Narrative: Environment Influence Map (Factory)

 

I like these three images in particular to inspire our environment. Images 1 and 2 have the straight-on view of the conveyor belt whereas the third one it at a slight angle. Although I like the fun and simplicity of the first one, I really think the colours of 2 and 3 would really work for our animation.

Cardboard Boxes

One thing I really liked about the factory is the boxes that we could have laying around. How our character could have aspects of his shape like a box. I had a look at the shapes and sizes of different boxes and tried to do some drawings from them.

I did a few drawings based on the images and research I found and come up with a few ideas. These are basic sketches. Felt good to sketch again after while. 

Character Building

I keep trying to figure out how to draw my character and what type of figure they will be. So I began research drawings. I find that it helps me to understand the character more when I see images of drawings. I see what I like and don't like and begin building my character. 

Heres some images I found helpful. 

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I started looking into the different types of expressions each person makes. It's hard to create expression on a face when you don't know exactly which one is which. The expression I'm really looking for is love and love sick. A silly/foolish look on a boy. 

Using the lessons and tips that Justin has thought use I wanted to build the character using shapes. Our character in the factory isn't strong but he isn't weak. He's not big built but he's not skinny. He's sort of a built of the factory, clumsy and box like. 

Factory Influence Map

 

 

The factory essence that I was looking for was one like a beat up old wooden workshop place. Messy but yet warm. I thought it would give a nice setting to where love can take place. I like the idea of lights hanging low from the celling's with old materials used to protect it.

I also like the idea of slashes of light filling the room from cracks in the windows or the walls?

 

Let me know what you think. I'm going to start thumb nailing now. 

Ending Ideas

Narrative Endings

I came up with a few ideas for the ending of our story. At the end after the boy has tried everything to get the attention of the girl and she still hasn't noticed the boy. 

- One idea could show the boy walking up to the girl and taps her on the shoulder and hands her a rose. She looks up at him with hearts in her eyes. 

-Or when he walks up to her and takes her hand and kisses it. 

-Or he goes over to her taps her and closes his eyes, puckers his lips and leans in close for a kiss. 

-The girl looks over her shoulder at all the cards that has been sent over to her. You don't see what happens after if she notices them on the floor or not. The camera shows the boy busy about to set up another plan when the girl walks over to him and shows him all the cards. She has hearts in her eyes and she kisses him on the cheek. 

Narrative: Environment Research

Since our narrative has gone down a different route, and we have a clearer idea of the type of factory we're going to have this animation centred around, I started doing some research of what to expect in a card printing factory.

This video is a very good reference of the type of machinery we would be expected to model. Its probably pretty helpful when it comes to where we want the two characters to be interacting.

Fig.1 Xerox igen4

Fig.2 UV Coater

Obviously we can modify these to suit our theme a bit more but its a good start to build this on. I hope you guys find this helpful??

Thoughts After Group Tutorials

 

After Tutorials

 

 

After our group tutorial with Alan we went away with an idea taken from all our ideas put together. A sad old man in a factory run down by routine finds himself working (Set in black and white) until he happens to do something that changes his actions and suddenly everything goes back into color and life gets put back into the factory.

 

 My thoughts...

 

 

 

New Idea

 

I like the idea but I feel like we still are missing something if that makes sense. Then I spoke to Phil today about the idea and he helped me a lot to clear my mind on the meaning of the quote "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" .

 

He believes that we should make our setting 'The Factory' work harder in our world to help really bring the meaning to life. Suggesting that maybe we use a card factory where two people are printing valentines cards. The girl  or boy character is completely bored and the boy likes her. Trying to send her messages through a conveyer belt. But how can actions speak louder than works when words are lost in a valentines card factory?

Its a story audiences could relate to it very easily and we could suggest that in 5 seconds of the beginning but showing the girl working, bored and the boy staring at her wide eyed. Then we could show funny ways the boy tries to show her how he feels. Revealing that he likes her at the end.

 

 

 

Romance is dead in a factory where romance is their everyday life and routine.

A story of unrequited love...

 

Megan we could use that whole walle showing Eve how he likes her by showing her his home and the things he collects?
Gemma the whole routine and life in a factory is systematic and the same routine is still there.

 

 

What do you all think?

 

 



Worn Down Factory vs Shinny New Factory

I really like the idea of using love as our basic theme. There's a lot of relatable meanings that can be taken from love.

I had two ideas that maybe we could use. 

The first idea was to go with maybe creating our factory to be a shiny new factory like Charlie and the chocolate factory but maybe do something like a sweats factory. We could come up with really cool designs like in Wreck it Ralph.

                

We could use our paintings skills to help build out world with matte paintings that way we can all really collaborate our work into our idea?

Check this video out I really like the matte paintings near the end at about 1:50 in.






OR

We could go completely on the other end of the scale make the factory really old and dusty. Run down and creaking from everywhere. Create a story from some old man living there who had promised to keep the place running to his late wife but has been too lazy.

OR

 A new factory just opened and this new girl or boy who starts there and finds this room and was told never to go in the room and one day he goes into the room and it leads into another world completely mirrored but then he can never get back or something. Like he/she shouldn't have gone in after he said he/she wouldn't. 

Narrative - Group Project, Initial Ideas...

For the narrative project I was grouped with Scarlett and Gemma. We haven't managed to speak to each other much in person but across social networks we have put a few ideas here and there. At the briefing, we found out that our animation will be based upon the quote "Actions speak louder than words" and it will take place "In the Factory". My first thoughts being that it can be about love as this is what the quote is most commonly known for, and the factory part just made me think of scrap metal parts and machines that can come alive like humans, similar to that in Beauty and the Beast, but more 'Steam-punk'. So a quick animated short that is like the product of 'Paperman meets Wall-e'.

We have also decided on the name of 'Cogworks Studios' for our group as we have a Factory theme for our animation and we are working together (like cogworks or cogwheels would). Here is my first design for a logo...  

Style Inspiration

Up

I like the classical music with no voices just sounds. I think that this is really strong and we should go with it because we cause really highlight some good sound affects. Plus the work could really speak for itself that way. Especially when a minute is not long at all. It simplifies things down. 

La Luna

Love love love this animation. Small boy big dream and its so beautifully done with the colours and negative space. I think we could use something like this to set a really good atmosphere to our work.

Narrative Ideas and Style Inspiration

"In The Factory"

 "Actions Speak Louder Than Words"

Idea 1

For my first idea I thought of something that reminds me of the quote "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" and the first thing that came to my mind was love. A lot of things to do with love have to do with proving loves worth. Empty promises that can only be fulfilled with actions; like the big gesture to show the other person how much they really mean to them.

In a shoe factory two people a boy and a girl are arguing. Cut into the scene and you see pictures of the two of them with classical 40's music in the background. The camera shows pictures of two people who are clearly in love and happy. Panning towards the right side of the room, you the notice the couple in an argument. For what reason you are unsure at the moment. Until you see the girl pointing out the window to all the people outside who are having fun and laughing. The both of them looking tired and dirty. The next scene shows the girl working hard making shoes and always watching out the window at people paying in the park. One day the boy catches her looking at a pair of shoes that she made. She looks down at her hands which are all dirty and worn from working hard all day. Then looking up at the shoes as if she longed for them to be hers. The end scene shows the boy bringing her a box with a nice big bow tie on it to match his outfit. When she opens the box a small card sits on top of the pair of shoes she wants. She embraces her love and the ending shows the both of them dancing outside in the moonlight. 

Idea 2

Another thing that came to mind when I hear that quote and associate it with a factory made me think of danger and cautions to being in a place where so much accidents could occur.

In a factory many things are dangerous and could cause harm so people are told daily to be cautious and make sure to wear their helmet. This one old man keeps ignoring the cautions by his friend and coworker about wearing a helmet at all times. 

The old man one day slips up next to the water fountain at work. He ends up hitting his head against the floor and eventually ending up in hospital where he cannot go back to work for a whiles because he's broken his arm. His friend comes into the hospital to see how he is. He brings him a boxed gift and in it is a helmet and on it says caution I do not listen. 

Idea 3

I thought about how actions speak louder than words can also be associated with promises being made and broken. Like people not living up to expectation or things they promise to do for you. Like for example people are always asking for favours which it includes doing something for someone, going out of your way for them thinking maybe that kindness would be reciprocated back to you eventually. 

Like most things in life it doesn't and maybe its shows two friends. One person really needs a hand with something and asks for a favour and the other friend goes out of her/his way for them. Eventually later in the story they need a little help back but the other friend just acts like they don't care or don't even show up when that person needs them. 

First Post

 

Hi Guys!

 

Right so basically we haven't  posted anything yet on the group blog so get us going so I thought that I'd be the first to ease us in now that we have decided on a name which is 'Cogsworks Pictures'. I've changed the site name and everything so now we can get stuck in.

How have you all been getting on with ideas and narrative plans?

Ill be posting my three ideas on here tonight followed by some styles and videos I like.

 

 

Cant wait to see what you have been up to.

 

 

Scar.