Week 1 – Advanced Animation Unit Brief Page

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To do list:

  • Timeline of to do list with dates, beginning date and weekly to do list.
  • Make brief page – e.g. into to project page.
  • Make storyboard (+ refined version with edits posted out).
  • Moodboard, at least for colour and visual narrative theme. e.g. low poly.
  • Mise-en-scene, think about how I can tell the story with symbolism.
  • Make model plan (location of models from the top view). Use this to draw over when making camera and Animation plans.
  • Make 3D model mini sketch- prep for making the models- a little plan. Can take a photo of a real house and make sketch of it simplified.
  • Make environment: House front, fences, dog house, grass.
  • Get model and rig from online. Rig needs to have facial expressions.
  • Work out a camera animation path plan. Type of shots where.
  • Dog animation: path, style of movement, and what movement when.
  • Simplify wherever possible. Look for basic solutions.
  • Think about the environment- how can I tell the story in simple, symbolic and easy ways. (Be quick about it).
  • Start animating by the end of next week!
  • Work out timestamps for each shot. Make time ref videos of me imitating the actions of the dog. This will help in terms of animation reference and timing reference (to work out how long everything will take).
  • Think about the character’s personality- gestures that show what he is like and exaggerate the narrative theme e.g. fear.

Unit Brief:

Project Introduction:

Name of project: The Dog’s Fear. The Puppy’s Fear.

What is it: An 3D animation, made in Maya, about a dog who is afraid of the outside world.

Project Narrative:

Event: The dog tries to overcome his fear of the outside and venture from his dog house to his owner’s house because he is hungry.

Synapsis: A puppy gets scared and runs from an unknown noise which turns out to be something unextraordinary.

Logline: “A scared dog runs away from a loud noise, it turns out to be nothing”.

Narrative: The dog peeks out of his house, looks to his food bowls for food, but they are empty. He looks towards dog door on the front door of his owners house, looks around apprehensively, judging whether to take the ‘risk’. He nears a rustle or snap towards the front gate of the yard, and the dog freezes

essence that he replied on them often- the owners are not neglectful but he doesn’t go in often.

WHAT is he afraid of? Fear of outside, fear of something outside, like other dogs. Ot is he a puppy, just learning about the world and therefore apprehensive about everything?

Is he apprehensive because of fear or something else. Is he just lazy to go inside- fat?

fear- dark dog house- front view. only eyes can be seen, slowly opening.

Project Theme:

Research References

Adaptation? or be difference?

Character – rigging.

Props? Volume

Scenery objects.

What’s Next?

Gather Assets.

Learn Techniques.

In terms of blogs:

This is week one- planning. Figuring out the concept.

Week 2 is gathering assets and testing techniques. (just put the dog walk cycle animation on here when I have made that- say it is a test). Or if there are many versions, e.g. failed versions, then you can put them in week 2.

Week 2 notes:

Research about dog fears

I am currently unsure with how the concept of fear currently goes into the narrative that I have planned. Especially considering that the whole narrative depends on the dogs acting performance and one sound effect. It will be hard for the audience to understand exactly what it is that the dog is afraid of. I am even unsure with what is it right now. Some research about fears that people/dogs typically have is necessary to move forward.

I though of the fear of going outside could be suitable, and unknown noises scare him. Simply the fear of the unknown is suitable and simple, but I need to portray it correctly. I think exposition about the environment and character is necessary. For example, the front gate fence may be creepy and old. Unappealing visually, with a sense of foreboding. Perhaps this is what the sound dog finds scary. (That actually sounds like a good idea.

I believed agoraphobia to be the fear of going outside, but it actually is “a type of anxiety disorder in which you fear and avoid places or situations that might cause you to panic and make you feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed“. So this does not really relate to what I had in mind for my character’s narrative.

Timeline- mid april should finish all animation. May= start next anim.

can reuse assets and models for the next animation (saves time and energy).