This is my application for 2018’s Chief Shopping Officer for Shopback. This year’s prize is SGD11,271 with variable bonus!
Basically this is the second year I’ve heard of it and clearly I haven’t “won” yet! But eh, let’s see if this year I can make it because the other application videos I saw were pretty good too.
Yes, that’s mystic messenger on the Christmas tree. Which has passed. Before the year is over, let me tell you about the animation techniques used in N.E.mation! 11.
Or at least the techniques used by my teams!
We all know it is a daunting task for all of them to finish a production in just three weeks but do you guys know why?
One second is usually 25 frames which means 25 ‘pictures’. Sometimes 24. But let’s just take 25 because that’s the standard video file frames.
So ONE minute is around… 1500 frames?!
How do they do it?
Well, for one, sometimes it takes 4 frames for one ‘picture’ so thank goodness for that because you can’t have the character moving around ALL the time, that will look weird. It’s all timing and calculation but ok, what DID my teams do?
This is a very interesting technique. I had not seen it in previous rounds of N.E.mation before.
It’s basically drawing the outline with WATER and THEN having red watercolour drip all over it. Something like batik but on paper and done on camera.
All these were just practice papers and takes a lot of accuracy to just get the tiny details.
This is legitly waterbending. Guiding the red watercolour to follow the transparent water colour and then capturing it on camera.
And remember… how many frames they need to finish a production.
This one is one of the ‘simplest’ techniques of animation when you’ve considered all the other stuff to go through.
Everything is fully done on the computer.
Drawing all assets like buildings, props and characters on individual layers and then making them ‘move’. This is 2d animating.
The only thing scary for this is if you don’t draw the things accurately and if your computer dies halfway.
If I was in a competition, I’d stick to this because it is the least scary although still intensive.
What if you aren’t making ‘new characters’ and are trying for something more realistic?
There’s ROTOSCOPING.
It’s 2d and in other words, it’s copying a video as a reference and drawing over it.
Sometimes rotoscoping has a more organic feel to it because the actions are ‘real’.
Tedious like heck though and you have to imagine parts and lighting for the parts that aren’t in the reference video.
Lastly, there’s stop motion.
One picture for a few frames and then you move something and record it and continue on.
Move something accidentally and you have to restart or scream if you have to redo a scene.
I find this nerve wrecking because it depends on constant light, positioning and hoping to heck that all your materials have at least a few copies in case you mess it up and have to redo.
The effect though is lovely JUST THAT SO MUCH TIMMEEEEEEE.
There you go.
This is what my teams had to go through, to make their productions which you shall all see next year! So, so much work.
Don’t forget to check out the teams in my previous posts!
It’s the fourth season of CiNE65 with the theme of Home ◠Truly.
Yep, when you say the theme, you know how the song goes.
It’s a short film competition organized by Nexus, Ministry of Defence and this time, with this time they hope to inspire more Singaporeans to reflect on their hopes and dreams for the nation.
TL;DR : Join it, it has an open and student category, you’re able to win prizes like $3000, Panasonic 4k camcorder, learning trip etc. You like making videos? Just join it.
It’s time to vote on N.E.mation!!
1. Select the checkboxes of 3 of your favourite clips on https://nemation.sg/
2. Fill in your particulars.
3. Click ‘submit your vote’ and stand to win prizes! (Ipads!)
4. Voting is from 24 January to 14 February 2016.
BY DUCK VADERS, YAAAY.
BY SPATIUM! HUZZAAAH.
SEEEEeeeee. Nice right? Anyway, there are 4 ways to vote too instead of just voting one way. You can vote for THREE teams so choose Duck Vaders and Spatium and one last one ok?
1) Website at www.nemation.sg
2) By mobile website, just go to www.nemation.sg on your phone.
3) On the facebook!
4) Or even SMS! Send it in the format: NE10 <space> WEB <space> C5, C9, C6 <space> NRIC <space> Full name to 76677
C5 is Duck Vaders and C9 is Spatium, the last C can be any other team.
Anywho, there was the picnic last week, while you guys might not have been there, it was quite a lively event.
If you guys haven’t known what N.E.mation is, it is a competition where the teams animate their stories according for the theme for this year. This year’s theme is Together We Keep Singapore Strong.
And all these teams, yes, they have to animate it themselves so besides having their instructors guide them, they have to do all these things on their own.
MEANWHILE, Duck Vaders are having a hot cocoa break. Week 2 and they are still cutting and folding their props for the animation.
Break OVEEER. Here they are learning how to make their characters have more depth by folding the edges.
And they were SO SCARED to mess up in folding because they had cut so many pieces so yes, it is just that one step to make it look better but so scary if they made a mistake since they’d have to make it all AGAIN?
That’s the stress part.
Of course, I’m not telling you how their story unfolds (HURHUR) for the team because that would be revealing too much but it’s certainly about all walks of life helping each other.
Children get mitten hands and adults have fingers.
Go figure.
And they have a cameo too! Perhaps you might spot it in the background when the final animation is ready for you to vote for Duck Vaders (#NE10C05)
All they have to do is to start their actual stop motion animation ONCE they finish folding their people.
But first, a dance break is needed.
And remember, VOTE FOR DUCK VADERS… When voting is out in a few weeks. Hahahaha.
Lastly…
Don’t forget to follow their Instagram.
You know how to sing it. Do you wanna make a short fiiiiilm? It doesn’t have to be a short film…
Anyway, I was invited to ciNE65‘s The Prologue, aka their launch of their commissioned films and the whole intro about season three for submissions to their competition!
This season’s theme is “Believing • Home”.
Sunday was my last run of the year. I took the 10 km Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore route. It was interesting and I passed by R2D2, C3P0 and some Star Wars characters running/walking for charity??
Anyway, I had to run fast because I had to go home by 10am.
Just so I could join the Gotham cosplay competition at Takashimaya when the registration started at around 12pm.
Yes. I ran in the morning, rushed home and went to my last cosplay competition of the year.
That was ridiculous BUT YEAHHH I DID IT.
And that’s why this post is short because, I freaking ran 10 km and then went to a cosplay competition.
Longer posts for next episode indeed!
It’s N.E.mation once more and this year’s theme is BECAUSE WE BELIEVE.
How can you win a trip to the USA? Well, this is how:
Click to enlarge the pic. The basic details are:
Really. If you have no idea how to start a story, they have guides like this Free online Story Workshop at http://nemation.sg/story/
WHY am I encouraging you to do this if you’re qualified to do it? BECAUSE IT IS SO, SO WORTH IT.
Besides the main prize of a trip to the USA, they usually also have so much more for the other finalists too and that you’ll get to see YOUR animation finished.
Not everyone can make a short animated story you know.
That was N.E.mation! 8 winners. Interestingly, they were my team! And you can see in the video that they had so much fun there. The prize, while being able to have an educational time learning animation from the studios, you will also get to go to fun places like Disneyland and museums.
I’ve been there before and really, it’s freaking fun.
So, do think about the theme “Because We Believe” with your friends.
Why is that the theme this round?
Singapore is what it is today because our pioneers believed in Singapore and were united by a determination to build a strong, secure and cohesive nation.
As we mark Singapore’s 50th year, it is a good time to reflect on the values, principles and convictions that will continue to shape the nation and the home that we want for Singapore and our future generations.
Yep, so do grab your friends and submit by this 15th August 2014 I believe it can be done with determination.
HUR HUR, it can be done BECAUSE WE BELIEVE.
If you can finish a story by the deadline, that means you might have what it takes to finish your animation by the deadline if you’re in the top 10.
Remember to check out the N.E.mation website to see if you are eligible and all the other small details! Or, check their facebook here too.
Plus… if you really want to know more of what other prizes there are besides the trip to the USA, you can check it here.
Just go. Do it. Don’t be shy. Don’t think you can’t do it. You can. And as you might say with your friends, YOLO.
I got invited to the media meet for International Cosplay Day Singapore aka ICDS because I’m one of the media partners for this event! WOOOH.
Let me give you the short details.
It’s on 24 August at *SCAPE and starts from 11am to 7pm.
There are a few price ranges this year including free. SO YEAH. Do look at the price ranges on their website here including where to buy the tickets.
And now, what is going to happen there?
It’s the international year of the family. I know, or rather I didn’t know that until now. I do know that there are international food days and don’t really pay much attention to that but hey look! Year of the family sounds nice and aww, non?
It’s by National Day Parade 2014 and MSF and from 5 May to 16 June 2014, everyone can submit a Big-Hearted Story of a person or family that has made a difference in their lives. Ok kind of too late for you readers who just read this post for the story part now but do read on.
This year, IYF seeks to encourage big-heartedness within the community. It hopes for everyone to share the warmth of their family with others around them. As such, through the Awards, members of the public will have a great opportunity to express their heartfelt thanks to those who have made a difference in their world!
We would like to invite you to support IYF by taking part in the Awards and saying thanks to a special someone in this meaningful way! It could be a neighbour, colleague’s family, volunteer, teacher, friend, or even a stranger!
It might be too late for you to join the contest at the Big Hearted Family Awards website. ACTUALLY, it isn’t if you’re reading this in the morning. DEADLINE is before midnight 16 June (11.59pm) so just from the heart, I am sure the words will come out for you to say and nominate special someone/ family for the Big-Hearted Family Awards.
Nominate them and you might win NDP preview/actual day tickets too!
QUICK, QUICK, DO IT!
Remember, family doesn’t have to be blood related, it’s who you deem family or someone special to you.
You can also check out Care & Share , info which you can also help out in the community in Singapore. Yes. I know such aww togetherness and whatnot. You can donate or volunteer your services to various communities from there if you don’t know how to start.
You do realize, that not all volunteerism means going to an old folk’s place and cleaning or whatever right? You can contribute what skills you have to various groups that you want to help out.
That’s how it all starts in also being ‘special’ to others.
I help out in the cat side with Love Kuching by making videos and sometimes taking pictures which helps publicize the group and thus is also caring for the community.
Need an example for how to nominate someone?
Well, I would write a bit about my parents. It’s not ONE someone but ehh, since it’s my blog I can write it. NYER HUR HUR. I know, that’s kind of like a cheatcode. But yeah, I can’t choose.
They’re both inspiring and in the medical line too. No, not as doctors but as the support who also work with patients or health care workers. Amidst all that, they also care for the family… AKA MINE. Ok, maybe this isn’t a really awesome example of what to write in your nomination but really, they had been there always and are super caring.
Sometimes if they see people on the streets needing help, like an elderly man not being able to stand up and lying on the street while others were just walking by (?!) they checked up on him and took him to the doctor and then to his home. Or staying with lost kids until their parents managed to find them. I don’t know, it might be also as simple as making sure that my grandparents are also ok and checking up on them too.
Yeah, it takes time and energy and effort and they DO IT. Which is totally inspiring.
Yeaaaah!!
Anyway, go nominate someone special to you in Big Hearted Family Awards!