Post Pitch Thoughts | Fantastic Voyage

For the pitch I had my animatic in colour but unfortunately without sounds due to some problems that arose. I will be posting a version of it with sound shortly once I have worked out the error that occurred during exporting.

I got a lot of helpful feedback from the pitch. It mainly revolves around how this idea has so much potential, Its now just a case of adding finesse to it and making it into something truly special.

These are some of the points that were brought up:

• Get rid of the curtains. Maybe use the box's flaps instead. It's a child's project, there could be a sign on it with "my science project".
• Child narration could help move the animation along. There could be scripted errors in pronouncing words or putting the wrong sign on screen for the wording said. Perhaps there is 'audience participation'. The 'audience' could boo when the infection is on stage and cheer when the B cells appear.
• Have the backdrops on a roller instead of being lowered. Make it child friendly. If it was made in real life, how would they make it?
• Childish aspects like sticky tape, upside down signs, peeling walls are missing. The animatic shows it as being too clean and refined. 
• Textures need a lot of thought. Do I create them on photoshop or scan in real life textures of paper and cardboard. Maybe crumpled paper will work best.
• The sign should have lights. (think of an LED battery pack)
• There is a 'samey' feel about how the signs appear in the same place. Its too repetitive and maybe they should appear from different angles. It was also suggested that the signs are reserved for use of the scientific words.
• The blood flow cam belt could make the stage feel to cluttered. 

From this, I'm going to revisit my art style and the way I've laid the stage out. I might create a real life version during Easter to help me model from but I'm not sure if this will eat into my time too much but I am definitely considering this. 

I definitely need to think about how the front of the box should be presented. Maybe glittery stars or an assortment of stickers are shown on the front too. Over decoration is exactly what a child would do.

The backdrops will be on 'rollers' or two kitchen rolls. This allows the 'child' operating  it to turn it by hand with ease. I had too many things dropping down from above and upon refection, that makes it too cluttered, repetitive and would be a two child job to operate. 

I think I'm going to make some of the components by hand too. I have cardboard, paint and skewers, why not see what I can make by hand and see how it differs to what I had drawn and used in the animatic. Personally, I think I cleaned the components on photoshop a little too much. A child is more likely to draw with feathered, wobbly lines, colour outside of the lines, dent the card and leave holes in the colouring. I think scanning in a lot of texturing will help with the project as well, so I will track down different pieces of papers, tissue paper and scan them in lightly crumpled. Perhaps they could be used as an overlay to the pieces and might add the depth to them that they are lacking. 

I will also rethink the usage of the signs and change the angles in which they appear on stage to reduce the relative feel. Maybe they could pop up from the floor or the sides.

This is a lot to think about and incorporate into the animation, so I think I will first do some more research into cardboard puppet shows and see what examples are shown. I think this will also help with the styling of the animation and the drawings that I produce from here on out. 

Post OGR Thoughts | From Script to Screen

After my feedback, I was glad to get the green light with only a few minor tweaks needed. Helium balloons will make an appearance twice. First as a pleasant thing before being shown as used for evil. This means that the helium balloons will be used to celebrate the new interns arrival and then again at the end to make the elves voices squeaky.

This is my story so far with some minor tweaks…

A young intern wins one of several placements and must battle it out to be named as ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ at a world renowned toy workshop. Little does he realise that this factory has a dark secret. His colleagues are slowly going missing and there is an ominous locked door in the factory that he has seen people enter but never leave from…

When he arrives, he is ushered into a room filled with balloons and a banner saying “Congratulations! You have been chosen!” A worker allocates each of them with their work and sets the rules. The first and foremost being “Do not enter the door. There are some nasty chemicals being used in there”. 

His suspicions are first aroused when one of his co-workers, a close friend, disappears when searching for a machine part. He believes he sees him a week later but more elf like…but as more interns come and go in the factory each week, he is certain that some of the familiar faces of his previous workers are still here but cannot prove his suspicions.

He sees workers in hazard suits enter the door daily and becomes more and more curious, so when a fellow worker leaves the mysterious door ajar, he seizes his opportunity to scramble through, only to discover a terrible secret. The room is filled with ceiling to floor ‘cutesifiers’ turning his old co-workers into overly cute elf figures.

Reindeers are powering the machines in hamster wheel like contraptions and huge vats of liquid that are being pumped into the ‘elves’ with signs saying “sugar”, “spice” and “everything nice”. The final step of the process sees giant helium balloons above the elves who are strapped to chairs, being forced to inhale more and more to perfect the iconic squeaky voice.

He runs out only to have Santa appear. With the facade broken, Santa places his hand on the interns’ shoulder and says “Son, where did you think all the elves came from?”

Image of shocked interns face then cut to black.

My next step for this project is to start research and begin some basic character designs. I think my first port of call should be research around elves, factory/warehouse/production line settings and interns. I’m hoping to map my script out slowly while doing this so I can get a sense of the overall theme.

Change of Plan | Further Research | What If

After talking with Phil on Tuesday evening, we decided to change the way my project was going. Originally I was heading towards a snow and ice theme but upon discussion we decided that this wasn't right for the collaborator that I have.

I have discontinued the theme that I have been working around have gone back to researching into all other possibilities that I can think of for the city. This means that I am further behind on thumbnails than I wanted to be as I try to understand and create a new city but I have been creating some new 'tester' thumbnails which I will upload shortly. I have also had to stop working on my travelog as this was for the older version of the city. Hopefully I will have a strong enough idea for the new city in the next few days and then I will be able to write a new travelog. 

Further Research

FEEDBACK PLEASE | Final Low Angle Exterior | Invisible Cities | Photoshop | WIP |

This is the low angle exterior shot for my city - Anastasia. The concept behind this shot, is that we are in the poor side to the city. This is where the miners live, behind and in the main city wall with the mines behind this viewpoint.

I think I've done really well so far but I'm starting to stall on the finishing touches. If anyone has any feedback on the piece so far or what to add, that would be lovely!

Jewellery and Gold Rush Towns | Reference | Influence | Invisible Cities

Drawings of a Gold Rush town style setting. Could be used as part of the miners side to the city for Anastasia.

Looking into all of the gem stones that can be mined in the city it was clear that the jewellery would be statement pieces. I designed a few pieces that might be for sale on the market

This was one of my original ideas for the miners side of the city. The houses are built into the walls of the city and some of the managers live in gold rush style houses outing out of the walls.

These are 3 scans of pages out of my sketchbook. These pencil drawings of some of my initial ideas of the city after my feedback from Phil.

Gold Rush Towns | Influences | Reference | Invisible Cities

In the feedback, Phil told me to look into 'gold rush towns'. I have collected these 6 photos for help with composition, reference and for use in the thumbnails and photoshop work.

I think they are great, clear examples of the rush that the buildings were constructed with. They were needed for a reason and most of the buildings were built for just one service - to house or entertain the workers.

Although I have imagined Anastasia to be made out of the rock that has been mined, it could prove useful with a 'haphazard' feel to the workers portion of the city.

Influences | OGR Feedback | Invisible Cities

After many problems with the internet and finally being able to read Phil's feedback on my OGR, I'm really happy to proceed with Anastasia as my city. To do this, I'm taking Phil's advice and creating a photo bank and a selection of ideas to help me move forward with with my thumbnails. These are the photos that Phil kindly linked me to, so I have created a collage for easy reference to them.

Already I'm starting to get the vibe of a town spilt radically in class. It grew very quickly due to the profitable goods dug up like the onyx and agate like a Gold Rush town would have. Theses images reminded me of the films A Million Ways to Die in the West and Aladdin due to the city's layouts, traders and clear spilt in the class.

I think I will create a few more collages of imagery or influence maps to help me before I start on some more thumbnails or refining the ones I have already. Some of these will definitely help me with my finals pieces that I will be creating, especially with the exterior shot.