The document outlines a proposed 2D animation project. The objectives are to determine if 2D animation can effectively convey emotion through characters, backgrounds, and objects. The author will work individually to research 2D animation techniques, draw concept art, storyboard, animate, and edit the project. Milestones include completing research/analysis and a first draft for review. Resources needed are drawing/editing software and equipment, research materials on animation styles and past works. The tutor agrees the project is suitable and not duplicative of other qualifications.

1. Section One:
Title, Objective, Responsibilities
Title or working title of project (in the form of a question):
Can 2D animation be a good way to represent a strong sense of emotion?
Project objectives (eg, what is the question you want to answer? What do you want to learn how to do? What do
you want to find out?):
When it comes to project objectives there are a few underlining themes and questions I want to answer being that of the main
one with “Can a 2D animation be a good way to represent a strong sense of emotion?” but where the other questions come in is
whether a 2D animation can achieve a strong sense of emotion with not just it’s characters, but the backgrounds presented, the
settings, the items laid out such as a pocket watch or a dead dog’s collar.
With learning what I want to know how to do, primarily is to know how to produce a 2D animation but with a strong sense of
emotion in a variety of different variables to keep things interesting and lively. I want to make the setting/background just as
emotionally important as the characters and I want to find how what it takes to produce a well realised 2D animation.
If it is a group project, what will your responsibilities be?
I will not be doing a group project as I feel I work better on my own and in turn, can have a better direction of work flow as it’s
more concentrated. Whilst you can work quickly with other people, working on your own means I don’t have to rely on other
people for certain actions and with that, I don’t have to think of potential problems or causes of things that can go wrong.
Elements can go wrong in many things but more specifically in 2D animation, I will know if there is a fault at hand that it’s with my
own doing and not of someone else’s meaning I can direct the problem and probably fix it quicker, which is the reasoning behind
not doing a group project but an individual one for these 2D animation.
Section Two:
Reasons for Choosing this Project
Reasons for choosing the project (eg, links to other subjects you are studying, personal interest, future plans,
knowledge/skills you want to improve, why the topic is important):
The reasoning behind choosing this project is a mixture of things. One reason why I’ve decided to choose this as a project is that,
being that I’m studying a Creative & Media Diploma course, it involves many different media-based properties and assets, such as
Film Editing, Photo Editing, Sound Editing and more. However, we never really have done anything that combines all them
together in a creative way and I felt 2D animation was a good way to go as whilst some of us had the option to create animations
in the past with programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Flash, it was something that wasn’t at the front of list of options
and more was a specialist thing we would take part in. I feel that I have relatively decent skills in film editing, image editing and
more and want to combine them in a fun interesting way and with the change of choosing a 2D animation as an extended project,
I feel it’s a good way to go as I can use sound design for elements such as music and voice acting, image editing for the editing of
the drawings, characters, backgrounds and more, writing for the script and the general plot and film editing for piecing it all
together in a nice package with some additional effects.
Not only that but I also have a personal interest in 2D animation and animation as a whole. 3D animation is something I’m quite
interested in but not something I generally like being presented to be and watch. Production companies such as Dreamworks and
Pixar are some of the exceptions but I’d rather be watching a cartoon in a 2D format such as Tom & Jerry. It’s something I found
more appealing and grew up with and therefore share a personal interest for. It’s not something my aspirations would lead
themselves too, with my aspirations being more catered to that of Video Game Design but it’s something fun to do, it’s simpler
than that of 3D animation and therefore I feel I can progress well with it. Not only that, 3D animation is something I rather have
control with, something that I can interact with, with a good example being that of a Video Game, controller a 3D model with a
controller. 2D animation just seems more fun and simple to me and it’s that simplicity that drew me towards 2D more than 3D
right away. However, whilst my personal interest for 2D animation is quite strong and my plans don’t completely lend themselves
to the 2D animation world, I do want to gain and improve on my skills and knowledge in the field.
Some of the skills I want to gain or improve upon right off the bat is my drawing. I’m going for a mixture of Japanese Manga style
and American Comic Book style, taking aspects from each to provide a fresh, interesting look to my animation but as it stands I
can draw quite well and quite detailed but when it comes to animation, basic people walking is something I feel I can do but
complications with the movement of hair and eyes twitching is things I’ll have to consider, build upon and improve with my
drawing skills. My animating skills will need improving as well; I can make a stick man move but what about something wearing

2. baggy jeans or a skirt blowing in the wind. It’s more complicated but it’s something I’m eager to try, investigate and achieve in this
process. With knowledge, I want to learn what it’s like to be a 2D animator. A 2D animations’ artist and all the other roles
involved. What a standard day is like and other such elements, furthermore gaining knowledge on the background behind some
of these 2D animations can be quite personal and interesting, seeing animations I saw as a child growing up to as they are now
and seeing them in a new light.
That’s one of the reasons why I find this topic to be important as it hits on a personal level as I do enjoy watching cartoons and
forms of animation but there is also the fact that it’s something different to try, it might be a challenge but creating a 2D
animation as an artefact for this unit will be a fun, creative challenge.
Section Three:
Activities and timescales How long will this take:
Activities to be carried out during the project (eg, research, analysis, writing,
preparing for the presentation, etc):
Research
Research into 2D Animation production, 2D artists for inspiration of the magna and comic
book variety, structure of a 2D animation, 2D animation drawings and techniques and watch 15 HOURS
actual 2D animations. Look into any journals and websites that cater to this subject. Jot
down notes and provide links to these areas if you find them useful or interesting for the
analysis stage.
Analysis
Look into 2D animation by viewing or reading about it and take elements of certain pieces to
provide ideas that can sprout out from reading/watching these pieces of media. Take
inspirations and aspiration and combine them to have a firm idea on what type of 2D
animation you want to produce, its content, characters, setting and more. 15 HOURS
Writing
Writing the script for what is to happen in the animation, any lines of dialogue for voice
acting, writing a screenplay for actions within the animation itself. 10 HOURS
Drawing
Drawing concept of characters, settings, environments, items of interest, comic book panels.
20 HOURS
Editing
Using a graphics tablet and other pieces of equipment, filling into the colour, adding
digitally-enhanced lines of direction over the scanned pencil lines, having the characters 10 HOURS
move, connecting frames, adding transitions, movement in the camera shake and so forth.
First Draft
Have the animation rendered and complete, put up and uploaded on a video-streaming
website such as YouTube or Megavideo for download to show to the public (my audience) or 10 HOURS
other audiences for reviewing and the presentation.
Reviewing/Presentation
The 2D animation presented to my audience and others. Feedback from the audience and
myself judging from their responses. 5 HOURS
Final Draft
Jot down additional improvements to the 2D animation from the reviewing/presentation
phase, apply those improvements smoothly and produce a final draft for upload of the 2D
animation to all to see. 5 HOURS

3. Milestone one:
Having the research, analysis and writing stages complete to a decent amount and high quality standard.
Target date (set by tutor-assessor):
Milestone two:
Having the first draft of the animation produced for the public for presentation/reviewing.
Target date (set by tutor-assessor):
Section Four:
Resources
What resources will you need for your research, write up and presentation (eg, libraries, books, journals,
equipment):
Equipment:
· Graphic Tablet
· Microphone (To record voices, add any narrations and so on)
· Paper (A4 white clean sheets of paper, standard paper typically used for printing to draw on for concept drawings)
· Pencils &Pens (pencils and pens of all different shades to bring animation and characters to life)
· Ruler & Rubber (Rubber suitable for erasing pencil lines I do not want)
· Film Editing Software (Adobe Premier Pro/Sony Vegas to piece together the images of the animation so I can pan it between
comic book slides)
· Image Editing Software (Adobe Photoshop to colour in characters, environments and more)
Research:
Books on:
· 2D Animators
· 2D Artists
· 2D Animations
· Japanese/Manga Styling
· American Comic Book Styling
· Behind the scenes of 2D animation (video footage, imagery)
· Websites that provide 2D animations to watch and 2D animation resources (www.newgrounds.com)

4. What your areas of research will cover?
The areas of research I will cover are varied. I will be undergoing research under the area of 2D animators themselves, the artists
behind it and the whole finished production itself, 2D animation. I will also be looking at Japanese/Manga styles as well as
American Comic Book styles of 2D animation or art to help provide inspiration or spark little, neat ideas for my artefact. I will also
cover behind the scenes of 2D animation with video footage and imagery if possible and look into websites that host plenty of 2D
animations for me to view for the analysis stage, a good example being that of http://www.newgrounds.com/
Comments and Agreement from Tutor-Assessor
Is the learner taking this project as part of the Diploma? Yes/No
If yes, which Diploma are they taking? ______________________________________________
Comments (optional):
Is project derived from work which has been/will be submitted for another qualification? Yes/No
Which qualification (title and unit)? _______________________________________________
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is not work which has been or will be submitted for another qualification and is appropriate.
Agreed: (name) (date)
Comments and Agreement from Project Proposal Checker
Comments (optional):
I confirm that the project is appropriate.
Agreed: (name) (date)