Production Blog- Backgrounds

Background Sketch

Background Rough Linework

• Before starting work on my animatic I took the time to flesh out and develop the backgrounds I would be using in my final animation. I would be needing four in total, though in order to increase shot variety I would be zooming in and out of them in the frame, meaning they would need to be drawn at a larger dimensions than 1920 x 1080.

• I opted to draw the main background, the set with the table and lakeside backdrop at 4K resolution to enable this. Every element in the scene had its own separate layer in order to enable characters in the animation to interact with objects in the scene, such as the chairs. Much of the linework used for the backgrounds used a pastel brush in keeping with the aesthetic inspired by Sara Ogilvie.

Foreground Roughs

• The opening establishing shot was derived and repurposed from a piece of concept art I had been working on, with multiple layers of buildings moving as the camera pans down to our characters in order to simulate a parallax effect. I added more buildings and linework to the mountains in the backdrop as I wanted the opening shot to seem dense and lively. 

• I was very much inspired by Sara Ogivie’s work but also classic Disney layout art, such as the work highlighted in Fraser McClean’s setting the scene. While I do wish I had planned around shifting perspective and pushed myself more in the technical drawing aspect I do feel this background fits the animation well, serving as an interesting opening shot. 

• The background for the interior shot is the only one which I didn't have to draw in larger dimensions as it is used sparingly across only three shots with minimal camera panning outside of the frame. 

• Lighting was an important aspect of this background as I wanted the lighting in the scene to change when Monsieur Sausage enters the scene. 

• Compared to the other backgrounds this one is very much created with a particular shot in mind with a very deliberate perspective and line of sight, with clear distinctions between foreground, background and the path the character will tread in the scene. 

Initial Background Concept

• For the final background for the final scene of the animation I opted to make the outlines white rather than the darker blues and browns of previous scenes in order to emphasise lighting and the romantic nature of the scene.

• Like others this background exists on a purely 2D plain, is drawn in a 4K resolution and separates each object in the scene onto its own separate layer to enable interaction with the characters. While for the cut of the animation i would end up submittingby the deadline would not include this background I hope to develop it further in the future, perhaps with further changes.