Child Safety Project - Backgrounds

These are the backgrounds for video. I have tried to keep them as simple as possible so they don't detract away from the animation.

These are just quickly done to discuss with the group and to get feedback on positioning of the furniture.

Hallway

Living Room

Kitchen

Upstairs Hallway

Bedroom

Bathroom

After discussing these backgrounds with my group, I have decided to make the rooms more homely.

I have also added other hazards in the background that the character wont interact with but whoever is watching can see that the hazards we are showing in the film aren't the only ones within the home.

Hallway

Living Room

Kitchen

Upstairs Hallway

Bathroom

Bedroom

The backgrounds have been updated so they have a less hand drawn feel to them, The doors have also been removed because as the group decided they weren't necessary for the animation because they wont be animated.

The hallway has been flipped so it is facing the same way as the upstairs hall image.

Upstairs Hall

Bedroom

Bathroom

 Kitchen

 Livingroom

Overall I feel that these new backgrounds work with the animation, but I think they look quite flat in comparison to the bear looking more 3D.

I prefer the hand drawn look of the previous backgrounds but I can see how they could have distracted from the character animation.

Meeting With The NHS About The Presention

Points to improve on:

• Provide more visuals to show the view what room the bear is in. Also to add a number on the front door.
• Shorten the leaving the kitchen and going up the stairs sequence. It isn't needed as the next sequence will be in the bedroom.
• We are going to remove the bed suffocation sequence as this is a topic already covered in detail by the NHS.
• We will instead include a burn sequence including a kettle or straighteners.
• Add other dangers in the background of the scenes, this way after it has been presented the audience could be asked if they saw any other dangers in the video.
• The music needs to be improved as it is too repetitive. (we are already working with someone to improve the music.)

Points that worked:

• The colour choices reflect a typical house and also make the bear gender neutral.
• The music is a very good contrast to the baby crying at the end of the video.
• The dangers are illustrated in a way that doesn't distress the viewer, but doesn't tread too lightly on the subject.
• Over all the video isn't too long and holds the viewers attention.

Child Safety Project - Storyboards And Animatic

Animatic

The sound is only to help with the atmosphere of the story and to show a contrast with the final scene.

We are working on a longer, less repetitive song to run through our video.

Developed Storyboards

I added colour to the storyboards made by another member of the group so that the action of the bear can be seen clearly from the background.

Early Storyboards

Drawn by another member of the group.
These will need to be further developed to show camera angles and adaption of the story.

Synopsis

Following a bear that experiences the potential dangers in the average home. This video will aim to get new parents to think about home safety with a child.

Walk Cycle Test

This walk cycle was made by another member of the group.
I like the way the bear moves, it's similar to how a teddy would be made to walk by a child, with the anchor points being used like hinges.

Child Safety Project - Design And Colour

Teddy Design

Inspiration and reference images

A member of the group used these images to reference his character design.

He then further developed it into this image.

As a group we then tried different colour combinations to see which worked best for our animation and audience.

We chose this colour design because it has both complimentary and contrasting colours with the house backgrounds in the red book.

House Interior Backgrounds

Watercolour Tests

Referencing the colours from the house in the red book I did some watercolour tests.

I then applied these colour tests digitally into a scene.

I think the more pale, neutral colours work best as they compliment the character but also don't distract away.

Having paler tones also sets a more calming mood for the audience to view.

I also think that if I scan the watercolour images in to use as backgrounds would visually look better than digital ones as they can be more of a wash of colour rather than quite vibrant, which the digital ones seem to show.

Child Safety Project - Developing Ideas

We liked the idea of having a teddy bear showing the child all of the hazards in the home. We weren't sure on how this would work without the video being patronising to the parents so we looked at what the information in the Red Book that is given to all new parents had on home safety.

We thought we could include the house that is in the book and animate it with information and dialogue explaining each hazard.

The group then had a better idea that would combine the first two ideas and have the Red Book open up and the house lift up like a pop up book and the camera zoom into each room and have the teddy experience the hazards, in the least graphic way possible. For example he could be swinging from a blind cord.

In the end we would see the teddy trip and start to fall down the stairs, to which the screen would go black and the sound of the bumps of falling and then stars appear with the sound of a baby crying.

After this we would put a message up saying something along the lines of children are not made of cloth and stuffing, Is your home safe for exploring?

Child Safety Project - Research

Research

Preventing injury and falls

Babies soon learn to wriggle and kick. It’s not long before they can roll over, which means that they can roll off beds and changing tables.

Here are some things you can do to stop your baby being injured:

• Change your baby’s nappy on a changing mat on the floor. 
• Don’t leave your baby unattended on a bed, sofa or changing table, even for a second, as they could roll off. 
• Don’t put your baby in a bouncing cradle or baby car seat on a table or kitchen worktop as their wriggling could tip it over the edge. 
• Hold on to the handrail when carrying your baby up and down stairs in case you trip. 
• Watch where you’re putting your feet while carrying your baby. It’s easy to trip over something like a toy. 
• Use a five-point harness to secure your baby in a highchair or pram.

Once they learn to crawl, babies may try to climb onto things, such as sofas, which increases the risk of falling. Here are some injury prevention tips for parents of crawling babies:

• Fit safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs to stop a baby from climbing stairs or falling down them. Close the gates properly after you go through them.
• If the gaps between banisters or balcony railings are more than 6.5cm (2.5 inches) wide, cover them with boards or safety netting. Small babies may be able to squeeze their bodies through, but not their heads. 
• Keep low furniture away from windows. Have windows fitted with locks or safety catches that restrict the opening to less than 6.5cm (2.5 inches), to stop babies climbing out. Make sure adults know where the keys are kept in case of a fire. 
• Don't allow your baby to use a baby walker. They're dangerous and can cause serious accidents.
• Remove cot toys and cot bumpers as a baby can climb on them and may fall out of the cot.

When babies start to walk, they're unsteady on their feet but can move very quickly, although they tend to trip and fall. Here are some injury prevention tips for parents of toddlers:

• Continue to use safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs until your infant is at least two years old.
• Teach your child how to climb stairs but never let them go up and down on their own (even four-year-olds may need some help). 
• Don’t let children under five sleep in the top bunk of a bunk bed, as they can easily fall out. 
• Keep low furniture away from windows and ensure that windows are fitted with locks or safety catches. Make sure adults know where the keys are kept in case of fire. 
• Continue to use a five-point harness when your child is in their highchair or pushchair.
• Use safety glass in low glass doors and windows or cover panes with safety film. Safety film holds the window together if the glass is broken.
• Keep scissors, knives and razors out of children's reach.
• Special devices can stop doors from closing properly, preventing your child’s fingers getting trapped. At night, remember to close doors to stop any potential fires from spreading.
• If furniture has sharp corners, use corner protectors to prevent your child from hurting their head.

Preventing burns and scalds

A baby’s skin is much thinner than an adult’s and will burn much more easily. This means you need to take extra care at bathtime. 

• Babies will grab at brightly coloured objects, such as mugs. If you’re having a hot drink, put it down before you hold your baby. Keep hot drinks well away from all young children – even older toddlers. A hot drink can still scald 20 minutes after it was made.
• After warming a bottle of milk, shake the bottle well and test the temperature of the milk by placing a few drops on the inside of your wrist before feeding. It should feel lukewarm, not hot. 
• Toddlers will play with anything they can reach, so keep matches and lighters out of young children’s sight and reach. 
• Use a kettle with a short or curly flex to stop it hanging over the edge of the work surface, where it could be grabbed. 
• When cooking, use the rings at the back of the cooker and turn saucepan handles towards the back so they can’t be grabbed by little fingers.
• It’s best to keep your toddler out of the kitchen, well away from kettles, saucepans and hot oven doors. You could put a safety gate across the doorway.
• When you’ve finished using your iron or hair straighteners, put them out of reach while they cool down. Make sure your child can’t grab the flex while you’re using them.

Stopping choking or suffocating

Babies can choke very easily, even on their milk. They will be tempted to put small objects in their mouths that could cause choking, even when they’re quite young.

• If you give your baby a bottle, always hold the bottle and your baby while they're feeding.
• Keep your baby out of reach of small objects, such as buttons, coins and small toy parts.
• Once your baby has started on solid food, always cut it up into small pieces. Babies can choke on something as small as a grape.
• Don’t give young children hard food such as boiled sweets.
• Don’t give whole peanuts or other nuts to children under five years old, as they could choke.
• Don’t leave your children when they're eating. Encourage them to sit still as running around while eating could make them choke.
• Don’t use pillows or duvets with babies under the age of one as they can suffocate if their face gets smothered. They won’t be able to push the duvet away.
• Keep plastic bags of all types out of reach and sight of young children so that they can’t play with them and put them over their head.

Avoiding strangulation

• Don’t tie a dummy to your baby’s clothes as the tie or ribbon could strangle them.
• Toddlers can strangle themselves when playing with cords. They can also get their heads stuck when they squeeze their body through small gaps. This can be particularly dangerous if their feet are off the ground.
• Cut back or tie up curtain or blind cords so that they’re well out of your toddler’s reach.
• Don’t leave any type of rope or cord lying around, including dressing-gown cords.
• Stop toddlers from trying to squeeze through rails or banisters.
• Keep toys and garden play equipment well away from washing lines so that children can't stand on them and reach the line.

Preventing drowning

Babies can drown in as little as 5cm (two inches) of water. Drowning is one of the commonest causes of children’s death – it’s often silent so you won’t necessarily hear any noise or struggle.

• Stay with your baby all the time that they're in the bath. Never leave them for a moment, even if there’s an older brother or sister in the bath with them.
• If you use a bath seat, remember that it’s not a safety device. You still need to stay with your baby all the time.
• Empty the bath as soon as you’ve taken your child out. 
• If you have a garden pond, fence it off, fill it in or securely cover it. 
• Watch toddlers when they're in a paddling pool or playing near water. Empty the paddling pool straight after use. 
• Make sure your garden is secure so that your child can’t get into neighbouring gardens, where there may be ponds or other drowning hazards.

Preventing poisoning

• Keep all medicines locked away or high up out of reach and sight.
• Keep cleaning products high up out of reach. If this isn’t possible, fit safety catches to low cupboard doors. Choose cleaning products that contain a bittering agent. This makes them taste nasty, so children are less likely to swallow them.
• Make sure bottle tops and lids are always firmly closed when not in use.
• Toddlers may be able to climb and do simple things like opening containers. They’ll also put things in their mouth to explore taste and texture. This is all perfectly normal, but it can lead to injuries if you don’t take care.

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/baby-safety-tips.aspx#close

Other Research Sites

http://newparent.com/mom/tips-to-keep-your-newborn-safe

http://www.capt.org.uk/safety-advice

http://www.rospa.com/childsafety/

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/index.html

Portraying Emotion Animations

Anxiety
The emotion I chose was anxiety, most people can relate to the feeling of anxiety.
I tried to relate to generic symptoms. For example,
heart racing
chest/stomach tightening
seclusion
nurvousness
butterfly/fluttering feeling.

Task One

For this task I was asked to draw a picture of an emotion using no character.

I then animated this image and put it to sound.

I used the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack, Normandy Theme by The Succession.

In this animation I wanted show how when feeling anxious people 

can get a tightening and butterfly/fluttering feeling.

Task Two

For this task I was asked to find a video of about 5 seconds and then rotoscope over the top of it.

This effect can be very helpful for an animator to show the emotion of the video 

or to get the movement of their character. 

For my video I used a rhythmic dancer.

Task Three

Using cameras and lighting in After Effects.

Using this tool can give the effect of movement using a single image rather than video footage.

Task Four

Pixilation.

Moving the object/objects slightly between each picture being taken.

As we were working as a group we didn't portray one particular emotion, so this was just a test in the end.

Task Five

Animating feelings to sound.

I took the idea from my first animation with the butterfly/fluttering feeling and added it to a character.