Zenith Project
Introduction
This project combines all the skills you’ve obtained in your junior and senior years. As a first-year senior, I did not anticipate the making of this project. I found myself lost in an array of mediums for this project. All I wanted was to make something cute, without deep meaning. Something that I can be proud of.
I felt palpable after finishing my Narrative and being introduced to the Zenith. I was blinded by hate, hate for my classmates, my teacher; I was so full of anguish. I wanted to make something unique but didn’t know how. I took serval weeks making storyboards and looked for things that I liked. I decided to take a risk and try 2d digital animation. As a traditional artist with paper and pen, I knew if I mastered this in a month and produced something. Anything, I’d heal my wounded self-esteem. So I moved.
Frame by Frame, I drew away. I researched tutorials for Photoshop animation, brushes, styles, and tools that could help. Day after day, I’d learn something new, apply it, and move on. This cycle broke me down; I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere, had no person to vent to, and had nothing to look forward to except for the end. I’ll show you~!
Process
- Have an idea.
- Execute.
- Revise and research.
- Repeat till something comes out.
Stirr Stirr, She reached her spoon into the sludgy water. She brought it to her mouth and gulped. “Ah! It tasts like something!” said the tired artist.
I had many ideas but knew I wanted a Japanese theme, a animal main character, and lots of foliage. I had many ideas for the main character. It was first a cat and then a Japanese raccoon dog. I know. I didn’t know there was such a thing! I had a few artistic influences from recent pieces I’ve seen online. Wallpaper Engine, from Steam, gave me a lot of inspiration for the project. The Wallpaper Engined gave me the idea to make a repeated animation. Something that can be repeated and looks natural for it to go in a loop. I also drew a lot of inspiration from GOBELINS Paris, a channel that shares their projects on Youtube, The storytelling in the story is so beautiful and elegant. They specialize in animated filmmaking, graphic and motion design, photography, interactive design, printed and digital communication, video gaming, video, and sound. Everything they make has such a beautiful and put-together look. It’s as if you’re watching a real movie of real people and places. The deeper conversations they have through their work range from breaking bones to looking beautiful as a ballerina (ÉLÉGIE) to just kids playing in a band (LAST SUMMER). I found the perfect art to look towards as a reference. I spent a lot of time trying to make a story. It would later haunt me.
Storyboards
this was dreadful. I had so many ideas for stories, but not enough time. Storyboarding each main shot helped me understand how long it would take me to finish this.
Animation
I did frame-by-frame animation and used templates to help me distinguish 2 point perspective. I spent much time working on the background, ensuring the characters looked like they belonged there.
“How do you ignite your passion and elevate your skills and experiences to create your ultimate and most successful Freestyle project?”
I ensured the colors and the space felt real too! I also used my compositing skills to make a more realistic feel to the background, like branches and flowers.
Editing
I didn’t need to do any editing. I put in my name and the project’s name and rendered it! Bam bam! I made something that I’ve been wanting to make!