The Floor Is Lava! SCAD Senior Thesis Film
Role: Creative Direction, Story, Design, Animation
There is something magical in the mindset of play. Learning without fears and conditions bring out the most creative and intuitive ideas. All those moments and memories where you grow, fall, count, spill, sing, and imagine no longer have to be an aged-out limit in life. Embrace the weird, the curious, the ‘trust in the process’ and live life with a sense of wonder.
The wonder and exploration of play takes courage. Without regards to right or wrong, it takes courage to imagine something first. In fact, astronauts got to space without knowing how to get to space, explorers traveled without knowing where they would end up, inventors made things that were never real before. The conviction and courage to explore and create allow children say the most out-of-pocket things, without filter.
Adults filter, imagining their lives in boxes and limits when imagination should be infinite. Adults grow and seek stability where children find creativity in change. Children imagine constant multipurpose in the things around them. The wooden play blocks become a home, friends become superheroes and fantastical creatures, and the floor becomes lava.
In my senior project I aim to remind others (and myself) the wonder of imagination, exploration, and purpose in play.
I initially wanted to go with an illustrative style, but I realized a chaotic illustrative style wouldn’t look purposeful. Then I thought, what’s more chaotic and fitting of the freedom of childhood than using raw materials and a bunch of them! Clay, paper, pencils, crayons, markers. By using different materials in different scenes I felt that it had potential to engage viewers and connect with the root of my message.
Initial Designs
Claymation Tests
Unfamiliar with Claymation, I needed to try doing a set up, and techniques to see if I would be able to get the hang of it. I started with simple liquid droplets to use as smaller assets, then moved into the main elements of snack space scenes. My first tests, I learned that shooting it all carefully still ended up imperfect, so I would need to rely on correcting things in AE like color and small timing or projectory.
Motion Tests
Instead of slaving away and relying on 3d, I shot key moments and extra shots which I would be able to manipulate in AE later. The pig has a full scene, but the belly was only modeled in 5 frames.
I began to move into bigger assets for my scenes. Snack space section would have an illustrated rocket flying through space, but clay objects would act as planets and space rock. I modeled and shot each letter and snack separately, to be composited later.
Behind The Scenes
I set up under my dorm room bed so the sunlight wouldn’t effect my shots
Modeling Assets Myself!
hehehee
Raw individual shots
While shooting snack items, I needed them to twist in every direction. Instead of laying them flat or having the trouble of keying out an arm rig, I attached a stick to an extra lump on the center back of each model. This point of contact was hidden and allowed me to adjust angles freely.
Detachable Piggy
Frame by Frame
Knowing how much I would be relying on frame by frame to translate well into other mediums, I decided to do important sections and elements with the motion mapped out in detail.
Some shots needed additional reference, so I took videos to do the key motion before exaggerating the in-betweens. On the right is a 3D mock up using the camera and changing focal length to map out the scene so it could be drawn over easily. I worked with focal length, rotation and position changes, and used a null to target my camera making things easier to control.
Origin
I started this project, wanting to focus on the concept before anything visual. What can I create that will keep me interested for a long term project? What’s been on my mind? I thought about this:
-Why do I always dread growing up?
-Why do I worry about the future, and look fondly at my past?
Inspiration
I thought about how I could have a project that really reflected me. My essence, energy and what I love to see. I constantly watch cartoons and animated films, Adventure Time being one of them. Drawn to the show by it’s cute animation, I stayed for the funny randomness, and touching truths expressed by the story and characters. I had been into a podcast/youtube show called Recess Therapy as well, where kids wholehearted expressed themselves through interviews and went viral for being silly.
I spend a lot of time with extended family. Cousins my age, and many younger cousins. As crazy as my younger cousins can get, sometimes I catch them saying something really insightful, then really silly. They play. learn and speak their own truth.
Intention
I realized that that mindset is what makes creation and happiness, and the reason that I always looked on the past fondly, feeling like there was something missing now. For my senior project, I wanted the focus to be something positive. The more you think it, the more you believe it. So having a project to work on with this message and topic would influence me and remind of an outlook I want to have, an energy I want to embody.
Concept
1. To start, I collected keywords and brainstormed an intense number of iconic childhood classics:
-digging through the dirt
-making mud pies
-playing with bugs
-tea party with stuffed animals
-talking about a past life
-collecting things- shells, animals, flowers
-babies making eye contact
-chasing butterfly
-secret candy stash
-non-sense building, lego head on lego head on lego head
-direction? no direction. full fisted drawing. drawing on walls, upside down and everywhere
-height, powerpuff girls only see adult legs
-diary entry
-anyone can be anything
-larger than life scale, surreal proportions
-hopping off bus
-stomping in puddles
-friendship bracelets, promises
-dripping ice cream
Storyboard Development
Mood Board
Color Exploration
2. I knew the story would be fluid to represent imagination, so transitions would be flowing between scenes. I wanted literal Imagery with creative transitions. I sketched pages and pages of “memories” and moments of wonder. Using the imagery, I tweaked and reworked them into a connected storyboard
