Shaun the Sheep - Forum - Series 3 - Tractor Mayhem!

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1. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   Well, we've been very busy working on new episodes of 'Shaun' and, as a result, I've been a bit negelctive. Really sorry everyone - I plan to keep back on track now, and certainly keep up to date every week.
   
   I'm on a new episode this week, but I'll save all that til this weekend. For now, each day this week, I'll back track on something new. I have lots of photos of interesting and varied shots from the pasts few weeks, and so I thought I'd share some of them with you now. The first bunch of photos here represent a shot with the farmer in his tractor, heading along the field and through the gate, while a workman and Shaun look on. This would have been quite a stretch to reach the tractor when it got to the gate, so I head to walk around to the other side of the set, where I could reach the tractor.
   
   It may not look it in Photo 1, but there is enough width between the hedges and the back of the set for me to fit through and out again! 

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   Click the image thumbnails to view them full size

2. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   In order to keep the motion of the tractor smooth and consistent, the trick is to decide on a 'distance' between each frame, which determines the speed, and then literally measure that for each frame. I usually use the tips of the wheels to do this. In basic terms, the greater the distance between frames the faster the tractor will move when the animation is played back.
   
   Photo 2 shows theset from the opposite angle, through the gate back seen in Photo 1. Notice the computer in, with the shot's framing on the monitor, in the background. The camera is hiding behind the tractor! 

   
   Click here to view the full image
3. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   In Photo 3 you can see the scope of the set more clearly. I had to be very careful of the tractor's path, since it had to reach the gate naturally, with the wheels gradually turning towards, it. On top of that, I had to rock the tractor side to side for every frame, to give the impression of a lively, almost violent engine.

   
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4. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   Photo 4 shows the tractor coming through the gate, and I am about to turn the wheels full lock (over about 8 frames) in order to turn the tractor to the left and along the road. Note the hill with a flat edge at the back. This is because this is the edge of the set, and we would never shoot that far off.

   
   Click here to view the full image
5. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   Photo 3 shows the set from a clearer angle. When animating the tractor I had to be very careful of its trajectory, i.e. the path it takes. The wheels need to gradually turn, naturally, as the tractor moves along. If the wheels suddenly turn as the tractor gets nearer to the gate the animation would look unnatural and, therefore, unbelievable. The gap at the gate was just big enough for the tractor to pass through, and so the path had to be carefully thought out. On top of that, the tractor had to rock, side to side, as it went, giving the impression of a lively, almost violent engine. This was achieved by literally forcing the body of the tractor to the left on the first frame, the right on the next, the left on the next, right on the next, and so on. The tractor is built with special joints that allows for this.

6. By Richard Haynes (Animator) Jul 18th 2012

   And finally, a photo that shows the true nature of the back of sets! The hedges all had to be there for the shot, so when animating the tractor I had to be careful not to knock the hedges, which would cause them to 'wiggle' around in shot. Alongside the tractor, I had to also animate the workman and Shaun at the front of the set, seen in Photo 1. They didn't need to do too much, except look at each other and smile, and the workman pats Shaun head. This kind of animation is known as 'keeping the characters alive', which involves blinks, head turns, and any movement that is specific, but not forming part of the bulk/essence of the shot, which in this case is the tractor. They do, however, become more important as the tractor heads down the back road.
   
   Enjoy the photos, and any questions will be welcome and answered this week. More photos and details on very different shots coming tomorrow!  

   
   Click here to view the full image
7. By Simonita Jul 19th 2012

   

   Baah =)

8. By timmylover200383 Apr 2nd 2013

   hi

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