GAME PLAN

Alrighty then- Plan for our Monday Meeting(s)

There has been a good few ideas thrown around, a lot of which has some serious potential- I think that if people can start to get some ideas down (mainly regarding the end) then they can post it for others to read but ALSO if they can try to board their ideas.

Make sure it relates to our story thus far as 3/4 of it is pretty solid with only minor evens that can change- The reason I ask for boards is that we can bring them all to DQ's attention during our meeting with him on Monday (I hope he isn't too fried from his late arrival on Sunday to help us out-)

-- We don't need any boards relating to the actual fight scenes at this point- the things lily has gives a good enough idea for now--

DQ is very visual (as are most of us) and I think even if one ending alone doesn't work, we may be able to piece together and ending based on peoples collaboration.

The idea isn't to change the story, but if you do want to change it drastically y0u better have a pretty darn good board! lol

MEETINGS WILL BE --> Monday at noon with DQ, and then a mandatory meeting at 6:30

(Obviously if people are inspired after DQ's meeting and feel like getting together over lunch and discussing story that is cool to- the decisions wont be made however until the evening meeting.)

"Started strong, became complicated, ended weak..."

I love the last shot of our film as it was pitched last week. The now docile gorilla and soldier on the ground with sounds of the war raging on. To me that is absolutely awesome. And if that doesn't appeal to some of the audience as in the stated 'feedback note', then so be it. To me I wouldn't have it any other way - it's gorgeous.

-ending is a let down/anticlimatic (no follow-through)

Not every animation has to end in the conventional way, bitch. Are you afraid to try something different?

I just pitched our film as it stands to my mom, and she really enjoyed it - she understands it. She loves the whole idea but thinks we should do away with the wishy-washy things like the bird and kick off the animation right in the middle of the battle.

A possibility for our ending: What if, at the climax, when our enraged ape is about to kill the enemy soldier, in protest the soldier takes off his mask and says something to this effect, "You weren't always this way! You're not meant to fight their war..." so on and so on. This could spark something, perhaps it was a gesture, or perhaps its the sheer display of humanity in the man that triggers our apes final overpower of his enslaving device. (After all the ape can't understand English). My mom suggested that there be a point where the 2 of them truly connect and hence the climax- is the gorilla going to kill him?? Yes? No? Yes?

Anyway, I just wanted to throw this idea out there. I think our ending is okay, but it would be good if we could add something to it to make it more SATISFYING perhaps. Keep all the elements.

intro board?

going with what I said earlier following bird, then choppers come to view, apes inside with yellow lights, human Initiating implants, Lead1 sees bird, awe inspired but cut short as he is engaged-
light is now red-

Pilot given the thumbs up, then it heads to the outside view of chopper decending and unloading troops.

STORY?!

guysssssssss
how about


-inside helicopter, gorilla sees bird (establish he always wants freedom!)
-fight humans
-explosion
-Lead01 wakes up, not mind-controlled
-walks around, sad, sniffing dead teammates
-hears human trying to fire at him (the gun's not working though), turns around, sees gun, slips back to WAR MODEEE
-chasing, chasing--but then loses human! human is hiding in jungle foliage
-Lead01 starts blasting fire from his flamegun, clearing the trees to find the human
-animals living in the forest start coming out, scared, running
-human is hiding behind a tree, scared too, watching gorilla
-gorilla feels bad, wants to stop burning forest--but implant prevents him!
-hates implant, struggles, rips out implant
-becomes a regular, nonviolent gorilla
-human sees this, takes the chance to come out and kill gorilla
-gorilla lies there dying, and sees a free bird fly overhead, smiles briefly.


no flashbacks needed, strong motivation to get rid of implant, climatic ending with lots of fire and atmosphere change (green in beginning, red in end). what do you guys think?

or do you guys have different endings prepared?
what are your events that lead from controlled gorilla --> free gorilla? what are your reasons for gorilla hating being controlled? any ideas?

Zoo Trip

Just wanted to know who will be going to the zoo tmw, So that I can organize for rides

notes from group meeting

-helicopter, dove
-fight guerillas
-BOOM
-Lead01 wakes up, natural state
-wanders around dead comrades
-hears the guerilla trying to shoot him (gun stuck)
-upon seeing gun, implant takes over
-chase is on
-gorilla is swift, soldier not. soldier trips.
-gorilla catches up, lifts him by throat
-sees reflection of dove in mask, distracted
-soldier takes opportunity to shoot him and escape
-gorilla has to choose between following soldier, or dove
-rips out implant & climbs tree
-sees dove again
(stuff in italics = insert your own ending here)




oh man... I thought the story was solid, sorry guys, got shot down by the loophole of 'why would gorilla care about magpie more than comrade' and 'why wouldn't gorilla kill human bastard?'. but how about we take it like alexis said, replacing magpie with comrade? so the comrade sacrifices himself for the leader, which reminds leader of mother protecting him. (I think flashbacks would make this stronger)

then we only have the loophole of 'why wouldn't gorilla kill human bastard?'. and if we set it up correctly, we can fix it!

true, the meeting didn't go so well, but if you think about it another way, we only found two story problems. (and using alexis's idea, only one)
if only there was a way to solve the question of 'why wouldn't gorilla kill human bastard?'!

I personally think it's plausible that the gorilla seeing the reflection of himself would make him rethink things. he doesn't want to become like the human. I mean, it's right in-his-face. but I'll think on better ideas too, good luck all!


and please, start designing gorillas, backgrounds, whatever. you don't need the story finished for that. I forgot to ask if anyone had anything over the week, but if you do, post it here. take initiative! rough fun drawings, anything at all, would be nice.



p.s.
today's flash presentation's on 4shared, under 'story'.

An example of our fears

Hey all, I came across this animation today... and it represents entirely why we arent doing a hugely sophisticated Gorilla Model...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu4SZcmW6bc&NR=1


You will notice is more or less stays on model but the animation suffers terrible- I dont think the answer is UPA because Upa is a highly stylized design that not everyone can pull off either-

Need to find a hibrid, solid character able to move in 3d but full of simple shapes that can be broken down really easily to get the motion down before the details are added

Nate