Description
This module wil focus on developing and characterising initial designs, coming up with a credible and forthcoming prototypes, specifying the character/s attributes and behaviours: stance, gait, motion and so forth
Techniques also featured may include; articulation, lip-syching, gesticulation and demenour. Much of the time will be spent on devising, designing, testing, critiquing and refining the character/s on-screen
The Brief
An analysis of human behaviour and body language; involuntary behaviours and learned all provide signals and signs to let other know how we feel, those actions coming across in all manner of ways
The creation of a character that mimics the body language and/or movement of a subject used as research
My Ideas
I took the idea of creating this animated character, with all the human qualities of emotion described above, but decided to not go down the typical route. I could have easily decided to create a realistic male/female character doing an everyday activity, using the typical selection of 'stock' emotions: anger, happiness, boredom and so on.
But, my interperatation of this module took an unexpected turn as I walked around the Town Center and spotted all the clothed (and some not-so!) mannequins in the department store window displays; with their empty eyes and static, inanimate nature, I thought "why not take the most a-typical inanimate object we see (almost) every day and provide it with that exact set of emotivity and movement that gives humans our uniqueness"
This is how my idea began...
Initial Images (to illustrate my point)
I want to keep a decent amount of detail in the face and overall skull form - at this stage, I knew that the only area I wanted to be animated and given a realistic form, however, was the eyes; the part of the face which can emphasise and display so much more emotion than even the mouth, in my opinion...
I have a bit of a dilemma; I want to keep the time spent of modelling the characer (who shall be named Marty, for the sake of humanity) to be kept within a small time-frame so, after taking these two images here, I knew that I should only focus on the upper half of Marty. Concentrating on the torso, arms and head would mean I could devote more 'animation' time
I sourced these from online dressmakers and mannequins markets; I can see now that the intentional strong form of Marty's torso and definition of the face also will more than make up for the lack of legs and, upon finding the image above, I could design a simple 'stick stand' or 'tripod' on which to place him (freeing up animation time once more)
Although perhap looking inconsequential, spotting this joint/attachment when de-constructing the mannequin in one of the local department stores, a strong action sequence of the 30 second or so animation came to me. If I designed Marty's arms and head to be attached in the manner as this image here shows ( here, the connection between the torso and lowers), the prospect of them falling off and him trying to collect them again could supply a comedic factor, his misfortune inversely promoting a greater sense of humanity, in an otherwise inanimate object!
These last two images (gathered from an online American film-props store, no less) brought the prospect of supplying Marty with human triats and actions home to me; although I'm only intending animation of his eyes and movement in the arms, there may be the opportunity to explore the possibilties for introducing the stand itself within the movement through the scene, contributing to Marty's emotional demenour and judgement.
Now I have come across the field research and seen what 'is out there' on the market, including all the modelling aspects and realistic physical-form too, I need to develop some rapid prototypes and design possibilities to finalize Marty as soon as possible - the ideas are there, just a case of nailing a few down to paper...
No comments:
Post a Comment