Character Research

As mentioned previously my aim at this stage of the project is to create characters that are both  unique and individual. I began by focussing mainly on the "heroes," of animation between 1930 and 1960. Now however, I'd like to draw focus away from this and move onto something slightly different.

   To create a character that is orignial whilst maintaing the style of classic animations the best direction for me to take my research in is towards animators and their characters that have already achieved this. Looking back at animations that I loved as a child seems like a logical way to go about this task.

To name just a few, Thomas the Tank Engine (possibly my favourite of all tank engines) made his first story book and TV appearance in 1984, and, like many of the old school characters remains quite an inconic figuire even today. The Pink Panther made his celebrity debut in the opening credit sequence for the original 1963 Pink Panther movie. This title sequence was so widely enjoyed that he was subsequently given his own animated short series, winning the 1964 Academy Award for Animated Short Film for "The Pink Phink."

   "Hack n Slash," are two characters of particular interest to me as during the 90's they pretty much pulled off what I am trying to do here and now. They are a villanous tag team from a TV show called "ReBoot." They are not by any means widely known characters today but at the time Reboot was the first fully computer generated TV series and this made a distinctive impression on me. These particular characters, despite being villains were also a source of comic relief by continously failing to carry out their schemes.

   What I'm really hoping to take away from this stage is a definitive, solid atmosphere for my animation. I do not want the characters to feel in any way disconnected from their environment, like they do not belong there or vice versa. Instead I want it to feel like a whole finished package, like the characters would not belong anywhere else and for their personalities to be unquestionably theirs. Inconsistency in this area is something I notice frequently from practicing animators and in my opinion is something that will make or break a good piece of work. Quite often an environment will look as though it was made before it is decided who or what will inhabit it, or an excellent character will not have enough supporting substance to the environment around it to make it look at home.