Andy Revill
I want to research into character design and development because it seems to me that the most important element of any narrative is the characters, human or not, the complexities of their personalities (or not) and how they look and move or act. People relate to them, sympathise or recognise character traits which gives them opinions, involves them or makes them laugh. Ive always been a strong drawer and usually if I put pencil to paper a character emerges. A face, a hand or an eye followed by the rest of the person, animal, alien, object or whatever! What are they wearing and what is their body language saying? Im excited to start inventing new characters and experimenting with how they move/act. Also experiment with the methods and media I choose to work with. I want to move further away from stereotypes and see what works. Rather than trying to enter the industry as a director or producer, which may one day be an option, I think it’s more realistic to develop my designing skills. I want to learn how to be imaginative with a set brief and also become a competent animator first. I assume there is more demand for this type of practitioner too so I’m more likely to get my foot in the door persuing this role. The big question for me is, ‘ How can I become the best character designer/ developer I can be and where and how do I fit in the industry?’.
Lauren Fitzpatrick
I chose to explore character design because I believe that characters within animation were what initially attracted me to pursuing animation as a career. Of coarse characters also exist outside of animation, such as in books, illustrations, feature films and comics; I’ve always found that it’s the characters within a story that draw me in – but I find that characters specifically within animation always have to have strong personalities. Facial expressions, emotion and how a character moves can be effectively portrayed through animation – but it all comes down to the original design of the character.
Through this case study I am going to explore the techniques and methods behind creating your own characters – what kind of creative process character designers go through and how they fit into the industry. I hope discover what influences character designers draw on, how they make their characters relatable to their audiences and what the benefits are of working in character design. I will gain knowledge on the general work procedure such as work hours and rate of pay, the differences between working freelance and for a studio. I also hope to contact industry professionals to find out their experience on the subject, as well as to improve my future networking prospects.
Through this case study I am going to explore the techniques and methods behind creating your own characters – what kind of creative process character designers go through and how they fit into the industry. I hope discover what influences character designers draw on, how they make their characters relatable to their audiences and what the benefits are of working in character design. I will gain knowledge on the general work procedure such as work hours and rate of pay, the differences between working freelance and for a studio. I also hope to contact industry professionals to find out their experience on the subject, as well as to improve my future networking prospects.
Red Toulson-Clarke
I chose to move into the area of character design/ character concept because I have always been a guy who connects with the process of visually creating various personalities. The idea of being able to create a character and then watch that character being brought to life is one that thrills me to the core. I have always had a dream of working within the games industry and CG character creation, and am really eager to begin contacting companies to discover how character concept artists gain their post in the first place.
One particular company I want to look at is the Japanese “Square Enix”, who have worked within the gaming industry and are leading CG artists within the world of computer & video game graphics. The creative team is most known for its work behind the Final Fantasy video games and the Final Fantasy films, which were critically acclaimed for their superiority when it came to the generation of realistic character movement, design and environments. The company has also worked on games such as Kingdom Hearts and the yet to be released visual spectacle that is Tomb Raider, the prequel to the popular “Lara croft” saga. Studying (and playing) these games throughout my teenage years has really verified how much I want to be involved in the creation and initial design of these diverse and striking characters.
Nick Crimmen
I decided to look more in depth at the job role of a character designer as I have always taken a keen interest in drawing and I find the idea of creating and developing very exciting, with the way in most cases you become the one, or part of a small team, that sets the general look and feel of a project.
I aim to look at the prospect of character design primarily within the field of animation, but I would also like to explore what other areas are available for character designers to work within, and also how best to gain access to these positions, so I can broaden my general knowledge upon the job role, and how it fits together with the creative industry as a whole.
What interests me most about the job role of a character designer/developer is the strong connection to the pre-production process of a project, as I really enjoy creating the clear visual aids such as character turn around sheets and movement sketches for the use of other team members within a production, before the character is animated.
I'm also really attracted to various 3D designed characters, created for game use and CGI films. However, not being keen on the use of actual 3D software or modelling on the computer, I would still enjoy being a part of the art department working very much upon concept art, backgrounds, layouts and character development, and maybe exploring how the designer must take certain aspects like the final medium into account when creating the character in order for it to function and have stability within the project.
I aim to look at the prospect of character design primarily within the field of animation, but I would also like to explore what other areas are available for character designers to work within, and also how best to gain access to these positions, so I can broaden my general knowledge upon the job role, and how it fits together with the creative industry as a whole.
What interests me most about the job role of a character designer/developer is the strong connection to the pre-production process of a project, as I really enjoy creating the clear visual aids such as character turn around sheets and movement sketches for the use of other team members within a production, before the character is animated.
I'm also really attracted to various 3D designed characters, created for game use and CGI films. However, not being keen on the use of actual 3D software or modelling on the computer, I would still enjoy being a part of the art department working very much upon concept art, backgrounds, layouts and character development, and maybe exploring how the designer must take certain aspects like the final medium into account when creating the character in order for it to function and have stability within the project.