CREATING CONTENT
CHANGES FOR THIS TERM
So in term 1, I made such a messy 3 act structure but it was complete COMPLETE. And so I don’t actually need to add much, I just need to DELETE. What exactly are the changes I’m making? INITIAL IDEAS - are birthday gifts too overused? - gaming cafe to arcade - add importance to side character, the boy - they have similar interest in the arcade, not knowing that the highscore they were trying to beat was each other’s - he helps her stop ditching school - dad doesn’t die in the end - he visited the exhibition questions: do i need to explain what happens to the daughter after she rejected the uni offer? so does the ending take place in the exhibition? what happens to the boy? what is her age in this film other ideas: a childhood symbol: pet flap/doggy door bc she used to be scared of the dark use flower/vase as a symbol
CONSULTATION YES the scary part, consulting! In short, Mr Christopher basically told me to just LET THE DAD LIVE, don’t make him die, make him attend the exhibition in the end. AND WHAT IS A DOGGY DOOR??? he said it looks like a scary movie. BUT he think that the idea of “letters” are cute he also emphasized on SYMBOLS: soooo i decided to use flowers, letters, and a red hair tie!!! At first I also wanted to add another side character but he strictly said no.
CASE STUDIES
FOR THE BIRDS
Assessed Small Group Presentations
AND I GOT... GROUP C! Consists of: Shafinah, Bea, Gladycia, and Shun I feel genuinely confident with this group work because I think members do matter. And fortunately, I got amazing group mates! We created a collaborative google docs for us to add informations regarding the presentation and to separate roles accordingly
Case Study Gladycia F22DM0399 Wong Shun Yue F22DM0712 Bea Cassandra Gaspar Carpio F22DM0635 Nurul Shahfinah Binte Shahan Shah F22DM0458 Komang Karina Saridewi Slay Super F22DM0493 The Present (Environment) What are the key features of the environment? How do these features support the story? (Gladycia) - closed environment, cluttered : shows that the boy is lonely, no goal in life (as he has a disability), introverted, doesn't like to go out, stays in his comfort zone - dark, the only part that lits the room is the tv : indicates that his only hope is his games - the room brightens up as the curtains were opened : indicates that the present might possibly be his new hope - red ball and cluttered environment : red symbolizes love and passion. With the dog playing with the red ball in the cluttered living room, it opens a chance for them to build a passionate relationship where they love and support each other’s needs. - going out the door : boy is willing to step out his comfort zone as he finds hope and passion. How are these environmental features illustrated/portrayed? What are the artistic features/graphic styles used? (Karina) - Use of colors - Lighting - Camera shots Why do you like/dislike these environmental features? e.g. their functions in the story, how they are illustrated/portrayed (Bea) → Likes : 1. I like how the chaotic environment of the house contradicts to the nature of the boy’s mother. The house was untidy, the TV has its volume level up and the window blinds were still shut. On the contrary, the mother had a loving, softspoken and bright nature, supported by how the window blinds were raised to allow sunlight to brighten up the house. 2. The environment helped to emphasise the character of the boy. With the loud TV and unkempt surroundings, it depicts that the boy had been gaming for quite a while already. He was so immersed in the game that he did not even bother to greet his Mom or take a look at the present first. 3. I like how despite the messy environment, the dog remained persistent and did not give up to try communicating with the boy. This shows that anything is possible if you try, not letting factors around you prevent you from achieveing your goal. 4. The plants around the living room stood out from the neutral colours of the furniture. It felt like it was trying to send out a message of growth and nurturing, perhaps the relationship of the boy and the puppy? → Dislikes : A quick look of what our google docs look like! This was definitely such a great way of working together with others because we get to see what information overlaps so that
THE PRESENT (ENVIRONMENT)
What are the key features of the environment? How do these features support the story? GLADYCIA - Closed environment, cluttered : shows that the boy is lonely, no goal in life (as he has a disability), introverted, doesn't like to go out, stays in his comfort zone - Dark, the only part that lits the room is the tv : indicates that his only hope is his games - The room brightens up as the curtains were opened : indicates that the present might possibly be his new hope - Red ball and cluttered environment : red symbolizes love and passion. With the dog playing with the red ball in the cluttered living room, it opens a chance for them to build a passionate relationship where they love and support each other’s needs. - Going out the door : boy is willing to step out his comfort zone as he finds hope and passion.
Why do you like/dislike these environmental features? BEA Likes : • I like how the chaotic environment of the house contradicts to the nature of the boy’s mother. The house was untidy, the TV has its volume level up and the window blinds were still shut. On the contrary, the mother had a loving, softspoken and bright nature, supported by how the window blinds were raised to allow sunlight to brighten up the house. • The environment helped to emphasise the character of the boy. With the loud TV and unkempt surroundings, it depicts that the boy had been gaming for quite a while already. He was so immersed in the game that he did not even bother to greet his Mom or take a look at the present first. • I like how despite the messy environment, the dog remained persistent and did not give up to try communicating with the boy. This shows that anything is possible if you try, not letting factors around you prevent you from achieveing your goal. • The plants around the living room stood out from the neutral colours of the furniture. It felt like it was trying to send out a message of growth and nurturing, perhaps the relationship of the boy and the puppy? Dislikes : • I wish the reason for incorporating the houseplants was shown more, and how it could correlate to the boy and puppy’s relationship more. • I think the impact of the sunlight entering the house would have been stronger if the dark environment (before the blinds were raised) was kept for abit longer. • The timing of when sunlight enters the house could have been matched up with the moment the puppy’s head popped out of the box.
What are the key features of the environment? How do these features support the story? SHAHFINAH PICTURE - There is a picture of a dog by the staircase. This means that they have had a dog before. Therefore explaining the reason they have the ball in the first place. BALL - This supports the story as the new puppy finds the ball and ultimately leads to the protagonist to fall in love with him. What I personally feel: When i look at the setting of the animation, i realised that it is not catered to someone with disabilities. The blinds requires two hands to open, which is why he did not open them. The gaming set is on the lower part of the shelving. Think that is why his games are scattered on the floor, it was most likely a struggle for him. The stairs in his house would have led to his room, it
How are these environmental features illustrated/portrayed? What are the artistic features/graphic styles used? KARINA USE OF COLORS START: ▪ HEAVY TINT OF COOL COLORS ▪ LIGHT FROM THE TV ▪ JACKET WHAT DOES IT MEAN? • The predominant color • Sense of confinement • Sadness • A foreshadow • Arrival of dog will bring a positive aspect MIDWAY TO END: A SHOWING OF WARM COLORS SUNLIGHT DOG BALL CRUTCHES WHAT DOES IT MEAN? - The ball and arrival of dog and the change in environment represents “the outside” and unrestricted movements - Focus changed from blue to yellow since the crutches are new to the audience
How are these environmental features illustrated/portrayed? What are the artistic features/graphic styles used? KARINA CAMERA SHOTS LONG SHOTS • At the start, boy and his surrounding • Signifying his loneliness CLOSE UP SHOTS • Almost claustrophobic • Restrictive and cluttered TRACKING SHOTS • Follows the dog • Represents perseverance and “never give up” SOUND EFFECTS Violent game sounds Represents the release of suppressed anger Since he can be seen as an ignorant and negative person Being able to control a player as opposing to him unable to control his disabilities Dog barking Creates a sense of realism and true life Shows a positive spin on disabilities
How are these environmental features illustrated/portrayed? What are the artistic features/graphic styles used? KARINA OVERALL CONTRAST BETWEEN SCENES The change in camera angle - Low angle symbolizes negativity, and how only the boy was portrayed (still filled with loneliness) - In the end which both are portrayed in one scene (no negative aspect) The change in colors and lighting - Cool to Warm START END
Why are these environmental features effective/ineffective? SHUN Effective as it brings out the atmosphere of the story, which is the negative thought of the boy being self-isolated from the world outside the house. The boy was so immersed in his game world, the tv light shone on his face is just like the only reason for him to continue living. The dog was in a dark box, just like how difficult and hopeless its life was before it met the boy. When both meet each other, the overall scene is lightened up, which shows their life started to have hope and they will be better and better as they get along with each
PERSONAL OVERALL REFLECTION The only location this short film took place in was the living room, and just like other young kids, the boy lived a normal life. Apart from its location, the dog, just like any other dogs, play around - Don’t discriminate - Perseverance Technical & Aesthetic Aspects: - Successfully delivered their intended message - Easily understood (if it were to be targeted towards kids) - The twist intrigues audience
PIPER (STORYTELLING)
Logline: A young sandpiper needs to overcome its fear towards ocean waves in order to search for food. MY INITIAL ATTEMPT: a small sandpiper vs evil waves My group added an input that it doesn’t contain problem in my idea. WHICH IS TRUE! and so we changed it to
SYNOPSIS SHUN & BEA A mother sandpiper tries to encourage the little sandpiper to search for food on its own. When the little sandpiper is trying to catch a clam for the first time, it is hit by the sea waves and traumatized. After getting defeated by her fear of the water, she faces difficulties in being able to integrate with the rest of the flock when searching for food. However, it observes a group of hermit crabs and discovers that clams were buried beneath the sand, and how to dig them out. It learns a new skill and shares the clams that it finds with its mother and other sandpipers. It was able to overcome its fear of the water after remaining courageous and perseverant.
3 ACT STRUCTURE KARINA • Sandpipers rush along the shore, racing away from the incoming waves and hurrying back to peck the wet sand for food. (introduction to environment) • A mother sandpiper gets up from her nest, turning the baby (Piper) around to view the behavior of her species. (introduction to key character) • Piper, the protagonist, watches as its mom heads to the shore line to find food. When she does , it gets excited and calls to be fed. However she does not feed piper and instead ignores piper in order to push it to be self-sufficient • The mom drops the shell in the water, inviting Piper to give it a try. • Piper dashes back and forth along the sand, exploring her new, upside-down world. • She reacts to bubbles with curiosity, hoping to find food as her mother did. ACT 1
3 ACT STRUCTURE KARINA • Key character (piper) struggles with motive • As all of the other sandpipers rush past her, she stops to examine more bubbles, the tide washes over her • Piper slumps back at her nest, trembling in false defeat. Piper refuses to leave her nest and return to the shore, instead insisting on her mother bringing her the food. • Her mother declines, and Piper is terrified of the incoming tide. • Her tummy grumbles as she advances out near some bubbles, but another wave sends her running into some seaweed on the shore. • She soon starts moving again, but not of her own initiative • She observes the crabs digging deeper into the sand and becomes curious. • Another wave comes crashing in, and Piper watches in terror as it overwhelms the crabs. ACT 2
3 ACT STRUCTURE KARINA • She realizes she can't outrun it. That appears to her as inevitable death. She buries herself in the sand, mimicking the crabs. • Piper allows himself to be swept away by the wave. • A crab taps on her beak, encouraging her to open her eyes while she is submerged. • Piper notices all the shells surrounding her that are full of tasty food when she does so. Piper overcomes his fear of the seas while also learning to forage for his own food. • Waves are no longer seen as an enemy • Piper helped others find food (resolution) ACT 3
CLIMAX & TURNING POINTS KARINA ACT 1 Potential for Conflict: • Piper's inaction, she wants to wait on the beach for her mom to bring her food • Call to Action (Catalyst): • Mother invites Piper to find food • Mother refuses to feed ACT 2 Midpoint • The protagonist’s position is weakened • Piper doesn’t want to face the waves again • Dark Knight of the Soul: • All is lost, feeling miserable that she is going to be wiped by the waves ACT 3 Climax • Piper allows herself to get swept by the waves, under the hermit’s influence
Why is this story effective/ineffective? GLADYCIA As the story’s main message is talking about having to be brave, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone, the role of a parent, I think the actions of the characters and various elements conveyed the overall message clearly, such as • Opening its mouth, asking for food : shows spoiled and immature behaviour • Drawn with small body and short legs : differentiates with the other birds, to indicate the main character, it’s still young • Mom pushing/pointing at the food with her beak, pushing the piper : shows that the mom is encouraging her child(main character) to grab the food herself and not just rely on others every time, to comfort and give emotional support. • Piper sitting and plopping to the floor : feels like giving up • Piper hiding behind the grass, the plant, and the sand, running away from the water : shows trauma • The sound of piper’s stomach growling, gets brave : has a purpose in overcoming its trauma • The sudden appearance of the hermit crabs with a warm orange colour : represents determination, promising possibility • Colour of the piper’s eyes is orange : represents determination and success • Bird pushing a pile of sand to the hermit crab : showing doubt and uncertainty • Crab pinching the piper’s beak : to express reassurance • Going into the water, following the hermit crabs’ way of hiding in the sand when the water comes : indicates that the piper tried to take the risk, which leads to the piper realizing that it’s actually not a big deal, and it overcame its fear of water
PERSONAL OVERALL REFLECTION • The use of reality (How sandpipers find food) ▪ Previously, I didn’t know that SANDPIPERS EVEN EXIST. I thought they were just normal birds. And so I think this was a great additional knowledge regarding nature. Apart from that the story is based on how they actually survive. • Simple, yet complex in a way • Valuable lesson, perseverance and survival wise.
ONE SMALL STEP (CHARACTER)
DIRECTORS Oscar-nominated filmmaker Andrew Chesworth Bobby Pontillas Encourage everyone who are chasing impossible dream, and thank you to family who supported them. For Bobby Pontillas, this animation is to thank his mother for supporting him to be an artist. Bobby Pontillas with his friend had a pitch story idea for a little girl watching moon landing in 1969 and decided to be an astronaut at that point. (Bobby, 2018) Filipino-American director and artist Why was One Small Step created?
WHO ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS? • Young Chinese American girl • Chu’s daughter • Inspired to be an astronaut • Ambitious • Determined LUNA • Luna’s father • Occupation: Cobbler • Loving • Hard-working • Supporting PAPA CHU
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? - The ball and arrival of dog and the change in environment represents “the outside” and unrestricted movements - Focus changed from blue to yellow since the crutches are new to the audience LUNA 2 First Chinese Female Astronaut Liu Yang & Wang Yaping • Similarities • Hair style • Space suit PAPA CHU Actor Sihung Lung - Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) directed by Ang Lee • Similarities • Same greyish hair style • Mustache • Wrinkles & bags under eyes • Sometimes funny sometimes bittersweet
How are they illustrated/portrayed? What are the artistic features/graphic styles used? KARINA
! ! ! ! ! " • Long and messy hair • Childrenswear • Carefree • Full of expressions and happy at most times • Same Haircut • Casual Outfit • Changes in emotions • Oblivious • Haircut • Professional Outfit • Less Expressions ▪ Reserved PRESCHOOLER PUBESCENT/ TEENAGER YOUNG ADULTHOOD COMING OF AGE
• Seating distance • Seating posture ▪ Stood in the chair ▪ One leg up ▪ Both legs on the floor ◦ Luna slowly turns into an adult like her dad in the beginning • Hand gestures ▪ Curiosity ▪ Rebellious ▪ Reserved CHANGES IN BODY LANGUAGE start mid end FATHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP AND HOW IT RELATES TO:
Boots • Signifies INCREASED PROTECTION • Good especially for kids • Sneakers • Protection is no longer a priority • Mostly for comfort and style Age • Source of support • Balance & posture • Dad is growing older • Somewhat a foreshadWALKING CANE SHOES SYMBOLS & OBJECTS
FILM TECHNIQUE • Create excitement • Prevents boredom for audience • Side characters apart from dad are not elaborated much but an understanding can still be acquired • Simple • Still easy to comprehend for all ages • Mostly using emotions and facial expressions made by characters (MONTAGE) FAST PACED NO DIALOGUE
SOUND EFFECTS • Children’s laughter • Used at Luna’s early age • Emphasizes on carefree • Crying • Show grief & stress • Dad didn’t made much sound • Self-contained • Adulthood CHARACTERS • Changes everytime the characters are showcased with different emotions BACKGROUND
FAMILIAR WITH THESE? DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS Bobby Pontillas, Andrew Chesworth and Shaofu Zhang worked together at Walt Disney Animation Studios • Big Hero 6 • Moana • Zootopia SOOOO, I did a WHOLE LOT of research and... Their style is 2D UPON 3D MODELS!
TRIANGLES (Luna) Edges Sharp Determined Ambitious Lengths signify fearless Not afraid of falling down and going back up again CIRCLES (dad) No edges Harmless approachable Warm and welcoming feeling SHAPE LANGUAGE
A change in • Situation • Emotions • Ambition ▪ Back to being ambitious like how she was in the beginning COLORS WARM COOL Back to WARM!
• Does the story flow in a chronological fashion or not? • If not, how would you describe the flow? FLOW Yes. The piper flows in a chronological order of before, during and after. Before the protagonist starts hunting, during its learning process and after resolving fear. The events that occur moves from first to last. SHUN YUE
Message of the story THEME Be brave to face and overcome your fear - Little sandpiper was scared of water and its fear prevented it from searching for food.However, the little sandpiper encouraged itself and managed to overcome its fear. In the end, the little sandpiper became stronger and more reliable. This teaches us that we should try new things, even though it looks scary but we will discover something interesting if we try to overcome our fear. We can learn to face our fear although we feel anxious or overwhelmed in certain situations in real life. After we overcome the fear, we will realize that it’s actually nothing to worry about. The importance of the parents’ role in children’s life - In the film, the mother sandpiper was teaching and guiding the little sandpiper to learn new skills for survival. It shows that parents are playing a supportive and encouraging role to us. They teach us valuable skills to survive in this society, guide us through the learning process, give us strength to overcome our fear and become independent. The beauty of nature - The film shows us the beauty of the sea. The sea in the film is clear and clean. It acts as an important food source to the sandpipers and hermit crabs. Therefore, we should appreciate and protect nature not only to maintain the balance of the ecosystem, but also to let our future generations enjoy the nice view. SHUN YUE
WHY ARE THEY EFFECTIVE OR INEFFECTIVE AS MAIN CHARACTERS? BEA Her EXPRESSION (start of film) • Eyes began to widen. This shows engrossment/interest/ambition/awe/amazement. • Emphasis on her dream = to go to the moon. Become an astronaut. • Shows that she's a small kid with big dreams. • Draws attention of audience as her big eyes evoke innocence and hope Smiley eyes / eye-smile (½ of the entire film, mostly happy and positive) • Expresses joy • /happiness/cheerfulness/EXCITEMENT • Excited to celebrate her birthday
PERSONAL OVERALL REFLECTION - Appreciate our loved ones - Intrigues audience in different ways - May be hard for kids to accept since it contains death - Culture is displayed - Good that they did not emphasize much on other side characters - Creates a focus on the father-daughter relationship FUN FACT: I watched this film 19274387438x and cried each and every single time. I have actually watched this film before assigned to do this case study, and it was my inspiration to my very own short story. I have a similar personal experience with the main character that’s why it’s very touching for me.
REFLECTION CREATING CONTENT To be truly honest, I LOOOOVED THE GROUP CASE STUDY ASSESSMENT!! I enjoyed it from the very beginning. Apart from that, I also learned sooo much that I also applied those practices to my own story! May It be fixing the story itself or the making of the character. This class in particular is starting to grow on me and I’m loving it. Note for Mr Christopher: Thank you for giving less harsh inputs now:) I genuinely appreciate it from the bottom of my weak heart. plus you’re a great lecturer!
ADOBE ILLUSTRATION PRACTICE! Obviously as a future illustrator, learn- ing how to use AI is an essential aspect These are several things that we learned during class with Ms Lye. This time, in person:D
5. Shape Buider Tool 6. Mesh Tool turtle! 7. Type on a Path 8. Wrapping Type Around a Graphic KASADEDEDEDEDEDW MEGATRRRROO ONN!!!!!!!! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad mini m veniam, quis n o s t r u d exerci tation ulla m - corper suscipit lobor - tis nisl ut aliquip ex ea c o m m o d o consequat. D u i s autem vel eum iriure dolor in hen- drerit in v u l - putate velit e s s e m o l e s t i e c o n s e - quat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cons ectetuer adipiscing elit, sed WOOOOOOOWWWWW 3. Ellipse Tool 4. Scissor Tool 1. Direct Selection Tool 2. Selection 3. ELLIPSE TOOL 4. SCISSOR TOOL 6. MESH TOOL 5. SHAPE BUILDER TOOL A GRAPHIC 8. WRAPPING TYPE AROUND 7. TYPE ON A PATH