This blog post is the beginning of my work on our Major Project module during our final year of our Undergraduate Animation Course, with the assignment being a short animated film defined by the student(s), which can be within the medium of our choice.
Once we properly got started with the module during our introductory period, I started to generate ideas for potential films, narratives and art styles I could work on. Going in I knew my main concerns would be defining the medium I wanted to work with, and I naturally had selected 2D hand-drawn animation as that was what I felt most comfortable and confident going into, which I feel is necessary for a final film project. In addition, I also started off by gathering inspiration and reference images to share with other students and gauge interest in any of the ideas as I feel that for starting out animated projects, knowing what the visual style will be is crucial for both getting others’ interests and for planning the scope of said project.
Below are the initial ideas I created, along with the PureRef collages I had put together for visual inspiration.
-Comedy short about war veteran pigeons. The short film starts out dramatic as the pigeons organise a huge attack, soaring through the air in controlled groups, talking back and forth with their comms as the tension builds. and then it ends with it just being them harassing a human for their food. Aspect ratio changes to heighten comedy, inspired by Garrets Animates Pigeon series.
-Sketchy Omori style psychological horror. Follows a small dog being raised by bigger dogs, and as time goes on the other dogs become bigger, darker and more physically threatening, scaring the smaller dog and causing them to break off the collar around their neck and running away, the big dogs barking and howling angrily at them. The film ends with the small dog finding a new pack of dogs that look similar to them, giving them a new sense of community. Omori inspired, abstract take on the storytelling.
-Tom & Jerry style comedy about a large rotund raccoon and a thin, scraggly possum fighting over a trashed fast-food crown. Involves both of them setting traps from each other, swiping the crown back and forth before it falls in the street and is crushed by a large car. Should follow Cartoon animation styles of the 1940s. Take Inspiration from Piti Yindee’s style.
