This document provides an overview and planning for an animated short film about early signs of depression. It includes sections on the idea, contents, font, color scheme, characters, backing track, script, and storyboard. The film will show signs of depression through flashbacks of a teenager and raise awareness of early detection. It will be animated in After Effects with illustrations created in Illustrator. The document explores creative choices for visual elements and receives feedback on potential backing music to match the shifting tone from happy to sad.

1. FMP Planning
By Oliver Keppie

2. Idea
 I am going to create a short animated film set inside the
flashbacks of a teenager and shows what's happened in the past
and it will highlight the early and middle signs of depression.At
the end it there will be a voiceover narration and it will re show the
key parts of the animation that show the signs with a little text to
say a bit more about them. The main reason I am creating this is
to raise awareness for the earlier signs of depression so you can
see them in yourself or others and get help as early as possible. I
am planning to have at least 4-5 signs in the animation and it will
be animated inAfter Effects and Photoshop with illustrations and
characters created in Illustrator.

3. Contents

4. Font
The reason I have picked this font is because it is quite bold
therefore easy to read and doesn’t scream out happy or sad
so it is a good neutral font. I also think that it would be good
to pop up when the narrator at the end is speaking about each
sign. Although I don’t think it is powerful enough for the
title/credits of the film.
The reason I have picked this font is because I think it will go
well with the style of animation I am planning on doing for
my depression creature. It looks as if it has been drawn by a
child in some sort of marker pen which also makes it feel
more authentic. Although I also don’t think this would be
the correct font for my title or credits.
I think this font is quite good as it is neutral like the first
font. Although one think that could cause trouble is because
this is based off a font owned by Disney so it may contain
some copywrite laws etc. Apart from this I think this font
looks good and I imagine it working well within my final
piece.
Similarly to the second font this looks like it is hand drawn
which I think would work with the animation style. One of
the downsides with this font is that it looks very childish and
my audience is 14-16 year olds. Overall I think it is a nice
font and one I will potentially use.
I think this font is the best contender as I can imagine it
working well as a pop up title for the signs and main title. It
also looks a lot more ”grown up” and professional than the
others which is why ill most likely use this font.

5. Colour
Scheme
 I may not use these exact colors I just think I should use ideas that
suit the surroundings that character is in and how they are acting,
but the reason I have these two screenshots is because I want to
try and show some desaturation throughout my film. I think that
this will work well to show the fatigue caused by depression. I also
think it will be good to show the weight loss aspect by making the
skin tone more pale and sickly as the animation goes on.
 As for the surroundings I think from the part where the family
start to split up the weather and overall saturation of the
surroundings should get worse. I think this will add a layer of
subliminal messaging to the animation and create some more
subtle emotion.

6. Characters
 1)This is the main character of my final piece for the
first scene when he is in a pre-school playing with
the blocks. I have chosen a stereotypical baby hair
style and I have made the nappy an off white color
just so it stands out of the background a bit more.
There is nothing I can really symbolize or get into
this character so unfortunately it just looks like a
generic baby.
 2) I managed to get a little more personality into
the second more grown up variation of the main
character. The reason I made his hair this puffy curly
type is to reflect the style of the depression
creature and maybe act as a little bit of
foreshadowing. I decided to make the shirt green
because it resembles safety which will be faded
away as the animation goes on and also as the
animation gets more muted in tones.
 3)This is the teenage version of my main character
which can be seen in his longer hair and larger
appearance. The reason his hair is longer is to show
his lack of self confidence and takes less care of his
appearance. Have also changed the color of his
shirt to be dark grey to represent the darkness
that’s starting to overcome his personality etc. I
have also made his skin a little more pale and added
some definition of cheek bones as the character has
lost weight due to his depression.
 4)This is my visual representation of depression. I
have chosen to go with this idea because I think the
tangled mess is what depression may feel like and
the animation style I am using gives off a childlike
scribble feel which represents the childhood
depression shown in my cartoon, as well as giving it
a vulnerable feel like a child. I have decided to do
the eyes and mouth in a light blue to contract the
black and make them visible, it will also make them
stand out among white backgrounds.
1
2
3
4

7. BackingTrack
 I have two good contenders for the final backing track for my final
piece. I am conflicted on which piece to pick for my animation so
because of this I am going to conduct a small survey among a few
people to see what track they think will work best.
Name: Song 1 (why it would or
wouldn't work)
Song 2 (why it would or
wouldn't work)
Louis Biddles Song 1 would work well as it does
create the depressed tone which you
need to achieve for the product.
I feel the start of song 2 would work
incredibly effectively, this would work
perfectly however, as the song
progresses the ending ruins it as it is far
to positive and will convey the incorrect
tone.
Sean Cawood Song 1 feels a little too repetitive. It has
the right tone and right instruments
however it fails to go anywhere and I think
this would be perfect if there was more
changes in the music to make it more
interesting to listen to.
Song 2 would work better but it doesn’t fit
perfectly for me. It isn’t quite the right tone
but the music is more interesting as it has
more of a progression which could be good
for the animated story. The song itself would
have fit better if there was more instruments
that were slowly added over time
symbolizing the increase of the depression.
Dave Bakes The instruments work well for
something sad. It still has a bit of pace
to it. It changes a little as it goes so you
can edit to it. However, it is a bit sad all
he way through.The opening and then
end are happy moments which this
doesn’t provide.
The ending of this is quite upbeat
which could work well with the end of
your film.The early part is again quite
sad, which doesn’t fit. Could cut it up
and edit it though. Not as much pace in
it which might not work for the
audience.
1 2

8. BackingTrack
 I tried to mix some of the tracks that I have acquired because from
my feedback I found that the second track was overall better in
terms of an individual musical piece and it had a better flow,
although the mood did not fit the animation. My animation starts
of happy and then gets sadder over time so I need a song that can
match that shift in tone.
 In my first attempt I found two brand new piano based songs one
being a happy tune and the other sad. I then tried some basic
mixing techniques on premiere and found that I wasn’t happy with
the result and it sounded janky. For my second attempt I used the
two songs that I had in the previous slide.This worked a little
better but it is hard to beat match songs in premiere so I could
possibly use garage band or another music editing software to
create a better fade. Although this attempt didn’t turn out too bad
and although it could be improved the shift in tone is definitely
better and more noticeable.

9. Script
 Narration:Wanting to be alone. Stressful events. Restless
sleeping. Constant low mood. Lack of energy. Changes in appetite.
All of these can be early signs of depression . Been spotting these
signs in yourself or others and need help, visit one of the websites
on screen for help. All links will be in the description.
 Links:
 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk
 https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-and-
stigma/help-and-support
 https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-
services/how-to-access-mental-health-services/
 https://youngminds.org.uk
 Samaritans Helpline: 116 123

10. Storyboard

18. Storyboard
Explained
 Box 1: Black Screen.
 Box 2:The screen starts to open like eyelids and it starts to reveal
some of the first scene in pre-school.The screen is also very blurry and
as the eye opens more and more it gets clearer.
 Box 3: Main character plays with blocks in a rug with a slide to the
right and a few parents speaking in the background. Also other
playing children could be added.
 Box 4:The screen fades to a white and then fades into the next scene.
 Box 5: Main character sleeping in bed still as the screen slowly zooms
out.
 Box 6:White fade transition.
 Box 7: Main character playing tig as mum runs behind him.
 Box 8:White fade transition.
 Box 9: Main character in class with two others with math on the
board.
 Box 10:White fade transition.
 Box 11: Main character playing football scoring against goalie.
 Box 12:White fade transition.

19. Storyboard
Explained
 Box 13: Main character and friend ride bike down street and the friend
is doing a wheelie.The depression creature is in a window of a house
they pass.
 Box 14: Light grey fade transition.
 Box 15: Parents are arguing at the dinner table as the main character
has his back to the screen on a chair.
 Box 16: Light grey fade transition.
 Box 17: Still zooming out the main character is more restless in his bed
tossing and turning in his sleep.
 Box 18: Light grey fade transition.
 Box 19: Main character back in same classroom and child to right
throws paper ball at him.
 Box 20: Cuts to close up of hands opening the letter and it reads
“Loser”.
 Box 21: Main character is walking down a school hallway whilst
shedding a single tear. As he is walking one of the lockers flies open
and the depression creature us there.
 Box 22: Grey fade transition.

20. Storyboard
Explained
 Box 23: Parents are arguing across the main character when he is
sat in the middle playing video games.
 Box 24: Grey fade transition.
 Box 25: Main character laid in bed looking straight up as the screen
I still zooming out.The depression creature is behind the
headboard.
 Box 26: Dad leaving out of the front door with a suitcase.
 Box 27: Grey fade transition.
 Box 28: Main character sat on edge of bed with depression
creature and they both look down.
 Box 29: Close up of hands playing with food instead of eating it.
 Box 30: Darker grey fade transition.
 Box 31: Main character looks in the mirror and is skinny.
 Box 32: Dark grey fade transition.
 Box 33: Main character walks down the school corridor again but
this time the depression creature is perched on there right
shoulder.

21. Storyboard
Explained
 Box 34: Black fade transition.
 Box 35: Fades into bedroom scene and the rug glides to the right
of the screen and as its still zooming out the background turns to
black and the bed gets smaller and smaller.The depression
creature is sat on the main characters chest who is laid on the bed.
 Box 36: cuts to side view of the character fighting to get the
depression creature off of his chest.
 Box 37: Finally pushed the depression creature off his chest.
 Box 38:All of the scenes where a symptom or sign of depression is
shows replays and text appears saying what it is making it clear to
the audience.
 Box 39: Face of main page appears on screen and is frowning.
 Box 40:The frown turns upside down to be a smile and the tittles/
text etc comes up on the screen.
 Box 41: Cuts to black.
 Box 42:The depression creature comes on screen in white this
time instead of being black and waves goodbye