Back to the Drawaing board.....sort of?

Blog entry:

Ok, basically, I don’t have internet access at home as Ive spent the entire holiday moving house and working to pay bills, bond and rent i.e.: Life…
So this is just a layout of where I’m at with the project. Amanda and I had a meeting with Andi during week 3 to get her thoughts on the project.
Now, coming from that meeting, I jotted down the follow notes:

I still would like to keep a similar theme to the current story I have- part of this short film intention was to pay respect to the films that I grew up watching and enjoyed regardless of what current fad I was into when growing up.

“The Sting” was a big influence in this project in particular, but questions have been raised by Andi in regards to “What is the core of the film”?
Basically, I didn’t really have one. I wanted to attempt some character animation, interesting storyboards, concepts that I would enjoy animating and a story with a twist at the end. I guess it’s important to have an emotional attachment to work, or have a “core” or a “what is the film trying to say?” element to it, but in my stress-filled and busy life, I only have time to get the work done, pay the bills, meet deadlines, sleep and spend time (what little is left :P) with my girlfriend. I hope to entertain. That was my core.

Basically, I was told the Lion and Zebra conflict is essence was good and interesting in it’s back and forth structure, but apparently cliché’.
Also, the 1930’s Chicago gangster look is a little cliché too. (although I tried to stay away from Gangsters in the script, I guess it’s still based in the “Untouchables” era.).
Lastly, the story apparently falls flat at the end- I’m guessing that perhaps the gag where the lion is suddenly killed mid rampage by a polite little creature was lost in translation- could be my fault in the script writing, and it may be something that would come across later in the storyboarding / animating process…?

So where to from here?

My 2D post production lecturer suggested perhaps a different approach to the narrative or structure, such as something like “Memento” or closer to animation, the short film “Ring of Fire”. (then again, “Ring of Fire” was very surreal, and I had only a vague idea as to what was going on)

Basically, long story short; I lost motivation on the entire idea. I hate the fact that I did all these script drafts over the holidays and wasted time doing all these different concept drawings for characters to be told it’s been done before, try something else.

As I said, I just wanted to tell a nice story, despite people telling me I should be pushing myself to tell more. That’s great, but when you’re someone like me who is very taxed for time, who is under stress due to lack of time to accomplish work and who has to constantly assess every little task that has to be done in fear of not getting something else done or missing a deadline, or getting too many overdue bills or forgetting to eat or upsetting my girlfriend because I cant spend any quality time with her….my point is anything undertaken which turns into a waste of time for me is very frustrating and doesn’t help my stress levels. I just want to get a piece of high quality work out so I can have a decent chance of getting a job. “Nuff said. I don’t want to get tied up in a philososphy or ideal when I just want to entertain and have something to show at the end.

Anyways, I’ve gotten off track, but hopefully you can see my motivation. But I have made some minor changes which will hopefully help preserve some of my work and save time doing an entire re-write.

Basically, after throwing around the ideas of role switching (zebra the dirty cop, lion the bartender) and maybe either eradicating the scorpion (but destroying the twist) or introducing the scorpion at the beginning (preserving the twist, but still stick with the “clichés”) I decided the following:

The story is based in roughly the 1930’s in Redfern- Lower class district of South Sydney. This will help preserve some of the look, feel and costume ideas taken from ‘The Sting” but with a depression era Australia feel.
The main characters will be a rabbit from Redfern and either a Sea eagle from richer Manly area or a Rooster, also from the upper class of Valcluse/rose bay Eastern surburbs area. (playing on the traditional rivalries of Rugby league in the areas.)

My father and his father grew up in Redfern and we have a strong anti-manly/anti-east sediment that I would like to play on in the film (inspired not only from my pop but from the doco “Fibros vs silvertails” which tells of the rivalry and class arguments between manly and wests in the late 1970’s). I also wish to touch on the toughness f the depression era and also the class differences. But still wanting the light-heartedness of the Sting, which comes across in the characterization and the music. (I don’t want it to preach and I don’t want it to be morbid)

Basically I want the rabbit to be a battler. Not a wise cracker or wacky like bugs bunny, but still humourous and sarcastic to the eagle (most likely) in regards to the situation (either the eagle is the landlord wanting overdue rent/increased the rent on the rabbit, the rabbit just trying to raise his family or owns a shop or a corner store or he’s a street vendor…and maybe the rabbit organized a bounty, or placed a bet to off the eagle, or outsmarts him somehow…)

Anyways, you get the idea. A little more Australian tale, with only a hint of football references in it. I would like the colour of the film to be mainly sepia, but elements of the character to have muted colouring based on the tradition colours of the club i.e.: Red and green for the rabbit and maroon/brown and white for the eagle (or red, white and blue for the rooster). Anyways, more on this idea during the week when I get some concept art posted, a script/outline written and consulted Amanda.