@Phil - From Script to Screen: Rough Script

From Script to Screen: Seer Appearance - Experiments Continued

After receiving feedback on my drawings yesterday, I have done a few more quick sketches, trying to combine features from the drawings people liked. I feel like all of these are good contenders for a final design. Again, feedback or ideas are greatly appreciated.

Animation: Bashful Cactus WIP

Animation in progress.

Rough storyboard.

@Phil - From Script to Screen: Seer Appearance Experiments

I looked at concept art for animated films like Coraline, The Book of Life and The Corpse Bride to try and give the Seer a more stylised look. My personal favourites are 4 and 10 but I would appreciate some feedback.

From Script to Screen: The Seer/s - Initial Ideas and Sketches

When I knew my character was a fortune teller, I instantly had a few ideas for their appearance should be, so I began sketching in my journal almost immediately.

In early ideas for my story, the fortune teller was mechanical, as though she'd walked out of a fortune telling machine you'd find in an old arcade. It was also to imply that she'd been alive for a very long time, built by someone to keep telling fortunes long after they were gone. In the first sketches, the lower part of her mouth would move up and down to allow her to speak. In the others, she has a rubber face that could be removed, and a body made up of see-through plates that could be removed to access her internal workings for repairs and maintenance.

After scrapping the idea of making her mechanical, and changing her name from fortune teller to Seer, I did these more recent sketches which have mostly the same design. I need to explore her design much more before deciding on a final one, but I would like to keep the white eyes and hair, which will add a mystical "not-quite-human" quality to the Seer/s.

Film Review: Psycho (1960)

Fig. 1: Psycho Poster.

Psycho (1960), is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films. The film shocked audiences in the 60s, and inspired dozens of "slasher movies", which were very popular in the 80s; "no other Hitchcock film had a greater impact." (Ebert, 1998). To this day, Psycho inspires filmmakers, and is considered by many to be the original "slasher" movie. 

Fig. 2: Marion and Sam in a hotel room.

The beginning of the film shows the main character, Marion Crane, and her lover, Sam (fig.2). They discuss their relationship, the frustration of having to meet up during Marion's lunch breaks, and how they can't get married while Sam still has to send money to his ex-wife. This is Marion's motive for stealing the $40,000, but Marion is never portrayed as being a criminal; "When the money appears, it's attached to a slimy real estate customer who insinuates that for money like that, Marion might be for sale. So Marion's motive is love, and her victim is a creep." (Ebert, 1998). So, the audience follows Marion, as she travels to California to meet Sam, and as the film goes on the audience wonders if she'll be caught, if she will reach Sam, or if she will go home and return the money. Hitchcock wants the audience to be invested in this character, before he has her violently murdered half way through; "[Hitchcock] delivered one of the boldest blows in screen history. It was not just how he killed Janet Leigh's Marion Crane, astonishing though that was – it was when." (Monohan, 2015)

Fig. 3: Arbogast, Sam and Lila discuss Marion's disappearance.

It is rare to have a main character killed before the end of the film, but it can be argued that, despite her death, Marion is still very much the focus of the film. It is her death that leads to the discovery of what's been happening at The Bates Motel, and up until her death is made official, the majority of the characters still talk about Marion, believing her to be alive. This adds dramatic irony to the film, as the audience knows all too well what happened to Marion, while the other characters have no idea. The film has something reminiscent to John Webster's play, The Duchess of Malfi, in which the Duchess is executed in the fourth act, despite being the main character. As a result, the fifth act follows the remaining characters, and shows the impact the Duchess' death has had on them individually. Like Marion, though she is not present, the Duchess continues to be the focus and the motive behind all the other character's actions.

Fig. 4: Norman talking with Marion.

The most interesting character in the film is Norman Bates, who is played excellently by Anthony Perkins. Norman, though appearing friendly when Marion first meets him, gives off a sense of unease. As he and Marion interact more, it becomes clear that there is something not right about Norman, and that he isn't just an unhappy young man being held back by his mother. Norman compares Marion to a bird, whilst in a room of taxidermy birds (fig. 4), which is more than a little discomforting. His behaviour becomes more and more unnerving as he and Marion interact, and he even watches her through a hole in the wall as she is changing in her room (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Norman watches Marion through the hole in the wall.

Once Marion has been murdered, Norman seems shocked at what "his mother" has done, but the entire set-up shows he planned it; putting Marion in the room next to the office where he could watch her, opening her window, and the routine-like way he cleans up and removes her body. Though the audience knows by the end of the film that Norman is suffering from a split personality disorder, he is very much himself when he decides to do those things, setting up the murder for "his mother". This suggests that Norman is aware of the events that will unfold, maybe he even enjoys them, as it gives him an excuse to bring his mother back from the dead, so to speak.

Fig. 6: The famous murder scene.

The murder scene was "made up of 70 camera set-ups and 78 pieces of film, with no actual shot of the knife piercing flesh" (Monohan, 2015). And it is one of a few other scenes that was so shocking to audiences, one reviewer called it "one of the most disgusting murders in all screen history." (Lejeune, 1960). Today, this scene is considered famous; you can buy posters, prints, and even t-shirts with Marion Crane's screaming face on them, her murder glorified in pop culture. In fact, if you showed someone who had never heard of Psycho a clip of Marion's murder, they would probably tell you that they recognised it from somewhere. 

Fig. 7: Norman or mother?

At the end of the film, the audience sees Norman, who is now entirely in the self-constructed mindset of his mother. The camera slowly moves towards him, as his mothers voice talks in his head about how she can't let Norman get away with what he's done, blaming it on her, when she wouldn't even hurt a fly. Norman looks up at the camera, his eyes not matching his smile, the image of a skull is overlayed onto his face as the image fades to Marion's car being pulled out of the swamp where he left it. The way Norman stares directly into the camera feels like he's letting the audience in on a secret, or that he has something in common with them, as they both knew where Marion was the whole time. Though it may simply have been added to make the audience uncomfortable, especially if they'd previously sympathised with poor, panicked Norman, as he tried to tidy up after his mother's murder.

Though the film is greatly admired and even loved today, it was not so warmly appreciated on release; "I couldn't give away the ending if I wanted to, for the simple reason that I grew so sick and tired of the whole beastly business that I didn't stop to see it." (Lejeune, 1960), "You had better have a pretty strong stomach and be prepared for a couple of grisly shocks when you go to see Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho" (Crowther, 1960). It may seem strange now to a modern audience --who is arguably desensitised to seeing blood and murder on the big screen-- that people found these scenes in Psycho so shocking. When many watch films or shows that involve murder, the simple implication of stabbing isn't enough, they want to see the blade go in and blood come gushing out. They want to hear the knife twist in the wound. 


Images:
Figure 1. Psycho Poster. (1960) [poster] At: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Psycho_(1960).jpg (Accessed on: 27.01.16)

Figure 2. Marion and Sam in a hotel room. (1960) From: Psycho. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Shamley Productions. 
At: http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Hitchcock%20Gallery:%20image%203984 (Accessed on 27.01.16)

Figure 3. Arbogast, Sam and Lila discuss Marion's disappearance. (1960) From: Psycho. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Shamley Productions. 
At: http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Hitchcock%20Gallery:%20image%204164 (Accessed on 27.01.16)

Figure 4. Norman talking with Marion. (1960) From: Psycho. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Shamley Productions. 
At: http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Hitchcock%20Gallery:%20image%204016 (Accessed on 27.01.16)

Figure 5. Norman watches Marion through the hole in the wall. (1960) From: Psycho. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Shamley Productions. 
At: http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Hitchcock%20Gallery:%20image%203983 (Accessed on 27.01.16)

Figure 6. The famous murder scene. (1960) From: Psycho. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Shamley Productions. 
At: http://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Hitchcock%20Gallery:%20image%204029 (Accessed on 27.01.16)


Bibliography:
Ebert, R. (1998) 'Psycho' In: rogerebert.com 06.12.1998 [online] At: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-psycho-1960 (Accessed on: 27.01.16)

Monohan, M. (2015) 'Psycho, review' In: The Telegraph 30.06.2015 [online] At: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11025424/Psycho-review.html (Accessed on: 27.01.16)

Lejeune, CA. (1960) 'Psycho: Archive review: From the Observer, 7 August 1960' In: The Guardian 07.09.1960 [online] At: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/22/psycho-hitchcock-archive-review-horror (Accessed on: 27.01.16)

Crowther, B. (1960) 'Psycho (1960)' In: The New York Times 17.06.1960 [online] At: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE (Accessed on: 27.01.16)

From Script to Screen: Fortune Telling Machines Influence Map

I picture every machine in the factory having a different design; some with elaborate decorations, some without. I looked at miniature see-saws for ideas for what the see-saw device the crystal ball sits on will look like, but will have to begin drawing to decide on a definite design. I am unsure yet if the main machine my story is based around will have much decoration, or be very simple. As for the mechanical fortune tellers inside the machines, I feel they should also all be different, but not quite as elaborate as the ones that exist in the real world.

From Script to Screen: Factory Influence Map

I imagine the factory to have very high ceilings, and a twisting network of staircases, balconies and bridges that allow the seer/s to inspect the many machines within. At the same time, the machinery that powers the factory should be visible, with pipes and cogs in places, as well as steam engines and furnaces on the ground floor. I want the factory to be simultaneously magical and industrial in design.

Maya Tutorials: Intro to Character Animation

Pendulum:

 

Chain:

 

Squash and stretch - Jumping:

 

Bouncing ball:

Life Drawing

First drawing - 20 minutes.

 

Quick 4-5 minute sketches.

 

Quick sketches - 30 seconds, 20 seconds and 10 seconds.

 

10 minute drawing #1.

 

10 minute drawing #2.

10 minute drawing #3.

From Script to Screen: Seer/s Influence Map

I have a few ideas for how I want the seer/s to look. I want to go with a somewhat witch-like and mysterious appearance, with clothes that look like a clash between past and present. The seers can live a long time, so their clothing should be influenced by both past and present fashion trends. If I do end up having multiple seers in my story, their appearance will be more or less the same, with small details changed for each individual seer, e.g. older seers wearing their hair up, while younger seers wear it down.

Film Review: Rope (1948)

Fig. 1: Rope poster.

Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) is not your typical murder film. Films about this topic are usually incredibly dark, both visually and in their writing, and while Rope certainly has a dark theme, it is in complete contrast to the pleasant setting. Rope is a film about two men (who have just committed murder) throwing a party. Though some consider the film an experiment that didn't work, "Rope remains one of the most interesting experiments ever attempted by a major director working with big box-office names" (Ebert, 1984).

Fig. 2: Philip and Brandon strangle David.

The film begins with Philip and Brandon -- two men who share a New York apartment together -- strangling their friend David with a piece of rope (fig. 2). The motive behind the murder is also not typical of a film on this subject; Brandon and Philip do not strongly dislike David, nor had David done either of them any wrong. They strangled him due to a twisted belief that because David was intellectually inferior to them, his life did not matter. Much of the discussion between Philip and Brandon also reveals that -- for Brandon especially -- murder was something they simply wanted to try in their lifetime. With David dead, Brandon becomes more daring, thrilled by the idea of holding a party in the very room where he just committed murder. Meanwhile, Philip is filled with worry that they will be found out. "Killing a man, and getting away with it, too, just to feed one's own intellectual vanity, is a hideous, amoral stunt, but it's just the kind of trick that Hitchcock excels at. For the director, like Brandon and Philip, murder was an art, and when he made Rope he had a stunt of his own that he wanted to pull off." (Hutchinson, 2012).

Fig. 3: Brandon decorates the chest.

Brandon immediately begins to show off, feeling superior at the idea of only him and Philip knowing about the murder, while the other party guests will have no idea. He begins by decorating the chest containing David's body with candles and a table cloth (fig. 3), until the chest resembles something similar to a church altar. "In the role of the more cold-blooded killer, John Dall does a hard, aggressive job of making this unpleasant fellow supremely contemptible" (Crowther, 1948). With David's body in the chest, and Brandon and Philip's plan to dispose of the body that evening, in many ways, the party is David's funeral. 

Fig. 4: All party guests.

The choice of party guests also show Brandon's need to be the most intelligent man in the room (this doesn't apply to Philip, as he had no idea who many of the party guests were going to be, and even asked if it would be better to cancel the party). The guests include David's father, David's aunt, his fiancee Janet, his "rival" (and Janet's ex boyfriend) Kenneth, and Rupert, a professor whose ideas inspired Philip and Brandon to murder David. Over the course of the evening, the guests continuously ask where David is, as he is the guest of honour. Philip gets progressively more drunk as the party goes on, attempting to calm his nerves. Meanwhile, Rupert is catching on to what Philip and Brandon have done, based on their odd behaviour and David's absence. "As the sun sets over the New York skyline, the guests at the "sacrificial feast" discuss the victim, and fret over his unexplained absence, while the burial chest looms in the foreground." (Hutchinson, 2012).

By the end of the film, all party guests have left to try and find out what's happened to David, as they grow more and more concerned that he may have been in some kind of accident. It is when the housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson, nearly hands Rupert a hat with David's initials on, that Rupert knows for sure that David was in the apartment, prompting him to return to the apartment later, claiming he left his cigarette case. Rupert's return results in Philip's complete breakdown, as he is sure Rupert knows what he and Brandon have done. However, Philip is not entirely to blame for the two of them being found out, Brandon's behaviour throughout the evening has also been noticeably odd, with him pushing the subject of people of inferior intellect not being important, and therefore, deserving of having their lives cut short.

Fig. 5: After Rupert's confrontation.

Rupert discovers David's body, and immediately chastises Philip and Brandon for what they've done. When Brandon tries to argue that Rupert is supposed to support this kind of behaviour, Rupert tells him "…you’ve given my words a meaning I never dreamed of. And you’ve tried to twist them into a cold, logical excuse for your ugly murder! …tonight you’ve made me ashamed of every concept I ever had of superior of inferior beings. Did you think you were God, Brandon?  Is that what you thought when you choked the life out of him?"

Fig. 6: Mrs. Wilson clears the chest.

There are moments in the film where the camera focuses on only one character, leaving all the speaking characters out of shot. One moment is when Mrs. Wilson is clearing away the leftover food from the chest. She walks in and out of the room several times, before returning with the books that are supposed to go in the chest. The scene is drawn out, building suspense. Every time she returns to the chest, the audience wonders if this will be the moment she opens it. She manages to have the chest partially open, when Brandon walks over and tells her not to bother putting the books away. Rupert notices this, which leads to him later requesting to look in the chest. Another moment is when Mrs. Wilson accidentally hands Rupert David's hat, with his initials on the inside. The camera focuses on a worried looking Rupert, while the guests say their goodbyes in the background.

Fig. 7: Rupert questions Philip.

Another interesting scene shows Philip playing the piano, while being questioned by Rupert (fig. 7). Rupert picks up a metronome, and releases the pendulum so it begins ticking. The ticks are representative of a ticking clock, or possibly, the quickening of Philip's heartbeat as Rupert questions him. Either way, the sound builds suspense throughout the scene, as Philip becomes more and more stressed.

Rope was based on a 1929 play by Patrick Hamilton, and it does feel like a play. It is easy to picture it on stage, as all the main events happen in one room. Hitchcock shot the film in a series of long takes, moving from actor to actor, with a set that would be rearranged out of view so the camera equipment could fit; "He built elaborate sets with movable walls on wheels. He choreographed his actors so that they and the camera could perform intricate ballets without interrupting the action." (Ebert, 1984). Sometimes this is obvious, as objects seem to have moved when the camera shows a larger shot of the scene. Filming this way makes the audience feel more immersed in the events, as there is no switching between faces or room, but instead, what feels like a long, fluid event. 

Images:
Figure 1. Rope Poster.  (1948) [poster] At: http://www.dvdclassik.com/critique/la-corde-hitchcock (Accessed on: 12.01.16)

Figure 2. Philip and Brandon strangle David. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: http://www.dvdclassik.com/critique/la-corde-hitchcock (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Figure 3. Brandon decorates the chest. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: http://beermovie.net/2015/01/02/rope/ (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Figure 4. All party guests. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: http://www.cinemagraphe.com/rope-1948.php (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Figure 5. After Rupert's confrontation. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: http://creofire.com/rope-1948-analysis/ (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Figure 6. Mrs. Wilson clears the chest. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: https://theseventhart.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/rope.jpg (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Figure 7. Rupert questions Philip. (1948) From: Rope. Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock [Film still] United States: Transatlantic Pictures. At: https://thehitchcockproject.wordpress.com/category/week-33-rope-1948/ (Accessed on 24.01.16)

Bibliography:
Ebert, R. (1984) 'Rope' In rogerebert.com 15.06.1984 [online] At: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rope-1948 (Accessed on: 25.01.16)

Hutchinson, P. (2012) 'My favourite Hitchcock: Rope' In: The Guardian 27.07.12 [online] At: http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/jul/27/my-favourite-hitchcock-rope (Accessed on: 25.01.16)

Crowther, B (1948) 'Rope (1948)
THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; ' Rope,' an Exercise in Suspense Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Is New Bill at the Globe' 27.08.1948 [online] At: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=980DE3D81630E03BBC4F51DFBE668383659EDE (Accessed on: 25.01.16)

Unknown (2010) 'Archive for the ‘Week 33: ‘Rope’ – 1948’ Category' 19.08.10 [online] At: https://thehitchcockproject.wordpress.com/category/week-33-rope-1948/ (Accessed on: 25.01.16)

@Phil - From Script to Screen: Post OGR Story Idea

After reading my OGR feedback, I've had some new ideas...

• The beginning is mostly the same, the Seer places a crystal ball in an empty machine, seeing a new-born baby in the crystal...
• In the factory are several signs that read: "WE MUST NOT INTERFERE"
• Over time, the Seer studies the crystal, witnessing events in the persons life, E.g.: learning to walk, breaking a limb, going to school, the loss of a loved one, etc.
• One day, observing the crystal ball, the seer notices it has tilted all the way to the right, for bad fortune. Looking into the crystal she can see the person is lying in bed, gravely ill.
• She goes to move the crystal ball but stops herself. She walks away, but goes back to check the crystal later, seeing no change.
• Without a second thought, she waves her hand over the crystal, and it begins to tilt on the see-saw, stopping at the center. Satisfied with the choice she made, she moves away, noticing a nearby machine has stopped working.
• The next day, more machines have shut down. She quickly begins replacing the crystal balls.
• As time goes on, more machines switch off, causing several see-saws to tilt to the right, before more machines shut down.
• The Seer knows her interference has caused this; the person she saved was supposed to die, but her saving them has changed the fortunes of everyone around them. 
• Struggling to keep up with replacing the crystal balls, she runs to the machine holding the life she saved, all the machines around it have stopped working.
• She grabs the crystal ball from the machine and stares into it, the person is contently sat reading a book in their home. She looks up at one of the signs in the factory.
• Crying, she drops the ball, and it smashes at her feet.
• The story ends with the image of the broken crystal ball on the ground.
  
  Alternatively:
• Other Seers discover what she did, and decide on destroying the crystal ball.
• The story ends with her being held back by one Seer, while an older Seer removes the crystal and smashes it.
• The story ends with the image of the broken crystal ball on the ground.

Animation: Bashful Cactus

 

I will be animating this little cactus next week.

Character Design: Props and Objects

This week we were given a character and told to design props this character might have if they had a Batman style utility belt. My character was Link, and as someone who's never played a Legend of Zelda game, all my designs were based off this image: 

Weapons (and skateboard) based on Link.

For the second half of the lesson we were each given a room and told to draw inanimate objects as characters.

From Script to Screen: Online Greenlight Review

Adobe Audition: Music

@Phil - From Script to Screen: Story Idea #4

• A large factory filled with fortune teller machines, each one with a glowing crystal ball balanced on a see-saw like device.
• The factory is built like a pillar, over a chasm which descends into darkness
• Each crystal ball is a human life, and they tilt back and forth on the see-saw; tilting all the way to the left for good fortune, and all the way to right for bad.
• There is one empty machine, one of the many mechanical Seers running the factory places a crystal ball into it. The machine comes to life and the see-saw begins tilting.
• Looking into the crystal, the Seer can see a newborn baby.
• Over time, the Seer regularly studies the crystal, witnessing events in the persons life, E.g.: learning to walk, breaking a limb, going to school, the loss of a loved one, graduation, marriage, etc.
• One day, during her daily rounds checking the machines, the Seer finds the machine has stopped working again. She picks up the crystal ball, inside she sees the person she'd been observing lying in a hospital bed, dying.
• She carries the crystal ball with her, looking at it sadly.
• As she walks, the crystal is suddenly removed from her hands by another Seer (slightly older looking in design). The Seer stares at the crystal ball for a second, before nonchalantly throwing it behind her, into the chasm.
• The crystal falls further and further into darkness, before smashing into a pile of other broken crystals lying at the bottom.
• The older Seer hands the younger one a new crystal ball, and sends her in the direction of the non-functioning fortune teller machine.
• Placing the new crystal into the machine, it restarts, going right back to how it was.
• The Seer watches for moment, before moving along.

Slightly different from my last idea. I added the extra Seer to make the younger Seers attachment to the human life she was observing more tragic, but I am open to having the younger Seer being the only one, making the throwing away of the crystal ball reveal that she never really cared at all.

Maya Tutorial: Contra-Zoom

Maya Tutorial: Camera Shake

Passerby:

Drop:

@Phil - From Script to Screen: Story Idea #3

After some thought and reading over suggestions from Phil, I have thought of another story idea:

• A large factory filled with fortune teller machines, each one with a glowing crystal ball balanced on a see-saw like device.
• The crystal balls tilt back and forth; tilting all the way to the left for good fortune, and all the way to right for bad.
• One crystal tilts all the way to the right, the machine lights up red, and the mechanical fortune teller inside stops functioning.
• The fortune teller running the factory (also mechanical) approaches the machine and removes the crystal ball. Looking into it, she can see a man lying in a hospital bed.
• Approaching a larger see-saw device, she places the crystal ball in the center and watches as it once again tilts all the way to the right.
• She picks it up, and removes her plastic face, revealing the mechanical skeleton-like one underneath. Looking at the ball, the already dimming light fades completely, turning black.
• She replaces her plastic face, cradles the ball in both hands until it begins to glow again. Looking into it, she can see a baby.
• She places the crystal ball back in the fortune teller machine, which restarts, and the crystal ball goes back to tilting.

Maya Tutorial: Distance Shot

Close: 

Middle:

Far:

@Phil - From Script to Screen: Story Ideas

These are my two most fleshed out ideas for the story. A few other ideas I've had started out okay, but I then find myself struggling to include either the see-saw or the factory into the story without it simply just being there for no reason. I am still frequently writing down ideas and notes in my journal, but this is what I have so far:

Idea 1: 

• 2 children find abandoned park near a derelict mannequin factory, cut off by a small river.
• Not wanting to get wet, the children take apart a rusty, broken see-saw to make a bridge across and make their way to abandoned factory.
• Old fortune teller lives inside, sitting at a table, surrounded by mannequin parts, tells the children they will read their fortunes if they give them an item in return. The children agree, and the old fortune teller uses what appear to be small bones to read their fortunes.
• The first child's fortune has a mixture of good and bad, but they are told everything will work out in the end.
• The second child's fortune is fairly similar but they are told they must change their attitude in order to be successful.
• The first child pays the fortune teller with their pocket money and a bag of sweets, the second refuses to pay as their fortune wasn't very good, they storm out, taking their friend with them.
• As they reach the see-saw, they realise it has disappeared and somehow returned to its place in the park. Not knowing of any other place to cross, they decide to jump in the river and climb up the bank to the park. 
• The first child jumps in and makes their way across and up the bank no problem, but the second is half way there when mannequin hands spring up from the water and begin dragging them down. 
• The first child goes to help their friend, but the mannequin hands push them back, they scramble up the bank and run for help.
• The second child stops fighting, and the water goes still.

Idea 2:

• An old fortune teller is living in an old factory which they have converted to a living space. 
• The factory used to make fortune teller machines, found in arcades. The old fortune teller was once the owner.
• Never having any children of their own, they took apart some of the machines and built them into a living, mechanical girl. 
• The two of them read the fortunes of some of the few clients the fortune teller still has. 
• From one of the windows in the living area, the mechanical fortune teller can see children playing in a park, and frequently asks their creator if they will go with them to play on the see-saw. The old fortune teller repeatedly tells them they are far too old to be playing in parks, and would most likely hurt themselves.
• The old fortune teller uses small machines parts (screws, bolts, cogs) to read her own fortune; the pieces land in the vague shape of a skull. Realising they have little time left, they are worried about leaving the mechanical girl on her own, and after some thought she gets to work, taking apart some of the few remaining machines in the factory.
• The mechanical girl attends to clients, while the old fortune teller works in secret.
• One day, the old fortune teller presents the mechanical girl with a sister, built from the remaining parts (the parts are mixed and of varying condition as all the best parts were used to make the first girl).
• The two girls, though at first unsure of each other, are sent outside to the park, at which the first girl is overjoyed.
• The girls play on the see-saw together as the old fortune teller watches from a seat at the window, they are happy, knowing the girls will have each other once they have gone.

Personal Work: Captain Phasma

From Script to Screen: Research and Initial Ideas

Character Design: Variance and Zombies

Today in our character design class we were looking at re-styling well known animated characters again. This time changing the size and shape of various parts of the character to create some "wacky" designs. I was working on Danger Mouse.

Various drawings, changing size and shape of parts of Danger Mouse.

Messing with his design in my preferred style.

For the second part of the lesson, we were each given a theme and told to design characters within that theme, I was lucky enough to get zombies.

Quick sketches and ideas.

"Consumer" Zombie 

Adobe Audition: Dragon Roar

Experimenting with Audition, making dragon roars. Mine sounds very robotic, which wasn't something I wanted. Hopefully I will get better at using Audition with time.

Maya Tutorial: Crane Shot

Maya Tutorial: Dolly Shot

Maya Tutorial: Pitch Shot

Maya Tutorial: Roll Shot

Maya Tutorial: Pan Shot

Soundscape: Word Clouds

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