Animation : 'It's a Small World'

As stated in my module, I had to pick between 'The Patch' or 'It's a Small World'. I have chosen the latter:

‘IT’S A SMALL WORLD’

(British Gas – Your Home is Your World)

This is an individual project. The basis of the project will be to create your own Microcosm or ‘World’ on a small Planet. Each ‘planet’ must have a dwelling where a character representing you illustratively or metaphorically emerges.

The Planet can be made up of any material: rock / paper / candy-floss / ice / water / iron / gas etc.

It may have rings or moons or be part of a wider solar system – it’s up to you.

Animation must be 30 seconds long with an additional a 10 second camera move at the start of the sequence focusing on your ‘world’ and an additional 5 second ‘fly away’ at the end

45 seconds (exactly) in total, with sound (original / copyright and royalty free)

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Brief idea

Planet: - Mostly water with a range of purple rings around it (three?) that rotate around it both clockwise and anti-clockwise. Has candy floss (like) clouds. Crimson moon. Aqua sun.

Image: -

Story:- Camera slowly pans around the planet and then zooms into it, cutting to a beach or the waters and character emerges from beneath (jumps up) and lunges for camera, but camera moves back and then back up, 'flying away' to see the planet again.

Camera pans to the planet, showing the moving rings that circle it. Camera zooms into planet, cutting to the waters that cover almost all of the planet. Some kind of animal (bird) flies into shot and settles on the water. After a few heartbeats, hands shoot out of the water, grab the bird and yank it underwater. The camera follows and shows the mermaid figure, hands clutching the animal to her as it drowns. (Mermaid creature can grin evilly at camera?)

*UPDATE: 05/03/14

Food chain idea: Four fishes, from small to big - small fish swims into view, gets eaten by bigger fish etc etc and then mermaid grabs the biggest and bites into it with a wide smile.

Puffer fish idea: Cute puffer fish, camera pans out to see mermaid floating beside it, looking at it with big wide eyes, clasping her hands to her chest, overcome with the adorableness of it. Mermaid then grabs at it with a squeal and squeezes it in a tight hug (because it's so damn cute) and the puffer's eyes bulge comically before it deflates suddenly. Bubbles escape the fish's mouth to fill the screen. end of animation

*UPDATE: 09/03/14

Planet shown - zoom into it - into sea. Mermaid is laying on her back looking bored. Shadow passes over her and she looks up. Cut to her swimming up to look at a pufferfish. Finds it cute and moves closer. Pufferfish notices her and puffs up, making it even more adorable to the mermaid whom has clasped her hands together. Mermaid lunges for fish, grows spikes and fangs, and squeezes the pufferfish until it deflates and blows a mass of bubbles (and blood?). Mermaid notices and opens her hands, watches as the flattened fish floats down to the floor and pouts. Another shadow/fish passes her by and she smiles widely and follows. Zoom out to see planet again.

Character(s):- Character representing me - Mermaid Creature
*UPDATE: 06/03/14 - Pufferfish

Image(s):-
Drawings
*UPDATE: 06/03/14

*UPDATE: 19/03/14

*UPDATE: 21/03/14

More like me?

Better!

3D

Storyboard

Rough Storyboard One:

*UPDATE 13/03/14
New storyboard idea:

Previsualization

Animatic: https://vimeo.com/89043890

GIFs:

*More appeal!
*Put purple hair in
*Edit shoulders = Go too high - elbow should move up with shoulders
*Better gradient on tail
*Insert bubbles
*No fangs
*Bigger and crazier smile - See Storyboard

Eye test animation, showing the different kinds of pupils.

*UPDATE: 24/03/14

Rough Test animation of a twirl - needs smoothing with in-between animation.

Pufferfish test

Crazy Smile test

*UPDATE: 02/04/14

Updated sigh test: https://vimeo.com/90703333

Animation progress: https://vimeo.com/90807055

Animation Progress

*UPDATE: Lecturer feedback

Hi Gemma,
We spoke about your motion graphics when we caught up earlier.
But as for the 2D / 3D question about the planet - I think keep it 2D - it will be more in keeping with the style you are referencing and feel more whole.

Cheers!
S.

*UPDATE: 18/04/14

I've been working almost none stop since Monday 14/04/14 and my animation is coming along wonderfully!

*UPDATE: 20/04/14

I have completed the animation! All I need to do now is to go through it, like a finetoothed comb, and see what I can edit, change or improve before adding the colour and working on the intro and outro!

*UPDATE: 23/04/14