Animatic dialogue (rough)

This is the rough dialogue that I'll be using for my animatic. There is alot to work on with the voice actor like the tones and expressions on certain words and phrases which I will go over with him when I hope to do the final version for my actual animation.

Editing the dialogue

I was able to find a voice over artist who was able to act out both my characters up north accents. I brought it into fruity loops to perfect the timing of dialogue and to attempt to correct the timing of his speech.

Environment

My Characters

Chicken Comb experiments

Character 2 Orthographic

front

side

Character 1 Orthographic

front

side

Environment Orientation (foreground)

Character design

The Script (still writing)

The script so far:

-Guess what?

-What?

-I'm moving on up in the world I am

-Oh yeah? How'd you figure that?

-A little birdie told me

-Your not going to tell me who?

-I just did, A little bird told me, a sparrow I think he was 

-Oh

-Pleasant fella

-So wait what did he tell you?

-He says he knows where theyre going.
-Who?
-The other chickens - you know, the one's who keep disappearing

-Really?

-Yeah

-So where'd they go?

-He said they got sent to work up at the pole tree

-The pole tree?

-yup

-Whats that?

-Really? you have no shame? all those feathers on your back and you don't know what a pole tree is?

-nope

-Neither do I   (angelic music fades in) - My guess it's a sort of chicken haven where only the best can go and your only job when you get there is to pick a branch and bask in your brilliance. It will be truely beautiful 

(record scratch sound)

-Well its either that or a tree full of polish people

-whatever it is I'm going there, if anyone deserves to be there its me
-yeah, me too
-Well I'm not sure you'll make the cut
-(angrily) And why on earth not?
-Because - how can I put this? - I'm not a regular chicken like yourself, I'm a free-range.
-What in farmers name is that?
-Honestly? As old as you are you don't know what a free-range chicken is?
-Do you?
-Nah but I do know two things: 1) they're important and b) I'm one
-Let me guess, a little birdie told you?
-A cow actually - nice lass - abit on the heavy side though - udderly

-I was thinking -  Don't you think ‘free range’ means we’re free to roam around, we’re free to sit here and chat and go about our business while all the hens are stuffed  in the chicken coops – we’re a free range of chicken 

-That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard all morning - and I’ve just come from talking to a goat!

-It was just a thought 

-*mimics* Just a thought! The things you come up with.

-(looks at floor/rubs back of neck)

-Next you’ll be telling me the earth isn't flat or that multibillionaires with no prior experience in politics can run for president

 -(raises hand to correct him but refrains)

-Woah! Farmer’s coming. Act normal

*Both chickens stop moving and look straight*

*Farmer picks up one of the chickens*

-I’m going to the pole tree; I know it!

-Don’t forget about me when you get there

 I always knew I was special

*next scene you only see the chicken in a dimly lit room with the shadow of the farmer spread across the chicken and floor*

-So where do I check in?

*the shadow wields two big knives and sharpens them*

-(gulp)

THE END

Initial Character Influence map

My first approach to my character research was - find some pictures of chickens and your good to go, but after looking up a few things I realised because my characters are male chickens they are specifically roosters and therefore have additional features to the chickens (hens) one comes across on searching the word on google images. On searching 'Roosters' instead of chickens, I found that they have noticeable elegance about them, almost reminiscent of a peacock. I'm sure I can find a way to incorporate this into the design one way or another. I also found that there are various colours and sizes of roosters which gives me options in the direction I will take the design.

Environment Influence map

While I'm still working on the script for the animation, I've began looking at farms in Northern England to draw influence on my environment (Yorkshire, Devon and Cornish farms specifically). These are the images I took a liking to. The hills, cobblestone walls and wooden fences stand out to me as things that will help distinguish my environment as a British farm opposed to an American one.

Project proposal

Project Proposal

I've chosen to do a year long project similar to the one I did last year with the minor being a character design project and the major being the creation of the animation. I've learned from my mistakes last year and have figured that my downfall was underestimating how long the rigging process would take therefore this time around I am going to aim to have the characters completely rigged in the minor, leaving me solely with animating and environment in the major.

My idea for this year  will be related to my last year project, and alike that project, this one will embrace my strengths and weaknesses on the course. I want to make a prequel animation to my last years 'Chicken coop' about the two pigeons discussing about the rumors surrounding a fast food chain. However this animation will be called 'Chickens!' and will have two chickens on a farm having similarly dimwitted conversations which in the dialogue will spark the rumors the pigeons were discussing in its sequel.

Although the concept of this idea is very similar to my last project, the characters, environment and dialogue give me the window to be creative with the direction. I've already decided that I want the farm to be based somewhere up north so the characters, instead of having the cockney accent of my last characters, they will have a strong Yorkshire accent which I feel will add to the humour of the dialogue.

With this project I feel the essence is in the dialogue which is one of my strong points. Once I have the script done and dusted I will find it easier to design the characters as what they say will give me a greater sense of what they look like.

The irony!