Capstone Reflection

Well, now that capstones are over....what can I really say?

For starters, I feel a bit panicked considering that even the most 'simple' of projects looked great and I wonder how I can measure up to them. What's even worse is the fact that as I am doing my capstone in the SPRING, that means there will be even more students to work with!

But is there anything good I can say about this? Why yes! I got a feel of the atmosphere during capstones and with it, I at least have a better understanding of how things will work. Another thing that made me feel better about Capstone was how much networking was going on; I couldn't turn around without someone talking about getting together for possible projects and other things. In other words, the capstone is more than just some final project, its a chance to get out there and get your worked noticed, something that has been stated since the beginning of this semester in class.

Just walking around and getting to talk about their project was a good experience for me and I'm glad that I came, not just because it was required for us but because I have a better understanding of what I HAVE to do and what I CAN do. I still have some way to go in my own capstone but this event has at least pushed me forward a bit more.

The Capstone Results are in.....

Capstone Interviewee: Christina Dunbar

Project: Twelve/ World Building

Summary: Christina had come up with an interesting world building concept for a story/game she had been working on. While most of the concept work and drawings had been created using both traditional and digital media, the biggest eye catcher was the physical aspect of her project; she had recreated one of the scenes of her story using real objects including a physical map (crafted from watercolor paper and drawn herself), wooden chest and items, and real herbs and plants that were mentioned in her book. The set up alone was the biggest eye catcher of the entire project.

1.       Why did you chose this project as your capstone?

This world building concept, as well as the story, had been a passion and an interest I’ve had since I was a young child.

2.    

   What were some changes you had to make between your original capstone pitch and the final presentation?

There was room changes in the last moments of the capstone that I was not aware of. This meant I had to lug all my items from one place to another and this was not an easy task, especially with the large table I had to use as part of my project.

3.       What is your opinion of the timeline? Was it helpful or a waste of time?

I found it to be helpful but you have to be careful of changes as they can throw you off sometimes.

4.       If you could change anything about your capstone, what would it be?

I wanted to add in more posters and other media to draw attention to the project and show off more of the artwork. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do this because of time issues.

5.       What advice would you give me in planning my capstone?

Overestimate the time and money you will need to complete everything. This way, you will keep on track with the time and overestimating how much things will cost might help you with funds so you won’t find yourself with too little money before everything is due.

~~~

Capstone Interviewee: Kenneth Robert Van Velzen

Project: Unlocked Foods/ 3D Graphic Design

Summary: Kenneth’s project was based on how to utilize certain environmental/production factors in order to produce fresh and healthier food that is not only better for consumption but also doesn’t harm the environment. These concepts, including a fish farm which was connected to a green-house like structure, were all created and models by Velzen himself using Maya

1.       Why did you choose this project for your capstone?

I was combining my interest of 2D and 3D design with my personal business goals.

2.     

  What were some changes you had to make between your original capstone pitch and the final presentation?

I originally wanted to do a video but I felt that it was veering from my original concept and goals at that point. That is when I decided to simply show off my work in both print form as well as display them here in the lab. I feel this way, my ideas are retained better and people have more time to look at my work to understand what I am trying to do.

3.       What is your opinion of the timeline? Was it helpful or a waste of time?

I was worth it. It might have been difficult to work with since plans and things change over time but I’m glad that I was able to keep up with it for the most part.

4.       If you could change anything about your capstone, what would it be?

I would have tried to put in more designs and elements into my project.

5.       What advice would you give me in planning my capstone?

Just plan it and keep to it. Don’t lose focus and keep going.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Capstone Interviewee:  Samantha Tarkington

Project:  The Gem Caller/Comic

Summary:  For her capstone, Samantha created a comic which not only included a final print of her work but also displays of the process of making her comic; concept sketches of the characters, production images, several images of the finished product.

1.       Why did you choose this project for your capstone?

Because I wasn’t confident in the animated version of this which was what I originally planned to present.

2.       What were some of the changes you had to make between your original capstone pitch and the final presentation?

For starters, the comic was only going to be PART of the presentation; you would start by reading the comic then it would go into the animation. When I decided to just do the comic, I had to condense the comic a bit since it started out originally as 21 pages but for the capstone, I cut it down to 14 pages.

3.       What is your opinion of the timeline? Was it helpful or a waste of time?

Just throw it out the window.

4.       If you could change anything about your capstone, what would it be?

I would have added more panels to my comic which in turn would have made the flow the story a lot better in my opinion.

5.       What advice would you give me in planning my capstone?

Don’t choose a story that you’ve been working on for a while. Of course, this is just my advice since some people have been able to present working capstones with a long-running project/idea that they’ve had.

Just working on some things for my capstone, including the real animal looks for the main characters. Urgh, my head hurts so much but yeah, this is Jun-Bug in the form that Weegii found her in before she was able to obtain her so-called 'Rebel Body'. Ain't she a cutie? I consider her the results of what would happen if you mixed an exotic kitten with a bobtail. Either way, I always see baby Bug as PAINFULLY cute which makes Rufus' resentment for her all the more hilarious horrible. 

I need to draw more character art. I don't know why I don't. I know I am capable of producing good work but something always stops me. Well, I can stop now, especially with so many things hanging for this! 

Babbling over, I need to draw some stuff and/or get some more sleep.

At the HEIGHT of my creativity...

Get it? Because this post is about the height of one of my characters! Its a joke....

And I can bet that no one is going to read this. Seriously, the first person who reads and gives me a goo response (which will probably send me crying to the floor in happiness) this I will....I will get you a coffee at the campus Star Bucks. I am that desperate for some help people.

Anyway, as this is just capstone work, there has been ONE particular fact that I've been going back and forth with for a character and that is, just how BIG should I make a character in order to make him one intimidating mother fucker?

Here's some spects; One of my characters, the one who represents the sign of the ram, is supposed to be a giant among the rest of the team. He is the BIGGEST lead character in the show and this is a fact that everyone is well aware of (and for some, like to poke fun at at times since he's a big softy as well). Throughout the course of making this series, I've changed his height many a times. He was originally TEN FEET tall, but then I brought him down to eight feet, but then I brought him up to nine feet tall, then nine feet and a half, then eight and a half and so on.

There are so many choices but with this, I do have to take some things into consideration, such as;

1) He has to be able to move around in areas. Not all of his movements have to be OH-MY-GOODNESS graceful (let's face it, he is NOT) but he does have enough control over his movements not to destroy everything he touches with on finger.

2) Because these guys are also trying to pass off as humans as well, his height is going to stick out REGARDLESS but there is a fine line between 'Ho shit, this guy is HUGE!' and 'That's fucking impossible.'. I want to stay on the HO SHIT end of things.

So our big fella lives with the rest of the crew in New York and that means there are places around the city he has to go through; subways/metros, doors, ect. I want to keep his frame large enough where he could easily get some stares and some snide looks or something but still his bulk doesn't cause THAT much of a hindrance to everyone around him and by that much I mean he shouldn't weigh down a fucking subway to the point where it can't move. (still, he's heavy but....yeah, you get the point)

So what would be a good height for this guy? Let's say that eight feet is the starting point and ten and a half feet is the limit even though that in itself is too big anyway but I want to give you guys a LITTLE elbow room.

Urgh, let's see how many responses I get with this...even with the offer of free coffee...=P

All supplies shall be posted here...

Another post about my capstone? Well, why not? =P

So, the theme; Animation. Simple as that right? But I need to make a pitch-book to show off the meat of the series and what's it about. That's what I have to worry about.

Considering that this is going to be a pitch-book, one would think that I would just do print or actually make an e-book considering that, as the information and technology school (insert other smart-sounding techno babble here) I would INSTANTLY go with that but in actuality, I want to do a little of BOTH; I want to make both a PHYSICALLY edition of the pitch book as well as a DIGITAL edition. This of course means I have to dust off ALL my Adobe skills to ensure I get this stuff done; Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, ect. Its all going into this soup.

But why? Isn't both too much?

Well, here me out and I might be able to explain why I feel there is a need for BOTH.

While having a simple e-book edition is GOOD, ONE thing I know I will run into is that I will be unable to show MULTIPLE people the thing at ONCE. I know with my luck, I will only be able to get ONE section to show off my capstone (not like an entire room or something. If this were a perfect world, our school would be big enough for EVERYONE to display in their own room right?) and that means MULTIPLE PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND ONE (or two) screens. That's....a little TOO much ya know. With both a digital and a (Capstone) physical copy at hand, I can at least show the thing off a bit more as well as keep to the tradition of the pitch book being, well a book. Aside from that, this also expands my chances of designing a bit more and seeing a physical copy. While I can still do the same with an e-book edition, there is something special about having all that work printed out and existing in your HAND and having people be able to handle it.

Plus.....if I can find a place that has a deal, if I DO manage to get TWO copies made, I want people to sign the Capstone version so I know who passed by and saw it, severing as both as a display item and a 'Hey, you actually managed to make something INTERESTING!'...THING.

Aside from that, I also want to make an narrative DVD which I will play and use narration from friends and volunteers which means, I will be needing the usage of both my laptop and some DVDs. Going back to the print side of things, I also want to make stickers and/or postcards and buttons to give out to people so that more print service right there.

In the end, it feels like I'm going to need the help of both the digital world and the physical world since my Capstone will consist of both. Aside from that, I will also be requiring the help of people who think they're good with voice-acting, at least when it comes to reading story narration for my character introductions. Once I tweak the scripts and get them together I'll post them up but if you think you're up for the job, just drop me a line. I need all the help I can get right now and it will be greatly appreciated. =)

Giving out little tidbits of what might be in the final product...

So yeah, Beth wants more interaction for our blogs and since I need more critique and all that goody-goody I don't care jazz, I've decided to put out some little nuggets that might be in the pitch guide or at least the handouts I want to pass out for Capstone. These, like everything else I make, are just first drafts but what do you think? Do these sound like interesting characters to you? What do you think I need to add or remove?

I NEED SOME SORT OF ADVICE! *cries in the corner*

CHARACTERS!

RUFUS!

A Chow-Chow original from Hong Kong. He and his owner were vacation in New York when he was taken by Lacy for the Rebel project. Though he was the last of the Rebels to be collected, he was the first to show off his Rebel form and powers as well as one of the two to escape. Rufus wants to be seen as the top dog of all dogs; a pedigree of his breed and as such, he acts posh to the point where he seems arrogant but mixed in with his feelings of the situation he has fallen into, he comes off more grumpy than anything else. He is fiercely protective and easily angered, case in point whenever he and Weegii get into arguments. Even though it seems like the two hate each other, Rufus is always the first one who joins Weegii on one of her neck-breaking adventures, if only to laugh at her when she does something stupid. If she turns out to be right, she just sits on her since he almost towers her by two feet. He also has a thing for shoes; new, fresh, out-of-the-box shoes. Many of the Rebels have had their shoes wind up missing, only to be found buried in the backyard later with massive bite marks taken out of them.

WEEGII!

A hare from Australia. Weegii helped Rufus escape during the presentation during her own break out. She constantly says the only reason Rufus is with her is because he got in HER way while she was trying to make a run for it. A trickster of sorts, Weegii has no real side but her own and always takes advantage of things when they work in her favor. Nonetheless, there is a spark of sanity in her, at least when it comes to those she really cares about. For those she doesn’t really care about, she most likely pranks them in some manner for her own amusement. Ironically, Weegii needs to keep herself occupied in order to keep her mind in tack and thus, she dives into art and sewing to keep her mind straight…as well as to fit into clothes considering she’s like only four feet tall. She hates people picking on her height, especially Rufus. This sort of explains why she likes to bug him all the time. By the time you have finished reading this, Weegii has probably broken into your car, stolen all your loose change, cut your breaks, tagged it balonge and shaving cream and all because she thought it was funny.

SAIMON!

A monkey originally from Brazil. She is one of the few Rebels with a brain in her head but that doesn’t stop her from being snarky to the rest of the crew, especially when they deserve it. She takes on the role of team doctor since her previous owner was a well-known zoologist/vet from San Diego. Her will is so strong that even the most grisly of scenes will not turn her away as its as normal as a walk in the park for her and she is always ready to spring into action whenever the rest of the team get hurt, whether its from a battle or from their own abject stupidity. As one of the few Rebels who has sense, she can quickly tire of the others immaturity, sometimes resorting to treating them like kids and forcing them to go into the corner; if they peak, she throws a book at them.  She is also known for having a beautiful singing voice which gathers some attention whenever she is asked to show off her talents.

LILY

A cow originally from Wisconsin. Aside from Bug, Lily is the youngest of the Rebels but her lanky build and tall height hide that fact. Lily is super-positive to a point where it’s a fault, ignoring the dangers that she and the others are in sometimes as she thinks any villain can be turned around with a nice tone of voice and a bright, cherry smile. Fortunately for her, she can get herself out of a jam if a villain would rather smash her face in than share a cup of tea. She is also obsessed with knitting for some reason and during periods of rest for the Rebels, she is always seen sitting and knitting something, no matter how weird it is. One time, she knitted a 12 foot long alligator scarf that no one wore. Why? Because I don’t know, that’s why.

SERPENTINE!

A snake from France. One of the oldest of the Rebels, Serp always seems to be in a foul mood but you can’t blame her when her mental powers cause her great pain. To ward off the pain from her powers, Serpentine has decided to take up cooking much like her owner who was a famous chef in France. Everyone knows that its best not to tick her off considering her telekinesis means she can throw several sharp and heavy objects through the room without lifting a finger, such as kitchen knives, couches, fridges, ect. Under those scales however is a kindly snake-woman…who is also rather sharp and pissed off so it might be better to stay wary around her. If she makes a good meal, its still wise to remain wary since she’ll become so enamored about what you think she’ll keep giving you food…and keep giving you food…and keep giving you food….and-

BOARIS!

A boar from Russia. Boaris always seems to get the brunt end of everything which means if something bad happens, it might happen to him first or he’ll somehow find a way to get tangled up in it. Neurotic and shy, Boaris refrains from making interactions with the rest of the Rebels, aside from Serpentine who took him under her coils and taught him about cooking. Needlessly to say, as snakes are one of his COUNTLESS phobias, Boaris has mixed feelings about Serpentine and dreads in the back of his mind that she is only feeding him in order to eat him herself. Serpentine of course denies this but it doesn’t stop the rest of the team, especially those without souls (Weegii, Takayama, Rufus, ect) tp remind Boaris of this fact, causing the boar to return in to his fit of hysterics. Its ironic to note that Boaris’ real name is Peter but since Lacy’s real name is also Peter, Boaris refuses to be referred to by his real name. Boaris is also known for being quite talented on the according….so talented in fact that in his fear-laden states, he is known to climb the roof of the Homestead and play the damn thing at ungodly hours of the night much to the annoyance of everyone else.

GELATO!

A tigress from Italy. Upon arriving in New York, Gelly was the only Rebel who did not know English and would use fellow Italian, Rye, as her translator. As a former circus tiger, Gelly is used to be in the spotlight and loves getting attention, that is unless its NEGATIVE attention. When this happens, she knows that its best to get out of dodge and leave no evidence behind. As the series goes on, she is taught English by Rye whom she later considers her sweet-heart, but considering that she is physically stronger than him by at least 10, it is not surprising to see Rye being tossed around and crying for help whenever she becomes a bit too romantic around him. Her loves include obsessing with the other’s doing hair, meat, doing circus tricks, meat, Rye, and meat. Did I mention she likes meat?

SONNY!

A rooster from San Francisco. Sonny is the teen-genius of the group but this does not place him in the role of nerd. On the contrary, Sonny is smug, suave, but that still doesn’t stop him from acting like a teenage idiot from time to time, especially when he is around ladies, ESPECIALLY a female Rebel by the name of Prairie-Rose. Sonny is responsible for collecting ZONE info and creating the Rebel tech that our heroes gain over the series, a feat and talent that he is a very proud of. Sonny often spends so much time on his work, its not unusual for him to wake up at 2 in the afternoon after spending hours working on his latest creation. One dark secret of Sonny’s is that he sometimes dreams of starting his own K-Pop label and becoming a star. Granted, the group already knows he loves K-Pop since they have caught him singing some pretty sappy tunes all under the guise of working on something.

PRAIRIE-ROSE AND BUFFALO-BUR!!

Twin horses from Texas. Rosie and Burr are the only siblings in the group and share the same basic powers, even though they have different ways of using them. Rosie is rather talkative and acts as the speed of the two while Bur is the quite one and is the muscle.  On occasion, Bur does talk but it is more common for the horse to prepare to say something just before his sister jumps in and says it for him, much to his annoyance. Rosie loves to tease Sonny for being a K-pop lover in the guise of an egg-head and threatens to blab this truth to everyone unless he builds her a motorbike of some kind. Who knows when that bike will make an appearance. Meanwhile, Bur is in the corner, just waiting for Sonny to make the wrong move so he can have an excuse to beat him up for ‘harassing’ his younger twin.

TAKAYAMA!

A dragon from Japan. Takayama is the only Rebel who was not originally from the round-up. In fact, Takayama outdates everyone in the series as he is several thousand years old despite taking the form of what seems to be a man in his mid-20s. Little is known about the dragon other than the Rebels found him sealed in his stone statue of a prison and upon his release, the dragon was horrified to find that not only was he not in his home country but he was not in his right time and as such, he has been angry and grumpy ever since. Takayama is kind of a jerk and holds himself as superior to the rest of the group but he does help in battle considering he hates everyone and anything that has to deal with ZONE, especially Lacy….and Kahuna. Takayama and Kahuna have NEVER gotten along and probably never will.

KAHUNA!

A sheep from Samoa. Kahuna was not with the rest of the Rebels when they escaped, leaving him in the possession of Lacy who carried out his plans of using the groups as his personal soldiers. Earlier in the story, Kahuna is brainwashed into thinking the Rebels are his enemies and goes after them without question, that is until his memories come back and he is unsure where to go. While under the control of Lacy, Kahuna is rather blunt and can be rude at times but his true self is actually really timid and soft, albeit a little clumsy with his strength, not surprising considering his Rebel age is only 19 years old. Also, he’s HUGE. And STRONG. And he’ll eat you out of house and home. Don’t forget, like, more than eight feet tall….and he’ll clean out your fridge by eating it….the entire thing.

RYE!
A rat from New York! Rye is one of two on the team who were originally from New York. Rye was also the first to be captured but was the fourth to gain his powers. Rye is extremely tall and thin, so much so that he has to duck sometimes to get in a door and its easy for him to slink under a bed and hide, the perfect place for him to go considering that Gelly is on his tail all the time. Rye is a savant of sorts, coming off as completely clueless and forgetful but capable of remembering complex things but only if he isn’t distracted, something that is easier said than done considering the people he lives with. Also, considering how tall Rye is and his powers, whenever there is a thunderstorm he will always be the first thing struck, even if there are taller objects around him. EVERY. TIME.

BUG!

A kitten from New York. No one knows exactly where Lacy found her but she is was part of a plan to get the Rebels back into his clutches by means of tricking them with the possibility that there could be more Rebels somewhere at ZONE. Being only about three, Bug is still a baby and being smaller than a normal child her age, Bug manages to find herself in everything, or better yet the Rebels manage to find her hiding in anything she can fit. Upon being rescued by Weegii, Bug attaches herself to the hare who is more than glad to play the part of her mother. Bug also takes Rufus on as her father, something the dog is NOT too pleased about. Bug also loves to mess with insects so it’s not too difficult to distract her with a ladybug or a moth which she will follow until she runs face first into a wall which will then spark an argument between Weegii and Rufus over who’s fault it is before Weegii leaps into Rufus’ face and the two begin fighting and Bug totally forgets she ran into a wall and begins laughing as her ‘parents’ roll around and go at each other like…a dog and a hare.

~~~

 So there. Tell me what you think so far.

Tossing out my cap(stone)

So now....to get into the true meat of my capstone, something I barely do to anyone who is not in my tight inner circle of friends. I know I should be comfortable talking about this but for the love all things, I still feel like a major, high-class idiot for talking about my idea. :T

But let us break this fear and go right ahead with the PITCH!

So here's the basics:
For my capstone, I plan on making a pitch book, one based on an animation idea that I've had for eons (aka, since I was still in middle school and I've been tweaking for years since) to toss out to some of the major animation networks here. Aside from your basic character info, illustrations, and what-not I also want to make an interactive-DVD of such that will have a narorrated pitch of the story and the characters....HOPEFULLY I can get all the resources together to do it.

I'm still nervous about getting this together since there is so much to do; I have to gather up my illustration work, find a place that will print my book up, hone up my skills to get the DVD together without it looking like crap and so on. In other words, its a lot of crap to do.

But I know what you guys are wondering; I've given you the bits about the presentation format but what is the main story about.

And here comes the part where I feel like I have to force myself to type it out. UURGH. C O me on Fin gers! TYPE!

The story, title hidden for this time, is the tale of a group of 13 individuals who find themselves stuck in the middle of a desperate situation. They have been taken from their homes, put through experiments, and upon escaping, they find themselves in a world where their faces are everywhere so there really is no real place to hide.

Sounds simple and common right? But there is more to that.

1) These INDIVIDUALS, well, they're not humans. In fact they're all animals and not just ANY animals. Each and everyone one of our heroes are based on the signs of the Chinese zodiac but was there a reason for this particular choice of animals? Well, yes there was. You see, our head professor in all of this, one Norman Lacy, got the inspiration for his choice of animals while looking at a large tapestry in the office of his boss and once he saw them, he knew what he had to do. Of course, even before that, Lacy had DIFFERENT plans for the experiments. He originally wanted to use humans for his testing but due to the company's rule of no human testing during the first runs of things, Lacy was forced to try something different but even after he obtained his subjects, he still didn't give up. During the trail runs of the experiments, Lacy slipped each and every one of them a cocktail of his own 'home-made' brew of artificial human DNA, hoping that perhaps down the line the subjects would take on humanoid forms and allow for better results.

Well, to his surprise THEY DID.

But to his misfortune, their humanoid forms allowed perhaps a bit too much independence?

Add into the fact that some of the experiments resulted in effects that were not original expected and you have a growing problem on your hand, as in what to do with these creatures once they original project is close to being shut down? Despite knowing that his boss will more than likely FIRE him if word gets out on the project, Lacy still plans on selling the subjects, as well as the plans on how to mass-produce them, to the highest bidder but on the night when some of the deals are about to make a head something happens.

Is it an escape? You bet your ass it is.

Two of the subjects, a Chow by the name of Rufus and a hare by the name of Noirwegian (no, really), somehow manage to break out of the labs and make their way into the city which causes a mass panic within the company but because of the looming danger that can befall everyone if word gets out about the experiments, everyone still has to remain hush about the situation as to keep the citizen calm but this does not make things easier for our escaped creatures, nor for those who are still kept in the lab. They still have to survive in the city, resuce the rest of their fellow lab-mats and hopefully, return home. Of course, somethings are easier said than done but if anything is going to happen, its that our heroes are going to learn more about themselves and their new powers in which they have gained.

This is just another version of the pitch I'm trying to construct for the book so excuse it for being so vague thus far. There are so many things I have to add and correct which is already driving me up the wall, if only because I want to make sure I get things RIGHT.

In the end, this is basically an action/adventure series about a group of animals based on the Chinese zodiac having adventures in New York and other things. There are more characters and more settings but with the 500 word limit, I can only explain so much.

Gah, I wish I could explain things better in this blog. T3T

As for inspiration goes the first thing that covers it is, of course, the stories of the Chinese zodiac. When I started the story, the only connection the series had with the zodiacs were the animals chosen as our main heroes but as time went on, I began to incorporate more and more of the stories into the theme which in turn began to effect the characters, especially Rufus who aside from Noirwegian, is the main lead of the series and pretty much tells his partner in crime the stories which she later ties into their group and friendship. There is more to the story but to keep it short, I will end it here.

As for my second and third points of inspiration, I really have too much to list. Cartoons from the 80s and 90s? Comic books? Action movies? Video games? A lot of things have been tossed into the inspiration soup  and what comes out is this.

It needs a lot of fine-tuning...:|