The project “Animatricks” has conducted a survey on the operational techniques of storytelling through characters’ animation, analyzing the current methods of production and proposing innovative techniques derived from the paradigm of the new media. The results have been shared with a composite audience of academics, researchers, operators in high-level animation training, production companies . The project has turned its attention to the 3D animation techniques, because it can directly incorporate the most significant aspects of the new media paradigm.
The work methodology in the project were as follows.
animatricks
In the first step, teachers and researchers of CIRMA, with the help of technicians and animators of the Virtual Reality & Multi Media Park (VRMMP), have addressed a study about the description languages of the character’s actions, displayed using animation techniques. The study has laid the groundwork for a formalization of the process, so to be automated.
In the second step, during four months, we have produced a formalization as the basis for the implementation of an animation support software platform, which operates in real time through the characters’ behavioral repertoires including the immediate display of animated sequences produced by the combination of the archive animations. This phase was carried out by technicians and animators of VRMMP, with the advice of CIRMA the formal part.
In the third phase, along two months, using the software platform, authors and operators of VRMMP, under the supervision of the technical and advisory services of CIRMA, have produced a pilot animation. It represent the story of a girl intent on writing a letter, interrupted by a phone call from an admirer who she can not stand, after which she smells the smoke of something burning and she suddenly remembers that she was cooking something in the oven. She runs to the oven just to acknowledge the inglorious end of her dinner . This was the end of a bad day. The actions and emotions of the protagonist were recorded on the storyboard by the author, using a shared ontological resources. So, the animation was done using both traditional techniques and making neutral actions indicated on the storyboard and composing them by a software, called precisely Animatricks. Finally, the project has investigated the possibility that the characters could be driven by artificial intelligence engine, able to plan their actions, which were then translated into animations by Animatricks program with a sophisticated communication protocol between the IA and planner software animation.
The last phase of the project was dedicated to the organization of the presentation of the results in a workshop / conference Dec. 15, 2009 entitled “Animatricks: Originality and repertoire in the animation production”, at the Auditorium “G. Quazza “of the Faculty of Education. We have involved academics and trainers experts in film and animation (Alessandro Amaducci, University of Turin – DAMS, Chiara Magri, Centro Sperimentale Film – Animation School), the animation company representatives in the area (Franco Bevione, Lumiq Studios, Stefania Raimondi, Enarmonia, Francesco Testa, Lastrego & Testa) to a round table where the results of the project were discussed.