Here are some quick concepts for 'The Little Helper' project, they wanted some images to help get an idea of the lighting and feel for the animation. They aren't very detailed but I think they give an idea of the atmosphere. However, I think the composition of some of the pieces aren't great and I could of put a little more thought into them.
I wont upload all the characters individually as there are 30 of them so here's a pretty shot of them all standing together. We have tried to add facial features to the designs to make it easier to express what they are feeling during close up animation. However, we have discovered that you can not just have the eyes, you have to have all the features else they look creepy. I have also done turnarounds for the seven characters that are closely involved with the tree.
After my project hasn't been picked to go through to the next stage of production I am now working on Steph's. Her project is called Beneath the Boughs. At the moment I am helping to refine her character designs. This is really quite difficult as her designs were already really good, but I wanted to make them a bit bolder so they aren't completely over shadowed by her tree. I feel like I am still working in my style which isn't really a good thing. I need to learn to adapt to the style of the project. I am not even half way on the designs as it s big projects and I still have turnarounds to do. Best get back to it :)
This is my design for Sabriel after she has visited the house of Abhorsens. I'd use this design if I do the teaser trailer of her meeting Touchstone for the first time. It still needs some tweaking as I'm not completely happy with the textures.
Another idea I had for a teaser trailer moment is of Sabriel following her mothers words and at the end of it all meeting Mogget. This is a rather amusing but serious moment in the book. And I'd like to capture it in animation.
This is my character design for Mogget. I decided to go for a much simpler style from usual, as this will be easier to animate. I may do more detailed concepts but this is how he would look in the animation. Mogget is actually a 'free-magic' monster bonded to the will of the Abhorsens by the bell 'Saraneth' which is on the collar around his neck.
Well it has finally arrived... The final year of this degree. It is quite a scary thought that in a few months time we will be dumped in the big wide world to find a job. Enough doom and gloom and down to work.
Dissertation work is going slowly it has to be said. It is difficult slogging it through books when all you want to do is draw. At the moment I am working my way through 'Multiculturalism and the Mouse' by Douglas Brode. It is the first book I have read that is actually in the defence of Disney so is proving an interesting read. I really need to get on with the planning and actually starting my dissertation. I need to bring all these ideas together.
Now for the MAJOR PROJECT!!! I feel it needs a bit of emphasis there... I was going to develop my last pitch project idea further. But I was stood in WHSmiths in Truro with Jenny talking about different books and recommending some to her, when she came up with a brilliant but terrifying idea... Why don't I do an adaptation of that book if I like it so much? This only being a week before we had to discuss our ideas with the class. So that's how I ended up stood in front of the class describing the story as 'About a girl. Who has to find her Dad who's trapped in some bad place somewhere.' Oh dear.
The book I am going to adapt is called Sabriel by Garth Nix. That is the same author of Lord Sunday, the book I did character designs for last term. I emailed Garth Nix about working on an adaptation and he is completely fine about me creating a non-commercial student film. (I will have to talk to Andy about what that means) In fact he said his brother is an animator! Fancy that. Here is something Jonathan Nix has been working on...
Anyway.... Back to what I am doing... I have decided to do a 2D animated trailer for an adaptation of Sabriel. I am going to need LOADS of help with the animating later on so will need a mega team. So if you animators want to work on something with epic explosions and action packedness... Then hopefully I will have something you will like.
I am creating some rough concepts of key moments in the book. It seems a bit backwards to be doing this before doing any character design or choosing a style. But I think it will help me decide what is going to work.
Here is a couple of work in progress images (well one at the moment as the other wont upload):
I am going to go and work on a design for Mogget the cat next.
PS. Anyone interested in working on this or wants to learn more, let me know.
I have finally finished this project!! There were a few unexpected changes due to lack of time etc. But I think I've done enough work, hopefully, to make up for it. I did one less concept than I hoped and had to cut down my storyboard a bit. But it all still seems to make sense. Well it does to me. So enjoy the pretty pictures....
Well that's all nine of my character designs done. I have added one of my favourites Daisy to the group. She is a giant green monster, described as having the texture of a pineapple. Her body is the size of a small car, and her tentacles are 30ft long. Leaf looks after Daisy for a while in the story after Daisy responds to her kindness.
Dr Scamandros is a sorcerer and is a pretty cool character too. His face is covered in moving tattoos that change according to his mood. Arthur meets him in the book 'Drowned Wednesday' on a pirate ship. I found it quite difficult to draw his tattoos so you can see them, it just looks like he has a multicoloured face.
This is one of my background designs, it is the clock Arthur is chained to by Lord Sunday. I decided to add in some fog in the background to break up the mass of grass a bit.
I have finally completely finished my pitch project. Time to celebra.... Oh dear. Plenty to do on the Negotiated project but after my resent speed painting it is definitely possible, so sorry Kathy for the lack of work to this point...
This last concept was a bit disappointing really, ended up having to tweak it quite a lot but I am still not happy with it. I can't work out what the problem is either which makes it worse! It will have to do for now.
This is also my second attempt at a title page. I went for the title Nova, as in super nova, not the car. There was lots of playing round with the font etc, until I found this funky looking thing that I could colour in myself. At one point I had Aidan and Lily in the sun, but got rid of them as it looked quite cheesy.
This is my spaceship design. I wanted something quite sleek and futuristic looking compared to the run down cities full of destroyed buildings. It is designed so that when it takes off the thrusters point downwards and for forward propulsion they rotate around to point backwards.
Here's another pretty piece of artwork. This is a concept of all the spaceships leaving Earth. Of course, as it is with all technology, there were some teething problems and some of the ships were dragged into the Sun. I think I could probably spend a bit more time on the background stars and getting more variation in the tones in the Sun. But the main focus is meant to be the spaceships and the planet.
Here's a piece of concept work showing Lilly and Aidan sat under a tree on one of the only fresh and thriving part of the world. The rest has been turned into a barren landscape from and almost constant barrage of meteorites. Its been tough for the old Earth recently. And the constant threat of the Sun going super nova doesn't help. I think there pose Lilly and Aidan are in has captured quite an intimate moment between them. This shows how much they care for each other.
This is a concept of the scene where Lilly has to leave Aidan behind on Earth. It sounds a bit cheesy but its the emotional climax of the film and it all goes downhill from here anyways. The flames behind her are from the other rocket ships taking of, they look a lot closer then they actually are. Lilly has also had a change of costume for the occasion, opting for something more futuristic and some thing that will help keep her alive in space.
I think these are my final backgrounds now... The outline problem was solved with a duel on Facebook and the idea of a mixture was brought up. Brilliant solution! I really like the rice colours in these pieces, but I think I could include more of the finer details in them.
Here is my finished street scene... I cant decide which stlye I like best... Outline or no outline...? I think my favourite part of this is the MASSIVE sun in the background. Having the sun that big would probably effect the shadows a bit more. But I think it looks ok like this.
Ahh!! More essays in an already stressful time. This time for Georg. I have found the lectures on animation technology really interesting and has helped me to understand how things work and why companies do the things they do. I have decided to do my essay on the advancements in motion capture, mainly because I am interested in where it is going for being used to control games. I think I will enjoy finding out how all of this works and should make some surprising discoveries...
Here is a working progress of one of the background for my Pitch. Its taking a while because I just want to work on my other design bible. But I now have a clear idea of what I have to do now, which is defiantly an improvement.
Here are a load more of my character designs for my negotiated brief! I have only a couple more to do an then the turnarounds for a couple. I'm really into this project at the moment and must remember to work on the development project to... I feel like I have barely started on that one.
This is Suzy Turquoise Blue. Shes a wacky character stuck in the body of twelve year old for hundreds of years. She is one of my favourite characters from the book and also one of the most important.
This is Sunday's Reaper. Or as I like to call him 'Mr Grassy Pants'. I really wanted to go to town with the strangeness of his clothing and incorporate nature into it just like it is described in the book.
This is Leaf. I mostly find her annoying in the books because she seems so ordinary compered to the other characters. But I guess you need something real in them.
This is Arthur's toy elephant that he accidentally brings to life when he is chained to the clock. Elephant helps him escape but at what cost?
This is Sunday's butler. He is meant to be green... But he also looks a bit like a strange tall Yoda... Never mind.
Well that's all nine of my character designs done. I have added one of my favourites Daisy to the group. She is a giant green monster, described as having the texture of a pineapple. Her body is the size of a small car, and her tentacles are 30ft long. Leaf looks after Daisy for a while in the story after Daisy responds to her kindness.
This is Sunday's Reaper. Or as I like to call him 'Mr Grassy Pants'. I really wanted to go to town with the strangeness of his clothing and incorporate nature into it just like it is described in the book.
This is Arthur's toy elephant that he accidentally brings to life when he is chained to the clock. Elephant helps him escape but at what cost?
