“Sunshowers” will mostly be a character driven, cliched romance story. The film will be a 2D short animation that will be from 3-4 minutes. Phase I is currently at 3:34 in length. I plan on using TVPaint , Adobe Photoshop and Paint Tool SAI to draw and animate, while using Adobe After Effects to composite and do any special effects.
Project Description
My grad film for 4th year is inspired by Japanese myths and culture. The working title is called “Sunshowers”. A sunshower is a term used to describe rain that occurs on a sunny day. In the Japanese myths, it is said that when it rains on a sunny day, a fox is getting married somewhere. I plan on creating my grad film based on this idea.
Story Synopsis
*update*
A shrine is holding a marriage ceremony. Mitsu, a fox shrine guardian and her fox friend discover the bride is missing. Mitsu decides to be a substitute for the missing bride. Mitsu marries the human groom and they live their lives together. While living together Mitsu's true form comes under suspicion and may have been found out. One night, Mitsu decides that she has had enough of living as a human an returns to the shrine. Time passes both the husband and Mitsu feel as if something is missing from their lives. Husband decides to look for Mitsu and ends up back at the shrine. Husband confesses to Mitsu, he knew about her true form all along, still loves her and asks her to be together with him once more. Mitsu agrees and they get married again, this time without a disguise. It rains during the wedding and Mitsu states that it's a "fox's wedding".
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Outside of a Shinto shrine, a bride elopes with her lover right before her wedding. One of the guardian beings of the shrine, a fox spirit/demon named Mitsu, witnesses this and decides to be a substitute for the runaway bride. Mitsu marries the human groom and they live their lives together. A few events occur while living together with the human that nearly expose Mitsu’s true form, such as her ears and tail popping out when scared. One day, Mitsu meets one of her fellow shrine guardian friends and is asked when she will return to the shrine. For the moment, Mitsu is satisfied with her life. As time passes by, Mitsu one day wakes up to realize that she’s had enough with playing human and leaves. The husband finds out and decides to search for Mitsu, eventually finding her back at the shrine where it all started. He confesses to Mitsu, saying that he knew about her true form all along and still loves her. He also asks her to be with him forever. Mitsu agrees and together they get married again, this time without a disguise. It rains during the wedding and Mitsu states that it’s a “fox wedding”.
A shrine is holding a marriage ceremony. Mitsu, a fox shrine guardian and her fox friend discover the bride is missing. Mitsu decides to be a substitute for the missing bride. Mitsu marries the human groom and they live their lives together. While living together Mitsu's true form comes under suspicion and may have been found out. One night, Mitsu decides that she has had enough of living as a human an returns to the shrine. Time passes both the husband and Mitsu feel as if something is missing from their lives. Husband decides to look for Mitsu and ends up back at the shrine. Husband confesses to Mitsu, he knew about her true form all along, still loves her and asks her to be together with him once more. Mitsu agrees and they get married again, this time without a disguise. It rains during the wedding and Mitsu states that it's a "fox's wedding".
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Outside of a Shinto shrine, a bride elopes with her lover right before her wedding. One of the guardian beings of the shrine, a fox spirit/demon named Mitsu, witnesses this and decides to be a substitute for the runaway bride. Mitsu marries the human groom and they live their lives together. A few events occur while living together with the human that nearly expose Mitsu’s true form, such as her ears and tail popping out when scared. One day, Mitsu meets one of her fellow shrine guardian friends and is asked when she will return to the shrine. For the moment, Mitsu is satisfied with her life. As time passes by, Mitsu one day wakes up to realize that she’s had enough with playing human and leaves. The husband finds out and decides to search for Mitsu, eventually finding her back at the shrine where it all started. He confesses to Mitsu, saying that he knew about her true form all along and still loves her. He also asks her to be with him forever. Mitsu agrees and together they get married again, this time without a disguise. It rains during the wedding and Mitsu states that it’s a “fox wedding”.
Story Log Line
*update*
When a bride goes missing, Mitsu a fox shrine guardian takes this opportunity to become the substitute bride and live life as a human.
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Mitsu sees a bride eloping with her lover moments before her wedding and decides to marry the groom in place of that bride and live life as a human. It can’t be that bad, what are a few decades?
When a bride goes missing, Mitsu a fox shrine guardian takes this opportunity to become the substitute bride and live life as a human.
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Mitsu sees a bride eloping with her lover moments before her wedding and decides to marry the groom in place of that bride and live life as a human. It can’t be that bad, what are a few decades?
Visual Approach (Additional Info-ref links/image inspiration)
This video will be done in 2D digitally. I will be using TVPaint, Photoshop, Paint Tool SAI and After Effects. Nothing is completely set in stone, but I know I want to have something simple in terms of drawings and colours. Everything will be as simple as possible to make life easier. For example, a tree will have 2-3 tonal colours, light, mid and dark or light and dark. Same thing goes for animation. All characters will need to be simplified further. I’m contemplating applying and airbrush feel to things related to nature, such as shrubs and trees. Otherwise everything will be “overly simplified painterly” for the backgrounds, while animation will be solid colours with darker spots here and there to show shading.
Most of my inspiration comes for this film comes from anime and manga, some of which includes "Gingitsune", "Kitsune no Yomeiri" and "Kakemakumo, Kashikoki", just to name a few. I'll post images and links to these references soon. Due to the "shoujo" genre of my film, I hope to be able to incorporate those nonsensical backgrounds that appear in "shoujo" anime and manga.
From Gingitsune: This anime and manga is has good references for the shrine setting and traditional shrine maiden clothing.
Here is a link to Gingitsune-Episode 12.
Regarding the shading of the characters, I hope to be able to do something similar with the ones shown above.
The two images above are shrine setting references.
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Other influences include:
Gugure! Kokkuri-san: This anime is full of images and scenes that are good reference materials for the Japanese home and shrine setting and also male traditional clothing. One of the main characters just happens to be a fox spirit too, although male.
Here is a link to Gugure! Kokkuri-san-Episode 1.
Here are some images that I plan on using as reference for clothing the husband may wear:
Some screenshots from episode 2 of Gugure! Kokkuri-san:
I want to colour my backgrounds something like the 2 images below. I like the simple look.
An example of one of those "nonsensical" backgrounds.
Most of my inspiration comes for this film comes from anime and manga, some of which includes "Gingitsune", "Kitsune no Yomeiri" and "Kakemakumo, Kashikoki", just to name a few. I'll post images and links to these references soon. Due to the "shoujo" genre of my film, I hope to be able to incorporate those nonsensical backgrounds that appear in "shoujo" anime and manga.
From Gingitsune: This anime and manga is has good references for the shrine setting and traditional shrine maiden clothing.
Here is a link to Gingitsune-Episode 12.
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Other influences include:
Gugure! Kokkuri-san: This anime is full of images and scenes that are good reference materials for the Japanese home and shrine setting and also male traditional clothing. One of the main characters just happens to be a fox spirit too, although male.
Here is a link to Gugure! Kokkuri-san-Episode 1.
Here are some images that I plan on using as reference for clothing the husband may wear:
Some screenshots from episode 2 of Gugure! Kokkuri-san:
I want to colour my backgrounds something like the 2 images below. I like the simple look.
Sound Treatment
This is the part where I’m currently really unsure about it. Something that will suit the mood of the scenes would be best. Nothing too heavy, I’m currently in favour of soft, strings instruments. Perhaps a few wind instruments or two. Due to the Japanese setting of the story, some music that leans towards the Japanese side would be best in some areas.
*update*
As for the characters, I know for sure that I want Mitsu's fox friend to have a childish voice, while Mitsu will have a female voice that sounds around 16-25 in age. Nothing too high, nothing too low. For the husband, I'm still unsure of how high or low I would want his voice to be but I know I want his voice to have a gentle and kind feeling to it.
Influences will be posted when I have them ready.
*update*
As for the characters, I know for sure that I want Mitsu's fox friend to have a childish voice, while Mitsu will have a female voice that sounds around 16-25 in age. Nothing too high, nothing too low. For the husband, I'm still unsure of how high or low I would want his voice to be but I know I want his voice to have a gentle and kind feeling to it.
Influences will be posted when I have them ready.
Artist Statement (Additional Info-ref links/image inspiration)
As a kid and up until now, I’ve always been interested in Japanese culture, especially Manga and Anime. One of my favourite genres has always been the “shoujo” aka “girls” themed stories, which are all about life and romance for young girls and teens. The sparkly, flowery backgrounds and scenes that get the heart going “doki doki” or “heart beating” are key elements in the shoujo genre that still excite me to this day. With this grad film I hope to be able to create a film that combines my love for myth and god stories along with romance. Expect lots of cliché~
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Although the feeling of drama in Hybrid Child is different in comparison to how Sunshowers will be, I find that the historical setting and the idea of a being that isn't human, having emotions relates to my film.
Below is the OVA, Original Video Animation, of Hybrid Child:
Hybrid Child OVA 1
I'll post a video when and if I can find it.
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Although the feeling of drama in Hybrid Child is different in comparison to how Sunshowers will be, I find that the historical setting and the idea of a being that isn't human, having emotions relates to my film.
Below is the OVA, Original Video Animation, of Hybrid Child:
Hybrid Child OVA 1
I'll post a video when and if I can find it.
Tension Chart
Here is my tension chart which corresponds with animatic phase II. The chart on the right describes beats in further detail, going from left to right. The *(?) represents areas where I'm uncertain about.
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Below is my tension chart. The colours to the left of the chart represent the section below them. For example, protagonist=green. The tensions are highest towards the beginning and middle, while the lowest is at the 2nd and 3rd quarter. I’m currently still unsure about my music, but what is on the chart is my estimate to where the tension would be.
Below is my tension chart. The colours to the left of the chart represent the section below them. For example, protagonist=green. The tensions are highest towards the beginning and middle, while the lowest is at the 2nd and 3rd quarter. I’m currently still unsure about my music, but what is on the chart is my estimate to where the tension would be.
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