lines also match the very cartoonish elements found in both animations. The animators using their hands adds a 3D quality to what would otherwise be a 2D animation, this is effective because it makes the process seem more tangible (it efficiently communicates the idea that the animation is made using a whiteboard). A camera and lighting were also required for the making of these animations.

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How it was shot

-Both seem to have a camera in a fixed position so the animation can flow as smooth as possible without any jittering, they may have even had a remote so touching the camera wouldn’t have been required. Lighting would also have to remain stationary and consistent as well as the whiteboard itself. having these elements in place before shooting is essential because it removes the likelihood of a mistake and can let the animators focus primarily on the drawing.

-Both animations were able to incorporate sound into their narrative, this means the animators would have had to consider syncing audio.

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Aesthetics

-Very cartoonish and surreal visuals which are effective because of the freedom of 2D drawing. This also means it is easy to transition between styles in a smooth and natural way.

-One of its main strengths is the minimal style in terms of colour, the black on white stands out and easily focuses the viewers attention as there are no other assets or objects to distract.

-Can blend both 2D and 3D making the style quite unique. This also adds a sense of tangibility.