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Kaka’s Clayground: Review

Event: Kaka’s Clayground - An interactive session with Dhimant Vyas
Organised by: The Animation Society of India (TASI)
Date: 2nd May, 2010
Venue: Pelicula Auditorium, Whistling Woods International, Mumbai

image courtesy: Dhimant Vyas & Aardman Studios

Dhimant Vyas aka Kaka is a much-loved veteran of animation and his sessions always guarantee a full house. So on Sunday, the 2nd of May, when the Pelicula Auditorium at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai was temporarily transformed into Kaka’s Clayground for an afternoon of fun, films and learning, the 300 strong audience got much more than they bargained for.

In a span of 5 hours, Dhimant took everyone on a tour of Aardman Studios, Bristol, Bath and Stone Henge, with Shaun the Sheep, Purple, Brown, Wallace and Gromit for company. The audience not only got a peek behind the scenes of many Aardman films but also into the rich culture of Bristol, with its assorted festivals - of kites, balloons, boats and much more! And of course, they learned about ‘clay animation’, ’stop motion’ and ‘go motion’.

TASI’s Joint Secretary Vaibhav Kumaresh, an accomplished animator himself, began the session by introducing Dhimant to the audience for the benefit of those who don’t know him (Although I doubt that there was any such person in the crowd). He promised the audience a ‘hot’ session, hinting at the popularity of the event and simultaneously lamenting the fact that the venue had a scheduled power cut. Luckily for the audience, eventually it was only the the session that was hot.

image courtesy: The Animation Society of India (TASI)

Having previously worked with the Aardman Studio team on ‘Creature Comforts’, Dhimant had been specially invited to work on the new episodes of Shaun the Sheep (currently being aired on Nickelodeon in India), which is how he found himself spending close to a year in Bristol, UK, at the Aardman Studio, working right from pre-production stage to animation.

Dhimant began by screening a few short clips, requesting the audience to refrain from taking any photos or videos as it was all copyrighted material. The agenda was to share his experience of working on two clay-animation TV series at Aardman Studios - ‘Shaun the Sheep’ and ‘Purple and Brown’.

image courtesy: Dhimant Vyas & Aardman Studios

After screening an episode of Shaun the Sheep, rather than just talk about how the films were made, Kaka chose to elucidate through photographs. This part was highly interactive with Kaka explaining in great detail the process of animating for Shaun the Sheep, the audience throwing a constant barrage of questions his way and Dhimant answering each one patiently.

He explained a new technique that he learned and used for the first time - Go Motion. It is similar to Stop-motion, where the objects are moved and captured frame by frame, but in the case of Go-motion, while the frame is being exposed, the background or certain elements on the set are moved, thus creating an illusion of rapid movement. E.g. The road and the bushes in certain scenes were animated using the Go-motion technique while the characters in the foreground were simultaneously being animated in Stop-motion. While the go-motion was being done on ‘ones’, the stop-motion was being done on ‘twos’.

The set for Shaun the Sheep was divided into 16 parts, besides which some sets were created and dismantled as and when required. Dhimant remembered one particular set where the glass window in one of the model-buildings was reflecting his face in many frames. They had to modify the problem part and Dhimant had to crouch each time they exposed a frame. The sets were large and sturdy, with metal reinforcement underneath facilitating the animators to actually walk over the models, some of which were expansive.

image courtesy: Dhimant Vyas & Aardman Studios

‘Shaun the Sheep’ had 3 directors, and multiple animators, each one assigned with assistants to help him or her. There are production coordinators, art directors, model-makers, set-designers, riggers, cinematographers, runners and a whole big team handling various responsibilities.

Dhimant showed visuals to explain the construction of the various character models, the mechanical rigs to show flying/jumping movements, props which were only partially constructed (on the camera-facing side only) to enable the animator to move parts freely from the other side. Few scenes were shot against blue or green screens or on glass surfaces. Most character models were created partly with clay and partly with stiffer silicone. The miniature props (everything from furniture to vegetables to houses and trees) were constructed from clay, wax, fiber glass, wood etc. The mouths of most characters were created using replacement parts to facilitate lip-syncing to dialogue. For this particular shoot, more silicone rubber was used than plasticine because it is more durable. The props are all made in-house at Aardman’s moulding facility and not outsourced because of copyright issues. The backdrops were either stretched canvas or cut-outs and matt paintings.

image courtesy: Dhimant Vyas & Aardman Studios

While watching the final film, we tend to forget the effort that goes into making stop-motion films. The maximum animation that can be achieved in a single day is 6-8 seconds but because of the complex nature of the shots, on many days only 2-3 seconds could be completed. All the hard work resulted in back problems for Dhimant and in some photos, one could see him animating while wearing a back support belt around his waist. Reshooting was a luxury they couldn’t afford because there was no time for it, so the animators had to constantly keep checking each shot.

Sometimes there are unexpected problems - like when the prop-makers created the wheels for the car without taking into consideration the fact that the wheels had to move in the scene and the result was that the motion wasn’t smooth and the wheels had to be remade.

The session was peppered with constant questions from the audience.

Q. “How do you control the light so as to avoid flicker?”
A. - “The lighting in the room you shoot in must be completely under your control. Block all natural light by covering the windows with black paper/cloth. Use a stabiliser/UPS to prevent lights from flickering. Ideally shoot at night when there are lesser chances of people switching lights on and off repeatedly.”

Q. ” Does Aardman Studios use proprietary software to capture the frames?”
A. - ” The software - Stopmotion Pro is used at Aardman, as it has a lot of useful features including onion-skinning, rig-remover, live-action syncing etc. They do interact closely with the folks who create the software.”

Next came “Purple and Brown”, and the film clips that Dhimant screened left the audience wondering how the animators had achieved such impressive squash and stretch in a medium like clay-animation. Dhimant revealed some of the tricks using photographs of the models and the animation process. Although replacement models were used most of the time, the animators still had to keep moulding and reshaping the models. There was no armature inside the models - they were completely made of plasticine. In one scene the characters wore little glass helmets and again they were faced with the problem of reflections. The glass and the plasticine kept collecting dust and finger prints so they had to constantly keep cleaning the surfaces. The mouth and lips of the characters were made on the fly so lots of spare parts were required. The model-makers are always at hand to fix any broken or deformed models.

Kaka then showed complete storyboards that were created for 2 episodes of Shaun the Sheep. The painstaking detail in each of them was astounding and bears testimony to the amount of effort goes into the making of each episode. Time flew as the audience got to see several episodes of Shaun the Sheep.

image courtesy: Dhimant Vyas & Aardman Studios

The audience was begging for more and Dhimant happily obliged by screening the Oscar-nominated “A Matter of Loaf and Death”. He also showed a few segments from the American edition of “Creature Comforts” - which he too had worked on during his first stint at Aardman Studio.

Dhimant showed photos of the armatures of the characters from “Creature Comforts” to give everyone an idea of the construction and the materials used. He also shared the slug-sheets used to mark the breakdown of dialogue and lip movements.

Some more Q&A followed.

Q. “How do you show liquids?”
A. “A variety of materials is used to show liquids - for instance the coffee in “A Matter of Loaf and Death” was made using clay mixed with jelly. Other materials include - KY Jelly, Petroleum Jelly (vaseline), White transparent plastic and Glue-gun drops.”

Q. “How does one learn timing for animation?”
A. ” Observation. And practice. Lots of it. Watch any good actor or actress from a live-action film by pausing and viewing them frame-by-frame. You will notice subtle movements and actions that you would otherwise miss. Make a mental note and use it when you animate.”

Responding to another audience question about the importance of the story in Aardman’s productions - Dhimant shared that at Aardman Studios, everyone is invited to contribute stories. Everyone from Nick Park to the peon can submit a story. A team then brainstorms on the selected story and further tweaks are made during the story-boarding process. The final word, though, belongs to the client - the company that has commissioned the film/series.

On Vaibhav’s request, Dhimant then showed a hand-drawn animation film “Raag Malhar”, which he had made few years ago - it was a brilliant example of timing in animation. He also stressed that as an animator, you never stop learning - he was learning something every day on the sets at Aardman.

The session ended on an inspiring note. Dhimant shared beautiful photographs from his stay in UK - Bristol, Bath, Scotland and even the glorious Stone Henge. Bristol is a city known for its festivals and the audience was given a glimpse into the Kite festival, Balloon festival, Harbour festival as well as an air show. Dhimant also showed pictures of the city of Bristol as seen from a helicopter, the Bristol Zoo and the brilliant wall graffiti across Bristol.

By doing so, Kaka revealed a little secret - the secret of his creativity. A keen interest in everything around, in arts, in people, in places. Travelling, observing and capturing in photographs and in his memory, every visual that he sees and storing it in his sponge-like mind, to be used sometime in the future, expressed through his art and in his animation. I do hope that these little pearls of wisdom were collected by those who were lucky enough to have the opportunity to play on Kaka’s Clayground. I sure did.

The TASI Team and volunteers - image courtesy: The Animation Society of India (TASI)

Bitten by the Festival Bug

The festival season is upon us and I don’t mean the religious festivals like Ganesh Utsav, Navratri, Ramzan and Diwali. I am talking about Animation festivals.

The season kicks of with the much-awaited and resilient ANIFEST INDIA ‘09, which battled the killer flying pigs (you know what I mean!!) to emerge a winner. Now slated for 18th, 19th and 20th of September, ANIFEST INDIA will retain its flavour and all its fantastic sessions except for those by Nate Wragg and Christian Krupa who had to return to the USA. Instead we have a super VFX bonanza from Sony Imageworks - Behind the Scenes of ‘The Watchmen’ and ‘G-Force 3D’. TASI has done a superb job of getting an assortment of topics together all at one venue - Anifest India ‘09 is being held at the Convocation Hall, IIT Powai, Mumbai. Registrations were closed in early August itself as the number crossed 1500 but spot registrations @Rs.400/- all inclusive might just be available if you reach early on the days of the event.
For all the details including sessions, speakers, timing and the TASI Viewer’s Choice Awards, visit www.tasionline.org

Next up is the week-long International Animation Day celebration by ASIFA India sometime in October-November. Every year, 27th October is commemorated as International Animation Day across the globe. ASIFA India has been celebrating the occasion with events held across various cities in India - typically beginning with an all-day event in Mumbai at NCPA where the Awards of Excellence are given out. While I’m still awaiting details about this year’s festival, the Call for Entries for the 8th Annual ASIFA India Awards of Excellence are open. For details, check out this link. Hurry, the last date is 13th September 2009.

Then from Oct 29th to 31st we have the second edition of Chitrakatha - An international student animation film festival organised by the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. What’s even cooler about the festival (besides the fact that you get to interact with probably the best talent in the country) is that it is being held against the beautiful backdrop of the NID campus. If you missed it the last time, make sure you don’t miss it now! They also have announced a call for entries - one for a student category and the other for teachers. Check it out here.

Make the most of it and don’t miss any of these celebrations of the Art of Animation!

Anifest Ahoy!! Get set for Anifest India ‘09

Come August, Anifest India will be back with more power-packed sessions, more fun and more learning than ever before. So mark your calendars and get all your friends and acquaintances who love animation to come down to Mumbai for the 2009 edition of ANIFEST INDIA.

Remember the dates: 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th August at the Convocation Hall, IIT Powai, Mumbai

The TASI committee has worked extra, extra hard and got some super-speakers all ready to share their knowledge with the Indian animation enthusiasts. Here is the basic information (click on the posters to enlarge) and if you want to know more, just go right ahead to the TASI website - www.tasionline.org

Three Cheers for ‘Yama and Moo’

After blog upon blog of cribbing about the absolute crap coming out of Indian animation studios, here is something that will bring a smile to your lips and make your chest swell with pride. A short CG animated film conceived, produced and executed by a young team of Indian animators. A brilliant piece of art, it is the result of a collaboration between Void Films and Frameboxx Incubation Center. Don’t take my word for it. See it for yourself and send your feedback. Enjoy!!

Learning from Waltz With Bashir

Waltz with Bashir

Well, from Ari Folman, the creator of this compelling animated documentary, actually. An interview with Marshall Fine of the Huffington Post, gives us a glimpse into the mind of writer/director Ari Folman who made this film against all odds and gained worldwide success. He has almost philosophical views on war, forgiveness and politics but those have no place here on an animation blog. What I really want to share here are 5 invaluable lessons gleaned from the interview with this unconventional film-maker. I hope our aspiring animators and film-makers who want to make their own films will take these lessons to heart.

Lesson No. 1: It is all in the story-telling

With a controversial but factual story about war combined with real, archival footage, who would have thought the film would catch the fancy of people across the world? A dark, disturbing subject like war has been tackled innumerable times before so what sets apart this film? The answer lies in the telling of the story. Can you create interest in the minds of the audience? Can you get them involved in the lives of your characters? Can you hook them, grip them, enchant them, make them suspend disbelief and lose themselves in your story? THAT is the power of story-telling, no matter what the subject is.

Lesson No. 2: Believe. In yourself. In your story. In the medium.

A lot of people questioned Folman’s decision to make a film on this subject. They felt his choice of medium was inappropriate as well. He did not have a background in animation either. But he believed. In the story he had to narrate, in the medium of ‘animated-documentary’ and most of all, in himself. The strength of his conviction ensured that the film got made.

Lesson No. 3: Never give up. Keep trying.

The task was daunting. The film was almost experimental and most people had rejected his pitch. Yet he went on undeterred. He not only worked on the film himself, he also went around trying to raise funds. He did everything possible to ensure the film was completed. He had a vision and a task. He went all out to make it a reality, not giving up even once.

Lesson No. 4: Innovate

Sure, there were problems. Unforeseen ones as well as expected ones. With a budget that was limited, Ari and his team reiterated the proverb - Necessity is the mother of invention. When you have a goal, you cannot let anything stop you from achieving it. Try with whatever is within your means but also push the limit whenever you can. Experiment, innovate, turn your shortcomings into advantages, push the envelope.

Lesson No. 5: Do it for YOURSELF

Folman did not make this film to prove a point. He did not make it to win accolades for the animation. He had a story that he wanted to narrate which he wanted to take to people across the world. He was not thinking of audiences or jury when he was making the film. He made it the way it best enhanced the story. He was focussed on the task at hand and gave it his best. That is something most of us do not do. We lose track thinking of the grand prize awaiting us at the finishing line. Do not make the film because it is your class lesson, or project, or perhaps your job. Do not do it for the ‘money’ or ‘awards’. Do it for your own sake - because you have a story that deserves to be told in the best possible manner.

I will leave you with the trailer of Waltz with Bashir and a parting thought. There is so much to learn from the experiences of others. Our animation/filmmaking students sometimes suffer because they do not have good teachers at their schools and institutes, but what stops them from learning outside the classroom?

A Big Thank You

Since the time I launched the AAA blog and website just over a year ago, I have tried to keep my readers updated as often as possible with information, announcements and news but lately it has been tough. Being the lone force behind AAA, I have juggled client obligations, work commitments and my updates on the AAA website and blog. When you are a writer, designer, editor, animator, accountant, marketing manager, PR person, event organiser and home-maker all rolled into one, sometimes you slip-up. I offer my loyal readers, friends and well-wishers my sincere apology for the times when I have delayed putting up posts or responding to comments, feedback and emails. Those of you who were unaware before that AAA is a one-woman team, now you do. So I hope you understand and forgive

Good bye 2008!

What a year it was, for Indian animation and for me personally as well. A roller-coaster year one may call it. Ups and downs, highs and lows. Memorable moments and some, unfortunately, ‘trying-hard-to-forget’ ones. A year that saw the launch of many new animation training institutes and studios, the formation of strategic partnerships, major acquisitions and tie-ups, a couple of announcements about new animated features/series and also the scrapping of highly-publicised, prestigious ones. A year whose first half saw more jobs than people but ended with the equation reversed - layoffs and yet more layoffs!

AAA Blog Makeover

A big hello to all my readers and hope everyone had a great Diwali After the website, now it’s the turn of the blog to go in for an image and content ‘makeover’. Over this weekend, I am going to make a few changes to the structure of the blog and also its appearance as over the past one year, a lot of things have changed and the blog has evolved as well. The aim is to make the blog posts more frequent, relevant and exciting. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the loyal readers who have patiently waited for me to update the blogs as and when I have found the time and have taken the effort to comment and discuss the posts. The new blog will allow a lot more interaction and perhaps together we, that is AAA and its readers, can make some impact on the Indian Animation Industry. Cheers to that!

Do remember to check out the new ‘avatar’ of the AAA blog on Monday - 3rd November, 2008. Have a great weekend!

Yours animatedly,
Akshata