Team Meeting - Tuesday 14th Jan 2014

Here are the notes I wrote down during our team meeting:

Production roles

Lilly = Director, Storyboard, Animatic, Script Writer, Character Animation, (Rigging)

Kirti = Production Manager, (Directing 2^nd version of film – Animatic), 3D Generalist – Modelling, Rendering, Compositing, Editing (incl. Sound & Soundtrack)

Sheng = Character Design, 2D artist – Backgrounds, Texturing, Lighting

George = Character Rigging, 3D Generalist, Post Production

Currently working on: Sheng – Character Designs, Kirti – Kitchen 3D model (for 3D Animatic), Lilly – Storyboarding, George – Rigging, ALL – discussing story beats.

The film needs a title? Only name I was using before was ‘Tug of Biscuit’.

List of to-do’s

Script

Storyboards

Animatics

Characters (Bird, Dog, Human) – Designed, Modelled, Textured, Rigged, Animated.

Backgrounds (Kitchen, Garden – Autumn/Winter) – Drawn, Coloured, Camera moves?

Lighting

Dynamics (Leaves)

Sound (temp. for animatics, final for final)

Soundtrack

Post Production – Semester 3 (Rendering, Compositing, Editing, Credits/Title Sequence)

Production Schedule

Animatic for the film to be final by middle of Semester Two – 14^th February?

Animatic for 2^nd version of the film to be finished by the end of Semester Two.

Aim to have a finished still and a few seconds of movie by the end of semester 2, to be used as reference for the rest of the film. It also locks down final look and rendering and compositing pipeline.

Look of the film: Concept artwork needs to be created, reference and inspirational photos and footage gathered. Thinking of retro style designs for the characters?...

Story Discussion

Young/new dog whose objective is to put biscuit into his kennel outside/save biscuit for later/eat biscuit.

Bird’s objective is hungry, wants food, therefore wants the dog’s biscuit because it’s Autumn/Winter and there is lack of food for birds.

Why would the dog not eat the biscuit straight away? – Dog behaviour, saving it for later?

Owner could throw the biscuit out into the garden, but the bird gets to it before the dog.

Dog gets distracted by a ball being kicked over the fence by the neighbours, by the time dog gets back to the biscuit, the bird got it instead.

Dog is busy digging a hole for biscuit so the bird snatches up the biscuit.

Dog tries to run after bird and runs into pile of leaves that owner has swept up.

Each time dog’s biscuit is taken, goes back to owner to ask (dog beg) for another. Owner is busy doing chores in the kitchen so throws out another biscuit to keep dog occupied. (Happens all in one day)

Or does each scenario happen across different days?

Last scenario, bird and dog have a ‘ninja fight’ over the biscuit (scenes changes, more stylistic/imaginative) Cut back to reality and what’s actually happening, dog and bird in tug of war with biscuit. Owner spots this happening from kitchen window and goes racing outside to stop the fight.

Owner now realizes what’s been happening, bird looks sad and hungry.

Owner puts a new bird feeder in the garden, as dog happily munches on biscuit.

Lip sync? Maybe a couple of words here and there by the owner if the story needs it.

1 – 2 mins long – simple short film.

Story Rough Script

Owner gives dog a biscuit, dog takes it out into the garden and is just about to eat it when suddenly the neighbour’s kids kick a ball over the fence. Dog focuses on ball and runs after it. Dog goes back to where the biscuit was with the ball in its mouth, but the biscuit is gone! Looks around and spots a bird on the fence eating it.

Dog goes back to owner to ask for another biscuit. Busy with chores in the kitchen, owner gives dog another biscuit to take into the garden. Dog decides to keep this one safe and dig a hole for it. However whilst digging, bird swoops in and snatches up the biscuit. Dog notices, goes running and barking after the bird and runs straight into a pile of leaves.

Dog begs owner for another biscuit, annoying owner who is busy in kitchen, she throws another biscuit out into the garden. Dog and bird spot the biscuit at the same time and both go racing for it. Ninja fight!

Owner washing dishes at kitchen window looks up and spots dog and bird in tug of war with the biscuit! Owner runs outside towards them and scares off bird, breaking up the fight. Bird looks sad and stomach rumbles back on the fence. Owner realises what’s been happening. Owner puts a new bird feeder in the garden; bird happily nibbles away and dog finally eats his biscuit.