Ask a friend # 2

After reading over through the success of the first Ask a friend which made me consider new critical input and questions nobody had posed towards me, or in such a manner, I thought it was a good idea to ask another good friend about the film so far. You've also got to bear in mind these guys are used to me making madcap, crackpot ideas, I've only been doing 'slightly experimental' stuff since the start of university, because I like to see what animation is capable of. This is Adam another very close longtime high school friend.

[23:29:39] Martyn says:
Got a min? At work, other importance?

[23:29:59] = Adam says:
sure, im kinda ok

[23:30:00] = Adam says:
shoot

[23:30:33] Martyn says:
http://brainbowadventure.blogspot.com/

blammo. Wouldn't mind feedback on progression of film production to date.

[23:31:14] Martyn says:
You may become Ask a Friend #2 if you have anything to bring up.

[23:32:11] = Adam says:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9wKEJ2pUZtg/S25MsisMR9I/AAAAAAAAAjs/UtE-g-4eWbw/s1600-h/Smug+Tie.jpg

[23:32:15] = Adam says:
I like it!

[23:32:21] = Adam says:
Its a cool looking idea

[23:32:30] = Adam says:
whats your pitch?? a kiddys show??

[23:32:52] Martyn says:
It's just my MA film. Then next film to be made over two years...hopefully.

[23:33:19] Martyn says:
http://brainbowadventure.blogspot.com/2010/02/concept.html

[23:34:11] = Adam says:
looks good, lots of research and story, looking cool. i like the style. kinda looks like an 1990s weekend morning cartoon

[23:34:35] Martyn says:
Interesting. I was aiming for this whole kind of retro look. Hold on.

[23:35:18] Martyn says:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=cartoon%20modern&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

[23:36:17] = Adam says:
ahhh that style!! retro 1960s but pulled up to this century. Good concept. what about colours? sticking to basics or going full on?

[23:36:22] Martyn says:
I'll be updating this regulary as I've made it part of my course. It's just so people can see progression easier.

[23:36:36] Martyn says:
Same kind of old colour pallete.

[23:37:06] Martyn says:
Very cartoony. That's the next 2 weeks job according to my agreed learning contract.

[23:37:30] Martyn says:
Like the old Pink Panther cartoons.

[23:38:38] = Adam says:
ahhh nice, washed out kinda dull but abstract colours?

[23:38:40] Martyn says:
It's a bit of a workout of the norm stuff I do. The last film proved it had to stop being relied upon.

[23:38:43] Martyn says:
Yeah.

[23:39:04] Martyn says:
Uh...like that Uncle Grandpa madcap cartoon pilot.

[23:39:33] Martyn says:
I might put some crackly filters over it to make it look old too. But that can be done last minute.

[23:40:36] = Adam says:
aahhhh yes! i know now. hmmm what about sound? still getting the voice actors? some old 60-70s slag maybe?

[23:40:40] = Adam says:
maybe british??

[23:41:21] Martyn says:
No voice acting. Everything will be conveyed with body language. I have no idea who to make the soundtrack, but it has to be instrumental.

[23:41:28] Martyn says:
No narration either.

[23:41:45] Martyn says:
Like a silent film. Just to test myself.

[23:41:52] = Adam says:
what are you going to use?

[23:42:00] = Adam says:
then again make your own with Dance E-jay

[23:42:02] = Adam says:
easily done

[23:42:29] Martyn says:
I'll discover on the way. I know a few people who may be able to help, but I think the soundtrack needs to be made as each major sequence is done.

[23:43:02] Martyn says:

It's a really big project, but relies on character design and colour.

[23:43:47] Martyn says:
I've not even started storyboarding yet. Which is unusual for me, because I need the look of the world down first. I can't have blank boxes with a character in it.

[23:44:00] Martyn says:
If you have the time for a video, watch this;

[23:44:18] Martyn says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNsyQDmEopw

[23:44:21] = Adam says:
hmm ok

[23:44:26] Martyn says:
tis loudish

[23:44:30] Martyn says:
full cartoon.

[23:47:08] Martyn says:
The main point of inspiration, very much like that. That minimal.

[23:47:46] = Adam says:
i like it, watching it right now

[23:47:49] = Adam says:
nice use of sounds

[23:52:00] = Adam says:
ahh

[23:52:01] = Adam says:
i like it

[23:52:04] Martyn says:
Anyway, the finished film will look a bit like that. Just the basics to suggest an environment, mood etc. It's a real workout and with a lot of rainbows, some sections are going to be amazingly coloured.

[23:52:33] = Adam says:
its good. the mood? and the environment? what are you looking for?

[23:53:53] Martyn says:
I will discover. My imagination is full to the brim on this. I'm about to experiment with colour the next two weeks.

[23:54:36] Martyn says:
I should really upload the other bits up on the blog. But currently, I'm lazy and don't want to type descriptions.

[23:55:50] Martyn says:
Anyway, if you've looked at the concept page, you'll find it split into acts. The suits are kind of like Blue-Meanies meets Glukkons from oddworld with a good bit of originality chucked in myself.

[23:56:28] Martyn says:
They buy the 'rights' of harnessing rainbows from the kids and make it extort it far more.

[23:57:39] Martyn says:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/data.tumblr.com/tumblr_kwrf7kNIsR1qa6hl6o1_1280.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=0RYTHV9YYQ4W5Q3HQMG2&Expires=1265846272&Signature=UE9tWSsFMXIEFHLEMheSoTpPEC4%3D

Really simple look.

[23:59:53] = Adam says:
it does, looks like a good idea, how long with the film be and what other concepts are you thinking off? is it just kid fantasy from imagination? a bit of sci-fi?

[00:00:49] Martyn says:
I gotta admit, I probably have to cut down the size of the film a bit. It is looking long. But if done the right way and the minimalism, it can be done.

[00:01:34] = Adam says:
true, how many mins? maybe 15?? or more? will more be pushing it?

[00:01:37] Martyn says:
It's surreal, friendly taps into the inner child and then utterly destroys it, like the rainbow. Then goes normal again.

[00:01:54] Martyn says:
I can't see it going over 5 minutes.

[00:02:16] Martyn says:
It'll be impossible to go over that one person, in two years, drawn.

[00:03:19] Martyn says:
Many films can tell that much of a story that fast, down at festivals, sometimes, it can be amazing.

[00:04:21] Martyn says:
I've not started animating yet, but I have so much more preproduction to do. Also, I've just been doodling more.

[00:04:50] = Adam says:
true, a lot of story, what is the story behind it all anyway?

[00:05:19] Martyn says:
http://brainbowadventure.blogspot.com/2010/02/concept.html

[00:05:49] Martyn says:
I have a full script if you want it sent.

[00:06:46] Martyn says:
Would you like that sent via MSN?

[00:07:07] Martyn says:
I'm just not trying to give the whole film away on the blog.

[00:09:20] = Adam says:
ahh nice

[00:09:21] Martyn says:
bit busy right now?

[00:09:33] = Adam says:
do you think you will fit that in under 10 mins?

[00:09:42] = Adam says:
maybe 10 mins per part of the story

[00:09:47] = Adam says:
maybe in 20?

[00:10:01] Martyn says:
Yes. I'm fairly confident. I could have the whole story done in 5-10 mins.

[00:10:30] = Adam says:
maybe 15?? sounds like a lot to put into a short film

[00:10:31] Martyn says:
The last film, unfortunatly had a lot of eye rolling and dialogue. This won't.

[00:10:52] Martyn says:
You'd be amazed by the lot of events you can fit in a small time.

[00:12:20] Martyn says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-UYTFFVGgc

The classic Duck Amuck is just over 6 minutes. Look how much is put into that.

[00:13:10] Martyn says:
It's just using the time accordingly and cutting the crap, really.

The last film was only 3 minutes and most of that was the talking.

[00:14:06] Martyn says:
I can only find out when I do a thumbnailed storyboard and then move onto an animatic.

[00:14:44] Martyn says:
In fact, Gerald McBoing Boing that you just saw is pretty much 7 minutes.

[00:18:02] Martyn says:
Would you like the script? It's mainly the story in 3 detailed, descriptive acts.

[00:18:43] = Adam says:
the 3 act ideas are good, typical story that every can relate too, the links cool, i havent seen that toon for a while

[00:18:48] = Adam says:
well for about 17 years!

[00:19:17] Martyn says:
It's something I learnt at a scriptwriting workshop I took late last year.

[00:19:49] Martyn says:
By a chap named Alan Gilbey, he writes a lot of UK childrens animated TV series.

[00:19:59] Martyn says:
His rules. They made a lot of sense.

[00:20:19] Martyn says:
in faaaaaaact.

[00:20:26] = Adam says:
yuuusss?

[00:20:37] Martyn says:
Just hold on a min.

[00:21:36] Martyn says:
http://inappropriatebanjo.tumblr.com/tagged/Scriptwriting

even this really f**ked up cartoon followed the rules Alan pointed out.

[00:25:47] = Adam says:
sorry msn's being werid

[00:27:46] Martyn says:
that's okay.

[00:28:06] Martyn says:
So, have you anything else to bring up about the direction of the proposed film then?

[00:30:19] = Adam says:
nothing to add, the plot is solid, the direction of the style, sounds, and just the structure of it all is pretty damn good! that fact that you have a website dedicated to this project shows pure devotion to the project

[00:31:29] Martyn says:
One thing; I hate to bring it up, but uni friends are teasing me with this one phrase.

"Taste the rainbow"

Safe or not safe?

[00:31:39] = Adam says:
hmm

[00:31:43] Martyn says:
Be totally honest with this one.

[00:31:45] = Adam says:
not safe

[00:31:59] Martyn says:
Right, I'll have to rescript that.

[00:31:59] = Adam says:
deffo not safe! too product related...

[00:32:00] = Adam says:
hmm

[00:32:25] Martyn says:
No, I mean, it's like the old campaign. If you break it down to the first scene.

[00:34:18] Martyn says:
So, in total, not safe when you think deep about it?

[00:34:31] = Adam says:
just calll it Brainbow Adventure?!

[00:34:51] Martyn says:
Nah, 'Pure Rainbow' as if its a united colours of Benaton range.

[00:35:30] Martyn says:
Taste the rainbow isn't the title, it's just that it's been brought up, early parts of the film are a little bit like the old campaign.

[00:36:31] Martyn says:
Of course, y'know. That means ANYTHING with people touching, drinking, harnessing rainbows can be directly related, so at the moment, I'm just ignoring that and emphasing the originality of the rest of the film.

[00:37:14] = Adam says:
hmmm true, is a good title...

[00:38:32] Martyn says:
Well, at first when you read it, did you see 'taste the rainbow'?

[00:38:48] Martyn says:
Because if you didn't that's probably a good thing.

[00:44:02] Martyn says:
Nothing more? Can I post this on the blog then?

The morning after on Facebook Chat I double checked with if I could post this convo on the blog and asked Adam about the status of the film being too near to the 'Taste the Rainbow' series of adverts. It turned out his MSN cut out on him the previous night which is why it was left unanswered. Sounds as if the concept of the film is safe because it's represented as a drink instead and diverts from that immediately as the film continues. I think this should certainly continue to be a question to pose to people for feedback. I hope more people are willing to take part (or be irritated on MSN) by me in the 'Ask a friend' feature in the near future as they bring out, good, confronting questions that I wouldn't had realised otherwise.