now we had decided to go with an animation we had to decide how we would devolep the ideas. we wanted to keep the ideas of compositing and the connection of objects/places to past memories. I decided through my animation style research that i wanted to go with a scractchy pencil look for the animation mixed with the contrast of photo composites.
through group discussion we started putting together ideas and suggesting situations for the story. we had a few ideas but liked the idea of a hoarded house and finding old objects which had significance to the character.
then we split out to work on separate things.
me on the treatment and script
ethan and maise on composite ideas
umor on drawing style practice.
the Treatment
a animation following landscape narrative where the story is driven by the place where the character is and his interaction with it. The art style goes from pencil hand drawn look for inside the house but when the character has a flash back caused by a object from their past the style turns to composite landscapes created through photographs. The sound will be a mixture of chilled minimulist piano music and foley sounds for objects that transport the character to flash backs. the flash backs will be abstract so meaning can be given to any situation.
story
now my main thing to do was to devolp a story. I wanted something very simple which didnt distract from the situation narrative created via the location. just something to drive this character to the object. I wanted this narrative to have real human element to it, nothing abstract so people could relate to the sitaution. i decided following after a mouse had lots of implicit meaning reallting to the ideas of cluttered minds and so forth.
I wanted lots of meaning in each element but also the ablity for the audience to read lots of diffrent meanings without it being abstract and more like a mind puzzle which i dont like. i feel meaning should be there in the art not treating art like an illitest mind game where only the educated understand the fine art meaning.
here is the script i wrote.
Animation script (mouse in the house)
(scene 1)
Opens up to a man watching tv, looking directly at the
viewer (who is the tv). He Is surrounded by hoarded objects, he is sitting on a
sofa. Suddlenly the flickering light stops and the tv sounds stop. He looks
puzzled. He steps up and walks towards the tv.
(scene2)
+tv close up turning off
(scene3)
Behind the tv. He bends down and reveals broken wire (camera
pan down)
(sound of
scurring starts)
(scene1b)
He walks back to the middle of the room, stops and listens.
Suddly a small blurred mouse scurrys away into a corridor in the hoarded
objects. He follows behind it.
(scene 4)
the man is standing in the middle of the corridor, (looking into
camera) piles of objects are stacked up on his left and right.
In the middle of the corridor is a chewed teddy bear, he walks towards
it bends down to pick it up .as he touches it.
(TRANSITION 1)
THE TEDDY BEAR IS SAT ON A SWING ON A BEACH WITH A SCHOOL
ON THE HORRIZON. HE STANDS THERE FOR A MOMENT (sounds of childhood)HE WALKS TOWARDS THE SWING
AND PUSHES IT AND IT SWINGS BACK AND FORTH.
(we could have the camera start on the teddy and zoom out)
(scene 5)
Close up of mans face (emotion)
(scene 4b)
The man places the teddy on top of the pillows in the scene and walks
on (the teddy and the surroundings become coloured)
(scene 6)
The man walks into a wide room with tall towers of objects. On the far
side there is a wall of old doors.(camera is behind person) He sees the mouse
scurry into a hole at the bottom of the door. He walks towards the door. As he
does camera follows (zoom). When he reaches for the door nob (camera is filled
by shoulder and door) as he touches the door nob.
(TRANSITION 2)
A STREET OF DIFFERENT BUILDINGS
PUT TOGETHER (THAT WOULDN’T NORMALLY) A FLAT, A FACTORY , A HIGH RISE , A
MASION, AND IN THE MIDDLE A SMALL HOUSE. LIGHTS SHINE FROM THE WINDOWS AND
SHADOWS WALL PAST THE WINDOWS (sounds
of families and arguing/ domestic violence) THE DOOR IS OPEN OF THE
HOUSE, HE WALKS TO THE DOOR AND SLAMS IT.
(scene 7)
From behind. The door is
open and leds to nothing but more objects. He is breathing heavly.
He then shuts the door. Slowly.
(scene 6b)
Wide, he walks away from the door, the door slowly becomes coloured
infecting the other objects.
(scene 8)
Man walking towards camera doors can be seen in the background,
(scene 9)
Following the noise the man walks into another area, (camera over the
shoulder) this area is dominated by one big pile in the middle. He sees the
mouse run into the pile, it shakes a bit and a tennis ball falls from the pile,
and roles towards him.
(scene 10)
Floor shot, looking
towards guy, ball roles towards guy. He bends down to pick it up and
(TRANSITION 3)
BALL BOUNCES ACROSS A LANDSCAPE OF DOG BEDS AND LEADS, IN A PARK IT
LANDS IT FINALLY STOPS IN A BOWL OF WATER (as ball bounces dog noises then wimper when lands in
water) HE GOES TO THE BALL AND PICKS IT UP
(CLOSE UP OF THE BALL)
BALL IS WET AND DRIPPING, THEN WATER DRIPS ONTO THE BALL (FROM TEAR)
Man places the ball in a dog bed.
And walks out of shot, ball becomes coloured and effects other objects.
(scene
11)
Low shot of feet going past
camera , first mouse goes past then feet.
(scene 12a)
Man walks into room, camera is
infront of man you can see him in the background. A ladder leans across the
room and hanging from it is a locket, the mouse runs across the ladder making
the locket swing. The man walks towards it and stops it swinging (locket is in focus of the frame)
(TRANSITION
4)
A LARGE LOCKET FILLS THE FRAME, INSIDE IS FILLED WITH WATER, ON THE
WATER IS A BED (or swan boat). A SHADOW SITS ON THE EDGE OF THE BED LOOKING
AWAY FROM THE FRAME. (happy
relationship sounds) THE GUY MOVES TOWARDS THE CHARACTER AND PUTS HIS
HAND ON HER SHOLDER.
(scene 12b)
The locket falls off the ladder
(scene
13)
Close up of shattered locket
(TRANSITION
4B)
THE BOAT BEGINS TO SINK
AND THE SHADOWY CHARACTER JUMPS INTO THE WATER, WATER BECOMES MORE RUFF.
(scene
14)
Man on his knees with locket in
his two hands. His stands up
(scene
12c)
The man places the locket in his
pocket, is slightly colours him as he walks away the locket falls out of his
pocket onto a pill which starts becoming coloured. He excits the frame.
(scene
15)
Shot of man walking ….from inside
pile of objects(camera), see the mouse pass infront of the camera.
(scene
16)
(camera the side) Man walks into
a room, the objects are all very old, many have moss on them and are cracked,
the most runs through the room and dust follows it, as the man walks into the
room the dust clears and he sees the glow of a candle, the mouse darts past it
and the flame blows out.
(TRANSITION
5)
THE MAN STANDS IN A FOREST, IN THE FOREST THERE IS GRAVES WHICH ARE
OVERGROWN. IN THE BACKGROUND THERE ARE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS. HE WALKS UP TO ONE OF THE TREES AND TOUCHES
IT, WHEN HE DOES THE TREE FALLS AWAY FROM HIM.
(scene
16b)
A small ember glow starts from
the candle and slowly brings colour back into the room. The man leaves the
frame.
(scene
17)
Birds eye view looking down at
floor covered in objects. Man walks across them. Suddlenly floor collapeses and
falls through with man. Dust covers scene. When clears there is a big hole in
the floor. Man steps up and camera zooms in so whole fits entire shot. The room
is full of stuff on the floor and pathways through it. The mouse runs through
the stuff and the person follows.
(scene
18)
Low shot in one of the paths.
Round the conner, man runs past and trips on suitcase in the pathway.
man gets up and turns around. He
reaches towards the suitcase. On his knees.
(TRANSITION
6)
SUITCASE SITS ONTOP OF A CAR WITH LOTS OF OTHER RANDOM OBJECTS PILLED
HIGH ONTO OF THE CAR. THE CAR IS ON A ROAD. THE MAN IS SITTING IN THE CARS…..HE
LISTENS TO THE SOUNDS THEN DRIVES AWAY. (OBJECTS FALL OF THE CAR AS HE DOES).
(scene
19)
over the head of man, he opens
the suitcase. Inside is the mouse. He quickly grabs it.
(scene 18b)
Stands up with mouse in hands.
(scene
20)
Medium shot with mouse in hands (emotion shot)
(scene
21) ********
Goes through previous big scenes
with mouse in his hands. These scenes are now coloured
(scene
22)
Close up , can see mouse and guys face. He reaches up.
(looks like he is going to kill it) the mouse is on a table to his side held
down. Hand comes down.
(scene
23)
Opens door (from behind shot)
sees into world. he steps out with mouse in his hands.
(scene
24)
From front. Open door can be seen
behind him with opens inside. EVERYTHING IS IN COLOUR
His places the mouse down and it
scampers off. The camera slowly zooms out showing his house and then an intire
planet made of hoarded objects, it keeps zooming out and there are many
different planets with hoarded objects.
END
composite story
it was then time to work out what the situation for the composites. I wanted to create an abstract story iside the flash backs so the could relate to situations everyone has experienced.
I though of memories which has specific importance to people and something that could be connect to a place of object.
i though family pet was something that was strong memory for most people, introducing life and death
death brought memories of death of people and a strong memory linked with religion
childhood is important in memeory. this was shown with the teddy and the swings and beach being big part of childhood.
love was also a big part as meories of that are very strong.
home brings lots of memories, i wanted to show the moving home element to show growth.
travel was to show the importance of moving through life.
