LO1 - TASK 2 - Screenplay

Below is the screenplay I created for my animation. Admittedly, I found this to be a challenge due to the lack of dialogue as it all relies on visuals. However, I was able to complete a screenplay which describes the events that will take place in my animated piece.

LO1 -TASK 2 - Sets/Backgrounds

I sketched the first image below and then by scanning the sketch onto a computer I was then able to draw over it in illustrator, allowing for a neater and smoother design. I then moved the image to Photoshop, where I added colours and photos to create the final image. The completed image can be seen below the rough sketch. Below that is an example of a background for a different scene.

LO1 - TASK 2 - Storyboard

Below are the storyboards I drew to plan the plot for my project.

LO1 - TASK 2 - Treatment

Title: Stormy Seas (Current Title)

Medium: Animated fantasy adventure short film.

Running Time: 3 – 4 minutes

Synopsis: Rex the Sailor has his ship destroyed by a storm, leaving him at the bottom of the sea; there he must battle and avoid horrible sea creatures whilst trying to rescue a beautiful mermaid.

Characters:  *Rex the Sailor *Suspicia the Mermaid *Goodwick the Whale

*Seabiscuit the Seahorse *Seals *Crabs *Lefty the Octopus *Ace the Shark

Key Scenes: The key scene is where Rex meets Suspicia but both are chased by Goodwick, as it introduce a love interest but the lovers are separated by this dangerous addition to the story. Of course, the happy ending is also crucial, as the lovers are re-united.

Sound recordings: No voice actors will be needed as all characters are silent. The animation will link up with two sets of music – Symphony of the Seas by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a segment of Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture by Tchaikovsky.
Equiptment list: To create my animation I will need a Mac computer with access to Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and an animation programme such as Flash. I will also require internet access. A pencil and paper may also be needed for rough sketches and planning.

LO1 - Plan for 2 to 3 Minute Animation.

a)    selection of form

I plan on creating an animated short film which I feel would work best as a televised cartoon or to be distributed online. 

b)   selection of animation type

My chosen form of  animation is 2D digital animation. I chose to use 2D digital animation as I believe it to be an easy form of of animation to create that still allows for some effective visuals and works best for cartoon drawing style. I plan on creating the visuals in Illustrator and Photoshop and then, using the final images, converting them to Flash to edit and animate them into the final film.

c)    selection of genre/style

My animated piece with be a fantasy adventure with a sub-genre of comedy, targeted at a young audience. The fantasy derives from the use of mythical creatures such as mermaids and giant seahorses, the adventure comes from the exciting antics of the sailor whilst in the sea and the comedy is to be expected from the cartoon designs and will be presented in visual humour. The cartoon style also makes it more appealing to kids and a younger demographic.

d)   narrative and/or character development

The story for my animated piece will be told visually, with a silent narrative. The plot will be linear and is a traditional voyage and return story. The protagonist, a sailor, serves as a main plot point as we, the audience, follow him as his ship is wrecked and witness him and how he interacts with different aquatic creatures. 

 The sailor is somewhat something of a pirate, though with no mean-spirited nature so that the audience will understand that he is the protagonist and the character  that they should be rooting for. Pirates are often portrayed as the villain, so I have worked hard to make sure that he still has a pirate design without looking villainous.  For example, I have given him a smiling and upbeat persona with a colourful fashion sense, avoiding dark colours so that he is not mistook for an evil pirate at any point.His lanky design is to make it look more comical when he is swimming, with his moving arms and legs being exaggerated. 

The character development lies in the fact that the sailor seems to be quite a cowardly character when confronted by a threat, but still remains confident in his attempt to rescue his new found love, the mermaid, and will face any obstacle to reunite with her.

The designs for the sailor are shown below. I have displayed him performing different actions and emotions.

1. Action: Standing.
Emotion: Happy.

2. Action: Swimming.
Emotion: Unhappy, concerned.

3. Action: (Sea)Horse riding.
Emotion: Angry, determined.

4. Action: Dancing, waving, celebrating.
Emotion: Happy, excited.

5. Action: Being squeezed.
Emotion: Unhappy, uncomfortable.

e)    relevant risk assessment(s)

f ) daily shooting schedule

     Planning for my animation can seen on the gant chart below. For the production, I hope on creating ten frames per day at least.

g) call sheets 
Below is the call sheet for my animation project.

Comparison Task
Watch the trailers for Frozen and Shrek 3. Compare how they are similar and different.

Characters

Both Frozen and Shrek include a misunderstood protagonist who hides themselves away from everyone as they are often seen by others as being evil, either for the way they look or the powers they process. In the end, however,  both characters are accepted by the others for who they.

Both films include a red-headed princess who goes against an audience’s expectations of a sweet and loving princess as both are prone to losing their temper and resorting to physical violence.

Both films also include an antagonist who doesn’t follow the usual conventions of a villain but instead would suit the part of the hero as both villains are actually handsome princes, though driven to evil actions after not receiving the attention that they feel they deserve.

Both include a comedic side-kick in the form of a dopey, grey, four legged animal.

Narrative

Similiarly, both films open with the films protagonist being woken by another character (Elsa is woken by her sister Anna and Shrek is woken by Donkey). Both films then present a montage to show the main characters so the audience have an understanding of them, although this is done for different reasons; Frozen is doing it to establish who these characters are as they are new to the audience whilst Shrek's characters have been developed over the last two films, so this montage is done for comedic effect as it shows how Shrek and Fiona struggle with their new Royal life through a series of slapstick moments. Both films, coincidently, then move onto the subject of a Royal death. In Frozen, the King and Queen of Arendelle and the protagonists parents die in a shipwreck - this scene is silent except for the atmospheric music as it is meant to trigger an emotional responce from the audience and create pathos. Meanwhile, the King of Far Far Away and the protagonists father-in-law dies of old age - this scene is made less dramatic and more comical as the scene is stretched the character seems to 'die' three times in the scene before continuing with his speech.

In Frozen, Anna sets off on a mission to find her sister to return to Arandelle and bring back summer, whilst Shrek sets off to find his brother-in-law Arthur to return to Far Far Away to be the new ruler. Both Anna and Shrek are joined by other characters along the journey. Meanwhile, the films antagonists set up their plot to take over as rulers of these kingdoms whilst their current rulers are away on their journeys.

Themes

Both Frozen and Shrek 3 share the themes and morals of being accepted despite of you flaws, not to judge someone just because they may be different and to accept responcibility and trust yourself even if you're not sure if you're ready for the task.

Starter Task - List different Animation Genres

Starter task - List as many different genres of animation and support with examples.

 2D Cel Animation (Hand-drawn Animation).

2D Digital Animation (Hand-drawn style, made for computers).

3D Computer Animation.

 Stop-motion Claymation.



 Stop-motion Paper-cut-out.

 

Stop-motion puppet/figure/prop.

Stop-motion pixilation (Live models).

Live action/animation cross-over.

Rotoscoping.