Project 1 / The Tree Robots

This animation is about tree planting robots that are terraforming a new area. The setting is a formerly barren landscape where there was just a open field with no trees or plants. The job of the tree planting robots was to come in and change that. They are armed with claws and drills to grab and plant trees. Once the tree is in the ground they use their magical red pellets to make the tree grow. My concept originally included a bulldozer on the end and just planting a single tree. However I changed to having a drill bore a hole instead. I also added in the tree growing to increase the interest in the animation. I also created more robots for the same purpose, and changed their times and positions to make the entire animation overall not look too similar. Overall I would say that the motions of the machines are fairly robotic. They are all trying to achieve the same purpose and because of that they are all doing the same thing. The only change that happens is where and how fast they are doing it. This difference in time adds a small organic element into the animation but not enough to take away from its overall robotic nature.

Project 2 / The Food Chain

When the topic of scale was assigned, I immediately thought back to my high school biology class when we studied the food chain of the ocean. I remember our teacher showing us old videos and wanted to mimic that style. I started out trying to mimic the old biology films from the 1950s but soon found that style to be uninteresting.

A classmate suggested that I make the fish sing to add interest, and I changed that idea into making the fish dance. To make the dancing sequences have visual interest I played around with various effects to try and simulate a rave or dance party. However I found most of the effects to be too overpowering or distracting even when turned down to low settings. Because of that I opted for just having a single effect in the background and nothing else.

Overall the animation is meant to symbolize the survival of the fittest. As the animation progresses, the number of the larger fish get smaller and smaller. There are only a few at the top and many at the bottom. This holds true both in the sea and in life. However as the animation also suggests happiness. Even though the fish get eaten, they are free sprinted and dance. We unlike the fish are at the top of the food chain, but we still have to survive in the "food chain" of daily life, where there are superiors that tell you things you don’t like to do. If you go through life happy and free spirited doing those things will be much easier.

Project 3 / The Standoff

This animation was originally supposed to be a traditional western standoff. I recoded dialogue with someone else and started creating a western based on that idea. However when I finished with the animation, I found that it was too cut and dry.

To add more interest, the villain transformed into a werewolf. In addition, they both got rocket packs, this way the fight wouldn’t be constrained to the ground. Once the werewolf takes the gun from the sheriff’s hand, the battle changes to a physical battle.

Both the fighters take off into the air, and the sheriff takes hits at the werewolf, but finds them to be ineffective. The werewolf fights back with his powers, and the sheriff does too, but the sheriff soon finds out he is outmatched. So he powers up and finishes off the werewolf.

Project 4 / UniMagic

I have always thought that most infomercials are funny and for this project I attempted to Imitate their style. The product I am selling is UniMagic, a magical muscle supplement that makes your muscles grow.

I tried to include all the things that are normally seen in this type of infomercial such as the price cuts, adding more etc. The product is not real but if it was, I was trying to make it sound like a product that made promises that it most likely cannot keep. This is the kind of thing that appears in the majority of infomercials that I see.

Final Project / Flight School

For my final animation, I wanted to try a different overall tone for my concept. Most of my other animations have been based off humor, but this project was based off story. I tried to have an overall serious tone, but still added some elements of humor.

I choose to once again do a character animation as I like animating characters, the story is of a bird learning to fly. Like most people trying a new thing, he fails at first. However, he receives help, and with the help from the Flight School, he is able to fly, and get the girl of his dreams.

This animation is about growth and personal change. In the beginning, Paul could not fly, but he did not let that stop him. He was invited to go to flight school and he took the opportunity, which benefited him in the end.

These same lessons apply in real life. If you cannot do something, keep at it and after practice and training you will be able to do what you want. You also have to take every opportunity you can. Paul was invited to flight school and choose to go. You must do the same in your life. If you see an opportunity to improve, take it. Chances are another like it might not come around.