Previous Work - Wizard of Oz Twist

Raising Awarness on Depression

CMHA Commercial for Miles Mental Health Walk/Run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ-t2TPn3cA&feature=player_detailpage

*Production Manager/Animator/Concept Designer

Art Pieces and Pictures that inspired my designs

Inspirational Works

The Puppet by Patrick Smith

(inspired by his ability to portray humor and fear at the same time and his ability to mimic the movement of string)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSOiKjAIQ7s&feature=player_detailpage

The Backwater Gospel
(the style of animation and texture maps and use of lighting)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkDrIacHJM&feature=player_detailpage

The Saga of Biorn
(humor and simplicity of the design and story, as well as the ability to tell a story without any dialogue)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV5w262XvCU&feature=player_detailpage

Pixar's UP
(the emotion, simplicstic character shapes yet deatiled textures, establishing conflict/loss/triumph/ and bonding, as well as their use of montages)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg&feature=player_detailpage

Waking Life
(the design of the characters= flat/2d filmed over live action)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS1QZM9Ojvg&feature=player_detailpage

A Scanner Darkly
( the design/ drawn overlap of live action, color movement)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXpGaOqb2Z8&feature=player_detailpage


All of these films have inspired my ideas and designs, including display of environment for my grad film and being able to use all of these aspects and collaborate them into one concept for my film.

Essay for John Lasseter Presentation

Felicia Scott

38641

Advance Animation and Research Development

Feb 28^th, 2011

John Lasseter

                John Lasseter is a world known man for his participation within Pixar and Disney animation films. His job positions have varied and grown from Animator, Film Director, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, Principle Creative Advisor to Walt Disney Imagineering. He still holds many of these positions today. To start from the very beginning he was born in Hollywood on January 12^th 1957. His decision to become an animator was first discovered when he saw Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone,” for the first time in theatres (Wikipedia). From there he began his education at Pepperdine University but pursued his animation career at the California Institute of the Arts, where he had been taught by the 3 members of Disney’s 9 old Men: Eric Larson, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston (Wikipedia). 

Lasseter’s first job was at The Walt Disney Company where he became an animator. One of his first projects was Mickey Mouse’s Christmas Carol (Encyclopaedia). Unfortunately he became terminated because he and a few others wanted to make a 2D and 3D collaborated film (Encyclopedia). Thus began his journey at Lucasfilm, in which he joined in on discovering, making and using CGI animation. In 1986 Lucasfilm had become Pixar, in which John was now appointed as executive producer and over saw all of Pixar’s animated films (Wikipedia).

Pixar films that he had directed include: Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, Cars 2.He has won 2 Academy Awards for Animated Short film Tin Toy and Special Achievement Award for Toy Story.His first computer animated short was the Adventures of Andre and Wally B in 1984 (Encyclopaedia). Disney purchased Pixar in April of 2006 where they named John Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar and Disney animation studios (Encyclopedia).

“Lasseter said he sees this medium as an excellent way to train and discover new talent in the company as well as a testing ground for new techniques and ideas (Yabroff).”

His work has been and inspiration for me since the time I had decided to become and animator. Through his determination and hard work, he was able to get to where he wanted to be even though he at first lost his job with Walt Disney Studios. All Pixar films have become a timeless masterpiece where they always motivate me to create and hopefully produce one of my own. And eventually be able to work long side John Lasseter at Pixar Studios. A film that stands outs for me the most is UP because of the connection between the couple and how they were capable of making a character so simple and blocky, look great through textures and movement… and attitude! So I see Lasseter and Pixar as a goal I have set for myself.

Cited Works

"John Lasseter." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/724953/John-Lasseter>.
Wikipedia contributors. "John Lasseter." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 25 Feb. 2011. Web. 4 Mar. 2011.

Yabroff, Jennie. “35: John Lasseter.” Newsweek.com. Newsweek, n.d. Web. December 20 2008. http://www.newsweek.com/2008/12/19/35-john-lasseter.html

Senior Animation Project Proposal by Felicia Scott

Senior Animation Project Proposal

Working Title

Lost and Found

Summary

To produce a 5 minute animated short called “Lost and Found” about a widowed elderly woman who creates a life size puppet of her past husband.

Synopsis

Lost and Found, by Felicia Scott: “Reminiscing over her late husband, an elderly woman invents a way where they can embrace their lives together again.”

Description

 My film will be a short animated piece that will be focusing on the emotional roller-coaster one goes through when a loved one has passed away. It is going to be shown through a widowed elderly women based on my grandmother and grandfather. Its function is to inform, engage and entertain the audience through sorrow, laughter, and gratifying hope. The audience is meant to target all ages, something the whole family could watch and gain a valuable lesson from. The lesson being that although a loved one may be gone, they are always with you in your heart and mind, and even though it hurts one day you will learn that and be able to move on.

Visual Treatment

 I will be showing this through CGI, buy using planes, texture maps and simple shapes. I want to use planes as the premise to make it appear as if it was done by cut-out. The texture maps and design of the scenes and character will support this cut-out look. The colors and lighting of the scenes and characters will support and add to the moods played throughout the film. The texture maps will be done to create this “drawn” look. Clean lines, solids colors and soft shading will define this drawn look that will be maintained for the characters, sets and so forth.

Sound Treatment

 The quality I wish to create for the soundtrack is of a fairytale musical essence. It is music and sound effect driven. Dialogue will be included although it requires very few spoken lines. The dialogue of the elderly woman will be taken care of by my grandmother. The dialogue of the neighbor Bernie will be taken care of by herself. The dialogue of the past husband will be done through a chosen voice actor, preferably of Danish or Swedish accent. The style of the music will vary in the particular mood that will be showed. For example, the beginning will be played by Jim Reeves “Have I told you lately that I love you,” while the character is reminiscing over her past husband. Creating a slow, country sweet melody, whereas when the woman is creating the doll the music will quicken, being more adventurous and exciting, going along with her movements and passion for her creation, such as the Russian Dance in the Nutcracker. However, when the puppets magical spark ignites the melody of the music will be more soothing, relaxing and enchanting. Something you would hear when listening to fairies sing. Yet at the end of the film where the character overcomes her sorrow and decides to take a set forward in life the music will be soothing and joyous, with flutes and violins the music you hear from a spa and a wedding mixed together. The music will play and enhance the seriousness or lightheartedness of the moods displayed by the character, a soundtrack to her life.

Production Schedule

Shown on next page.

Budget

New Computer                 2500.00 (once)

Sound Designer                100.00/ Volunteer

Texture Designer             Volunteer

Rights Fees                      100.00 (once)

Rent                                  500.00 (per month)

Utilities                            150.00 (per month)

Food and Health              350.00 (per month)

Transportation                 350.00 (per month)

Miscellaneous                  500.00

                Total                      4550.00 (for first month)

Agreements

Anyone helping me or working with me on my grad film will be signing a contract stating that their tasks were of either financial or volunteer purpose and will receive credit towards my film but will not be holding any rights to the film or receiving a copy. They will not be able to collect any finances or rewards based off of any that I may make if my film is seen within festivals or so on.

I will try to receive the rights of a song done by Jim Reeves whether it is the actual song or just the sheet music. I will also be working with a composer. Any music I gather will be from either the ECU library or a public domain.

Jim Reeves Rights to Song – “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You”: Scott Wiseman Writer and Composer of original song. Covered by Jim Reeves.

 Copyright 1945 BMI. Broadcast Music Inc holds rights. Publishers: Song of Universal Inc. BMI work# 531984/ Wiseman, Scott: CAE/IPI# 33105728

Production Schedule

April 2011           * Animatic, Concept art, Rough blocking screen shot, rough CGI character design,

                           *  Look into rights of Jim Reeves music.

May 2011             Model, Texture, Rig, Weight Map Mormor and Papa

June 2011            Model, Texture, Rig, Weight Map Bernie and Puppet, concept art for scenes

July 2011              Model, Texture sets and props

August 2011        Lighting, search for music, rights and contracts (legal)

September 2011                  Record dialogue and music, Animate

October 2011                      Animate, Lighting

November 2011                  Animate and start composting

December 2011                  Compositing and Promotional

January 2012                      Draft 1 complete

February 2012                    Composite and Editing

March 2012                       Editing

April 2012                          Final complete

Creative Explorations

Creative Explorations Project: Summary

Felicia Scott

April 14^th 2011

The areas I felt were successful in my first semester working on my grad film as a part of the creative explorations was the content and story ideas, as well as the character development. The content and story ideas felt successful because of how I decided or the story to unravel. Giving the audience something to think about and emotionally is able to connect to. Creating the basis of the story to be on the experience and emotions of one’s hurt after a love has passed away. By using my grandparents as inspiration and as the premise of the story I was able to connect with my characters and story right away. Since they are already something I hold close to me. Which is where I find my character development was successful as well. Most people I knew created characters from their ideas, where I took them from actual people. When creating a character to have to make everything up, like personality, strengths, weaknesses, physical and mental health and so forth. By using my grandparents as my characters it was something where I get to learn and know my characters and spend time with them, where most people have to really think and wait for that to develop. The reason I felt it was successful is how my story portrays my grandparents personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and physical appearance. As well as the relationship formed between the characters within the film.

Some unexpected surprises that arrived were the timing for my production schedule. Since this is the first time ever creating a film I did not take a production schedule into mind, especially other things that go along with creating a film such as promos, budgets and so forth. I realize that legal matters is a definite issue, particularly involving music and sound effects, however the amount of work and research to get music or sound effects that are acceptable to use was more difficult than I expected.

Challenges that arose for me was that I was working on my grad film, ready to jump in and start pre production whereas my work didn’t exactly go along with what the rest of my class was doing. Although I was ready to dive into my film, the fact that all my ideas that I had anticipated in getting done had to be put on hold because they didn’t work out with pre production and the assignments done in class.

The features of the Creative Explorations didn’t necessarily apply to me, because it required exploring ideas the all of the class was engaged with, while I already had a concrete idea and start on my grad film. So I will be maintaining the progression of producing my grad film and do my best to stick with my production schedule I have set for myself for the summer.

My goals that I plan to set for myself throughout the summer and following year is to not fall off track. I need to remain focused and in control of my project, to not become overwhelmed and surprised if something goes wrong, and not forget that there are people out there to help you with your project.