Nitilia - Rosie's Dream

Final Animation Video

You can also view the animation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_sO6fFHCcA

Design Purpose

Concept Introduction

The animated short is set in a magical world populated with humans, mermaids, witches, elves, and other mystical creatures. However, a long time ago, mystical creatures were enslaved as chefs. As the years passed, a law was issued to ban cooking and all residents received pre-made food ending slavery. Now, its residents receive their pre-made meals from the Witch’s Carriage services. A young human girl, Rosie Pinkington, escapes into her clubhouse where she imagines a world where she can cook.

Target Audience

Age Range: 3 – 7-year-old

Education Level: Preschool

Tech Comfort Level: Non-required – Can watch on YouTube or TV

Other Products Used: iPad and iPhone (Apple Tablets), TV, any product that has allows video.

Competitive

For the competitive market for this animation shorts including mini shorts such as the Mickey Mouse cartoons shorts, Rugrats, and Super Monsters.

Professor Objectives

In this project, you will design and produce either a short-animated segment from a larger project idea or a completed project if production methods permit. You will have only three weeks to produce the segment, so you need to take care in defining the scope of your project.

Research

My process during the research phase was first to create and develop mind maps in order to have a clear direction of the story structure. Next, I conducted research by looking into animations with similar style, look, theme and setting. This is included in a mood board where I collected images of said animation the further outlining specific elements. The animations that were looked into include Super Monsters, Mickey Mouse Short Cartoons, Netflix’s True, Trolls and Rugrats.

Design Goals and Objectives

The starting design goal was to create an animation based on a previous sketch in my sketchbook. Moving forward my design goal changed to maintaining consistency and animation’s with fluid motions. The objective is to encourage children to imagine and believe in the impossible.

Layout and Development

Laying out the basis of the animation short a couple of mind maps were created to develop the overall atmosphere for the short. The short’s story structure was broken down into three acts: the set-up, rising action and dénouement. From there, I developed the main character and a side character associating color and creature type to each. In this case Rosie (the protagonist) is associated with the color pink and is a human while Orin (the antagonist) is linked to a blue and green color and is a fairy. Additionally, developing the animation short setting, tone/mood, look and motion as well as programs helped guide my story progression for this project. The setting of the short is set in a mystical world called Nitilia in a small town called Chefburg. The time of the short is in the past at night and scenes were set in her clubhouse, imaginary world and town street. In addition, the tone and mood of the short was set according to the three-act structure: Act 1, pink although accompanied with other colors while Act 2 is only pink. Concluding with Act 3, where cooler tones of purple and blue are present bringing back the short to the real world of Chefburg. Apart from this, the look and motion of the short is defined by painted background and flat colors. As for the motion rubber hose motion and exaggeration was used. With the time frame in mind programs such as ToonBoom Harmony 17, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects were used.

Outcome

The outcome is just the beginning for the stories from Nitila. The experience and knowledge I learnt from this course has allowed me to be more creative and imagine a complete world based on an initial sketch of a white wooden chair and pink balloon. Nitilia Rosie’s Dream is an animation short displaying the power and will of a person’s belief in the impossible. Int his case Rosie believed that the world can change and accept cooking causing her imaginary world to collide and clash with reality as her cookies become real bringing in the king to take a bite and eliminate the ban for good. Believe in yourselves and anything is possible just like Rosie. To sum up I also learnt a new skill in animation using the program ToonBoom Harmony 17. I hope to add this skill in my game design journey in the form of cut scenes and story beginnings.

Process Book