22/02/2021 – 23/03/2021
You will be given a theme about current affairs and asked to have a 2- minute conversation or make ‘small talk’ in response to the theme. The response and conversation should be spontaneous and natural – we want your personalities to shine through. We will record each couple as they have a conversation.
In teams of two or three, you are asked to choose a different sound recording to your own from the selection of recorded conversations and invent a new set of characters to speak and act out the dialogue. These characters don’t necessarily have to be human or any other mammal – they just need to have mouths (and lips!). We want you to be satirical and conceptual with design of your characters and environment. Do research into the subject and play off what is being said. The communication and meaning of the piece should be described through a combination of image and dialogue.
You will have to choose a 30-60 second clip from one of the available dialogues, however the sound must remain in its original form and should be used as the inspirational source for a lip-synched animation. This project does not allow for any sound editing, all your timings are taken from the breakdown of the original soundtrack. You may add foley sounds if your story requires sound effects before or after the dialogue.
There are six key elements to this project:
- Moodboard and storyboard (with dialogue/ transcript)
- Sound Breakdown
- Character designs
- Acting
- Lip-synching
- Animating
Lip synch refers to the movements of the mouth in animation.
For this we break down the main points of emphasis in the talking and create mouth shapes to correspond with them. You will be spending a lot of time using yourselves as models for your postures and mouth shapes. You will also need a mirror to look at your own mouth shapes throughout the project or get your partner to film you while you act out the role to look at related expressions, emotions and gestures. We are looking for great teamwork, strong analysis and precise breakdown of the audio track, lots of colour, excellent character designs, great poses and real drama – remember ‘acting’ is an important tool – it can convey emotion and inform body movement. Challenge yourself; look at unfamiliar working styles and techniques. Keep in mind this is a good opportunity for experimentation and exploration of different directions and media. The setting, character designs and shots you choose are entirely up to you. Think of this short project as an opportunity to act through your character and create real drama! You may work in any media and use any materials you wish – challenge and surprise us – but be realistic!
REQUIREMENTS
- A short synchronised 60 second Lip-synched Animation
- Research evidence
- Moodboard, Storyboard & Character Designs
You should include these items in your final summative assessment portfolio.
