Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind (2004) - Non-linear storytelling
Figure 1. Movie poster (2004) Non-linear methods: Chronicle (Linear storytelling) - The film starts off with a non-linear storytelling method. This is as the audience are unaware as to where they are, who the characters are and what they are doing. The scenes also change suddenly and time shifts backwards and forwards. The story then becomes linear once Joel starts to get his memories of Clementine removed. This is as he is in a dream state trying to stop his memories of her from leaving him. Figure 2. Joel and Clementine meeting Retrograde (Events in reverse order) - This is shown throughout the movie without the audience realising until they are nearing the end of the film. At the start of the film the audience understand that Joel and Clementine have only just met and that Joel and Clementine's feelings towards each other grow, but towards the end of the film it is made clear that not only did Clementine and Joel know each other previously, they were also
OGR 15/03/2018
ReplyDeleteHi Tia - so the idea of the two flowers separated by distance, united by the bee is nice. That said, I'm looking at your early drawings and I'm not seeing any design, just drawings of bees (some cute) and grass and flowers. One of your weaknesses is that you haven't yet developed a strong visual style of your own - and one of the strengths of your FSTS got started when you actually started to think about your visual language - coupling your concept to a clear art direction. Right now, you're just sketching flowers and grass and it's a bit frustrating because it's like you're not thinking about what helped you last time around. You need visual reference and you need to think about STYLE. You tend to draw generically if you're not working closely with some strong, bold visual influences, so you need to put some additional ideas around your premise - we'll get to this in a bit - but first let's just explore your story premise a bit more.
So - really, you've got the bee playing Cupid - that little winged creature that unites lovers:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cupid
You've also got the concept of 'the wall flower' - which is a term still used today to describe someone who is shy...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallflower_(people)
In this sense, while you're obviously telling the story of pollination, you're also telling this traditional love story - which is nice. That said, the one thing you must commit to in terms of the client's needs is ensuring that your animation contains enough science. It won't simply be enough to show a bee moving from one flower to the next. This is where thinking more about the Cupid characterisation might give you a bit more to work with - for example, we might see the bee being briefed in his solemn mission to bring wallflowers together by a more experienced bee (the Queen) - a bit like a collection of cupids whose solemn mission is to bring lovers together - and each new Cupid needs to be reminded of the pollination process. This might not be the answer, but you do need to think about how your story might also be educative - and I'd suggest thinking about the characterisation of your bee is going to be key to this - for example if your bee is a 'newbie' - then as he/she learns about his job/role/mission, your audience can learn too.
Now - in design terms - you need to embrace the fact you're designing for an animation, Tia - you need to go much stronger, simpler and design-led - and if you're flowers are going to be characters, then you need to ensure you're thinking about character design for animation, as opposed to just drawing plants with faces. First things first - look again at some actual concept art for animation and try and see what they're doing (and what they're not doing) in terms of stylisation, use of shape and colour and so on...
ReplyDeletehttp://floobynooby.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/samurai-jack-background-art.html
http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/mid-century-modern-upas-man-alive-1952/
My board point is that you can afford to push your imagery further - and you need to - you need to think too about what it's going to be like to model your various elements in 3D - it's likely that your current level of experience in software is going to prohibit high levels of realism and complication - and this goes for your characters too (which you'll have to rig, animate and maybe lip-synch) so it's in your own interest to develop a strong visual style that derives lots of impact and charm from its simplicity. Remember too, you're telling a story in a made up universe that is meant to be 'more interesting' than reality, so your natural world can look as striking as these...
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/576320083559044189/
So my two concerns are these: one, you need to ensure you're not just telling a narrative story in which we see a bee pollinate two flowers; you're going to need to ensure the client is also getting what she needs from your scenario - so, yes, the idea of the separated lovers and the cupid bee is great - but how/when/where are you going to get the nuts and bolts of the pollination process into the heads of your audience? Two) you've got to design something, Tia - you've got to grab onto something strong and striking that challenges you to draw differently/better/more creatively and so ensuring your animation is a delight to the eye and stays with people after they've watched it. You need to go stronger and simpler - and never forgot that your designing for a 3D animation - and being created by someone with (currently) limited experience.
You need more of this...
http://anothermuminlondon.com/miffy/
and less of this...
https://ocadrawing1log.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/sketchbookwalk2_new_new.jpg
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteI spoke to Jordan about my designs and what I have currently drawn and he’s directed me to look at styles of animation such as Dumb Ways to Die. So it’s quite simplistic but it’s allows me to be able to get the scientific points across. I’m taking that approach at the moment and drawing character in that style. Do you think that is a good way to go? Also, in the story, when the pollen is taken and delivered I’m going to do into detail with the scientific side of it so I’m designing the elements for it now.
Yep - go simple and strong and embrace the fact that animation 'likes' reduced worlds and essentialised shapes - sounds like a good plan!
ReplyDelete