Introduction –
My project was about writing a storyline for a game and showing and creating the profile of some select few characters. I chose this project idea because it covered areas I knew I was strong at and I wanted to show what I could
Proposal and Time Planner –
My initial 3 ideas were somewhat similar. The first one was about making an animation to one of the songs that I was fixated on at the time, the second one was the idea that I'm currently doing and the third was to make a game inspired by ,,The Cat Lady'' by Harvester Games.
My FMP idea ended up being influenced by my skillset and feedback. I knew I couldn't do an animation that intricate and also I couldn't do a game solely on my own so I went with the best thing out of the pile. I wanted something to do that I knew it fit the time we were given until the deadline, knowing that procrastination and writer/art block was inevitable down the road.
My idea got the green light from the tutors I spoke with and also from my peers. I often used art in my PowerPoint presentations so people had an idea that I was an artist. My peers weren't surprised that I went with an art-based FMP and actually actively encouraged me to go on with it.
Planning –
The key planning in my stages was figuring out how much I wanted to do. Story writing can take a long time and I wanted to make something short and sweet yet still passable as a project. I had to also include drawing into the mix due to me creating the previously mentioned character profiles.
Planning for the writing part was a bit scuffed, having one or two chapters missing in the end. If I could do this again I would plan better, giving myself days to have breaks in and also to give myself deadlines for certain parts of writing, drawings etc.
Primary Research –
The main primary research was about audience taste. I wanted to know what type of stories and character appearances people like alongside character tropes. I asked both my friends in close circles and also sent out a survey to my classmates, receiving good feedback considering the small number of people that I got answers from (circa around 9-12).
I found out that people like a good plot-twist along side alongside anti-hero characters and dark stories. I also got other answers that mentioned how some like the characters designed (detailed or non-detailed).
Secondary Research –
The secondary research I did was art style study. I looked at different artists and how they drew, looked at the tips they gave as well as how to make things overall more pleasing to the eye. I also looked into how attire looked back in the olden days, my final character designs being heavily influenced by Dungeons And Dragons characters.
Another side of research I did was mental health. More specifically mental illnesses. This was due to the fact that I wanted to include realism in the story. I see main characters going through traumatizing events and getting out still the same as they were at the beginning. A lot of stuff that happens to protagonists can be mentally scarring and I wanted that to impact the outcome of the story in a more realistic and proper manner. I looked into how different people experience the said mental illnesses, knowing that it's not the same for every person.
Overall helped me realize how to properly design characters as well as how to portray mental illnesses in media.
Production –
The main drastic thing that happened was redesigning the main characters. I realized that the situation he was set in at the beginning didn't fit his initial appearance and I wanted him to look more in place with how he is portrayed at the beginning of the story.
The feedback helped guide me on how to write the story and what roles to place the characters in. Through this I learned how much time it takes to make a story, take in consideration character backstory and introduction and also I managed to improve in some areas: writing, character design, and performing primary and secondary research.
Writing block played a part in this, finding myself at times that I genuinely didn't know what to write for days at a time. That could've been caused by the pressing thought of getting the project well enough to get a passing mark. Time management was also a factor as I often do things when I know it's best and I never have a schedule. If I would do a project like this again I will actively work on my time management more.
Final Product –
I managed to learn that projects like this take a lot of willpower. I need to plan myself better and I need to learn how to deal with art/writer's block more efficiently.
My project turned out how I expected. I'm satisfied with it. I merely wish that I had more time to finish my story properly but I am actively all right with everything that I did for this. Everyone I spoke to said that the project looks nice and that the story idea was cool.
Conclusion/ Final Evaluation –
From undertaking the project what are your final thoughts on your outcomes and progress as a subject specialist?
Here you should again briefly summarise your findings and outcomes and intentions for the future/ areas for development.
I am satisfied with my final work results. The research that I did certainly helped me improve both character writing and art-wise, loving to know the lengths I can go to story writing-wise as long as I keep it coherent and understandable. What I will actively work on will be writing-wise, wanting to improve on my time management and I want to improve on my work speed. I also want to work towards making my art more detailed if given the chance to work on something like this again. =============================================================
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