Safiya - Project EvaluationHaving previously completed our pre-production unit in our first term of third year, we had a clear artistic vision and understanding of how we wanted to proceed with the production of our animation. Our director assigned out roles based on our preferences and what we all requested personally as wanting to achieve from the project. These roles were then assigned and the work flow was distributed evenly through a production schedule created by the director and myself.My role in beginning the animation process was to produce half of the finalised backgrounds that were to be used in our final animation. These were created on Photoshop so we could generate the traditional watercolour feel that was required for the art style of our project however offering us the opportunity to manipulate layers of the images in order to create a sense of depth. Using different brushes, filters and other elements within the creation of our finalised backgrounds we need for each shot. It was after this that we decided to seek a music student early on in the production so that we could attain an original score for our piece. Interviewing numerous recipients we found George Lee, a third year who produced some music tests based off of our animatic. His enthusiasm and consistency throughout the project was commendable. We regularly had meetings in order to discuss the progress of the music and it was here that he also offered to help with our narration and sound effects. Overall my group and I are thoroughly pleased with the finalised audio and believe that it aids in the creation of atmosphere in conjunction with our visual shots. One of my greatest challenges in this project has been through the animation of sand and other elements that consist within our project as I have never before attempted to animate these before. As a result of this, previously created reference footage of sand filmed in a volleyball court by Hannah and I prove invaluable. It was also through the guidance of lectures that my group and I were suggested techniques and further reference in order to animate these vital elements that existed within our animation. I over came this challenge with my group through the production of animation tests as it was decided that we would animate these elements in Photoshop so that we could explore further with different brushes and techniques that would offer different effects. It was here that we found one grainy brush in particular which produced the desired effect we were looking for and it was from here that we added highlights and shading into our sand animation in order to create a sense of depth.Another key role of mine within the animation process was clean up, therefore I had to ensure that all the line work from the previously created shots was smooth and flowing in order to maintain a sense of continuity throughout the animation. This is as these shots would be the finalised line work our audience would see; therefore I wanted them to appear perfect. This was challenging particularly in shots where the protagonist ran towards the foreground growing in size. As a result of this, I had to use varied brush sizes when cleaning up in order to maintain consistent line work and thickness.Starting out strongly in the production process with all team members dedicated and involved we were able to stick to our original production schedule however; as the term progressed Hannah and I had to produce a new production schedule as our original one became no longer viable. This is as we had to undertake a heavier work load as our keyframer, Laura Wade, fell behind on production due to social commitments. This led to an imbalance in the work load and distribution we originally planned however, was necessary for the completion of the project for the final deadline. Remaining professional, I picked up the pace and continued to produce my work, undertaking additional tasks along with my director, in order to finish our work by the required deadline.This additional work load included the production of key frames as we were unsure as to whether these would be completed in time for the deadline therefore; I undertook the task of producing them. This proved very challenging for me as it was difficult to reproduce my key frames the same as Laura Wades however it did provide a learning curve for myself as I now understand that I need to work on this in order to better my skills as an animator. Although these key frames were eventually reproduced by Laura Wade towards the final weeks of the project, they could have been completed earlier in line with the production schedule, ultimately removing a lot of unnecessary stress.Working in a group has been rewarding and frustrating, highlighting to me the importance of a production schedule and adhering to the work load contained within it. This project has taught me a lot on how to remain professional when handling issues that can arise when working in a group. By having a dedicated director with a clear artistic vision, the project was well organised enabling production to begin early on into the term. Overall, I am happy with the final animation produced and the contributions I made to this. It would have been nice to incorporate the originally planned highlighting and shading to our characters in Photoshop as intended in our original project proposal. I believe this would have been achievable if we had stuck to the original production schedule but am pleased with the final animation considering the unforeseen build up of work load that was required towards the end of the project.