Dukem Doodles Animation Blog

Success ...

2011-04-25T13:33:00.002+01:00

All scenes are now completed, fleshed, timed and edited. Now it is time for the inking process, or colouring in as it is known. I shall be removing all black outlines, replacing them with a darker outline of the block colour.

Issues ...

2011-03-31T15:01:00.000+01:00

I have encountered a rather large issue that is proving to be some bother. The scene where the character is charging at the screen with his gun is not as easy as I originally thought. I had not taken into account the background. At first I had it static, which did not work. Then I tweened the background to rise up as the character ran forward, this also did not work as the horizon should not move. I have now decided on just moving the wall into the distance to create the vanishing point, and allowing the character more movement.

Done?

2011-03-16T15:01:00.000Z

I have successfully completed the film by drawing everything ala stick man drawings. I will now be going back and fleshing them out, scene by scene. Yay!

Left right left

2011-03-02T15:00:00.000Z

I have begun research into military uniforms, deciding on a green (US-style) dress uniform and an olive (WW2-esque) uniform for the action scenes. I like the design, but also wanted to reinforce the paradox between the two worlds, this is an imagination and is not meant to have perfect details.

Behind every great man ...

2011-02-28T15:00:00.000Z

OK, so backgrounds can be a pain. I have been trying to create a moving background through drag and drop, but it doesn’t seem right. I am now trying out a motion-tween instead that is proving much more successful. I shall be using this for all the moving backgrounds.

Next .. !

2011-02-21T16:25:00.002Z

The inspiration/trigger point of my tale ... it's finally taking shape!

Riding the bus

2011-02-16T15:34:00.002Z

Facial animation ... anyone want to hazard a guess?

It's the little things ...

2011-02-16T12:36:00.003Z

Thank you for the comments on the last upload. Here are some ammendments, hopefully for the better.

Keep those comments coming!

Scooby-Doo Time!

2011-02-11T15:53:00.004Z

Inspired by those rolling backgrounds (as seen on kiddie cartoons), here is a walk cycle test that I have never attempted before.

The character will eventually reach a bus stop and hop on a bus ... with hilarious consequences.

Stay tuned to find out how it carries on!

Random

2011-02-04T14:58:00.000Z

I feel that my drawing is improving, the character too has evolved, becoming simpler but easier to manage. I will have to address my character development in response to this, and redesign him.

Bad times ...

2011-02-02T14:58:00.000Z

I have lost the file for my script. This has set me back as I have no back up what so ever, so today I shall have to rewrite it.

Developments

2011-02-01T14:56:00.000Z

I have altered the storyboard. I have removed the secondary character of the woman as I believe it to be non essential to the storyline. It is too personal to my own story, and I wish to distance myself from the piece as it is detracting from what I want to say.

Colouring in

2011-01-30T14:59:00.000Z

First experiments with colour have proved interesting. I have decided to lose the black outline of the character and scenery, and use a cell shade technique instead. I feel it makes the piece look more natural, yet abstract at the same time, particularly with the blue.

Remember me?

2011-01-27T16:13:00.003Z

After a massivelty prolonged absence, DukemDoodles is finally back! Here is the first 10 seconds of my final film project, only 3 days work ... ouch! Flash is a new program for me, and drawing directly into it is by the far the most alienating experience I have had in this course. Any way, let me know what you think!

Still going

2011-01-23T14:56:00.000Z

I am still sticking to the program; it is proving to be a lot faster than drawing everything by hand, scanning it in, and then editing it. I am doing all of that at once by drawing straight into Flash. I may become a convert yet.

Day one ...

2011-01-12T14:54:00.000Z

I have begun use of Macromedia Flash MX 2004 program today. I am not completely confident with the program, so this will be a steep learning curve. I have only used a pencil to draw before, now I am using a graphic tablet. The transition is different and confusing; I am finding it hard to get the correct effect.

Sheila

2010-06-05T08:02:00.002+01:00

This is my first piece of professional work, thanks to Jo Fletcher at the National Dance Company, Wales. It is being used in part with a dance piece for their Alternative Routes festival, and is being performed at the end of June.

The music has been used without permission.

Check out my other videos on youtube.com!

2010-03-15T16:09:00.003Z

BAM! Right in the kisser ....

2010-03-15T15:53:00.002Z

Rocketing through it now!

2010-03-11T15:43:00.003Z

The New Logo!

and here is a bit of new footage too!

more new stuff?!?

2010-03-11T14:02:00.002Z

New stuff!!

2010-03-11T13:18:00.003Z

Bouncing

2010-03-09T14:07:00.002Z

A quick heads up . . .

2010-01-05T16:11:00.003Z

So, I have one week left for the storyboards to be in, two weeks left for the 1 minute film to be ready and I have one week off work . . . here is a tiny update of some of it!

This video is a rough cut of part of the one minute film, rough cut being the operative word!

As for the storyboards, well they are all in a physical state and n ot yet available on the computer. Stay tuned for more info folks!

2009-09-10T13:45:00.002+01:00

1st Trailer for Dog Animation

(Title is a work in progress)

Please let me know what you think, and remember there is more to come!

. . . Still Alive

2009-09-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

Massive apologies to the folks who come and check out my blog. Firstly thank you for taking the time to swing by, and secondly I have been working on new material.

I shall be uploading sneak peaks as and when I am able. The main piece I'm working on is inspired by the newest member of my family, Jackson. He is around 12 months old, fairly quiet when he is getting his own way, and he has the darkest hair.

Oh, and he is a dog. A dog that loves to chew and leave devestation in his wake whenver he is on his own.

Stay tuned and keep leaving feedback, it is the only way I can learn!

Drip, Splat, Boing - Realising the dream!

2009-02-02T17:54:00.000Z

Well, this is it! The Film in all it's finished-ness.

It's still a little rough around the edges, but I think it'll do for now.

Feedback from the film came with the comment of "strong animator".

Let me know if you agree with it!

The Global Game Jam 2009

2009-01-31T17:47:00.006Z

Work began today on Newport University's entry into the Global Game Jam 2009, and thanks to some awesome connections and a big help from Alun Powell I managed to get on the production team. I designed the sprites for the game, all located below, and fingers crossed may end up with a shot at the Microsoft Imagine Cup this year!

Anyway, check out the basic sprite models bellow and let me know what you think. Whipped out over the space of a couple of hours, there is nothing special there, but it should do the job.

If your interested in The Global Game Jam, check out http://globalgamejam.org where you can actualy watch the Newport team hard at work until the competition closes!

The Titles Are Now Rolling!

2008-12-15T20:57:00.000Z

So here is the beginning of the film . . . made at the end. It has a Terminator 2 / T1000 feel, but I like the humour of it all the same. I had planned to have a comic book bomb fall from the sky to take out the middle man, to coin a phrase. I later scrapped the idea as I couldn't get the explosion right.

Old Man Walk

2008-12-08T22:19:00.000Z

This was an observational test of an old pimp on youtube.com. I couldn't finish it so I had him melt. Awesome.

Ouch Test 4

2008-12-01T22:23:00.000Z

Adapted to fit in with my second lip synchronising test.

Ouch Test 3

2008-12-01T22:16:00.000Z

At last, a new form of walking, the strut! I think this guy deserves the hit.

Pushing Boulder

2008-11-24T21:59:00.000Z

Another charcter puninshment, this time in the shape of a huge boulder. It will be adapted to fit into the film narrative.

Lip Sync 2nd Test

2008-11-17T13:52:00.000Z

Lip syncronising - take 2. Works a bit better when the head is moving and reacting.

Space Hopper

2008-11-10T21:56:00.000Z

The Space Hopper, also known as the bouncing ball. The most time consuming element here was the bouncer himself.

Lip Sync Test

2008-11-04T01:31:00.000Z

Today resulted in my first practice at lip synchronising, unfortunately the wav. file seems to have been corrupted so it sounds quiet and awful. Still . . . 'let God sort 'em out'.

Throwing Test 2

2008-10-27T20:54:00.000Z

Slight adaptation to the throw, an attempt to turn the throw into a cycle.

Throwing Test

2008-10-20T21:49:00.000+01:00

My attempt at an observational test, watching a video of somebody throwing a ball.

Ouch Test 2

2008-10-13T22:11:00.000+01:00

Here we go again, new test, same trick. Except this time, he recovers . . . kind of.

The Ouch Test

2008-10-07T00:45:00.000+01:00

This is my first attempt at hitting a character in the back of the head with a ball.

It's main test properties evolved from a walk cycle into a bouncing ball, including his head.