Major Project 1

4/2/2024 - 25/7/2025 (Week 1 - Week 7)
Seh Zi Qi/ 0355872/ Bachelor of Design(Honours) in Creative Media
Module Name: Information Design
Major Project 1
LIST

Major Project 1




INSTRUCTIONS


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MAJOR PROJECT 1

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Task 1 Progress

"You are to work as groups in presenting an innovative concept that introduces unique social, cultural and/or economic value to the intended target audience within your chosen field of specialization.
You are to conduct research on current technology and design trends that influences and benchmarks your area of specialization.

Case studies with analysis reports on product/service functionality and effectiveness, technical innovations and challenges, aesthetics and design appreciation are required to support your new project proposal.

The project must address the ‘gap’ where you have discovered and realized ideas and solutions that creates and captures value in a novel way."

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_________
Week 1

For this week, we were introduced to the module and what we needed to do within the timeline we were given. Here is the presentation that Mr Kamal showed us.

Module Briefing Link:

After briefing us the module, we were asked to make a group of 4 since this is a group project. My teammates were:
  1. Akif
  2. Zi Qi [Me]
  3. Elysa 
  4. Ilhan

After getting into a group with my friends, we went ahead and brainstorm ideas to figure out what we wanted to do as our concept. These were the ideas that we all came up with:

Fig 1.1, Brainstorming Ideas

Akif and Ilhan went back and did some research on what we can expand upon on our concepts and landed on Kellie's Castle. Its a historical monument that had only been recently discovered and documented. The original story was about Kellie building a castle for his wife but it wasn't finished due to him dying from malaria. His butler had tried to finished what he started but they all also died in the end, leaving the castle unfinished even till now.

With this story in mind, we brainstormed on random plot ideas where we would romanticise the original story and possibly adding a fantasy element to give ourselves a more creative outlet for the story. Frieren was our main inspiration for plot ideas.

Fig 1.2, Expanding Main Idea Concept

Since we were at the brainstorming stage, I decided to watch Fuelled and had gotten inspired by it. I created a short bulletpoint story as another idea.

Fig 1.3, Brainstorming Second Idea


_________
Week 2

After getting feedback from the lecturers, we started to refine our script and used the 2nd part of the project proposal given by Mr Kamal as our guideline. We wrote the problem statement, proposed idea, unique selling point, project specifications and team roles & responsibilities. Everything is written in the provided Google Doc:

Google Doc Link

Fig 2.1, Problem Statement, Proposed Idea, Unique Selling Proposition, Project Specifications and Team Roles & Responsibilities written in the Google Document


_________
Week 3

Using the feedback we had gotten from Mr Kannan, we went ahead and started on the third part of the project proposal. We started planning and drafting our story structure and script as well. Everything is provided in the Google Doc mentioned in Week 2.

Fig 3.1, Story Structure #1

Fig 3.2, Story Structure #2

Fig 3.3, Script Draft

Mr Kannan also told us to create a Miroboard so that it's easier to put in references and ideas together without hassle. After creating the Miroboard, I went ahead and found references for sketching Kellie and Agnes. Since the team initially decided that it'd be cool to use shapes as our main body structure, I used Wolfwalker and Cookie Run Kingdom as my main inspiration.

Fig 3.4, Initial Art Style Inspiration

After finding enough inspiration, I started the sketching phase. Firstly, I started drawing Agnes and Kellie since I already had an idea for them. Her main colour scheme was red to showcase her fiery stubbornness and to also contrast with Kellie's blue colour scheme which showcases his calm but straightforward demeanor.

Fig 3.5, Agnes and Kellie Draft #1

Once I was done with the sketches, we went to Mr Kannan for feedback. He said that we needed more sketches with references that help us solidify our style even better. Akif introduced the Netflix series 'Twilight of the Gods' since the art style is simplistic and the background & lighting carry the scenes further.

I went ahead and watched the series and gotten myself more inspiration to start drawing again. Since we wanted to follow the simplistic yet humanoid style, I went ahead and followed the style as much as I could. I drew out Agnes, Kellie, Agnes' parents, Kellie's butler and the Blossom Bane (the name we decided to give to the disease Kellie gets).

Fig 3.6, Agnes Draft #2 & #3

Fig 3.7, Kellie Draft #2


Fig 3.8, Agnes' parents & Kellie's Butler Draft

Fig 3.9, Blossom Bane Draft


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Week 4

For this week, we had our task 1 proposal presentation. My group and I compiled everything we have done into a Canva presentation and made the theme looked like flowers since that is the motif of the whole story. The link to the Canva is provided here:

Task 1 Proposal Presentation


Once we were finished with the presentation, Mr Kamal & Mr Kannan gave us a lot of advice on how to improve and what needed to do for Task 2.


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Task 2 Progress

"OVERVIEW:
This task builds upon the proposal development phase, requiring students to refine and expand their initial concept into a comprehensive design proposition. The focus is on design exploration, project planning, and technical research, ensuring that students effectively manage production workflows, explore innovative design solutions, and justify their creative and technical decisions using industry references. Students must document their process through an ePortfolio, demonstrating iterative development, research depth, and critical reflection on design challenges and solutions.

OBJECTIVES:
By completing this task, students will:
  1. Develop a comprehensive design proposition by refining their character, environment, layout designs and storyboarding.
  2. Demonstrate resourcefulness in production planning, task delegation, and pipeline management.
  3. Conduct design and technical research to support creative decisions and ensure feasibility.
  4. Apply iterative design management, documenting improvements and addressing challenges.
  5. Justify design choices through research-backed insights, case studies, and benchmarking."

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Week 5

After getting feedback from Week 4, we realised that we needed to do a lot of technical research to know specifically which softwares and artstyle that we wanted to use within our animation. I was in charge of:
  • Technical Research - Me
  • Case Studies - Mostly Me & Akif
  • Character Studies - Me & Akif

We've proposed that we wanted to do 2D animation with a 3D background, but sirs said that it'd be better to try 3D characters since that would keep the consistency throughout the animation. I still decided to research what I could on both the 2D & 3D aspects that I needed. My friend also helped me during the research phase by double-confirming the sources for the software and hardware research that I have gotten.

Fig 5.1, Technical Research #1 on 2D & 3D Software


Fig 5.2, Technical Research #2 on 2D & 3D Software


Fig 5.3, Technical Research #3 on 2D & 3D Software

Once I was done with the research, Elysa helped me with the comparison table to see each softwares' strengths, weaknesses and its compatibility for our own use.

Fig 5.4, 3D Comparison Table

Fig 5.5, 2D Comparison Table

After that, I moved onto doing case studies. The movies and short film we decided to watch were called:
  • Klaus [2D] (2019)
  • Flow [3D] (2024)
  • Twilight of the Gods [2D] (2024)
  • Fuelled [2D] (2019)
And here is the case study that I did and Akif helped me with the 'Twilight of the Gods' one since we both have watched it.

Fig 5.6, Klaus & Flow Case Studies

Fig 5.7, Twilight of the Gods & Fuelled Case Studies

Finally, we did the character studies. Akif and I decided to do Twilight of the Gods since our characters were inspired by them and Klaus for their in-depth characters with emotional turmoil as our characters will face similar challenges as well.

Fig 5.8, Twilight of the Gods Character Studies

Fig 5.9, Klaus Character Studies


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Week 6

Using Week 5's feedback, we needed to start on our storyboard to see where each scene takes place without only just thumbnails. I took this entire week to draw the storyboard for Act 1 and 3 since we were still unsure how to do the jumpcuts needed within Act 2.

Fig 6.1, Storyboard #1 & #2 of Act 1

Fig 6.2, Storyboard #3 & #4 of Act 1

Fig 6.3, Storyboard #5 & #6 of Act 1

Here is the storyboard for Act 3:

Fig 6.4, Storyboard #1 & #2 of Act 3

Fig 6.5, Storyboard #3 & #4 of Act 3

After I was done drawing the storyboards, I kept on researching on how we can make our characters and how the animation can be done. Using the technical research I have done, I felt that VRoid would be a good start as we can use the base model and change the mesh to a more stylised look if we desired it. Moreover, there isn't a lot of animations that uses VRoid models and I wanted to see if I can see why there wasn't a lot of people who want to use these types of models within the testing phase.

Fig 6.6, Researching more references for animation testing


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Task 3 Progress

"OVERVIEW:
This task serves as the culmination of the project development process, bringing together the ideas formulated in Task 1 (Proposal Development) and the design explorations conducted in Task 2 (Design Proposition). In this phase, students will refine and present their final design solution, demonstrating its feasibility and effectiveness in addressing the identified needs of their target audience. The presentation will focus on the technical, creative, and conceptual strengths of the project, highlighting the design decisions, development process, and technical feasibility tests. Students must effectively communicate their work through a well-structured presentation, emphasizing attention to detail, organization, content clarity, presentation formatting, aesthetics, and style, ensuring that the project meets industry standards and practical execution requirements.

OBJECTIVES:
By completing this task, students will:
  1. Integrate ideas from Task 1 (Proposal Development) and design explorations from Task 2 (Design Proposition) into a cohesive final project.
  2. Demonstrate the feasibility of their design solution through technical development tests and refinements.
  3. Communicate their design process, decision-making, and technical execution through a well-structured presentation.
  4. Analyze and justify their design choices based on industry research, contextual factors, and creative problem-solving.
  5. Present a compelling and professional visual and oral explanation of their project, aligning with industry standards."


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Week 7

For this week we polished everything that was needed for the presentation. Since we needed to showcase our testing, I decided to continue the animation testing phase by using the references found in Week 6 as my guide.

My testing begins with the VRoid rigging animationg concept. I wanted to use VRoid's models as a base to see if its possible to create a base without needing to create our own models from scratch. Since we don't have a 3D model yet, I went ahead with using one of the sample models that VRoid Studio gives. I exported this as a VRM model which is important for later.

Fig 7.1, VRoid Sample Model

Once I'm done exporting the model, I went into Blender to test out the rigging functions. Before actually manually rigging the character's movement, I imported the VRM format and Mixamo Rig zip files into the addons to help me with my rigging process.

Fig 7.2, VRM Format & Mixamo Rig Addons

After that, I imported the model using VRM format. Since VRoid's models already have skeletons whenever we export, we wouldn't need to create our own within Blender. By actually using Mixamo Rig, we have to export the VRM model file into a FBX model file for it to genuinely work.

Fig 7.3, Importing VRM file into FBX file

Because of the FBX file import, we can finally use Mixamo Rig to create its own rigging skeleton within the VRoid model to begin our animation test. I wanted to do something simple first before I keep on going forward with the actually rigging so I went ahead and made the sample model do a walk cycle.

Fig 7.4 Process of walk cycle test using VRoid Model

Here is the result of the walk cycle test:

Fig 7.5, Animation walk cycle test using VRoid model

Equally, I wanted to do something about Act 2. By taking a break from the rigging, I discussed with Akif on what to do for Act 2 and we decided to draw the linear storytelling first and then add the happy scenes later during the animatic stage for better timing. 

Fig 7.6, Storyboard #1 & #2 of Act 2

Fig 7.7, Storyboard #3 & #4 of Act 2

Fig 7.8, Storyboard #5 & #6 of Act 2

Fig 7.9, Storyboard #7 & #8 of Act 2

Fig 7.10, Storyboard #9 & #10 of Act 2

Fig 7.11, Storyboard #11 & #12 of Act 2

Fig 7.12, Storyboard #13 & #14 of Act 2

Fig 7.13, Happy Hill Scene of Act 2

Fig 7.14, Happy Garden Picnic Scene of Act 2

Fig 7.15, Happy & Sad Study Scene of Act 2

After I was done with the storyboard, I sent it in for Akif and Elysa to edit it into an animatic.

In addition to the Act 2 jumpcuts we wanted to create, I decided to animate a small part of it on Flipaclip. The software is purely for 2D animation for personal or small commercial use and I have experience with the app so I decided to use it to animate what it may look like during the production phase.

Fig 7.16, Process of animation jumpcut test for Act 2

Here is the result:

Fig 7.17, Animation jumpcut test for Act 2 scenes


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FINAL Major Project 1

Final Google Drive Link

Miro Board Link

Gantt Chart Link

Animatic Video Link

Fig 8.1, Final Task 1 Proposal Presentation, 25/2/2025

Fig 8.2, Final Script, 12/3/2025

Fig 8.3, Final Task 2 Presentation, 12/3/2025

Fig 8.4, Final Task 3 Presentation, 18/3/2025

Fig 8.5, Animatic Video, 25/3/2025


FEEDBACK

Week 2:
  • Create an arc or timeline for the story to be more compelling
  • Get references to showcase our points for a clearer picture
  • Could possibly have the disease (malaria) as a curse to save the people/ wife (?)
  • Have to genuinely animate the story 
  • Do sketch thumbnails of different angles/ shots
  • Create a theme to tie the story together since we don’t really have one(?)
  • Start with a miro board 
  • Start with the bigger picture, evaluate the big picture and make it a solid idea by building the idea/ pitch up with references 
  • Simple drawings/ sketches
  • Character design
    • Have a unique selling point for the character to stand out; possibly exaggerate the features 
  • Background checks
    • Use the real life background as a base and then go stylise it for better unique selling point
  • Clothing in 2D animation is simple for better animation
  • Expand our ideas first then ground them by setting rules (characters, backgrounds, buildings, etc.)
  • Sketches can be black and white at first, but the colour scheme/ theme should be solid first before proceeding
  • Throw in any idea, be as loose as possible; when something sticks, DRIVE WITH IT AND NARROW IT DOWN!!! 
  • References:
    • Seth Royden (?) 
    • The Art of Encanto - Art Book
    • How to train your dragon - Art Book
    • Use the books that Mr Kannan will show us as a base 
  • Conclusion: We need to plan more, put in our ideation and then make the story solid, fall in love with our own idea to create a story that’s worthwhile

Week 3:

Week 4:
  • Set the story in Perak??? Can have the cultural setup be in Perak (a suggestion???)
  • Inciting incident should start around Act 1, their encounter??
  • Go and search as there may be a software that allows you to animate 3D backgrounds and 2D characters like we want
  • Can try to create 3D models of the characters instead, 2D background and 3D animation?
  • This is the time for us to explore
  • We can still discuss and tweak the story or style
  • MUST test 
    • Even if the tests fail, it's okay
    • Test simple actions with two tones, three tones etc.
  • MUST have proof of concept
  • The reason Twilight Of The Gods use solid tones is because it's 2D animation
    • Patterns and stuff are hard to animate 
  • Check if TOTG is hand-drawn or what
  • Watch Klaus to study it too (personal note: watch the Tangled series too??)
  • Son of Zeus also 
  • If we wanna match TOTG we have to set it as our standard, it's our Major Project after all
    • When we start working we don't have as much freedom to experiment and try these things, so we should use this opportunity
  • If we know how to solve the problem, that is where the quality is
    • If we discover or find something new, we are more than welcome to do it
    • They want to see students go above

Week 5:
  • Revised Act 1 and the inciting incident to parallel the ending, that's good 
  • Have to have sketches
  • Tests should be done simultaneously with the reference-finding 
  • Need to figure out how to position the story based on visual presentation 
  • HAVE to start buying into the concept of how to make this happen 
  • This will further elevate our imagination even further 
  • We can't showcase the product by just showing the script 
  • Start small, just to test the technical aspects 
  • Identify what kind of tools we want to use 
  • Do a simple composition to test how the layers are gonna work 
  • FIRST, get something rough and do a pre-visualisation 
  • Draw simple drawings, put them together and see how the flow is 
    • Is it just gonna end up as boring side scrolling, is it gonna be dramatic all the way through etc.
  • Think of it like a movie or theatre play
    • You buy the concept of the movie when you watch it 
  • Don't just go on assumptions that you can do it 
    • If you just watch YouTube vids for example, when you try it you might get stuck 
  • Our SOLE TARGET should be technical testing 
  • Pick a part to focus on
  • Push your limits 
  • In the industry, you start sketching early 
  • We can pick a style, but we can't match it perfectly as our style will be different 
  • When comparing artists' work, you're looking at the finishing touch and trying to match the competency level 
  • Each individual will have their own touch, so what is ours (the unique selling point in a way) 
  • For example, for Kellie's Castle do multiple iterations 
  • Don't worry about how pretty it is right now 
  • Have to allocate time to test, if we can't do it in chunks of 4 hours then do it in chunks of half an hour

Week 6:
  • Have to test the technical stuff to know what difficulties we have to face 
  • Have to do small multiple tests to gauge how to animation may go 
  • Test to see if we’re able to load the backgrounds, character, et.
    • Render = 1) poly 2) shader
  • Have to identify where our camera placement
  • Have to start with storyboard and animatics
    • Can do thumbnails then storyboard
    • Doesn’t have to be really good, just need to showcase the story
    • When doing the 3D animation, we only have to make a singular background. Using different compositions, we can get different shots using the same background
    • Have to figure out the frame rate as well
  • Need to find a solution that solves what we’re looking for
    • Plan our shots accordingly (dynamic and still)
    • Identify what needs to be done in order for major project 2 to go smoothly, the technicality needs to be done well in order to solve the problem that will be present
    • Need to be more proactive rather than complacent 
    • Need to see where needs to be polished
  • Everything doesn’t need to be perfect or polished
    • Find which items, backgrounds or character needs to be polished or not based on the camera placement
    • Start off with low poly rather than high poly, figure out the motion and 
  • GO CRAZY WITH TESTING PLSSSS
  • Identify what your base colour is, what shaders we need to use, which parts need the rendering
  • Have to prep ourselves for Major Project 2
    • Take at least an hour of your day to break down and test out
    • Can copy what we learn, but we have to use what we’ve learned to apply to the tests
    • Need to provide facts and logic to what we do so we can showcase results
  • Do project based research
    • Find research that helps us further the testing
    • Study the features of the characters during that era
  • Start off with messy sketches/ blocking, then you can fine tune it 
    • Have to have multiple iterations of character
    • Do it fast so we can get alot in a little amount of time
  • He wants to see results by the **END OF THIS WEEK**
  • DO ANYTHING WE CAN SO WE CAN SHOW RESULTS!!

Week 7:
  • Don't use Vroid for the final models, or else it's just like a template
  • Don't forget to look at simulations for hair, clothes etc.
  • Start sculpting the character design 
  • Characters have to be appealing 
  • Create and refine your own distinct style 
  • Can consider bringing it to Unreal 
  • Properly plan out work and prepare overtime for MP2
  • Do more animation tests 
  • Plan what needs to be low or high resolution
  • Have to visually communicate our animation 
  • Don’t just follow one reference and copy it, you have to bring something new to the table
  • Bring things to life by having more dynamic/ exaggerated scenes 
  • Bring life to things by looking at it in a different perspective 
  • Need to know the basic mechanics before going straight into the detailed stuff
  • Need to study more stuff and learn more basics
  • Figure out which materials suit which item to create a 
    • Material => the way the object interacts with the world or behaviour of an object
    • Textures => the colour or surface(?) of the object


REFLECTION

After finishing this module, I can finally say that this was stressful but worth it. This module is a representation of what we may face in our future design careers and that we have to be technical but creative to pull off what we want to showcase. All the work I've done felt like each puzzle piece was fitting together and it made more sense throughout each research, test and discussion. Having to work with a team of friends that have the same mindset and interest really makes it all worthwhile; However, there are downsides to having a team of friends. One of our teammates didn't contribute as much as it felt really tiring working with him when it came to discussing about the things he wanted to do. This is especially frustrating when he doesn't discuss or say anything without us asking him for his input, which honestly really bothers me. So in the future, I would like to discuss and work with him more to help him change his mindset and attitude  him strive for a better conclusion within part 2 of this module.

During the module's presentation of the tasks, we would sometimes see other groups' works. I felt that our group was underperfoming a lot in some parts of the technical phase which made me doubt myself alot. Even though we were slow, my friends and I always manage to pull through no matter what and looking at the results of each team made me realise that we are able to do the same things if we pushed hard enough which made me doubt myself less and motivated me to do better. 

Finishing off with what I've learned, I felt that this module was a peak into the real world that we may encounter and I am grateful that I had lecturers that were both kind and strict towards my group. This gave us the courage and strength to keep moving forward and to deliver what we could with the limited amount of time we had. I also find that people within the industry are very hardworking since their works are used to create magnificient works of art, animation and game, but we never talk about the different parts of the creation phase; These parts are typically overlooked and undermined which is what makes the results a success. In the end, I have a new found appreciation towards the workers that are in the creative indsutry and I want to do as good as, if not better, them one day.


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