Kitchen design development

We looked at the colour palette of old french kitchens and these were some of the colours used. 

(Kitchen cabinet colours)

(Development of colour palette with kitchen layout) 

In order to incorporate the french style, we looked at old French tile patterns. For the kitchen we wanted a simple pattern, and after looking at the influences (below) we incorporated them into our thumbnails. 

(Kitchen tile design)

(Kitchen cabinet design)

(Thumbnail development)

Development of Concept & Thumbnails

After our discussion with Alan last week we decided to adjust our concept a little. As there is a romantic feel to the animation, as a group we decided it should be set in France. Before I started doing some thumbnails, I carried out a little bit of research.

We decided to have a still camera animation where we get to see both the kitchen (where the male character is preparing the meal) and the balcony (where his date is waiting). Within the animation there will be a contrast, the kitchen being a total mess, however on the other side of the wall there's this perfect little balcony with a table set for two, overlooking Paris on a summer's evening.

These first set of thumbnails are some sketches helping us see which arrangement works best.

This is a thumbnail Sukhi developed because we felt it worked well, She began to add in details, and feels it still needs more work, plus colour. We feel that we will be able to emphasis the clutter in the kitchen more within Maya.

Film Influences

After we spoke with alan we established that the film would be set in France, and Alan suggested a few films we could watch to get inspirations. The films we watched were 'Paris je t'aime' and 'Amèlie'. Below are a few films stills which we thought could be relevant when designing the set. 

['Amèlie' film still]

['Amèlie' film still]

['Amèlie' film still]

['Amèlie' film still]

['Paris je t'aime' film still]

Story Setup, Chain Reaction and Ending

[source]

The Setup

Our main character is trying to follow a cooking show / cook book, to prepare a romantic meal for his wife/girlfriend/date. 

It's nighttime and his date stands out on the balcony outside the kitchen, looking out at Paris while smoking a cigarette. 

The table is romantically set up on the balcony; with a table cloth, burning candles, empty plates, knives and forks, a bottle of wine and empty wine glasses. 

In the kitchen a saucepan of water, chopped carrots and celery lightly bubbles on the back oven hob. 

The chicken is nearly finished cooking in the oven - indicated by the oven's timer. 

There is a low shelf above the oven which condiments such as mixed herbs, salt, pepper and vinegar sit on. 

There are some rogue vegetables scattered on the floor e.g. un-chopped carrot or celery.

[source]

Chain Reaction: The Build Up

• Guy takes onions out of a knee high cupboard, which is next to the oven and leaves it open. 
• He chops the onions on a chopping board. 
• As he feels the onions effects he rubs his eyes and sniffles at random moments.
• With his head just below the shelf, he drops the chopped onions into the saucepan. 
• He lifts his head from over the pan to grab the condiments, narrowly avoiding hitting it on the shelf.
• While affected by the onion, he removes the lid off a blocked salt shaker and pours too much salt into the pan. 
• As he lifts his head from over the pan he nearly hits it on the shelf. 
• Forgetting to put the salt lid back on, he puts it on the shelf and grabs the mixed herbs shaker, takes the lid off, pours some into the pan.
• Again forgetting to put the lid back on, he puts the herbs shaker back on the shelf and the shelf falls slightly. (repeating this a few times with different spices)
• His vision blurred due to the onions he keeps adding different ingredients and spices to get the right taste.
• Tasting it every so often he's not happy and then keeps trying to add something to make it perfect.
• Picking up stuff and putting it the wrong place or on top of other things without paying attention.
• The oven timer goes off and he struggles to remove the heavy roast chicken tray from it, slamming it down on the oven, in front of the saucepan - causing a loud thud. Due to lack of space it sits dangerously over the edge.
• Hearing the thud his date turns to move and check out the noise, but decides not to, not wanting to ruin the surprise. She rubs her stomach in hunger.
• Guy awkwardly bends over the chicken to stir the saucepan.

Chain Reaction: The Chain

• As he lifts his head, he hits it on the loose shelf, knocking it up and causing the open condiments to tip over and pour into the saucepan.
• In pain he steps back but slips on a onion peel on the floor, as he falls backwards he reaches forward, trying to grab the oven to stop himself falling. 
• Instead he grabs the chicken tray, catapulting the chicken onto his head.
• Blinded by his chicken "hat" he gets up and tries to pull it off.
• Finally managing to pull it off it flies through the air, out onto the balcony and onto the table; giving his date a fright. Hungrily staring at the chicken, she quickly grabs her knife and fork...

Credits

Post Credits

Some options:

• Guy walks out of the kitchen with the saucepan to see if his date is okay, only to catch her hungrily tearing at the chicken. He drops the pan in shock. After recovering, he smiles.
• Guy and date eating their meals with the chicken badly damaged from the the ordeal. Date enjoying her meal.
• Date eating her meal greedily, tearing at the chicken with one hand and gulping down her 'saucepan soup' with the other. Guy sits at the other end of the table hesitantly sipping his portion of the soup as he stares shocked at her.

Story Feedback and Influence Maps

Feedback

When we talked to Alan about our Narrative project, we found out that while he was satisfied with our general story, he suggested that we should instead have it shot in a fixed perspective, in which the the animation plays out without the camera moving. 

He also told us that once we had decided on what meal the man would be preparing, it would drive our chain reaction. We decided our story would be set in Paris, due to its romantic connotations.

[source]

Research and Further Development

After researching romantic French meals, we chose roast chicken as our meal; realising that the multiple ingredients and utensils involved in preparing a full roast chicken dinner would leave plenty of room for chaos. 

Since our animation will rely on slapstick comedy, we have decided upon the chicken somehow landing on the man's head, at the end of the chain reaction - possibly by being catapulted off a tray sitting on the edge of the counter, which he whacked into.

[source]

Influence Maps

Kitchen & Balcony Influence Map

Roast Chicken Dinner Influence Map

Story Plan (Pre-Feedback)

This story plan was developed before today's feedback (14/10/14), future iterations wont much differ in terms of basic setting, however some of the actual events will change slightly. The basic character preparing food for date > chain reaction = mess > to meal with date, wont change.

Setting the Scene.

2 Characters

The Chef

• Male
• Tall
• Clumsy
• Funny
• Gangly
• Worried
• Silly
• Heavy Handed

----

The Love Interest

• Female/Male (interesting twist)?
• Shy
• Sweet
• Cute
• Sincere
• Nervous
• Unsure
• Hesitant

----

The Kitchen

• Small (located in a 1 bedroom flat)
• Cluttered
• TV in corner (or book on Table)
• Not many plates
• Cramped
• Low shelves

Act 1.

Scene 1 - Beginning of the end

1. Begin inside Fridge.
2. walks to counter with ingredients (dropping some), switch to fixed counter view (TV in background)
3. looking at the TV "and there you have it!" (cooking episode finishes)
4. Have establishing shot of kitchen and we see him knock something off the counter... it rolls towards the counter
5. walks across kitchen to get more stuff (pots, pans etc.) 
6. puts in ingredients, starts cooking.

Scene 2 - The Ticking clock

1. pan / zoom from establishing shot to the clock above the archway to the living room. fade to later time e.g. 5:00 to 5:30.
2. Camera pans back down to character, kitchen more messy - 10 mins later, food cooking.
3. Bends over to pan to sniff, gas burner sets alight tie - he doesn't notice it straight away.
4. Feeling the heat, he jolts up, hitting head on shelf, knocking stuff off - some into pan e.g. spices etc. Slaps out fire. Dizzy he whacks into fridge knocking bowl of fruit off top.

Act 2.

Scene 1 - The Chain Reaction

1. Some objects on shelf fall in pot, e.g. spices, burns hand. Tries to rectify situation - tries to get the stuff out of pot. Trips on something on floor. 
2. In progress...

Scene 2- The Recovery

1. In progress...

Act 3.

Scene 1 - The Doorbell

1. In progress...

Scene 2 - Finish

1. Guy at meal with date in Living Room. He is forced to serve whatever ended up being cooked. He's nervous, so feeling sorry for him she hesitantly takes a bite and ends up loving the meal.

Source

Developed idea

We have come up with a new idea, where…

The Character is - 

- Really clumsy

- Not a very tidy person

- Always trying to impress people however fails to do so most of the time

[source]

Story Outline is -

1) Guy is preparing for a date with a young lady who he is trying to impress,

2) After watching cooking channels (master chef) he is determined to make something really nice for when she comes over for dinner. 

3) He goes to the kitchen and tries to follow his recipe, 

4) Being his clumsy self he makes mistakes, getting frustrated and hitting into things he causes a chain reaction of things falling over (around and into the food), burning the food etc.

5) Making so much mess in the kitchen he tries so hard to make it better. 

6) His date has arrived and he panics and rushes to the door.

We haven't yet decided the ending, however we have a few possible ideas...

7) His date sits opposite him at the table, the camera pans down to their food and the meal turns out to be something very basic (scrambled eggs).

8) And it turns out to be her favourite meal.

OR

7) He burnt the house down but they ended up having take away.
8) Hugging as they watch the house burn down

We came across these animations which we could get inspirations from for our animation. 

Revising our Ideas

Our phrases: "In the kitchen" + "Every cloud has a silver lining"

After being informed on Sunday that our "The Invitation" idea could not be used because the kitchen was not important to the animation and the silver lining was not strong enough, we went back to the drawing board.

Cartoon chef [edited]

Taking care to make sure the use of the kitchen was important to the story, we came up with a few ideas involving a restaurant Chef. After discussions with our tutor Alan, these ideas were then boiled down to their bare bones. Having written a few basic three bullet point ideas down, Alan informed us which was the most suitable. 

Below is basis for our latest idea...

• Chef puts food in oven, falls asleep (/ reads book / leaves room).
• Food burns, chaos ensues, chef tries to remedy the chaos (running for oven gloves etc.).
• Curious, chef tastes burnt food, enjoys it, founds own restaurant.

The Invitation - Story Plan

Location - The Kitchen
Saying - "Every Cloud has a Silver Lining"

After Speaking to Alan, we've decided to use the bare-bones of Idea 1 (The Invitation) to create a heart warming love story which would be centered around the kitchen, using metaphorical meanings to connect the location with the saying and with the time period. For example; we use a kettle to emphasize the tension in the scene - with it becoming louder as the situation grows worse for the boy. 

We have also connected the story to the 1950s, the time period in which the animation is set, at which time tensions were rising as fear around the nuclear situation arose, only to diffuse like a kettle reaching boiling point, or a kid getting angrier and angrier until he has to run away and calm down before he starts something that will end badly for him.

Also, In the 1950's, it was considered common place for the mother to reside predominantly in the kitchen; so because we naturally relate the mother to safety and to the home, it makes sense for the boy to run for the safety of the kitchen.

The characters themselves could even be used as metaphors for the time. An example would be that the girl lives in 1950's America, wanting something different, some change from the usual lifestyle, and the chubby boy is all the things that people repress from their lives because of that ideal that they've been brainwashed to believe in. Like the stereotype of a strong, tall, masculine male figure being what the girl must go for.

Floor Plan

Boy: Our Chubby Boy
Girl: The Stereotypical Hot Girl

Part 1

1. Boy walks down side of House to Birthday Party in the garden.
2. He nervously 'scopes out' the garden.
3. He spots his crush (the birthday girl) come out into the garden to sit with her friends.

          Camera

• slow fade to the boy (face cam)
• Purpose to show that he's very nervous about going to the party
• Present and card in hand
• Prepares himself for a second
• Begins walking towards the garden
• Transition to an alley cam (looking down the alley)
• we see him peek around the corner of the house
• Back to the face cam
• he looks worried
• He sees his crush and goes all wide-eyed.
• Close up (slow motion) of the girl walking across the garden to sit with her friends

Part 2

1. Greeted by no-one, he places his present on the table.
2. before he gets a chance to put his card on the table too, it gets taken off of him and ripped up by some other boys.
3. He tears up, but runs through them into the 'safety' of the kitchen where the mum of the girl is making tea for herself.

          Camera

• Stationary Camera viewing through the window into the garden
• the table of presents and cards is in front of the window
• we can see the girl on a bench in the garden with her friends (she is looking at the boy)
• there is a kettle in the foreground that boils (whistles) as the boy begins to get bullied
• steam comes up from the kettle and acts as a screen that de-saturates the scene

Part 3

1. Comes through into the kitchen and sits on a stool at the breakfast bar.
2. he starts to cry as he looks at the remains of his card

          Camera

• Another Stationary Camera that slowly zooms into the Breakfast Bar area as he enters the room (setting the scene)
• Cut to first person perspective once the boy has sat down
• vision blurs as he looks at the remains of his card
• He blinks, his vision is clearer but a tear drops onto the girls name

Part 4

1. Girl nervously enters the kitchen to see if he's okay.
2. He looks away quickly to wipe his tears.
3. she sits on the stool next to him
4. She taps him on the shoulder to get his attention.
5. He is shocked, pauses for a second and then turns on the stool.
6. They stare into each other's eyes, he is very shy.
7. She holds his hands an kisses him on the cheek.

          Camera

• Transition back to the kitchen door, we see the girl coming in.
• From the same angle as we saw the room before
• cut to a medium shot of the boy and the stool next to him
• Girl enters the shot as she gets on the stool
• (she looks nervous)

Cut to credits

Influence Maps - 1950's teenagers

After speaking with Alan, we have decided to set our animation in the 1950's and therefore we've started looking at teenagers during the 50's to get an insight on how they used to dress; the hair styles they would have, etc.