VIVACITY Case Study by Raku Inoue

We are featuring this fantastic case study called VIVACITY by Raku Inoue. Raku is a clay artist, illustrator and motion artist based in Montreal, Qc of Canada. You wouldn’t believe how much work there is involved for just a few seconds of footage. This is a real proof of craftsmanship and determination. This was my first solo attempt to produce a stop-motion animation. “Evolution” has always been one of my mottos because I consider it to be a key ingredient for longevity in the ever-changing business of art and design. “Vivacity” developed from what I spoke at Montreal Meets 3, a design conference held this past year. That is, “A seed is in each one of us. We just need to find what it is, sow it into a fertile environment and nurture it until it bears fruits.” In Raku’s Words All Rights to Raku Inoue Striving for perfection is an important thing but it should never become the obstacle that blocks your way to accomplishments. All Rights to Raku Inoue All Rights to Raku Inoue All Rights to Raku Inoue It’s only recently that I have come to comprehend the After Effect application. I can’t pretend to have mastered it, still having a lot to learn. But, after my participation in a short stop-motion picture production last year, I wanted to see how I could use this application myself. All Rights to Raku Inoue All Rights to Raku Inoue There are many other applications specifically designed for stop-motion animation including IStopMotion and Stop Motion Pro. They simply overwhelmed and discouraged me with the amount of information I had to absorb to use them properly. It meant additional challenging task on top of learning the technique of stop-motion animating and mastering After Effect I had already initiated. And let’s not forget the countless number of different types of equipments out there to choose from. My interest in realizing this project started to wane. All Rights to Raku Inoue Personally I prefer to ask questions before taking actions to prevent failures. As far as this project was concerned, however, I felt the urge to act without asking too many questions. My vision for this project was very clear from the start. Besides, my last time-lapse video “The Contact” gave me the confidence that I would succeed in the animation if I had the right material. All Rights to Raku Inoue I had two choices. One was to gather as many equipments I could afford, take a few weeks to learn how to use a specialized stop-motion application and create an animation as it should be. The other was to move into action with what I had - thick cardboards, polymer clay, rolls of duct tape, etc. - and create something as it can be. All Rights to Raku Inoue I chose the latter. Surely enough, proper equipment is very important and probably makes the job easier. On the other hand, if you wait until the stars align perfectly, you may end up waiting longer than you should. All Rights to Raku Inoue Conclusion I would have acted differently if this had been a commissioned work. You cannot take chances with other people’s time and money. This was not the case of Vivacity. I had no reason not to take a risk. I hope this project shows you that mind rules over matter. If you have a great idea and you think you can execute it, then venture it. If you have the right tools or not, just make it possible. Links More info about Raku Inoue: http://www.rakuinoue.com/splash Follow Raku Inoue on Behance: http://www.behance.net/rakuinoue Follow Raku Inoue on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RakuInoue