Feedback and changes

We had to create a poster and present our ideas for the first day back in uni. I was really looking forward to showing my idea, as I thought it was a good one. But I hadn't shown it to anyone yet as I was also scared that it would be put down, and I wanted to preserve the thought that it is good. 

My fears came to life. People liked the concept, but not the way I wanted to portray it. The main point was 'Why is this animation? It could work just as well in live-action'. On the spot, I couldn't think of any improvements. I felt very disappointed, I was looking forward to showing this idea. For a change, I came up with an idea that could work, and that I was excited to make. 

It was suggested that I think of someway to mask the fighting, as a child might. The little girl wouldn't see her parents fighting, her imagination would block it in some way. And it would be interesting to make the animation from her point of view, see what she sees. 

The first thing I could think of is to have her parents doing some intense dancing, as if the girl doesn't see them arguing, just dancing with each other in a slightly scary way. Or to have them play fighting instead of real fighting. A child might not understand what arguing is, she may only know of play fighting, so thats what she sees. This idea got slightly out of hand when I imagined the dad squirting the Mum with a water gun, then realising that that would mean the dad actually shot the mum, and I didn't want the fighting to escalate that much. 

Image: Sketch by Cassie Austin

 The second idea was to have the little girl playing with her toys, and she acts out the toys fighting. She does this because, without realising it, her parents are influencing her, and she's thinking about it all the time. This idea then developed to the animation showing what the little girl sees, and going into the world of her imagination. Where toys are giant and fighting.

Image: Sketch by Cassie Austin

The third idea was the little girl lying in her bed at night, and she can hear her parents arguing. But she doesn't know it is her parents, she just heard scary loud noises and imagines scary monsters. The animation can show the scary monsters she thinks of and what she thinks is happening with them. With this animation, I would need to include the sound of arguing, as you would need to hear what the little girl hears to understand what is happening.  

Image: Sketch by Cassie Austin

My favorite idea was the second one, so I went on to develop another image, of the world and the toys fighting in it. 

Image: Sketch by Cassie Austin

After presenting this idea, it was a little more successful than the first one, but there were still suggestions to be made. It is still very literal - her parents fighting, so her toys are fighting. But perhaps if we see her in the world first and then reveal that she is playing with toys and her parents are arguing at the end, it could work. 

So the next plan of action is to develop this idea further and see what way I come up with will work best.