Hayle project info

Techniques: Maya and Flash animation; Photoshop, traditional graphics; compositing and effects in AfterEffects; live footage.

Inspiration: First year illustration festival in Falmouth, later lead to thinking about illustrative/flat/graphic style in animation, lead to 2d approach with 3d technology behind it.

My role: Producer, responsible for animation/production part, animation, but changed throughout the production.

Distinctive, strong graphic style, different approach, being experimental, is the obvious good things about “Slipways”. Animation sequences flow well starting from the pop-up Hayle scene. Sounds are just enough to make people occupied but not confused.

I was positively surprised by my teams’ problem solving skills, particularly coming up with alternative methods of animating when necessary. Willingness to work even when frustrated with some of the outcomes and to make necessary compromises are among the definite pluses. I also predicted that different strengths (when using software or making visual judgements) will combine well in this production. Also ability to meet as often as possible and to work hard.

The main weakness of the project is probably the pace. It starts quite slow at first (although it flows very well afterwards) . Awkward mistakes with compositing have been made due to the little time allowed for post-production. In addition the leading character in the animation is doesn’t look as old as we intended ( but as good as we could get with very limited footage resources).

The project gave me an opportunity to exchange the knowledge with other members of the group, to work with the people whose’ work I liked, to be able to produce something more advanced (to put on my show real) in shorter period of time. I have learned more approaches and techniques from the other team members, in some ways improved some of my original style ideas. High quality work at the very beginning (every member tried to work do their best) has set a standard to all our work.

One of the good surprises was that the scenes (which were done separately according to the original storyboard and then put together) unexpectedly came together in post-production, even though there was no smooth transition put in-between them as was planned earlier.

Our goals were slightly higher for the timing we had, time pressed on some minor details/effects that were left to do after the main animation and never got done.

However among the positive things there are new techniques that I learned from my team-members and joy of working in a team.