Minor Project: Few Character Designs

Here are a few character designs of one of the pigeons I've done just to visually get a better idea of the characters personality to help me write the dialogue.

Minor Project: Dialogue direction

I've decided to make one of my two characters very simple minded with short term memory to bring in the humor and make the discussion more interesting.
I figured the two pigeons can kick their conversation off with what they've been up to like:

-so whats new
-met this new bird on Tuesday
-oh really, what bird
-a new one
-no I mean what bird is she
-she's a new bird I just started seeing - on Tuesday
-no I mean- never mind

For reference I'm looking at the 'Ricky Gervais show' to take notes on the conversational tone and also because I want the relationship between the two characters to be somewhat like Ricky and Karl Pilkington's, Karl being the slightly dimwitted one and Ricky the smarter one that corrects and jokingly mocks him.

The Ricky Gervais Show

Minor Project: Subject matter Research

Before I begin constructing the dialogue I thought it was best that I look up some useful facts about pigeons for reference on the type of things they would generally talk about. Some of the facts I found that can possibly useful are: 

Diets
Pigeons are herbivores so their diet is meant to consist of seeds, fruits and plants - meant to. 

Mating Habits
Pigeons can mate up to 8 times a year with 2 squabs (baby pigeons) each time - so they have alot of babies. 

Natural Predator
Pigeons natural predator is the Peregrine Falcon which is the fastest bird on the planet and although not naturally common to the pigeons city habitat, are being introduced as a 'natural' pigeon control.

General Habits
Pigeons are considered one of the most intelligent birds on the planet. They are able to differentiate between photographs and even between two different human beings in a photograph when rewarded - so if it wanted to remember a face to revenge-poop on for scaring it the week before, it could.

They are social birds and usually congregate in groups. 

How they Travel 
Pigeons use roads and motorways to navigate, even changing direction at motorway junctions according to studies at Oxford University - so they know and can discuss street names. 

Other Abilities
Pigeons have a very sensitive sense of hearing and exceptional eyesight.

Minor Project: Change in Idea

After speaking to Alan and thinking more into my initial ideas I've come up with a more solid storyline for my animation. Two pigeons fly in on a branch above a park and have a very casual 'human-like' conversation.

They talk about:

• The type of people that come to the park
• The type of food they leave
• Relations with other female pigeons or 'birds'
• Funny scenarios where they've poo'd on people

These common topics then lead to deeper and more thought provoking topics like whether the egg came before the chicken and so on. The humor will be that both pigeons are talking in such a colloquial human way but what they are talking about is something no human can discuss in that perspective.

I will start working on the order of the topics and how the dialogue will get from talking about one subject to another

Minor Project: Initial Influence

With my initial idea I came up with I've been looking at a similar style I did with my second year project stemming around vinyl toys. I also want it to be very British aswell which will be shown by the characters clothes and the subtle features of the environment.

Minor Project: Further research

Ive looked at more ways in portraying this idea in term of where the characters will converse and how. I think I want the characters to be sitting on a wall on an estate 'chilling' until it leads them into these discussions and the camera will focus on them from a straight and upfront angle.

Some examples:

A short film - Tight Jeans

An episode from series - Mandem On The Wall

To do this successfully I need to really improve on my modelling/texuring skills because how the characters look will play a significant roll in how the project turns out. Starting from today I will revisit a lot of the old Maya tutorials and practice my modelling and texturing to prepare me for turning my character designs 3d

3rd Year Project: Change in Idea

After the briefing today I was hit with the idea of making my minor project on a short animation or a series of short animations that revolve around the humourous  conversations of two characters from an urban environment about common affairs. The characters and their whimsically deviating discussions will be the central point of the animation which means their design will be all the more important to the success of the animation. Two perfect examples of the type of conversations they will have are Ed' and Rummy's in The Boondocks or Vincent and Jules in Pulp Fiction:

The Boondocks - Ed and Rummy

Pulp fiction - Vince and Jules