We had the pleasure of collaborating with our talented friend Annie Jerry on an exciting project. Annie, an exceptional designer and animator, whose work includes ads for Flipkart, Byjus and Nickelodeon, played a pivotal role in bringing the candour calendar to life.
"There is no singular way to animate, so go ahead and experiment." – Annie Jerry
In this blog post, we sit down with Annie to delve into her creative process, the challenges she faced and the joys of animating for us. Join us as we explore the vibrant world of animation and the magic behind the candour calendar.
1. How did you get started with animation, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career?
Growing up, I have always had an interest in storytelling, I especially enjoyed making comics. As I grew older, I still enjoyed drawing and watching animated shows and movies and later discovered that making them was a career option. I have been hooked ever since.
2. What was your first impression when you heard about the idea of animating a candour calendar through stop motion?
I was excited to work on it. Stop motion is one of my favourite methods of animating as it is tangible, organic and instinctive. It also requires the utmost patience since there’s less options to undo in this process.
Animating in stop motion for the candour calendar made perfect sense because the process of creating the art for the calendars was also somewhat similar- organic, tangible. A perfect match!
3. Can you walk us through your creative process when working on a stop motion project, specifically our calendar animation?
The first step of any animated project is to visualise the story. I always draw rough sketches, also known as storyboards, to help me plan the flow of the story, movements and the camera angles.
Once this is done, I work on creating a few test shots with either the actual product or a substitute. I then test the lighting by taking a couple of pictures of the product and decide on backdrops or any other set pieces.
Once all this is finalised, I begin the actual animating. Animating in stop motion meant taking pictures frame by frame, moving the pieces every few millimetres and taking pictures. The first calendar also featured my hands which involved me standing in awkward positions and clicking pictures with my feet!
Finally, all these pictures are stacked in a timeline and edited to create a video with music.
4. What tools and equipment do you typically use for stop motion animation?
Typically, one would need a camera and a video editing app or software. There are quite a few mobile apps for stop motion that are available for free.
Good lighting is also key when animating in stop motion. Lighting needs to be consistent as any flaw can be clearly seen in the final outcome. For this project, I have used two light sources (both diy light boxes) and a white sheet as bounce lighting.
5. Were there any challenges you faced while working on this project, and how did you overcome them?
The main challenge was probably turning my bedroom into a studio and figuring out the lighting. It required a lot of brain work! Once my workspace was set up as per my requirements, the rest of the process went by quite smoothly.
6. Stop motion requires a lot of precision and attention to detail. How do you ensure everything moves smoothly frame by frame?
It definitely takes a lot of practice and patience. I wouldn’t say I have perfected timing in animation, I try out multiple takes before choosing the one that works best. I also follow the rules of timing in animation which helps in making everything move smoothly.
7. You’ve animated two candour calendars now. How was your experience collaborating with Candour on Canvas?
It is always a pleasure to work with Samanda. We get along quite well, and we both have a similar sense of humour. I had fun working on both candour calendars and I look forward to many more collaborations.
8. What was your favourite moment or aspect of creating the calendar animation?
The brainstorming! Especially for the first calendar, when we spent some time deciding on the story and style. Also, once everything falls in place in the end, when the music and movements match perfectly, that’s the most rewarding moment.
9. What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in stop motion animation or animation in general?
Do your research, know what inspires you the most about animation. Also, be like a sponge and try to learn as much as you can. There is no singular way to animate, so go ahead and experiment.
In case of stop motion animation, you don’t need any fancy equipment. If you have a smartphone, that’s all you need. There are many free apps available for stop motion, so go ahead and try them out.
10. Can you share any upcoming projects or ideas you are excited about?
My current obsession is to fabricate a working stop motion puppet with a decent and durable armature, which is basically the skeleton of the puppet. Another passion of mine is to animate with the most bizarre but also quite ordinary materials and experiment with them. I also love to create stories and I’m working on a short film storyboard in my free time.
Wrapping Up: Animating the Candour Calendar with Annie Jerry
As we wrap up our conversation with Annie, we believe that her passion and dedication were an integral part to the success of creating such an engaging mode of really 'experiencing' a Candour Calendar, year after year. We are incredibly grateful for her contributions and excited for what the future holds for her.
Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes stories and creative journeys at Candour on Canvas.
Thank you for joining us!
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