2. Project
Overview and
Recap
My final piece is to be an animated short film that explores the life
of a teenager with depression and/or anxiety. It will show a
montage of flashbacks to give the character a story and allow the
viewers to understand the reasoning this character is the way they
are. It will help the audience understand and become more aware
of the signs of early stage depression and also show some factors
that could lead to it. It will then cut to the teenager in the present
day and show you how they are and then they will go to high-
school and the animation will end with a title card and most likely
some website addresses and phone numbers people suffering
from depression and/or anxiety can use.
4. Over the
GardenWall
(Story)
Over the Garden Wall is a great example of storytelling.The show has a some jokes
and funny scenes here and there but the overall story is more serious and dark,
which is also why the art style and visuals work so well with the show.The Show is
about two young boys who find themselves in a forest called “the unknown” where
they go on strange journeys and discover weird situations and people. In the final
episode it is revealed that they bot suffered from a near death experience and that
the place they called ”the unknown” was all in there imagination and a place where
spirits and the thoughts of humans and animals can reside.
The way the show stays lighthearted but also has this deeper meaning and more
insidious undertone is by using “trippy” and “random” humor.This is similar to the
humor used in Adventure Time and it is also created by the same producer.There is
a reoccurring theme throughout the show which is “the beast” that keeps the
whole audience on edge as its kept quite secretive what the beast is and looks like
until the final episodes of the show. I think this is a good technique of storytelling
as it keeps the audience intrigued. I would like to use this technique in my piece
and the way I plan to use it is by not explaining anything until the end of the
product but I will keep the audience intrigued by a few shocking or unexpected
turns of events throughout the short piece. Because my animation will only be 3-5
mins it is harder to do what has been done in this show and allow the audience to
understand the characters and villains.
The challenge I face is trying to develop the character to the extent that the
audience will be able to sympathize and relate with them. I am planning to make
the majority of my project the flashbacks that show the characters backstory and
try to make his as relatable as possible. One of the main differences between the
product I want to make and Over the Garden Wall is that I would like mine to be
more informative and educational in some sense. Although I want mine to be
serious I would still like to keep it lighthearted and not let it get too deep.
5. Over the
GardenWall
(Aesthetic)
The aesthetic of this show is partly what makes it stand out from most
children's animatedTV shows. Compared to other popular shows that usually
go for an overall more bright appearance, Over the GardenWalls visuals are
quite a lot darker and more dingy.This is a great way of helping the story
become more hard hitting especially at times where ”the beast” who is the
main antagonist.
The color scheme of the show is composed of muted and neutral tones of
bright colors and also lots of dark browns, greys, blacks and then pale yellows
and creams to create contrast, which can be used to show a ray of hope of
some joy in certain scenes.These colors and more specifically the tones of
these colors also create a vintage and old timely effect which works well with
some scenes from the show as ”the unknown” is revealed to hold peoples
souls from the 1800’s and other older time periods. I would like to use this
during the flashback scenes in my work to give a slight hint to the audience
that this isn’t happening in this specific moment. I would also like to use the
contrast of the bright and light yellowish colors around the edges of these
scenes to gibe it a more dreamy look. I would also like to have it fade more
into either a light blue or maybe even a black as the flashbacks get darker and
the border will represent how the character feels as the memory's progress.
By the end of the animation the color scheme will be very similar to the
overall aesthetics of this show and will just be used to represent how the
character feels now after all that they have been through, which the audience
has also experienced with them.
6. Adventure
Time (Story)
AdventureTime started off its 1st season by being 100% focused on
the laughs and the comedy side of kids animation. Its only because of
its immense success that the show had more seasons. Its seasons 2-10
where they decided to take the story to another level. In short what
happens is the planet gets attacked by a nuclear bomb that destroys
the planet. Each character has very deep and personal storylines that
have been explored and developed in extreme detail over the 10
seasons which obviously I can not achieve in a 5 minute short.The
characters also have changing traits and relationships that they pick
up or the audience discover via a flashback episode or speech from
another character, which make them feel real.
TinaAmini said “There is a long story arc to follow inAdventureTime.
It changes your perception of these characters, and makes them feel
real. It's a lot more than just a cartoon. It's a magical representation of
very real concepts and life situations.”.This couldn’t be more true.The
show explores some hard to talk about issues especially for a
children's show such as heaven and hell, adoption and family issues, it
explores sexuality and things such as war.The show manages to get
all of these themes and more serious factors into it whilst still
remaining one of the funniest shows on television.The humor is very
weird and seems random and mainly relies on the shock it will give the
viewer.
7. Adventure
Time
(Aesthetics)
AdventureTime uses every single color so it is very hard to pick a
specific color theme. Although certain environments and characters
can be used as good examples. For example the candy kingdom has a
lot of bright pinks and yellows that are used to represent joy,
happiness and love.This is because the whole kingdom is supposed to
be one big family and be trustworthy and safe.This is juxtaposed in
the very first episode where a zombie outbreak happens in the candy
kingdom, where the greens and rotting browns show the decay of
sweets and the grottiness of the color green is used.
Another example is in the scenes where the nuclear bomb goes off in
“the great mushroom war”.The green coming from the bomb shows
off the radioactiveness of the explosion. But it also shows terror and
fear. Mixed with the black and dark gloomy backgrounds this would
be quite a scary scene to watch for younger viewers. Combined with
the looks of ”the Litch” who is the main antagonist, it allows the
viewers to know and associate this character with pure evil and its
very clear that he is a villain.
The show also has a great overall look. Each character has its own
personality which can usually be recognized and understood just from
looking at the character for a few seconds.This is the technique I will
try to use as I wont have forever to let the audience get to understand
my characters.
8. Welcome to
my Life
This short is very similar to my piece in the way that its an
animated short but also because it explores a more serious
subject. In this specific short it’s a documentary set in a high
school about the only monster who goes to this school and how
people act towards and around him.The monster is used to
represent any type of group that some people consider a
“minority” and it shows how some people don’t respect them even
in this day and age.
The aesthetics and choice of audio are very well suited for this
specific project.The tone of voice that the characters speak in is
very mundane and the music used is mellow and relaxing to show
how the monster is just as normal as everyone else and should be
treated like everyone else. I think that the way they managed to
get a serious subject, being discrimination, into a children's
cartoon was quite clever and they handled it good.
9. ColorTheory
The colors used in an animation are subconsciously one of the first
things the viewer will notice.The viewers should be able to
instantly tell if the character is a protagonist or antagonist just by
the shape of them and there color scheme.The same applies when
looking at a background or setting for the first time, a dark forest
with pointy or thorny trees would be seen as a bad place.Whereas
a bright and vibrant meadow where the sun is beaming and the
clouds are bubbly would be seen as a happy place.
For example the muted tones I am planning to use in my final
piece will hopefully set the more realistic tone of depression than
if I were to use all dark colors and make it more scary and childish.
This also links to my target age range as I will be aiming it towards
14-16 year olds who will have more of a taste for ”realism” and ill
be able to say it how it is and make it more gritty and realistic than
if it was a cartoon made for children.
10. ColourTheory
In my animation I am planning on having a visual representation of
depression and anxiety who are going to have to have there own
personalities.To achieve this I will have to use colors and shapes to
show that those characters are bad as I wont have much time to
develop them so as much visual help as possible will be used. For
example ”the Litch” from AdventureTime has many features
associated with evil. He has skeleton arms and a skull face which is
linked with death and corpses. He has horns that are associated
with the devil and he has green flames which link to nuclear power
and evil. Also with the sharp rips around his lips and his pointy
horns, the viewer associates sharper edges with more of a
villainous character.Whereas “Princess Bubblegum” from the
same show has round clothes that the viewer will take as more of
a friendly feel. She also has a bright color scheme and a face that
looks a lot more innocent and approachable. I plan to use this in
my animation by making the character transform from a bubbly
bright kid into a more dull teenager.
11. ColorTheory
Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger,
strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love.
Orange combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow. It is
associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents enthusiasm,
fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success,
encouragement, and stimulation.
Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect,
and energy.
Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and
fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green
is also commonly associated with money.
Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and
stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith,
truth, and heaven.
Purple combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Purple is
associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition. It
conveys wealth and extravagance. Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity,
independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
White is associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity. It is
considered to be the color of perfection.
Black is associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
12. ShapeTheory
In cartoons, character designers use colors to make the viewer feel
a certain way about the character or bring the character across a
certain way.The same effect can be achieved with the shapes used
to compose a character.
For example in the movie up the main characters can be seen as
mainly 2 shapes.A square can be used to represent strength and
masculinity, whereas roundness can be seen as more cute and
appealing.This is also used in films such as inside out where the
character anger is a square shape and is more stubborn and
masculine. I the animated version of Maleficent, the character has
very strong triangle shapes within her character design.The
triangle can represent things such as danger as things such as
thorns, knifes and shattered glass are mainly associated with the
shape of a triangle. Because the shape is more sharp it can be used
to let the audience know that the character maybe cant be trusted
or has quite a sharp and sly personality.
13. Research
Analysis
What common features do the researched products have?
All of the products I have researched are cartoons and they also all
have more serious themes woven within the show whilst also having a
pleasing aesthetic and an appeal to kids and teenagers. Although all
of the animations I have looked at in my existing products are run by
companies with giant budgets and large teams I will still try to get my
animation to the best of its ability in with the time and recourses I
have. AdventureTime and Over the GardenWall both use color theory
to convey a certain emotion within a character, setting or even for the
whole show. I plan to use a similar color scheme to the one used in
Over the GardenWall as I think that sets a very good tone throughout
the series and its similar to the tone I want mine to be. Also all of the
products I researched were all aired on cartoon network and aimed at
around 11-16 year olds and my 14-16 year old target audience fits into
that perfectly. One thing that is used in these shows is the use of
music to create an ambience and mood. InAdventure time the
characters sing songs that respect the mood they are in at that
moment. In Over the GardenWall the music is very fitting and the
piano used fits the darker and more serious tone that the show is
going for. Also the lyrics in the song speak about “the unknown”
(which is the place the main two characters are trapped) in a way that
makes the audience feel for the characters and understand the way
that “the unknown” should be perceived. InWelcome to my Life its
more the lack of music in most scenes that gives it more of an
authentic feel. As it is a documentary the tone of the show is
supposed to feel more gritty and realist which juxtaposes the main
character of the show being a monster. But when the music does play
it does the short justice and is mainly used only to move along the
story really.
16. Secondary
Research (Age)
I am going to aim my product towards 14-16 year olds because I think
instead of having to sensor it as much as I would if I were aiming it at a
younger audience, I will be able to be more straight with my audience
this way. I researched the age demographic for two of my inspirations
being “AdventureTime” at 9-14 and “Over the Garden Wall” aiming
towards ages 11-16. ”Steven Universe” is a great example a show
similar to the short I would like to create. Some episodes explore
serious topics such as PTSD, abusive relationships and exploring
sexuality.That show is aimed at an audience 10+.
I have also found out that its teenagers aged 13-18 that have the most
chance of having a severe mental disorder.This is another major
factor of why I have chosen this age range. I want to aim at this age
range because it will help them the most, by informing and educating
them on the early and later signs of depression and anxiety it will help
them see those signs in themselves and there friends.That means it
will be the most useful to show it to this age range because they have
the highest percent chance of becoming depressed and this way it will
help the majority of people.
17. Secondary
Research
(Gender)
I don’t think my animation should be aimed towards any one of
the genders more than the other.Although it has been proven that
woman have up to almost double the chance of becoming
depressed or having anxiety I still think its more fair to keep it
neutral and ill explain why. I think that even though it’s a fact that
more women have depression than men the gap may be made
larger as many woman but more commonly men find it harder and
more embarrassing to speak about there mental illness’ because
of the way that society perceive men as being more tough.Also
some areas of depression are more prominent in males and some
are more commonly seen in females such as postnatal depression
which can only be found in women.Also the numbers for major
depression in makes and females are very similar.
Overall I think its good to help spread a positive message and
inform as many people as possible instead of creating a very
specific audience.
18. Secondary
Research
(Other)
I found this graph
quite interesting
especially the
results for the
loneliness
category and how
social media
where your
supposed to meet
new people and
make friends had
a negative effect
on loneliness.
Many things that may amplify or lead to people becoming depressed
are also represented in this chart as well as depression and anxiety
themselves.Things such as bullying, body image and loneliness are all
things that could increase the chances of depression if taken negatively
which they all come under on this chart.
20. Signs of
Depression
Psychological symptoms
The psychological symptoms
of depression include:
continuous low mood or sadness
feeling hopeless and helpless
having low self-esteem
feeling tearful
feeling guilt-ridden
feeling irritable and intolerant of
others
having no motivation or interest
in things
finding it difficult to make
decisions
not getting any enjoyment out
of life
feeling anxious worried
having suicidal thoughts or
thoughts of harming yourself
Physical symptoms
The physical symptoms of
depression include:
moving or speaking more
slowly than usual
changes in appetite or weight
(usually decreased, but
sometimes increased)
constipation
unexplained aches and pains
lack of energy
low sex drive (loss of libido)
changes to your menstrual
cycle
disturbed sleep – for example,
finding it difficult to fall asleep
at night or waking up
very early in the morning
21. Causes of
Depression
Many things can happen to cause an individual to become
depressed, some of the main reasons are:
Stressful Event: something such as a breakup or the loss of a
loved one, the risk is increased if you avoid contact with your
friends and family to try overcome this alone.
Personality: your chances are higher if you have certain traits such
as such as low self-esteem or being overly self-critical, that can
either be inherited or picked up by your surroundings.
Family History: people in your family have a history of
depression.
Giving Birth
Loneliness
Alcohol and drugs
Illness
22. Why am I
making this?
After searching throughYouTube I have discovered that there are two
types of animations about depression.The ones that are purely a story
and the ones that are only educational and are very informative. I
would like my animation to be a mixture of these two more of a story
with bits of information weaved into it.
From looking on the Mental Health Foundation I found out that
professionals who work there have found that mental health is not
spoken about enough in the school criteria.They have even started a
movement called “Make it count” where they try to get it across to
high schools that mental health is not an extracurricular activity and
should be taught in schools.
Unknown. (2020). Mental health in schools: Make it Count. Available:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-schools-make-it-
count. Last accessed 7th February 2020.
23. Why am I
making this?
88% of school students would like to be educated on mental
health and its still not in the main learning schedule although it
would fit into many classes such as PSHCE and maybe even
Science.This means that my product would be able to easily be
spread and used to learn in schools when they inevitably start
teaching about mental health or even in more specific scenarios
such as used by mental health foundations to help promote
schools into speaking about it. It will also hopefully make people
want to speak out about there own experiences with mental
health and also allow others to spot or help themselves or others
who may be showing some early signs of a mental illness that my
animation will hopefully cover.
24. Why am I
making this?
I found an article on the guardian that proves the age most people
start to get depression so it would be best to create it aimed at 14-
16 year olds. It also says that even though the teenagers
themselves may find it hard to realize the signs, it also says that
the parents of people this age do not know the early signs.
I have come to the conclusion that it would be easier to teach the
teenagers themselves the early signs of depression than it would
be to teach the adults as every child goes to school so it will be
easier to reach them. Another reason it would be better to target
the teenagers directly is because they will also be around other
teenagers so could also check that there friends are alright, as
adults will only be seeing there own children so its not going to get
as much exposure and I'm wanting to spread the knowledge to as
many people as possible.
25. Bibliography
Unknown. (2014). Over the Garden Wall Wiki. Available: https://over-the-garden-
wall.fandom.com/wiki/Over_the_Garden_Wall. Last accessed 6th February 2020.
Tina Amini. (2015). AdventureTime, Explained. Available:
https://kotaku.com/adventure-time-explained-1703199261. Last accessed 6th
February 2020.
Cartoon Network. (2017). WelcomeTo My Life. Available:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idT98H8TK-U. Last accessed 6th February
2020.
Unknown. (2020). Age-Based Media Reviews for Families. Available:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org. Last accessed 6th February 2020.
David Levine. (2017). Are Some Age Groups More Prone to DepressionThan Others.
Available: https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-05-
02/are-some-age-groups-more-prone-to-depression-than-others. Last accessed
6th February 2020.
Nick Spake. (2018). Top 10 Kids Show EpisodesThat DealtWith Serious Issues.
Available: https://watchmojo.com/video/id/24223 . Last accessed 6th February
2020.
Paul R. Albert. (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in woman?. Available:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4478054/. Last accessed 6th
February 2020.
Unknown. (2019). Clinical Depression - Causes. Available:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/clinical-depression/causes/. Last accessed 6th
February 2020.
Win Leerasanthanah. (2016). Simple to Complex: Character DesignTips. Available:
https://www.asifa-south.com/2016/12/27/character-design-great/. Last accessed
6th February 2020.
Unknown. (2020). Mental health in schools: Make it Count. Available:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-schools-make-it-
count. Last accessed 7th February 2020.
26. Bibliography
Denis Campbell. (2017). One in four girls have depression by the
time they hit 14. Available:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/20/one-in-four-
girls-have-depression-by-the-time-they-hit-14-study-reveals. Last
accessed 7th February 2020.
