Project 3 (of 3) RCAA4007 / Fantastic Voyage Submission

deadline: Friday, May 14th 2019

‘’...scientific disciplines with good pictures are rich in resources that keep them well
funded and moving forward… Some fields, such as paleontology, manufacture their imagery;
for example the reconstruction of fossil remains for public viewing, or through imaginative
illustrations of immense creatures from the past. And Hollywood’s use of stunning
computergenerated graphics has likewise had a profound impact on the public’s
understanding of new ideas and discoveries. Sciences that target objects large enough to
photograph with an optical microscope or larger must skillfully exploit the tools of visual
communication. Even chemistry with its focus on structures and processes about a thousand
times too small to capture with a camera has a standard iconography with which to
communicate its results to the public. In the same way, nanotechnology has garnered wide
support for its endeavours using visual descriptions of novel geometric structures such as
nanotubes and quantum dots … the link between good images and good science.”

Eric Heller, The Power of the Image to Promote Science

Commissioning contexts for computer-generated arts and animation are increasingly

ubiquitous; successful practitioners are expected to adapt to a diversity of briefs; an effective
methodology is therefore essential if they are to embrace these demands and successfully
navigate between the demands of clients and their audiences.
In Richard Fleischer’s 1966 film, Fantastic Voyage, the submersible, Proteus, is
miniaturized and injected into the body of a comatose scientist, its groundbreaking mission to
transport its micronized crew to the site of a surgically inaccessible blood clot in the scientist’s
brain. Winning Oscars for both art direction and visual effects, the film’s depictions of ‘inner
space’ are interpreted imaginatively.
For this unit, you are asked to develop, design and execute creatively a ‘fantastic
voyage’ through a micro-biological environment/scenario. You are challenged to transcribe a
biological process accurately and dynamically and consider ways in which complex ideas and
data might be represented engagingly to different audiences.

AIMS

The aims of this unit are:

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 1

A1 to develop an understanding of pre-production and sound design.

A2 to develop the ability to synthesise software suites creatively.

A3 to develop project management skills and professionalism.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On satisfactory completion of the unit you will be able to:

LO1 employ techniques relating to pre-production and sound design.

LO2 apply software suites creatively.

LO3 demonstrate developing project management and professionalism.

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

In response to one of the scenarios presented to you at time of briefing, you are
required to produce a complete 3D animation that demonstrates creatively your
ability to interpret, transcribe and represent complex ideas in engaging and dynamic
ways. Your final animation should demonstrate clearly your creative methodology as
established by your Year 1 curriculum, i.e. pre-production (production design and art
direction via concept art and the structuring of time-based narratives via
storyboarding and pre-visualisations), production (modelling, UV layout, texturing &
lighting, and animation), and post-production (compositing, digital editing, sound
design, publication and promotion).

Format Requirements

• PAL 25fps
• 16:9 ratio
• H.264
• A maximum of three minutes in duration.

Please note: only royalty-free music is to be used and voice-overs must be

professionally produced.

Important: You are encouraged to render your animations with

https://www.conductortech.com/- a commercial render farm. Liaising with an

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 2

external provider - and budgeting for rendering services – is considered part of your
professional practice and developing expertise as a project manager for computer
animation.

You are required to produce a deluxe ‘Making Of’ publication showcasing your
creative methodology. Your ‘making of’ should provide a complete record of your
project work and should include your research and development, supporting concept
art, storyboards, a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at your models and animation - from
wireframe through to finished renders – and your sound-design and post-production.
Your ‘Making Of’ should be designed graphically, engagingly and presented
professionally.

You are asked to produce a comprehensive blog archiving and annotating your
creative development during the duration of the unit. You should use the blog to
reflect critically upon your own creative practice and the wider cultural and thematic
context of the unit.

Important! Your blog must include:

1) Your final animation

2) Your deluxe ‘Making Of’ publication (as Scribd Presentation)1

3) Your Pitch presentation (as Scribd Presentation)

4) CG Pre-vis

5) Animatic

6) Final storyboard

7) Final script

8) Concept art (16:9)

9) Final production art (orthographs, model sheets etc).

10) Matte paintings (if applicable)

11) Final textures (and their development).

1 For instructions see http://ucarochester-cgartsandanimation.blogspot.com/2010/12/scribd.html

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 3

 12) Your sound design archive: (Original SFX/Processed SFX)

13) Your cg pipeline;

Wireframe Models, Untextured Models, UV Maps, Texture Maps, Textured
Models, Lighting Tests, Rendering Passes (Beauty, Ambient Occlusion, and
Effects),

14) All supporting artwork (thumbnails, preparatory drawings etc.)

15) Supporting research/Influence maps

16) Market/audience research

17) All supporting Photoshop exercises

18) Your final submission must include a short reflective statement. A

reflective statement is a statement in which the student considers their
experience of a project. Reflective statements are used to understand past
events, learn lessons and identify best practice.

2
Some good online sources for film criticism and reviews
include: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film http://www.bfi.org.uk
http://www.metacritic.com http://www.rottentomatoes.com
http://www.empireonline.com http://www.filmreference.com
http://www.kamera.co.uk http://twitchfilm.net

3
Follow this link for ‘how to reference’ conventions for all kinds of sources.

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 4

http://community.ucreative.ac.uk/article/25881/Referencing-specific-sources-of-information/

‘The Elevator Pitch’

Tuesday 24th March @ 9.30am – CAA Baseroom You must

present:

1) Audience Research & Definitive Influence Map

2) Fully-Realised concept art: format 16:9 (3 images minimum)

3) Presentation quality animatic with SFX.

Presentations to last no longer then 5 minutes – including animatic!

Important: Organise your project work by adding the following label to all relevant
blog posts.2 This will ensure assessors are able to group and segregate your
Soundscape submission for purposes of assessment.
Activity Label
Fantastic Voyage, Cutting Edge Film Fantastic Voyage, Storyboarding, Animatic,
Programme Character Design, Film Review…
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
CRITERION MAPS TO LEARNING OUTCOME
Knowledge of narrative structures LO1, LO2
Understanding through application of creative
skills required for story development, LO1, LO2
previsualisation and sound design.
Technical and applied skills through the creative
LO2
use of software packages
Technical and applied skills through project
LO3
management and professionalism.
READING LISTS

2 http://support.google.com/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=44498

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 5

Essential

Begleiter, M. (2010) From word to image: storyboarding and the filmmaking process. California: Michael
Wiese Productions

Beiman, N. (2012) Prepare to board! Creating story and characters for animated features and shorts.
Massachusetts: Focal Press

Buckland, W. (2015) Film studies: an introduction. London: Hodder Headline

Glebas, F. (2009) Directing the story: professional storytelling and storyboarding techniques for live
action and animation. Massachusetts: Focal Press

Milic, L. (2006) The Animation Producer's Handbook. Open University Press

Levy, D. (2009) Animation development: from pitch to production. New York: Allworth Press

Mckee, R. (1999) Story: substance, structure, style, and the principles of screenwriting. London:
Methuen

Sullivan, K. et al. (2013) Ideas for the animated short: finding and building stories. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Science.

Talon, D.S. (2007) Panel discussions: design in sequential art storytelling. Raleigh: TwoMorrows
Publishing

Wells, P. (2007) Basics Animation 01: Scriptwriting. Worthing: AVA Publishing

Recommended

Bayley, S. (2008) Life's a pitch: how to sell yourself and your brilliant ideas. London: Corgi

Cristiano, G. (2008) The storyboard design course: the ultimate guide for artists, directors, producers
and scriptwriters. London: Thames & Hudson

Dancyger, K. (2011) The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice. (3rd ed.)
Massachusetts: Focal Press

Fraioli, J. O. (2000) Storyboarding 101: a crash course in professional storyboarding. California: Michael
Wiese Productions

Hahn, D. (2008) The alchemy of animation: making an animated film in the modern age. California:
Disney Editions

Hart, J. (2007) The art of the storyboard: storyboarding for film, TV, and animation. Massachusetts:
Focal Press

Levy, D. (2010) Directing animation. New York: Allworth Press

Marx, C. (2010) Write your way into animation and games. Massachusetts: Focal Press

RCAA4003: Storytelling & Commission /Project 3 ‘Fantastic Voyage’ 2019/20 6

Truby, J. (2008) The anatomy of story: 22 steps to becoming a master storyteller. London: Faber

Tumminello, W. (2005) Exploring storyboarding. New York: Delmar Cencage Learning

Wright, J. (2005) Animation writing and development: from script development to pitch. Massachusetts:
Focal Press

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