Final Project

This project will be a clay animation. I would hope it to be as successful as the current fire brigade campaign in Northern Ireland which tries to discourage young people from throwing missiles and interrupting their work when trying to get to and from emergencies. I would hope to follow the style of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Project description:
I intend for this project to promote a healthier attitude towards the use and dangers of all types of fireworks by young people and adults. I would hope to solve the problem of fireworks related accidents such as loss of fingers and burns. This project could be aired on television at schools and on national television. People tend to relate to animations better than actual footage due to the fact that they think ‘it’ll never happen to me!’ If this project even reaches one person and saves them from an awful injury then it will be a success. I would hope that the message will come across as friendly advice rather than a telling off as young people tend to respond better to a kind word of advice rather than a 'don't do that' response. My target audience's age range would be from 7 to 14 as the statisics show that two thirds of injuries due to the misuse of fireworks are to under 18's.

Project aspirations:
I would hope to increase my skills in clay animation as well as integration with other software packages. This will prepare me for designing and creating feature length productions. I should gain the relevant experience and knowledge associated with film and animation. I would hope to learn how all aspects of production are arranged and how to time manage my project to a set deliverable and timeframe.

Storyline:
Scene 1
Barrister is gesturing to the jury and explaining that the youth in question is responsible for the injuries sustained by the victim. The judge is asking the barrister to elaborate on this statement. The barrister directs the jury to listen carefully as he explains how the incident occurred.

Scene 2
The night in question is revisited by the barrister. It shows the defendant and two other youths one of which is the victim meeting up in an alleyway. The defendant and youths are watching the fireworks display. The defendant proceeds to produce a firework and lights the wick and hands it to the victim. On the passing of the firework it explodes in the victim's hand which sustains serious injuries. The defendant runs away leaving the other youth to get help, he goes and phones an ambulance.

Scene 3
The ambulance arrives after having to travel a long distance and takes the victim to hospital. We jump back to the court room where the barrister is asking the defendant if this is what happened and the judge asks for the barrister to continue this sequence of events for the jury. The barrister then proceeds to inform he jury about the night the defendant was arrested.

Scene 4
The police arrive at the defendant's door, they knock and the defendant was asked to come with them to the police station to answer some questions relating to the firework incident earlier that night. The police believe that the defendant is guilty of supplying illegal fireworks which caused the injury to the victim. He was placed in a cell to await the judge in the morning.

Scene 5
We return again to the courtroom and the judge has made up his mind that the evidence show the defendant is guilty as charged and sentences him to 5 years in jail. The defendant pauses at the cell door and says to the camera ‘I wish I never got those fireworks!’

The end

Final piece

First Attempt

After meeting with my supervisor it was decided that the story was not clear enough for younger children to follow. The animation sequence needed to be changed so that the incident occurred first and the courtroom sequences followed. This should provide a much clearer message that if you play with fireworks injuries can happen to anyone and anyone who deals in illegal fireworks will face prosecution and jail time.

Second Attempt

After showing my second iteration of the animation to my supervisor it was decided that the audio needed to flow better and have more effect than just background music. The audio needed to create an atmosphere filled with excitement, tension and fear. My supervisor guided me in how this could be achieved by having volume levels adjusted through out the animation as well as cutting some of the music completely at different points in the story. This was the fifth version of the animation and audio changes.

Final Version

 I believe that this project has successfully achieved the core outcomes of providing viewers with a realistic approach on the misuse of fireworks and the consequences of playing with fireworks. I believe that the animation has been created in the style of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride and the characters are easily identifiable with. I believe that should this animation be shown to the target audience then we could see a vast reduction in injuries sustained when using fireworks.