FMP Research Refined

Existing Product
Lighting and contrast

Primary Research: Lighting and
Contrast Analysis
Whilst there is a lot of striking imagery in the opening to Game of Thrones, what primarily stands
out to me is the use of contrast. This is mainly prominent in the video’s lighting, where even the
duller colours next to each other have heavy contrast, making the image stand out more and be
more visually appealing whilst maintaining the opening’s more sullen and dark tone.
Throughout the opening we see how the colours change whilst maintaining the same solemn
aura. The most prominent colours are green, grey, yellow and blue, with each being the main
scheme of their own regions. Whilst my own work doesn’t utilise different regions, I can use this
technique in the backgrounds to reflect characters of different moralities.
An previously mentioned in my initial plans, I have always planned for colour to play an
imperative role in my animation. This primarily occurs in character design, but also in
backgrounds and other aspects. Contrast is a factor of colour that is deeply important, as it helps
to make the visuals of the animation more appealing whilst simultaneously providing more
contrast between different characters as well as with the respective backgrounds.
I will definitely incorporate what I have learned form researching this opening into my own work,
both animated and still-art.

Primary Research: PosterThe poster for Aladdin features a heavy use of bright colours, namely
orange and blue. Whilst I do like the layout of the poster, I find that
the page is too bright everywhere aside from the stop and middle,
resulting in a lot of the images blending into one another and making
the poster feel cluttered. However, I do like that there is meaning
behind the visuals of the poster. For example, I like the fact that the
main motif is created by the lamp, an important object and staple of
the Aladdin narrative. Furthermore, the contrast between the orange
and the blue creates a clear divide between the humans and the
genie, giving a feeling of the genie being different. Furthermore, the
starry sky background suggests that the genie has a somewhat
special and amazing quality.
The genie dominates the top half of the poster, showing his
importance to the story as well as his bombastic and outgoing
personality. Additionally, the fact that he is voiced by Robin Williams
allows the poster to hold him as a dominant feature of the poster to
use the actor as an advertising point.
Whilst I will make sure to avoid having the colours create a cluttered feel on my own posters, I
feel inspired to use the overall colour contrast to cerate a divide between two groups in my
own work. Furthermore, adding small details (e.g the lamp) to my own posters will give them
more meaning and intrigue the viewer as to what these features are and why they are there.

• Aladdin is a film with a target audience consisting of both
males and females at a roughly equal ratio. By having both
Aladdin and Jasmine share the same area and quantity of
the page, the poster portrays both as equally important,
resulting in both males and females feeling invested and
represented.
• The contrast between the orange and blue represents the
main theme in the story – wealth. We see a strong
difference between the two colours, representing the great
imbalance of wealth within the story. By having Jafar
positioned above Aladdin and Jasmine the poster shows
the control he has over their lives and the how dominant
he is in his position. Furthermore, the two mains being
below him show is viewpoint of himself being greater.

Primary Research: Poster
In this poster we see the technique I previously mentioned in
my Initial Plans as well as on my Game Of Thrones slide being
used – heavily contrasting lighting. This technique immediately
grabs the viewer’s attention, which is then kept their by the
character images spread across the poster.
We see the importance
of characters here as
they act as the main
motif for the poster.
Colour is used to
distinguish between the
different groups,
providing an immediate
and clear understanding
of each character’s role.
Additionally, the
contrast between all the
colours adds to the
poster’s appeal. I can
use this idea with the
colours in my idea to
represent the different
moralities and roles of
my characters.
The background of the poster
changes as you move down it, with
each reflecting the environment
each section of the cast finds
themselves in.

The layout of this poster fills many tropes of typical action film posters
– characters looking off into the distance, with some striking action
poses as an example. This gives an immediate indicator to the genre of
the film whilst also appealing to the movie’s target demographic of
teens and young adults. The mixture of male and female characters
displayed make the poster appeal to both genders, whilst making all
the characters appear important to the story. The largest character in
the poster is Tony Stark, showing his connection to Thanos and the
importance his character will play in the movie. Additionally, the use of
a fan favourite character played buy a very popular character
dominating the poster makes people feel more intrigued in the film,
wanting too see their favourite actor in action and/or see how a liked
character will make it through the story. By having Tony Stark and
Captain America look in opposite directions, the poster makes it
obvious that the two are still on different paths and how the events of
Captain America: Civil War still hold importance in this movie.

Primary Research: Posters
A common theme that I noticed in many
animation posters is the heavy use of the
colour blue. This is predominantly used for
the background, but as seen on the left can
also be used in character design. This can also
be seen on both of the posters I previously
researched, with the Genie from Aladdin and
the people in Wakanda on the Infinity War
poster. Blue projects feelings of trust, loyalty,
friendliness and health for the mind and
body. The posters use this to make the viewer
feel comfortable when looking at them, and
feel a somewhat serene feeling. The blue
makes the films appear as approachable and
enjoyable rather than a film to be scared by
or feeling constant tension.

Primary Research - Posters
The most prominent image in the poster is the arrow dominating the centre of the page. This shows its
great importance to the story, and the fact that the characters are all surrounding it shows that it is an
object sought out by many. The perspective of the poster makes the arrow appear just out of reach of
the characters, showing how it will act as the final piece to help the characters defeat the main villain.
Said main villain’s ability is portrayed in the background, and is drawn far larger than any of the other
characters. This demonstrates its immense power as well as the fear it strikes into the cast. Additionally,
the arms raised around the other characters reflect how the main villain’s actions are dictating the main
cast’s lives. Futhermore, the arms make the antagonist appear to be in complete control, representing
his strong belief and connection to the idea of fate.
The two foremost characters are obviously shown to be the main two characters of the story. The fact
that they are the closest two to the arrow show that they are the ones leading the quest to obtain it.
Trish, the female character on the right, is shown to be facing a different direction to the rest of the
cast, showing that unlike the others she had no choice in being involved in this quest.
The target audience for this show is older teens and young adults. The darker background gives an
immediate idea of the darker tones of this story, a popular theme in the mentioned demographic. The
action poses of the characters reflect the action genre of the story, a popular genre with people in this
age group. This genre is also very popular with males, the main gender demographic of the show.
However, the female character and their prominent position in the poster allows the show to also
appeal to females. Every character in the poster has a factor of sex appeal, with clothes that make
points of displaying parts of the characters’ bodies whilst also exaggerating their features. This makes
the poster immediately appealing to a wide variety of people.

Primary Research: Lumine
The Lumine x Jojo events was held between September
21st to October 31st 2018. The campaign included the
transformation of four Lumine stores located in Tokyo
into Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure merchandise vendors. This
transformation included multiple posters and wall
decorations advertising the upcoming animation as well
as food inspired by the show’s Italian setting.
Furthermore, unique merchandise such as badges,
figurines and clothes inspired by the animation’s unique
fashion sense were sold. Finger nail painting inspired by
the characters’ colours and patterns were also included.
With my own idea holding a strong
connection and inspiration from
fashion, this kind of event would work
great as a way of advertisement. Whilst
I obviously won’t be transforming four
entire fashion malls, I can utilise some
of the smaller ideas. For example, I
could create my own designs for finger
nail paint as well create concepts for
other merchandise such as badges.

Research Analysis – Still Art
• What common features do the researched products have?
• As previously mentioned, blue is commonly used in different posters for the
background. A big reason for this is to allow for easy visual contrast between it and the
foreground, something which I found in many posters – even those which don’t have
blue backgrounds. Additionally, colour contrast is found in various regions of the
posters, with different groups having different colour schemes to represent their
different sides (e.g. the different groups in Infinity War).
• This use of colour contrast is also found in the Game of Throne opening sequence, with
brighter yellows being put up against darker browns and blacks. Additionally, we see
here again that the use of different colours to represent different groups is found, as
different regions throughout the story’s world are represented using different colour
schemes.
• What aspects of the research will you include within your own production work?
• I will include both the aforementioned uses of colour, as it helps to give the audience an
immediate understanding of different characters’ roles in a story as well as their
personalities and morals. Additionally, the contrasting visuals can make the design more
appealing, meaning more people are likely to respond to the poster/box-art in a
positive way.

Primary Research - Animation
• The ‘Golden Wind’ trailer exaggerates the colours of the characters and backgrounds by creating
colourful silhouettes. This gives an immediate idea of the series’ strong connection to fashion.
Additionally, the bright and highly saturated colours make the trailer visually appealing and
eyecatching, leading to more people paying attention to it. The uncommon use of these techniques
makes the series appear unique amongst an ocean of other animated shows, enticing people to
remember it and try it out.
• The audio that accompanies the animation is upbeat, using a loud and bombastic drum beat. This
makes people feel excited when watching the trailer. The base guitar is used to further enhance this
factor, whilst also giving the trailer feel action packed. The target audience for this show includes
older teens and young adults, which the nod towards the action genre through the music and fast
paced visuals appeals to. Males are also in the target demographic, shown by the main cast as of
this trailer being made up of only males. However, the poses and clothes of these characters give
them a sexually appealing factor, broadening the possible demographic.
• The group shot at the end of the trailer positions Bucciarati on a chair, showing his leadership
position over the rest of the cast. These other characters surround him, showing how their lives
revolve around him. The first character shown, Giorno Giovanna, is immediately cemented as being
the protagonist of the story. The ladybug that Is used to connect the rest of the trailer shows his
ability to create life, whilst also showing how his introduction to the gang and his actions thereone
have heavy affects on the rest of the cast.
• The reveal of the final character, Bucciarati, has an extended duration showing off his clothes and
motifs. This builds excitement for the reveal of the character, who is a fan favourite in the already
established fandom. Additionally, it shows his importance to the story to new people. By having
Guido Mista appear second after the protagonist, the trailer shows his close connection to him,
whilst also foreshadowing how he becomes the protagonist’s right hand man.

Research Analysis - Animation
• How does the product appeal to its demographic?
• The trailer immediately sets the tone with its music to show that the show will have a
focus on action, a genre which is very popular with the show’s main demographic of
male teens/young adults. The art style features more detail that typical animation,
making the characters appear grittier. This makes the animation seem less child
orientated, something which many animations are or are at least assumed to be.
However, the use of bright colours throughout the trailer make the show still appear to
be fun and exciting, an important factor for action genre shows and appealing to the
age and gender demographic mentioned.
• What aspects of the research will you include within
your own production work?
• The use of bright colours will work in my own project, as this will solidify my work as
exciting. A more detailed and grittier artstyle will also help to appeal to my target
demographic, which is similar to that of this show. Additionally, the heavy use of colours
in backgrounds will allow me to focus my time on the animations of the characters, thus
making them smoother. As this trailer does, I will make sure to include animations that
display my character’s abilities and personalities, as this will give the audience an
immediate understanding of them despite the short animation.

Audience Research
Online Research

Secondary Research: Audience
Research – Teens/Young Adults
2D animation has held a place in the Western teen/young adult audience for a while now, with shows such as The
Simpsons boasting a high popularity and long running time. This area has only expanded as time has gone by, with
more and more shows following suit such as Rick & Morty, Lost In Space, etc. Common themes is these shows is the
crude/dark humour and the focus on it over higher quality animation.
However, as of more recent years some animated shows targeted at this demographic have begun to focus more on
telling a compelling narrative with higher quality animation and more interesting characters. These shows tend to hold
influence from Eastern animation, which is extremely popular in the West, mainly with this demographic. This is most
likely due to these types of stories allowing for a place to escape to during a time of constant stress and work due to
exams, relationships, etc. Additionally, the introduction of more Western made animations has made the entire genre
feel more the norm for this age group, meaning people feel less against watching it.
As well as programs tailored specifically for teens/young adults, many shows targeted towards a younger audience
have become popular with the aforementioned demographic as well. Shows such as Avatar: The Last Airbeneder and
Gravity Falls have massive audiences in this age group both from people rewatching them for nostalgia’s sake as well as
first time viewers. This is due to these shows not treating their audiences like idiots, and instead being fully
comfortable with mixing more ‘adult’ themes such as loss and heartbreak into their narratives. Furthermore, a mix silly
silly humour alongside dark and sarcastic comedy creates a blend of aspects that multiple demographics can enjoy.

Secondary Research: Audience
Research – Young Adults/Teens
Through my research of both the people within the demographic as well as the animated shows that
they watch, I have come to the conclusion that people within this group are mainly politically left
leaning, although some more right wing views can be commonly seen. A way to appeal to this viewpoint
is to present a diversity of my characters in my products, as I made sure to include people of different
genders, disabilities and races in my narrative.
As previously mentioned, some traditionally right wing views can be seen in this demographic, most
noticeable a respect for people working hard to get their results. I believe that this is a popular opinion
amongst the group as they themselves spend a lot of their time working, whether it be in education or
for a living. Due to their young age, many of these people will be working at the lower ends of their
industry, meaning they will fully feel the burden of their work. I believe that by seeing people work hard
and get results, people in this demographic feel inspired to work through their hardships. Additionally,
to represent this demographic, the majority of my characters, at least the main cast, are in this age
group themselves. This will make it easier for people to identify with the characters (which is something
I personally disagree with, as I identify more with a person’s actions and ideals rather than their sex or
age, but my research suggests people do find it easier this way.)
Overall the gender balance in my target demographic is rather equal, with a slightly higher proportion
being male. To appeal to both sexes, my cast includes members from both sides throughout the whole
narrative, with members of each playing important roles. I can reflect this in my project my presenting
both sexes in any work I produce. Furthermore, I will ensure that I portray members of both sexes with
differing importance and hierarchies based on their individuality instead of their sex.

Secondary Research: Online Research
• Observation: Disney creates Disney Channel to appeal to older target audience
(teens). This is done by creating PG-13 films. Lately, Disney has started making
movies aimed predominantly towards adults e.g. Million Dollar Man. Films such as
Moanna appeal to both children and adults due to its shift in comedy and action
setpieces.
• What this says about my audience: Comedy and action play a vital part in making
an animated product appealing to my target demographic.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Since my animation project is an
opening to a show, it would be out of place to display comedy here. What I can do
instead is focus on creating fluid animation with high momentum and action to
grab my audience’s attention.

Secondary Audience research
• Observation: The gender divide in the audience of Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure
is 50.2% male, 48.3% female and 1.5% other.
• What this says about my audience: Gender divide is roughly even between
male and female, suggesting that people of both of these genders can
enjoy the features of this show/genre.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: Include characters of
different genders. Use techniques in my opening inspired by the openings
of Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure.

• Observation: When creating Batman: The Animated Series, Conroy says the
creators ‘Never condescended the audience’ and ‘never condescended the
material. They respected the audience and they respected the material’.
• What this says about my audience: My audience can range in age from mid-teens
to young adults, but it is important to respect their intelligence and be
comfortable with adding in more complex situations and subtle details that they
can look into themselves.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: I will make sure to add subtle
details to both my animation and still-art. Furthermore, I will ensure that what is
occurring in the animations has more meaning to it than just random movements.

• Observation: A lot of animation studios take advantage of the Periphery Demographic,
creating shows that aim towards older audiences (e.g. Cartoon Network creating Adult
Swim). The studios often do this with their kids shows by adding in subtle sexual innuendoes,
dark humour and pop-culture references. Shows that are well known for doing this include
Adventure Time, Regular Show, and Gravity Falls.
• What this says about my audience: There is definitely a big sized audience of animated series
in the young adult age range. It is possible to create both animation specifically targeted at
older audiences as well as animation targeted both older and younger.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: As it is primarily meant to appeal to young
adults/teens, my animation will be heavily action based and will include moments of
violence.

• Observation: Many shows directed at children are also popular with their parents. This can be due
to either the show subtly appealing to adults or because parents enjoy spending time with their
children (or both). This is the case with shows such as Kim Possible and Fairly Odd Parents.
• What this says about my audience: In terms of adults, both individuals who just enjoy the show
themselves as well as parents who watch with their children can potentially enjoy animation.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: My project will not particularly be aimed towards
children, and so I will have more focus on appealing towards older audiences. As previously stated,
this will be done by adding in more complex situations as well as subtle details. Furthermore,
allusions towards real life situations will be included to give the animation some sort of
cementation in reality.

• Observation: Ed, Edd n’ Eddy appeals to its audience, which ranges
from children to adults, by creating relatable situations and
characters.
• What this says about my audience: Adults who enjoy animation can
enjoy relatable and nostalgic things.
• How will your product appeal to this audience: When creating still-
art, include some of the characters going about their normal lives.
As my characters ages range, this can allow for both reliability from
past experiences as children as well as present experiences as
adults.

Online Survey (Primary Research)

Survey Outline
• In order to obtain a more reliable insight on my target audience, I plan to produce an online survey
and to also interview people myself.
• The main intention of my online survey is to get a greater number of answers that I would be able
to gather via primary research. An easy way to release my survey is to create it via the website
Survey Monkey, which I have used in previous projects. It is important that I compare not only the
answers I get within this survey, but also compare between my primary and secondary research.
• Due to the survey being an online one, it needs to fill certain criteria in order for it to be successful:
• 1. Short Questions – People are easily bored by surveys that last too long, and due to the survey
being online I can’t push for people to stay and answer the quesitons
• 2.Mainly closed questions – This means questions that the interviewee will select from options
provided instead of creating their own answers. This will make the survey quicker and require less
thought from the person, thus increasing the chance of them actually answering it.
• 3. Non-leading questions – If I ask leading questions (e.g. Do you agree that 2D animation is the
best form of animation?) then the results will be inaccurate.
• 4. Personal Info – In order to understand what certain demographics think of what my project is
about, I will need information such as their age and sex. A positive of the survey being online is that
people won’t feel as awkward about answering these types of questions.

Survey Results - Age
Observation:
The majority of my ages are found in the 19-30 age group, followed closely by the 13-18 age group.
There is one answer in the 60+ section, but I found out that this was a joke answer and so will be
ignored from my analysis.
What does this say about my audience?:
This tells me that my audience, as also seen in my online research, is mainly comprised of teens-young
adults.
How will I appeal to this audience?:
My project will feature an action packed animation accompanied by exciting audio and SFX to keep
the viewer interested. Additionally, my main cast will be mainly comprised of people in these age
ranges.

Survey Results - Gender
Observation:
The gender different is made up of mainly males, holding a 56.25% overall. This is closely followed by
females, who hold 37.50%. Additionally, there was one instance of someone answering ‘other’.
This tells me that my audience will be slightly more male, as predicted. However, there is a sufficient
enough proportion of females to warrant targeting both male and female. The ‘other’ section of the
results is by far the smallest, however this is bound to happen due to most people identifying as
either male or female.
I will make sure to include characters who are of different genders. Furthermore, different characters
of different genders will hold different positions and act differently based on their own personalities
and backgrounds, rather than their gender.

Survey Results – Do you enjoy
watching animation?
Observation:
People overwhelmingly enjoy animation rather than dislike it. With a 93.75% compared to 6.25%.
What does this say about my audience?
These results tell me that most people in my demographic enjoy animation rather than dislike
it, reinforcing what I thought from my online research. I know this because most people who
answered this question will have been in the ranges seen previously.
I will make sure that the animation I create is of high quality. This will be done by spending extra
time to ensure that the animation is more fluid, creating more complex and interesting
movements, ensuring that the momentum is felt by the audience. Additionally, I will make sure
that the visuals and audio sync up.

Observation:
Most people in my demographic enjoy 2D animation, with 3D and Motion Graphics following up
behind. None of my answers were in favor of Claymation.
This tells me that my target audience mainly enjoys 2D animation over all others shown. This is
likely due to 2D and 3D animation being the most commonly found in mainstream media
nowadays.
How will I appeal to this audience?
To appeal to this audience I will make my animation is a 2D style as planned. Furthermore, I
will ensure the quality of the animation is good as to not disappoint them.
Survey Results – What kind of
animation is your favourite?

Observation:
Most people answered other, which doesn’t really tell me much as I realised that although you can
simply skip the question, which I indented people who do enjoy animation to do, I didn’t make this
obvious. Because of this, some people may have answered other as a means of saying they did enjoy
it.
What does this say about my Audience?:
From what was answered, there is an equal number of reasons as to why people in my demographic
might not enjoy animation. However, given only one person answered that they dislike animation on
a previous slide, it can be assumed that this person was the one who answered each of these, as I
deliberately let people choose multiple.
Survey Results – If you dislike
animation, why?
I will make sure that the animation is interesting and exciting as to prevent people from getting
bored.

Survey Results – How often do you
spend with animation?
Observation:
Most people spend 1-2 days a week with animation, followed by 3-4 days a week. 12.50% of people
claim to use animation daily.
This tells me that people are restricted to spending only a few days per week with animation. This
could be due to work, sports, social outings or a number of things.
I will make my animation be based around a TV show, as the 1-2 days per week window is perfect
for a show, as it would likely air weekly.

Survey Results – Favourite area of
animation?
Observation:
The most popular answer was was TV shows, with Video Games, Movies and Online videos following
whilst being roughly equal to each other. No Area and Other were by far the least popular answers.
My target demographic mostly enjoys animation in TV Shows. However, each group of animation
listed is decently popular, suggesting that animation is an overall popular field of media within this
demographic.
To appeal to this audience I will make my animation in the context of a TV show. This will include
creating advertisements inspired by those used by real animated TV shows.

Survey Summary
To ensure I got as many answers as possible, I sent out this survey using multiple pieces of media.
This included Snapchat, in which I sent the survey out to a group chat of 8, and Reddit. By using
Reddit, I was able to target multiple different groups to ensure that I got answers from many
different backgrounds. The two Subreddits I used were /r/Animation and /r/samplesize. The first
Subreddit involves people who are related to animation, meaning they will completely
understand the different questions I am asking them. The second one is made up of people who
focus on creating and answering surveys, meaning I had a higher chance of getting answers.
To summarise the answers that my survey got, I have created bullet points detailing them:
1. Most people who answered my survey were young adults, followed by teens. I will ensure my
project is mature and exciting to keep them interested.
2. A slight majority ofpeople in my demographic are male, followed closely by female. I will
include characters of different genders and different qualities to represent different people.
3. Most people enjoy animation rather than dislike it. I will put heavy focus on creating an
interesting and exciting animation with moves fluidly.
4. Most people in my demographic enjoy 2D animation the most, followed by 3D. I will make my
animation in 2D and ensure it is of high quality.
5. The reasoning for people disliking animation is equally spread. I will make sure that my
animation can keep people’s attention.
6. Most people spend 1-2 days per week on animation. I will create my project based around a
TV show as this works well for the allotted time people have.
7. Most people in my demographic enjoy animation in TV Shows the most. As previously stated,
I will base my project around a TV show.

Interview Outline
• The interviews that I plan to conduct will act very different to the online
survey, as the fact that I will be approaching people in person can change what
kinds of questions I can ask and how people will answer. The questions will be
similar to those found on the survey.
• As this will occur face-to-face, I will be able to ask more complex and open-
ended questions as the person will be more likely to answer them.
Furthermore, the interviewee will be able to ask me any questions about the
interview and I will also be able to follow up with what I ask them, meaning I
can get extra information about their demographic.
• A negative is that if the person knows me, they may feel the need to answer
the survey in a way that would agree with me. To counteract this, I will ask
people that I don’t know and will also ask family members to give the
interview to other people.
• Another potential issue is that people may feel unhappy about answering
certain personal questions e.g. age. This may lead to a false answer or no
answer.

Primary Research: Interview Results
Ewan Wild
What is your age?
18
What is your gender?
Male
Do you enjoy watching animation?
Yes. Both live-action and animation have their strengths and weaknesses, and it depends on the
story as for which suits better.
What is your favourite style of animation?
2D. I’m not a fan of the styles used with 3D animations (e.g. the new Spongebob Movie).
Stopmotion needs to be very well done, and if not will come out all tacky.
How often do you spend with animation?
1-2 Days per week. If I could, I would spend more time with animation.
What is your favourite medium for animation?
TV Shows. It works better with shorter times as it keeps you interested.

Interview Analysis
As predicted in my outline, I was able to gather more information through my questions when interviewing by following
up with more in-depth questions. This allowed me to gather extra information such as what people think of animation
compared to live-action. In this interview, the interviewee’s thoughts on this was that which is best ‘…depends on the
story’. We see from this that the person has a more open mind towards different types of media, and as the person is
in the 13-18 age range, supports my previous research suggesting teens enjoy animation. The person also answered
that their favourite style of animation is 2D, and that they aren’t a fan of 3D. This is good feedback for me, as it
reinforces the idea of creating my animation in 2D.
This person answered the ‘How often do you spend with animation?’ question with ‘1-2 days per week’. This answer
works well with the format of a TV show, as new episodes would likely air weekly. This further shows that my idea
would work well for this demographic. However, the interviewee followed up their answer by saying that they ‘…would
spend more time with animation if they could.’. This suggests that the person does particularly enjoy animation, but has
limited time spent with it due to outside factors. This will be a common situation for people in my target demographic,
as educational work as well as working a job will fill up time. A TV show would allow for the person to either record it to
watch when available or just watch it whenever they like depending on what platform the show airs on. This makes my
idea ideal for this demographic.
When I asked the person what their favourite medium for animation was, they answered ‘TV Shows’. There reasoning
behind this was ‘It works better with shorter times as it keeps you interested’. This tells me that for this demographic I
will need to ensure what I produce is able to keep their attention. Ways to do this include interesting and exciting
visuals as well as upbeat audio.
Overall, this person seems to be similar to what I expected people in their demographic to be – someone who enjoys
2D animation and watches only a couple of times per week. The correlation between what I had researched online and
found here are strong. However, I cannot make any completely solid conclusions without comparing this interview to
the others.

Primary Research: Subject Research
A lot of the different clothes and patters that I
use in my character designs are inspired by
brands like Gucci and Pretty Green. I chose these
brands because I found their styles to be very
expressive and abstract, thus allowing them to
give clear details about a character’s personality
as well as be eye-catching and unique.
Different types of clothing can also be used to
represent different wealth. For example, a
character who is relatively poor won’t have
clothing inspired by brands like Gucci, whilst a
wealthier person may.

Primary Research: Setting Culture

Secondary Research: Setting Culture
As the events of my story take place is Japan, it is important to incorporate Japanese
fashion into my work. I can mix these designs with those found in my designer clothes
research to create unique and interesting clothing. Furthermore, I can add additional
features to these clothes to make them more personal to the character wearing them.
A common feature found in many of these articles of clothing is the heavy use of the colour
grey. Whilst this is mainly found on jackets and accessories, it can also be found in the
patterns found on shirts. Other clothing is commonly black and white, creating a similar
effect. If I incorporate any of these clothes into my own work, I will make sure that there is
a greater variance in colour as to make more unique character designs that better represent
the characters.
Although they do seem to utilise a lot of grey in some designs, female clothes seem to have
a wider range of colours used generally, such as pinks and blues. This suggests that females
in Japanese society have a wider range of clothing that is typically seen as acceptable. I will
not include these societal limits in my own work because I don’t want to be held back in my
creations. Also, a big point of my designs is that they are supposed to be outlandish and
unique, so limiting myself in this way wouldn’t work with my style. However, I will make
sure to incorporate different features of these clothes into my designs as to make them
more authentic.

Primary Research – Setting Culture
Architecture

• Architecture
• My research shows that the architecture in Japan has a wide variance from traditional to more western-like. This western influence can
mainly be seen in Tokyo. The streets have been constructed similar to those you would find in cities like London, with lots of compact
areas filled with as many shops and restaurants as possible. Additionally, due to the fact that in Japan people drive on the left side of
the road, like in the UK, the roads themselves have been built around this. This takes into factor the positioning of traffic lights, road
markings and pedestrian crossings.
• One obvious difference between Japanese buildings compares to western ones is the writing on them. In japan the writing it, of course,
Japanese, which is something I will need to take into consideration in order to make the settings as authentic as possible. Additionally,
the signs and boards that this writing is usually on is typically much brighter and more highly saturated than ones found in the UK. The
colours used here are similar to those found in the traditional buildings, suggesting that this is done to make the buildings more
connected to their traditional Japanese roots.
• As for the traditional buldings, they all share a common usage of bright red. This is due to the fact that red is a traditional colour
assosiates with Japan. As previously mentioned, we see how this colour usage has carried over into more modern cities like Tokyo in
their signs and screens. Sloped roofs are found in many of these constructs as well. This feature will have been initially created with the
intention of letting rain run off of the roofs, but today acts as a visual connection between the different buildings.
• From my own time spent in Japan I have seen the various different buildings personally. When I spent time in Tokyo, I travelled around
many large gardens in the city. Nature, especially flowers, play an important part in Japanese culture as they are used to represent
many different things. The most famous flower in this area is the Lotus flower, which is commonly found in both eastern and western
media alike, showing its influence. These gardens, like the use of red in the city, provide a connection to the country’s roots.
Furthermore, these gardens are typically similar to the natural plantlife found in the Japanese countryside, where many traditional
structures still stand.
• AS the majority of my animation will take place in a city, I will make sure to predominantly use Tokyo for reference when creating
buildings of my own. However, my research dictates that I should also take the traditional buildings into consideration, as their
influence and connection to the cities plays an important part in the overall culture of Japan.

Food

Food
Like many Asian countries, rice acts as one of the most predominant foods in Japanese cuisine.
This is most notably seen in rice balls, one of the most famous dishes in Japan. These little
packages are used in a variety of ways, acting as both a side dish and a main depending on the
intent. Their contents are most commonly raw fish, such as salmon. Rice balls can be found in a
variety of different cuisines, from high star restaurants to street food stalls. This is due to the fact
that rice balls can be prepared to work similarly to side dishes in our own food, and thus the main
focus can be on a more impressive dish. They also work well as food that you can grab to eat
whilst walking, something which I experienced first hand during my time in Japan.
Another predominant food in Japan is noodles, which are most famously used there in ramen.
Similar to a stew, ramen typically involves a thin sauce accompanied by ramen, various veg, a
chosen meat/fish and herbs. They are eaten from bowls and have been a part of Japanese cuisine
for many years. Ramen can act as either a lunch or dinner due to its filling quality. Similar to rice
balls, the meats used in ramen are extremely variable, although sea food in very popular due to it
overall popularity in Japan.
Whilst I don’t especially plan on including any food in my animation, it could work being featured
in the background to make the world feel more real and that people have lives outside of the
main cast. Additionally, I believe it is important to learn these details about a country in order to
write something based their, as the cuisine, for example, can explain why certain things exist
elsewhere in the culture.

Primary Research – Character Design A

Primary Research – Character Design 1
This design features a heavy use of blue, a colour which is assosiated with
intelligence and being reserved. Additionally, blue is a common colour found
is Japanese culture, providing a connection between the character and the
country. This, as well as the use of Lotus flowers in the design, give an instant
idea of the character being from Japan. Butterflies represent growth and
freedom, and are used in the design to represent their change in their
character arc and their metaphorical freedom from the idea of ‘fate’ a theme
I plan to use.
My research shows that clothes made of baggier materials can show a
character’s more held back personality. I incorporate this idea via a hood,
which is not only baggy, but the location of it allows for shots where It would
cover parts of the face, which would allow me to show the character’s
thoughts by simply angling the ‘camera’ at different perspectives.

• I will add extra image slides like the previous
one to the next character design research
slides next week, as I have no internet to get
images from at the moment.

Due to the character’s wealthier background, parts of what I plan to use in this design is inspired
by designer brands such as Gucci. This, alongside the use of the colour purple, will give the design
a wealthier aspect to it. Furthermore, I plan to utilise fabrics that are typically seen as wealthier,
such as silk, in this design. However, I also want the clothes to reflect practicality. This is why I
decided to use trousers and a belt, as these are typically seen as clothes that can be used for
grittier work. Additionally, smaller details of these trousers such as the inclusion of pockets
(especially given that these are female oriented trousers) show that they are for practical use
over fashion. The smaller clothes for the torso as well as the flowing silk are used so that the
design will appear for slender, giving the idea that the person is less prone to hid things head on.
When researching the clothes for this design, I made sure to create a connection between
designer clothes and Japanese clothes. This will not only make the clothes in my design more
unique, but will act as a connector between two different cultures of clothing, similar to how
colours and gardens provide a connection between traditional and modern architecture in Japan,
as mentioned earlier.
Whilst blue is used as a way of representing the character’s personality, it also fits to provide
further connection between the design and Japan, similar to how it does in design A. I plan to
have the blue be used less frequently than the purple, but for it to stand out more. This will give
the idea that the character has a strong connection to the affairs of Japan, whilst the purple
representing their background is portrayed as less important.

As a character from the UK, this design will have less connection to Japan
than the previous two. I will use this as a means of showing the difference in
the character’s cultures. This can be done through colours, as I plan to do
using a heavy use of pink rather than blue, but also through the type of
clothing. My previous research on clothing shows that females in Japan tend
to wear skirts or shorts a lot, so as a means of providing contrast I had this
character wear a dress. This idea will also provide the same contrast in canon
as another member of the main cast who is from Japan will wear a skirt.
Blonde hair is extremely uncommon in Japan, so using it here will give an
immediate understanding that this character is Western. Additionally, the
messier shape of the hair will let the viewer understand that this character
comes from a less wealthy background. The longer hairstyle that I plan to use
in this design provides additionally contrast with Asian culture, where shorter
hairstyles are more popular.
As a colour that is traditionally associated with femininity, pink is used in this
design to show just that. However, the use of a faint pink further shows the
character’s poorer background.

• Similar to the last design, I wanted this one to have a heavy
contrast with the clothes found in my research on Japanese
culture. This is done through having a beanie hat and a hood,
two things which are in no way associated with Japanese
clothing. As my research dictated that grey and blue are often
found in Japanese culture, I incorporated these into the
design to show how the character has been influenced by
Japan and their connection to the country. The blonde hair
gives an immediate understanding that they are related to
design 3. By researching paraplegia, I was able to also gain
insight on how, if at all, it affected what clothes someone
would wear. The clothes in this design, as the character is
paraplegic, are simple to wear giving them practicality.

Primary Research - Character Design 5
The heavy use of grey in this design gives it an immediate
connection to Japanese culture. Hot pink is a colour that gives
an impression of confidence and brashness, both things which
I want to incorporate into this design. I did this by colouring
the hair, skirt and parts of the rest of the clothing with it. As
previously mentioned, skirts and shorts are common pieces of
clothing for females in Japan, so I used this in the design to
show the character’s origins there. People who live in hotter
climates are typically able to wear warmer clothes there, so I
added leggings to the design. The short hair is also
reminiscent of the short hair fashion is Japan. Additionally, the
specific style used is directly influenced by many of the
hairstyles found in fashion magazines, showing the character’s
love of the genre.

This character has a heavy use of red, a colour that my
research shows has a strong connection to Japan. By
using it throughout this design I show that the character
has had little experience of other cultures and countries.
My research on colour design tells me that dark colours
work well to provide contrast with brighter colours like
red, putting the focus onto them. I incorporate this into
the design by having the basic clothes (shirt and trousers)
be dark purple. Additionally, colour theory tells me that
purple is used to represent a more hostile personality,
which is only exaggerated by the red.

• Similar to the last design, this one utilises red a
lot in it. However, the colours here are less
saturated, which my research on colour tells me
works to display a character’s more held back
personality. The use of grey reflects the
character’s unknowing of what choices they
should make, again something I found out by
researching colour. The coat that I have the
character wear is partially similar to the one
found in design 1, the design itself being inspired
by various coats found in Japanese fashion.

Practical Research
• My practical research mainly consists of looking at different
animation techniques as well as how to get the most out of
animating in Photoshop. To do this, I looked at multiple video
tutorials online, which are listed in my Bibliography. Whilst I
initially worked alongside these tutorials, trying to mirror
what happened in the video, I later began to create my own
pieces utilising what I had learnt. Through doing this, I was
able to apply techniques in various different and unique ways
instead of just copying what I saw on the screen.
• I also made sure to research different techniques that I could
incorporate into my still-art. These techniques ranged from
improving shading to page layouts.

Secondary Research: Practical
Research• Before I began creating the animation for my project, I was undecided on what software I would use for creating it.
The main two pieces of software that I was deciding between were Adobe Photoshop and Toon Boom Harmony.
• Through researching online, I discovered that Harmony was a software used by many professionals, including
animators from big teams as well as freelancers who create work on YouTube. For example, it has been used when
creating shows such as The Simpsons.
• One major benefit of using Harmony is that the drawing is vector based as opposed to pixel based. This means
that no matter how far you zoom into a line, it won’t become jagged and pixelated, guaranteeing smooth lines.
• Rebecca Spear says ‘[Harmony] offers some of the best animation tools in the industry.’ This shows that by using
Harmony, I would be able to push the limits of my animations. An example of the tools featured in Harmony it the
bone-rigging tool, which allows you to move certain parts of a drawing around as if it were a real limb, allowing for
smooth movement of body parts. Also quoted from Rebecca Spear, the main downside of Harmony is that it’s ‘…
meant for professionals …isn’t very beginner friendly’. This would mean that I would need to spend a long time
learning how to use the software, which could result in having less time to work on other areas of the FMP.
• On the other hand, Adobe Photoshop’s animation function is much simpler to learn. Additionally, throughout the
college year I have been using Photoshop to animate in projects, meaning I already have plenty of experience
using it. However, the reason for its easier learning curve is due to its lack of content compared to Harmony.
Photoshop is primarily an editing software, so its animation section is only a tertiary feature. There are no
additional tools past the ones that are primarily used for editing. Whilst these can be utilised when animating,
they are far simpler and less effective that the tools found in Harmony.
• Additionally, Photoshop’s drawing is pixel based. This means that the quality of the image will decrease as you
zoom in on lines as the pixels will be visible. Whilst this won’t effect the animation much, it is something that
stops me from being able to have the art be as refined as I would like it to be.
• To conclude, I decided to work with Photoshop instead of Harmony. I made this decision because I believe that I
am capable of creating a good quality animation whilst using Photoshop, which will leave me more time to work
on other areas of my FMP instead of having to learn a new software. Additionally, Photoshop is readily available
on college computers, whilst Harmony is not, meaning I would have to either set it up at college or bring in a
laptop, which I doubt would be able to properly run Harmony.

Primary Research: Practical Research
I made sure to research how I could use various Adobe software
to edit the audio backing my animation. This included Adobe
Audition as well as Premiere. By looking at both software I can
see what pros and cons each have, and furthermore can come to
a decision at to what I will use each for. Audition’s primary use is
to edit sound, and thus the software boasts a greater range of
sound editing options and techniques. Premiere, on the other
hand, is more limited, although the software also allows for
video editing, meaning I can do both at once.
After experimenting with both, I have decided that I will use
Audition for more complicated and niche edits whilst I will use
Premiere for simpler edits such as cutting parts of the audio out.

Primary Research: Practical Research
Before I began to create my products, I decided to spend time experimenting with
different character designs. This mainly consisted of trying out different types of
clothes, but I also made sure to create quick ideas of what minor characters would
look like. This would allow me to expand on the potential cast of my products as
well as hone my techniques.
Using the research that I conducted regarding clothing, I created different styles
of clothing for different characters. I made sure to us inspiration from my
research, implementing different features of different clothing into my character
designs. Furthermore, I made sure to create designs that reflected the characters’
personalities. Clothing plays an important role in this, as there are many different
properties that can be used to define a character (colours, how baggy the clothes
are, what type of clothing they wear etc.).
Additionally, I decided to practice with non-canonical casual clothes that I would
also reflect the characters. Whilst I won’t necessarily use these designs, by
practicing creating them I can gain a deeper understanding of what clothes can
represent different things about a person as well as just improve my skills with
drawing different clothing.

Bibliography1. Anderson, W. (2019) Target Audience Research Survey (conducted on 04/04/2019)
2. Wild. E. (2019) Target Audience Interviews (conducted on 04/04/2019)
3. Anon. (Unknown). Appeal to Older Audiences. Available:
https://therhetoricofdisney.weebly.com/appeal-to-older-audiences.html. Last accessed 02/04/2019.
4. Anon. (Unknown). Men's. Available: https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/ca/men-c-men. Last accessed
04/04/2019.
5. Anon. (Unknown). Periphery Demographic / Western Animation. Available:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/PeripheryDemographic/WesternAnimation. Last accessed
03/04/2019 .
6. Anon. (Unknown). Women's. Available: https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/ca/women-c-women. Last
accessed 04/04/2019.
7. Cecchini. (2018). The Enduring Appeal of Batman: The Animated Series. Available:
https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/batman/275198/the-enduring-appeal-of-batman-the-animated-
series. Last accessed 03/04/2019.
8. Sherman. J. (2018). JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Exhibit's Survey Reveals Fan Demographics. Available:
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-08-16/jojo-bizarre-adventure-exhibit-survey-
reveals-fan-demographics/.135481. Last accessed 02/04/2019.
9. Spear.R . (2019). Toon Boom Harmony Advances Review. Available:
https://www.toptenreviews.com/software/multimedia/best-2d-animation-software/toon-boom-studio-
review/. Last accessed 29/03/18.
10. Uhden. B. (2013). How to Edit Audio - Adobe Audition. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg_IM4lA7wo.
Last accessed 02/04/2019.

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