MAF 2016: The Making on Ethel and Ernest

The last masterclass that I attended at MAF this year was the making of Ethel and Ernest. Although all of the other masterclasses were interesting and I learnt a lot from them, this was the one I was looking forward to the most, as it is a film made in the programme I am currently learning and will be using for my Extended Practice. It is also a 2D film, so it held a soft spot for me from the start as 2D animation is my jam.

The talk was conducted by Roger Mainwood, Peter Dodd and Camilla Deakin from Lupus Films and they each spoke about different elements of the film, though there was a huge emphasis on the production of it, which I didn't mind as it was really interesting to see how they used the software and created the aesthetic that they did.



The film itself took 9 months to make and was aided by 309 character model sheets and 600 backgrounds, which were created by using CG elements to get the perspective right. This was actually quite interesting to learn, and is something I will consider for my own film. They also used TV Paint because they felt that it wasn't feasible to create the film on paper and believed it to be the best alternative.
In order to make the most of the software they created their own textures and brushes  and used alternating colour swatches to create colour that moved and boiled, as this created movement and texture. Overall I feel that they have create an aesthetic that works incredibly well with the theme of the film and portrays the mood, tone and atmosphere perfectly.

Not only this, but the attention to detail, particularly in movement also works incredibly well in making the characters feel real. Movement is something that the team focused on closely during the making of the film. One of the ways they made sure that the movements weren't cliched or cartoony was to study mannerisms of people in real life, as they believed this made them more natural, which in turn would keep an audiences attention and ensure that they stayed engaged.

Overall, I found the talk to be an eyeopener to the process that goes behind making a film and it has made me consider all of the elements I will need to explore when creating my own film for Extended Practice. Reflecting upon this, it may be wise to attempt to collaborate with more people, as there is a lot that goes into the making of a film other than animating and it may be worth my time investing in the help of others.
Not only this, but this talk has made me want to explore all of the possibilities I can gain from using TVPaint and to learn everything that I can achieve with the programme that will aid me and allow me to work to my full potential.