Major Project - Blanket Arm Test & Previs Progress #7

I did a test of how the arm could work, I used a spline IK and a lattice to create this quick test. It seems to be working alright for what I need and the set up is pretty simple. I will move onto creating the actual arm next and then add it all to the previs!

I did some designs for the arm/hand that will be attacking the boy. I wanted it to feel more like a blanket and more cloth like. I think number 3 - 5 are working for me, its thin side on and had buttons where the knuckles are to attach the fingers. being thin it should wrap around the boy nicely!

I made a few tweaks and did a test animation of the mouth in flash for the sighing scene, it proved slightly difficult to start with but I quickly got the hang of it and overall I think it added a lot of life to the sigh.

Minor Project - Shark Bed Thumbnails #2

I used hammerhead sharks as my influence and tried to make it slightly more clunky and bed like. I think it is working as a mass which is my overall aim.

Minor Project - Shark Bed Thumbnails

These are probably far too detailed as in reality you're only ever going to see the silhouette of the 'shark' however it was easier for me to draw them slightly more detailed. I think 7 and 9 are my favourite, but I think 7 could use beefing up to be more bulky and intimidating.

Minor Project - Bed Spider Design

I need to figure out how the 'shark' bed looks next, as it will never be seen I will be focusing on its mass as opposed to a fully fleshed out design.

Minor Project - Environment Thumbnails #2

Following feedback I received earlier I decided to have a play around with the room a bit, I am still exploring the world and seeing what works.

Minor Project - Environment Thumbnails & Parents Orthographic

I changed up the colour scheme for the wardrobe and bedside table and then did some quick sketches of the room, it's furnishing and colour is still going to be explored but in this one I tried to make it quite dull.

I also did a quick parents turnaround to use as a starting point in Maya, I feel as if I will be able to model these characters without a guide but having something to get the model started is always useful.

Minor Project - Bed Thumbnails #6

I made the decision to make the furniture less suitable for a child and slightly more gothic, so here is some redesigns of the bed. I decided that the most important part is the front half, as that is all that will be seen in the animation. This means the back will most likely just be there as a mass as opposed to a refined model. 31 is my favourite and I think it is the bed I will take forward as the spider monster.

Minor Project - Furniture Thumbnails #2

I think that having the furniture slightly darker and more gothic is a good approach for the overall tone of the animation, almost as if the boy has been put in a room that wasn't meant for a child. I also started to sketch how the head board of the bed could look which means the monster needs some rethinking.

Minor Project - Furniture Thumbnails #1

Today I started working on the wardrobe and bedside cabinet for my animation, using samurai jack, powerpuff girls and upa animations as a style reference. I will continue to explore these objects as they will be the main hero props. I need to make sure that the top of the wardrobe isn't too complicated as the boy will spend some scenes on top of it.

Minor Project - Bed Thumbnails #5

After my tutorial with Alan we decided that the bed still wasn't full fit for purpose, so with his advice I have started to redesign the spider form of the bed. Alan suggested bringing the body of the bed lower to the ground so it was on the same level as the boy, which I think works really well.

Minor Project - Parents Thumbnails # 3

The dad in terms of shape is working for me, it will just be a case of getting a colour scheme that works for him. Number 11 for the mum in terms of shape is working for me I think, I feel as if 10's shape doesn't read as a mum.

Minor Project - Bed and Parent Thumbnails

I followed Phil's advice with the bed and this is how it's looking at the moment, I think 24 is my favourite. I put a boy for scale, the bed obviously needs to be huge so it is more monstrous. 

I tried to make the parents belong to the world more than the last batch, I think 7 or 8 are working for me.

Minor Project - Bed Thumbnails #3

I did a few more thumbnails for the bed, 19, 20 and 22 are starting to work for me. I quite like the eyes being at the back as it makes the front look more menacing in my opinion.

Minor Project - Updated Storyboard Ending & Bed Thumbnails

I adjusted the ending of the storyboard following Phil and Alan's advice, I think it works a bit better now.

I also worked on some more thumbnails for the bed monster, after my tutorial with Alan today it was clear that I need to make the bed more shape oriented so it would fit better with the boy character.

Minor Project - Parent and Bed Thumbnails #1

Today I did some thumbnails for the parents and the bed, It was decided that the parents will only be legs as they aren't in the story much and it is more effective than me modelling full parent characters.

Minor Project - Poem Thumbnails #07

I think 36 is the closest to what I imagine the shot should look like, the monster reveal needs to feel dramatic.

Minor Project - Poem Thumbnails #6

Trying to figure out a few different ways in which the boys room can shift from an ocean into the monsters lair.

Minor Project - Poem Thumbnails #5

I feel as if this scene will be the creepiest bit before the reveal of the monster. Next I really need to work out how the room is shifting, as it will be going from an ocean environment back to the monsters lair.

Minor Project - Poem Thumbnails #4

I'm feeling that during this scene instead of revealing the monster, the viewer will only see shadows lurking and the wardrobe could maybe be submerged slightly. I want the climbing of it to feel like an incredibly hard task, that becomes reflected by how the waves get more ferocious.

Minor Project - Boy Thumbnails #4

I tried some variations for the boy's pyjamas, I like D, F and J

I drew influence from 1950's Pyjamas, here is my influence map: