Planning the animation (P3, P4, M2)

P3: Develop concept ideas and sequences for an animation to meet a client brief. 

mood board: characters

The mood board seen below demonstrates a colour palette and clear character types which will be used for my final animation product. There are a variety of animation styles displayed in the mood board to allow for a wider choice of methods used for my final product, interestingly I am considering multiple so this enables more freedom for the final product if I wish to select one or many of these options.

reference images:
https://www.clipartmax.com/png/middle/188-1881412_zombie-sticker-animated-zombie-gif.png
https://brashmonkey.com/forum/uploads/monthly_2016_02/56ba2ac900c17_Zombie01-01.jpg.621086ac2ce5e8c45e96dcfbcf563b2c.jpg
https://w7.pngwing.com/pngs/933/16/png-transparent-zombie-walk-female-zombie-s-game-vertebrate-cartoon.png
https://i0.wp.com/oldford.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Lego-Zombies.jpg?fit=750%2C726&ssl=1
https://live.staticflickr.com/8630/28471552592_ae30a76101_b.jpg
https://www.comingsoon.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/10/TinyZombie-e1477922878673.jpg
https://howtodrawforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/How-to-draw-a-zombie-for-kids-1.jpg
https://howtodrawforkids.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/how-to-draw-a-zombie.jpg
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQH_2H5CRpUfkhoPzLcnSaRhtQgL4ymgFbP5Q&usqp=CAU
https://www.color-hex.com/palettes/28895.png
https://easydrawingguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/how-to-draw-a-zombie-face-featured-image-1200.png

mood board: locations

The mood board used to represent locations for the animation can be seen below, this shows a variety of location backgrounds that I am considering for the setting of the animation. Some of these locations have been specifically outlined in the brief and therefore it is important to include these to meet the clients needs. 

reference images:

https://i2-prod.nottinghampost.com/incoming/article2024801.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/0_South-Muskham-bridge-A1PNG.png
https://res.cloudinary.com/thrillophilia/image/upload/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive.strip_profile,g_auto,h_600,q_auto,w_auto/v1/filestore/jy3lxbtjzilfuc5vd88zz1jk4m0n_1579344189_Leicester_Square.jpg
https://l450v.alamy.com/450v/k4254d/london-underground-sign-london-underground-leicester-square-sign-leicester-k4254d.jpg
https://media.istockphoto.com/id/1212042426/photo/car-interior-part-of-front-seats-close.jpg?s=612x612&w=0&k=20&c=KOiUoGDzZoTU_ChswUQudlpRpFLihWzBq7-aZN6NvLw=
https://live.staticflickr.com/8014/7319603944_df4841bb4c_b.jpg
https://cktravels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/leicester-square-picadilly-circus.jpg

Sketches of movements & facial expressions 

My zombie characters will all appear to look the same throughout the animation with differing clothing colours to help audiences differentiate the characters. The benefit of making these characters the same is the stereotype that all zombies are identical and audiences mostly focusing on the scary depiction of the character rather than specific details. Additionally, the zombies will move like humans but with a slower and more hobbled pace applied to their actions. This character positions sketch clearly shows the oddly shaped head, swelling eyes, and partial showing brain of the zombie to clearly indicate the undead identity. 
Furthermore, the facial expressions shown here will likely feature in my final animation as various elements of the story occur and strike emotion into the character's face as depicted by the sketch.

Storyboard (with timings for scenes)

Storyline

My animation will depict two humans driving in the car, as the car drives past you will see a "Brain Goo" horror bumper sticker (indicating the target audience). The passenger in the car will point out the "Zombie Fest March" banner that appears on the bridge over the road, as the car passes under the bridge a transition effect will overtake the screen and the animation will become a 'zombified' world. This will be displayed by the change in colour palette which will instantly become dull in comparison to the oversaturated colours used for the first scene. Additionally, the final edits of the video animation will use filters to help the scene appear more spooky/ scary to audiences. In the following scene, the humans will now appear as zombies and the dialogue will indicate their journey to the march- they will turn up the radio and begin the trip (this music will be continued throughout the remainder of the animation). Moving forward, the zombies will arrive at Edgware station where they can begin their quest to the march in Leicester square. The following scenes will show the zombies moving through the stations, barriers, and train carriages until finally departing at Tottenham Court Road station. When they arrive here, a variety of posters will display directions toward the march which they and other zombies will follow out of the station and onto the street before finding the starting line for the march. The next scene will feature a mumbled cheering sound effect and whistle to imply the start of the march and the zombies will set off. Finally, the zombies will end in Leicester Square and the last image will be of a large group of zombies walking into the distance as an iris shot overtakes the screen, fading to black and displaying the text "Zombie Fest, March Now!".

P4: Create a pre-production plan for the animation.

Medium
The brief outlines an animation suitable for a mobile device display, therefore the medium of this product will need to be digital. Significantly, this digital device display will suit the target audience and help gain mass appeal from the general public as it appears more convenient for them to access. This animation will be digitally distributed by 'Brain Goo' on a mobile app which ensures the desired audience can be directly targeted through this form of distribution. Furthermore, this medium is an efficient form of communication as it enables the promotional video to best depict a storyline in a clear and comprehensive way.

Synopsis
In a world filled with conflict, something we can all agree is much scarier is zombies! When two humans spot a banner promoting the upcoming zombie march hosted by 'Brain Goo' their world is forever changed as they explore a darker reality. The newly converted zombies find a community and begin to find joy in the undead experience as they make their way through the trains into Leicester Square. Finding other zombies in Leicester Square they feel at home and wish to invite others to join them through the advert.

Target audience
The audience we will be targeting is an adult group of horror enthusiasts as outlined by the brief. This will be anyone 18+ due to the potentially mature themes shown within the promotional animation, the 'scary' zombie characters will better appeal to this older demographic. The brief did not outline any specific gender, race or class for the primary target audience so we will be promoting toward people of all genders and races. However, the class we wish to attract will be middle to upper class as this group are more likely to have the funds to purchase the goods offered at the end of the march in Leicester Square including food and autographed merchandise. Interestingly, the gender most likely to be enticed by the horror genre is typically male audiences but we wish to attract a mass audience and therefore will use male and female conventions within our animation to attract a wider appeal. 

The secondary audience for the promotional video and overall 'Zombie Fest' march will be a slightly younger audience of 14- 18 year olds, the teenage demographic often participate and consume content despite regulators deeming them inappropriate. While this could be controversial we will aim to inexplicitly appeal to a teenage audience to gain further success for the event. The march will not consist of any inappropriate language or themes, but it might appear too violent for younger audiences so we must ensure the event remains peaceful for audiences safety at the march. These groups will likely be male as they are often enticed by more mature and violent media content from a younger age and therefore the march will appeal. However, this audience will likely need to be upper class as London is the location for the event which is an expensive city to travel/ commute into and therefore the attendees will need sufficient disposable income to attend. 

Purpose
The animation I will be creating will be used to promote and inform audiences of the upcoming 'Zombie Fest March'. The promotional video will use an animation style to portray zombie characters and horror themes for the target audience. Considering the older audience, the animation will appear scary to best appeal and ensure the correct demographic is reached and doesn't confuse the promotion for a children's event. Furthermore, the animation has been created to entertain audiences as a way to attract them toward the event, ultimately promoting the company to them.

Script

SCENE 1

Reverse iris shot to fade into two humans sitting in a car, driving along a motorway when they see a banner along a bridge promoting the new Zombie Fest March taking place. The cars passenger points out the banner.

SCENE 2

The same motorway has now become a zombie land, the world appears darker and scarier. The humans have transformed into zombies.

ZOMBIE 1:        (confused) GRUNTS.

SCENE 3

Cut to the zombie turning the volume up on the radio to listen to a horror/zombie esque music style. The two zombies make their way to Edgware tube station.

SCENE 4

They arrive at the station and make their way through barriers and train carriages until departing at Tottenham court road.

ZOMBIE 1:       (excited) GRUNTS.

ZOMBIE 2:       (excited) GRUNTS.

SCENE 5

The zombies follow the posters out of the station to the march.

SCENE 6

The starting line for the march will be displayed and a large group of zombies will cheer as the whistle is blown for the beginning of the march.

ZOMBIES:       (collectively, excited) GRUNTS.

SCENE 7

Screen fades and an iris shot is used to zoom in on a zombies face before displaying a text shot “Zombie Fest, March Now”.

Risk assessment

The running order for the project

1. create a mind map for ideas
2. develop mood boards
3. sketch out character designs and facial expressions
4. develop a storyline
5. create a storyboard for the animation
6. carry out research about animation conventions 
7. carry out research on audience trends
8. carry out research on competitors
9. hire personnel 
10. create a risk assessment 
11. gather all the equipment needed
12. collect software or physical props need for animation
13. begin creating animation
14. record sounds for animation
15. edit animation, adding in backplates and effects
16. carry out market research
17. measure ticket sales
18. measure social media following

Equipment and personnel required

Equipment and personnel	Reason
Camera	To film and photograph the content of the final animation project, this will make the project viewable to audiences.
Laptop	To create pre- production documents such as scripts and storylines so the crew are able to follow plans for the final product. The laptop will also be used in the final stages to edit the project and upload the files for distribution to audiences.
Lighting equipment	This will be used to ensure the figures used for the stop motion animation can be seen by viewers and might help indicate time of day.
Props- Lego	Used throughout the entire animation as the primary focus of the story, helping it progress.
Microphone	This will be used to record sounds and dialogue heard throughout the final animation so audiences can better engage with the story.
Voice actor	A voice actor will be needed to bring life to characters by voicing the dialogue and indicating thoughts and emotions to readers.
Filmmaker	The person in charge of creating the animation by using professional camera equipment to capture the story by slightly moving characters to express a narrative.
Foley artist	Used to bring the production to life by giving sounds to the actions being shown on screen, this helps audiences better relate to the content.
Editor	A person who’ll piece together the final animated product to create a progressive narrative which audiences can engage with. This person will also add effects and sounds to the scenes seen on screen, so the story flows more naturally.
Set designer	This person will create a realistic setting and use all the necessary props needed to create a believable animation, for instance a car will need to be used for the story so they must find one that fits the narrative and genre.
Final cut pro software	This software is used to help the editor realistically piece together the overall project for the best final outcome.

2D/3D backplates

reference images:
https://assets.londonist.com/uploads/2013/06/i875/northern_seats.jpg
https://res.cloudinary.com/thrillophilia/image/upload/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive.strip_profile,g_auto,h_600,q_auto,w_auto/v1/filestore/jy3lxbtjzilfuc5vd88zz1jk4m0n_1579344189_Leicester_Square.jpg
https://wpusa-aws-media.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2016/11/RED-ARROWS-LIMITED-EDITION-NAVIHAWK-A.T-LONDON-UNDERGROUND.png
https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/04/21/54/4215417_0370fc48.jpg
https://assets.londonist.com/uploads/2018/03/i875/shutterstock_1018513933.jpg

I have sourced these images from Google to use as backplates within my final animation. This will help the audience better relate to the final product as they are able to recognise common and some iconic settings such as Leicester Square within the animation- therefore they will recognise this as a promotional animation of non-fiction rather than a fictional entertainment video. Additionally, the backplates used here help add context to the story and therefore ensure the narrative flows better overall. 

Gantt chart

M2: Complete a SWOT analysis for the intended animation for the client.

Strengths

The planned animation will have many strengths that will help it gain the desired audience attention. One example is the animated element of our promotional video, which is a unique selling point. Most promotional materials use live action video to promote an event because it is more realistic and relatable to an audience, but adding an animated element to our promo will help peak audience interest. The unconventional production method will make the project more memorable and increase our audience's engagement with the video advertisement. Furthermore, because animation is associated with children, it might reach a younger demographic.
Additionally, the projects primary strength will be the accessibility to audiences. The video animation will be available for consumption on a mobile device app and therefore help the project to reach a mass audience as the majority of the population have access to a mobile device. This will benefit Brain Goo's plans for a zombie march as it will further promote the event to a wide target audience by utilizing this medium. 

Weaknesses

One weakness to consider for the planned promotional animation would be the diversification into alternative platforms. For example, if the promotional video is adapted into a mobile game this will likely cost a small fee to download to help generate revenue for the organisation. However, not all audiences will have a sufficient disposable income to spend on a mobile app and therefore won't purchase it, decreasing chances of overall success. The potential weakness might prevent the diversification from taking place and therefore restricting the possibility of developing a franchise and expanding. 

Opportunities

Opportunities for the animation production include expanding the project and, as a result, the target audience. For example, the animation may become popular with audiences, generating a loyal following that the organisation can use to generate interest in other projects, including spin-offs, to ensure the same audience is satisfied. The animation could be adapted into a mobile game in which users complete challenges and tasks to earn points and level up, with the animated zombie characters playing a central role. This is likely to appeal to the same audience that enjoyed the promotional animation because it includes some of the same elements that made the original project so popular, such as horror themes, settings, and zombie characters. Interestingly, a game will allow the media company to diversify into other media industries, thereby expanding the overall company's target audience. For example, the original animation was designed to appeal to adult horror enthusiasts, but the secondary audience of a younger demographic may grow fond of it, and the game may later appeal to this group as a primary audience. To maintain satisfaction and engagement, the game will most likely be kid-friendly by making challenges simple for users to complete.
Overall, this diversification will offer extended marketing opportunities for 'Brain Goo' promotions as they will need to create additional marketing campaigns for the new mobile game through a variety of advertising mediums. The campaign will need to be accessible to mass audiences, using traditional and digital methods to successfully attract the correct audience. For instance, an interactive billboard in conjunction with a social media page for the new game will be able to effectively engage a young demographic due to the interactive element of the campaign. 

Threats

The primary threats facing the planned promotional animation would be competitors. The competitors threatening the success of the planned project would be other companies hosting events to promote their own upcoming films. For instance, another film company might be using animation to promote their movie due to the style being effective for engaging a younger audience, while this might not impact our project due to the difference in target demographic, it will reduce the appeal of our unique selling point. Ultimately this could negatively impact our relationship with 'Brain Goo' who have commissioned this project as they want an original promotion to entice viewers to join the 'Zombie Fest' March. 

Another threat we could face is facing potential legal or ethical issues from both audiences and media regulators. For instance, the video is an animation which could attract a primarily young target audience but the mature themes might appear too violent for this audience so regulators could restrict viewing and give an age guidance to the video in order to protect viewers. However, this is our secondary audience and therefore poses a threat to the success of our campaign if the age rating given is too high.