Shape World is a short animated project that was focused on storytelling through simple geometric shapes and simple character designs. The objective was to create an engaging environment using basic shapes and motion while demonstrating timing, staging, and animation fundamentals.
Rather than relying on complex character designs, this project focuses on transforming geometric objects into a dynamic world where movement can be the main focus of the story.
Software
Clip Studio Paint
Project Duration
12 hours
Concept Development
The project began with a simple question:
How much story can be communicated using only shapes and how can I design an engaging background that has an important part to play within the story?
The goal was to create a world where the shapes are integrated with the characters, environments, and serve as a driving force behind the story.
Storyboarding
Before animation began, storyboards were created for the first segment to establish the initial sequence of events, camera placement, and overall pacing. This stage helped define key moments in the animation and allow for some additional movement to be added to make the story more engaging.
I originally was creating this as a short clip but decided to continue forward and make this an ongoing animation with multiple segments. Because I didn't initially plan for multiple segments, I did some brainstorming on the spot for the other 2 characters and environments.
Visual Design
The visual style was intentionally simple. I opted for bold colors and strong outlines to make the shaped an important part of the story while allowing motion to remain the primary focus.
The floating shapes in the space environment create a playful atmosphere which can sometimes go against how tense the scenes are.
A concept I do want to introduce into the story are movement of the shapes themselves, which instead of creating movement with frame by frame, my goal is to create the shapes in a 3D software then integrating into and editing software like Cinema 4D.
Approaching the Final Animation
This animation is a work in progress.. Ultimately, my goal is to have the the shapes rotating and adjust some camera angles.
Reflection
Shape World challenged me to simplify in the area of character design. I usually spend a lot of time on designing characters so this was something that was definitely outside of my wheelhouse. Working with basic forms seems easy at first since it's one of my first times doing an environment, but looking into the future, I really have to take into account how these shapes would move and rotate as I prepare to animate their floating movements. The project served as an exercise in creating an environment the character interacts with instead of a still image.
Future iterations would focus on completing the final animatic scene, expanding the world, introducing more complex interactions between shapes (possibly crashing into each other, etc.. ), and refining transitions. Overall, I was able to loosely follow my Gantt chart and that kept me on my personal schedule. moving forward, I would like to complete some of the work early so I can have time to do a few rounds or revisions before the final product is produced.
