Starting the Coursework

Starting the official coursework now for Advanced Character Animation as November trundles by at an alarming rate. The brief given is, like the other modules, very open:

You will develop and produce emotionally engaging character animation.  To lead the development of your animation, you should select one of the following fields in which to specialise:

Narrative animation

Animation for visual effects

Animation for computer games

You will conceive and produce character animation(s) appropriate to your research within one of these fields.  Your animation will:

Utilise an emotionally expressive character

Be appropriate to your chosen specialisation

Be a maximum of 2 minutes in length

I have decided to go with the specialised field of animation for computer games. In particular, I plan to make an animation show reel of a 2D creature. It will perform common actions such as walking, running, attacking, etc. 

Firstly however, I have decided that it would be prudent to research into creatures not just from games, but from films also as good reference. I believe from these I can define archetypes with which I can create my own creature from.

Dead Space

   

Dragon's Crown

Final Fantasy

Gears of War

Metro 2033

Monster Hunter

Oddworld series

Silent Hill

Avatar

Pacific Rim

I shall now develop a creature generator system that involves a series of questions and randomised options that, in theory, should help to produce creature silhouettes.  
 
From all the creatures above, I have deduced that there are 2 main categories into which I would place them:

- Humanoid
or
- Animal

The category of 'Animal' could then be split up into:

- Avian
- Mammal
- Reptile/Amphibian
- Insects/Arachnids
- Fish/Sealife

Whilst looking up animal categories, I came across the term 'Endling', which I found to be incredibly moving and potentially a good idea to be used. It means a creature that is the last of it's species/subspecies and when it dies, it will be extinct.

Then I would ask, is the creature:

- Native
or
- Invader

  Furthermore, is the creature a:

- Mutant
or
- Monster
or
- Regular Creature

Then it must be questioned if the creature is:

- Docile
or
- Aggressive

It must also be considered as to what genre the creature would be placed in:

- Sci Fi
or
- Fantasy
or
- Alternate Reality

These can then have further options, such as:

- Adventure
or
- Horror
or
- Documentary