Week 5- Character designs

Old man Character designs:

Younger version of character

Week 4- Inspiration

Researching for style inspiration:

I have decided that I am going to use stop motion animation for the old man cottage scenes. Here are a few examples of the style that I want to achieve:

What captivated me most was the overall charm of this animation. The use of lighting stood out to me too. The contrast of warm low key lighting where the characters are gathered round the table reminiscing on happy memories. Then cutting to the wolf character where the lighting is very cold and dramatic, casting heavy shadows and silhouettes. 

The style of the characters in this animation is how I imagined my old man character to be. 

I found this animation and thought it fascinating the way the characters came alive from the books. This made me realise if I should have my fairy character interacting with the book characters when she explores the book environment. The fairy must not like the environment she is in, until she visits the old mans memory book.

Inner steppe Animation

This website shows the production method of an short stop-motion animation film. I will use this site to gain further knowledge on what methods to use for my animation.

Stop-Motion Set (CG)

A video exploring a living room set in the style of stop motion but is fully CG created using Maya, 3DS max and Vray

This image is from the film 'The Pagemaster' (1994). The fairy characters in this film are how I would like to create my fairy character. The character will have little identity, so the performance of this character will be the main focus. 

Week 4- Research

Further development:

Old Man character:

- Whats his backstory? 

His wife passed away> he keeps a book of their memories together

Book Environments:

The choice of books need to relate to the old mans personality, so I need to think of what type of books he would have in his bookcase... 

- Crime>  Crime noir> detective > Classic> Sherlock Holmes

- Old children's fantasy book> perhaps his favourite childhood book

- Classic novels> fantasy> 60, 000 Leagues under the sea

- History> War> WW2> RAF

- Sport> golf, formula one

- 'The chosen book'> diary/journal, photo album, scrap book

Room Environment:

- Old english style study room> chesterfield chairs

- British iconography> London scenery pictures, British Bulldog ornaments, Union Jack 

- Main feature> bookcase

- Lighting> Dim, warm, light coming from fire, lamps, wall lights

- Fire place

- Vinyl player or old radio

- Music playing in background> 1940's/50's love songs> Vera Lynn- We'll meet again

- Evening, snowy, winter outside, or maybe end of autumn 

Week 3- Inspiration

Whilst researching for the style of this animation, I came across this music video and found it really inspiring. 

What I found most intriguing was the 'spirit' like characters and its interaction between the live action characters. I imagined the book fairy to be a similar style as this. 

I also found the combination of different mediums such as live action, 3D and digitally painted backgrounds very interesting, especially the background designs. For my animation I would like to have a mixture of mediums too. I initially thought to have the scenes which are set in the old mans house to be either live action or stop motion animation and to have the scenes of the books in different types of animation. For example, the crime novel could be light box animation in charcoal, the fantasy adventure novel could be 3D and the horror could be digital 2D animation. 

Week 3- Idea

I have decided to develop my second idea of 'The Book Fairy'.

As I want my final project to focus on environments I have decided to use the poem as a starting point and develop the story in my own way. But still keeping key themes for the narrative.

Rough Outline: The fairy could be deciding what book she wants to live in, this will allow me to explore different environments.

- Fairy flying around bookcase looking at different books (Narration at beginning explaining the purpose of a book fairy)

- She pulls out various books and then the camera goes into the environment…
  Maybe she could choose 3 different books:
      - Fantasy Adventure 
      - Crime (1920's?)
      - Horror

- The she stumbles across a diary of the old man who lives in the house

- A piece of text from the book on screen…

- Shot of the fairy's face delighted in what she's found and disappears into the book!

Week 2- Choosing ideas

Idea 2:

Poem Interpretation: The Book Fairy

I often look for inspiration on the website 'HitRecord' created by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It is a collaboration website in which people share their ideas for others to work on. 

hitRecord

I stumbled across an illustration of 'The Book Fairy' and thought it was a beautiful image and wanted to know more about it!

 Illustration (and original idea) by Eli Hooper

The Book Fairy illustration

Several poems and stories have been written inspired from this image. This particular poem really caught my attention…

Tales of the Book Fairy

Written by Marisa Gissler

***

A book fairy has one purpose

One purpose alone

To find a book

To inhabit as home

Not to live

Within the binding there of

But to strive in the story

To find pleasure and love

                                                                 This wise little fairy                                                                                                                                      

knows what she needs

The story, the book

But she cannot proceed

In an old man's cottage

The windows are locked

She can't get inside

He can't hear her knock

As she awaits in the rain

Soggy wings and all

The old man gets sleepy

He heads down the hall

As he climbs into bed

He sees something strange

Something in his window

Is his eyesight deranged?

He opens the window

A fairy stands waiting

Without her purposes fulfilled

Her life could be fading

She can't tell him much

The search must start now

So she flies to the books

She must read them all, but how?

The man doesn't know

What she desperately wants

But he pulls out a book

As she frantically hunts

He shows her the title

Grin on his face

He knows she will like it

Mostly the setting and place

She mimics his grin

The reading unimportant

The book is made for her

It marked confident

She nods to the man

Before she leaves him behind

She's ready for love

And the life she will find

She uses her magic

To start her new life

She enters a world

With less worry and strife

This is her new home

A place she's meant to be

With her purpose fulfilled

She's a worthy book fairy

(Poem Link)

Style:

- Mixed media> live action for characters? VFX?

- Environments> Digital Matte painting

Environments:

- Old man's cottage

bedroom> must have bookcase…

sitting room

hallway

surrounding forest

Week 2- Choosing ideas

I have decided to look further into my first two initial ideas.

Idea 1: Star Signs

Element Groups:

Air
- Gemini
- Libra
- Aquarius

Earth
- Capricorn
- Taurus
- Virgo

Fire
- Sagittarius
- Leo
- Aries

Water
- Scorpio
- Pisces 
- Cancer 

I have chosen a star Sign from each element group and have researched the star signs traits to gain a further understanding of what sort of environment these signs may live in. 

Air> Gemini:

Mysterious

Knowing a little bit of everything

Greek mythology> messenger of the gods

Always on the move

Detached

Symbol> Twins

Earth> Capricorn

-       Patient

-       Cautious but willing to take unusual approaches

-       Climbing higher and higher to reach a goal

-       Symbol> Goat

Fire> Sagittarius

-       Freedom loving

-       Believe anything is possible

-       Aim their sights to what ever they want

-       Love of life

-       Symbol> Archer

Water> Cancer

-       Ruled by the moon

-       Like the moon going through phases, they live so much in internal ocean of emotions

-       Compassionate and caring but also moody

-       Can appear hard and insensitive on the outside but deep below lies a softness and sensitivity  

-       Symbol> Crab

Compatibility:

Worst> Gemini and Sagittarius

Air + Fire = hot air

Best> Capricorn and Cancer

Earth + Water = Mud

Possible Environments:

- Volcanic location (foreground), Mountains (far background), ‘safer’ in the distance

- Sky/clouds, fast moving

- High mountains, winding trails, forest location

- Calm Ocean but stormy clouds/sky, moonlight night

Week 1- Ideas

For my final project I want to focus on environment designs. The animation does not necessarily have to be narrative based, it can be more like a visual journey for the viewer. This way I can showcase my skills at environment concept. Here are my first initial ideas:

Idea 1:

Star Signs

- Environment or worlds where the star sign would live

- Spirit form of the star sign travelling through each environment

- Show the relationship between two star signs? their compatibility with each other…conflicting, perfect match

Idea 2:

Interpretation of a poem

The Book Fairy

Idea 3:

Dreams

- Most common dreams audience can relate to…

Idea 4: 

Timeline

- A timeline/montage through different eras… Prehistoric, Roman/Gladiators, WW1 etc.