'The Little Anglerfish' by Kerry Ann Smith

I can't find fault in this animation, those who have been taught by me will find that a rare occurrence! Kerry has worked so hard on every aspect of this animation but most especially on these cutout characters. Each one was threaded by hand and she worked long into the night to make them. I'm sure you will agree that their movement is beautiful. At first I wasn't sure about Kerry's choice of music but now I see the finished piece and the way that the fish dance I can see that the music fits the story and characters well. This story is so much more sophisticated than the first version for her illustration project, it has been a great opportunity to develop an idea and Kerry has succeeded so well because she has refined her work at every stage.

Please take the time to leave a comment for Kerry, she will use them to analyse her work and further her future work and working processes...

'The Little Anglerfish' by Kerry-Ann Smith

For our previous project Kerry wrote and illustrated a complete children's book titled 'The Little Anglerfish'. You can see it and read the story on Kerry's flickrstream here. As I'm sure you will agree Kerry is a highly talented illustrator, there are so many beautiful aspects of her illustrations from the deep watery feel of her use of inks mixed with salt and bleach to the rendering of the shoal of silvery fish.

Kerry's original story was far too long and complex to make into a 60 second animation, so she adapted it for this animation project. The animation has the same moral, the ugly anglerfish is rejected and finally accepted by the shoal of silvery fish, in her second retelling Kerry has refined the ideas to a more sophisticated, less obvious story. However what Kerry has exploited most cleverly for this animation is the movement of the fish swimming. Out of all the student's work Kerry has really understood and run with the idea of giving her illustrations movement and life. You can see Kerry's full storyboard and animatic on her Flickrstream. Even the quick, rough sketches on the storyboard show the viewer exactly how these fish will move across the screen.

Below are the storyboard instructions;

1. Background fades from black and the anglerfish begins swimming upwards (6 seconds)

2. Flicks to new shot, anglerfish swims up into it and stops, looks slightly left of camera (use a still hold) fish appear in the background (2 seconds)

3. Turns to face the shoal as they swims closer (fish should reflect light as they swim)

4. Shoal swims along (use whooshing sound for each curve) (3 seconds)

5. Lure grows brighter, anglerfish swims quickly off shot (2 seconds)

6. Shoal swimming slowly, anglerfish swims up below them

7. The shoal swims quickly away (6 & 7, 3 seconds)

8.Lure dims and sinks, anglerfish swims downwards after them (2 seconds)

9. As anglerfish approaches the shoal splits and darts behind him

10. Anglerfish swims after them and shoal dodges behind them (9 & 10, 6 seconds)

11. Shoal: foreground. Anglerfish: background. Swims into foreground and the shoal disperses (2-3 seconds)

12. Anglerfish stops, lure fully dims and droops down (2 seconds)

13. (zoomed out) Shoal swims away and then stops and faces anglerfish (2-3 seconds)

14. Fish stop and turn back to face anglerfish, then swim back over to him (2 seconds)

15. Fish begin to circle anglerfish, lure begins to light up (2 seconds)

16. Shoal swims in a loop around him. Anglerfish looks up, lure is glowing bright (6 seconds)

17. Anglerfish swims with the shoal (2 seconds)

Kerry hopes to go on to study illustration and/or animation at degree level, hands up anyone out there who would like to give her a place!