Timeless Journey
Animated Visualization
I designed, storyboarded, and animated this visualization of emotion through classic literature.
Audio: "Borderless" by Aakash Gandhi via YouTube Audio Library
Concept
- Celebrate the power of stories to evoke emotion, memory, and sentimental connections
- Journey through the emotions of a story from beginning to conflict to climax to resolution
- Take the viewer on a journey through various emotions/themes as conveyed through classic literature and imagery associated with specific novels
- Utilize paper cut-out style to enhance the literary tone
Considered Novels and Emotional Expression
jealous
ambitious, conniving
love, deceptive
friendship, adventurous
adventurous, duplicitous, loyal
inquisitive, clever, observant, loyal
isolated, independent, self-sufficient
loyal, friendship, kindness
innocent, belief, childhood, adventurous
brave, wise, just
confused, love
content, belonging, independent, kind
adventurous, mischievous, clever
rebellious, adventurous
proud, judgmental, love
well-meaning, love, proud
longing, desire
disillusioned, jaded
joy, open-minded, proud
determination, perseverance
obsessed, determined, vengeful
vengeful, obsessed, determined
Othello
Macbeth
Twelfth Night
Three Musketeers
Treasure Island
Sherlock Holmes
Robinson Crusoe
Charlotte’s Web
Peter Pan
To Kills a Mockingbird
The Importance of Being Ernest
Anne of Green Gables
Tom Sawyer
Robin Hood
Pride and Prejudice
Emma
The Great Gatsby
The Catcher in the Rye
The Secret Garden
The Old Man and the Sea
Moby Dick
Count of Monte Cristo
Visual Inspiration
Emulating the look of tactile, paper cut-out art reflects the literary themes of the piece. Intricately cut and colorfully lit cut-paper light boxes served as the primary inspiration for my video's style; they capture a sense of wonder and timelessness.
Motion References
The Adventures of Prince Achmed [1926] Trailer - Lotte Reiniger
https://youtu.be/G_9L7r8NIBc?t=64
Pottermore Announcement Trailer
https://youtu.be/sEu6fNbjbO4?t=34
Color Palette & Inspiration
My original color palette focused on greens and blues with accents of yellow and orange.
In revisions following my storyboard, I incorporated more pinks and purples; I realized that I wanted to focus on warmer/brighter tones and embrace a less sinister, more optimistic overall feel.
Storyboards
Story Revisions
Storyboarding the sequence pointed out several flaws in the progression of the imagery and tone. I rearranged the order of the novels to smooth out transitions and to give the overall story a better sense of beginning, middle, and conclusion. I also cut Othello because it didn't fit into the progression or offer unique value.
1) Secret Garden
2) Pride and Prejudice
3) Sherlock Holmes
4) Peter Pan
5) The Count of Monte Cristo
6) Moby Dick
7) Treasure Island
8) Tom Sawyer
9) Robin Hood
10) Anne of Green Gables
Style Frames
Assets
I "constructed" each scene in Illustrator the way
I would have with paper cutouts, building the characters as if they were paper puppets. This helped accomplish both the look and animation style I wanted.
Assembly in 3D Space
I imitated the creation of a physical light box in After Effects. Assembling cutout assets in 3D space created the desired parallax effect and allowed the colored lights to interact with the layers, achieving the desired gradient shadow look.
Top Views
Typeface Exploration
Whitman
Mrs Eaves
Barteldes Small
Alana Smooth
Vendetta OT embodies the vintage print look that I want (to relate to the classic literature), but also has some character (especially in the "e"s).
Vendetta OT