Character Designs

Creative Crash

The above link is where I downloaded a 3D rhino model to use in my animation. 

Style influences

For this animation I imagined the style to be fairly simple but really emphasise on the textures of the character and backgrounds. I want to experiment with different colour palettes, some which stay realistic to the environment and others which are very stylised to set different moods and change the atmosphere.

The triplets of Belleville film style:

When first seeing images from this film I found the style very unique and interesting. The use of a subtle paper texturing stood out to me as it gives the animation a traditional art feel. The colour palette intrigued me the most as it seemed that a lot of the colours had this overlaying sepia style effect, which I could imagine my environments having the same effect. Additionally, the warm colours in these images are similar to what colours are seen within the Savanna grasslands.

Black Water gospel style:

I found the style of this short animation film very inspiring. Although it is a 3D animation, the textures applied make it look and feel like a 2D animated film. Again, I was very drawn to the paper style textures and traditional art style mediums. I would like to apply this to my animation, as I plan to use a 3D model for my rhino character. Also I like the way the camera has a constant texture of dirt, which emphasises a sense of realism within the environment. Similarly the colours used in the first half of the animation are again in this sepia style tone, as the environment is based in a dessert like land. The lighting portrayed in this animation creates some very dramatic shadows, which creates quite an ominous atmosphere. Moreover, I would like to create the same appeal to my animation to emphasise the tension between the environment and the rhino character.

Mighty Antlers style:

Similarly to the previous video, this animation is 3D but uses textures to make it seem like a 2D style. What I found most intriguing with animation is the set up of the environments, which was in the style of projection images on to image planes which in done by using the 3D software Maya.

The way this animation switches between two different colour palettes was very interesting, much like a cause and effect. The animation starts off with a warm palette as the car drives through these roads surrounded by a dense forest, but as the man drives faster to hit a deer in the middle of the road a quick cut and shot of the deer triggers a much colder colour palette. I would like to try something similar with my animation, as I want to set up different moods and can do this by using different colour palettes. For example, using warmer and brighter colours at the end where the rhino gets rescued to signify a happier emotion. 

Second storyboard

Improvements to storyboard

The rhino perspective (RhinoCam) needs to build more tension and fear.

- Could work as a montage...

1. Shot of rhino looking around- to establish landscape/environment
2. cuts to it fleeing through long grass.
3. Sound FX of shouting and gunfire
4. Cuts to dusk, its feeding again.
5. Cuts to daytime, stood over the dead carcass of another rhino.
6. Cuts to fleeing again, and so on... untill it is established that the rhino is living in fear.
7. Eventually the shot of the rhino fleeing from the poachers and its hit  and screen blurs then fades to black... then sounds of helicopter and possibly narration about poachers over the black screen?
8. The eyes open, blinks 
9. View of beautiful landscape, animals grazing etc, other rhinos 
10. Narration about moving rhinos to a safer place.

First Storyboard

Improvements

After looking at my narrative I realised that it is too much like a list of events which makes the story very predictable.

Improvements:

- Start off as the rhino is being poached, so the audience thinks the rhino is going to be killed. BUT rangers/WWF staff are actually saving the rhino.

Also another interesting feature could be to have the sound from rhino's perspective but not whats going on visually. 

Further research:

WWF successfully transported its 7^th black rhino population, using seemingly unconventional means.

Airlifting rhino by its ankles, to save the critically endangered species.

The immense trip transported 19 of the animals 1500km across South Africa to a secret new location.

Continuation improving narrative:

Starting from pervious shot 6.

7. Black screen, non-diegetic sounds of what seems to be sawing off horn.. mumbled talking, people rushing about

8. Tracking shot and zooming out of rhino being transported by helicopter in order to save the species from poachers. 

9. Message on screen.

Story telling

In order to create an effective narrative you need to think about these points:

- Always think about audience> remember they only know what you can show them...
- Drama/conflict
- You don't need to show everything> straight to the point
- Try not to make it predictable
- Create emotion
- Let the audience fill in the gaps> have the audience go on a journey.
- Story should have an arc
- Juxtaposition
- Play with the genre
- Set up tension early

Improving narrative - First attempt:

1. Rhino's point of view, grazing... non-diegetic sound of helicopter in distance. Camera pans round to look for sound.
2. Helicopter is seen with in frame.
3. Rhino starts to panic slightly 
4. As camera turns, poachers standing there with guns.
5. Rhino turns again and runs through the grassland, non-diegectic sound of tranquilliser shot.
6. Camera starts to blur, slow down, lower to the ground.
7. Really fast cuts between the passing out of the rhino to the black market, where the rhino horn is being sold. People buying ornaments and using it for medicine. Really emphasising the use of sound.
8. Black screen with non-diegetic sound of horn being sawn off.
9. Ariel shot of rhino lying on ground starting to wake up with horn missing, blood over its face.
10. Message on screen.