Abstract:
Humor is a simple but incredibly powerful part of our everyday lives. Jim Davis once said at a Ball State workshop that laughter was the meaning of life. For my honors thesis, I seek to create more laughter in the world with three short animatics. Animatics are a tool used in the animation and film industries to create a moving diagram of shots that can save both money and time. Animatics resemble short films in that they have the timing, sound, camera movements, animation, character design, backgrounds, and lighting cues all fully illustrated, but in a rougher form. Editing a film or animation in the animatic phase is cheaper because footage can be added and removed without having to actually produce it first. I used animatics as the medium to translate three of my own stories into a visual experience. The first animatic, "The Mantis who Stole Christmas," is based on a true story. In this film, praying mantises hatch out of the family Christmas tree and cause mayhem. In the second animatic, "Dating Game," a girl mistakes a matchmaking app for a game and winds up with a real date. The final animatic, "A Ghost Story," is based on my brother's paranormal experience while studying abroad. I hope that viewers enjoy these stories and that they bring them laughter!
