Animation and Motion Graphics
“Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn” - Norman McLaren
The Greatest Showman
Opening Animation
A reimagined animated movie opener of The Greatest Showman.
It is one of my favorite movies as it gives people a sense of hope and inspiration. Thus, I have chosen this movie for one of my assignments of recreating a movie opener of an already existing film.
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The assets for the animated short were hand-drawn in photoshop prior to the animation.
The scene takes place in a circus, which is also the main location of the movie. The opener features the most important characters as their actors. The opener shall give a dream like feeling and atmosphere.
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The movie editing and animations were done in Adobe After Effects. Animations included:
particle effects
light animation
parallax effects
type animation
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Finally, the music and timing were added in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Matsuo Bashou
“A spring night
and with dawn on the cherries,
it has ended”
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The animation should give a sense of nostalgia and tradition. Thus, this soft colour palette was chosen to create this mood.
The story follows a couple, who recently visit the cherry blossom tree, and their life passing.
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It is a traditional frame-by-frame animation. The animation was done in Procreate and later edited in Adobe After Effects CC. All drawings and illustrations were drawn in Procreate.
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Music “Beautiful Japanese Music – Origami Master” by Brandon Fiechter.
Song: Origami Master
Album: China and Japan
Year: 2015
Music Copyright © Brandon Fiechter
Permission to use the music was granted
Sounds by Freesound.org
About the project
It is fascinating that one can find inspiration in the simplest things in life—for example: cherry blossoms. In this semester, I wanted to find out more about Asian cultures. Thus, I found the poet Matsuo Bashou who found his peace and inspiration in the little things. I have found a book with selected poems of Matsuo Bashou's that were translated by David Landis Bamhill.
He was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. He is also recognized as the greatest master of Haiku. His poems were influenced by his own experience of the world, often encapsulating the feeling of a scene in a few simple elements.
There is no official interpretation. Thus, the animation is a personal interpretation only. The poem could mean transience. Everything beautiful can vanish in the blink of an eye.
“I believe that fantasy in the meaning of imagination is very important. We shouldn’t stick too close to everyday reality but give room to the reality of the heart, of the mind, and of the imagination”
Hayao Miyazaki