38 Figure 19: Merchandises Sketch In this project, many colorful colors are skillfully and subtly combined, showing beauty not only in the extraordinary but also in the daily life of the main character. Bringing faith, and hope to a colorful future and results created by myself. Figure 20: Color palette 4.2. PRODUCTION The logo of Nikke was done to increase audience attention and awareness for the animation. With bright and stand-out colors, make the general background and concept more suitable for the target people.
39 Figure 21: Digital Logo These storyboards were done by Adobe Illustrator (Ai), which is familiar to me, so the process of making storyboards did not meet too many obstacles but took quite a lot of time. To make the storyboard the most specific and more convenient when making detailed frames for animation, I have made a total of 69 storyboards.
40 Figure 22: Storyboards Figure 23: Illustrating the storyboards on Adobe Illustrator After finishing all the illustrations as well as detailed steps, the animation is carried on Adobe Animation (An), where all the steps are put together and in sequence, to get the liveliest movements and scenes. Figure 24 illustrates
41 scenes that are being edited and making the movements, as well as adding sound effects, to proceed to the final results. Figure 24: Production on Adobe Animation The next step is adding voice to the animation. Because Nikke animation needs a voiceover to narrate the whole story and messages, Ms. Amira Syamimi Binti Sahlan was asked to take this significant role. Besides, she was chosen for her sweet and beautiful voice, which is considered familiar and attractive to children. In this animated film, her voice is extremely suitable for the style, graphics, and target audience of the project. Amira Syamimi’s voice was recorded in Studio Sound and using my own microphone so that the recorded voice would maintain the most standard sound, reduced vibration, and less outside noise.
42 Figure 25: Studio Sound After finishing voice recording, to combine all the scenes have been made with the voice of narrator, CapCut application was applied. This application is very user-friendly. From being able to make almost any video for next to nothing, having a user-friendly interface, and being easy to use, this is my choice to complete Nikke successfully. Figure 26: Capcut logo
43 Figure 27: Using Capcut to add voiceover and combine scenes When I almost completed the project on Adobe Animation, I came up with ideas and drew two posters for Nikke 2D animation. The digital design was made on Adobe Illustrator as shown in Figure 28. Figure 28: Designs of Nikke’s posters
44 4.3. POST-PRODUCTION After planning, drawing, sketching, and doing animation using both Ai and An, the final merchandise, posters, and 2D animation project are successfully completed and shown below. Figure 29: Promotional items
45 Figure 30: Completed Pen Box In Figure 29, The Battle Cards was designed as a rock-paper-scissors game which is suitable for all ages, especially children. The front face of the card includes characters of Nikke, the gadget that appeared in the animation as well as the icon of rock, paper, and scissors for easy identification and play. On the other face, the QR code is included with the logo of Nikke too. In addition, the dice game is designed for up to 4 players at a time. With the theme of the universe in Nikke’s world, the game brings players to experience exciting travel into space with companies. The next piece of merchandise is the Pen Box of characters of Nikke project, as shown in Figure 30. Each of them is 10cm in height, 6cm wide, and 6cm in length, it is such a convenient and adorable item for people to decorate their study or work desks. Not only three merchandise items are included in the project. The two cute Crochet Kimi and Nikke were also made.
46 Figure 31: Crochet Kimi and Nikke The last promotional item is three Mica Acrylic Standees, which were designed as three characters in Nikke animation: Nikke, Kimi, and Mamak. With a height of 10cm each, these standees are great collectibles for people who watch this animation.
47 Figure 32: Mica Acrylic Standee of characters Here are the two final completed posters: Figure 33: Completed posters
48 Nikke 2D animation is completed as expected all thanks to Titis Animation studio. Titis – a simple but meaningful name – refers to a drop of effort, in other words, setitis usaha. Titis Animation encourages and respects the effort you have made every day, no matter how small it is, it will influence others in the end, like a drop of water makes a puddle. Figure 34: Studio logo 4.4. RESULT AND FINDING According to the survey results on Nikke animation of 50 respondents who have watched Nikke animation at least one time, it is reasonable to assume that Nikke, that audience, would gain and enrich more knowledge about showing empathy to people around from this 2D animation. This animation also be seen as an entertaining movie to the audience in general.
49 Figure 35: Result and Finding 1 According to Result and Finding 1 in Figure 35, it is significant to know that what are the factors attract the audience to watch Nikke. Most of the respondents selected Teaser as the most factor drives them to watch the animation, 36 percent. Recommendations from friends, family members and people around is the second indicator with 28 percent, can see how an effective word-of-mouth approach influences the audience's intention to watch. Coming up next is because of the posters’ design of Nikke with 26 percent. The other factors include the characters’ design, the concept and design of the animation, its latest movie, and the producer's reputation as well. For the question asked audience what they like most about Nikke 2D animation, 30 percent of them chose they love the Meaningful messages implied in the story the most. As a matter of fact, the purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the audience, especially children, about showing empathy to other people, Figure 36: Result and Finding 2
50 which include helping people who are in need, not getting jealous of people, not having impulsive actions, and keeping promises, it can say that Nikke has communicated the messages effectively to the respondents. Besides, 22 percent and 20 percent of respondents chose Genre and Quality of story are what they liked the most, respectively. A 2D sci-fiction animation about the mutual friendship between 2 races really suits generations. 10 percent of respondents chose Music background and sound effects amazed them. The rest of the respondents also gave more answers for this question such as the funny or touching scenes, the character development, the beautiful design of the animation and so on. Question 3: What can you learn after watching Nikke animation? Forgiveness Be brave to protect people who important to you Ready to help people who in need cause we might receive something unexpected from them Mutual friendship can be built despite of differences in race Be kind with everyone Be friend with anyone Nothing special Kindness can change people behavior Not sure Not everyone will stay with u forever, but their heart will Control your temper if you can Being kind is not an option, it’s in our nature You can't just wait for miracle to happen, you have to create it by yourself Trust is built through ups and down
51 Its not easy to gain trust from others De Friendship, power friendship, how to make friend Love Can make me lol Jealous with someone else not making you better than them Think about consequences before acting Its better to be friends rather than enemy Respect and cherish people around Be responsible with your promises don’t know be kind its hard to keep promises, but its not impossible Be who you are, no matter where you come from or your background. There is someone out there ready to accept you violent is not an effective solution for everything If you want, just do it, dont care what people think, as long its fit your moral Menyukai moral dari cerita ini Sifat iri itu tidak baik Sifat bersangka baik dapat memberi banyak manfaat dont let your stupid actions affect others life Everyone can become my friends Although Kimi is human and Nikke is an alien, there’s nothing can stop them from being friend Kindness always works It’s better to follow your heart, rather than your head
52 shouldn’t be selfish and jealous with others Everyone is basically good people; they just been influenced by outside factors that make them become bad Help other is helping yourself it's good to help people, even though you have no idea about them it is not a good idea to tell people all about you, it is better to have some secret You do not need to name a relationship, being honest with each other is enough Good people are around you in relationship should have receiving, giving, and sharing be responsible for what you do kindness can change people's evil Don't give up, your effort will be paid someday Don't be afraid in front of bad people The survey received 50 responses in text for this question. In general, most of the respondents perceived moral messages in Nikke animation, based on their own perspective about the plot, the characters, and so on. Their awareness about empathy has been increased, as can be seen from their answers to the survey, they have learned about kindness, the power and beauty of friendship, the consequences of acting foolish, the responsibility for making promises, and much more. In Figure 37, the Result and Finding of question number 4 has been calculated. Most of the respondents agreed (40 percent) and strongly agreed (36 percent) that their awareness and knowledge of empathy has been raised and expanded thanks to watching Nikke animation. This is an optimistic result that shows how effective Nikke has been in achieving the project’s objectives. Still,
53 14 percent of respondents are Neutral to this question, showing some doubts about the value and messages in the 2D animation. There are no responses for the Strongly disagree option, however, the Disagree option was chosen by 10 percent of respondents. When we asked respondents whether they encouraged their friends, families, or even children to watch Nikke animation to educate about empathy (Figure 38), most of the respondents agreed, 48 percent agreed and 30 percent Strongly agreed. On the other hand, there is a small percentage of disagreement among the respondents, 2 percent disagreed, and 4 percent strongly disagreed. Maybe the respondents think Nikke is not suitable for others or other reasons. Moreover, 16 percent of respondents chose the Neutral option, as they showed suspense in their choice. Figure 38: Result and Finding 5 Figure 37: Result and Finding 4
54 For the final question, we asked 50 respondents if they wanted to recommend people around them to watch Nikke, the survey received a positive result. More than 90 percent of respondents chose Yes, as it means Nikke had a certain impact on them, from the messages to the story and music background, … It is a great result showing that Nikke is welcomed by most of the audience. However, 8 percent of respondents do not want to tell their friends and family members about Nikke. It indicates that the minority of the audience does not see Nikke as interesting enough to them or does not imply suitable messages. Figure 39: Result and Finding 6
55 CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1. PROJECT OUTCOMES In conclusion, Nikke has shown itself to be an amazing 2D animation for education, more specifically, raising people's awareness and knowledge about showing empathy to other people. This interesting project combines study and enjoyment, making it an excellent movie for people of all ages, particularly youngsters. Nikke animation employs the power of visuals, animations, and sound to create an exciting and touching experience and messages. 2D animation offers a range of benefits, making it a popular choice in various fields. Here are some advantages of 2D animation: • Simplicity and Clarity: 2D animation simplifies complex ideas and concepts. It can convey messages clearly and effectively, making it ideal for educational purposes. • Artistic Freedom: 2D animation allows for a wide range of artistic styles, from traditional hand-drawn animation to digital techniques. Artists can experiment with different visual styles, colors, and shapes, fostering creativity and artistic expression. • Effective Storytelling: 2D animation excels in conveying emotions and storytelling. Characters can be designed with exaggerated expressions and movements, enhancing the audience's engagement and empathy. 5.2. CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE This study significantly contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the fields of animation, psychology, and communication by employing 2D animation as a powerful medium to convey essential messages about
56 empathy. The unique contribution of this research lies in the following key aspects: • Exploring the intersection of animation and empathy: This study delves deep into the intersection of animation and empathy, exploring how the 2D animation approach can evoke emotional responses and foster understanding and compassion among the audience. By investigating the relationship between animation storytelling and empathetic engagement, this study sheds light on novel ways to utilize animated narratives for societal benefit. • Effective message communication through 2D animation: This study advances our understanding of the techniques to communicate complex psychological concepts effectively. It explores how visual storytelling, character design, and animation sequences can be employed to communicate messages about empathy in a compelling and relatable manner. This exploration provides valuable insights into the art and science of conveying sensitive social messages through animation. • Impact on awareness and knowledge enhancement: The study demonstrates the efficacy of 2D animation as an educational tool, showcasing its ability to enhance awareness and knowledge about the importance of empathy in interpersonal relationships. Through rigorous evaluation and findings, this study establishes a connection between exposure to animated content and increased awareness, thereby contributing evidence to the effectiveness of animated media in promoting social understanding and empathy. 5.3. FUTURE WORKS The following are many recommendations based on the study's results for future works:
57 • Incorporate Capcut software into the animation course. Because this software is really user-friendly as well as having adequate tools to make completed videos or animation. This suggestion is to provide an opportunity for students to study and comprehend more about video making. • Using 2D animation as an effective way to communicate messages and storytelling on any topic, not only does it suit many ranges of ages, but also it boosts children's attention, especially for work that is related to children's involvement.
58 REFERENCES Depow, G. J., Francis, Z., & Inzlicht, M. (2021). The Experience of Empathy in Everyday Life. Psychological Science, 32(8), 1198–1213. doi:10.1177/0956797621995202 Festinger, L. (1954). A Theory of Social Comparison Processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. doi:10.1177/001872675400700202 Kajonius, P. J., & Björkman, T. (2020). Individuals with dark traits have the ability but not the disposition to empathize. Personality and Individual Differences, 155, 109716. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2019.109716 Malhotra, N. K., & Peterson, M. (2006). Basic Marketing Research: A DecisionMaking Approach. Hoboken, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Moudatsou, Stavropoulou, Philalithis, & Koukouli. (2020). The Role of Empathy in Health and Social Care Professionals. Healthcare, 8(1), 26. doi:10.3390/healthcare8010026 Katherine M. Boydell and Joseph Croguennec. (2022). A Creative Approach to Knowledge Translation: The Use of Short Animated Film to Share Stories of Refugees and Mental Health. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 19(18), 11468. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811468 Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R. L. (1991). Essentials of behavioral research: Methods and data analysis (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Saleme, P., Dietrich, T., Pang, B., & Parkinson, J. (2020). A gamified approach to promoting empathy in children. Journal of Social Marketing, 10(3), 321–337. doi:10.1108/jsocm-11-2019-0204 Tandon, A., Dhir, A., Islam, N., Talwar, S., & Mäntymäki, M. (2021). Psychological and behavioral outcomes of social media-induced fear of
59 missing out at the workplace. Journal of Business Research, 136, 186–197. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.07.036 Tromholt, M. (2016). The Facebook Experiment: Quitting Facebook Leads to Higher Levels of Well-Being. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(11), 661–666. doi:10.1089/cyber.2016.0259
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