in the beginning...

"machinery of consequence" this i will live and breathe for the term!

Today's session began with explanation of the project brief "machinery of consequence". Admittedly I have been a little apprehensive about this unit as I enjoy character animation, however I hope this will change as I develop my skills over the coming weeks.

The class discussed the importance of environments in terms of providing: interaction for characters with props, an atmosphere to support narrative, a space to live, as well as consequence for the things that characters do. We then discussed the process of designing an environment and then viewed some examples. We also at ways at making the environment animated by looking at the work of William Heath Robinson and Rube Goldberg who had illustrated devises that were so ridiculous they simply wouldn't work in real life, but provided great examples of exaggeration for animation in our environments:

William Heath Robinson's Six Column Strategy 

Rube Goldberg's Peeling Potatoes Machine Design

There are many modern day examples we could say have taken inspiration from these two including:

• Games - Mouse Trap
  

    The Incredible Machine

• Popular Culture - Tom and Jerry "designs on jerry"
  

Wallace and Gromit

• Films and Advertisements - "The Way Things Go"   

                                Honda's "Cog" advert

After watching these films, Team Lunchbox (named so after my miss hearing) was established. I really want to take the opportunity this term to work with new people in order to know more people in my year, experience a new way of working and ideas.

Our team discussed some possibilities but decided to use our private study days to brainstorm more ideas and present them friday where we would select our favorite. Initially i found it difficult to come up with ideas so took inspiration by watching a few films. I was then able to produce 2 pages of brainstorm ideas as well as providing a few quick sketches for the few i was most interested in. I had discussed potential ideas with my fellow group members over t'internet and drew further inspiration for my own. 

Below are examples of my designs as well as mood boards for Friday's presentation:

• My initial mood boards for the project:

• A Star's Dressing Room: very glamourous theatre star's dressing room. I imagine the walls would be covered in news paper clippings, photographs of her performing on stage,  and the room full of props from productions. French, classically styled.

• Crazy Ladies BnB - yes the clues in the title really. The house is located literally in the middle of nowhere though the local council managed to build the railway track right over her house. The old dear's front lawn is abundant (though not shown from my drawing) with garden gnomes and colourful spinning wheels. She lives alone and runs her very own BnB! How quaint you think...WRONG! There's something not quite right with our little old lady who is actually rather paranoid and a little overbearing with that toothy smile of hers. Blind as a bat, her glasses are thicker than custard....do come in! The outside of the house:

           our dear old lady, she's a little too happy to have you stay over:

the front door from inside - its chock a block with locks. As soon as the door snaps shut behind her guests, the sound of 1001 locks and keys clunking can be heard...how welcoming if a little disconcerting *ahem* the umbrella holder houses several weapons such as a baseball bat incase of intruders. By the tiny window is granny's chair to stand and peer through the net curtains at anyone who passes by...now don't you feel secure?

• the beach shack - no real back story to this one as the previous one, i think i was trying this one out as khalid mentioned a cartoon island. Its a possibility anyway:

• the creepy graveyard - ooooo scary scary! i can be truly honest and say i drew this for the sake of getting it out of my head. Yes it is an idea but is one i think has been done to death (haha) and really has no room for creative adaption/direction...nothing vastly inspiring and Im sure there are better ideas:

• The miscellaneous room - i cant really place the story behind this, this is just what came from my mind when putting pen to paper. Sort of indian inspired lounge/room:

• Creepy Motel - just some quick sketches i did after talking Mr. Grigsby about a Hitchcock style motel as a possible idea.

Im pleased with the variety of ideas i've produced in the last couple of days and hope group like them too, though Im also excited to hear what the rest of the team have come up with and what we decided to develop for our final idea. One of my targets this year is to not procrastinate o yeah, in bold! I find i do this, worry about my work, lose time then have to rush to complete my projects for deadlines. Im always left feeling "ah if only i'd started earlier"...well not this year.

Over and out for now chaps