Task 1: Character, Obstacle, Objective

For the first task of the module the brief is to animate a character going up some stairs, taking into account what the task is all about, which is clearly stated in the title.

- Need to know who they are (must be clear!)

- What mood the character is in

- What is their objective; why are they climbing the stairs?

- What is the obstacle?

--------------

 Idea Summary

My idea for the task is to have a person with a deep fear of the dark who has to make their way from downstairs (after turning off the last lamp), up the stairs in the dark to reach the safety of their well lit bedroom.

Character: The character is likely going to be a child, as a fear of the dark is a common problem for kids as they imagine all sorts of monsters are lurking in it.

Obstacle: Fear of the dark.

Objective: To reach the safety of their bedroom which is filled with light.

At the start of the animation they are downstairs and they're about to turn off the last light at the bottom before making their way upstairs to their room, which they will have to do in the dark with only the limited light from the windows. The door of their bedroom on the landing is open and the light from the room is streaming out. It is a place of safety which they desperately want to reach. However, in order to get there they will first need to climb the stairs in the darkness and deal with their fear.

Mood/ Key Elements / Feelings: Atmospheric, Eerie, Suspense, Fearful, Scared, Intense, Nervous, Dark, Moody, Creepy

Other factors: No dialogue, focused on creating mood and feeling through expressing the character using body language and limited facial expression.

 

I'd like to create more emotional moody piece for this one as it's something I haven't attempted yet and I think it would be challenging and fun to do this using just the characters body language alone without relying on any facial expressions to convey the characters mood and feelings to the audience.

I'm also considering that there could be an additional obstacle to further hinder the character's journey to their bedroom. I'm only planning on implementing their if the fear obstacle isn't enough to achieve the effect I want. I plan to have the character creeping to their room quietly, in fear that any hasty or loud movement will draw attention to them  (from whatever lurks in the darkness) before they reach their bedroom where they will be safe. I don't want to have them running, I want creeping!

So if necessary I may implement a door with a 'DO NOT DISTURB' sign on it to give the character a reason to creep and try and remain as quiet as possible. I don't really think it will be needed. I think both of these could work well as separate obstacles... but we'll see! I shall await feedback and until then finish my sketches and thumbnails for the character and scene and set out my idea for the mime piece.