The Brief
We are developing an educational animation tailored for primary school-aged children, focusing on life during the Blitz, opening the bunker for their chance to learn more about what it was like to be in the bunkers. The animation is to be projected within the Nottingham air raid shelter, on the walls and ceiling.
My Team
My team comprised of Sebastian, Tasha, and two others who didn't show up. Surprisingly, this didn't bother us much because we're all already great friends. Sebastian and I have been neighbors since last year, and he's one of my closest pals. This year, both he and Tasha are actually roommates, with me living in the next building over. The hardest part about group projects is usually getting along with the group, but fortunately, that wasn't an issue for us since we already work together quite well.
Team Building Task
We kicked off the task with some team-building activities. One of them involved building the tallest structure we could using only a handful of straws, some tape, and a bit of rope. Once our structure was built, the challenge was to balance a piece of marshmallow on top of it.
We named our marshmallow creation " the Meep." Wanting to ensure the Meep's comfort, we fashioned a cozy little podium atop our tower after constructing it. While our tower may not have been the tallest, we definitely earned bonus points for the most stylish marshmallow, as we used the rope to fashion a wig for the Meep.
Imperial War Museum
The war museum proved to be remarkably insightful, even for someone like me, who isn't particularly keen on history. Despite my initial reservations, the visit taught me a lot and provided the perfect inspiration to kickstart our project. Seb and Tasha, on the other hand, are history buffs through and through. They were completely in their element, enthusiastically sharing random WWII trivia and geeking out over every exhibit.
Initial Sketches and Ideas
After sketching some ideas at the museum, we began brainstorming on the bus ride home. Our initial ideas lacked focus and cohesion; it felt like we were trying to cram every concept into a single project.
Delegating
Before settling on a single idea, we took notes of our individual strengths and weaknesses, a task made easier by our long-standing friendship. Creating a table outlining these aspects helped us see where we complemented each other and where we might need support. Interestingly, our weaknesses aligned with the strengths of the others, creating a natural balance within the group.
Sebastian and Tasha excel at research, but sometimes struggle with meeting deadlines and managing their social battery. In contrast, I'm better at time management, although I tend to avoid research tasks when possible. Recognizing Tasha's anxiety around presentations, we agreed to take on the bulk of that responsibility, leaving her with just a couple of slides to present.
WWII Artifacts
Research Links
I wasn't deeply involved in the research process, but here are some links that the others went through to support our ideas.
Abbey Circus War Bunker
While Sebastian and Tasha were at the bunker taking pictures and measurements to aid our process, I went to uni to discuss our ideas with Rikus. He helped me narrow them down and develop them further.
Working Together
This is our workspace, Sebastian and Tasha's kitchen. It's nicely decorated and always clean, so we usually hang out there. Typically, we can't work without some background noise, so we often put on a movie we've all watched several times to fill in the silence.
News Reporter Idea
Initial idea was inspired by the comedy sketch show ‘Horrible Histories’ being a combination of green screen and background animation. This kind of historical comedy is proven to appeal to a primary school age audience.
We felt through that our ‘report’ would be much more visually interesting if it looked like it was actually from the 1940s. It would be filmed in period accurate clothing and edited to look like film and sound ‘tinny’ and mono, inspired by the ‘commercial breaks’ in the show WandaVision.
To try to achieve this, we also looked at actual newsreels from during the blitz over Britain. To tie in with the topic, the ‘reporter’ will be wearing an air raid warden uniform which we got to see parts of first hand by viewing artefacts.
Ceiling Projection Idea
For our next idea, we are developing a ceiling-projected animation. This animation showcases Luftwaffe planes (including Junker Ju 88, Heinkel He 111, Dornier do 17 flying pencil) flying overhead as if the ceiling was x-ray, accompanied by spotlights, bombs (incendiary bombs) exploding and sounds of chaos, offering insight into what the skies looked like during the blitz.
One Shot Animation
Our last animation showcases a young girl's calm demeanor as she goes about her daily routine in a World War II bunker, seen through the lens of a gas mask. Despite the panic around her, she engages in mundane activities, influenced by the "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters, a British government issued series of motivational images to boost morale and maintain resilience among the population. Her composed demeanor is accentuated by her humming melodies amidst the chaos. The animation depicts people experiencing fear and panic in their daily lives, while also attempting to conceal their distress.
The color palette will consist primarily of subdued tones such as grey, green, brown, and blue for the attire, complemented by pale skin tones. The background will be characterized by shades of black, red, and brown, with the sole vibrant elements in the animation being the pink hues of the tea set and doll.
The composition will adopt a slightly cramped aesthetic, akin to a fisheye lens, creating a sense of perpetual constriction throughout. Additional shading will be employed to enhance this effect.
The exclusive source of lighting will be provided by dim lamps.
The camera movement will be deliberately shaky and unstable, conveying the chaotic atmosphere pervading the scene.
The scene will be one long continuous shot.
Before Presenting
We all had nerves before presenting. Tasha and I like to get horizontal as soon as possible when we're stressed, and Sebastian was just impatient and ready to get it over with.
The presentation turned out better than we anticipated. Our ideas seemed to spark some interest from Chris and Jason.
Self-Reflection
Here are some key points from our class reflections on our project experiences.
Internship 1st Meeting
Some notes from the meeting
Notes from our first meeting with the team for the shelter project. It's reassuring that the team consists of familiar faces from class, which should streamline our collaboration. We learned that this project will require extensive teamwork. It's a relief knowing we can rely on others for support with our ideas, especially since there are only three of us on the animation team and we have multiple animations to complete in a month and a half. Some of my friends have expressed interest in assisting with our 'News Reporter' concept, offering to participate as actors and soundscape designers. However, none of us have experience editing green screen footage, except for me, and my knowledge in this area is quite limited.
