I thought I might include these coloured concepts, from Alex Thomas in my class, we briefly collaborated to design a refined animatic, taking into account the lighting effects, here are his ideas for the colour scheme:
I really liked his character layout.
This is the colour scheme so far, I am only considering using minimal lighting effects over a majority of grey scale:
This would be a good time to point out how, throughout my research into animated music videos, most of the colouring is very graphical and dark, or minimal, or non at all. So this decision to use grey scale and contrasting bold colouring would directly relate to my researched themes.
I was uploading this Character concept art to my social media and I added this filter over the top of the drawing, I really like it and now I am looking into a kind of filtering that I could overlay my animation, that wold be a great possibility to reduce colouring workload but also look really good if pulled off.
Character colouring:
Because of these colourful backlight and spot lights, combined with dark backgrounds, I need to consider the effect on the character colouring. The colours will most likely be a tinted tone or mix of stage lighting, with expressive lighting on the exaggerated designed characters.
Testing some stage spot lighting colour variations to suite each character:
Here I am considering the bold colouring from the stage lighting, this is development:
Meeting in person with the musician, James Jarvis for a quick overall chat about ideas and broadly workload, considering the genre and production that will go into this project. We agreed that electronic music would be the best genre for a speedy production on his end, James Jarvis is an orchestral focused musician, but aspires to develop his art in more electronic music production on his laptop.
What stood out to him so far, was this 'Stranger Synths' video, with these synthesised tracks and thrilling lyrical and electronic sounding music. I hope we can progress with this concept because I personally really like this genre of music as well. This is because I mostly listen to these tracks as sources for inspiration when I work, the music helps my mind to create ideas and fill the void with concepts.
Disgusting the track via messaging:
James Javis
'The Stranger things ideas yous sent so mostly going for a tone like that with aspects of the chill wave tracks before. The lyrics would be fun for the themes and emotions of the film so that the lyrics can represent that'
The lyrics are describing really abstract things like "made of nothing, you are so alive" So they have no meaning, but also have lots of meaning, kind of thing. Listening to them, the lyrics tend to emphasise on a particular theme or subject.
James Javis
'Ah okay yeah brilliant. I'll get thinking about it and send you some ideas over. I'm gonna message a singer now that i think would be great for this. But yeah i'll just keep listening to the songs you sent and get some ideas down for you today'
Perhaps cut down the long lead up in the intro with a relatively quick into. Most tracks on stranger synths like to get straight to the point, so to speak. Plus I'd appreciate it since I can only fit so much for the video.
James Jarvis
'Yeah not a problem at all mate. Now we've got a set style I can work on. A good structure to fit things in. Is there anything really that's missing that you would like to be added?'
The Lyrics, a few lines are cut making it slightly shorter:
I'm glad you gave me the lyrics so early on, I can base a plot or basic narrative around them now, which is just in time for tomorrow when I storyboard this roughly.
James Jarvis
'Ah brilliant, I'll get a vocal down as soon as I can so you get a better idea, I'll try get a version with lyrics recorded by the end fo the week so you have a better idea of how it all fits together'
This is a screenshot of current project work, from the music producers end, using this instrumental sampling and layering software, Logic Pro X.
Storyboard designing
Talking with a friend who specialises in storyboards, we are planning broadly the execution for storyboarding my animation. We are especially taking into account all the important expressive elements that will make this music video.
Things to consider:
Refine shots
Lighting
Camera movements, framing/transition/positioning
Block out scenes
Timing for music, Pacing/progression
//This Intro consists of mainly stills with minimal character animation, using camera angling and shots to tell the Intro as the Cat experiences it//
Effects:
(glittering light reflecting stylishly off guitar strings, dust grains in the light beams/reflected light, setting a feel of vintage, retro setting, shining light beams to help transition between shots at this point, against dark, dusty, shadowy background).
Final storyboard:
Working with James Jarvis at the recording studio at Leeds University of Music:
Here I visited the recording studio to discuss with the Music Producer James Jarvis, about animating the characters playing the instruments. He offered to provide video reference of him playing some of the notes played when the camera shot is focused on an instrument.
Notes:
The style is like a film compared to a music video, that is how James Jarvis has been envisioning it.
Singer/Key-tar: Chords, Reece Johnstone, a member of James Jarvis' band is the voice recording for the singer. I am still considering if the singer needs to be holding a guitar at all, but I believe the guitar is already an important prop on the stage for the first shots.
Drummer: Electronic drum - Kick, snare, crossing, high heart. (Symbol): Gorillaz for good referencing of animated characters playing instruments.
Synth: Melody
Bass: The Killers - Mark, The Silver, an example of Bass guitar strumming.
Researching into how animated video and films capture ambience and empathy with music for my project:
Looking into a variety of 2D animation, that uses exaggerated angles and perspective, to keep the visual style interesting and expressive.
This is an important area to mention when planning with a storyboard focused student I am also collaborating with, for the animation story/setting, shots, and pacing.
Here are some sources for inspiration that I tend to use when researching into expressive animation and design: instagram.com/runwiththegoldenwolf
Taking examples of interest from Golden Wolfs sneakers animated clips, expressing energy and enthusiasm with a character jumping and then playing a drum set. This fits into my ideas quite well as an example to look into.
Conceptual design:
Looking into unique environments that reflect a strong aesthetic and mood as a setting for conveying the music.
In my presentation for the statement of intent, I described my interest in atmospheric elements that create ambience. The character, atmosphere, and mood that convey the music and avoid any bland or repetitive backgrounds. Keeping the imagery colourful, expressive and most importantly interesting.
Every music video has this goal in common, to attract and keep the interest of the audience in every way possible. That is why most music videos today incorporate some form of animation as another element to attract audiences and find any source of interest.
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me - U2
Based on the animated super hero Batman, this music video features the band performing in Gotham City, the animated sequence also has characters dressed as the in reference to characters in the movie scenes similar to those in the movie.
Replicating a similar animation style form the 1992 Batman: The animated series.
Do I wanna know - Arctic Monkeys
A very minimalistic and psychedelic style to represent the inside of someones brain. Featuring warping lines into imagery and shapes that tend to progress around women and random objects.
This aesthetic achieves very descriptive imagery with minimal imagery and compliments the progression of the lyrics in the song.
Take on me - A-ha
Romantic and funny, pencil sketching and rotoscoped animation. This combination of sketching and detailed rotoscoped imagery combines descriptive character facial expressions, with loose sketched backgrounds. Illustrating the exciting comic book world but emphasising on the emotional connection with the characters as the focus of the animation.
Rich with energy and depth that is translated through a simple story concept, focusing on the values of the song with character emotion and connection.
Matt suggested there needs to be more progress made on the music track in order for the animatic to and script to be produced accurately. This is now priority because getting the audio finished is more important for the drafting and timing of the animation.
Weekly goals:
Get a more refined track from the music producer so that I can sync it up with the storyboard to create the animatic.
Set out each scene accurately for the timing of the track audio
Refine experimentation for the character and stage designs.
Have a group meeting with the people I am collaborating with to discuss the project once the animatic is complete at the start of next week.
Researching into 2D animated music videos and films that feature a lot of musical scenes, with expressive character design. Looking into abstract and emphasised features that can resemble expressive, instrumentation, music, vocals, tone, emotion, and story.
These are examples form my power point presentation researching into unique characters that are interesting and would work well in a music video and actual characters from animated music videos for comparison.
Looking into main character models or ideas and inspiration:
These are sources of inspiration, lots of expressive character designs that express attitude and visual appeal, stylish and attractive, but also emphasising on the design features that makes the character unique.
I am starting from minimal character designs that have elements of abstract and shapely design concepts. Then progressing my research into more emphasised designs that express exaggerated characteristics and features based on abstract concepts.
The Incredibles are good examples of abstract character designs and some concept art from Stranger Things, because of how the characters are designed to best describe the physical ability and characteristics, as super heroes:
Drummer:
For the drummer I am taking inspiration from the drummer in the Gorillaz music videos, the drummer tending to be a large heavy handed character because they generate the beat....
Daft Punk, One more time, has more an anime style with exaggerated proportions of the character design. I have decided against using the facial design of anime characters for my final project:
Black Dynamite form Adult Swim is an example of further exaggeration for the sake of drawn out shots, especially in the legs, using this emphasis on the legs exaggerates the style the concept artists are focusing on:
This visual design would work well with the appearance of the guitarist in this video, a rustic and 'rock' inspired design. This is because it would be based form these strong characters and applies the retro aesthetics.
Character fashion/outfits:
Retro 70's/80's, sci-fi and fantasy
The reason why I am taking fashion into consideration for character design is because, the clothing of the band informs a lot about the music and music video. Fashion is almost essential for this project for artistic taste and aesthetic, important areas for a music video.
Miami vice, a source of elaborate fashion and style that synthesiser music was popularised with.
Some more considered examples of fashion and characters associated with the style of electronic music:
Bleach is a great example of this style, a mix of punk, retro, contemporary, historical, and uniform influenced fashion subcultures.
Fashion subculture from Japan that is highly influenced by Victorian and Edwardian children's clothing and styles from the Rococo period. As well as combinations of the variety of unique vintage styled clothing.
Bleach is a Japanese anime television series based on Tite Kubo's manga of the same name.
To keep it interesting I might include a mascot or animal companion, for comedic effect or variety in character design for a broader audience interest. A sidekick would work well for the audience variation, not to just focus on mature audiences.
Featuring a sidekick character or extra counterpart, as supporting characters in the main cast. That might add a little flavour to my music video: Top 10 Sidekick Characters - Animated series
Another point I have realised while talking with the storyboard artist that I am working with, is that an added sidekick character could further work as a tool for transitioning between scenes, especially at the start.
(idea):
A cat for example, could wonder onto stage in the pitch black, then introduce the main band character one by one, as the cat travels around stage, perhaps hiding in the instruments like the drum set, walking around the guitarists legs, jumping up on the synthesiser keyboard. As beams of light shine on the players in their own fashion and style, as a sort of personal introduction for each character.
Building from this idea with the storyboard artist we agreed that this character is essential for the introduction of the animation, and that this character would be a black cat, because of the lighting and silhouetted effects.
Female guitarist character:
Noodle form Gorillaz defiantly works well as a synthesiser female character, as inspiration for design.
Having already decided on a Retro Synthwave, New wave, and Synth pop type of music producer I am collaborating with for my animated band. I am still researching into different animated bands as examples. Researching into a variety of animated music videos that express different music genres, focusing on character designs and animation for inspiration and reference.
This futuristic alien electronic band performing Daft Punk's, One more time, as segment that ends in a cliffhanger and then continued as a series called Interstella 5555.
This is a great example of a short story combined into a music video, relaying on simplistic instrumental and lyrical work, the animation flows well and builds up anticipation as the imagery becomes more descriptive of a story.
This animated music video, showcases the Gorillaz animated characters on a stage playing the recent released song Tranz. Also a good source as an example of character animation, playing the instruments and lip syncing.
The Hex Girls (from 'Scooby-Doo')
Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost, 1999 episode when the Mystery Inc. gang traveled to New England and stumbled upon a local goth girl group.
This segment in the episode I personally like because of the way the characters are playing the instruments, the facial animation and characteristics, as well as the flow with the song, musical progression and basic plot involving the mystery gang joining in on the stage.
Jenny - Studio Killers
Combination of 3D and 2D for a layered effect, mixing elements of production and best represent the aesthetic and characteristics, the main character is bouncy and elaborate, the boyfriend of the club is represents a more 2 dimensional stereotypical bad guy character but because of the minimalistic colouring and emphasised features works really well.
Josie and the Pussycats (from 'Josie and the Pussycats')
First introduced in 'Archie' comics during the early '60s, Josie and the Pussycats got their own Saturday morning cartoon in 1970. They have two real albums to their name -- one from the cartoon and another from the movie.
This music video is defiantly a source for reference as to how there are is the majority of the video with the characters just playing instruments and then parts of the animation cutting away with action segments. Suggesting a small story outlining around the characters playing their theme song.
Caravan Palace - Lone Digger
Focusing on a story instead of a band, which is still a possibility for my animation at this point and defiantly a consideration.
This music video takes the views on a descriptive journey into a strip club, that develops into a violent affair when the main cat anthropomorphic characters get the attention form a group of dog characters. The visuals are very detailed and mostly likely too much to replicate in my own production unless I manage to interest new collaborators with my impressive research and character design...
Beck Mongolian Chop Squad - Brainstorm (Official English Dub Music Video)
Beck is also the name of the rock band in a Japanese manga series of the same name first published in 1999. Beck were brought to animated life in 2004 and quickly gained real fans for their music -- which has spawned four soundtracks, a video game, a live-action movie and a line of guitars.
A band playing through their own personal journeys as characters, this video describes the challenges and ruthlessness that the players have to bring their music to the stage to rock fans. Using a lot of jittery character movement to express the frantic movement while playing a rock song, this is pulled off nicely through a simplistic animation style and using detailed backgrounds. A combination that appeals to me for simpler productivity and flow!
The Archies - Sugar, Sugar (Original 1969 Music Video)
Archies crossed over into mainstream music in 1969 with their bona fide bubblegum hit, 'Sugar Sugar.' Not only did the song reach No. 1 on the charts and stay there for a month, its success was an inspiration to generations of fictional bands.
Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
What seemed like a novelty outfit from Blur in 1998, has shown that Gorillaz have far outlasted their breakthrough single, 2001's Clint Eastwood, and released four albums of increasing scope and ambition. A reminder of the popularity and power animation can have especially as music videos.
