I feel my initial conceptualisation and deliberations regarding the foundational principles and themes of my Final Major Project have been fairly comprehensive. It is now time to move on to the main task: considering how to utilise animation to realise the concepts I wish to express.
My first consideration is the form of animation itself – undoubtedly 3D animation. And the stylistic approach: should I draw upon the techniques of Japanese animation pioneers like Makoto Shinkai and Kim Min, or employ the more mature, slightly exaggerated techniques seen in Disney and Pixar animations? Given the premise of my story, I believe I can blend elements of both approaches to develop a relatively novel animation technique for my FMP. Although I have already modelled and textured my characters, employing a technique somewhat akin to 3D-to-2D rendering, I wish to forge my own path in visual execution. Rather than adopting similar 3D-to-2D techniques, I intend to utilise traditional rendering methods.
Secondly, regarding workflow confirmation: I plan to utilise Unreal for scene construction and final rendering, employing Houdini to handle special effects beyond Unreal’s capabilities. Maya will serve for animation and modelling, Substance Painter for all texture creation, and Marvelous Designer for character clothing simulation. Final editing and compositing will be conducted in Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Distinguishing Visual Styles
Distinguishing Visual Styles: I will use three distinct audiovisual languages to differentiate between “reality,” “dreams,” and “fantasy.”
Real World: Handheld photography, cool color palettes, naturalistic lighting, and oppressive compositions create a sense of the heaviness and triviality of life.
Freudian Dreamscape: The visuals are filled with distorted, symbolic imagery (such as ever-lengthening corridors, descending staircases, and deformed figures). Editing employs jump cuts and disjointed logic to directly visualize the chaos of the “subconscious.”
Here I must mention the artist Tomasz Artur Bolek again. I love every piece he creates. His works perfectly capture the dreamscape I imagine.
Jungian/Fantasy World: Here, the imagery can be more stylized, more aesthetically pleasing, and even possess a surreal epic quality. For example, when she fantasizes about being powerful, the visuals can become stable, color-saturated, and ritualistic, showcasing her inner yearning for order and power.