Task 2: Planning An Animation (P3, P4, M2)

Learning Outcome 2:  Be able to plan an animation to a client brief

P3:  Develop concept ideas and sequences for an animation to meet a client brief

Moodboard:

Below is my mood-board, which is showing a variation of photographs and images of characters and locations which inspired the planning of animation.  The colours used signifies the horror and disturbance the characters will feel when they see the zombie.  The mood-board is showing images of Leicester Square during the day and night, whilst showing a variety of chapters which might be used in my filming.

Character sketches:

There are my character's sketches which are of a family.  These characters are one of the main components of my filming.  By annotating the chapters I was able to create a clear idea to the audience of what the characters will look like within the film.

Mia, Jamie, Sophie, Ben  

The movement of the Sylvania charters which are being used within the animation will be moving in a simplistic manner.  The arm of the characters will be moving up and down as well as the legs to showcase the movement of the characters.  The movement of the arms moving up and down also showcases the character's conversations.  As I was unable to create movement in the face of the character, by the movie the hands and legs which is the easiest way to portray this in the animation. 

Storyboard:

This is a document which shows all areas and ideas of the filming which will be carried out.  This is a method of visualisation that organises the shots step-by-step.  A storyboard shows the image, shot type, length, timings, and movements, to give a clear idea of what the shot will look like after filming in the post-production stage. 

Shot By Shot List:

Below is a document that shows the details of each shot, it shows what scene the shot will be shown within.  A shot by shot list gives a clear idea about the actions within the scene, due to the description area.

Storyline:

A storyline is a plot of a novel or film, that is going to be created.  Below is the plot for my stop-motion animation film, to give a brief idea about what’s going to happen in the film.

-A family are walking around Leicester Square, enjoying their day

-They come across a picnic bench and all take a seat

-When they start to eat the father drops some rubbish on the floor so picks it up 

-When he leans down, a zombie quickly grabs him 

-A few moments later he turns into a zombie as well, and start chasing after his family

-The family see Leicester square station and run towards it, trying to hide 

-Then they run down the stairs and lose the zombies, as the zombies join a zombie themes march 

P4:  Create a pre-production plan for animation 

Medium:

The type of animation which I aim to use will be stop motion.  This means that the objects will be moved slightly in-between each shot, therefore the individual shots will flow into one another, creating a movie-like effect.  Because of this, the background will be placing a green screen behind the objects, and the chosen background will be chosen in a video editing software later on.  The voices of the characters will be done through voiceovers.  It mentions in the brief that this will be used on apps, and on smartphones.

Synopsis:

At the beginning of the filming, a family of four are walking around Leicester Square, taking in the view and enjoying their day out with one another.  Ben, the youngest starts to get hungry, so they try to find a picnic bench where they can sit and eat.  When sitting down, the father Jamie drops some rubbish on the floor.  So he leans down and picks it up, when he starts bending down a zombie approaches up from behind him and grabs him.  When the zombie grabs Jamie he bites him turning him into a zombie.  When the father has turned into a zombie, both he and the zombie which tuned him, both start chasing the family through Leicester Square.  Whilst the family is running away, they notice Leicester Square Station and immediately go through the station making their way down the station’s stars, then finally losing the zombies.

Target Audience:

The social grade for the animated film would be aimed at C1 and B, therefore lower middle class and middle class due to the NRS social grade.  This is because the audience would need to be able to afford the equipment to watch the animated film.  The primary target audience for this Zombiefest animated film which is taking place at Leicester Square will be aimed at 14-17-year-olds, this is mainly because films that use this form of animation contain adult themes such as language and imagery.  This is also because the Zombie Fest March will showcase clear demonstrations of how the zombie moves and how they look, which could scare the younger audience.  It mentions in the brief that the animation is highly visible and engaging for an adult audience of dedicated horror enthusiasts.  As the primary target audience is aimed at the majority of the teenage years, the secondary target audience would be aimed at the older generations such as 20-40-year-olds, who still have an interest in zombies and animation, as this takes them back to their childhood years, bringing back nostalgia, as well as zombies representing a longing to reconnect with humanity.  Which therefore interests the secondary audience due to the message which zombies bring.  The specific gender this film would be aimed at would preferably be the male gender.  Stereotypically men have a greater interest in the genre of horror and thriller, therefore usually the male gender would have a greater interest in zombie films. 

Purpose:
The purpose of this animation is to promote the animation, which is taking place at Leicester Square, for the BrainGoo UK ZombieFest march.  This march is taking place through Central London, in January next year.  This will circulate through Leicester Square where there will be street food stalls, and live music.  An introduction will be made on multiple platforms for promotional material.  The animation which is being made will be exported across the web and smartphone interface. The purpose of this type of animation is to create tension, whilst simultaneously aiming to entertain them.  Furthermore, the purpose of this animation is to provide the audience with information about the event.

Script:

A script is a written work for films, adverts, and games.  They are pieces of writing, in which they mention the movement, actions, expressions, and dialogues of the characters.  Below is my script, within, it mentions the conversation that will be taking place at Leicester Square, between the characters.

Running Order:

A running order is almost a to-do list, it is a list of items that need to be done, due for a certain date. 

Risk Assessment:

A risk assessment is a process of analysing potential events that may negatively impact the production of the project. This allows, for considerations to be made, as if mistakes are done, this would jeopardize the project.

Hazards:	Risk Rating:	Controls:
Objects coming within the view	Medium	The area where filming is taking place needs to be restricted, therefore audiences and objects do not show up within the view and come up when filming.
Camera angle	High	If the camera angle changes, the video will not be in sync and taken at the same angle,  therefore the shots won’t flow into one another, a control of this is that the camera should be placed onto a tripod to keep it stable.
Wires	Medium	There will be wires on the floor coming from the camera, lighting, and computers, therefore the wires should be stuck down on the floor illuminating the risk of people tripping over them and falling.
Lighting	High	As the objects need to be moved after every shot this will take up a significant amount of time.  Therefore, the lighting will be changing affecting the colour and lighting of the shots.  Because of this, there should be other sources of light, so the shots don’t look too dissimilar to one another.
Overheating	Medium-High	If a computer is used for a long period of time and connected to other equipment it may start to overheat, which would lead to it shutting down mid filming and editing.  Therefore the computer should be turned off when it is not being used to avoid this.
Background not showing up	High	As the objects and subjects could be placed in front of a green screen, or a cut out of the location which they are using.  The green screen might not show up in the editing software, therefore you might have to change locations, so the background is shown clearly.
Set	High	In stop motion animation, you are unable to move the camera angle, as this won't allow the pictures to flow nicely into one another to create a video effect.  Therefore there is a risk that the camera will be moved between filming, which will disrupt the scenes.

2D Backplates:

Backplates are either 2D or 3D, they are designed for use primarily in automotive imagery.  This is because imagery and backgrounds are able to interpret within the project.

This will be the first backdrop, where the family of four, are starting their journey and exploring Leicester Square.

Ben the youngest boy begins to get hungry hone walking past this bench.  So the family makes their way to sit down.

This would be the backdrop for the third and fourth scenes.  Where the family starts to sit down and enjoy their meal, whilst in the fourth scene the zombie grabs the family from behind.

Here, the two zombies are chasing the family down Leicester Square, whilst they are running away.

From afar the mum called Mia notices Leicester Square Station, and in the sixth scene, the family-run straight to the station, trying to hide from the Zombies.

This is the backdrop for the penultimate scene.  This is where the family is able to hide from the zombies and lose them, for the last time.

This is the template for the last scene in the animated film, this is where the two zombies lose the family and find the Zombiefest march, where they can regroup with the other zombies.

Equipment and Personnel:

Camera- to take the photos 

Lighting -to ensure the lighting is the same, in all photographs 

Tripod -to make sure the camera stays in the same position and doesn’t move 

Microphone -to create the sound for the video

Backset -to change, and edit the background

Memory cards -to store the many photographs 

Spare Battery -if the camera dies, you have a backup battery 

Assessment Chart:

A Gantt chart provides a way to track and manage project timelines and progress.  Within this, it includes resources, milestones, and tasks.

M2:  Complete a SWOT analysis for the intended animation for the 

Strengths:

Animation has a distinct audience type, therefore one strength of this campaign would be that this horror stop-motion animation is targeted at a niche audience.  This means that the audience is a small selected group with a unique interest in the project.  As they have a specific group of needs.  This is achieved throughout the animation due to the animation focusing primarily on zombies.  Not everyone enjoys zombie movies and films, due to this linking to the theme of horror, death, and destruction.  Another way this zombie stop-motion animation is aimed at niche audiences is due to the animation this animation target a niche audience is through using the animation of stop motion, as some may think it is childlike and immature.  This is a strength, as this type of animation is able to target the specific audience, that would enjoy watching this animation.  Another strength of this type of animation is due to how easy it is able to share online. This benefits the animation as it is able to target a wide range of audience members.  Therefore reaches the target audience easily.  Furthermore, another strength of this type of animation is that it is amusing and childlike for the audience.  As the primary target audience is 14-17-year-olds, as this animation is comical it would interest the audience, therefore would benefit the animation as the animation would contain the theme of horror due to the zombies, but this contrasts against the comical sounds, and movements.

Weaknesses:

On other hand, a weakness of this type of animation is that it is time-consuming to make.  This is because the object must be moved very slightly at a time, and when played back in rapid succession it creates the illusion of movement.  This is a weakness as if the appropriate time and effort aren’t spent on it then the animation wouldn't be the best, and therefore wouldn’t interest the target audience.  Another weakness about the animation is that it is easily copied by other organisations, this is due to the animation sometimes looking minimalistic and therefore other organisations copy the ideas.  

Opportunities:

An opportunity for having this animation online is that the animation is able to be shared easily online.  With this taking place, a wider range of people is able to see the animation.  As this can be shared online, it saves money as it is inexpensive and shared quickly.  Furthermore, by this being shared digitally it may be shared through YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and therefore would increase brand awareness and recognition of the animation.  If the animation is being shared online is allows the animation to be sent around, allowing the animation to become popular. 

Threats:

A threat that I may face when creating this animation is other competitors stealing your ideas before the animation has finished.  Due to the fact this animation is time-consuming, other competitors may take your ideas, and therefore results in your having to redo your animation.  Another threat that I may face would be the specific age group that is able to watch the animation.  Within cinemas, there is certificate guidance allocated to the films.  Therefore as this stop motion animation contains zombies, this may result in certificate guidance being allocated to the film, because of this, not all age groups would be able to watch the animation, resulting in a smaller variety of people being able to watch.