"Research: Images for Character Design"

No Face ~ Spirited Away

Images we could use for the dark figures around the character. I think is simple and would be easy to animate.

"Research: Browsing for Background Design"

Ideal background design:
So here are some few images that we could use to help us get an idea for the background layout. I like the whole isolation of the rock in the middle. I was thinking we could create our own adaptation of this. It would suit the flying scene. We would have the cage on the centre of this rock and the clouds around it. What do you think?

 

More images to feed our mind:

 

 

"Today's Meeting: Finalising Storyboard"

Recap:

Just thought I'd blog today's meeting on Yellow Balloon. So as planned we've managed to draw out our final storyboard, although it's still slightly rough. We have put everything in together and happy to call it a day. As for now, we will continue to work on the character designs and background layouts, all should be cleared by next week. Hope everything goes as planned.

"Reasearch: Short Animations/Inspirations"

Joanna Quinn

Here are a number of short films by Joanna Quinn. We could use her style to give us some ideas of what sort of animation we could go for. I personally like the whole etchy style, faded colours and how the characters were drawn. Amazing!

Dreams and Desires Family Ties

 

Britannia

 

Elles

"Research: Browsing for Character Design"

Rebecca Barbucia's first suggestion to Egon Schiele Style. 

I personally admire Egon Schiele style of art. I find it fascinating how these nude figures portrayed loneliness, emptiness and melancholy rather than being fulfilled by sexuality. 

"He is mere skin and bone, not yet fully there as a person. He has outlined his body with a glowing line of white to indicate to us both his sense of imprisonment and his limitations: notice how his arm disappears almost at the elbow-- yet paradoxically it also suggests growth and potential. He is an unhappy, scrawny youth, the wild and exaggerated expanse of pubic hair perhaps indicating the center of his unhappiness. It may seem too individualistic a view, yet in his hysterical way he is expressing the fears and doubts of many young people. He is wonderful, unsettling, and strangely innocent."

 

I would like to make my own adaptation using Schiele's style and embed it together with my character from Yellow Balloon. It's exactly the style I had in my mind when I was visualising the story in my head.

"Brainstorming"

Brainstorm

"Rough Drawings/ Storyboard"

Here are the rough drawings put together. A simplified storyboard (draft).

"The Yellow Balloon"

 

Story Brief: 

 
"The entire concept of the story is based on family constriction, portraying a life within a community and reaching out for the ultimate desire and dream of freedom.

The film focuses on a character growing up in a remote society controlled by rules, beliefs and traditions. From the day the character is born, she's only given one direction to take in life and that is to obey and live under conditions. The character feels like an empty shell stuck in a cage, like a box, formed by this group of people/figures representing the life that she has to live up to. 

As she ages through the film, she becomes aware of what she really wants in life, and that is freedom. Therefore, the concept of breaking out of this cage becomes her obsession. She attempts to break through for the first time, but fails. She tries again, but the figures pulls her back into the cage.

 

 

Time flies, the world begins to revolve outside. As she grows older, the family starts to constrict in and gets bigger and taller, towering over her. She's left with no hope, no chance, no way out. So she sits down and cries in silence. This is a momentary scene of hopelessness and loss. 

A yellow balloon comes along. 

The balloon flies over her so graciously. The existence of the balloon brings some sense of hope, colour and prospect to the character's misfortune. 

The character grabs the string, hoping it will carry her away. A group of strong arms pulls her back down, but she escapes.

The balloon carries the character around, giving her this momentary glimpse into the outside world. 

 

But in life, nothing lasts forever, so the balloon pops.

She falls slowly and lands back into the cage. The figures grabs her down to the ground. Despite that, the character appears to be smiling. She's happy, satisfied to witness the world even for a fleeting moment in time."

"Let's get going!"

8th of February 2011 - that's when I pitched the idea of "Yellow Balloon" -- It was an intense moment for me but it didn't stop me from walking up in front of the entire class and share my story. I was glad. I thought I was going to mumble my words and end up blanking out, but to cut a long story short, it went well and I got selected as one of the ten directors. I wanted the role so bad. I want to bring this story to life, I want to express some insights through this animation. I hope, I hope. But we will see. Soon.

"My First Blog"

I find blogger rather easier to use compare to wikispaces. It's simple and basic. Blogger, don't let me down now! Woop!