Monkey Design

Hey guys.. Sub needed my help posting these and I guess you guys needed it...

Blogger needed me to update your blog with a google account so I had to use mine in order to post - I'll fix this soon - sorry guys!

Sub will post the cleanup and turnaround later.

feb 23 2007 DQ meeting notes

Almost near reading week..

I dunno how many of you still check this blog, but it seems our group process has fallen off the radar of things to do for a few of us. From here on we are supposed to be heading into production, but we're a little behind on things.

Starting this week (week 6) we need to work extra hard and catch up so we can head into production.

Vlad, Cliff, and Gord : continue to refine the reel, you have until the end of this week to picture lock at least HALF the reel so the rest of us can go into production.

Toby, Jen, Katie, Sub, Bon : responsible for putting together the final workbook for the end of this week. Please check the design list on the wall and sign up for your design choice. I'd like to be able to color a few things if we have time.

Basically, by the end of WEEK 6 we should be ready to head into production. Please do your best to get our group back on track. As you guys know reading week is the week after next, and it's probably in our best interest to keep production going, regardless of where we may be. (I'm talking layout, coloring...etc things we can do with a bit of spare time during our break.)

Suggested meeting times:

Tuesday @ 4pm for both teams to check up on each other, comment on anything that has been done.

Thursday @ 6pm Leica team should be getting ready to picture lock some things. Design team should have all designs cleaned up and ready to be put into workbook.

Each team should meet together regularly throughout the week to make sure all work has been accounted for and completed on time.

Good Luck!

-bon

Dec 1 2006 Synthesized Boards

what follows:

pic 1 = sequence 1 (intro, crash, panic)
pic 2 = sequences 2+3 (discovery of monkey, firework goes off in hand)
pic 3 = sequence 4 (attempt 2 --> strapped onto firework)
pic 4 = sequence 5 (giant xmas shuttle, monkey has no matches left)
pic 5 = sequence 6 (star loses glow, gets enraged, ignites)
pic 6 = sequence 7 (chases the wick/shuttle)
pic 7 = sequence 8 (star gets home, moon comes down)

Story Thumbs

Hey folks, First pass of boards have been completed (not just by me, but mine are the only ones I have here), so now we can begin a performance pass. DQ suggests that the story is there, and it will come out of the boards we make focusing on character and that character's performance. The goal for the weekend is to board as many scenes and as many possibilities as you can see for the character to behave and act in the scenes: make it funny.

Here's the boards to refer to, sorry about the messed up read-order. Oh, and we changed the end so that you're left to wonder for a second if he made it to the rocket in time. Also that he lights the wick with it in his hand, then realizes he's glowing - at the moment he should really be realizing the wick is burning.

Notes from the meeting:
-Panic is central theme of story, needs to be established strong in beginning, and continue right up until he loses his glow... then silence. Picks up again when he's running to catch rocket.
-When he's yelling at the monkey after losing his glow, his monologue needs to embellish what the problem is, and why it's so bad
-Seeing his silhouette in the flames of the rocket taking him home can be funny
-The island is scorched from the big rocket, leaving one palm tree standing (to be knocked over at the end by the moon)
-The rocket breaks apart in space, as he's hanging on for dear life, and trying to pull his way up to the top (to build tension), then rocket can split into two directions (big one goes left towards moon, little one takes him back to where he came from on the right)
-At the beginning he may be faint, so at the end when he's the brightest star it is significant, if we want to work that idea in.

~Gord

The Story - THE FINAL VERSION (on DQ's authority)

Okay, so now we have a new model of how the old story can work. No volcano, and the characters stay together... in fact they are trapped together on a little tiny island.
No explanations, the story picks up with fireworks coming from an island, and a star falls down (seemingly alone at first) and panics.

Here is the Arc of the story (click to enlarge)


- A possible running gag for the story is having the star with a prominent posterior, which is constantly being burned by matches, fireworks, and what have you

- The star makes the connection that the fireworks got him up there, while yelling at the monkey "Listen you stupid primate! This went up there and... it went up there! Quick! Light it!" at which point he can stick out his butt and the firework tucked under his arm, and the monkey lights his butt


- The mega rocket can be handled easily as a 3D component, using a MEL script in Maya

- The losing glow can be handled as a penis joke, if it's a close cut and he looks down and says "Oh NO! I'm losing my twinkle!"

- We can have a NASA joke where the final mega rocket has components that detach, and also it takes a long time to gather momentum

- The moon could fall with the rocket stuck in his eye WITH the end frizzled and curled (like a gag cigar)


So that's basically it. I think it works, we just need to board it out and figure out the particulars, as well as decide a thing or two. If we can think of a creative alternative to the fireworks for getting the star up there, then we can add more of a twist. But personally, I don't see an option on such a tiny vacant island. This is why I like the idea that he has to catch the rocket, to add tension back to that moment. But we'll discuss it.

Peace

~Gord

2 Ways to Sing the Blues

Okay guys, we're now down to the final boarding. Version 1 and version 2 need to be boarded out, making the performance and general flow of the story clear enough to make a final decision. I will now post a basic analysis of both premises. Remember that problems will turn up, so new ideas can be introduced to make stories work as long as the subject stays the same - but beware of getting lost in explanations.

Version 1: The Monkey Doesn't Know He Did It

1. A monkey on an island playing with fireworks knocks down a star.
2. He doesn’t see the star fall and upon meeting thinks it is a starfish (gags)
3. He shows it a firework “man you should see this, it’s soooo neat”, but the star isn’t interested, he is panicked and just wants to get home.
4. He runs up the volcano in panic (asks for help from his brothers = joke)
5. He decides that if he can’t get home, he doesn’t want to live, so he tries to kill himself by jumping into volcano.
6. It doesn’t work, and the volcano boils over, sending him down a lavaflow to the beach among the other starfish who squirm away from this 'scary intruder'.
7. He accepts his fate until he hears the fireworks exploding.
8. He runs over to the monkey who exclaims “see? I told you these were gnarly, man!”
9. The star freaks out and causes a massive detonation which sends him back home
10. The monkey carries on and knocks down the moon, which he shows a firework, but the moon isn’t interested…

Version 2: The Monkey Does Know He Did It


1. A mischievous yet cautious monkey (who knows he is up to no good –> character conflict: wants to, but knows he shouldn’t) playing with fireworks on an island knocks down a star
2. Monkey watches as star falls down right in front of him on the beach
3. Star is panicked and is looking to find a way back home, monkey feels guilty and tries to hide fireworks crate from curious star, but crate bursts open
4. Star gasps, realizing he can use the fireworks to get home… but he doesn’t actually know what they really are or how they work and he tries to construct them together to get back up – (Builds Space Shuttle “I saw this on the moon once.”)
5. He gives up and becomes depressed as he goes on saying things to increase monkey’s guilt (i.e. “somebody sure was being irresponsible” “who do you think could have done a thing like that?” “Etc.”)
6. Monkey feels extremely guilty (performance of expression) and finally blurts out a confession (verbal or pantomime)
7. Star gets really angry and climbs on top of the fireworks pile from collapsed construction and detonates them all from the flames of his anger (star=sun=fire=boom), creating a huge explosion that turns him into a shooting star
8. Explosion leaves one last firework, and the monkey can’t help but send it off, knocking down the moon.

Please remember that our group hasn't 'split', but rather we are all doubling our efforts in a genuine attempt to make both of these stories "work". Generate as many ideas as you can for both, and draw them out in as much detail as you can (detail = particulars, not line quality). Tuesday we choose!

We can do this!

~Gord

Monkeys

heres some rough monkey concept designs. If theres any designs or drawings you like tell me, ill push em further.

-jen