Initial ideas

For this project i want to create another short animation, but with a much simpler story to my minor project. After speaking with Phil it became much more apparent that a simpler story would allow me to be able to play to my strengths and focus more clearly on my animating.

My aims for this project...
.....are to get everything created much much faster than my last project. I don't feel as though i had been lazy or had not been working, it was the time i had spent perfecting my story that had taken so many of my initial weeks up, so i feel as though if i get this idea nailed down within week one i can fly off with the modelling and texturing and rigging giving me so much longer to get a more precise animation. Obviously i wont be starting the main three Maya steps; Modelling, texturing and rigging, until having a solid character and environment designs, which i hope i will be able to fully focus on as soon as my idea has been 'okay'ed.'

My aims for week one:

1. Fully realised storyline


2. Initial character designs, sketched and with experimental colour palettes, on paper and PC


3. Initial environment designs, sketched and with experimental colour palates, on paper and PC

Week two:

1. A finalised storyboard - pre-vis


2. Finalised character design, on paper and PC


3. Finalised Environment design, on paper and PC

I know these two weeks seem pretty ambitious but i feel if i can get these things completed within these two weeks, then ill be doing myself such a massive favour when it comes to animating it, as i want it to be perfect.

My idea...

Animation name: The Fly

(after speaking with Alan Ive just been made aware that there is already an animation by this name.. argh! Maybe just 'Fly'.)

Characters: Old man (fly, only for close up cut screens but still needs to be modelled)

Storyline:

My story is of an old man trying to have a nap. The introduction would be him walking into his small lounge room, with a large old Wing back chair, a fire place (that's not burning) and picture frame over the fire place, a small table beside the chair with a vase upon it and a single flower inside. He will sit down placing his cup of tea on the table and then go to rest his head aside the inside of the chair, letting his eyes close. As he does a buzzing will start, he will then take a fly swat from the drawer inside the table and swat at the arm of the chair. The buzzing will stop and he returns to trying to nap. Then the buzzing returns. I want this process to continue, but gradually increasing the anger and frustration in the old man to the point that he has ended up knocking over everything in the room, hunched over breathless with his comb over all out of place. Then the buzzing would stop and he would will pick up the chair from the floor and go to rest again and as the credits appear you would hear the buzzing return.

Inspiration for the character:

Basil Fawlty (Fawlty towers)/slap stick humor

Tall, slim, awkward (ignoring the pose you are able to see the exaggeration in his body length that i want to include into my character)

Modelling technique..

After speaking with Alan it definitely seems that simplicity will be the key for this project. Simple character design and simple environment design, allowing me to focus on the animation, which Alan has suggested i will need at least 10 weeks to animate.

This is a 15 week project with a two week Easter holiday break which i will definitely be working during which is a total of 17 weeks.

With one week for rendering and editing and another for this initial introduction week, that leaves 5 weeks to get all pre-vis, character designs, modelling, texturing, rigging and storyboards completed.