A high school romance. . .

[umaiki]

For like years now, I have always wanted to make a small series, and I think I've figured out how to jump into the deep end and not drown.

I plan on making a 13 episode long animation about the woes of a high school romance, I've got the basic plot figured out in my head, I've got the charater designs, and I have the materials.

I've considered ALOT of ideas for plots and that- from a purposely stupid soap, complete with organ music, to a look at our planet from a alien's point of veiw.

(Spolier afoot!)
The plot I thought would be most original was a high school romance. . . but with a tiwst! The story doesn't focus on the students, but it focuses on the romance of the teachers!
Well, A (the moody cow) has a crush on C (the hot ginger) She soon finds out that she has competition, B. (the scruffy one). And the plot and the chaos just continues from there really.
I plan to put in alot of humour, since if it didnt pull of that, what else would it have? I'll try hard to have it all it of the episodes funny, and that theres no bad eggs- and I need to try to have not too many bad yolks! I mean jokes!
(End of spoiler. . .well not really since this whole post is a spolier- it's noobieness has spoiled your lovely day! Sheese, could I be anymore annoying!? Only time will tell. . . if only clocks could speak. . .)

So, here is the first charater designs:
http://www.pikkle.hostultra.com/cast2.bmp

So I could make a original and smooth animation, I decided to use a simple style- I call them box people, they are debatebly 1 step up from awful stick people. So far I havent seen anyone use this sort of style before, part from what was my inspiration- A song from the anime "kodocha" which told you how to draw the main charater in a simplified way.

And here is how they shall look in the actural animation. . .
http://www.pikkle.hostultra.com/test%20004.jpg

Oh come on. . . it's late at night, so I can't see, and I'm tired, that's why they look so bad and the picture quality is so low.

I think I have found a. . . reasonable way to do low cost animation by hand- using a white-board pen to draw on a plastic A4 wallet. Wait wait, hear me out before you think that my desission is stupid! With this it is so much cheaper, you can reuse them, and you can overlap them too.

Currently, I'm using a homemade rostrum, which in english means that I screwed a webcam onto a piece of wood which I have put onto of some speakers- I might consider using a scanner instead, but I like this way better because you can zoom out and do things like that, all you need is pateints.


So, what do all you experienced, sane, and very very VERY nice people think of my project? I need critisum so I can improve or so I can stop right now and not make anybody suffer the torture of watching a bad animation lool!

Please reply, and thanks ^_^

[Terro]

If you have been thinking about it for the last few years then I'd say go for it. The ideas that build up in your head over a long period of time are usually the winners.

The box people shouldn't give you that much problems if this is to be your first animation. Box people often don't even require backgrounds and colors, so they are strong in most simple environment. The only bad thing I can think of about box people is that you won't have as many options when it comes to animated humor. The characters are simple so you will often need to think of nifty ways to convey emotions and humor.

I really don;t know much about animating in the traditional way so the other members will have to jump in and help you out in that department. If you do have some sort of a budget, get a wacom tablet and a copy of Flash because going digital may make a lot of things simpler and faster for you.

Best of luck and please keep us updated on your progress.

[umaiki]

Wow, a reply already, thanks Terro!

Yeah, visual humour would be abit of a problem. . . hopefully bad jokes and situations would be enough to make even the toughest audience (eg: my mother) pull a smile.
Hmm. . . getting a tablet would be kool, but is it weird drawing something on the tablet, but the drawing being on the screen?

[Terro]

Also, it's a must that you get a copy of A.S.K. "Animators Survival Kit" if you don't already own one. It's step number 1. You can pick one up from our books store http://www.animationforum.net/store/books.html or from amazon.com. Our store is amazon.com, but if you buy from us we get a percentage of the sale twords AF.

[umaiki]

Oh kool, thanks! It would of taken me AGES to select a a book to help me, and even longer to find one that'd be helpful! lool!

I would buy from you using amazon.com, but at the moment I'm kinda stranded on a tiny island called England. . .

If your intrested in drawing anime styled things, I do suggest "How to draw manga" by Katy Coope, and at £4ish from amazon.co.uk, it's really hard to say no! (but if you still living off your parents, Im sure that they will say no for you)

Thankyou for your help <3

[Terro]

No prob at all, my co admin Noob "Nubian" is also stuck on the same islad as you. They also have that book overthere, I'm sure you can pick it up at your local book store. ;)

[umaiki]

I'm going to Norwich tomorrow, so I'll have a good look there.
(Norwich is a city, it's known for it's shopping, not because of quality or quanity, but because all the shops are in one place! lool :P)

I've just had a thought- music.

I need. . . a sorta style of music to use, like a theme- for example using mainly piano or something.
2 of my favour animes, Ranma and Urusei Yatsura both have very distinked style of music- one has . . . weird music, and the other uses alot of clearly synthasised music.

Am I alowed to post a link to a sample of music from those series so you can get what I mean? Or is that ageinst forum rules or something?