Project workshopping // Pros and Cons

Recently there's been some stress over the group project and how many difficulties might arise from the pick a path format, which has been causing some rifts. I think with a more solid story direction people might feel more on board but I haven't been able to come up with any solid solutions to the lack of story issue, as story writing isn't usually my strong suit anyways. Bella and Sarah came up with an idea to combine the pick a path format with the Cryptid flat concept which I think could work really well as a project and might help people feel less anxious about the lack of direction that the current pick a path concept has. 

We also got to discuss the cons and Pros of all of the top 3 ideas the class decided on, as well as the Basic story beats. I didnt get a chance to write down the specifics of the pick a path during class but I did manage to take a photo once we had finished discussing.

The main theme for Pick a Path was Morality and Every choice has a consequence. 
as we havent decided on a specific story yet we only had an established hook and choice: Wake up - Where am I? and Choice - What do I do? 

The Cons for this project included
-We dont know how to do this
-Could get complicated storywise
-Time Constraints
-Chance for catastrophic failure
-Would need a creative solution for Premiering compared to a traditional film
-Potentially not as Cinematic
-No guarantee all routes will be seen by all players 
-Story might be complicated 

I think a lot of the cons are very would be/could be statements, and are easily fixed, however I do agree there would be a larger workload and time constraints might feel that much more stressful for a non traditional project that is so different from the pipeline everyone is used to. I think its still a viable option however I think it'll only work if everyone is on board and confident with the idea, which I know is not the case, and I feel tension will probably only add to the stress of the project and a lot of resentment towards the project could happen. I think the project should be something that the majority of the class wants to work on, at least 

The Pros we discussed included:
-The point of the project is to learn and to grow our skills
-The industry is leaning more into interactive media projects
-Plays to the strengths of the team
-Interactive and Engaging
-Could be turned into a film if things all go wrong
-Not a Traditional Premiere/has a point of difference
-Learning oppurtunity
-Research and Development for personal skills.

I think a more solid story would really help the project along, however I feel people arent willing to vote on a project without a solid story because they can't guarantee all the pieces will fall into place, where the other of the top 3 have a really solid plotline that people have confidence in. I think it could be fun however if people are already having doubts I think its a good idea to reconsider other ideas before we get locked into the concept.

The other 2 discussions I did manage to take notes for. I was glad we got to talk more in depth about both cause I feel we never really got the chance to in class before voting and I really liked both ideas. 

I think the story is the most solid with the Ugly Fish dinner concept, and I think that'll help the speed of the preproduction and getting started on the visual developments of the project. I also think it ticks all of the boxes that are currently unticked on the pick a path project, which I think people will feel much more relieved about moving forward. I'm not the biggest fan of gross ups but I think using it as a representation of anxiety works really well, cause it's meant to be unappealing and unsettling and I think works well to help the audience to empathize with the protagonist. I also think having a more pleasing style as a base standard for normalcy will help to dell the gross outs more as there will be a higher contrast between the normal setting and what the protagonist is perceiving. 

I really like the concept of the Cryptid flat and I think theres a lot of potential for a really strong visual style and design across the variety of characters and backgrounds that would be in the animation. I also like that there's a solid story but still enough wiggle room for everyone in the class to contribute ideas and rework certain parts. I feel the project also plays to a lot of the classes strengths and I think everyone would have a really fun time working on this project together. I voted for the Cryptid house concept cause I felt I would have the most fun on the project, however I'd also be really happy to work on the fish dinner concept too. 

In the end I'm happy that the class came to a decision that everyone seems to be happy and at least confident in, and I think that now we have an idea locked down people will be more willing to get started and problem solve together. 

From here we're going to start discussing roles within the class, I'd be happy doing most things within the pipeline however I'd really enjoy the opportunity to work on:

1- Concept Art
2- 2D Animation
3- Animatic/storyboard

I will also have to work on

CV 
Cover letter
Showreel

Company Name
Logo
Mission statement
Pipeline
Funding
Time Tracking.

I had a quick look into clockify and it seemed like a decent tool to track hours, however some students have had issues in the past so I might wait until the class decides on a specific app or platform to help track hours. for now I am going to try my best to track what I've done and how long for in a physical diary, as I feel I will be more likely to keep that up to date compared to blogging, which I have often fallen behind on in previous years. 

I've also started considering which pieces of artwork I will include in my CV, as I want to highlight my skills in concept art, Storyboarding and 2D animation I want to fill my showreel with relevant and applicable skills to the position I am applying for. 
My current list I have split into the 3 main roles and I have listed the projects I've worked on somewhat recently so it can reflect my current skillset.