I began to really dislike the work I was doing for my major film over the winter break. Looking back at the animatic, everything about it just felt so forced. Whatever heart I put into it was gone and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to work on the idea the way it was.
On a the bus up to one of my classes I thought of an idea that made me laugh and jotted it down on my phone. The idea was based on characters from a series I created when I first started animating. The notes I wrote down are below:
“Philip has anger issues.
Billy wearing headphones while drawing.
Gavin mentions to Billy that Philip may have anger issues.
Billy asks why.
Cut to clips of angry Philip from previous episodes.
Cut back to Billy and Gavin in present, hearing Philip in outrage.
Billy says it’s not affecting their lives though, zoom out to room in tatters.
Billy agrees, asks what will they do.
Gavin suggests therapy. Nope.
Billy suggests rehab. Nope.
Gavin suggests to exorcise him. Way nope.
Billy is about to suggest but the TV downstairs switches on, and plays ad for danger room.
Room to smash anything and everything to blow off some steam.
Cut to them in danger room, Philip thrashing the place. Billy and Gavin proud, they join in, Billy is crap at smashing, rebuilds stuff to be smashed by Phil.
Schrapnel hits Billy in the face, match cut to him upstairs with black eye and broken tooth. Gavin beside him
Gavin asks if he’s okay.
Billy says no but at least Philips not trashing the house anymore. They look into Philips room, it slowly zooms in and he’s cross-legged in a monk position, his eyes dart open with peace power with a quick zoom before the screen cuts to black.”
This idea felt a lot more fun, even just by the initial idea. That evening I wrote a script for the cartoon, and created some updated designs/turnarounds for the characters. I then emailed my lecturer Ed and asked if it were possible to completely change my short film this late into development. He assured me that I was capable enough to complete this in the time left and gave me the green light to start. I immediately got to work making the animatic to have before class the next week, and luckily my mates (who the characters are based on) visited and were able to voice act for the short, which meant that I had the final voices ready for the animatic.
The animatic was ready for the next week and it was more than suitable to continue one with, although obviously in need of some tweaking. I knew I was definitely behind, however I also knew that I’d be more than able to complete this within the deadline.
