Illustration & Visual Narrative / Task 4 / Animated 1-Page Visual Novel

28.6.2023 - 16.7.2023 (Week 13 - Week 16)
Elysa Wee Qi En / 0355060 / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Illustration and Visual Narrative
Task 4 / Animated 1-Page Visual Novel

INSTRUCTIONS

Fig. 1. Module Information Booklet (5/4/2023)

Task 4: Animated 1-Page Visual Novel

For our final assignment, we had to create a one page comic with at least one animated panel. The comic is supposed to be based on the same story we chose in Task 3. We had to pick one of our acts and create a comic based on a section of the act. 

I decided to go with my second act and illustrate the moment the sailor was washed on board the second ship. 

Fig. 2.1. Idea sketches (15/7/2023)

I started sketching a general layout that I came up with and decided that I liked it, so I fleshed it out more to be able to trace it in illustrator. However I wondered if the readability or the understandability would be affected if the giant ship was on the right since it shows up before the sailor is washed onto it. So onn the very right you can see I experimented with a slightly different layout, but I ultimately decided that my original layout was better.

Fig. 2.2. Beginning of digitisation process (16/7/2023)

I started by creating the first two panels. I wanted to show both halves of the ship, so I drew out the whole ship and then used the knife tool to cut out the unwanted parts in order to keep the drawings consistent.

Fig. 2.3. Finishing the illustrations (16/7/2023)

Next was to create the giant ship and wave (I changed the waves much later on in the process), and to create the design of the sailor. I went with generic clothing that seemed slightly childish, as that's the impression that I get from the protagonist of the story by Edgar Allan Poe. 

Fig. 2.4. Animation process 1 (16/7/2023)

After I finished creating all the panels, it was time to animate. I decided to use After Effects for this step of the process, as I'm slightly familiar with it from other modules and it's an extensive program dedicated to video editing. I used the puppet pin tool a lot to animate the waves and splashes, as it allowed for a lot of control and freedom of movement.

For the waves and splashes under the mini ships, I adjusted the rotation values in the layers instead, as I made the ships sway using the same technique.

Fig 2.5. Animation process 2 (16/7/2023)

I used the wave warp effect to make the giant wave and waves under the giant ship continuously move. For the splashes under the giant ship, I again relied on the puppet pin tool. 

Like before, I fiddled with the rotation values of the giant ship to make it sway. After that, I did some final touches by changing the positions of some assets to make them fit together in the A4 size canvas (and move more smoothly and accurately), and I was done.

FINAL Animated 1-Page Visual Novel

Fig. 3.1. Final Illustrated Page (16/7/2023)

Fig. 3.2. Final Illustrated Page Outline View (16/7/2023)

Fig. 3.3. Final Animated Page (GIF) (16/7/2023)

REFLECTIONS

Experience
This final project was actually very fun for me. Although I was rushed for time, I think I managed to create something that I'm proud of and happy with. I've enjoyed video editing as a hobby for a while now, so I'm glad I was able to use my skills and experience with it and learn to use After Effects, as it's not the program I normally use. I have been anticipating this assignment since I read about it in the MIB. The idea for the layout also came to me quite easily, which I'm glad for. 

Observations
Splitting everything into a lot of layers is the key to having detailed animations. It makes it easier by splitting the layers in Illustrator rather than taking the time to mask everything in After Effects. That's not even possible for assets that are on top of each other, like the waves and splashes. A lot of layers were required, but it's because of how many layers I had that I was able to create such a lively animation with so many assets moving in different ways (and in different directions instead of all being the same). 

Findings
When you update the drawing in Illustrator, it actually automatically updates in After Effects after you save the Illustrator file. However, if you add layers in Illustrator, you will have to import the file again to have all the new layers. But the fact that it updates automatically if you change a layer you already have imported is so useful, as it saved me so much trouble of importing the file many times, as I changed the illustration a little as I was beginning the animation process.