Narrative:Previz Edits

After the feedback that was given on Tuesday, we looked again into our previz and went to edit it to fill in the gaps because some of our scenes were not reading clearly. In this edit 2, we've added the missing shot of the monkey looking at the prop and then looks at the prize before it goes on to get it. We've also added the a shot where the monkey falls over to link the shot after where he is on the ground. From our second edit, we looked again to try and make sure that our animation reads better. So, we did an alternative establishing shot where we see the monkey before cutting to it (This was missing in the first two previz of the monkey being in the establishing shot). There was another shot that was added where we cut to the monkey's facial expression before cutting it back to see the button rolling over and hitting the container of paint brushes.

Narrative: Initial Previz

This is our initial previz for our animation.We have improvised several shots from the storyboard because it works better visually as compared to what we thought it would have been should we have followed the camera shots from the storyboard.

@Alan Narrative: Extended Storyboard

Panel 1

Panel 2

Panel 3

Narrative: Storyboard Revisited

Narrative: Environment Overpaint

After a Maya Blockout, we decided to do a simple Overpaint to get an idea of the lighting and the angles in the room. Once our shots have been finalised, we will know exactly what needs to be modelled and what could pass as matte paintings.

Rosalyns' Artwork

Scotts' Artwork

Scotts' Artwork

Scotts' Artwork

Narrative: Character Further Development

After our tutorial we have decided to make him look more clumsy. In the sketches above, we have him at a resting position. We will continue to give him personality in different positions and situations to help exaggerate his clumsiness. We have taken the height back down slightly and made him circus-esque.

Narrative: Animatic Draft

After we had our storyboard down, we went on to do our first rough cut of animatics.

Narrative: Maya Blockout

We have our initial workshop concept art for our toy workshop and did a Maya blockout to get our heads around what to be included in the scene. 

Initial Concept Art

Narrative : Character Development

After some finalizing of what are character is we have decided on a Toy Monkey. We are thinking that he should be leaner however, need to find a good balance of monkey and toy and not delve more in one of those areas. Also we are thinking of materials that it could be made out of for example, wood, burlap or soft felt.

Narrative: Initial Storyboard

This is our initial storyboard.

Narrative: Environment Influence Map

After our tutorial this morning, we went away and started to think about our environment that we will be using.

Narrative: Storyboard Ideas

As we had our story laid out, we decided to do our own version of storyboard and came up with 3 different ones. With this, we have decided to sew our three ideas together to up shape us with our finalised one.

Scott's Version

Rosalyn's Version (Page 1)

Rosalyn's Version (Page 2)

Ayunie's Version (Page 1)

Ayunie's Version (Page 2)

Narative: Character Sketches

As we have previously discussed, we knew what our character is a toy monkey so we went on to do some character sketches. This is what we've come up so far. With these drawings, it has helped us to get a rough idea on how our character should look like and taking into consideration his personality.

Ayunie's Sketches

Rosalyn's Sketches

Rosalyn's Sketches

Scott's Sketches

We also came up with the prop that our character would be trying to fix.

Ayunie's Sketches

Ayunie's Sketches

Scott's Sketches

Narrative: Environment (Interior) Influence Map

As for our environment, we were thinking that our animation would be set in a vintage toy workshop so we looked into the interiors and the lightings to give us a rough idea how ours would look like. 

Narrative: Character Influence Map

As we have a draft of our narrative, we have also decided on our character - a Toy Monkey. Though he is nameless for now, we have given his personality some thought. He is curious, clumsy but means well. As the location of the animation is in an olden wooden-lodge-esque toy workshop, we think that the character should also emanate his surroundings whilst still looking adorable.

Narrative: Draft Outline Development

Location: Workshop     Character: Toy Monkey    Prop: Broken Toy

- Toy Master is seen working on a toy but within the scene, we could see a discarded pile and the Prop is there.

- Toy Master closes and leaves the shop for the day

- The toys in the workshop (now unattended) comes to life

- A Toy Monkey, who believes he is the apprentice of the Toy Master begins to get to work. He goes over to the discarded pile and begins to examine the Prop

- Toy Monkey attempts to fix the  prop, however, putting himself in danger. He had to go through several obstacles to attain a piece of button for the eyes in order to get the prop fixed.

- After operating the toy, the Toy Monkey realises that he actually had further damaged the Prop.

- With determination and remembering what the Toy Maker does, he gives it a second go to mend the Prop. However, he was seen to be a little reluctant as he knew he has to go through another set of obstacle to fix it.

Originally we were thinking of using slapstick comedy, however our story so far seems to lean more towards drama and tragedy. However, we may slip in a bit of comedy to make the animation less intense.

Narrative: Idea Development

HORROR: I WANT TO BE A PUPPET

Act 1 – Small cute character sees puppet/music box show, admiring the performers. The character

too wants this admiration and sets off to find out how

Act 2 – Goes into ‘dressing room’ type of environment discovering lots of models/puppets heads on

poles (like a friendly version of gruesome heads on spikes?). Gets caught up in a web pulling its limbs

back and hurts itself (like a puppet not having control over its limbs)

Act 3 – The joyous colours and smiles of the performers can now be seen to be menacing (like the

way people interpret clowns, they’re funny until the lights are out). Character looks down at broken

limb now thinking how much they don’t want to be a performer/puppet as they too have lost

control of their limbs

ADVENTURE: CHARACTER SEES PLANE CRASH (DESTINY INSPIRED)

Act 1 – Character gets ready for ‘work’ and decides to fly his plane even though it’s a little damaged/

empty fuel; plane crashes

Act 2 – Character wakes up and sees themselves getting ready for work, character is confused, tests

out why he’s there (hand through himself etc)

Act 3 – Character knows how to save himself and acts upon it

COMEDY: A DOGS CHEW TOY

Act 1 – Hear puppy moaning and searching amongst toys to find desired object. Character reveals

himself out of pity however the character resembles something else (i.e. a plump belly round like a

ball, a long body like a bone?)

Act 2 – Puppy plays rough with Character we hear contrasting happy/tearing sounds

Act 3 – Character will no longer reveal himself as he is missing parts of him (limb/stuffing/mangles

face etc)

OR character continues to play with puppy using its limb to play fetch?

Narrative: Art Directions

Narrative: Idea Inspirations

After looking into the different genres and it's aspects, we went into looking at animated shorts to find inspirations. Here are some of the animated shorts we've looked at that sparked some idea for further development.

Narrative: Exploring The Different Genres

Action/Adventure (A goal to achieve)

Essentially one long quest with a succession of issues to overcome. It has rising tension and anticipation leading to the final 'sequence.'

          Examples:

          ~ Flying a toy plane

          ~ Using toys to escape (toy plane, bouncing on a ball, skateboard)

          ~ Trying to be the toy on the top shelf/on pillow

Comedy 

There are many different ways to explore a comedy genre. The conventions that allow this are; Types of Comedy, Setting, Iconography, Character, Theme, Bright Colours.

          Subgenres within comedy:

          American ~ Cheesy

          Slapstick  ~ Banana skin (silly usually involves pain, timeless)

          Horror      ~ Seeing something unscary, VERY scary

          Adult        ~ Cheeky, unaware of its nature

Crime

Commonly the narrative offers room for debate

          Examples:

          Race, Policing, Gender, Social Events

Romance

There is a common plot within Romance: Boy meets Girl - They become good friends - There are frequent hints made that they would make a great couple - Unfortunately an argument makes the characters hate each other - Until a huge over the top gesture is made and the characters leave happily ever after.

Sci-fi

Generally following a disaster in the past, mankind turns to robotics and scientists to build a new world. Following Todorov's Narrative Theory.

Thriller

There is usually a crime at the core of the narrative, often a murder. The film is sculpted around this, with complex structures and false paths, clues and resolutions.

Horror (A fear of something)

Horror's tend to follow Todorov's Narrative Theory in a linear fashion. With tension climbing for the duration of the film until the resolution that answers all the questions rose within the film. 

          Examples:

          ~ Loosing limbs

          ~ Scissors

          ~ Loose threads

          ~ Dogs chew toy