nature_girl2008

Over the last day or so I have produced a few more concept pieces about the Insect Circus. I was able to get in touch with the company to discuss my ideas. I feel happy with the way that things are progressing and would soon like to begin working on a storyboard idea. Have also had more thoughts about possibilities for theoretical exhibition spaces and interesting ways in which the animation could be presented.



I have also been looking at using different media and film masking which would mean that any animation could be viewed in different shapes, not the usual square 4:3 or 16:9 frame that people are used to. Scale is also another aspect that I will be giving a lot of thought to, as well as practicality.



As far as my self negotiated project is going, I have been mainly carrying out research by looking at journal articles and books about board game psychology. I am intending to do some more recording of my family talking about games this weekend so that I have more material to analyse and storyboard.

ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

This week was a busy one! One of my house mate's birthday was this week and I painted a picture for her as a present.



I also made a big, gooey, chocolatey cake which got quite melty in the sun but still tasted good none the less.

On Thursday I went to Southwold in Suffolk to see the wonderful 'Under The Pier Show' permanent exhibition by Tim Hunkin ( www.timhunkin.com ) . After going to Tim's talk at NSAD a couple of weeks ago I felt that I would like to visit the pier and it was definitely beneficial to see with regards to my current project about creating an animation for theoretical exhibition. The interactive sections were enjoyed by the whole party including myself. Below is a photo Tim and myself got from using the 'Expressive Photobooth' which does a myriad of unexpected things to you whilst you are sitting waiting for your photo to be taken.



We also picked up a couple of postcards (Joseph Southall - Parasols, Southwold, 1923 & Ronald Rutherford - Southwold, 1978) while we were there but I also took a few photos which are yet to be developed.



Also enjoyed a trip to the Castle Museum in Norwich with Mhairi on Wednesday to look at problems that you can be faced with when displaying animation in public which was interesting and informative. Have also enjoyed learning new things as part of the Graduate Teaching Assistant program this week. Went for the usual drink and curry on Friday. Have been getting to grips with some ideas for the Insect Circus project today and also taking a nice walk around the city and the river in my new dress. Saw some huge fish and tried to take a photo, which I doubt will come out well...

Now going to go and watch a program about wildlife in China and maybe some Indiana Jones later.

ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

These are a couple of postcards that I picked up at APE (Alternative Press Expo) in San Francisco last year that I really liked. The first is APAK - Little Sanctuary and the Second is by Jen Wang.



I've also got some more life drawing pictures from last weeks session.



Lastly, I found the old insect book that my Dad used to show me when I was younger. I'm hoping to use some of the images from it as inspiration and reference material for the Insect Circus project. I'm also going to get in touch with the company today to hopefully find out if they approve of my idea.




Had a lovely weekend, went for a walk by the river on Monday with Tim and took lots of photos (digital camera is next on my shopping list, along with a 'We Love Katamari' T-Shirt). We also had a look around the Cathedral as I have not been in there since I was about 8, and then had a gentle stroll home in the beautiful weather. Had a couple of friends over for tea (roasted veg, cous cous, salad and a reasonable amount of alcohol), played cards (with the cards shown below, that Tim and myself spent about an hour cutting out!) and some Katamari on PS2.



ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

A few more life drawing images:




Went to see my family today, had a delicious prawn stir fry for dinner. Really would've liked to get to the cinema tonight but we did go and see Iron Man last night which was very entertaining and Tim definitely had a good time geeking out.

Tim also found that Bryan Lee O'Malley got a mention in The Guardian Guide today which is always nice to see.

Not much to say really. Here are a few examples of life drawing that I have done over the last couple of months.






More to come soon, the uploading process has become tedious now.

My evening job has become extremely stressful recently partly due to new things having to be learnt, partly because I was off ill for two days and in that time everyone else seems to have picked things up, I, unfortunately, am left feeling like a tool.

On a brighter note I am really enjoying my idea about making an animation based on the Insect Circus, feeling more motivated for looking into board game psychology for my Self Negotiated Unit and becoming slightly more confident about writing a good Masters Project Proposal.

ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

Hopefully I'll be going out for my friend's birthday tomorrow. I say hopefully because I am not well again. I took the day off to try and recuperate as I have to teach life drawing tomorrow and don't really want to miss it. The pictures above are of my friend Becky. I tried out putting some colour on one as I was considering painting a bit of pink on the final picture but in the end I just went for the black and white version as I think it's a bit more classy.

Went to see Henry V last night for St George's Day, it was good fun and very hammy. Have spent most of today feeling sorry for myself and sneezing. How annoying. I want to be fit and well tomorrow so that I can work hard at NSAD and party hard in the evening!

Yet more attempts to use the graphics tablet, and to add a cheesy gradient background (I find it helps when I'm colouring). Not really much else to report apart from that I'm going to see Henry V tomorrow, there is a hog roast as it is St George's day and I have the night off work, yay!

This weekend has been ups and downs. Still managed to do some work, worky work and fun work. I've done another Insect Circus inspired piece, the Wasp Tamer.

I also worked on a picture of Trivia Lad and Nature girl. These are our alternative crime fighting secret identities, or just nicknames...


ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

One of my ideas for my next MA project is to make an animation for the Insect Circus. I went to see it last summer and found it really interesting, the museum was also very good and full of wonderful little pictures, articles and models. I intend to get in touch with them and see what they think about my project idea before I begin. I've started doing some research and have drawn this quick sketch of a Mayfly Acrobat today.


ALL INSECT CIRCUS RELATED INFORMATION IS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL CONCEPTS CREATED BY THE INSECT CIRCUS AND REMAINS IN THEIR COPYRIGHT. THEIR WEBSITE CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.insectcircus.co.uk/index.php

I've finished the picture! The background is another matter, I don't really like it but it'll do for now. I'm pleased with the rest and it has made me more confident with my graphics tablet and also using different photoshop brushes. Looking forward to going out for a Wagamama meal tonight if I feel well enough.

Today was my first back at NSAD after the Easter break. In the morning I did some experimental animation by painting and drawing directly onto 16mm film. I got back my results for my Web Elective project, I passed but I need to work on my critical evaluation skills. I'm just pleased that I passed. Although today has been fairly good in fact, I have felt a little out of sorts for some reason. I took the night off of work to go to a lecture but then ended up feeling too ill to go anyway which was frustrating, I am not an ill person!

Despite feeling annoyed with myself and my course today I feel that I have began to start thinking about my work more again. I really needed the break over Easter to sort out some things in my head and I'm hoping I can come back now with fresh ideas and motivation. I came up with the idea of doing an animation for the insect circus for one of my projects this semester and I think it will be fun, especially if I can get it displayed at some point.



Anyway, I have also done some more work on my picture. It is nearly finished now, I just need to tidy up some things and possibly add a background? I'm not sure yet.

I've done some more work on this image and here it is;



Also I've been working on a playlist that is going to be played on local radio (my housemate works there) and here that is;

Bryn – Vampire Weekend
Can’t, Won’t, Don’t Stop – Beastie Boys
Cellphone’s Dead – Beck
The Engine Driver – The Decemberists
Flyswatter – Eels
How Soon Is Now – The Smiths
Liquid Bird – The Beta Band
Mine’s Not A High Horse – The Shins
They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon) – Sufjan Stevens
Voodoo People (Pendulum Mix) – The Prodigy
Chemical World – Blur
Gigantic – Pixies

I've been meaning to use my new Wacom tablet for a while now and I've been practicing with this picture, not sure how happy I am with it at the moment, but I'm definitely learning something! Anyway, this is how it looks at the moment.

I've been so bogged down with MA work recently that I feel I haven't had the opportunity to do anything for fun, I enjoy my course work but it's nice to do something different. So, I'm currently working on pictures of capibara and such. Here is a research sketch and some other designs.

Web Design Elective: Thursday 06/03/08

Since my last post I have been finishing off adding all the content to my website, such as images, movies and text. I have made progress with the scripting on the game sections, the Fuzzy Felt game is now working as I hoped. However, I am still running into problems with the Hama and Tiddlywinks games. While I have been able to achieve copying and dragging elements I am still having trouble when it comes to duplicating the original image so that it may be reused. I hope to resolve these issues before the project has to be handed in next week.



Self Negotiated Unit 01: Thursday 06/03/08

After having completed the filming for this unit last week I began to work on editing the clips and working on matching up the lip sync to the visuals. I decided to produce two slightly different versions of this piece as I felt that the timing felt a bit slow on the original. I have carefully cut a few sections to hopefully make the film a bit more snappy and fluid. Now that I have this piece completed I intend to focus on collecting together the work that I have produced and presenting it ready for the assessment deadline next week.




Sound Expression and Narrative: 06/03/08

Over the last week I have made a great deal of progress on this project. I was able to use many of the sounds that I recorded at home in my main project. I was also able to quickly re-record any sounds that were either too quiet or had too much background noise in them.

I have spent time correcting the levels of the sound clips and adjusting them so that they fit the narrative of the film clip I am using and appear to occupy the space that is created visually. The mixing process has also involved adjusting volume and pan to create an interesting dynamic range and also syncing up the sounds to events that are occurring on screen. I plan to continue working on this project, as there are still areas that need adjusting before the hand in date.


Web Design Elective: Tuesday 11/03/08
Unfortunately while I have been able to get the Fuzzy Felt game working on my website design I have not been able to get the scripting right for the Hama and Tiddlywinks pages. I have had a tutorial with Ella to try and resolve the problems but this was not possible. I am still pleased with the way that the site has turned out and even though I may have been too ambitious in trying to include interactive games when I have had no previous experience of working with Flash I am glad that I attempted it. It has given me a better understanding of the complexity of the scripting process and made me more aware of the planning involved in creating interactive games for the Internet.

I am glad that I decided to take this elective unit as I feel that it has given me a better knowledge of web based publication, which I will definitely use after I complete my course. It was also good to work through the process of putting my animation on the site, as this is also something I hope to do in the future.


Sound Expression and Narrative: Wednesday 12/03/08

Over the past week I have continued to work on adjusting levels and arranging my sound project. I feel that it is now at a stage that I am happy with. I had some problems with limiters but these have now been resolved and the final mix sounds a lot better. I have exported the soundtrack and added it to the clip so it now plays as a QuickTime Movie.

I feel that this unit has given me a much better understanding of the technical and creative elements of sound design. I feel far more confident with the equipment and programs used, although I have still had a few difficulties and hitches while using Logic.


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Wednesday 12/03/08

In the lead up to the completion of this unit I have been editing together the main film that I produced for this project. I have also been preparing my preparation work by collecting together and editing my footage of interviews and organising my paperwork into a portfolio. I have used a common presentation theme for all of my projects so that they will look professional and well thought out.

This unit has given me a great opportunity to explore my own creative practice and gain better focus and insight into what I would like to do for my Masters project over the summer. At this stage I feel that I would like to develop this idea further and build on the skills that I have learnt over the past few months.

Web Design Elective: Sunday 10/02/08

I have completed design sheets to establish the content and layout of the pages I hope to create and this has enabled me to gather the materials that I need in order to begin production. I have made the decision to scan real elements that I will be using rather than drawing them as I hope to give the site a child like, home made quality. Currently I am at the stage of compiling all the separate elements that will be included on each page such as films, pictures and buttons. I intend to bring all these parts together using Flash over the next week and have made mock ups of how the pages will look using Photoshop.


Sound Expression & Narrative: Sunday 10/02/08
I have decided to use the animation that I produced with Sophie during the collaborative project to create a soundtrack for. I hope that by doing so I will be able to experiment with sound and create a complimentary audio track for the film. There are two very distinct locations portrayed in the animation and also a transitional section between both parts. My aim is to make a track that shows the differences between environments but also gives the film a more unified narrative. I think that by working on this film I will find many opportunities to experiment with different approaches to sound design.


Web Design Elective: Thursday 21/02/08
Since my last post I have made a good amount of progress on the website. I have scanned all the elements that I need to import into Flash including Spirograph patterns that I have created and Hama bead designs. I have also produced two looping animations to feature on the site, one of a rooster to demonstrate Etch A Sketch and another of spinning Spirograph patterns to be integrated into the page.

I have now imported and set out all of these elements in Flash and have set up the buttons on each page so that they will navigate to the correct destination. I am currently working on the scripting for the interactive parts of the webpage, such as the games using Fuzzy Felt and Tiddlywinks.


Sound Expression & Narrative: Thursday 21/02/08

Although I initially chose to use the clip that I animated with Sophie, I have now chosen a different clip to work with. The initial clip would not have enabled me to fulfill all of the aims that were set out in the brief for this project. I am now working on a clip from a music video; 'Ankle Injury' - Fujiya & Miyagi directed by Wade Shotter. The video is animated using dice and stop motion techniques. I have decided to replace a section of the soundtrack with sounds that have been solely created be recording noises made by dice. For example: throwing dice onto different surfaces, shaking them in different containers and recording them in different environments. Once I have gathered these sounds I will then adapt and arrange them to accompany the visuals in the clip.


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Thursday 21/02/08

After continuing to explore and storyboard clips from the interviews I have gathered I made a decision about which one I wanted to make into a short piece of animation for this unit. I have continued to refine my storyboard for this idea in preparation for animating it. I have also collected all the materials that I will need to use, Lego, Scalectrix and a Brio train set, as well as selecting and evaluating all the sections of the sound clip that will need to be animated to show lip sync. I am ready to begin filming and have booked in to do so on the 27th and 28th next week.


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Thursday 28/02/08
I have spent the past two days filming the animation for this unit. This has included footage of Scalectrix, Lego and a wooden train set. I have used these materials to create characters to animate as well as taking advantage of being able to assemble and take things apart. I am pleased with the way the animations have turned out in their initial state and look forward to adding the soundtrack to go with the lip sync and also fine tuning other areas during post production.

I am thinking of experimenting with different backgrounds and I will possibly look at putting different types of flooring behind the animation so that it appears as though it has been left in some ones house. These backgrounds will also help to establish the era of the games or the speakers.


Sound Expression and Narrative: 29/02/08
Today I had a tutorial with Barnaby Templar about my sound project. Although I feel a little disapointed that I didn't have more to work to show due to changing my clip, I found his advice very helpful. He suggested that although I only want to use dice noises to create the soundtrack it would also be worth looking at objects that made noises that sounded like dice in order to achieve a broader range of effects. He also felt that it while it was good to experiment with recordings, it would be a good idea to work out the timing for each scene and record some sounds that represent the effects that I want to achieve in order to help me when I come to editing the mix.

This weekend I intend to make some rough recordings at home to help me get to grips with the timing of the clip.

Self Negotiated Unit 01: Friday 25/01/08
I have been recording sound for this project and have collected a variety of examples to analyse and eventually edit for use in the film. I have begun transcribing these sound clips so that I can select the sections that I think would transfer well into animation. I have also started to storyboard my ideas that have been inspired by the information that I have been able to record.

For this unit I hope to create a short animation from one of these ideas so that I will have a completed section that shows if the idea for making a longer film from different sound clips and materials would be effective. If this is the case I hope to make further shorts in order to produce a single, longer film using mixed media. I have chosen the sound clip that I will be working from initially and intend to analyse the sound so that lip sync may be possible when animating. I have also started collecting the materials that I will use in this sequence.


Web Design Elective: Friday 25/01/08
My initial idea for creating a website is to make one that is influenced by the same subject as my self negotiated project. I hope to produce a site that looks at children's games, especially ones that have creative features such as 'Etch A Sketch', 'Spirograph' and 'Lego'. I aim to produce some simple animations to incorporate into the design using a combination of flash and stop motion techniques. I also feel that games lend themselves to this idea and encourage users to want to be more interactive with the website. I am looking into the possibility of having simple interactive games and menus based on the type of game that each individual page is focused on. I am currently working with these ideas to create a visual map of the site I intend to build.


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Tuesday 29/01/08

I have been developing my storyboard ideas for this project over the weekend and have now decided which sound clip I will be using to produce a short animation for this unit. I am now able to start gathering the materials I will need for this.

I have also found that scanning in materials such as Lego blocks of Fuzzy Felt elements enables me to storyboard my ideas and create animatics or tests without needing to spend time filming in stop motion. I have produced a 10 second test using scanned in Lego to explore the range of expressions that are possible when using these materials. I am hoping that this method will make my working process more efficient. Although the effect that is created is not identical to how the film would look when filmed under a camera it is useful to work out timing.

Collaborative Practice: Friday 19/10/2007
This morning I had my first meeting with Sophie to talk about the project. We had a general discussion about the kind of things we would both enjoy working on and looked at different methods that we like to use. I was keen to work with Sophie because of her experience in using paint on glass effects and experimental techniques in animation. Our methods of working are quite different as I am more inclined towards pencil and ink styles, I felt that it would be good to work together to combine our contrasting styles into one film.

We mainly talked about how our experiences have influenced our previous work and used this as a basis for developing new ideas. The idea of travel appealed strongly to us both, I suggested that we could present stories about our travels and each develop some ideas from what we have been told by each other. We both share a fear of flying and talked about how we could show this visually. We both wanted to work together using mixed media and possibly look into the idea of linking our work through the methods used rather than the style of drawing.

Other ideas that we touched on were a journey or race using space hoppers (we did this for a charity event), making an advert or title sequence (motions graphics and animation) and making puppets based on our perception of each other.

We have arranged to work on these initial proposals and develop some storyboards for when we next meet so that we will be able to decide which ideas have the most appeal and potential.

Next meeting: Tuesday 23/10/2007


Collaborative Practice: Tuesday 23/10/2007
Met with Sophie to discuss what ideas we had had about the project since Friday. Both felt that the idea of journey was one that we most wanted to explore. Talked about the idea of colour and animation methods. Made story boards together and thought it would be good to have an object that would guide the viewer through the environments that we want to portray, a seed or feather could be a possibility.

We would like to animate using paint techniques and have transitions that are sound, environment and colour orientated. For example, heat waves dissolving an image into another, paint colours mixing together or the sound of dripping water combining with visuals of droplets distorting the pictures.

The next time we meet we are going to present to each other photos, films and stories from our travel experiences so that we may start to develop what images we will be animating and how they can blend together.

Next meeting: Tuesday 30/10/2007


Collaborative Practice: Tuesday 30/10/07
Met with Sophie to present ideas, photos, film and our personal travel experiences. After this we talked about which elements we want to incorporate into the film. Decided on an initial time limit of 10 seconds each that will combine to make a 20 second film. Sophie will be mainly looking at San Francisco landmarks (Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Lombard St.) and Vancouver (Native art, Sea life). I am going to develop ideas about Sophie's time in Africa and her work with The African Children’s Choir. I would like to include elements of dance and also wildlife.

When we meet next we have arranged to show a storyboard of our proposed film and work with these to develop the way in which the transition between the two films will work. After this we will refine our storyboards ready for production and research the material we wish to portray.

We have also arranged a date that Sophie is able to come and animate at NSAD.


Collaborative Practice: Sunday/Monday 4-5/11/07
I have been working on storyboards for the collaborative project today and yesterday. The main areas that I have focused on are water, dance and nature. I have incorporated ideas for transitions between shots into the timeline and I will carry out research into methods of paint on glass animation in order to try and realise how I will be able to produce the effects that I want.

I hope to give the film a fluid and gentle feel, but also colourful and lively. With regards to the sound design, I hope to use foley sounds to change the atmosphere between different places, but I am not ruling out the use of music at this stage. These are areas I will discuss further with Sophie when we meet tomorrow.

Have also been thinking about ideas for the first self-negotiated project and plan to visualise my ideas in the coming week.


Collaborative Practice: Tuesday 06/11/07
Met up with Sophie. We looked at each other’s storyboards and talked about how they would be realised in paint. We also decided to cut out certain elements as we felt that the amount of material we had would not fit into our time limit of 10 seconds each. We looked at how we would blend the films together but how we also wanted them to have an individual feel. Sophie is working more on a natural flowing animation whereas I am going to focus on patterns in nature using certain stylistic devices. We have planned to use cut outs for parts of the animation and will layer up moving painted backgrounds during postproduction.

Next meeting will be on Wednesday 14/11/07 to begin filming. Before then I am going to organise paints and set up for animating. Sophie will be animating first.


Collaborative Practice: Thursday 08/11/07
I have been working on my ideas for the project and thinking about how I will go about animating and making preparations. Had a tutorial with Suzie and discussed key areas such as the reason behind doing the project, how I am collaborating with Sophie, what the final outcome will be and how to assess the success of the project. Talked about organising time regarding the animation process and producing an animatic in preparation.


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Friday 09/11/07
I have been thinking about my self negotiated project for a while now. I have decided to look into making a film based on games that people play when they are children, focusing on games with creative elements such as Etch-A-Sketch and Spirograph. I am going to make animations based on people's experiences of children's games shown using the game that is being spoken about. I intend to interview people to use as part of the films. I would like to experiment with a range of materials and techniques when making these films.

I am aiming to use this unit to investigate how I am going to realise this in film form to produce a selection of short animations based on the interviews I record, perhaps about 10+ seconds for each film. I would like to develop this further after this unit is completed into a longer film made up of these short films using a wide range of different people, materials and games.


Collaborative Practice: Week 12/11/07 - 19/11/07
Over the past week I have been mainly making preparations for filming the collaborative project. Animating was due to begin; however this was put on hold as Sophie had a minor car accident (she's okay!) and was unable to begin filming. We have rescheduled so that Sophie is now animating this Wednesday. I have spent the week finalising my storyboard, researching animating methods and gathering materials in preparation.

Today I have been helping to set up the area that we will be using to film. I hope to carry out some tests tomorrow so that everything is ready on Wednesday and Thursday.

I have also spent time working on my self-negotiated project by researching the ideas I hope to incorporate. After this week I hope to begin interviewing people for this project.


Collaborative Practice: Week 20/11/07 - 27/11/07
The majority of the filming and animating has been done by Sophie and myself this past week. I began tests last Tuesday, which produced successful outcomes. On Wednesday Sophie began her animating and we worked together to tackle unforeseen problems that arose while we were filming. We made a few storyboard adjustments together and altered the look of some scenes in accordance to how the other person felt it should appear. I have continued to work on animating my part of the project for the rest of last week and the beginning of this week; we are both currently on schedule.

After the initial filming has been completed we will both be compositing the images and editing as well as looking at foley to use on the final piece. I will be meeting with Sophie tomorrow to discuss any issues that may have arisen since filming last week and also to look at how we will progress with the project over the coming week


Self Negotiated Unit 01: Tuesday 27/11/07
Over the weekend I interviewed a few members of my family as a starting point to realise what kind of information I would be able to get for this project and how I would need to edit the sound to fit a short film format. I found that interesting information resulted from interviewing my two brothers simultaneously as memories of childhood conflict became apparent, such as building things only to have them taken apart by the other sibling. I had not previously thought of this but I feel I would like to find other examples to portray.

This initial information will be useful in helping me to think about getting a wider variety of responses from different people and to make me consider how the interviews can be portrayed through animation. I would also be interested to see if certain topics arise repeatedly in order for my film to feel that it has an ongoing theme rather than just a series of unrelated clips.


Collaborative Practice: Tuesday 11/12/07
Over the past week I have begun work on postproduction of my piece of animation for this project. I have been painting cut outs that will be used in the film, and also preparing the shots that I have taken for compositing in After Effects. I have met with Sophie and we have discussed the work that we have done so far. Sophie's animation is in a more advanced stage of production than mine currently, but there are a few issues with the aspect ratio and end transition between the two halves. These are the issues that we will be looking to address next. We will be meeting on Thursday this week, 13/12/07.