Final concept, storyboard and timeline

Hi ya peoples, here is the final concept for my animation:

There are only two main characters in this story and each one is in their own little world. They inadvertently entangle themselves into the other character’s world via their actions or their reactions. One of the characters stumbles across an object and out of curiosity activates the object by accident. Trying to stop the object, it only makes things worse. Each time the object activates, it affects another characters world. That world’s only difference is that its buildings contain colour.

The device drains a portion of that worlds colour and places it into the world without colour. The character inside the world with colour notices the strangeness in one of the buildings - that it doesn't have any colour. Out of curiosity, it touches the building and the colour immediately comes rushing back although it is not without consequence. By touching the building, the character has restored the colour of the building but by doing so it also drains a part of its own colour. This continues with actions and reactions until both worlds become so entangled that they eventually swap. The two main characters that were not used to the world being devoid of colour or so full of colour (themselves included) die in their own worlds in an environment that they cannot survive in.

This animation will be created in Maya using 3D models to render out a 2D animation using Toon shaders and real life imagery (photos) to complete the effect. Targeted towards slightly older children (early teens) the moral of this story is from the saying “Curiosity killed the cat” and illustrates this in a slightly morbid way (because there are two deaths.)

There will be no dialog in this animation. Using “blabbering” or “baby-talk” type sounds to replace the dialog or to set the atmosphere of the scenes, the animation will slightly resemble the Claymation – animations like “Pingu” or “Pib and Pog” by Aardman.

So the animation basically alternates between the two worlds with cause and effect. I still want to think up a few more scenarios to act as a catalyst for the destruction of both the worlds but until then this is what I have.
Here is my storyboard so far:





Here is the timeline that I've set for myself. I've given myself a 'cut-off' date for alterations on the storyboard and character development so that I definitely know that I'll have everything done on time so I can solidly work on animating and creating assets.

Update on Production plan/Idea

So, Tarwin has just mentioned the use of 3D as a tool to create the animation by making the characters like little icy-pole stick puppets so the overall effect is still like 2D animation (paper cut-out like, but with more depth if I use 3D). So I probably will use 3D...gotta do some tests first though.

Concept and Keyframes

Well, here is a part of my concept. I'm still not sure about all the specifics but the basic storyline is this:

Main basis for concept: Cause and Effect.

Basic storyline concept:

There are only two main characters in this story and each one is in their own little world. They inadvertently entangle themselves into the other character’s world via their actions or their reactions. One of the characters has a particularly controlling nature which then causes the other character to face the consequences of the first one. The second character reacts to said consequences by doing something which brings the second character closer to the world/environment of the first. Pretty much the same thing happens until eventually the two worlds are entangled and causes a single massive event with dire consequences or perhaps the second character gains retribution over the first.

I've made 3 keyframes of what my animation may look like. Here they are:

This first image is of the first main character (loves to take control of things, see what things do and also causes the destruction of both worlds).


So this image is of the second main character and its world being affected by the actions of the first, so this is the first sign of the leaking from one of the worlds.


This third image is of the two characters worlds leaking into each other and being entangled.


So those were the images of what my animation may look like. Initially I really wanted to incorporate some 3D into this animation but I am creating a 3D animation for the 3D unit and doing 3D twice doesn't sound quite as appealing and just doing one 3D animation would probably prolong my interest in that project. So I won't be using 3D in this project.

John made a comment today on the two very different styles in the world and that perhaps it would be hard to merge the two together. I wanted the second characters world to be almost like a child's colouring book so it sort of contains a feeling of naivety but I think John is right and the leap between the worlds may be hard to do.
So I've thought about the images and I've decided that I really like the collage one (first characters world). I'm thinking that I may just use that one world and since the first character's world (FCW) is desaturated, I think I might make the second character's world (SCW) colourful and as the story progresses the colour of the SCW then leaks into the first characters. Or as Elise suggested, perhaps have the SC be bleached of colour in an effort to save it's own world.

I'm still quite stumped as to what I could do as a trigger for these events to happen so I still need to brainstorm some more on this.

Semester two Digital Arts Studio Project Concept

Well it's back to uni. All previous unresolved issues from last semester is solved so I can fully concentrate on uni stuff now.

So for my initial concept, I thinking of taking elements of the dream that I had and turn it into a narrative that I can animate. So far the idea that I have is to have a two main characters who both exist in the same environment and their lives unknowingly affect each others lives. Based off the idea that John gave me about drawing out ideas and expanding on them. I know so far that I want to have a characer which controls an aspect of the environment and that directly affects what happens to the other character. I still need to flesh out the idea some more but I should have the rest of the concept some what completed and have a frame or so of the intended finished product up on friday sometime.

~A