Backgrounds:
In total I made 33 backgrounds for this film. Having put them together I see issues in how they flow at points, but having never made an animated film by myself before, let alone one with so much work in it, I can’t find it in myself to be disappointed with the final result.
The un-highlighted backgrounds weren’t completed- I reused certain backgrounds for close ups in the memory where there was a shallow depth of field.
I struggled with integrating the portrait asset into the character’s bedroom for a while. I changed it at one point so the background mirrored the first shot of the memory in the hopes of making the transition clearer, and after another few goes I think I got what I needed from it.
Before & after:
In designing this portrait I simplifed the ceremonial garb, removing the embroidery and high collar, to give the impression of a simpler time.
The final shot was also problematic. I couldn’t work out how to translate the storyboard panel so I tried for a wider landscape. I got it after a couple of attempts and some thumbnailing.
Assets:
To populate the house with art, I painted these four portraits that I could reuse wherever I needed a frame filled. To avoid obvious repetition I flipped them, recoloured them, tore them and cropped them. They’re all vague riffs on Gainsborough paintings, since I had a book of his work handy.
This is a wallpaper pattern I designed to add detail and texture through the house. I made it with a heart motif in mind to mirror the character’s locket and the film’s romantic themes.
I used it in the background for my opening credits (and my poster):
Portrait above the staircase:
Record asset:
I used a ‘ripple’ effect on the highlights in After Effects to make the appearance of finer grooves and subtle movement as the record spins.
Animation and Compositing:
I’m not a well-practiced animator, so animation was a challenge for me. That said, I surprised myself at times. Feedback was integral to the animation coming together. Regardless of my skill, with colour the animations really came alive which was very satisfying to see. Thankfully my plan of using still images and close ups as much as possible worked as I hoped it would and saved me a lot of time while still allowing the story be told effectively.
I had no experience with compositing, but I enjoyed it. I underestimated the contribution it would make to the cinematography of the film. Basic light, shadow and depth of field really elevated the visuals. My titles feel authentic too, which makes me very happy.
Editing and Sound:
I had to replace the sound I used in my animatics (they weren’t free use), but I think what I ended up with is better. I figured out how to slightly distort the score under the titles and the clock’s chime which adds more unease to the atmosphere and contributes to the feeling of age and mortality. Henry brought to my attention the unrefined transition in and out of the memory in my animatics, which I have remedied and made both smoother and more interesting. Inspired by Kitty Foyle (1940), which uses a snow globe as a frame to transition into the past, I did try to use the record more distinctly in the transitions (see below, 01:44 and 02:40), but I found this distracting:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v0mDlliRvjajNYB3DROD8e48vVwbLOZk/view?usp=sharing
In the end I decided to use a gentle crop-in to transition into the memory, and a blur and fade to black to come out of it and retain the solemn tone. I took the latter from Letter From An Unknown Woman (1947), which uses similar transitions to nice effect.
In all, I think I did what I set out to do and did it well in spite of the amount of work I gave myself, including the extra group work. There are areas I could have bettered had I more time, but I don’t see my film as anything to be ashamed of as it is: