For the past few weeks, all I have been (nearly) faithfully doing is animating a lot of shots for my piece. Up to date, I am on track and at my halfway point…all that is left to do are the harder shots (where a lot of elements are moving or a lot of movement is required).
Consultation on 28 December: I put all my completed shots inside my animatic (replacing my storyboard stills) and showed it to Mr. Ronald and Mr. Alan. They pointed out three flaws:
1) In the shots where is walking (6,7, 8, 9, 21), the walking cycle looks more like sliding, and it is jerky as well. Mr. Ronald and Mr. Alan were extremely kind enough to point out the correct key-frames in a walking cycle (front foot, passing, back foot). They told me the importance of determining bending points and weight balance in walking, so that it will not look like sliding. Mr. Alan even showed me a more faster and efficient way of doing a walk cycle in After Effects. I also need to put a guiding line or marker in my Photoshop file.
2) In the shots where there was blinking, the blink is too slow and the speed of blinking was impossible to achieve. I should make the blinking much faster.
3) I forgot to de-saturate the flashback shot (I have done only one so far). Note to self: de-saturation is at -60.
Mini-interim on 30 December: I managed to de-saturate my flashback shot and quicken up my blinking in the necessary shots. I showed my improved animatic to my lecturer, and this is what he said:
* Improve walking in shots 6 & 7 and 8 & 9
* In Shot 18, add a blink.
* In Shot 21, make the foot move in more angles.
* In Shot 34, the rain must fall faster.
* In Shot 35, the zoom-in becomes pixilated halfway, so I have to add a fade-to-white or dissolve.
Luckily for me, I scheduled a break for today and tomorrow, so I can give myself time to do all the necessary editing before continuing production.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
11 December 2009- Consultation and mini-interim of Week 8
Consultation: I managed to edit my shots with regards to the mini-interim last week, and show them to Mr. Ronald.
Glad to say, he seemed pleased with the outcomes, although he pointed out an edit that needs to be made for realism’s sake: In the “rainy night” shots, I should be adding rain drops that pelt the characters and other necessary elements (bag, arms, umbrella, etc) to show that the rain is really in contact with the animation.
So, back in my Photoshop files, I added three layers of raindrops, before performing the edits.
Mini-interim: I showed my improved animatics (with done-shots added) to the class. Most of the criticism I got focused on Shot 47 (a ‘rainy-night’ shot, where the bunny boy and cat girl see each other and started staring at each other).
The problems with Shot 47:
* The cat and bunny need to be really looking at each other; may require edits on eyes and head-pivot position.
* Raindrops also need to pelt the cat’s arm.
* Cat’s body needs to turn a bit, like three-quarters.
* Cat sitting down needs to be at bunny’s chest level.
I guess that is all the edits I need to do for the weekend for Shot 47…will probably do it over the weekend. For now, I need to finish animating three more shots for this week before I declare my official two-week vacation (unless I decide to be as hardworking as my peers).
By the way, in case anyone is wondering how I animate:
1) First I draw out the frames in Photoshop. If a shot has more than one moving element, I put these moving elements in separate layers. I then export either layer by layer or all at once in .png files.
2) I then import the .png files in After Effects. After compositing the different layers/ elements on top of each other, I arrange the frames around to ensure smooth animation. Sometimes, in a single project/shot, more than one composition is created. This is especially when there is plenty of moving elements involved.
Glad to say, he seemed pleased with the outcomes, although he pointed out an edit that needs to be made for realism’s sake: In the “rainy night” shots, I should be adding rain drops that pelt the characters and other necessary elements (bag, arms, umbrella, etc) to show that the rain is really in contact with the animation.
So, back in my Photoshop files, I added three layers of raindrops, before performing the edits.
Mini-interim: I showed my improved animatics (with done-shots added) to the class. Most of the criticism I got focused on Shot 47 (a ‘rainy-night’ shot, where the bunny boy and cat girl see each other and started staring at each other).
The problems with Shot 47:
* The cat and bunny need to be really looking at each other; may require edits on eyes and head-pivot position.
* Raindrops also need to pelt the cat’s arm.
* Cat’s body needs to turn a bit, like three-quarters.
* Cat sitting down needs to be at bunny’s chest level.
I guess that is all the edits I need to do for the weekend for Shot 47…will probably do it over the weekend. For now, I need to finish animating three more shots for this week before I declare my official two-week vacation (unless I decide to be as hardworking as my peers).
By the way, in case anyone is wondering how I animate:
1) First I draw out the frames in Photoshop. If a shot has more than one moving element, I put these moving elements in separate layers. I then export either layer by layer or all at once in .png files.
2) I then import the .png files in After Effects. After compositing the different layers/ elements on top of each other, I arrange the frames around to ensure smooth animation. Sometimes, in a single project/shot, more than one composition is created. This is especially when there is plenty of moving elements involved.
Friday, December 4, 2009
4 December 2009- Mini-Interim 1
Today, I showed the class the five shots I managed to animate (Shots 1, 4, 12, 23 and 29). Here is the criticism and comments I received:
For Shot 1 (Sun rising): The trees should be darker when the sun rises, not lighter. And that shot was way too bright so may need to add a thin outline to really separate them from the sun. They also said the sun should move faster.
Shot 4 (shadow coming off sign): The shadow should go down the sign, and instead of what it should say, so I better add one or two more letters to bring it across more clearly.
Shot 12 (cat looking down at hill): Perspective is very off, and the trees need more variety of green in order to be differentiated properly.
Shots 23 and 29 (profile shots of cat): They noticed that the outlines were inconsistent when the animation was playing, and they advised me to put animated elements in different layers when animating in Photoshop. Also, the forest in those shots looked more like a cave setting, so they told me to make the trees lighter to darker behind, and make more difference like adding branches and whatnot.
That was very much the critique I got. Now I have to be adding rain effects to my upcoming animated shots, as well as work on that final shot for this week.
For Shot 1 (Sun rising): The trees should be darker when the sun rises, not lighter. And that shot was way too bright so may need to add a thin outline to really separate them from the sun. They also said the sun should move faster.
Shot 4 (shadow coming off sign): The shadow should go down the sign, and instead of what it should say, so I better add one or two more letters to bring it across more clearly.
Shot 12 (cat looking down at hill): Perspective is very off, and the trees need more variety of green in order to be differentiated properly.
Shots 23 and 29 (profile shots of cat): They noticed that the outlines were inconsistent when the animation was playing, and they advised me to put animated elements in different layers when animating in Photoshop. Also, the forest in those shots looked more like a cave setting, so they told me to make the trees lighter to darker behind, and make more difference like adding branches and whatnot.
That was very much the critique I got. Now I have to be adding rain effects to my upcoming animated shots, as well as work on that final shot for this week.
Monday, November 30, 2009
30 November 2009- First consultation of Week 7
I managed to edit my character designs (change outfits and make legs longer), and I also managed to work on a walking line-test.
Some comments on Facebook (where I posted my line-test) really criticized my line-test (“jerky and stiff”, “not a proper cycle”, “cannot make it” and even “=.=”), and so I made a second line-test (using reference from the Internet)…which seriously is worse than my first line-test. 0_0.
But I showed my line-test to Mr. Ronald, and he said that it was fine, although it did looked a bit stiff and looked more like skipping. He did point out though, that in animating movement, it is essential to study the anatomy of the character, and thus plot out the bends and pivot points of movement on the character’s body according to the design.
He was a bit disappointed that I decided to make my characters taller, as he did not mind my characters being short as short things can still move (like Patrick Starfish and Spongebob Squarepants). He reminded me about plotting the pivot points of character movement, and advised me to start on production quickly (and save the edits for later).
So I guess I better start on production now…plan to animate Shot 1 (sun rising) and Shot 4 (shadow coming off sign) tonight.
Some comments on Facebook (where I posted my line-test) really criticized my line-test (“jerky and stiff”, “not a proper cycle”, “cannot make it” and even “=.=”), and so I made a second line-test (using reference from the Internet)…which seriously is worse than my first line-test. 0_0.
But I showed my line-test to Mr. Ronald, and he said that it was fine, although it did looked a bit stiff and looked more like skipping. He did point out though, that in animating movement, it is essential to study the anatomy of the character, and thus plot out the bends and pivot points of movement on the character’s body according to the design.
He was a bit disappointed that I decided to make my characters taller, as he did not mind my characters being short as short things can still move (like Patrick Starfish and Spongebob Squarepants). He reminded me about plotting the pivot points of character movement, and advised me to start on production quickly (and save the edits for later).
So I guess I better start on production now…plan to animate Shot 1 (sun rising) and Shot 4 (shadow coming off sign) tonight.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
26 November 2009 - Interim 1 (Week 6)
Before Interim 1, I managed to have one consultation with Mr. Ronald where I showed him my lighter-colored character design and lighter-foggy flashback mood board.
He gave them the green light.
Now, onto Interim 1.
Story: My lecturers are completely fine with the story, saying that it is a nice simple storyline. However, they did say that some shots were redundant, so maybe I have to chop off a few extra shots later.
Character Design: Plenty of problems they pointed out here.
One, the outfit my character is wearing does not look very Goth-punk. Ah, may have to do some research on that…
Two, my main character looks a bit plump and stumpy. What is up with that wide body shape and short legs?
So I guess I have to edit those two things…and maybe darken the main character’s skin…
(my stumpy character design...soon to be edited)
Mood boards and backgrounds: They said I should de-saturate the flashback mood board rather than put a solid color layer on top and reduce its opacity.
While that is not an issue, the problem lied with my backgrounds.
One, although they are flat-colored, it lacks depth and looks more like a flat picture. So maybe I should add some gradients and shadows to add tone and depth.
Two, my backgrounds need perspective. My lecturers said that some shots do need more perspective, and in my mood boards, the perspective was very off. So keyword for this part: Perspective.
(my edited flashback mood board...lowered saturation to -60 and increased lightness to around 20)
Further action: I was advised to do some animation line-tests (walking and head-turning) for my main character before I can really start on production next week. Luckily, I got my long weekend ahead…
He gave them the green light.
Now, onto Interim 1.
Story: My lecturers are completely fine with the story, saying that it is a nice simple storyline. However, they did say that some shots were redundant, so maybe I have to chop off a few extra shots later.
Character Design: Plenty of problems they pointed out here.
One, the outfit my character is wearing does not look very Goth-punk. Ah, may have to do some research on that…
Two, my main character looks a bit plump and stumpy. What is up with that wide body shape and short legs?
So I guess I have to edit those two things…and maybe darken the main character’s skin…
(my stumpy character design...soon to be edited)
Mood boards and backgrounds: They said I should de-saturate the flashback mood board rather than put a solid color layer on top and reduce its opacity.
While that is not an issue, the problem lied with my backgrounds.
One, although they are flat-colored, it lacks depth and looks more like a flat picture. So maybe I should add some gradients and shadows to add tone and depth.
Two, my backgrounds need perspective. My lecturers said that some shots do need more perspective, and in my mood boards, the perspective was very off. So keyword for this part: Perspective.
(my edited flashback mood board...lowered saturation to -60 and increased lightness to around 20)
Further action: I was advised to do some animation line-tests (walking and head-turning) for my main character before I can really start on production next week. Luckily, I got my long weekend ahead…
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
18 November 2009- Second consultation of Week 5
I showed Mr. Ronald my edited mood board, as well as my animatics…
Edited Mood Board: Now the issue is that it is too white. Mr. Ronald advised me to experiment with different opacities and different ‘whites’ in order to achieve that ‘cloudy flashback which still can be seen clearly’ feel, since I was using opacity on a solid-color layer to get such an effect.
Animatics: He said it was okay, though a bit too long at some points. Now I should get to work on my music for the piece…
Current agenda: First, work on music, and render out animatics. If have time, improve on character designs and mood boards.
Edited Mood Board: Now the issue is that it is too white. Mr. Ronald advised me to experiment with different opacities and different ‘whites’ in order to achieve that ‘cloudy flashback which still can be seen clearly’ feel, since I was using opacity on a solid-color layer to get such an effect.
Animatics: He said it was okay, though a bit too long at some points. Now I should get to work on my music for the piece…
Current agenda: First, work on music, and render out animatics. If have time, improve on character designs and mood boards.
17 November 2009- First consultation of Week 5
So I showed Mr. Ronald my two extra mood boards, and my character designs. But seems I have to do a bit more work here:
Mood boards: He was okay with the one with the entrance sign, but he was rather unhappy with the flashback mood board (the very brown one); he said that a background needs to be established since it looked bare, and also, the brown tone used was too dark.
For that flashback mood board, he told me to use a whitish tone to emphasize that is a rather misty flashback, and also draw up a background behind.
Character designs: He said that the character design for the main character was way too dark, and was afraid it would go black when projected on a big screen. He advised me to use lighter colors for the main character, but I have to see if I have time.
The design for the secondary character got the green light though, so less work for me.
Now with those little edits aside, it is time for me to work on my animatics…
Friday, November 13, 2009
12 November 2009- Second consultation of Week 4
I have realized that I have been blogging on the process of my project, without saying what the story was.
Also, I did a minor edit to the title; I changed the title from “Miss-Understanding” to “Miss-Understood”, considering how the main character is the one looking for acceptance.
So my story is this:
Bunny Glade is a cheery forest filled with only rabbits; happy cute bunnies dressed in nice, preppy clothing.
But from the outside world comes an unlikely stranger; a black cat dressed in Goth fashion.
As she tries to seek shelter at the forest, she is heavily discriminated by the residents.
But in the end, she manages to find a friend in a resident who chose not to judge her by her appearance.
I am hoping to put this message across: Do not judge people by how they look, or by how different their appearance is from yours.
Anyway, I managed to do two mood boards and show them to Mr. Ronald. He seemed pretty okay with them, but he asked me to do two more: One of the cat’s flashback, and another with the entrance sign to the forest.
Now I already done those extra mood boards (finished them an hour ago), so now I have to make use of the weekend to digitalize my character designs. And then try to finish up my animatics next week.
Also, I did a minor edit to the title; I changed the title from “Miss-Understanding” to “Miss-Understood”, considering how the main character is the one looking for acceptance.
So my story is this:
Bunny Glade is a cheery forest filled with only rabbits; happy cute bunnies dressed in nice, preppy clothing.
But from the outside world comes an unlikely stranger; a black cat dressed in Goth fashion.
As she tries to seek shelter at the forest, she is heavily discriminated by the residents.
But in the end, she manages to find a friend in a resident who chose not to judge her by her appearance.
I am hoping to put this message across: Do not judge people by how they look, or by how different their appearance is from yours.
Anyway, I managed to do two mood boards and show them to Mr. Ronald. He seemed pretty okay with them, but he asked me to do two more: One of the cat’s flashback, and another with the entrance sign to the forest.
Now I already done those extra mood boards (finished them an hour ago), so now I have to make use of the weekend to digitalize my character designs. And then try to finish up my animatics next week.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
10 November 2009- First consultation of Week 4
I managed to finish my storyboard, and the number of panels is 91. Wow.
Luckily, Mr. Ronald approved of my storyboard…except for that bit where he said some scenes were redundant, and will just lead to beating-around-the-bush on the story.
So now, I decided to take his advice (it will help to lighten my load) and chop off the scenes of the stall-keeper and the lady.
He reminded me that it is not the length of the animation which is important, but rather, the message I want to put across.
So now, with the ‘deleted’ scenes, my animation looks set to be around three minutes.
Now, with storyboard down, now, I just need to get started on mood boards and animatics (as well as digital character designs).
Here is my storyboard (unedited, without the chop):
Luckily, Mr. Ronald approved of my storyboard…except for that bit where he said some scenes were redundant, and will just lead to beating-around-the-bush on the story.
So now, I decided to take his advice (it will help to lighten my load) and chop off the scenes of the stall-keeper and the lady.
He reminded me that it is not the length of the animation which is important, but rather, the message I want to put across.
So now, with the ‘deleted’ scenes, my animation looks set to be around three minutes.
Now, with storyboard down, now, I just need to get started on mood boards and animatics (as well as digital character designs).
Here is my storyboard (unedited, without the chop):
6 November 2009- Second consultation of Week 3
So I managed to get my Learning Contract up, drew up some more views for my main character (side, three-quarter, etc), and done up some storyboard panels (from my draft thumbnails earlier on, it looks set to be around a 100 panels…have only done 20 so far).
The gist of the consultation is that I got Mr. Ronald to sign my Learning Contract, and he was pretty okay with the other views I drew of my main character.
Then, I showed him the storyboard thumbnails I drew so far. He said that there were too many tracking shots (as in, shots of the character and background moving in sync with the camera) and more character animation needs to be seen. He advised me to experiment with more shots and to include more character movement (like moving across the frame).
Better complete my storyboard ASAP…
The gist of the consultation is that I got Mr. Ronald to sign my Learning Contract, and he was pretty okay with the other views I drew of my main character.
Then, I showed him the storyboard thumbnails I drew so far. He said that there were too many tracking shots (as in, shots of the character and background moving in sync with the camera) and more character animation needs to be seen. He advised me to experiment with more shots and to include more character movement (like moving across the frame).
Better complete my storyboard ASAP…
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
3 November 2009- First Consultation of Week 3
I need to be more focused…I haven’t even started on storyboard. -_-
But still, I managed to show Mr. Ronald my Learning Contract and re-vamped character designs today. He seemingly approved of my Learning Contract, other than a few minor edits in statements.
As for my character designs, he was okay with the fact that the forest residents are now all rabbits, and that the main character is the only cat. However, he noted that the ears of the rabbits look more like the ears of cats (that has been fixed already). He also advised me to experiment around with eyes, as the eyes of the characters shouldn’t be completely round. I guess that is just a minor thing… Not only that, he wanted to see more profiles of the characters (side, three-quarter, etc) as I was always showing front.
Guess it may not so soon I start on my storyboard, mood boards, and animetics…Interim 1 is in Week 5, and I am still stuck doing character designs. I need to be more focused and less distracted…
But still, I managed to show Mr. Ronald my Learning Contract and re-vamped character designs today. He seemingly approved of my Learning Contract, other than a few minor edits in statements.
As for my character designs, he was okay with the fact that the forest residents are now all rabbits, and that the main character is the only cat. However, he noted that the ears of the rabbits look more like the ears of cats (that has been fixed already). He also advised me to experiment around with eyes, as the eyes of the characters shouldn’t be completely round. I guess that is just a minor thing… Not only that, he wanted to see more profiles of the characters (side, three-quarter, etc) as I was always showing front.
Guess it may not so soon I start on my storyboard, mood boards, and animetics…Interim 1 is in Week 5, and I am still stuck doing character designs. I need to be more focused and less distracted…
Thursday, October 29, 2009
29 October 2009- Second consultation of Week 2
I had another consultation today with Mr. Ronald concerning character designs.
I revamped my main character’s design, and also drew in some designs for the secondary characters.
Unfortunately, Mr. Ronald said they all look so different from one another, that there is no way my main character can be seen as an outcast anymore.
He said that the important factor in the designs is that the main character, since she is an outcast, must really be different from the other characters.
Further emphasizing what he said before about ‘outfits and colors are not enough to make the character different’, he gave some suggestions of how to make the main character look her part:
* Make all the forest residents the same kind of animal, so she will really look out of place.
* Give her extreme ‘ugly’ features compared to the forest residents (long nose, pimples, shaggy hair, etc) so she will really look out of place.
Maybe I go with the first suggestion, since I am not so sure if I want to ‘distort’ my main character.
Will revamp character designs and work on (hopefully) final storyboard over the weekend…
I revamped my main character’s design, and also drew in some designs for the secondary characters.
Unfortunately, Mr. Ronald said they all look so different from one another, that there is no way my main character can be seen as an outcast anymore.
He said that the important factor in the designs is that the main character, since she is an outcast, must really be different from the other characters.
Further emphasizing what he said before about ‘outfits and colors are not enough to make the character different’, he gave some suggestions of how to make the main character look her part:
* Make all the forest residents the same kind of animal, so she will really look out of place.
* Give her extreme ‘ugly’ features compared to the forest residents (long nose, pimples, shaggy hair, etc) so she will really look out of place.
Maybe I go with the first suggestion, since I am not so sure if I want to ‘distort’ my main character.
Will revamp character designs and work on (hopefully) final storyboard over the weekend…
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
28 October 2009- First consultation of Week 2
I showed Mr. Ronald my character design for the main character, and my loose storyboard sketches. The main issue, from what I can comprehend, was mainly on my character design.
Character Design: He was okay with the ‘black-cat-in-Goth-clothing’ concept (I think), but he said that the main character looks too general, and it needs more definition that it is a female (kind of similar to the feedback Laurie and Hanis had been giving me).
So to make it more female-looking, I guess I have to add some curves, a more girlish hairstyle, eyelashes, and maybe some lipstick.
Another factor is that since she is the ‘outcast’ character, she has to look very different from everyone else, not just in color and clothing, but also in facial features and maybe body shape (maybe a bigger nose, smaller eyes, etc.).
However, I am not so sure if I am so keen to ‘disfigure’ my precious main character that way…
Storyboard: My storyboard lacked a variety of shots, and most of the shots were straight-on side views. Also, it did not show the proper use of camera tilts.
Mr. Ronald advised me to use more three-quarter shots instead of side-views.
Not only that, he advised me to look through my thumbnails, and see if there are some shots/scenes that I can re-use and recycle to save production time.
Guess I have to re-do my storyboard, and very much more detailed at that…
Since I am planning to have another consultation with him tomorrow, and I have no time to re-do storyboard, I might as well re-do my character design (since that is the issue) and show him then.
Character Design: He was okay with the ‘black-cat-in-Goth-clothing’ concept (I think), but he said that the main character looks too general, and it needs more definition that it is a female (kind of similar to the feedback Laurie and Hanis had been giving me).
So to make it more female-looking, I guess I have to add some curves, a more girlish hairstyle, eyelashes, and maybe some lipstick.
Another factor is that since she is the ‘outcast’ character, she has to look very different from everyone else, not just in color and clothing, but also in facial features and maybe body shape (maybe a bigger nose, smaller eyes, etc.).
However, I am not so sure if I am so keen to ‘disfigure’ my precious main character that way…
Storyboard: My storyboard lacked a variety of shots, and most of the shots were straight-on side views. Also, it did not show the proper use of camera tilts.
Mr. Ronald advised me to use more three-quarter shots instead of side-views.
Not only that, he advised me to look through my thumbnails, and see if there are some shots/scenes that I can re-use and recycle to save production time.
Guess I have to re-do my storyboard, and very much more detailed at that…
Since I am planning to have another consultation with him tomorrow, and I have no time to re-do storyboard, I might as well re-do my character design (since that is the issue) and show him then.
Friday, October 23, 2009
22 October 2009- Second Consultation of Week 1
I consulted with Mr. Ronald on my edited story…he seems really okay with this new story idea and told me to do some storyboard thumbnails.
I asked him on the new title ‘Please Be My Friend’, and he said that it is not catchy enough. He asked me to sum up the story’s motive in one word. I gave him the word ‘Understanding’ (considering how this story is about an outcast), and he told me to use it as the title. I thought about it for a moment, and I asked him about the pun ‘Miss-Understanding’. He said it was okay, so now my main character is a female.
Concerning character ideas (since I wanted the main character to be an animal normally disliked by people), he suggested to do research on what animals may be disliked by normal society. Finally, I decided that my main character would be a female black cat dressed in Goth-Punk clothing.
So with main character and story idea given the green light, it’s time for me to proceed with loose storyboards. Will consult again next Tuesday…
(picture above is character design for main character)
I asked him on the new title ‘Please Be My Friend’, and he said that it is not catchy enough. He asked me to sum up the story’s motive in one word. I gave him the word ‘Understanding’ (considering how this story is about an outcast), and he told me to use it as the title. I thought about it for a moment, and I asked him about the pun ‘Miss-Understanding’. He said it was okay, so now my main character is a female.
Concerning character ideas (since I wanted the main character to be an animal normally disliked by people), he suggested to do research on what animals may be disliked by normal society. Finally, I decided that my main character would be a female black cat dressed in Goth-Punk clothing.
So with main character and story idea given the green light, it’s time for me to proceed with loose storyboards. Will consult again next Tuesday…
(picture above is character design for main character)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
21 October 2009- Slight story edit
I had dental appointment today, so did not go for consultation. Don’t worry, I have LOA.
Anyway, after thinking about going for anthropomorphic characters, I decided that ‘Fading Light’ is too dark for such potentially adorable characters (since when animals are not cute?) so I decided to do a few edits (though the edited story may sound more like Edward Scissorhands now):
*Change the title from ‘Fading Light’ to ‘Please Be My Friend’.
* Change the dark macabre grungy town at night to a happy cheery forest at daytime…simpler to draw trees than buildings.
* Give the story a happy ending: unlike ‘Fading Light’ where the protagonist ‘corrodes’ and dies, in ‘Please Be My Friend’, the protagonist finds a friend.
So yes, these are the edits I made…only problem now is the character designs.
For the design of the protagonist, I want it to be an animal that people find…”taboo” or something.
I am thinking:
* Dog (unclean to some people)
* Pig (unclean to some people)
* Goat/Ram (represents The Devil to some people)
Will consult again with Mr. Ronald tomorrow…
Anyway, after thinking about going for anthropomorphic characters, I decided that ‘Fading Light’ is too dark for such potentially adorable characters (since when animals are not cute?) so I decided to do a few edits (though the edited story may sound more like Edward Scissorhands now):
*Change the title from ‘Fading Light’ to ‘Please Be My Friend’.
* Change the dark macabre grungy town at night to a happy cheery forest at daytime…simpler to draw trees than buildings.
* Give the story a happy ending: unlike ‘Fading Light’ where the protagonist ‘corrodes’ and dies, in ‘Please Be My Friend’, the protagonist finds a friend.
So yes, these are the edits I made…only problem now is the character designs.
For the design of the protagonist, I want it to be an animal that people find…”taboo” or something.
I am thinking:
* Dog (unclean to some people)
* Pig (unclean to some people)
* Goat/Ram (represents The Devil to some people)
Will consult again with Mr. Ronald tomorrow…
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
20 October 2009- First Consultation of Week 1
I had consultation with my lecturer, Ronald, today, and this is the agenda for the discussion:
* Show him the Learning Contracts and Story Questions for my two FYP ideas
* Show him the loose drawings I did for my FYP ideas
* Get suggestions on improvements and which idea to do
So I showed Mr. Ronald my two story ideas, 'Fading Light' (the tragic ventures of a child-like being in the town he ends up in) and 'Love Letter' (the mental dialogue between a girl and a boy caught in a 'relationship').
He said both stories are very interesting, though they need further development.
He advised to go with 'Fading Light'...explaining 'Love Letter' is too complex and may be hard to understand, and the character designs may be beyond my capability.
So, we discussed on possible improvements for 'Fading Light':
* He told me that to use human characters will prove rather challenging (considering my drawing capabilities), so he advised me to make the characters anthropomorphic (animal-like), since it will be easier to stylize.
* Try to put my writing into visuals; visualize how things are going to look in the animation.
* Change the story a bit...it can get too 'dark' and 'graphic' at times (he pointed out that 'Fading Light' can be somewhat like 'The Ugly Duckling').
I plan to see him again this Thursday...so my action plan until then is re-draw the character designs for 'Fading Light' and maybe change the settings from a village to a forest.
Although I am not so sure of the 'anthropomorphic' bit...I am afraid it may defeat the purpose of 'Fading Light' altogether...*really want to stick to humans*
* Show him the Learning Contracts and Story Questions for my two FYP ideas
* Show him the loose drawings I did for my FYP ideas
* Get suggestions on improvements and which idea to do
So I showed Mr. Ronald my two story ideas, 'Fading Light' (the tragic ventures of a child-like being in the town he ends up in) and 'Love Letter' (the mental dialogue between a girl and a boy caught in a 'relationship').
He said both stories are very interesting, though they need further development.
He advised to go with 'Fading Light'...explaining 'Love Letter' is too complex and may be hard to understand, and the character designs may be beyond my capability.
So, we discussed on possible improvements for 'Fading Light':
* He told me that to use human characters will prove rather challenging (considering my drawing capabilities), so he advised me to make the characters anthropomorphic (animal-like), since it will be easier to stylize.
* Try to put my writing into visuals; visualize how things are going to look in the animation.
* Change the story a bit...it can get too 'dark' and 'graphic' at times (he pointed out that 'Fading Light' can be somewhat like 'The Ugly Duckling').
I plan to see him again this Thursday...so my action plan until then is re-draw the character designs for 'Fading Light' and maybe change the settings from a village to a forest.
Although I am not so sure of the 'anthropomorphic' bit...I am afraid it may defeat the purpose of 'Fading Light' altogether...*really want to stick to humans*
Monday, October 19, 2009
19 October 2009- Briefing
Today was the first day for our FYP...the final run.
We had some briefings from Mr. Ronald and Mr. Alan on the important dates, submission criteria and what to expect.
Tomorrow, I plan to show Mr, Ronald my Learning Contracts and Story Questions which I did up for my two ideas during SIP.
Not only that, I have also done some loose 'character designs' and 'layouts' for both ideas during SIP:
Hopefully first consultation goes well tomorrow...
We had some briefings from Mr. Ronald and Mr. Alan on the important dates, submission criteria and what to expect.
Tomorrow, I plan to show Mr, Ronald my Learning Contracts and Story Questions which I did up for my two ideas during SIP.
Not only that, I have also done some loose 'character designs' and 'layouts' for both ideas during SIP:
Hopefully first consultation goes well tomorrow...
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