“Clash of the Titans”

Plot Details:

This is the last movie that special effects guru Ray Harryhausen worked on.
Inspired as a boy by the stop motion animation in King Kong, Harryhausen became the
greatest exponent of stop-motion photography, making many memorable creature
sequences for films such as Mighty Joe Young, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and
Jason and the Argonauts. He also made beasts for clunkers like One Million Years BC.
Be that as it may, many movie directors and special effects technicians credit Ray
Harryhausen’s work as that which got them interested in a career in making movies.

Clash of the Titans, the story of Perseus of Greek mythological fame, is a fairly
tepid movie by any standards except those of the most ravenous fan. Sure, the stop
motion animation is as enchanting as ever, even when you can tell it is as fake as a
three-dollar-bill. The imagery still has loads of charm; but - as nice as these interludes
are, there has to be a story and acting to connect them together, and that is where the
movie lacks.
 The story takes portions of the canon of Greek mythology and runs them together
into a tale that you’ll find in no mythology book. Written by Beverley Cross, the
screenplay opens with a king sending his daughter and her infant son off to sea in a
casket.

We then are treated to an insider’s view of Mt. Olympus where the Gods are in
session. Laurence Olivier hams it up as Zeus, while a bevy of British thespians play the
minor gods and goddesses, standing dutifully by as Zeus pontificates. Claire Bloom,
Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, et al. Zeus orders Poseidon to destroy the king’s city and
unleash the Kraken - the last of the Titans of the title. An extremely fake destruction of
the city scene complete with Kraken follows. The little boy and his mom land safely on a
distant shore and cavort in the nude. The kid grows up to be Perseus, hero of song and
story. The reason Zeus is so interested in the boy? - He is his dad. The movie goes on to
show how Perseus gets his weaponry, tames Pegasus, and beats the heck out of a whole
bevy of monsters.

The writing is the weakest part of the package with very little meaningful dialog
in the many exchanges. This also reflects badly on the big name actors, who come off
less than stellar due to the bad lines. Top billed Harry Hamlin, to be sure, is no
Shakespearean actor and cannot carry the film except by his pouting good looks. The
beautiful princess he does all these feats for is the undoubtedly lovely Andromeda (Judi
Bowker). Bowker is also unable to bring much life to her role, alas. The scoring is a
strength, with a lot of variety and vitality by Laurence Rosenthal.

Between the scoring and the stop motion monster sequences, you have the heart
of the movie and it’s sad to me that Ray Harryhausen went out on the downswing of his
pendulum.

Discussion of Animation Techniques used in the film:

Computer animation is the art of creating moving images via the use of
computers. It is a subfield of computer graphics and animation. Increasingly it is created
by means of 3D computer graphics, though 2D computer graphics are still widely used
for low bandwidth and faster real-time rendering needs. Sometimes the target of the
animation is the computer itself, but it sometimes the target is another medium, such as
film. It is also referred to as CGI (computer generated imagery or computer generated
imaging), especially when used in films.

Computer animation is essentially a digital successor to the art of stop motion

animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations. For 3D
animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D
figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. For 2D figure animations, separate objects
(illustrations) and separate transparent layers are used, with or without a virtual
skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the
animator on key frames. The differences in appearance between key frames are
automatically calculated by the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing.
Finally, the animation is rendered.
 For 3D animations, all frames must be rendered after modeling is complete. For
2D vector animations, the rendering process is the key frame illustration process, while
tweened frames are rendered as needed. For pre-recorded presentations, the rendered
frames are transferred to a different format or medium such as film or digital video. The
frames may also be rendered in real time as they are presented to the end-user audience.
Low bandwidth animations transmitted via the internet (e.g. 2D Flash, X3D) often use
software on the end-users computer to render in real time as an alternative to streaming
or pre-loaded high bandwidth animations.

Stop Motion Animation

This is animation that is created by maniupulating real world objects and

photographing the images frame by frame.

The production of digitally animated features begins with less costly traditional
techniques that allow filmmakers to test ideas and characters before starting the difficult
and expensive computer-animation process. Thus, in the early phases, filmmakers use
sketches, storyboards, scripts, pantomime, puppets, models, and voice performances to
begin developing stories and characters. By creating a virtual wire-frame character with
virtual joints and anchor points, digital animators use technology to do some of the
same work stop-motion animators do by hand. Typically, a clay model is created and
then scanned into the computer with the use of a digital pen or laser scanner. Animal
and human actors can be dressed in black suits with small white circles attached to
joints and extremities, allowing for "motion capture" of the distinctive movement of the
actors.

In digital animation, animators manipulate virtual skeletons or objects frame by

frame on computers. To clothe the wire-frame figures with muscle, skin, fur, or hair, the
animators use a digital process called texture mapping. Digital animators also "light"
characters and scenes with virtual lights, employing traditional concepts used in theater
and film. Specialists work on effects such as fire, explosions, and lightning. Compositing
is the process of bringing all these elements together into one frame, while rendering is
the process by which hundreds of computers combine all the elements at high resolution
and in rich detail. Because the backgrounds, surface textures, lighting, and special
effects require a tremendous amount of computer-processing power, animators typically
work with wire-frame characters and with unrendered backgrounds until all elements
are finalized, at which point a few seconds of screen time may take hundreds of
computers many hours to render. Although the process is extremely expensive and labor
intensive, digital animation’s versatility and aesthetic potential has made it the method
of choice for studio-produced feature animation.
Special Effects

Special effects are traditionally divided into the categories of optical effects and
mechanical effects. With the emergence of digital film-making tools a greater distinction
between special effects and visual effects has been recognized, with "visual effects"
referring to digital post-production and "special effects" referring to on-set mechanical
effects and in-camera optical effects.
 Optical effects (also called photographic effects), are techniques in which
images or film frames are created photographically, either "in-camera" using
multiple exposure, mattes, or the Schüfftan process, or in post-production
processes using an optical printer. An optical effect might be used to place actors
or sets against a different background.
 Mechanical effects (also called practical or physical effects), are usually
accomplished during the live-action shooting. This includes the use of
mechanized props, scenery, scale models, pyrotechnics and Atmospheric Effects:
creating physical wind, rain, fog, snow, clouds etc. Making a car appear to drive
by itself, or blowing up a building are examples of mechanical effects. Mechanical
effects are often incorporated into set design and makeup. For example, a set may
be built with break-away doors or walls to enhance a fight scene, or prosthetic
makeup can be used to make an actor look like a monster.

A recent and profound innovation in special effects has been the development of
computer generated imagery, or CGI, which has changed nearly every aspect of
motion picture special effects. Digital compositing allows far more control and creative
freedom than optical compositing, and does not degrade the image like analogue
(optical) processes. Digital imagery has enabled technicians to create detailed models,
matte "paintings," and even fully realized characters with the malleability of computer
software.
The most spectacular use of CGI has been the creation of photographically
realistic images of fantasy creations. Images could be created in a computer using the
techniques of animated cartoons or model animation.

Morocillos, Carol Joan S.

4 BSN 1
 CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
(CvSU)
Don Severino De Las Alas Campus
Indang, Cavite

COLLEGE OF NURSING

In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements of the Subject

CISM111(Computer Application 1)

ANIMATION TECHNIQUES OF
“CLASH OF THE TITANS”

Submitted by:
Morocillos, Carol Joan S.
4BSN1

Submitted to:
Maria Cristina S. Espinosa

September 13, 2010

 CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
(CvSU)
Don Severino De Las Alas Campus
Indang, Cavite

COLLEGE OF NURSING

In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements of the Subject

CISM111(Computer Application 1)

PRACTICAL LABORATORY
EXERCISE

Submitted by:
Rodriguez, Christine May I.
4BSN1

Submitted to:
Maria Cristina S. Espinosa

September 13, 2010

 CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY
(CvSU)
Don Severino De Las Alas Campus
Indang, Cavite

COLLEGE OF NURSING

In Partial Fulfillment in the Requirements of the Subject

CISM111(Computer Application 1)

PRACTICAL LABORATORY
EXERCISE

Submitted by:
Morocillos, Carol Joan S.
4BSN1

Submitted to:
Maria Cristina S. Espinosa

September 13, 2010