Assignment 01: Concept and Ideation - Project Proposal

Assignment Brief:

 

Week 1

We need to form a group of 4 for our following assignments. I am not there on the first day but luckily, I keep in touch with my fellow classmates and managed to form a group. Our leader is Sze Ching, my teammates are Riona and Yeye (Will). We quickly form a group chat after confirmation of all group members. We have a small discussion on group name, Riona suggested Reborn while I suggested Lighting bulb, which inspired by our group icon, we combine it and it became 'Rebulb'. That's how our group name being created. 

Our group leader, Sze Ching informed us about the assignment brief in group chat. Basically, we need to propose a projection mapping content idea based on the theme 'Pulse/Nadi'. We decided to brainstorm on our own first before having a meeting on 6 February. I get an idea about music box, inspired from my own music box. My initial idea is to link music with pulse, it's like music is alive, and we enjoy the life of music. And from here, I thought about a dancing ballerina on the music box, her dance and movement represent lives too. 

I wanted to connect music with lives, with pulse, indicating that music has a life, and we are enjoying the life of music. And in the content, we can see the life of music, rises from silence death to full blooming with lives, represented by the colour, ballerina's dance moves, flowers and most importantly music. Thus, music plays an important role in this, I initially think about classic music from Mozart's, Beethoven's and other classic talents. But Sze Ching have a better idea about using music with pulse-like rhythm, which suits this idea better. 

I actually have a small brainstorming session with Sze Ching after a class, I told her about my idea, and we further develop the idea. I have concerns on how to presents the content, because of the dancing ballerina, it will be so hard to construct the movement, and it must have needed a lot of time on doing just that. We can use 3D to create the animation, but we are worried about time, we do not have that much time to complete such a complex animation. But we both do like this idea a lot, we even think of the visuals, the storylines, the music and more elements already. Below are the details of this first idea:

IDEA 1: Ballerina Music Box

Concept: An abandoned/old music box and ballerina is being alive/awake again by music (pulse).

Story: Music is the pulse of this music box, when the music start playing little by little (just a single note first), then the music box will slowly move/alive again. It will get powered up when the pulse(music) gets stronger and faster. The music box will open up and the seemingly dead ballerina inside the music box will starting to move and dance(alive). She will eventually jump out of the box and dance everywhere.

Objectives:

• To show that music brings/empowered lives
• To feel life through music

Scenes:

1. The abandoned music box

In the first scene, the music box will slowly emerge from the dark. It will float in the darkness, looking all sad and abandoned. Then, the first note(pulse) start, the music box vibrates, and the whole screen will get vibrated too (with a kind of special effect). Then, the second, the third, until the music box get awaken.

2. The awaken music box

The music box slowly opens up and get it's lively colour back. A sleeping ballerina slowly emerged from the music box. She also slowly gets awake by the music note. Regain her consciousness, she started moving.

3. The ballerina

The ballerina dance in the music box slowly, she gets happier and confident. She try to get out of the box and dance but is still afraid of the unknown because she never get out of the box before.

4. The piano tiles

Out of nowhere, piano tiles started to appear, the ballerina try to be brave and get out of the box to go to the piano tiles. She steps onto the piano tiles, and the piano tiles glow and flowers (new life) appeared. With every note(pulse), the ballerina dances and the whole screen vibrates through it. She steps on more piano tiles, and more flowers emerge.

5. The world of music

The whole screen now is filled with flowers, music notes appeared with pulse effect too while the ballerina dances everywhere (it can be more than one, duplicate the same ballerina, change the sizes, location and dance move). This is the world of music. Music brings life, music inspire life.

6. The perfect ending

The final scenes and with the ballerina go back to the music box, while the flowers continue to flourish the whole screen. She bows down and pose herself in a proud ballet pose unlike her first appearance in a very sad and sleepy pose. The music box close down and the world of music slowly disappeared with the flower petals flow down one by one.

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We worried that this first idea is not going to work, so we try to think about another idea. This is where I thought about danger. Since we always feel our heartbeat and pulse stronger and faster while in danger. I think we can link these two together and create a unique yet scary content. My initial idea is just to explore fear. I want to dig down deeper on human's fear, their feelings in danger. Thus, I only wanted to create an intense feeling through simple stop-motion animation, using visual cues like blood, weapons, hands, and relying strongly on audio. I want to bring out the fear in audiences using audio like screaming, footsteps, heavy breathing and such elements. This idea is more of exploring instead of presenting. I want to explore fear in audiences instead of presenting them fear. 

But after discussing with Sze Ching, we think that it might be better to have a story, because Mr. xxx mentioned about story frequently, he said he want us to create our own story. So, we create a fictional storyline for this topic 'Danger'. We created two versions, one is purely exploring fear, while one has storyline. Below are the details of this second idea:

IDEA 2: Danger

Version 1

Concept: An unknown danger and a constant feeling of danger

Experience: Audience feels an unknown danger nearing but they didn't know what the exact danger is. But they did feel a constant danger feeling through the sound of pulse, the heartbeat, the heavy breathing and hurry footsteps. They can also visualize the environment and ambience through some visual cues like worried eyes, beating heart, a stranger's hand and etc...

Objectives:

• To feel the constant danger
• To immerse in a horror setting

Visual inspiration: same style

Sound effect:

• Heartbeat/pulse
• Breathing
• Footsteps
• Scream
• Heavy liquid flowing
• Rotating eye (slushy flesh sound)
• Noises (multiple inaudible whispering)

Scene:

1. The scream (10 secs)

A loud scream starts the content. The heartbeat starts. A scared eye emerged on the screen suddenly. The eyeball moves and it looks around the surroundings, try to find the source of danger. But there is nothing.

2. The footsteps (10 secs)

There will be sounds of hurry footsteps and heavy breathing, indicates running. There will be a drawing of a pair of legs running at the side screen. And the heartbeat gets heavier, a drawing of heart beating will be shown in the middle.

3. The stranger's hand (10 secs)

Multiple hands emerge from the different screens, one by one, indicates trying to capture someone. The heartbeat get stronger and faster.

4. The panic (10 secs)

The eye appeared again, rotating the eyeballs more nervously and faster. There will be annoying and disturbed noise creating a very uncomfortable and uneasy ambience. This indicates panic.

5. The danger (10 secs)

A knife appears at one of the side screens, the eye quickly looks to the knife, a hand then appear on another screen, the eye then quickly look to the hand. Another hand appears on the floor, and the eye look to it too. The heartbeat and breathing get very fast and heavy.

6. The blood (10 secs)

There are blood flowing down from all the screen until it filled up the floor screen. There will be thick liquid flowing sound. The eye in the middle will be cover in blood and disappeared in the scene. The whole space will be in red colour and end. And the heartbeat stop.

Version 2

Concept: Getting hunt down by a killer, escaping the danger.

Story: A family is being hunt down by a killer. The main character gets awaken by a scream in the middle of the night. They did not know exactly what happen but can feel the danger is nearing. They try to escape but, in the end, they get killed.

Objectives:

• To feel the constant danger
• To immerse in a horror setting

Sound effect:

• Heartbeat/pulse
• Breathing
• Footsteps
• Scream
• Rotating doorknob
• Rotating eye (slushy flesh sound)

Scene:

1. The scream

In the first scene, the screens are all dark until a loud scream, it wakes up the main character. A pair of eyes suddenly open on the screen. The main character's heartbeat gets louder.

2. The footsteps

The main character heard in silence, they heard footsteps, heard the dangling of chains/knife (still not decided yet). Then, the heartbeat of the main character get faster and louder. They decide to get up, and try to escape.

3. The running

The killer notices the main character. The main character start to run from the killer. There will be more footsteps sound and heavy breathing sound. There will be hand from the killer, knife, eyes, running legs and etc...

4. The panic

This is kind of like the climax of the content where the character is unable to turn on the doorknob, and the breathing gets harder and harder, the pulse get louder and faster. This scene might show the doorknob, the heart and etc...

5. The relief

The main character successfully open the door, and hide inside the space. They feel relieved. There are some peacefulness, shown by slow pulse and relieved eyes (maybe).

6. The end

The killer say something, and the main character realized the killer is behind them. And the screen went red. This indicate the main character get killed.

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Meeting - 6 February

We present our ideas in this meeting and listen to other group members' opinion and comments on it. We also stated our concerns on the ballerina's idea. They both agreed with it and think that Danger is better, and we are able to complete it in time. So, we have a discussion on further improving it, especially the storyline. Riona had a very good idea to add in, which is giving it a real-life related issues like bullying. We can link bullying to fear, to danger and pulse. 

Yeye also share her initial idea like Mortal Circuity and ​Internet Virtual Consciousness Adventure. Both are in horror theme too. One of them is about hospital, death, patients, while the other is about internet, consciousness, mind and such. We decided the two ideas will be backup ideas if lecturer disagree about Danger as our proposal. After the discussion, we are task to write the idea in more details and made moodboard. I am tasked with creating moodboard for Danger. 

Moodboard: 

Below is the third version of our discussion on Danger:

Version 3

Concept: An immersive scenario of School Bully

Story:

You got bullied in school, and you try to escape......

Objectives:

• To feel the constant danger
• To immerse in a horror setting

Sound effect:

• Heartbeat/pulse
• Breathing
• Footsteps
• Whispering
• A mild/loud thud
• Rotating eye (slushy flesh sound)

School bullying

• many eyes - bully's fierce arrogant eye, outsider pretend not to see eye
• when bullying - the eyes change from clean and pure, to slowly swollen, pupil constrict and tremble, then bleeding.
• screen left and right - hand hitting

Scene:

1. The Eyes (The Bully's Gaze)

 A pair of glowing, eyes appear on the wall, staring directly at the viewer. The eyes are accompanied by a slow, ominous heartbeat sound.

2. The Hands (The Push)

Shadows of hands appear, pushing and shoving in slow motion. The lighting becomes harsh and flickering, like a strobe effect.

3. The Whisper (The Words)

Words like "worthless," "loser," and "alone" appear in glowing text, swirling around the viewer. The heartbeat sound becomes faster and more erratic.

4. Running (The Escape)

The space transforms into a tunnel of light, you run away. The heartbeat sound becomes faster and louder, mimicking running footsteps.

5. The Pulse (The Aftermath)

The screen or space fills with a single, glowing heartbeat line. It starts erratic and panicked but gradually slows and steadies.

6. The Ending

You jump down from the building. the pulse stop.

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Week 2

During week 2, we have our first consultation with lecturer where we present our concept ideas to lecturer and received comments. We managed to present all of our ideas including backups except the ballerina idea because we all agree that it is way too complicated to be done. Our lecturer, Mr. Zeon likes our third version of Danger too, adding school bullying theme makes it a more relatable, interesting and educative topic for our project. Thus, we all decided we will use the third version of Danger to be our project idea. Mr. Zeon also finds inspiration and extra elements for us to add in our project based on our other ideas, like adding hospital elements, adding kinetic font and etc. 

After the consultation, four of us have a small meeting to progress the information and comments given, and also to delegate the tasks. We write down the storyline, the elements like visuals and audios in a more detailed format. We also discuss again the storyline, to make it more complete, more interesting, clear and neat. We also discuss what kind of case study should we do, we can't really find any exhibition, projection mapping, art installation about bullying. Thus, we focus on finding exhibition that we can learn about design techniques. I suggested Junji Ito exhibition, as we are using an art style that is very very similar to his. Our content is also more on horror them, which we can learn a lot from a horror manga artist himself. I also found Thin Air exhibition from online resources, which I think we can learn a great deal of lighting design techniques, art installation techniques from. Thus, we decided to use these two exhibitions as our case study. 

We delegate our task, I am going to complete one of the case study, which is Junji Ito exhibition, while Riona complete the other and she is also doing our mind map. Sze Ching and Yeye will be focused on writing the details on our proposals, concepts, designs and such. First, I gather as much resources as I can from online, such as images, YouTube videos, articles, reviews and such. Then, I searched for background information of the exhibition like the artist, venue, exhibition details. I then write and compile my case study while following the rubric and requirements of the assignment. 

I found out we are missing a little bit information on bullying. We were discussing about the bullying case of Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain in Malaysia. So, I research a little about it and write a very simple background info about this case. Since, I also help assist my fellow teammates on completing their task, we discuss with each other if there is any problem or question needed to be solved. I also added more information for the Thin Air exhibition case study, as I have some other perspectives and learning outcome from this art installation such as the design strategies. Sze Ching helps to compose and rearrange our information into a more clear and neat arrangement. 

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Week 3

We have another consultation session with Mr. Zeon. This time, we showed our more detailed proposal and case studies that have been done. Our case studies are a little different from what he wants, he suggested we can do more research on school bullying as this is supposed to be our main focus in the content. He suggested we can use movies, books or other resources to do the case studies, it doesn't necessarily need to be an exhibition, projection mapping or similar content. We just have to understand what it is like from bullying's victims' perspective, in emotional, mental and physical form. 

We can keep our case studies as it is but we should add more to it. Mr. Zeon also mentioned that our proposal is way too detailed and it didn't really match the content he want for this first assignment, our content right now is more for assignment 2. So, we are to keep our content for assignment 2 and write more about design intent, concepts, vision breakdown and others. Overall, our progress is quite fast and we just need to follow the assignment requirements better. 

Again, we have a small meeting session after the consultation. Our focus now is to find case studies for this assignment. We discuss resources like movies, dramas, but I found it unrealistic as these are fictional. But we do can understand victim's emotions better as the actor acted out all the emotions. I found a documentary online named Bully, I think it is the most realistic resources we can use as it interviews real bullying case's victims, recording life of victims, so we can understand the victim's perspective directly. Thus, I suggested this documentary. Riona also suggested a movie named 'A Place Called Silence', I watched this movie when it was released, it is really a good movie and actually they shoot this movie at my hometown, Bukit Mertajam. Thus, since I am the only one who watched the whole movie, I volunteered to do this case study and also the documentary 'Bully' as I suggested this. 

Yeye also suggested many movies about bullying, but some of them is more than school bullying, so we choose only one of them, which has more elements in school bullying which is ' Han Gong Ju'.  Yeye will be doing this case study as she suggested this. While Riona will be doing the case of Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain as case study. So, we now have four case studies about school bullying. Riona will also be creating mind map with Sze Ching. While Sze Ching will be rewriting the content of our assignment such as the concepts, design intents and more. 

I watched the movie again for case study and making notes at the same time. I discovered a lot more details as I watch it for the second time. I also watched the whole documentary 'Bully', it is truly heart-wrenching as I watched the children and teenagers suffer so much because of bullying. I need to stop and continue watching many times as I couldn't finish it all at once. I made a lot of notes during watching, I record down all the abuse they went through, in form of physical and mental. I also record their emotions, opinions, their family's comments on these. I then compile all of my notes into two separate case studies. Me and Sze Ching then work on our whole slides, to make it more beautiful and neater for reading. I also helped with mind maps later on. We successfully complete the assignment and submitted on time. 

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Submission: