2nd year film Ideas

My Three IdeasBy Emily Johnson

2nd Year Film

The 2D, 3D and Stop Motion Characters.

Idea One

Idea One: The Story

A University Animation Student is working at her desk, sketching character ideas. She stops drawing a quick sketch of a character’s outline, puts down her pencil, picks up the piece of paper and screws it up - tossing it in the paper bin beside her desk. She then stands up and leaves the room.An unfinished Stop Motion Armature model named Slim is sitting on the desk. When the Student leaves, the Model stirs, blinking his eyes. He stands up and hurriedly makes his way to the edge of the desk, looking below at the paper bin. He makes a “fishing rod” out of a pencil, a piece of string and paper clip and lowers it down into the paper bin. He grabs the screwed up piece of paper, and hoists it back up onto the desk. Slim opens up the screwed up piece of paper, revealing Sketch, the character drawing on the paper. Slim reaches towards Sketch’s head on the paper, and grabs his outline - then pulls him off the paper. Sketch blinks, coming to life, looking around and he looks at his rescuer. They both look happy to meet each other.Slim and Sketch then wander across the desk to a piece of paper with writing on it. In large letters, the paper says “2nd Year Film.” The two characters look at one another sadly, knowing that they will not be in the movie as they are unfinished and unwanted.

Whilst Sketch is coming to terms with his existence, Slim seems like he has an idea. He gestures to Sketch, then points to the Student’s computer. They nod at each other determinedly, and quickly make their way to the keyboard.Slim and Sketch work together to try and find anything that may give them answers as to what the Student is using in her final film - and why they are not good enough for it. They come across a file named “Unfinished 3D Character Idea” and they open it. The file opens and within it is a colourful simplistic 3D Character made up of basic shapes named CMYK. Slim and Sketch look closer at this Character until suddenly she comes to life. CMYK blinks, looking around and notices the two characters that are staring at her. Excited, CMYK jumps out of the screen to greet them. She seems curious and care free. Slim and Sketch show CMYK the Student’s brief which changes her mood entirely. She looks sad and shares the same sentiment as her two new friends. 

The three of them continue their search to find what the Student will be using in her final film. They manage to find a Movie File named “2nd Year Film”. Delighted, they open it - and can not believe their eyes. Upon the screen, they see themselves, looking at the screen. Confused, Slim turns his head behind him, and the version of himself on the screen copies simultaneously. A few seconds go by - and then they realise what this means. It means they are in the final film after all!

The Characters

This is a finished Character concept for the Characters Sketch, CMYK and Slim.

Reasons why I like this idea:

1) It’s a Challenge. I’ve not properly attempted to animate in 3D or in Stop Motion before but I believe this idea gives me the perfect opportunity to try it out.

2) I think the idea is a strong one and if done well, will look great when it’s finished.

3) I like the Story. I like how the Characters are trying to find out why they are not being used in the film when it turns out they are the final film. Anyone watching the film knows that but they don’t realise it until the end. Which I think makes a really nice story.

4) I have ideas of how I’m going to achieve all the effects I’m trying to achieve. For example, Sketch will be animated by hand, and each time I draw his out line I’m not going to do it perfectly, which should hopefully create a shifty moving effect that I’m going to try and achieve. 

5) The background/back drop of the entire film will be a real life location. e.g my desk.

6) I believe it will be really fun to make and to watch when it’s finished!

The Movie Trailer

Idea Two

Idea Two: The Story of “F-2-O”

“Finally, calm had come over this wasteland, and the place where my home town once stood had turned to dust...”

Idea Two: The Story “F-2-O”

Main Events:-          Kia and Lear are best friends, Lear tells Kia of how his father takes him to his laboratory on a regular basis to look at some weird blue goo (F-2-O), and how he says it’s able to harm you and heal you. Kia is fascinated by this and asks to see it. Lear takes Kia into the laboratory basements while his father is not around to show Kia the F-2-O.-          Lear’s father dies – this affects Lear’s and Kia’s friendship.-          Lear grows up scarred by how his father died.-          Lear studies science and electronics in school and develops his already strong understandings and skills in the subjects, he accepts a job at the laboratory where his father worked to require more data and research into the F-2-O’s power – as no other person knows of its healing ability.-          It is learned that F-2-O has an effect on the brain – it can quickly allow the mind to be consumed by its potential power – but it would only depend the person how the mind will deal with it.-          Kia returns to the story as a young woman looking for Lear, she becomes concerned when Lear shows the same signs his father showed when he was becoming obsessed with the F-2-O. Kia attempts to help Lear open up to her, where she then learns that he plans to use the F-2-O for another purpose.

-          Lear builds a suit that can harness the power of F-2-O and turn it into a powerful weapon – this gives him the ability to fly at high speeds and cause explosions on a high scale – it also means he cannot be stopped by any other force such a bullets as the F-2-O flows throughout the suit and heals the body before it can become harmed. Lear tries to convince himself that he did this to help the world, to give people protection – but he soon became devoured by the power and uses it to take control of the world. He soon goes too far, and begins to destroy it.

-          Kia sought safety in the deep basements of the laboratories where Lear worked and moved her mother and herself there to escape from Lear’s wrath. Her mother was being nursed at home and was very sick, and without the proper care was surely going to die. Kia felt so certain that it was God’s plan that she knew Lear – and he was going to become the person the end the world – that she believed she had been chosen to stop him. She had the access to the laboratories and to the remaining F-2-O substances, and was the only other person alive to be aware of F-2-O’s other power – healing. Lear has a suit, so Kia was sure she was unable to stop him. She began to pray to God, asking him for help... Suddenly, she remembers what happened to Lear’s father when he climbed into the container of F-2-O – it destroyed him.  She wonders is the F-2-O will have the same effect on her. She decides that God will spare her if it all went wrong, but she believes that the F-2-O will not harm her – but instead, give her to power to heal. She climbs into the F-2-O container, but nothing happened – it was like she had slipped into a bath. She climbs out, confused, why did it not harm her? And why did it not react to her? She returns to her mother, who informs her she is about to pass away. Kia’s mother asks to hold her daughters hand and tells her to trust’s God’s plan. As she closes her eyes to die, her decayed body suddenly begins to morph back into a healthy one. Her faces becomes brighter and her grip tightens on her daughter’s hand. She opens her eyes – she was healed. The F-2-O has given Kia the ability to heal! Kia is certain she was meant to stop Lear’s evil actions – and sets out to stop him.

Character Sketches

These are some Character Sketchesof Lear and Kia. Their appearancesmay change quite a lot during development but this is rather close to what I imagine them to look like.

These sketches are them as their young stages.

I wanted it to be obvious to their personalities in their appearance as they are both very opposite to one another.

Reasons why I like this idea:

1) I started to write this Story idea a few years ago but never finished it, I’ve never forgot about it because it’s one of my favorite ideas I’ve ever had. I decided a long time ago that this was an idea for a feature length movie rather than a written story. This means making this into a 2 Minute Trailer would be a great opportunity for me to develop this idea as though it was a feature length film.

2) This would be a great opportunity to experiment will all kinds of dynamic and interesting animation effects.

3) I really like the Story and have wanted to do something with it for quite some time.

4) This idea is very different to anything I’ve done before and I would get a lot of enjoyment out of developing this idea.

Young Persons Bereavement Awareness

Idea Three

Idea Three: Young Persons Bereavement Awareness

This Idea is a lot different to my other two ideas. And is a rather personal subject.On Wednesday the 28th of July 2010 I was visiting UCLAN during Flying Start. I was sitting in Source Bar with a group of new friends I had made during the visit when I received a text from an unknown number.

That text message changed my life.

The text message had been sent from the boyfriend of my very close friend Katie. It said “I’m sorry to inform you of this in this way, but we didn’t want you to find out some other way from someone else…” I realized that this text message was about to tell me some bad news. I stepped outside the Bar, and continued to read the text,

“Katie passed away Saturday morning after suffering a Cardiac Arrest whilst in hospital.”This message came as quite a shock as I was unaware Katie was in hospital at all. The Cardiac Arrest had happened suddenly with out warning after large blood clots reached her heart. This is what she was being treated in hospital for. She was 19 years old.

Idea Three: Young Persons Bereavement Awareness

The following few weeks and months were very difficult for me. I was about to start at University and was moving out, lots of things were happening all at once and on top of everything I was only just coming to terms with a best friend passing away. I was completely unprepared for losing a friend. No one had ever said to me whilst growing up “You might lose a friend. A friend, a young person, might die.” I had been prepared for losing family members and losing a family pet, but never for losing a friend.

This is the notion I am going to concentrate on when developing this film.Something that is very important to explain, this film would not be about Katie, but more about myself and how I came to terms with losing Katie and how I coped during the Bereavement.

This film would be aimed at Young People around the same age who may have also had a similar experience; and also to raise awareness to other young people that it is possible to lose a friend at a young age.

Idea Three: Young Person’s Bereavement Awareness

For this film, I would use artistic approaches to the Animation, such as using different art styles such as Water Colours, Pop Art, “Paper Cut Outs” etc. An example of a style I would use for Inspiration can be seen in the recent Twinings Herbal Tea Advert.

As this film doesn’t really have a “Story Structure” – it would mostly be narrated by myself and I would animate the film based on what I am talking about. I like this idea a lot because there is an awful lot of personal touches I would be able to use. There are many things I would be able to talk about and elaborate on to produce a really strong and interesting finished film. This film would mean a lot to me and I will be able to put my heart into making it.

Idea One: The 2D, 3D and Stop Motion Characters.

Idea Two: The Movie Trailer. “F-2-O”

Idea Three: Young Persons Bereavement Awareness.

Thank You For Listening

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