02/02/22
One of the most concrete and vital components or feelings when it comes to defining ‘home’ is nostalgia. This feeling reminds us of our childhood, favourite memories and can usually be traced back to our home or even first home if we have moved.
When I first heard about the theme I knew that an emotional element would come into play once ideas started being thrown about in my head, for instance we can even relate nostalgia or the feeling of home to a song, film, memory, person or a piece of media. Its all relative to that person obviously, for instance, I myself found a song in my head to be an essence of this context:
You would have to have lived under a rock to not know at least of this master work of songwriting, but then you may be wondering why Im bringing attention to this song in correlation to a potential project. This song can play a hugely emotive role in telling a story to the listener, it has time changes, minor and major changes throughout with a subtle but powerful ending that is slowed down.
An idea that has come to being in my mind is solely built on nostalgia and the media my dad and grandparents would show me when I was a kid, a lot of this media was the incredible escapist animation this is Claymation. The idea I have is to create a claymation film to this song ‘To Build a Home’ based upon research of how the process of claymation is made, this will be done whilst I wait for the delivery of the clay or in this scenario ‘plasticine’ and tools. This idea came to grow in my mind in the first Interdisciplinary class.

” Project idea?
Claymation of the building/foundation of a home – Could involve a couple
Study claymation projects especially nostalgic ones from childhood:
Wallace and Gromit *
Miracle maker
Testament (BBC)
Pingu
Possible story & theme to start claymation? ”
To build a home – Cinematic Orchestra– N/A (Concept used)- Us – Regina Spektor – Available for claymation
- Ludovico Einaudi – nuvole bianche/the waves/any other track – Available
The song can pronounce the art throughout the film.
If a book contains methods of claymation – this would be vital.

Materials/Tools ordered:
1 x 500g Re-Usable Non Harding Animation / Model Clay (Arriving 07/02/22)
1 x Polymer Clay Tools (25 Pcs) (Arriving 03/02/22)
03/02/22
So it turns out upon researching the method of claymation I came across a project that is essentially what I set out to create myself, so I will have to think of another way of creating my project as my original concept is an obvious but taken one. It’s a shame as the song is a solid but obvious foundation to build a song around, however there is other songs/compositions I can use otherwise.
—-> https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-an-Awesome-Claymation/
The main theme of a nostalgic feeling involving a song that I know well will be incorporated still.
Software
As I am now more familiar with DaVinci Resolve and with how satisfied I am with the semester 1 project, I will be using this application to create and edit this project – their are multiple tutorials online on how to accomplish this through the amount of frames being used and the Time between each still (taken of the scene) so that their is a natural flow. Plus the advantage being that is free and fully professional, where as the most recommended are paid to used licensed.
Materials/Tools ordered:
1 x Bluetooth Camera Shutter for iPhone with wrist strap (faster productivity for shots) (Arriving 04/02/22)
This will allow faster productivity for shots and won’t need to continuously tap or move back to the tripod.
Storyboarding
With this in mind I will be creating a storyboard over the course of this week until the materials arrive before I can start creating the models and potentially a background set. It is good that the materials are coming later as it will give me some proper time to plan out the structure and potential set for this project. This is something I have learned from semester 1 when I dived head first into making the film with no clear storyboard or full structure, I may of had a story in mind and some basic step 1, step 2 etc. but no real structure in place. The storyboard will be done with paper or on Ipad.
I was just thinking to myself about the past whilst developing on ideas tonight.I have moved homes 3 times with family and have moved out once with an ex partner, the last time I have felt truly at home was 7 years ago in the house I grew up in. This house was a small but charming bungalow in the village of Saltdean, Brighton that my parents had bought on a risky mortgage back in 1995, they knew the cost but it paid off. I feel like I had one of the best childhoods you could have in that home, we may not of had much money but the house and the location was vital to my upbringing. No matter where I go in life, like many others with their childhoods, this place will always feel like home to me. I can be very passionate about where I’m from but I hold it very close to my heart.

It can surprise you what people have in their lives that reminds them of home, childhood or just bring a huge wave of nostalgic euphoria over them. Like how a particular selection of songs or a CD that can take you back over 20 years to select memories in your head, like how a song by Stereophonics is embedded with a time where my mum picked me up from school and took me to the dentist in the blazing hot sun along the Brighton promenade. I disliked school at the time and it was a brief moment of discovery and bonding with my mother. This song will always feel like home to me.

04/02/22
Tools and bluetooth clicker arrive.
05/02/22
The non hardening clay arrived today and earlier than expected, although I am still in the process of storyboarding. Monday will still mark the starting point of creating the two characters to be featured in the short film, as far as choosing a song goes that’s still to be decided, but there are multiple choices so far. I am stuck in the process of sticking to a Plain colour or everything or committing to painting the figurines and the set – cooler may be the best choice.