My idea was formed from a conversation with a friend. All our conversations seem to always have her saying, "I'm going to pop your bubble."
Rebecca: No, Kirsty, don’t pop my bubble!!!!
Kirsty: I am only popping your bubble to make it bigger.
Rebecca: How does that work? How can you make it bigger if you pop it?
She says this because she wants to make my bubble bigger. After coming up with ways to integrate this into an animation, I came up with some bullet points:
First idea: I’m walking down the street and get hit by something, leaving me unconscious. It fades into me walking in my mind, arrowed.
Second idea: I go to sleep and enter my mind where I am looking at different parts of my mind: friends, family.
Maya is a woman who always wants to succeed, but success doesn’t come easily to her. She is argumentative and always thinks she knows best. One day, she gets into an accident. (Not sure how—I was thinking maybe getting hit by a car, but how to get this to work safely is something I am unsure about.)
I spoke to my tutor, Andrew, and he said I needed to put it into a 3-act structure. I went online to get a template of a three-act structure and what I needed to include, which helped me progress the story.
Act 1
Has wacky and weird ideas that she wants to do. Always in a dream state.
Act 2
An accident happens. How would this happen?
Act 3
Rebecca wakes up in a dream state. This world is fully animated (except for her). This vast world is full of different creatures, some of which she has created and things that she has always wanted to create/do. In the dream, she finds a friend who has always wanted to pop the bubble of her ideas. When she sees her, she is terrified, as she is holding a needle near her wonderful ideas. She says she is doing it to break her out of her frame of mind and to pop the bubble on her inventions/creations/ideas to make the bubble bigger, to use her imagination better, and to realize that things need to be bigger to be wonderful. Maya doesn't believe her.
Act 4
She faces some terrors and fears from her life, and things that have held her back from what she has always wanted to do. She has to involve others to get out of an obstacle in the dream state. (Now I like this, but I'm unsure of how to implement this.)
Shadow of Doubt
This section contains the full story, script, and development notes for the animation project "Shadow of Doubt."
Inspiration
I have gained inspiration from a few different places.
The story follows Maya, a 21-year-old university student, as she navigates self-doubt and fear through a vivid dream world. Guided by Solene, a wise and playful fox-like character, Maya overcomes emotional challenges symbolized by surreal landscapes and creatures, such as the Canyon of Doubt, the Field of Ideas, and the Cavern of Feelings.
With inspiration drawn from classic mixed media works like "Mary Poppins," "The Lego Movie," and "Take On Me" by a-ha, the animation blends 2D art, parallax motion, and live-action footage to depict Maya's journey toward self-belief and creative empowerment.
The complete script outlines detailed scenes including Solene's guidance, Maya's internal monologues, and visual metaphors for emotional growth. It culminates with Maya awakening from her dream, feeling recharged and ready to face her real-world assignment with new confidence.
This content was adapted from the planning document "script for the shadow of doubt.docx" and reflects both the creative and technical process behind the animation.
Characters
Name: Maya
Gender: Female
Race: Human
Age: 21
Hair Type: Brown
Height: 5ft 7
Description: A university student in her final year, stressed and upset, with a fear of failure in her final major project.
Description: A shadowy, mysterious figure representing Maya’s inner fear and uncertainty. Doubt constantly questions Maya’s decisions, casting uncertainty over her thoughts and ideas.
Character Inspirations and Ideas
This section explores a various character inspirations.
These references come from a variety of loved franchises and imaginative ideas.
Firefly
Fox
Pokemon
My Little Pony
Butterfly
Birds
Rabbit
Harry Potter Patronus
Cat
Chat GPT
I used Chat GPT for the idea stage and brainstormed to see how a certain path would take her. It gave me possibilities, and I used it to ask questions on how this story could progress and move forward, as I didn't know how to get into an accident safely (to be honest, I don't know if I really wanted to do it after more thought on the scene).
I asked it for what sort of things I could do. In my mind, I wanted to involve going to sleep instead of getting hit by a car (too many people's disappointment). So this is what I chatted to Chat GPT for. It gave me an idea of what and how to make this move forward. I printed the story off and dissected the story. Unfortunately, I don't have the conversation (as my computer froze and restarted, and Chat GPT resets). I did state that I wanted her to overcome several obstacles from the occupants. I was thinking about these obstacles, and I asked what these obstacles could look like. It suggested that these obstacles could face these fears, be about fears, and overcome them. Although I liked the idea of facing fears, I eventually changed them to be more obstacles to unlock the imagination of my character. Although I asked Chat GPT for how the story would go, this was only used to open my imagination and to improve on the plot I wanted.
Chat GPT offered me different ways this story could progress, and I will include a transcript of the conversation with Chat GPT in my blog. I printed out the transcript and highlighted areas I liked and how I wanted to move forward with this story. As of writing this (Wed 12 February 2025), I am unsure of how the story will end (I'm hoping that will come to me soon). I am thinking of having her wake up at the end with a sense of relief. But that isn’t concrete. I did ask Chat GPT, but I am unsure whether I want to go down that path. I’m going to mull over it and come up with another way to end it.
What I might do is concisely list the things that I have asked Chat GPT and what Chat GPT has given me to get a picture of what I want to do with this project:
Maya gets everything just not right. Her ideas lack that something, always challenged by thought.
She comes up with ideas that don’t hit the mark.
Her friend is always challenging her ideas, suggesting they are good but not quite there.
Always bursting the bubble that Maya has built around the ideas.
She goes to sleep one night with this playing in her mind.
She dreams. In her dream, she is still herself as she looks at a waterfall next to her, but she is in a world that is full of different creatures.
As she walks around, she sees an array of different creatures, each more wonderful than the next.
There are fairies, unicorns, and different mythological creatures.
As she walks around, she is met with different obstacles for her to overcome.
First obstacle: She comes across a fairy named “Solene,” and she realizes that this fairy is someone she knows (her friend who is always challenging her). Solene is a fairy that resembles her friend in the real world, and she is carrying a needle.
Throughout this process, Maya is challenged to think outside the box and unlock her imagination. Solene helps her break free of her mental limitations, making her see the bigger picture of what she’s capable of.
Story
This section outlines the narrative and concept of the project.
Visual plans and sketches outlining the animation and flow of the project.
Concept Drawings
Sol
Doubt
Dream Land
Voices for SOL (Voiced by Ricky)
Here are 20 voice clips recorded for Sol, performed by Ricky.
Fails
Watch the mistakes and lessons learned through these video clips:
Conclutions:
Here i will be putiing all the conclutions for each part:
Step 1
Conclusion: Step 1 lays the foundation for the entire process by establishing the initial framework and setting clear expectations. This step is crucial in guiding all subsequent actions.
Step 2
Conclusion: Through Step 2, key elements are identified and organized, providing clarity and direction. It builds directly on Step 1 and begins shaping the core of the project.
Step 3
Conclusion: Step 3 emphasizes execution and adaptability. It’s where planning meets action, ensuring that theoretical concepts are put into practical use effectively.
Step 4
Conclusion: This step focuses on refinement and optimization, enhancing what’s already been implemented. It's critical for improving quality and addressing any issues before finalization.
Step 5
Conclusion: The final step consolidates all progress, ensuring that everything aligns with the original goals. It prepares the work for delivery, presentation, or long-term application.
Final Conclusion
Conclusion: Together, Steps 1 through 5 form a cohesive and strategic process. Each phase builds upon the last, ensuring that the project develops in a structured and intentional way. By following this sequence, the final outcome is more likely to be efficient, effective, and aligned with your original objectives.
