Cutout Short Animation

This cutout animation is a student mini project done by me and Angela Pinilla, music done by my friend Jake Marks Bayley. It took us around 14 hrs non stop to finish this 1:35 minutes video but I am pretty happy about it, since it is our first frame by frame cutout animation. But of course it can be better. Like the transition to night time need to slower and the rain need to be longer, or even show a few day night cycle to indicate the time passed. And i have to admit that its hard to keep my patient going for so long. The rain and wind blowing the scarecrow are just way too annoying to animate.

Overall, i love the dog, the girl, the little grass, the light, anything in this production and wish to do more when i have some free time.

Environment Sketches
I did some more environment sketches for the last 2 scene which is the electricity switch of the fake sun and the stairs path up to the light bulb sun.


I draw more wires and electric boxes to stylize the environment more which were inspire by some old Hong Kong architectural. I am pretty happy of the visual so far and will do more refine after the storyboard with will be finish by next Friday.










Below are some Googled images about Hong Kong electricity structure.

Environment Thumbnail Sketches

The new environment design is now change to the bluish green colour. Also now the environment background will replaces as tall empty buildings with thunder poles on the roof and more electric towers, machines and wires instead of the junks and car in the old version. It helps to indicate the importance of electricity in this world setting. Also i think the poles and tower and wire create a stunning visual background by their lines and curves. They keep the environment still visually attractive yet more atmospheric and able to capture the setting of the game - the awful need of electricity for light and everything. Last thing, i intend to keep the environment open and empty to highlight the loneliness and the hopeless atmosphere. But then the scene will get more chaotic and intense to challenge the player yet also express the difficulties Anne and Beanie experienced though the whole journey.

The environment is now heavy inspire by

“Rain Town” by Hiroyasu Inshida

I think Rain Town has a very similar setting to Anne and Beanie where a little girl and robot in a empty lonely world. I really like the reflection of Rain Town but i think i should focus more on electric wire and darkness more. 

Character Thumbnail Sketches - Anne

Refining the main character - Anne.

Still experimenting the colour and the fashion of Anne. Because i really want to be sure she will stand out from the whole game but at the same time, she should fit in the world. And right now i think she does stand out but maybe a bit too much.

Here are more refined thumbnail Sketches of Anne.

I decide to pick the orange worker cloth version and the red hair. Mainly because it is the complementary colour of blue which stands out the little character from the complicated background. As i mentioned, i was scared it will be too colourful that wont fit in the world. But I finally still decide to make her colour sharper and saturated because she takes the most important role in the game, and it is important to let player to know where the character is since the game will intend to have lots of long shot. Therefore, the character will be quite hard to see because of its size. More the less, the colours reflect mood of the character and bring a stronger impact from the cold dark environment.

Character Thumbnail Sketches - Beanie 

Beanie is Anne's best friend who carry Anne around and help her to lift up heavy object. Beanie is a large and squarish mechanic elephant. Compare to Anne, Beanie has a great contrast to her because of its scale and his geometric body shape. I intend to exaggerate both characters therefore it can

clearly capture their own personality and their animation behavior.

Beanie is old, slow yet loyal, kind and helpful. 

Thuumbnail Sketches of Beanie

Second refinement of Beanie

I added tones and shadows to the new thumbnail sketches not only makes it prettier yet i'm try to test the mood between the world and the character. As you can see i change from the old sepia colour to blue and now to bluish green which i think is the best for the scene. I figure the old sepia did looks good and have the Shaun Tan sweet children story feeling, However, i tried the bluish green colour and the image immediately capture of the lonely and gloomy mood of the story. Then another problem started to me worried about if the character blend with the background.Then i came out with an fantastic idea. I added some kid colour pastel drawing on the elephant's metallic body. It not only helps to stand out from the background but it also builds up more characteristic to Beanie. It visualize the innocent and hope that he carries around in this dark world.

Individual Project Brief 

Anne and Beanie

• Synopsis: A 2D side scrolling, Interactive storytelling mini adventuristic PC game.
• Platform: PC
• Style: Monochromatic, Sepia, apocalypstic,2D cartoonish style.
• Aim: To create an eye catchy and charming virtual diorama which tell a story or stories.
• Brief: You will control a little character to explore happiness from a lifeless abandon junkyard. The game will encourage you to interactive with all the little things in the scene and though the progress you will sympathize the story behind this space and maybe your little "self".

MoodBoard

Machinarium - by Jakub Dvorský

Machinarium the 2D puzzle game.

Wall E

Concept Art

Story:

A little girl called Anne who just turns eight. She is pretty much alone in this gloomy colourless world where the sky had completely covered by dark smoke and clouds. Don't even think about a drop of sunlight. This place is a heartbroken place wheres trees had burned into ashes and city had broken in to nothing but tones of junk. All Anne wishes is something bright... something can bring her joy and fortitude back to warm her heart. Perhaps a functional light bulb? 

And so... there the little girl with her big heart searching for those little lights and try to build a "sun". Isn't she crazy? 

No... maybe a little bit foolish or naive, yet all she looking for is a bit of light ... even if it just a temporary fragile plastic.

Control:

Simply move the mouse and right click to navigate the character. And Left click to interactive with objects.

Gameplay Goal:

Search for light bulbs which hidden behind junks. Collect all 10 of them to finish the game! Simple!


Software Engine:
Unity + Photoshop + Pencil.

Animation of Anne and Beanie (RMIT student project 2009)