My First Background

So this is the first background I have completed, for my final project. I have to say, I am really happy with how it turned out, and surprised at how much fun I have had making it. I know it isn't PROFESSIONAL grade or anything, but I like the style, and really enjoyed using flash. The program doesn't have as extensive brush options as photoshop, which kind of sucks, but I really like the standard brush effect as it is. And I could always import it into photoshop, but I think if I do I will be opening a whole can of worms I don't really feel like getting into.

The canvas I was working with in Flash was much smaller than the exported image. I think it was in the 800's with a dpi of 72. When I exported, I chose 1280/720, 113 dpi. That explains the edges being SO rough. Not sure though. I'm excited by the fact that I have more space to work with. I felt like the image was really cramped as it was, so opening it up would allow the visuals to breath. On the other hand, I really like the affect it has. First of all, the image really pops. It's like a story book where the picture is jumping off the page. Also, it references the fact that this isn't the real world, and leads to an intriguing visual style.... Not sure what to do. Any suggestions, please leave a comment.

At any rate, I think it turned out really well, and I can't wait to get started on the next one!

Music for the animation

Love this song. Listened to an old CD I had on a car trip recently. This was on it, and I was like THAT"S IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCjG95sNoP8

story boards - sorry. For most of them you either have to turn your head, or find a way to rotate. probably by double clicking, then it opens in an image viewer where you can rotate it.

probably won't really use troll face, unless you all think that the joke is as funny as I do.....  trolling audience with teddy bear as treasure.. etc....

Timeline

1- animatic
2- first half of backgrounds done
3- 2nd half backgrounds done
4- first half characters and layers
5-6 second half characters and layers
6-7  audio all mixed in

General Idea

I've decided to make a post-apocalyptic film for our final project. It's a simple story, with simple aesthetics. Basically, it opens on a man, older gentleman, who is standing on a cliff in the deserts of Nevada that overlooks some kind of a camp. He's clearly fatigued, and takes a moment to prepare himself mentally for what he is about to do. He makes his way down to the outer fence, and hides behind some tundra brush. He checks his watch, which is cracked and missing part of the glass, and hunkers down for a moment. As a truck passes by, with a gunner in the back, he sprints up to it quietly, hops over the side, slits the gunners throat, and kicks him off the back, but not before taking the mask the gunner was wearing. The truck pulls up to a gate, and passes through to the garage. Once parked, the gentleman hops out driver side and as the driver gets out he smashes his head into the door a couple of times. After the body drops to the floor, the gentleman rolls it underneath the truck, stands up, brushes himself off, shuts the door and walks off. As he comes to the entrance to a bunker, he stops and leans against the wall. He takes off the mask, and breathes heavily.After calming himself down, he gets a very steely-eyed look. Busting into the bunker, guns blazing he catches bandits off-guard. I'd like to switch from very still shots to a very frenetic first person view and back. After brutally murdering the "bandit" guards, he makes his way to the end of the room, where a large box sits on a shelf against the wall. There is a close up of his face as he opens it. There's a close up on the treasure... it's a teddy bear. Show the closeup of his face, now with smiling eyes, (new place and time) cut to his granddaughter, smiling as she hugs her teddy bear. End with a fade to black, and the gentleman saying "Happy Birthday, Sweetheart"


Aesthetically, I want to have really clean lines, thick outlines, flat colors, with moments of 3-dimensionality. There is a game called Shank that pulls this look off well:

Take a lot of the color pallet and heavy outline from shank and mix it with the even more 2-dimensionality of Samurai Jack

The main character actually came to me as I was watching Breaking Bad. These are the wearied eyes that I want to focus on with the main character:

Visually

here's my section of the exquisite corpse

Motion Graphic

This short was inspired by (or rather, tries to put visuals to) a line from the play Angels in America.

It's 1985, almost the third millennium. Maybe Christ will rise up, or maybe the end will come... or maybe I'm just okay...