FMP EvaluationWill Stewart

Production Process Evaluation

Research• The greatest strength of my research was the way it explored the current

trends and styles of the stick figure internet culture. The most common threads connecting them were the use of colour, lighting, space, motion and sound, with the amount of control over these subjects deciding the overall quality of the video.

• My research did lack however, the more technical aspects, such as the exact equipment used in the animation process, including the software programs that might have been utilised.

• In terms of improvements, if I had been aware of the types of programs and techniques used, I might have been able to apply those principles to my own work, enhancing it’s level of quality.

Planning• The greatest strength of my planning was the way I laid out my schedule.

By dividing production into various stages of quality development, I was able to carefully manage the way it progressed, from a simple drawing on paper to a fully-functional Premier file with careful editing and sound.

• The biggest weakness of my planning was that it didn’t allow a lot of fluidity. If an unforeseen variable came about, it might have delayed production past the allotted time slot, and depending on the severity of the situation, could have put me back by more than a day.

• If I could improve anything about my planning, it would probably be to make it less rigid, and to make it more adaptable to outside factors. This way, if I did come across a delay, I could at least have some form of fall-back plan that might help me overcome any obstacles.

Time Management• As I managed to complete my project for the assigned due date, I do

believe that I managed my time well. Thanks to the schedule I created, I monitored my own progress with what was expected of me, moving my production along as was intended.

• If I had additional time, I probably would have explored more sound options for the resulting Premier file, instead of immediately choosing the first result I found suitable. The extra time could also have helped me with the final frames, allowing me develop more unique movements instead of the repeated actions in the final stages of the project.

Technical Qualities

Both products use bold colours and graphics to construct subjects and environments. This creates a bold image that sticks within the viewer’s mind, attracting attention from otherwise unrelated parties.

Both products are prominently action-oriented, featuring combative scenarios with commonly over-the-top fight scenes, oftentimes defying the laws of physics and/or reality. This is to appeal to the viewer’s sense of wish fulfilment, something that deviates from reality with such vigour enthralling them through their need for escapism.

Both products are fairly minimalistic in terms of detail, the whole concept of stick figures being focused solely on action and movement. This allows the producers to focus more upon smoothing out the animation process with less cluttered details to worry about.

Aesthetic QualitiesStrengths- Easily animated, does not require

overly complex or extravagant movements.

- Requires minimal alteration for extra subject models, rotations and flips being the only things that could necessarily constitute an overt change in the overall animation.

- The basic colour scheme and environment allows for minimal conservation of detail, elimination of unnecessary add-ons being one of the core tenets of stick-figure animation.

Weaknesses- The extreme minimalism could deter

some members of the audience, namely those who are concerned with the art and design quality, or those who are simply not interested in this kind of style.

- Others could be turned away by the way the piece is constructed, Photoshop not necessarily being the best type of program to do animation in.

- The animation itself is also disjointed in some areas, mainly towards the end of the project as the time limit began to close in.

Improvements- If I had more time, I would go back over and see if I could add

any extra frames to improve connectivity, or see if anything could be more streamlined to improve the flow of the animation.

- Possibly work a little more on the subject and environment design, just to smooth them out a little bit.

Audience Appeal

The violent nature of the animation is sure to appeal to those with more confrontational tendencies, likely those invested with combative video games.

The bold colouration is used to attract potential interests, mainly by appealing to the audience’s need for extravagance, related to their tendency to crave escapism. By utilising this habit, the producer can carefully craft scenarios that appeal to this escapist nature, drawing the audience in with their own fantasies.

The environment around the subjects is comprised colours that fall on both ends of the light spectrum. This is to convey a sense of drama to the piece, by using this combination to represent conflict between light and dark, appealing to the audience’s primal hunger for something greater than themselves.

Peer Feedback

Feedback 1• What did you like about the product?

– The game works effectively, the sound works well with the production. The characters are distinguishable between each other.

• What improvements could have been made to the product?• The product could have some more flow with animation but

does work well with the sound. The background looks good but could be done with more detail.

Feedback 2

• What did you like about the product?– Funny sounds that are accurately placed– The background was detailed and the characters

were satisfactorily designed and it is clear which character is on which side.

• What improvements could have been made to the product?– The characters could have had an attack animation

or some sort of movement animation. Luv u Will <3

Feedback 3• What did you like about the product?

– I think the bright visuals and the timing of the audio is really effective. It clearly would be attractive and interesting for the target audience and it is clear what the action of the game is that you play.

• What improvements could have been made to the product?

• A intro page with the name of the game would give more details and also a HP counter and health bar added to the characters would be an effective addition to the gameplay to add suspense and extra information for the player.

Peer Feedback Summary

• What do you agree with from your peer feedback?– The game is easy to understand with it’s very clear

intent, and has accurate animation and sound editing.• What do you disagree with from your peer

feedback?– The piece works well with it’s current animations, and

while it would work better aesthetically, it was all that could be done within the time frame.

Peer Feedback SummaryIf I had the time, I would probably try to make some other animation models, so that more movement sequences could be created, enhancing the quality of the piece.With further time, I could also explore more options in terms of sound editing, allowing for a greater variety of sound files. This is due to using one of the first options I found, something that might not have happened if I had found something better.Successfully, the animation quality overall is good, carrying itself through the frames smoothly and without any notable irregularities. I consider this endeavour a success, and it has helped me become more confident in my animation skills, thankfully easing the anxiety I had before the project started.