Final Project part 3: ideas 3: Pet/Insect Blues

During the week I was developing some ideas for my animation, which is about animals singing the blues. Before I came up with this idea I had thought up some other ideas. As mentioned on the previous post I have run them through Alan but he felt they were a bit too big to make and did not carry the simple feeling from my last animation.

Old Ideas

Also as mentioned in the previous post I have listened to some blue musics to find the right one for my animation. While I was listening to them I also wrote some ideas that came to me and drew a little thumbnail to show the type of creatures that came to mind. I though that the title could be 'Pet Blues', or something that ends with 'Blues' since it involves pets singing the blues.

Idea Development 1

Idea Development 2

Idea Development 3

I then developed the ideas I liked even further. The first idea I developed was Kenny Neal's ''Baby Bee'' song. The idea was to have a fish singing about how annoying his owner is, while a hamster plays the harmonica. I have shown this idea to Phil but he felt the song would suit better with a bee than a fish, because the lyrics involves a bee buzzing around. However the bee could just be representing a woman who is talking too much.

Pet Blues

Nevertheless I took Phil's advice and started developing around the concept of a singing bee. I thought the area were the animation will take place is inside a bar for bees and the singer and the harmonica player are the entertainment.
I have thought of changing the harmonica player from a bee to a wasp because I felt a skinny character would be suited for the role than a fat character, plus his rear could be used as a stool.
I might run this idea with Phil again or Alan because I really do feel a fish would be more suited to sing this song than a bee, because I having a bee singing a song about a noisy bee is a bit typical. However a fish singing about a noisy owner, who is represented by a bee, would be kind of interesting. This shows that the fish is fed up of his owner talking rubbish and it annoys him, like a bee buzzing around.

Bee Blues

The next developed idea is The Two Poor Boys song ''Sorry Dear''. When I listened to this song I imagined two pets going to the pound. During their trip they sing about how sorry they are to their owner, for if they did not take her for granted they would not be going to the pound. Another idea to this would that two dogs or cats are going to be neutered and they are trying to change their owner's mind.
I felt a rubberhose style of animation would suit this short pretty well because when listening to the song, going for the rubberhose approach seems appropriate.

To the Pound Blues

The next short is inspired by Cecil Grant's song ''I Wonder'', Big Bill Broonzy's song ''Baby Please Don't Go'' and Ivory Joe Hunter ''I Almost Lost My Mind''. Here I felt going for a comedy route would suit these songs. The idea is to have the owner going out to work or the shops and the pet blows it out of proportion and started singing about their owner leaving them. This could be hilarious because the pets pour out their heart to their owner to not leave them, and yet they just going out for a bit and will be back soon.
The other idea involves Joe Hunter's song ''I Almost Lost My Mind'' live version. Here I thought of a concert where all the ants went to, to hear the lead singer sing. I thought that the designs would all be based on real musical instruments but done in a fashion of leaves, twigs and other things.

Waiting Pet Blues/Ant Blues

The next song is ''Poor Boy Blues'' by The Black Sorrow. When I listened to this song I thought of having a small homeless puppy/kitty singing about having a home. However when I have shown this song to Matthew he felt it carried more of a desert theme. We then threw some ideas around and we came up with a coyote or a wild dog walking across a desert looking for food and shelter. While also avoiding some vultures who are following him. This idea could mainly focus on the environment and the character design while also giving off a nice tune to listen too. Out of the two approaches for this song I have to go with the desert idea because now listening to it the song does carry a desert tune.

Stray Blues

The last idea is another comedy theme. The name of the song is ''Kill My Baby'' by Nick Curran. When I listened to this song I imagine a Chihuahua singing about his owner. That she treats him badly like treating him as a baby and making him wear costumes, mostly girly clothes. The chihuahua then wonders what he did to deserve this and thinking about killing her. The comedic effect comes from the chihuahua himself because he is a little yet he has a big loud voice.

Chihuahua Blues

Out of all the ideas I only like three of them. The Baby Bee idea because of the singing fish, but also the singing bees. Even thought the singing bees sound generic I think it will work. I Almost Lost My Mind the live version idea because I think it would be unique to see the world of ants, especially seeing the furnitures being made out of random objects like twigs and leafs. Finally the Poor Boy Blues idea coyote/wild dog version. I like this idea because the desert theme does seems to fit with the music, And seeing the coyote walking across it while being followed by the vultures would a moving or suspenseful scene. I also thought of designing the vultures as grim reapers since technically they do follow their prey until they die, and that's when they eat. Like reapers when they follow the public until it is their time to die.