PROCESS & PRODUCTION BLOG8
Study Task - 1 Weekly Journal

Experimental

Designing the characters 

These are character concepts and designs showing the experimentation of each character and their expressions, these are drawn paper and scanned into Photoshop and then traced over with digital media. This technique I feel helps to sketch the idea or design in a very basic draft and refine on Photoshop because it's easy to create a more accurate drawing this way, I feel limited using traditional media to demonstrate my creative and illustrative techniques in character design.

Environmental designs

The restaurant idea was first thought of as medieval with large wooden doors, stone walls and torches but I liked the idea of modernism in this fantasy world because there is more stuff to easily crush as a dragon because I feel like medieval furnishings are made stronger. So this new restaurant design in an obviously fantasy realm (based on the main characters being a warrior and dragon) means that the world has a modern twist or science fiction influence, which isn't explained in the animation but hopefully seeing a dragon accidentally crushing stuff will be enough of an excuse.

PROCESS & PRODUCTION BLOG7


Comparing comedy in cartoons in relation to their audiences.

Old school humour:
This type is more based on conversation between characters with their experience, attitudes and the environment, a more cheerful approach to any scenario seeing the ridiculous and mischievous side to normal events. Traditional humour can be referred to as satire, the irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. 

Modern humour:
Taking the same scenario but humour has changed these same points in satire and turned it into sarcasm overtime, not so much focused on events based on stupidity and exaggerated actions but more witty gestures and meaningful expressions. Not focusing on any particular issues or politics but instead creating the context through mostly discussion and/or the environment.

Comedy has changed as taboos have changed. The public perception of issues has changed what comedians are allowed to joke about, but also what people actually find funny.

The biggest changes came about in the 1960's.  The man most responsible for it was Mort Sahl.  All comedy before involved the telling of short jokes making fun of topics such as marriage, dating, stupidity, ugliness, politicians, sales people, and so on. Mort introduced thoughtful commentary on any number of current topics.  He typically carried a newspaper with him and read from it to set up his material.  His style demanded a certain level of literacy and intelligence.  

Another influence was Lenny Bruce but Prior to that most humour, especially on TV was clean, Lenny talked about subjects and used language that was considered obscene and now it's now called adult humour, probably because it's so popular in Jr. High School.  He was also coached by Mort Sahl to use a more interactive commentary style.



My style of humour:

Animation is best when someone of any age can enjoy it, and the best way to achieve that is by mixing intelligence with humour, adapting to what is acceptable and I feel that now is the most intelligent age of humorous kids cartoons because of how witty they are and how the writers can use jokes they find funny for an adult audience and use puns and twists to create a version children can be humoured by with knowledge being the mature filter.

That is why I have chosen Slapstick Comedy, throughout this animation there will be a series of accidents because of the dragons size in a human restaurant like the metaphor, bull in a china shop, meaning that disaster is inevitable despite the dragons attempts to maintain composure and fit in with the restaurant. I had the opportunity to use several more metaphors and a figures of speech like addressing the 'elephant in the room' type similes. 

The are good ideas because of how different the humour can be interpreted, it could also be Parody humour because of how over exaggerated the woman character is when reacting to the dragons mistakes, almost like she enjoys putting him under pressure by shouting at him every time. 

Animatic analysis



This animatic is based from my storyboard, using the original imagery with in-betweens added for the faster pacing and detail, describing the more exact actions of the characters, this was suggested that I apply for the rest, but I thought that the basic cycled imagery showing each accident made more sense for me to animate later on. Then develop the remaining animation with the more specific actions from the characters, as this final scene is more in depth and descriptive.

Purposely only featuring grey scale colours and outlines because this is a simplistic animatic and all featured colours in the final animation are going to be quite basic, the only bright colour is the warriors fire breath which is shown a white, I think using grey scale works well for colouring in an animatic because colouring is always something that I approach in the final development stages of my animation.

PROCESS & PRODUCTION BLOG6
CRITICAL ASSESSMENT





Feedback:

The music gets the humorous point across, but it is suggested that I mute it out towards the end when the animation reaches a certain point, for example when the dragon starts the accidentally breaking stuff to add a more of a dramatic scenario.
I agreed with this point and will probably apply it in the end, but I explained that the music played throughout the animation because it made the overall feeling more ridiculous with each scene, which was the aim based on Slapstick humour.

Someone said that this would look really nice with well illustrated and coloured backgrounds with bold, untextured character colouring so that they maintain the comical or cartoony design. 
I agree with this point and explained that there would be detail but not too much so that it overrides the character drawings, done with bold, blocked colouring as suggested.

I received feedback about the hair style of the woman character in my animation, explaining how it changes and if its a good idea to have it fall loose at the end. They said that the shape of the hair bun sometimes changed shape from round to curved and 'pointy', saying how it was noticeable as the audience becomes more used to this character and her features. I should try to maintain character design throughout my animation.

People agree that they liked the character characteristics and expressions, as they experience different scenarios. The liked how characters have different reactions and act in a unique way which matches their personalities, on the point of personalities, I received feedback that the personalities made it more humorous and the helps to understand the plot points.

PROCESS & PRODUCTION BLOG5
Study Task - 1 Weekly Journal
Characters experimentation

Their relationship communicates a mother and her naughty child or a disobedient dog except he's a young adult dragon about the size of a minibus, who ironically has deep feelings and cares for others, he can get frightened and has the emotional response of a puppy but very defensive, that's how this duo works, the dragon plays defensive and she is the aggressive, attacking, explosive personality type warrior.

Maybe this is just a funny sketch based on a larger plot, that is what I was also aiming for, like a humorous spin off featuring two characters who usually go questing or on a serious mission, that's why having a normal meal in a fancy restaurant seems an impossible challenge, because of their lively action packed lifestyles.