The Box Project - Narrative Film project and initial Timeline

The narrative lead project I aim to produce is one I will keep open to development as I go. I understand it is important to allow for change within this process and I think this will be a great opportunity to force myself to move on and not become too attached to a certain idea.

Here is my rough idea flow of my project:

The Process of De-Cluttering

• Boxes forming walls and mountains 

• Corridors and libraries of memories  within the boxes

• The slow process of uncovering things 

• Potential opportunities and ideas that make it seemingly impossible to get rid of items 

• Sorting things into piles 

• Making things out of old things 

• Using old objects to actually make the film

• Photogrammetry for specific objects - connecting more with the subject

• Forming obstacles, shaping the boxes/ objects into monsters/creatures - symbolising dark times/memories preferred forgotten

• Always in opposition with the mental block of finding motivation that is elusive throughout

• Things become clear, not for new things to replace them, but for them to just be clear, clear for the space to think

• Dust particles, changing colour, forming memories or creatures personifying feelings – compositing stage, after effects

The initial idea for this project has been one I thought of a few years ago whilst going though boxes from my old childhood home, seeing my mum unbox things from her childhood, and facing the overwhelm and cognitive dysfunction of not being able to tackle the huge amount of items in order move to a smaller house.

The Mood-board:

The Game Plan

I know this concept is a lot to take on and complete within a year so I have tried to learn as much as possible about the pipeline in order to plan for each step.

Here are notes on how I aim to break down the pipeline process:

Term 1: Pre-production

1. Mood board - initial ideas in visual references

2. Story outline - getting the idea into a narrative

3. Visual Development - building the visual world from references and ideas

   1. Thumb nailing points of action

   2. Sketches

   3. Design Language

   4. Colour keys and colour script

4. Beat Boarding and Storyboarding - breaking the story down into main beats

5. Animatic - compiling the storyboard into video from to explore timing and cohesion

6. 3D testing - Learning what specific things I need to learn in order to complete the film

   1. Boxes

   2. Environment

Term 2: Production

1. Finalising Animatic - will help me know what to focus on scene by scene

2. 3D modelling - Forming the 3D Character Model and Environment

3. Rigging - preparing the character for animation

4. 3D Camera testing - cinematography testing e.g. dolly zoom, Dutch angle

5. Animating - getting the movement completed

6. 2D render test - getting the style of the film nailed down

Term 3: Post-production

1. Final Animations - both 3D and 2D

2. Rendering - Readying assets for compositing

3. Effects animation - dust partials

4. Compositing - compiling the animation together with lighting and effects

5. Sound design - music, sound effects

Timeline by month

November - Research, Mood broad, storyboarding, 3D tests,

December - character design, style tests, concept art, Animatic

January – Environment design, 3D Tests, Character building and rigging

February – Modelling and building, Texturing, rigging, animating

March – Texturing, Animation, test of toon shading

April – Animation, test rendering, test 2D effects

May - Light testing on renders, final character animation

June - Final 3D Animations complete and rendered

July - 2D effects animation on top of 3D renders

August - Sound design, finishing touches,

September - Finish