FMP idea pitch
FMP.......F: Bush, M: did, P: 9/11
This here is my current working idea for my FMP animation that I will be doing over the final two terms of my final year at Ravensbourne. This is still currently a work in progress so what you will see here is highly subject to change. But for whats its worth feel free to have a look see at my ideas as they stands so far.
So this is my actual presentation that I gave to my class. For the summative and my FMP pitch. Since a majority of what is in this presentation is a watered down version of what is already on my website I won't talk about this that much. Besides you can read it yourself and see how it just is telling my class what you have already seen. But if you are indeed interested in the presentation itself that I gave here it is to look at if you want. A good presentation should ideally speak for itself, so I'll allow it to do so.
Initial ideas have 3
Cycle, a circle of life type animation similiar in style to the Elephants Garden by Australian animator Felix Colgrave. The short piece is highly stylised as are all of felix's animations. It is what he is known for. It's very much a experimental peice that just goes with the music rather then having any clear narrative. The part that struck me the most about it though was the nature aesthetic and how it showed the Eco System of the garden from plants to animals. It had a circle of life type vibe about it. So from this I came up with the idea maybe I could show my own crice of life? It would also be very creative and experimental, like Felix's and it would just have music and no folley. The sound design I would go on to use for my actual idea. this idea would show cool animals and visuals while showing the circle of life and death reapeting. This one was the most vague idea I had so that's about as much as I have of it. One last thing to mention, as you can see in the image you have this circle representing the garden. I wanted to do something similar but it happens as the last shot of my animation. It ends on a GIF of this giant animated circle with many layers each of which with symbolic representations of the creatures you would have seen in the animation forming the circle of life and the animation ends on that animated GIF. Simple idea but I didn't choose it as I had some trouble visualizing it. I may adapt it into something in the future though?
Space suicide, this idea came to me while watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The vague idea was an astronaut flying though space on somesort of mission or something? It wasnt clear, anyway the astronaut jumps outa the ship in a space suit into space, to Enter a black hole. Like the one before, it would be mainly viuals and quite conceptual being more art house, less clear narrative. While this one has more of a narrative then the last animation, it's still not a really developed narrative. It'll be like 2001 but a minute, again trippy music, maybe some narration? Wasn't sure if I should even add speech? Maybe the narration of cuil theory? Can have many diffrent stlyes and things going on in the background that makes no sense as astronuat is being sucking into nothingness. Doesn't have to make sense. the astronaut eventually dies but becomes one with entropy. One of the visuals I had in mind was this really detailed close up shot where the astronauts suit and skin gets peeled as he transcends dmesntions and time to reveal each layer of the body bones,organs,muslec,nerves etc. It Ends with the suicide note of the astronaut floating in space to turn and reveal a crudely drawn man with a erection, like The Big Lebowski, then the Space Core comes flying through yelling space! as a funny meme!?
A bigger fish. This idea is the one I ended up choosing since I liked it the most and had the best visuals in my head for it. To sum up the idea a Fisherman is slowly sinking to the bottom of the open ocean with large creatures trying to eat him on the way down. Before they can do so they in turn are eaten by a yet bigger creature until the Fisherman makes it down to the bottom. The fish eating fish idea, came from a Qui-Gon Jinn quote "there is always a bigger fish". Anyway once at the bottom he meets the god of the ocean in its watery dwelling of emptiness. The god, I plan to look either lovecraftian, or have it be something like a cross between a man and a fish? It will have a lot trippy visualy and bright neon colours cuase I really like bioluminescence and it makes for a fun colour scheme. The whole thing ends with the Fisherman at the bottom of the ocean in the hands of the ocean god, think Buddha position with crossed legs and one open hand the other clasping something, in this case the Fisherman. If I do it lovecraftian, I may take reference from World Of Warcrafts N'zoth? It will end on a giant animated GIF of the Fisherman in the ocean god's hand, it's trippy and similar to depictions of Buddha. Agian I used the Gif idea to end this one on to. Likewise the music and length are the same idea as the rest of them.
The one I chose: A bigger Fish
So I went with the "a bigger fish idea" as you can see. As much as I still do like the others, and I very much may come back to them down the line for something else, I still went with this oceanic adventure. The main reason being while I liked the other ones this is the one that, when I thought of it I could picture it best in my head. I just had much more visual thoughts on this one. Additionally I think this one is simple and vague enough that it can be enjoyed and understood by most if not all. I only plan to have it be anywhere between a minute to a minute and a half. Only if I really stretch it though. It all really depends on how well and quickly I can get things done. I also think this one will be fun for collaboration and I left it vague enough that who ever I potentially collab with, they can really enjoy their part and make it somewhat their own. After all I don't wanna be a really difficult person to work with. Additionally I think the story is simple enough, just three major beats really. Man in boat, fall of boat. Man is sinking. Man makes it to the bottom of
the ocean and sees god, simple really. I also added in some visual humor with the use of the creatures getting eaten by each other. It should provide some good comedic timing. Additionally most of the animation is gonna come from all the fish that try to eat him only to get eaten themselves before they have the chance. The mysterious and cool ending is in there with the fish god. It's colourfull, it's fun. It's all good. Another point to add is my idea is for this to be purely visual. I don't plan to add folley I will only add music, as to what music I don't know yet. Maybe something original from a musician friend. Maybe not? Point is that I want this simple story to be conveyed through just visuals alone. Which adds a little bit of a challenge for me and will hopefully make me think of some creative and clever things. But if your gonna reflect on anything reflect on this, there is always a bigger fish.
Inspiration
I was recently rewatching the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The Pantom Menace (episode 1) Ain't my favourite of the trilogy but it has some great moments in it, and if I may say the best Lightsaber fight in the Star Wars movies, period. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi Wan vs Darth Mual. Any way I digress. This scene here sees the trio within a submarine type thing? It has a name but I don't know it. They are travelling through water and start to get followed by a rather large aquatic creature only for it to be swallowed up by a even bigger creature dwarfing it in size. Upon seeing this Qui-Gon gives the great line "there is always a bigger fish". It rings true to, there always is. Point is this scene got the phrase in my head and the idea just kinda developed from there.
Now I'm gonna get on to the main visual inspiration. It comes from the Netflix orignal series Love, Death and Robots. It's a great series and I highly recommend you watch it, if you have not already. Anyway the episode by the name of Fish Night sorta blended with the phrase I had in my head. Like instanly upon hearing the phrase this episode came to mind. The light colours and stricking visuals cuaght me and I thought I should take what I like best about the episode, it's bright neon ephemeral fish and make my own. Whilst this was made in 3D it can still carry over to 2D. The subtle glow they have and the charming and warming light they give off. As well as the large variety of fish and colours. Each species having it's own hue. So yea this was my main visual inspiration.
story
A bigger fish? A elderly Fisherman from a ancient civilisation is doing some night fishing in a long forgotten ocean, a lit under the moonlight the sea is awash with neon colours from bioluminescent fish and animals within. Amidst the open ocean some big creature knocks his boat throwing him off into the open ocean. The Fisherman slowly sinking to the bottom of the open ocean. The murky deep rolling of into pitch empty cold unfeeling black. The ocean only alit by the moons beams from above and the bioluminescence within. The light glows vibrant colours, making the ocean look like a brightly light city at night. As the Fisherman sinks through the depths he encounters the oceans cruelest array of things long forgotten trying to eat him alive. Only at the last moment for one to get eaten by a even bigger predator. Further and further in the to abyss the fisherman sinks, being constantly spared by fate's cruel grasp at the hands of the jaws of multiple beasts. Only to finally settle at the bottom of the ocean after descending for what seemed like eternity. In the nothing were even monsters do not dwell and sunlight don't dare touch. It awakens a being of the ocean, or is it the ocean itself? Only the fish now the truth as to what happened to the man at the ocean's floor.
Characters
Name: Unkown
Age: Unown, looks to be around 60-70ish, but still fit as all hell
Race: Mer, human, Orc?
Culture: A ancient unkown culture long forgoten and lost by time (based on Greek, Mayan, Zulu?)
Job: Fisherman (is a veteran in the profession)
Apperance: Old, wethered, big build, muscular, Long dirty hair and beard, maybe tattoos, Shirtless.
Skills: Fishing, boating, knife work, survivalist.
Colour scheme: Greyish muted Blues, White, beige and sandy colours
Notes: Big bushy beard, slightly unkept.
A giant mass of hair, knotted, dreaded? A somewhat rugged and unkempt appearance.
From a ancient culture, long forgotten by time. So will have old style clothing.
Greyish pastel blues. With hints of white and beige sand like colours.
Elderly man has been fishing for years and it shows on his body.
Maybe part human part something else? Maybe he is a fishman, a Merman, a Merdude?
Name: Unknowable
Age: Ancient, before time some say?
Race: Elder god
Culture: none
Job: God of the ocean
Apperance: Either a tentacled beast, a giant tattooed human with a fish head or a formless blob
Skills: Anything to do with water
Colour scheme: Seaweed Green, Prussian blue, greys and blacks. (if human then flesh coloured)
Notes: Lovecraft influences.
Realistic Fish head or Octopus head on a scarred tattooed human body?
Deep and rich earthy seaweed greens, deep shades of Prussian blue colour scheme.
Unspeakable majesty mixed with unspeakable horror. So perfect in anyway that is it beyond comprehension and description. Somewhat amorphous.
God like imagery, and Devil like imagery. Holy and demonic.
Long writhing and mangled tentacles.
visuals/moodboard/reference
A giant mass of hair, knotted, dreaded. A somewhat rugged and unkempt appearance, but still good looking. At his age he doesn't care what other people think.
From a ancient culture, long forgotten by time. So will have old style clothing. Maybe Greek? zulu, Maori, etc?
Big bushy beard, slightly unkept and grey or silver.
Greyish pastel blues. With hints of white and beige sand like colours for a colour scheme.
Maybe part human part something else? Maybe he is a fishman, a Merman, a Merdude?
Elderly man has been fishing for years and it shows on his body.
God like imagery, and Devil like imagery. Holy and demonic.
Lovecraft influences.
Long writhing and mangled tentacles.
Realistic Fish head or Octopus head on a scarred tattooed human body?
Deep and rich earthy seaweed greens, deep shades of Prussian blue colour scheme.
Unspeakable majesty mixed with unspeakable horror. So perfect in anyway that is it beyond comprehension and description. Somewhat amorphous.
Above ocean is calm idyllic moonlight waters. With millions upon millions of bioluminescent Plankton and small creatures.
leviathans/ and creatures. Long forgotten horrors the world would rather forget lurk in these oceans. Ranging in variety or size, shape and colour.
God's seat of authority. Something monolithic?
Upper ocean with bioluminescence, moonlight only illuminates top layer of ocean it gets pitch black the further down you go.
Pitch black abyss ocean.
Birght rich neon colours and pastells will flourish.
The small to large fish/leviaithans will all be this exagerated neon colour scheme.
collaboration
Ideally what I would really need from collaborating, is to collaborate with a great background artist or illustrator. It can be as wild or mad as they want, go big I say. I mean bigger is better right? Atleast that is what porn ads have been telling me this entire time. If they were to go big with bright neon colours, the better. Additionally if they could fit in some fish type creatures or anything aquatic or marine really. Basically I just want some cool looking fish? Or alternatively some equally cool and unique ocean environments. Open ocean, is the one thing I must be specific about otherwise my story would falter beacuse of it being in the shallows. Furthermore I will then need a couple backgrounds for the abyss within pitch black with only bits of light around. Those being bioluminescent neon light, none from the surfice as agian that would kill the narrative. Creepy dark type thing, the more creepy, dark and foreboding the better. I don’t even mind if it doesn't match my visual aesthetic of my animation. Just having a really amazing background art that's experimental and unique is my main thing. Since I will be putting all my time on animating I won't get much time. Or if I so have time it won't be enough to make a really good bit of background art. Additionally I'm not really great at making these grand bits of background art that are capturing and with finesse and detail.
schedule
So since the FMP unit will be running over two terms, each term is roughly two months, so I've broken the bulk of my work down into four smaller units, I guess? one for each month? I'm now just gonna list what I have so far when it comes to basic and vague dates. Do keep in mind though these are the most vague of dates and nothing is final here. So these are subject to extreme change. For that matter I am brazen enough to say that it will change along the way. But that's part of a plan. You can't plan against every eventuality so I try to keep my plans from being to rigid in order to best maneuver when the change does happen. So it won't throw me of it you will.
Pre Vis and blocking (stage one) first month:
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Week one - character design and start storyboard
Week two - fin storyboard, start animatic, decide who I would like to collab with
Week three - fin animatic, Start blocking, ask person about collab
Week four - finish blocking ​
First Pass (stage 2) second month: ​
Week five - start first pass
week six - have collab work done
Week eight - finish first pass ​
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Second pass (stage 3) Third month: ​
Week nine - start second pass
Week twelve - fin second pass, polish & other stuff
(stage 4) fourth month: ​
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Week thirteen - start polish
Week fourteen - finish polish
Week fifteen - other stuff
Week sixteen - finish everything