04/04/2003 - Entry #77
Alright then, an update, at long last. It isn't gonna be a good one or anything, but it's better than nothing, and I need your ideas.
Right, so basically, this is the brief for my project:
Character Animation
This module aims to build on your previous computer experience applied to character animation. It is to include a study of character design and animation in a variety of media, and your observation of movement for translation into animating a computer character to convey emotion and personality.
Aims of the ICA
You are to design, model and animate one OR two original 3D characters and to develop the character(s) and a short story sequence for the animation.
The 30-40 second (maximum) computer animation sequence should include the character(s) in one specific setting to convey their personality, emotions and storyline. One of the characters may be an off-screen character throughout, where we only hear his/her voice for the story. It is optional whether you have a one or two character story, and the use of sound is optional.
Character Design
The character must be bipedal and humanoid, able to convey its personality and emotions for the short sequence.
Define the character traits and personality and appearance of your character(s) - if there are two characters they are to be distinctly different, and opposite to each other. Keep in mind that the second character can be off-screen throughout.
Create an appealing visual style for the look and design of the characters: caricature, stylised, fantasy or realistic (warning: avoid "realistic" as it's the most difficult to animate convincingly.) Keep in mind that 2 characters of quite different visual "styles" could play in the same animation, if that's part of the story.
Story Development
Develop and write a one-line synopsis and short synopsis (100 words maximum) for the character animation. The short synopsis should be original, conveying the character(s), the setting, theme and story. Also, indicate the form (comic or serious).
Choose one setting where the character's interaction and short story takes place, as for example:
- in a bar (interior)
- on a rooftop (exterior)
- in a room (interior)
- on a desert island (exterior)
- OR: you may choose a setting of your choice appropriate to the character(s) - interior or exterior.
Develop the original story for your characters around a theme, such as:
- The opposite characters are in conflict, creating a sequence of mishaps which resolve the conflict (comic or serious)
- The opposite characters have a common goal, and try to outwit each other to reach it (comic or serious)
- The opposite characters meet in the wrong place at the wrong time (comic or serious)
- OR: you may choose your own theme for the character(s)' story (comic or serious)
Alright, that's pretty much it. It rambles on about filesizes and so on, but that's really all you need to know. So yeah, basically, I'm stuck for ideas. As you may have noticed, it's all pretty open ended. In essence, I just have to make a 30-40 second sequence involving one or two characters who are easily animated. So no subtle raising of eyebrows and sideways glances, it has to be overt and histrionic all the way. Any ideas?
I'm thinking that I'd like to keep it semi game related, since that is, after all, my chosen route and everything. Plus that limitation makes it easier to come up with ideas. But I'm still not happy with most of my self-suggestions so far. I mean, for ages now I've had this basis for a comic drawn up, which was kind of a mockery of all the gratuitously 'cool' stuff that people put into comics. The main character was this kid who found a demon-sword type thing, and when he held it it changed the way he fought. As I said, the whole comic, and all the characters, were intended to sucker the usual comic-reading audience into calling it cool. I still want to do it eventually, and so this'd be a nice opportunity to start it. I mean, I could do the kid training normally, then grabbing the sword and suddenly training totally differently. Lots of movement to animate, and two distinct styles, with the catch being that both characters are the same character. But the downside is that it's so patently unoriginal. I mean, the whole demon-sword thing is MEANT to be unoriginal, that's the point. But still, absolutely every manga-loving geek on our course does a fucking kung fu fight scene. Every last one of them. So I'm wary of that one. But it is something I'm going to do eventually anyway. Hmm. Jesper had an excellent suggestion of having the character be schizophrenic. Again, both characters would be the one character, which is unique enough for me. The only real downside is that I'd have to totally ham both of them up in order for them to be animatable. I couldn't just have subtle differences in character. My mum suggested instead of making it an animation inside a game, I make it an animation of two kids (or two students, as the case may be) playing and arguing over a game. I mean, we do that plenty here, so there's no shortage of material. Could have us trash-talking each other one minute and then screaming at the computer for messing up the next. But all of those ideas have their pros and their cons.
So does anyone else have any ideas? Or a favourite of the ones above? Or anything, at all? At the moment I'm completely stuck, so any comments you make at all, whatsoever, will be better than this.
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