Recently everyone in our class got a chance to propose an idea for the short stings for this year LIAF (London International Film Festival). This is a part of the Unit 2 Team Project. That means after presentations the invited jury will select several works, and we will be divided into teams to make the film.
Stings are the short animated films which are screened several times before every competition programs of the festival and online in social media and LIAF webpage. They like short representations, intros, for the festival programs. They are approximately in 30-45 seconds length in a broad range of styles, animation techniques and genres.
Overall, there are 8 screening programs:
- The Abstract Showcase
- From Absurd to Zany
- Playing with Emotion
- Being Human
- Into the Dark
- Animated Documentaries
- Looking for Answers
- Long Shots
Also, it was essential to watch all presented works during the pitching, since we should select several projects which we would like to work on later.
So, I proceed with the idea for the Into The Dark.
Synopsis
There are dark hours on Earth when different scenarios and stories happen, and various characters live their lives.
The narrative takes place during the late-night hour in a back alley of the city or town. It is a narrow part of the street that is hidden away from the prying eyes, with trash bags in the corners and dark green containers, a ‘missing’ poster on the side of the container, a labyrinth of tubes deck the walls of the buildings and only one blinking light ray in the middle of all it. The unrecognised sounds surround this place, scratchy noises, the electric flickering of the lamp.
There something that attracts a rat to this place. It smells it and trying to find the source. Finally, it sees the thing in the middle of the light spot. It is the murder of crows. There, inside that pale of bodies and feathers is something that rat smells. And it jumps, another jump, and run straight to the centre of the birds.
But these birds always aware always on the look-out. One of the birds rises above and make a deafening sound to warn everyone. And right before the rat reaches them, they disappeared.
The scene opens up with an upper view in the middle of the light we see the peace of a hand in the paddle of blood. This is a source that attracts all these night creatures to this tiny dark alley in the middle of the night. The rat grabs this hand and dragged it into the safety of shadows.
The end.
It supposed to be made by using TV Paint and/or After Effects. Since I thought that most of my classmates familiar with this two software perfectly. I simplified the style of animals and exterior, and made everything with sharp angles without curves to provide unpleasant feeling to scenes. Also, acoustic sounds and music should add the mood and scary atmosphere to the story.
Unfortunately, the story did not get through the draw. It seems to me that the narrative is too simple and basic without any strong points for the festival LIAF level. Additionally, I see that main style frame with the rat and the poster did not play because of the mistake in the composition and lighting of the scene.