Today's Progress

So it definitely feels like I'm getting faster per frame, although today didnt feel like I really got anywhere because I was doing tweens and tidying up the rough outlines, the first shot just needs colouring and background now, and Doza's nearly done outlining. Can't wait to add in Silluette doing some ninja-esq acro in the background!


The video doesn't look much different for saying its 3 hours worth of work, but hey ho, keep plodding!

First playblast

So learning Flash has been interesting? A steep learning curve but I'm slowly starting to feel more comfortable with it. This is a start on shot 1 and 2 of Scene 2 (incomplete) in my animation. At the moment its mostly just rough key frames, although a few frames have been coloured and outlined a little neater to check the software was gonna work for me, basically. Most tweens have been roughed in in the first shot. Silluette will also be in shot 2, hence the stick figure in the back (on the rooftop - try spot her!).

The Tribes

Introducing a concept for the first of 'the tribes' - Mermaid-type folk but their actual name hasn't been decided yet!

The Tribes in this series are basically smaller clans and tribes living outside from the Capital. Each has adapted to survive through the use of the 'Dalma Gems' (Scientific little devices that can mutate your DNA; the glowing stones you'll see throughout the title sequence), and thrived in the wilderness of their planet. The team encounter various tribes on their adventures, helping them as well as asking for a little help themselves.

Environment speed paint - Grand Council - Hall of the Just.

At the moment, this will be the opening shot. It's the gated city's grand council, (those all knowing, wise, old farts that seem to make all the decisions?). This shot shows the teams ceremony (I must think of some fancy name for it) where they receive their 'power', from the state stone (the big glowing thing in the middle).

This was a 20 minute speed paint, and includes very little of the detail I want in this environment. It gives you the sense of the size of the capital, as well as their culture and importance in ceremony.

Kmanda Doza Final Character Sheet

Kmanda Doza's character turnaround. This version doesn't have her rocket launcher/gun on it, but I feel like the arm piece has improved a lot since the original design. I gave her a leotard style one piece in the final design instead of shorts and a top to give her more of a 80's hero/superhero vibe, although I may more steampunk elements once all the characters are done, depending on how well she fits with the group.
I need to change the background on this as well, not quite happy with my character turnaround sheets, background/layout wise.

The Seamstress Character Sheet

Koggz Character Sheet

My proposal

Working Title: Mendel’s Nation title sequence

Outline:

I'm going to create a 2D title sequence for my original animated series, 'name goes here'. The sequence will be approximately 50-60 seconds. The sequence is going to be a role call based title sequence, with heavy focus on acrobatic, gymnastics and martial arts sequences. The style influences come from classic 80's cartoons and 90's comics, as well as a slight Steampunk vibe. I intend to investigate various methods for capturing and creating the best possible fighting and acrobatic sequences, including motion capture, rotoscoping and filming live.

The concept for the cartoon is an alternative future. A world war during the 1950's pushed governments to go to desperate measures to strengthen their armies. Geneticist Dr. Mendel created a serum to toughen soldiers and make them more aggressive by altering their DNA. The serum was secretly laced into men's products. However when 6 months after the release, the DNA continued to mutate and the men lost all sense of reason or control. With few uninfected men remaining, women (who seemed to be immune) were forced to fight for their own survival and become their own defenders.

The cast consists of a band of feisty female warriors from the 'academy', warring with not only the harsh environment and infected population, but also their opposing military enemies, as they continue to search for a cure.

The cartoon focuses on the new civilization rather than the original war or outbreak. They've adapted to the disease, built new cities and new systems. Their academies train their females up to the age of 15 (when they're no longer susceptible to the disease) and are then given a role in the system. A new war now rages on against the Alliance trying to use 'in's' as soldiers once again.

Rationale:

I have chosen this project due a strong interest in fighting and acrobatic animation, as well as 2D character design and animation in general. I have a background in gymnastics and feel there is a very limited amount of 'cool', accurate, and well-animated sequences in this area.

I will incorporate knowledge I learnt from my 2D and 3D animation modules like the principles of animation, in addition to modules such as character design and preproduction. I want to develop not only my animation technique but also the way in which high movement and acrobatic scenes are animated in the 2D industry. This also gives me an opportunity to improve my knowledge and use of animation principles and practices, which are applicable to 2D and 3D.

Research Element:

For my research element, I’m going to research various referencing and pre-production techniques for movement, such a rotoscoping over video footage, live filming, and possibly motion capture. Although these techniques are unlikely to feature in my final animation, they will still provide me with a greater understanding of the movement, and develop my 2D animation skills.

Other areas for investigation:

For this project I will need to research gymnastics, Parkour, and various martial arts for the animation side, as well as looking at other 2D/3D animations that portray similar things. I also want to research title sequences in depth, in particular 80's and early 90's cartoon and animated series to see the style but also the layouts.
As I'm also designing my characters, I'll need to look into various areas such as the Steampunk genre, Comic book women and weapons and firearms.

Literature Review:

Books I have found that will be useful to my project include; The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation, and Michael Mallory's Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, I'll also be using a variety of blogs, such as acmepunched.blogspot.co.uk, and youtube tutorial channels such as www.youtube.com/user/eubasaban.

Methodology:

I already have some concept ideas so I'm going to build and develop these ideas through further research, while starting my research into movement and acrobatics. The character designs, poses and model sheets for all 6 main characters should be completed before starting the layouts or storyboard for the actual animation. By this point, all my reference material and research for the animation itself should be finished, allowing me to know how far I can push my animated sequences, and give me inspiration for the sequences. Once I've completed a storyboard for the title sequence, I'll create an animatic and use that to get feedback from various focus groups before making the final 2D animation. I will need plenty of time for finish and perfect the animation, as I don't want the quality to suffer due to poor colouring.

Target Audience:

The target audience is from mid teens up young adults, as I think this will appeal to the older gaming/convention culture as well as teens.

Ethical/Social Issues:

 I want this series to show equality for the LGBT society, as well as race, however there might be some social/ethical issues regarding the feminism and female dominance in the series, with men mostly being extras and 'home-men'. Although they won't be obviously talked about in script, I think the series concept raises some interesting point of discussion for society as a whole, with regards to issues such as gender and race equality, environmental destruction, and war.

There may be ethical/legal issues with the soundtrack, so I will have to research what music I can use, or perhaps find an appropriate small indie band that are happy to grant me rights to their track. Any violence in the title sequence will be suitable for my target audience and shouldn’t need ethical approval.

I feel it’s very important to investigate gymnastic and parkour moves, as I want to see the boundaries of what the human body can actually do in the these moves, and push them in my animation in order to create something that seems natural yet still awe-inspiring.

Product:

My product deliverables will include a Concept art & Character design document for all main characters and environments, and a 2D animated title sequence. The final animation will be 50-60 seconds long, 720x1200 Quicktime file, as it’s a realistic amount of animation to complete in my given timeframe, and Quicktime is widely used. The design document will be a PDF document containing 5 to 6 full character designs, poses for each with their weapon designs and environment digital paintings.

Plan:

10^th October – 22^nd October – Background research & Moodboards

23^rd October- 1^st November – Further Concept art & character work

1^st November -8^th November – Final Character Designs

9^th November – 15^th November – Storyboard

16^th November – 1^st December – Animatic/Previz

References:

Thomas, F. and Johnston, O., The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation, 1997, Hyperion.

Mallory, M., Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, 

ideas for other characters

Silluette - the silent assassin

Beau-K - Free loving hippy and healer, but like all roses, has her thorns

Kaia - The loner, she's lovely, honest?.. As long as you don't; talk to her, annoy her, get in her way, get in the way of her drink or disturb her 'me' time.

Khanday - A colourful individual with a real sweet tooth. Those chompers come in handy though.

More Koggz sketches

Koggz

Character pose for Koggz

The small, short and somewhat strange mechanical genius is the teams go to for gadgets. The likeable girl is one of the younger members of the team, and comes across very shy and a bit bonkers, always muttering ideas to herself, unless that is you show her something that needs fixing or she gets excited, then she's in her element. Her clockwork hairpiece was made for her by The Seamstress and she's rarely seen without. The two have an odd understanding and are quite close.

Kmanda Doza sketches

Character/Vehicle Research

Mood-boards and research pertaining to the actual design of my characters and vehicles in the series. Here's The Seamstress and Kmanda Doza's.

And I also did some research into various vehicles that I felt fitted the team, these are a few modern day vehicles for me to work off. 

The Research begins...

Spent all day so far watching 80's & 90's (mainly) cartoons and title sequences. I'm going to write up my notes from that in the next post. Here's 3 of my moodboards, from all the cartoon and animated series inspirations to some Steampunk research.

Theres always a similar set up with these action team cartoons. With X-Men and larger teams it gets a bit tricky but the ideas still there. Its easiest to see it in younger audience cartoons, like the GummyBears; a 'grumpy' character who thinks everything's a bad idea, and is normally talking common sense in my opinion, a happy go lucky character to balance it, a dumber character who occasionally comes up with a brilliant idea, the leader, his or her love interest, and maybe a mother/father figure too. That's what I've come to notice anyway.

The Seamstress Character Design 1st Draft