Major Project

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Aug 28th, 2023 -  Dec 4th, 2023 (Week 1 - Week 14)
Rusydina Fazlin Athirah Binti Fauzi
Major Project
Week 1 [Jan 3rd, 2023]
Major Project Progress

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INSTRUCTIONS - MIB

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Major Project

Week 1

Brief Introduction - Major Project (Week 1)

August 28th, 2023

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First day back for the final year and we got straight into it. Mr. Asrizal the program director of the design school gave a brief on our final individual project titled: Major Project.

In shorter words, he covered information on how students are to come up with ideas that serve purposes and objectives that in a sense can help us in our careers with the work that will be presented at the of the semester. He also talked about the various supervisors that each student will be assigned under based on our individual ideas, in regard to our specialization programs.

Once the brief was done and over with, tasks were hastily assigned where we are to begin our proposals (slides) to be shown in the second week as progress.

Other than that, there we tips and advice in a specific mention from memory of "three different institute standards", including Mr. Asrizal (Mr. Kamal, Mr. Kanan, and the other supervisors, etc..)

Task (W1) List

• proposal
• a bunch of speeches/info/help on getting ideas going
• canva's presentation/proposal

Complete Proposal Slides (To be shown in W2):

Week 2 shenanigans

Idea Consultation - Major Project (Week 2)

- September 4th, 2023

The second week into this major project of mine, really started to hit off once I presented my proposal to Mr. Azrizal first. He later directed me to a personal supervisor (Mr. Kamal) for further feedback and supervision on progressing my work proposed.

Week 2 - Week 3 > Assigned to personal supervisor after Mr.Asrizal's idea approval

Note!

The 3rd week was skipped due to a little miscommunication, but fast forwarding:,)

Week 4

Idea consultation with Mr. Kamal (in the 4th week WHY!? cause I thought we were gonna have an online one in the previous Week (3RD WEEK)

September 18th, 2023

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Consulted Mr. Kamal on my ideas (Sugar Glider and Girl Forming Relationship Story) Mr. Kamal approved of the proposal idea and liked the message conveyed in the animation, he also helped with the story arc, in terms of the feedback received.

I quickly progressed into my work on a storyboard since I was a week behind.

Week 4 Progress

Showcase; complete unamended storyboard

Week 5

Storyboard Consultation - Major Project (Week 5)

September 25th, 2023

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In the fifth week, I consulted Mr. Kamal on the display of frames for the Sugar Glider Story, storyboard.

He gave feedback on improving the compositions and better flow of emotion in the story of the animation, and to quickly progress it into turning it into an animatic.

Week 5 Progress

Showcase amended Storyboard

Week 6

Animatic Consultation - Major Project (Week 6)

October 2nd, 2023

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First draft of showcasing the animatic to Mr. Kamal, we discussed the timing and he acknowledged the overall appearance of the animatic for its final animation and composition.

After feedback, I quickly worked on the amendments suggested and began designing the character sheets and environment layouts.

Point-by-Point Feedback Received

1. KITCHEN -> LIVING ROOM

• The whole family goes back and transitions into a different background 
•  Don’t be confused, scene transitions 
• Good contrast between girl and pet personality
• New environment:  pet adapts to the environment
• frustration (expression)
• 7-year-olds girl's honest reaction
• Show the emotions of the parents (their daughter expresses negativity)

2. BEDROOM ENVIRONMENT:

• Reflect confusion (walk slowly, less motivation, the box is a bit heavy - signs of hopelessness)
• Show a hope: second thought (face looks positive)
• Beginning looks negative 
• The situation that can’t be seen directly (make it able to see)
• Abby directly looking at her dad with the Sugar Glider

3. FINAL CONCLUSION

• Too long, make an animatic 
• Shorten and compress the animation 
• Minimize the animation 

Week 6 progress

Amended Animatic (After the first draft of the storyboard)

Character & Enviroment sketch, 3D vision

Week 7

Completed Character & Environment Sketch Consultation - Major Project (Week 7)

October 9th, 2023

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Seven weeks into consultation, I had a vision of the environment of the animation by building it up in the 3D form to have a better perspective when transitioning it into two-dimensional illustrations.

    Figure 1.0 - Abby's bedroom (3D reference, built/rendered thru The Sims 4 (Game)

 Figure 1.1 - Kitchen (3D reference, built/rendered thru The Sims 4 (Game)

 Figure 1.2 - Living Room (3D reference, built/rendered thru The Sims 4 (Game)

Other than that, I received feedback from Mr. Kamal on my sketches from the 6th week progress of the character sheets.

Point-by-Point Feedback/Tasks Received

• Finish all environment
• Animation/animatic amendments
• Show the establishment of the sugar glider on the crown (getting excited) sugar glider zoom-in shot 
• Fruits and sugar gliders expression ( 2 frames)
• Hold the box extend time (parents giving the box)
• The title shall show around the Birthday cake frame
• Building crown
• Show more details of her building the crown
• Like, a glue gun (4 shots, panning) 
• Abby choosing something from her craft box
• Coloring and lifting the design up (lifting up a feather0)
• Sticking the bottle cap on the crown
• Putting on sugar glider food (fruits) I’m the crown (final piece)

Week 7 Progress

Completed Environment Layout

Completed Character Sheets

Week 8

Completed Animatic,  Character & Environment Consultation - Major Project (Week 6)

October 16th, 2023

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In the 8th week, I finalized the whole animatic regarding the timing and the overall story being told throughout the animation. A final rough draft showcase of the amended animatic as well as the completed overall colored environment layouts, and the character sheets.

There was also a progression into preparing for the presentation slides into the 11th week for the overall animation progress.

Point-by-Point Feedback/Tasks Received

Presentation Slides (Content needed)

• Age 10 better mental development (change age)
• Title: Abby should be smaller
• Theme: Animal & human bonding, what the character learns, and what is taught to the audience
• Timelapse: panning budding crown
• Layout - Background + character 
• Putting all the environment into the animatic (+characters)

Week 8 Progress

Colored Completed Animatic

Week 9 - Week 10

Presentation slides & Pitch Bible Layout - Major Project (Week 6)

October 23rd - Oct 30th, 2023

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Throughout the 9th and 10th week, I displayed my progress to Mr. Kamal and received feedback on the previous progress of the presentation slide and a colored layout of the overall animation.

I also began animating one of the scenes from the animation by transferring illustrated files from Adobe Photoshop into Adobe After Effects as a form of progress for the 11th week of presentation progress.

Point-by-Point Feedback/Tasks Received

1. Extra time:

•  Characters:
• Sugar Glider - EXTRA Step (establish character)
• Walking over the bottle cap
• Composition: Box opening (more horizontal)
• Inside the box, Show less edges
• First time touching SG (Eager expression)
• (Second Time) Afraid to touch the sugar glider (2nd time)
• Not too close to the border (Abby putting down the box)
• Reaching into the box (hesitant expression)
• Accidentally pushed the bottle cap
• Change the color of the fruit
• Putting sugar glider in the cage (cage: 3D Perspective)
• Foreground (Cage; Abby looking at sugar glider)
• Color in bottle caps
• Glue & scissors (progression of the bottle cap, being built)
• A more close-up shot of the food (close up, pull out)
• Make the silhouette of the girl more visible (3/4 to the left)
• Establish the eye contact (high angle - looking up)

2. Environment:

• banner make it pastel (kitchen)
• Living room
• Color (Softer filter)
• Curtains (lessen the tone)
• Brighter ceilings (silhouette of girl)
• Abby's Bedroom (make ceiling lower)

3. Characters

• Mix African American  
• Check skin color
• Mother
• Darker Eyes

4. Presentation

• Show a snippet of the animation

Week 9 - 10 - Progress

Animation fluidity progress

Week 11

Presentation slides & Pitch Bible Layout - Major Project (Week 11)

November 6th, 2023

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Finally, into the 11th week, students are to prepare slides to present to our supervisors on the progress that we have worked on with our individual works from the first up to this week.

The slides I prepared contained the initial idea that was proposed, along with the objective of my idea and a pitch bible of what my animation is all about.

Week 11 - Progress Presentation Slide:

Week 12 - 13

Finalization and completion of Animation

Nov 13th - Nov 20th, 2023

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Throughout the 12th and 13th weeks, I worked on the few remaining frames of the animation, meaning drawing out the character elements to later be imported into After Effects to animate their subtle movements.

At the same time, I began sketching out characters that branch out in the whole universe of my animation titled "Gliding Into You", these 4 other characters meet the same fate as Abby the main character somewhat encountering their exotic pet and building bonds with them.

Figure 1.3 - Gliding Into You Franchise - Character sketches

Figure 1.4 - Gliding Into You Franchise - Character colored

Once they were all colored in, the initial idea was to have these stylized characters as educational cards that regard the type of exotic pets they each own.

But the idea slowly developed into their designs being a part of a postcard.

Other than this minor task, I continued working on drawing up the frames and going back and forth animating the elements in After Effects.

Week 14 - 15

Final Animation Completion and Collateral/exhibition Preparation  

Nov 27th - Dec 4th, 2023

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Throughout the 14th week, I prepared materials and printings as collaterals for the exhibition that will be held on the 8th and 9th of December (Week 15).

As collaterals to support my animation for my own physical presentation, I designed 5 postcard designs as well as a poster.

Postcard and poster designs:

Other than that, there was a poster to be designed of our progressed work to showcase our animation for the exhibition day.

Figure 1.5 - Foam Board exhibition 5:4 work display

Once the design was finalized, I had it printed out which only took about a day to get the order details in and to be picked up the next day!

Figure 1.6 - Postcard printouts

For the final animation, unfortunately, I had limited time to prepare for the big exhibition day where the animation was completed with audio. The animation was still a little too snappy as well toward the end of the animation.

But in a sense, I was satisfied with the colors of this animation and the characters that were designed in it too. Of course, the story is conveyed in the animation.

Gliding Into You - Prototype Animation (audio-less) -

Week 15 - Exhibition Day

Day 1 (Dec 8th, 23) -

On the first day of the exhibition, I continued setting up my booth and added a few other elements to fit the theme of the animation.

There was a day before when the whole exhibition team organizers had the whole batch come in early to work together on setting the venue for the actual exhibition day.

Figure 1.7 - Overall 'Gliding Into You' Booth set up

After everyone was done setting up, the event began at around 11AM, where Mr. Asrizal as well as the lead organizers of the exhibition said their few words. It was time to attend to my booth and explain my work to the guests.

My overall thought process throughout the first day was the amount of experience that I was gaining throughout the hours of attending to guests elaborating my work to them! 

I received really thoughtful praise from them which pushed and motivated me to hopefully improve this work shortly. With the waves of guests that pass over for the first few minutes at the start of the exhibition, supervisors of our projects from each specialization began approaching to asses my work.

I received really thoughtful words from Mr. Kanan (Entertainment design supervisor) regarding my work, a lot on pushing myself forward and making sure to not always be too comfortable and satisfied with my work in terms of its appearance, and overall concept. These words I'd possibly take to my grave when it comes to improving my skills in the whole world of illustration, design, and animation.

Next was my main supervisor, Mr. Kamal (Animation & VFX supervisor) who assisted in pointing out and extracting my work for it to be better before its final digital submission, which I truly appreciated. As well as his thoughtful words in pushing myself forward in being proud of what I was able to execute through the 14 weeks! As well as a little talk of a glimpse into the future on what I'd like to continue when finishing up this final year, advice and opinions were given and shared.

 

Figure 1.7 - Overall 'Gliding Into You' Booth set up ft. Me

Other than that, what I concluded and gathered on the first day of the exhibition that gave me the privilege to display my work, I thought a lot about the experience that came with it and the feeling of gratitude that I felt from the support given from family, friends, supervisors, and even the guests.

Day 2 (Dec 9th, 23) -

Second day, it was much more settled down, but it gave my peers and me the time to look into each other's booths and get to know more about each other and what we worked on, providing that support and a free handout on ideas as well as constructive opinions regarding our works.

Again, even on the second day, I held the experience close to my mind, absorbing the feedback and attention given by guests and peers around me.

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media, March '21 Batch 

One of my previous supervisors for our module Minor Project; Mr. Mike, came by my booth and gave really wise words on the type of development I can forego when it comes to the type of work I had executed for this minor project. There were a lot of thoughtful words he had shared with me, based on each of our booths that uniquely displayed our projects. 

Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media, March '21 Batch 

Overall the event was organized smoothly, even with everyone's projects on the line to be polished and perfected. It ended off with possibly many amazing core memories!

With the physical presentation all done and dusted, I went back to working on my animation to amend a few errors within it!

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Week 16

GLIDING INTO YOU - FINAL ANIMATION  

Dec 14th, 2023

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Final digital output for submission of the Gliding Into You Animation, completed with audio!

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Reflection

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Decemeber 14th, 2023

Throughout my final year module, my experience was quite a push-through. First and foremost I would like to emphasize the kind of work I had put into this project, and I wish I could say I'm proud of it but honestly, I know it can be better. I definitely stepped out of my comfort zone with this one. Which I'd say was a challenge I took and slowly developed into something I'm not entirely good at, but still did what I could to finish it and that's me just humbling myself there.

But all in all, the kind of story that's put into this work sort of rubbed off on me in a good way, I hope that in the near future this world of 'Gliding Into You' will reach the eyes and hearts of hundreds maybe thousands of people that would love to see my silly and quirky ideas of human and animal bonds come to life in animations with a cute and wholesome aesthetic to it.

Even though I'm aware of the animation reaching a standard, I'm still proud of the kind of story and multiple cultures of people and animals that I tried and wanted to implement in this animation, which could branch out into its own universe of kids and them finding ways to form relationships with their pets.

A chance to let people, adults and kids understand that respect for animals is as high as your respect for people. Something that I wish to convey to the world, even if it's through a media of animation like this.

Without the help from my supervisor. Mr. Kamal, as well as the other supervisors from the other creative media in design specializations, and my friends, with their support and constructive advice, I wouldn't have been able to push through this. Here's to many more projects that'll make me uncomfortable but assist me in blossoming my ideas to appear more engaging and captivating! Something I only hope and wish for in the future.

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