Planning Powerpoint for Client Project

1. Client Project -
Planning
WILLIAM ANDERSON

2. Initial Reaction
 I was a little unsure when I heard about this project, as I didn’t know what aspect of York I wanted to focus
on. I wanted this focus to be interesting and to be about a less thought about feature of York. Additionally,
I want to practice drawing animals, so focusing my project around wildlife preservations in the York area
felt like the best choice.
 I knew that I wanted to create an animation as this has been my focus area since before I started this
course last year. I wanted to try my new animation software, Toon Boom Harmony to see what quality of
work I could create in comparison to my FMP, which was made using Adobe Photoshop.
 Once I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do, I searched the internet for examples of wildlife
preservations and videos focusing on them as well as short 2D animation clips. By doing this I was able to
see what kind of animals were present in wildlife preservations in the York area whilst also being able to
look at various animation styles and techniques for inspiration.
 My experiences with animating in the past has allowed me to refine my skills and gain a better
understanding of the fundamentals of animation. Additionally, creating short animations over Summer has
allowed me to experiment with different character and camera movements, as well as different camera
perspectives. The style of this animation will be different from anything I have created before, but the skills
that I learnt in creating my other pieces will transfer over to this project, allowing me to hopefully create a
high quality piece that builds on what I learnt from my other projects.

3. Initial Reaction
 I will make sure that when it comes to working on
the production, I have all the necessary resources
prepared. This will include my graphics tablet,
which I will use to create the drawings for the
animation, as well as the associated drivers. I will
be doing the majority of my work on my laptop,
making it easier to keep a track of files whilst also
meaning I don’t have to install my tablet’s drivers
onto multiple college Macs.
 By learning of what potential issues may arise in
this project through my work on previous works as
well as knowing how to prevent/ solve them, I feel
confident that I will be able to make a good quality
product.

4. What area am I
focusing on?
 As backed up by my research, the animation style appeals to my target demographic
of young adults, whilst my topic of zoos/wildlife preservation centres is one that is
liked and supported by many young people. Through animation I will be able to
come up with creative movements for the animals without being restricted by real
life issues e.g. animals in an enclosure being mostly dormant all day. I will be able to
use said movements in a variety of ways, such as to display information, create
appealing visuals and exaggerate certain features of the animals and the zoo.
 I will work with 2D animation that I plan to create using my drawing tablet as well as
Toon Boom Harmony – an animation software that I have spent time researching to
ensure that I can utilise its various features so my animation is of high quality.
 Through work in my own time alongside college work from last year, I have had
experience with animation in a 2D format. However, I used Adobe Photoshop to
create these, meaning that I am not as experienced with the software I plan to use
for this project. However, Adobe Photoshop is a software with the main function of
editing images, whilst Harmony is a software entirely dedicated to animation,
meaning that as long as I have a decent amount of knowledge in using it I will be
able to make good quality animations efficiently. I feel confident that my production
will be of good quality thanks to the work I have done in the past – both practical
and written. By having solid written work, when it comes to making my animation I
will be fully prepared as to knowing what I want to create, how I will create it and
how I will prevent and combat any issues that should arise.
 The animations that I have created covered two different areas – video games and a
TV show opening. Whilst neither of these are the same as what I plan to create in this
project, the skills that I learnt in making them will be extremely useful for creating
this animation.

5. Mind map - concepts
 This mind map focuses on what potential ideas I could include in my
animation. Whilst I know the general outline of the project, it is important
that I am able to come up with a good variety of concepts for techniques
that I could use and things to put in the piece. This mind map will include
what art-style I could use, what important information I will need to outline
in the video, potential animation techniques and how I can create
interesting cinematography. This process will make it easier for me to
practice specific techniques as well as experiment with how I can utilise
them to make the animation more unique and interesting.

6. MIND MAP
-CONCEPTS
Have the animated
animals form into
real-life still images

7. Mind map analysis – Concepts – animation
techniques
 One idea I had was to have the drawings pop out from the edge of the screen and onto the page. Doing this would work well to give the animation a sense of
speed and excitement. A way to further exaggerate this would be to have these drawing bounce back on themselves slightly, as if being pulled back on an
elastic band. An issue with using this technique would be that the animation would lack depth, limiting what movements I could do with the animals and
camera. As so, I will not have this technique be the forefront of my animation, but may utilise it in smaller parts of a sequence e.g. setting up the background.
 Having the zoo park environment form text would be a more creative way of displaying information that simply overlaying the animation with a text font.
Additionally, if used in conjunction with camera movements this technique would allow the animation to flow much more smoothly. Another positive factor of
this technique is that it keeps the viewer’s focus on the park and the animals inside, allowing me to get people excited about this place in particular. An
example of how I could use this technique would be to have a camera quickly zoom out from an aerial shot of an animal enclosure to an above shot of the
trees, which spell out a piece of information relevant to the animals just shown e.g ‘Over 20 species of Apes!’.
 In the same vein as the previous technique mentioned is having the animals spell out the text. This could be done in the same way as mentioned above, with
the animals lining up to spell out the words. Alternatively, I could have the actual actions of the animals cause the text to be more naturally created on the
screen. An example of this would be to have an animal splash water at the screen, which then moves down the screen to form the text. Additionally, this would
work well to create smooth transitions to the next sequence, as the environment around the text could be switched out for something of a similar look using
camera tricks. Using the water splash idea as an example, I would be able to have wipers come appear on the screen to wipe off the text and then have the
camera pan out to show a bus, leading to me presenting transport. This would prevent any jarring cuts whilst also keeping the fast pace of the video up to
excite and entice the viewer.
 The next two ideas fall under the same general concept, but with different functions. Having the animals run at the screen would work well to make the viewer
feel like they are actually at the zoo, and by using predators I could showcase their aggressive nature to appeal more to a male demographic. This could also
work well for creating smooth transitions using the ‘similar look’ idea mentioned in the previous paragraph. An example of this would be to have a tiger jump
at the screen with its eye going straight towards the camera. As it covers the screen, I could then pan out to the wheels of a vehicle, or even another animal. As
for the animals running across the screen idea, this would work well to put the focus on the realistic movements of the animals. By creating scenic backgrounds
and utilising lighting, I could put an emphasis on the graceful movements of the animal, which would work well to show off animals that are traditionally seen
as peaceful creatures. Alternatively, I could put more emphasis on the animals hunting movements, an idea that would work well when showcasing predators.
 The last idea listed is to have the animated animals form into real-life images of the same species. This would work well to give the zoo park a more authentic
feel whilst still keeping the fast faced fun animations. Additionally, using these real-life images would work better in sequences that have a more serious tone,
e.g. when talking about endangered species. The heavy contrast between the real life images and the animation would help to exaggerate the importance of
these moments, as well as the importance of people’s support. To further emphasise this point, I could get rid of the colour from the image, having the video
transition from coloured animation to a monochrome still image.
 Overall I feel that this section of the mind map was extremely helpful for brainstorming ideas for how I could make the animation more interesting and creative.
This will make the style more personal to me, and allow me to express an enthusiastic outlook on zoos and the animals within.
 A way to improve this section would be to add more ideas, as there is nothing locking me into doing all of the ideas listed and these different ideas could
inspire me to try out new techniques that I hadn’t thought of before. Additionally, I could have linked the existing ideas together to see how I could utilise them
in conjunction with one another.


8. Mind map analysis – concepts -
informative video
 As mentioned in the mind map, it is important the audience knows what the park
has to offer. This can primarily be done without text, instead showcasing the
animals and the environment itself. For more specific details, such as detailing
how many different species the park has to offer, I can use short and to the point
text that is crafted by the animals and environment.
 As previously mentioned, detailing what animals are there can be done through
visuals of the animals themselves. This will allow the viewer to see the things that
makes them like the animals, thus making them more excited to go and see them.
 I will need to ensure that my young adult audience knows that I am targeting
them. I can do this through addressing certain things directly related to them, e.g.
transport. Additionally, as I am focusing on the Askham Bryan Wildlife and
Conservation Park, I can talk about the college itself.
 To appeal to the young adult demographic, I should talk about endangered
species and what people can do to help them. My research shows that people in
this age demographic tend to want to help animals if they can, so doing this will
entice my audience to give the park their support.


9. Mind map analysis –
concepts – art style
 By using a minimalist art style, I will be
able to put a greater focus on the
colours used in the animation. This will
allow for more abstract imagery and
transitions whilst also allowing me to
spend more time on each section of the
animation, thus improving the quality.
This includes allowing me to spend
more time on the movements of the
animals to make them as smooth and
realistic as possible. The animation will
be created in Toon Boom Harmony, a
program specialising in 2D animation,
which I have some experience in
through previous projects I have worked
on both in and out of college.

10. Mind map analysis – concepts -
transitions
 I feel that I was able to quickly come up with a good variety of potential
transition ideas in my mind map, and will continue to do so approaching
the start of the animating process. The examples listed would allow my
animation to flow smoothly between sequences whilst maintaining the
pacing of the video. Additionally, smooth transitions will make the
animation more appealing to viewers and have it stand out more in their
heads. The minimalistic art style will make it easier for these transitions to
make shots blend into each other.

11. Mind map analysis – concepts - cinematography
 The myriad of shots that I plan to use will allow me to give the animation a more thrilling feel. Utilising quick camera movements and
swapping between different styles of shots will help to keep the audience interested and excited about the zoo.
 Drone Shots – As mentioned in the mind map, this will allow me to capture the look of the park. By doing this I provide a general idea
as to the setting of the animation and I will also be able to use this shot as a sort of basepoint, allowing me to jump out from each
enclosure to the drone shot and then back into a different enclosure. Alternatively, I could use a real-life map of the park and use a
camera to zoom into different areas, which I can then transition into animation from.
 Long Shots – I can use these to establish the setting of an area, or alternatively to capture a distant animal which proceeds to run
towards the screen. These shots will add more momentum to moving animals, and so should be used as a way to establish fast paced
action.
 Close ups – Can be used to capture the animals’ faces as well as to create smooth transitions via animals’ facial features.
 Wide Shots – Can capture large areas of the park as well as groups of animals – gives the mark a more friendly feel.
 I feel that this mind map is lacking in the number of shots mentioned. However, my research includes a wider variety that I can use in
my animation. The animation format allows me to use all of these shots without limitations such as accessibility.
 A way to improve this mind map would be to not only include more types of shots, but to also cross-reference this section with the
transitions section, as it is important that I know how I am going to transition between these different shots specifically.

12. Mind map -
animals
 This mind map looks back to my interviews
and survey to see what animals I should
include in my animation to appeal to my
target audience. Additionally, my research
as to what animals males and females
typically enjoy is relevant here, as the 51%-
49% ratio of women to men in York means
that I will need to appeal to both sexes
roughly evenly. On top of what animals I
could include, I will brainstorm ideas for
how I could have them move and how these
movements could improve the flow of the
animation through smooth transitions.

13. How will I create
the animation?
 The following is a general outline as to how I plan to create each sequence in the
animation.
 1. With a small blue brush equipped, create a rough sketch of what I plan the
frame to look like. Do this for a few frames in the sequence in order to give a
general idea of how the animation will look.
 2. Still using the blue brush, sketch the in-between frames. The frames created in
step 1 ensure that there aren’t any points where the thing being animated
suddenly move out of position or ends up at an unexpected place on the screen
as I know where I am aiming for. Use Harmony’s limb function to create smooth
movements of the different parts of the drawing’s body.
 3. Now using hard coloured brushes, create the look of the drawing on a
separate layer to the sketch. Don’t create any black outlines to give the piece a
minimalist look. This will not only make the animation process quicker, but if
done well will be aesthetically pleasing whilst helping any text to stand out
more.
 4. Still using a hard brush, add shading to the drawings. The quick select tool will
allow me to select only one colour at a time, allowing me to shade it without
affecting how the other colours look.
 It is important that through the animation process I am constantly running the
animation through to check for any faults. This will prevent me from having to
change as many things as I would have to if I found an issue after creating a lot
of work after said issue occurs.

14. Mood board - enclosures

15. Mood board analysis - enclosures
 Having a good understanding of animal enclosures is vital for knowing what
the environments in my animation should look like. As shown in my mood
board, the enclosures can vary greatly in design depending on the animals
inhabiting it.
 There are three main recurring themes between enclosures – open top ones,
enclosures located inside a building and cages. The open top ones are typically
used for bigger creatures like lions and alpacas, whilst also commonly having a
lot of larger flora e.g. trees. This suggests that putting a focus on the large
scale of this type of enclosure will work to give it a more authentic feel.
Additionally, the bright greens of these enclosures due to the grass can help to
allow the animal to stand out more. The indoors enclosures are usually for
lizards and other smaller creatures. This allows for a more controlled
environment to sustain the creatures. I can use a combination of these indoor
and outdoor enclosures to create contrast between the areas as well as to
develop interesting transitions.

16. Mood board - animals
Mood Board – Onlin
Animals

17. Mood board analysis – Online Animals
 The range of animals shown in the mood board were all found online, and thus
some may not be available to me when getting footage. However, the main
intention of this mood board is to act as a general guideline as to what types
of animals I could use.
 Footage of a large predator, such as the tiger shown, would work well to
appeal to the young male demographic (as according to my audience
research). Smaller animals, such as the meerkats and racoon dogs, would give
my animation a cute factor, thus allowing my project to appeal to those who
like various types of animals. Birds would allow me to experiment with
different types of movement, and could even be used as a means of
transitioning between shots (e.g. by having a bird fly over the camera).
 A common factor with a lot of the prey animals is their tendency to form a
group. This can be seen with the meerkats and alpacas. I can show this in my
animation to demonstrate the difference between these animals and the larger
predators that I also intend to include.

18. Mood Board – Askham Bryan Wildlife
Conservation
Mood Board – Askham Bryan
Wildlife Conservation

19. Mood Board Analysis – Askham Bryan
Wildlife Conservation
 The animals here are predominantly smaller creatures, with the largest ones
being the wallabies and some of the falcons/owls. My mood board shows off
the large range of reptiles available at the conservation, as well as the variety
of colours found on them. Fish also share this theme. Looking at some of the
animals gave me an idea as to how they interacted with one another. For
example, the images of racoons show three of them together, suggesting that
they prefer to be in each other’s company. Whether this is for protection or
social reasons I don’t know. Wallabies look to follow a similar behaviour.
 The images of the birds show their huge range in colour and structure. The
parakeet, for example, as a somewhat medium size whilst demonstrating an
extremely colourful look. On the other hand, many of the larger birds, such as
the falcons, had far more intimidating builds with jet black feathers. I can
exaggerate these features when animating to further emphasise certain
aspects of the animals.

20. Mood Board – Lotherton HallMood Board – Lotherton Hall

21. Mood Board Analysis – Lotherton Hall
 The birds here follow similar rules to those shown in the Askham Bryan
mood board – hugely varying structures and colours. However, this mood
board shows a wider range of large flightless birds as opposed to falcons,
owls etc. Together with the birds from Askham Bryan, these images will
provide me with a huge range of potential birds to utilise.
 The other conservations didn’t have much in terms of rodents, so the
inclusion of capybaras at Lotherton Hall gave me more variety in my
footage.
 This mood board shows plenty of images of penguins, allowing me to
understand their various movements. Additionally, all the images shown
give a good idea of what each enclosure looks like, allowing me to
accurately represent them in my animation.

22. Mood Board – York ZooMood Board – York Zoo

23. Mood Board Analysis – York Zoo
 This mood board shows a greater range of large animals, including both
prey and predators. Far less birds are present in comparison to the
previous two conservations, and I was still unable to get any footage of
meerkats despite there being an enclosure at the zoo. The images show
much larger enclosures than those seen in the other mood boards.

24. Production experiments

25. Running Fox
 In preparation for this experiment, I previously created a side-on running
cycle of a fox that would give me a better idea of how the body and legs
would move with each step of the fox’s run.
 This sequence is made up of 9 frames each lasting 0.8 seconds. I chose this
duration as this is long enough to transition between frames smoothly
without making the animation too quick. The total runtime came to just over
a second, which I feel works well to give the fox enough presence on screen
without the animation feeling dragging.
 When creating each frame, I started with a rough sketch of the fox’ shape. The
biggest challenge I had with this was drawing the fox’s legs, as the way they
move whilst running is completely different to humans and thus getting the
correct perspective was sometimes quite difficult. However, I feel that
through repeated attempts I was able to position the legs correctly for each
frame. Additionally, it was important that I had the fox’s body move
realistically, scrunching up and stretching out depending on how the fox was
positioned in that frame. On top of looking more realistic, doing this also
gives a clearer idea of momentum behind the fox’s movements, allowing for
clearer indications of speed at different moments.
 I believe that I was able to make good use of stretching and squishing, as on
top of the previously mentioned body movements is how I changed the face
and ears of the fox between frames. By making it rounder at some moments I
believe that I was able to portray how the head is turning with the body as
well as how the fur is reacting to the movement. The orange and cream
colour scheme helps to keep the design looking like a fox even when its face
is less angular.
 I am happy with how the tail turned out in this sequence, as I feel that I was
able to have it realistically lag behind the body, emphasizing when the fox
was turning or rising/falling.
 I decided to keep the art as undetailed as possible to allow me to focus more
on the movements, as I believe this is what I may struggle with when it comes
to animating my main piece. As such, no shading was created in this
experiment. I already feel confident in my ability to do this, so I felt that it was
unimportant to bother with in this experiment and I would instead focus on
practicing other factors.
 Overall, I am very happy with how this experiment turned out. I now feel more
confident in my ability to animate the animals. Additionally, I feel that I will be
able to have a sense of depth in my project, as being able to animate the fox
running towards the camera will make the viewer feel more like they are there
with the animals. An improvement to this animation would be to have the last
couple of frames feel less similar, as although I drew them completely
separately the last frame feels like I just enlarged the previous one and
dragged it to the end of the screen.
The arched back makes it
immediately obvious that the fox is
going to be moving in a forwards
direction
Having the ears blow backwards
displays the fox’s motion and
speed whilst also giving the viewer
an idea of how the ears are
structured.
An example of the fox’s face
scrunching up. This makes it
clear that the fox is turning in
on itself. The colours also help
to portray this.

26. Exaggerated visuals
 By exaggerating certain visuals, I will be able to get a bigger
reaction in regards to that aspect of the animation. For
example, by exaggerating the size of the eyes on a bat, I would
be able to make it appear cuter to the audience. Other things I
can exaggerate include the shapes used in the designs of the
animals. Whilst I will need to make them look like their real-life
counterparts, I could, for example, make a fox’s face more
triangular to play more to its predator side. Alternatively, I
could make it rounder to have it appear cuter.
 The main way I should use this technique is to further appeal
to my target demographic for that sequence of the animation.
My research shows that males tend to prefer predators, so
making the designs of those animals more angular would help
to play to this viewpoint. On the other hand, rounder and
softer designs would typically appeal more to females. Of
course, this is all just generalising – many within these groups
will think differently to the common trends.

27. Animal designs
- I can accent different features of the animal’s fur/feathers to portray certain meanings e.g. more
scraggly fur for animals playing together or exploring.
- Use shapes in the design that work for the desired movements that I want to animate. For
example, a skulking fox shouldn’t have a square design as this will make the movement too stiff.
- Use different saturations of colour to exaggerate different areas of the animal.
- Play with proportions to put emphasis on certain aspects of the animal e.g. ears for a rabbit.
- Don’t overdetail drawings. Simple designs can work wonders in getting the desired reaction from
the audience.
Creative Bloq Staff. (2013). Top 40 character design tips - Part 1: Animal based characters. Available:
https://www.creativebloq.com/animation/top-40-character-design-tips-part-1-animal-based-characters-
5132659. Last accessed 3rd Oct 2019.
The following link is to a website that I used to look at some important
aspects of animal design. Whilst the website has a focus on making up
fantasy creatures, many of the details listed would be useful for the
drawing of existing animals as well.

28. Contingency planning
Issue Solution/Prevention
Files could become corrupted/deleted Save backups of every file needed
Toon Boom Animation may not work properly Have Adobe Photoshop as a backup software.
May not have access to a good camera Ensure that camera is booked well is advance.
Worst case scenario, my phone camera can be
used to get the still images.
Graphics Tablet may get damaged When tablet is not being used, keep in protective
sleeve. Keep liquids away from tablet.
Unable to get into college I am working on my laptop, and so will be able to
work on my project elsewhere.
Not enough time to finish animating everything
from storyboard
Ensure that what I do have will fit together and
has a clear beginning and end

29. Resources
Hardware Software
Laptop Toon Boom Harmony
Graphics Tablet Tablet Drivers
Memory Stick Adobe Photoshop
College Mac Adobe Premiere
Camera
Memory Card
I will be using my laptop in conjunction with my graphics tablet in order to create the animations for this project. I have lots of experience in creating
both still-art and animations via this tablet, so I am confident that I will be able to use it to its full extent in this project.
Whilst I don’t have much experience with Toon Boom Harmony, I have spent the last few weeks learning the software itself so that when it comes to
animating I don’t have to waste time learning how it works. Additionally, my past experience with Adobe Photoshop means that I have a base
understanding of the animation process, which will have the same general principles no matter what software is used.
I will be using the College Macs as a means of accessing Adobe Premiere, which I don’t have on my laptop. Premiere is vital for the editing process, and
due to using it in multiple projects before I have a decent understanding of how to use its various features.
I will be using a camera to capture real-life images of animals at wildlife conservations. These still images will be used in the animation to create
interesting cuts between hand-drawn animals and real-life ones. I will also be able to get video footage of the animals to give myself a better idea of
how they move and act.
A memory stick will make moving files around much easer, and a large one will allow me to transport multiple animations in one go. Using over
methods, such as emails or OneDrive are unreliable as files can easily be lost or corrupted. Additionally, many animation files will be too big for these
methods.

30. Pros & cons
 Animation: I believe that I will be able to make a good quality of animation that will appeal to my target
audience well. I am fully prepared to begin creating, having all the equipment and software ready to use. I
believe that my idea for mixing animation and real-life images will work well to make the piece stand out
more whilst still keeping the flow of the animation. This, in addition to what transitions I plan to use, are
creative uses of animation that I believe will allow me to have more control over certain aspects of my
animation (e.g. tone). One downside to animating this idea is that the variety of animals that I plan to
include may be difficult to animate due to their various different features and different methods of moving.
Wildlife Conservation: I think that wildlife conservations is a creative and unique idea that will allow
me to try new techniques and expand on my skills. The concept is relevant to the York area and, according to
my research, appeals to my target audience. The Askham Bryan Wildlife Conservation provides me with a
means of obtaining the real-life images whilst also being able to get a first hand look how the animals
look and move. Additionally, it gives me an accurate representation of what wildlife is available to see in
conservation sites in the York area, thus ensuring that my production has a connection to York. The downside
of using wildlife conservations is that some of the animals that were popular in my survey are not available at
places like Askham Bryan, and so I will need to go further out to find these animals at full on zoos.

31. Reflection
 The planning stages of this project have reinforced my belief that what I plan to create will
work well to appeal to my target audience whilst promoting a certain aspect of York. The
wildlife isn’t typically what comes to mind when people think of York, yet my research has
show that people in my demographic do indeed care about it, whether that be for purely
entertainment purposes or wanting to preserve it. Additionally, using animation lessens my
restrictions on what I create, allowing me to do whatever I want with the animals as long as
the creation is within my skill range. I am glad that I spent time working on experiments, as
these have given me more insight on how I will create my project both in terms of techniques
and ideas.
 Creating a storyboard was useful for getting a rough idea as to what my animation will entail.
By plotting the times for each shot, I can create my animations accordingly to ensure that I
can give the production a decent runtime whilst not having to lower the quality. It also gave
me a rough idea as to if I may have to add any additional scenes in to pad the runtime and
how many.
 The mood boards helped me to come up with general designs for the animals and their
enclosures as well as what animals I would be including in my animation.