On Tuesday the 12th, we were briefed on two possible animations we could work on: a project from the NHS, to raise awareness of breast cancer among black women and minorities; and another project, from the Horniman Museum, to inform children over cats and/or dogs. Both briefs were explained well and would’ve made for interesting projects to work on, so it took a few days for me to fully decide what to work on. In the end, I decided to opt for the Horniman project, as it sounded like something more along the lines of what I’d be interested in doing, and because it sounded like a good challenge. Learning how to draw and animate dogs will certainly bring some struggle, but making something kids will watch and enjoy with their families is something I really care about and want to do right.
The project consists in making a 40-50 second long animation on a specific aspect of dogs and/or cats as pets: the main suggestions were their morphology (size, shape, skills etc.), ethology (their behavior) and sociology (their relationships with humans). The animation should be capable of being understood by children under 5 years old, which requires minimal dialogue, while still being entertaining to older children and even adults.
I eventually formed a team consisting of myself, Jahiem Walker and Calix Borrero Diaz, and we collectively decided to base our project on the sociology of dogs and the impact they have had on humans throughout the years. First, we brainstormed some ways in which they have been known in human culture, from having jobs to their impact on animation and children’s entertainment.
https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_lqxbXfA=/
Chosen that, we then selected a few dogs to focus on: we ended up with 7 choices, which seems like a good amount to focus on in 40-50 seconds. We also all agreed on a general plot idea: a grandmother reading a book on dogs’ jobs throughout history to her grandson, who has a passion for dogs.
With that in mind, we started researching the dogs we chose, and learning how to draw them and simplifying their designs to make them easier to animate. None of our artstyles are particularly realistic, so we agreed on using a fairly cartoony artstyle for the project, which the children will probably appreciate.
Right now, we are working on the pitch presentation we’ll present next Tuesday. We have various art showcasing the dogs, as well as some moodboards and the synopsis and logline. All we need is a bit more concept art and some rehearsing, and we’ll be ready.
This has been a fun project so far. My teammates have been great to work with, and the task is fun and will definitely pose a challenge.