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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Reflection

Even though this is the second assignment of this unit it is really just the continuation of the first assignment, just flushing out the character, story and scenes along the way. In this way it helped me realize just how many different components go into pre-production work and that even though it is just the first steps for any project it is by far the most important part.  

Pre-production is like an ever changing landscape with just how many modifications you will need to do and just how flexible you will need to be. Not only that but how everything needs at least a rough form in your head before you start making the process very methodical. In this assessment even though I had some small changes, I luckily didn’t run into any major issues nevertheless there were some small things.

The first problems I encountered were the different angles and pose I drew for the character. This is because I struggle with keeping my faces looking the same and having the bodies looking anatomically correct. To overcome this I used the digital aspects of drawing to my advantage. This helped a lot when I was drawing the faces and bodies as I would have a reference close by and if I made a mistake I wouldn’t be wasting resources. 

Another problem I encountered was more technological. When I was trying to transfer over the image from my other devices it wouldn’t work. This scared me at first because I can’t put my image on the blog then how was I going to Complete the assessment. In the end I was able to send the images to a friend and then login on my computer and retrieve it from there.

This assignment was a great learning process on production design and learning about its different aspects. From scripting, sketching, concept design, character design and much more I have gained a wealth of knowledge. all in all and I was glad with the end results of it as well.

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- colour script

this is just to show what main colour I want for my scene and what the lighting will look like

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Storyboards/Beat Boards The complete story of the young lady of Portugal

This here is my story boards for my project. 

if you notice that most boards under them have the coresponding scene from the script. Though some have more writing along with it, this is because in some scenes I wanted to draw out and or add more detail to.

In scene 1 starts with Francisca apening their house door and running out of the house, with her mum then following behind her. Camera is stationary with your eye fulling the character. 

Scene 2 shes runnung through town upset. Two different camera shots happen one from the side watching her run through town and one that then tranistion to her face (to show upset she is).

Scene 4 she arrives to the port. Camera start but then goes up to focus on her head, then fades in two scenes 5. 

Scenes 5 are a flash the reason why there are like a darker outline on them, the movement is slow to help show its the past. 

Scene 6 focus more on the mums perspective as she is shown back at home looking at a picture of the family. Camera is stationary.

Then scene 3 is then cut to, showing Francisca and the mum in a very similar stants showing they both are very similar. Camera is stationary. Then cut to her perspective of the telescope looking at seagull, moving with them from sealevel to the cliff. 

Scenes 7 are showing her walking up the hill. Camera goes from behind her, to the side of her, her vision of the tree. Camera is moving with her.  

Scenes 8 are all kind of breakdown already. 

Scenes 9 the same postion and camera work as scene 7.  

Scene 10 she runs through the town excited and yelling about the fisherman coming home. Camera is moving like how she runs to add just how she exited and how much energy she has.  

The first of scene 11 Camera work moves like how scene 4 does but from top to bottom to show that it has come full circle. The camera then moves to the side revealing the mum, as they hug it does a 360 around them while slowly moving in showing that they have made up. Camera is then stationary as the mum goes to walk off showing holding Franciscas hand. 

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Background

some backgrounds I decided to colour and work more on. out of all the backgrounds I cause the first one you would see and the background for where I consider the peak of the stories movement. 

For the first enviroment I changed/ improved the door ways of the house as I feel that with all the house being so close together and the same colour it really gives the house life and personality.   

I wanted the draw and colour the cliff as it is probably the place with most amount of time spent in. But also the place where the story has its big reveal.  

some inspo 

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Prop Redesign

A more rendered and coloured Image of my telescope prop. I chose the telescope, this is because out of all the props it is the most consistently used iteam through out the story. With some of the keyframe I have envisioned being shown through it.  

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Character re-design and Turnaround (Camila)

In assessment 1 I didn’t really expand upon Camila the mother chacter in my story. I wanted Camila to look like the images I had collected in and bring that same vibe to my drawings. I feel that I have done that with colours, I intensional left out the more complex patterns on the skirt as with Francsica it work as she the main character and you would be seeing her a lot, with camila not so much.  

For more story details, Camila is a hard working 32 year old mother and wife. She like many around her was born and rised in their small village. She love her family more then anything and because of the recent events of the storm, she is under a lot of stress not knowing how the rest of the family is. This has lead to some fights with her youngest as she wants to go out to try and find the rest of their family, but is but a child. 

Turn sheet

Size comparison

again just showing my refence images

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design- Character re-design and Turnaround (Francsica)

For Francsicas character I wanted to expand upon my vision of her. As such I wanted add more character to her like more specific settings, such as personality, age, colour palette, etc. Though a very Important part is to consider different angles as it can be used to help animator see what they would look at different points of view. In the produced drawing I really wanted to bring her to life, to do so I added colour, details to her clothes and made her design a little less complicated while trying to add child like charm and free will (messy hair, no shoes and muddy feet). I feel that with all of this it helps to really show off her aura, that she is young, free spirited and that shes passionate. 

For more story details, I would say that Francsica is the youngest in her family being 9 and the only girl. As such she is given a lot of freedom because she a little spoiled by her family making her a little hard headed. Young and wild she loves to move around the town and explore different nooks and crannies. Though she loves her town, she can’t help but want to go to sea what with her brothers and father being gone for sooo long after the storm. This has lead to some fights with her mother, who is left to keep her grounded.

Turn sheet 

Expression and Colour palette

Size comparison

the refence used 

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KNB136- Assessment 2: Production Design

Story Script

This is my script for my Production Design, it was delevolped from the story brief I made in the first assignment. This is just the expanned version. 

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Production Design- Conclusion

In this assignment I learned a lot about concept design and the different aspects that come with it. With deriving key details from text to researching, designing to the different elements in one's work needed to be implemented. This helped to further my improvement of my professional practice re research, planning, and process in the line of animation. If I were to try this again I would definitely have drawn the art digitally and I would have focused on a couple of Environmental Set Pieces (maybe only 3, 4 max) and then just drew different viewpoints or versions. Instead of having ten different scenes.

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Production Design- Week 5/ Character Design

Characters

Using the highlighted characters in my story, I worked out who may need to be illustrated for the thumbnails. Though there are more than two characters, I decided to focus on the two main ones in the story: the Young Lady of Portugal, who I decided to name Francisca and give the age of around 9-10. I pictured her as small for her age, to emphasize the vulnerability and loneliness she would feel when her father and brothers were away at sea. She would be the first thumbnail character, and the second would be her mother, Camila, who is in her late 30’s. 

The father and two older brothers, and other townsfolk, would be great to illustrate later on in the production process, but for now the main characters will have concept art created.

References

Thumbnails: 

Reflection  

I wanted the characters designs to reflect the tradional portuguese wearsand in these concept sketches I believe that clearly shown. Though the style of the drawings aren’t the closest I feel you can see the the influence of it in the depictions. A challenge I know that i was going to come across was that my proportions in drawing is not the best. To fix this I tried practicing and drew different drafts of the characters till I got some I was happy with. This would be a great skill to keep practicing as I would be great for my future professional practise as a main skill.

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Production Design- Week 4/ Environments

Time and Period

In a fictional location in Portugal, I want it to have an encanto vibe where it feels modern but then also incorporates a lot of traditional elements, like in clothing and in landscape. So like modern with traditional aesthetics. Also will be set in the middle of the day to afternoon- ish.   

Overall Style of the Town

A fictional location in Portugal, on the coast with a larger fishing port and workers. Though being seaside the town will be in a cove terrain with trees lining it. The buildings themselves will be of a more village vibe. 

Aesthetic Elements 

Old fishing villages, a lot of stone work, fishing huts, narrow cobbled streets, and then a mixture of plants and nature.

Environmental Set Pieces

By listing out the 10 locations highlighted in my interpretation of the story, I was able to assemble this list of environments to draft, and also add some extra detail in what I would like them to look like: 

The House - the character's house is small but homely, with other homes being connected from one of the buildings to the other side. Having white paint over the house, due to wear and tear the underlying brick shows through. The rooftops are almost a reddish orange color, being made out of tiles. 

The Street Outside the House - The street just outside the house is slightly slanted compared to the house, and paved with stone. There are light posts about every five houses, with some flower boxes below the windows. 

The Streets of the Town - where she runs through on her way to the Port, and then with her mum after the fishermen come home. 

The Port in the Past - The stone street of the Town turns into a wooden dock, not just one but many. With most of the boats being out with only houses or just seriously old boats left. I separated the Port into three separate thumbnails, as each time it is seen it is conveying a different mood and meaning, and so much of it will change each time to communicate this to the audience - the first is the past, where the principle mood is worry about the fishermen leaving, and the catches of fish getting smaller and smaller. 

The Port in the Present - most of the story takes place while the fishermen are away, so a bare port with more sad and muted colors would help give the feeling of dread. 

Cliff Path - where she is shown climbing, to give context to how she gets to the cliffside tree. 

Cliff Edge with Tree Base - to the left of the old fishing village there is a cliff that overlooks it all. The higher you go along its terrain the less houses there are until you get to the top where there is nothing but plants, rock and the view. Of both the streaming lights of the town and the ocean. 

Top of the Tree - because she is up there and has a pivotal moment in the story, this location will need its own design so that she can climb up to it, perch comfortably to look at the ocean, and also be able to use her binoculars without leaves or branches being in the way. 

Binocular Vision/the Ocean - because she looks through the binoculars to see the boats returning, and so much of the story involves watching the ocean, I thought it was important to both make an environment sketch of the ocean, and to practice the classic “binocular vision” shot that has the audience seeing what the character is seeing through the scopes. 

The Port in the Future - when the fishermen come back and the Young Lady and mother are heading there to meet the fishermen, they will be able to glimpse it and a cheery, bright, sunny afternoon atmosphere of celebration and plenty. Flower wreaths will have appeared, and there will be bustle and excitement.

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Key Week 3 Props -

To identify the key props, I examined the poem and my story again for specific items: 

              There was a Young Lady of Portugal, 

               Whose ideas were excessively nautical; 

               She climbed up a tree, 

               To examine the sea,

               But declared she would never leave Portugal. 

I ended up with the following list of items I wanted to illustrate and do concept art for: 

1. Bag of Trinkets

2. The Necklace with Locket

3. The Drawing Book/ The Pictures inside the book

4. Her Binoculars

some refences 

Reflection  

I wanted to draw these items because I felt that they had the most relivents in the story. I did have more ideas when I was getting research but by the end desided not to as I felt that I shouldn’t try and over complicate the story.  A challnenge for me was how do I draw as a 9-10 yeard old, as I knew that it had to be readable but also child like. To solve this I decided to draw them as stick like and simple. Overall it is clear that prop can play a huge roll in visual story telling, that they can create and or add on depth to a story. 

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Production Design- Week 2/ Poem Breakdown/Production Design

Story and Element Highlighting

My story for the piece would start off with a girl running out of her house (doorway), the main character, the Young Lady of Portugal. She will have a bag of trinkets with her, and her mother will sadly call to her from the door, yelling “no! Come back!” But the Young Lady keeps running off down the street. She arrives at the port (present), because it's a fishing town, but there are no boats. She has a flashback to her waving goodbye to the fishermen leaving the port (past)  in their boats. The times get longer and longer, the fish catches getting smaller and smaller. The last time they leave, there’s a storm on the horizon. She has a necklace with a locket with her, her mum, her dad, and two older brothers. Her mum does as well, back at the inside of their house, looking at portraits of the family. She heads to the highest point of the town, the cliff, where there are very few houses. She climbs a tree to look for the boats. She has a drawing book with all different kinds of pictures, some of her family and others of sights she's seen. The Young Lady is miserable, but then sees movement in the distance and whips out her binoculars. In binocular vision, she sees the boats are back, tumbling and falling (path to the cliff), calling out to the townsfolk that their fisherman have returned. Everyone rushes to the port (final boats returned). She hugs her mum and then they go to the dock together, passing townsfolk with overflowing boxes of fish, to meet the father and two brothers. 

To help myself in the next steps for concepting, I highlighted the different environments, characters, and props I could illustrate. Yellow was the environment, blue was characters, and pink was props. 

I believe these elements and story beats will work together to convey a strong sense of an emerging story by presenting new information to the audience visually, and allowing them to draw their own conclusions to what is happening in the story. The notion of the fish catches getting smaller and smaller, and more and more days passing between them coming back, will indicate the dawning severity of the situation, and the Young Lady’s growing anxiousness when they are taking super long to return that last time. 

Inspirations & Influences  

For the style of this project I was really inspired by the character designs in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove (2000) and in Netflix's Klaus (2019). I really liked the way the style felt and spoke to me as I thought both were simple and stylistic. 

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KNB136 - Visual Storytelling: Production Design- Week 1/ Choosing the Right Limerick

16.

              There was a Young lady of Portugal,

               Whose ideas were excessively nautical;

               She climbed up a tree,

               To examine the sea,

               But declared she would never leave Portugal. 

In visually storytelling concept art is very important in the prediction line. Without it the modelers and animators wouldn’t know what the mood, era, characters and world would be like. In this I will be making my own concept art based on one of Edward Lear’s poems from the book of nonsense, a book from 1846 entirely about limericks. My chosen poem was number 16, the young lady of portugal. 

I decided to go with this limerick cause when I read it I immediately started to imagine what thing and theme I could design and draw. Even though the poem is quite short it gives a sense of what the character is like. That we as an audience know that there is a young , female, of portugal descent and likes the sea. This will all be of great use when designing the character and what props I could draw. 

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Blog Post 4: KNB125 (Animation History and Context) Assignment 2 Motion Design Project - Flour Sack: Critical Reflection

During the creation of this animation I learnt a lot about staging, emotive expressions, and characterization. Throughout the entire process I struggled to keep the consistency of the flour sack, however I learned to rely heavily on the start, end, and extreme circle base poses to help me keep everything feeling relatively the same size, shape, and weight. In future works I will implement this procedure in a more practiced way, as it feels key to success in creating the standard of animation I want to achieve in my professional work.

In terms of specific steps, the research phase taught me how to demonstrate movement and anthropomorphic furniture, as the inspiration pieces I found were high calibre and I could base my own animation on aspects of them. Initially I felt there were not a lot of anthropomorphic item animations out there, however the ones that I did find were good enough to deconstruct into individual elements I could use. During sketching I found it difficult initially to keep the volume of the character consistent as it moved and changed shape, as well as figuring out the arcs and pathways it would take between major poses. Through trial and error and lots of sketches my skill improved. Storyboarding is a new skill that has not been part of my creative practice to date, however I found the concept very useful to help me mark out key poses. The staging was fun as I could do a simple background and add some props, and then imagine how the sack would navigate the scene. For lighting, I decided to make it a flat scheme with no shadows as the focus was on the movements of the sack, and not deformation of shadows for this particular assignment. Finishing up was satisfying, as filling in the sack after so much preparation was a straightforward process and felt like a reward for all of my planning.

In conclusion I am proud of my final animation, which I believe displays my strengths in humour, movement, and creative use of staging. In the future I will focus on developing the proportions of my characters, as I did struggle with keeping the sack looking the same mass as it changed shapes. I will improve on this over time, and am excited to continue to experiment with a variety of characters of many different shapes and sizes.

45-Frames

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_9h7XldUwE)

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Blog Post 3: KNB125 (Animation History and Context) Assignment 2 Motion Design Project - Flour Sack: Staging, Lighting, Finishing

Draft 1: A background I created for the animation. This allowed me to determine the location for the staging, as well as the key props I wanted to integrate (eg the rock), and helped me think about what poses I would like and where they would go, in terms of the timing, camera angle, and "acting" of the sack.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9SSgmwcnig)

Draft 2: "Circles" shows the breakdown of the animation in a solid drawing style, with bulky overlapping geometric shapes to show the general poses, size and movements of the character. Rather than instantly drawing complete sacks, I did a series of pose-to-pose wireframe sketches to work out the motion, weight, energy, continuity and other general aspects of what I wanted the final piece to look like. I did this to make a base to work from, with the extreme midpoints of the movements from which I would expand into the next draft, by filling in the breakdowns. I decided to do it this way rather than straight ahead animating because it made it easier to plan out the entire animation once the key poses of the animations were locked in.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VngVRn9uf2g)

Draft 3: "Sketches" is a rough outline of what the flour bag sequence would look like. At that stage I hadn't really finished how I wanted the animation to end (which ended up being the flour sack tripping and blushing). The flour sack squashes and stretches when jumping and landing, and I tried to integrate arcs for the feet, much like my inspiration video of the broom in The Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence of Fantasia.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXemuHbtRPc)

Draft 4: "Half-finish" In this section I focused on filling in the blanks between my start, end and extreme poses. I concentrated on creating follow-through and drag on the corners of the flour sack, to give the impression of them flopping back and forth and being slightly delayed compared to the bulk of the sack. At the start of each jump, I added some drag to the base of the sack to give the impression of greater speed and effort. I stretched the bag and added extra frames at the start and end of each jump to create the slow-in/slow-out effect, to make it more realistic and also to add anticipation to the sack, allowing the audience to prepare for the next action. Rather than doing 24 frames per second, I deciding to keep the timing of the frames 12fps, to keep the movement brisk and to halve the work I would need to do compared to traditional 24fps animations or 48fps 3D films.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_9h7XldUwE)

Final Draft: "Final" With the sequence almost complete, I added some secondary actions such as the flour puffing out effect as I wanted to exaggerate the "flour-y" aspect of the character. To finish off, I filled in and added lining to each animation and watched it a hundred times to fix little errors and inconsistencies.

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Blog Post 2: KNB125 (Animation History and Context) Assignment 2 Motion Design Project - Flour Sack: Design, Sketches and Storyboard

For the the flour sacks I made up simple sketches and designs before animation to practice on foundations and where I could it apply in the walk cycle. I first started the drafting's by breaking it down into shapes and to section it off. This was used to help the flow of continuity through the animation and to make it easy to draw in different pose.

After drawing different renditions I decide to go with the middle flour bag's design. Just to make it simple and easy to recognise. I also drew some different expressive motions.

I then made a rough storyboard of what I wanted my walk cycle to look like.