MAKELEARNBUILD GRANT BUDGET OFFICIALLY SPENT!

I never imagined they'd pick me so the budget I sent them was only a dream guesstimate (guesses + estimates). I'm proud that I stretched it so far! They basically gave me a grant to get my animation career started and I managed to get the following things:

1. Computer $839.99
2. Dragonframe $313.85
3. Micro-Nikkor Lens $140.00 (YouthInFocusSeattle ebay)
4. Nikon DSLR Camera $289.86 (ebay)
   
5. Tables (3) $149.70
6. Main Camera Rig $199.00
7. FL Studio $199.00
8. Condenser Mic and Boom Stand $62.99
   
9. Saddle Stool $109.00
10. Tablet Monitor $212.49
11. Yarn, fabric, and fiber notions. $15.25 (scrap PDX)
    
12. Yarn, wool felt, floss. $42.00 (collage PDX)
13. Baltic Birch Plywood half sheet cuts $56~ (Mr. Plywood)
    
14. Wool felt $22.66 (etsy)
15. Lamp $44.99
16. Secondary Camera Rig $28.73
    
17. Silhouette Portrait $163.14 (am*zon renewed store)
    
18. Laser Printer $109.05 (am*zon renewed store)

I have am*zon smile turned on (.05% to Wild Salmon Center ) and I'm buying mostly from the am*zon renewed store whenever possible if used from other sellers isn't available. I had the benefit of lingering Memorial Day sales and coupons. Because of rounding up and use of coupons I'm not $100 sure of the price of some things (the lamp likely ended up being cheaper than $44.99) but I know that the $3k I got for the grant is gone now. Mr. Plywood was also a paper receipt and I'm not sure where it is but I know I spent over $50 there because a full sheet of Baltic Birch was $90-something.

I sure have been making, learning, and building. I never had prior experience with using DSLR and this is my first time owning a mic or tablet monitor ever. It's been weeks but I'm still so excited!

I've been using the tablet monitor to animate a little bit and storyboard. I print frames from the drawings to use as templates to cut out the characters. I realize I'm generating a lot of "waste" in the process so I have plans for the end-of-life use of my "props" (I'm going to gather all the scraps and fabric pieces to use as stuffing in a plush or multiple plushies after film completion). I'm changing the plan to use a mixed media approach- mainly hand drawn and paper cut outs for some scenes. Wool and recycled plastic, as well as buying remnants, and used is pretty eco-friendly but I still feel nervous about the scale of the project. I've made as small as a footprint as I could though!

Making Characters and Environment for my RACC Stop Motion

I went to collagePDX and SCRAPPDX to buy fabric and yarn. It was a long trip walking and taking the MAX! I would've taken the bus but I thought it would save time not to. It saved time, but didn't save my energy! I was pretty tired by the end of the day. Collage was so busy I almost died just looking at all the people in the store. I'm fully vaccinated now and was then too, but I still don't like crowds because there's not enough walking room. If I need more materials I'm going to scrap. (Ideally I would've been able to get a bag of fabric remnants somewhere but Fabric Depot doesn't exist anymore!)

I bought some wool felt from etsy sellers based in Oregon. I was hoping because they were in the same state then it would ship faster but it still took over a week to get everything delivered and received. 

Because the scrap fabric was folded up there are folds and creases that wouldn't come out but I decided it wouldn't really affect the film.

I learned a couple of things I'd like to record for later reference:

Dark (Shadow), Midtone, and Highlight (Brightness) are controlled by something called Lift, Gain, and Gamma.

The lower the f number, the bigger the aperture on a DSLR. The higher the ISO the grainier a picture risks being. The faster the shutter speed, the less light is let in. Alternatively the slower the speed then the more light is absorbed. I'm filming in spaces where I can't control the brightness of the room so being able to change the settings for low light and bright settings is important. On Dragonframe I'm using some setting  called Color Temperature instead of Auto.

It's been so hot and uncomfortable this summer so I'm going to post again later when I have more to really talk about!