Pups Log

We did a test shoot last weekend, and we are very pleased with the results. At the beginning, we had put a milestone of “let's get ready to do a test shoot in this April,” so the schedule is on track.  The purpose of this test was to confirm the operation of the Dragon Frame and the structural suitability of the armature. Since Dragon Frame is still a trial version, only 50 frames were taken in each take. However, it was enough to check the paddling animation while setting the armature. Now that we have confirmed that there are no problems with the shooting itself, we will be creating more and more assets such as characters and backgrounds.   As a personal matter, I need to get used to making animations without “In-Between” as soon as possible. In stop-motion animation, the “Straight Ahead” method is a prerequisite, requiring the animator to grasp (compose) the character's movements frame by frame.

The factory manager, Shingo, is finally trying to make his own armature. And he has almost succeeded.   He has a huge head of ideas. He can look at ready-made products and modify them to make them more usable. Actually, he was one of the first students in my Qajaq building workshop. He probably didn't have much experience in kayaking before. But his curiosity quickly filled the gap, and he became a master of Qajaq building. I sometimes let him lead the workshops. That's why I got him involved in this stop-motion animation project. Yes, he is very dependable. His partner Sayaka is also involved in this project. She graduated from an art school and previously worked at a famous animation studio. You must be familiar with that studio's work. Yes, it's the one with the giant deer god in it. I left the design of the main character to her. She also completed Qajaq several years ago. And now She can do some rolls too. This project focuses on child kayaker. So, I'm excited ...

Today, I had my first meeting with Shingo and Sayaka. Their ideas solved the problems I had. It seems that even things that can't be done alone can be solved by working as a team. Last year, my grandson was born. It made me realize how old I am and that I don't have much time left. Greenland kayaking has enriched my life so much. That's why I want to give back. What can I do? I wanted to leave behind some fun content that only I can create for those who will enjoy Greenland kayaking in the future. Most kayakers usually hit the water on weekends. That's a few hours a week. The rest of the time we are just thinking about and looking forward to the weekend. I focused on this time. I wanted to think of something that would give me a sense of happiness and fulfillment, rather than just waiting for the weekend. My answer to that question was animation. Up until now I've been making technical animations related to rolls, but this time I want to make something that is a bit...