Uggh slaka can you pls try to write in smaller paragraphs? My retarded reading ability fails me to read past the second line of the first paragraph >__<

cibo #3: I like this one though reminds me of 'Voices of the distant future' with the cellphones. Sounds interesting and doable, though again can potentially be heavily dialogue-oriented.
pros: can be done with a few settings and Yina can do her 'strange clothing' XD
cons: drawing the 'post-apocalyptic' landscape can be quite tricky though interesting

cibo #4: the number of different settings scares me ..

hammy's poem: hello "graveyard of fireflies"! XD
Seriously cool man, you're such a poet! Though I dunno if I wanna do such a depressing story though, and the visuals can be rather .. gory .. and bloody ..

slaka #1: is prolly my fav so far, simple story, sounds very doable.

slaka #2: I like this one as well, maybe with a different ending.


I'd vote for slaka #1, #2 and cibo #3 so far.

Hiroshima Child seems a bit grim, but I could see how it would work with the style we are looking at.

Slaka, great ideas with great ends, similar to Shinkai endings.. We would need clever dialogue and good voice actors to pull-off either idea (actually, most ideas so far..)


More Story Ideas:

Morphing Soul Fate-
Selphina was an average girl with a normal life, until the day she fell into a coma, and awakened to find her body transforming into something extraordinary. Now with only a few days left, she races to make peace with everyone she knew, while coping with her new abilities.

*This is probably too complex for a first project, but I thought I would mention it.
Her transformation takes place over 10 days, we follow her from day 4 to 8. Bits of narration and mini-flashbacks help tell the background, including the stirring vision that sets off her metamorphosis.
Selphina parts ways in a poignant scene with her boyfriend. End with a cliffhanger, as she discovers just what it is she is changing into.
*Plus the screenplay is already partially done..

Characters: Selphina, boyfriend, mother
Settings: Park, House, Playground, Hospital room, street

The Pegasus Project-
As a child, Deine is kidnapped by a military project and is subjected to brainwash, constant training, torture, and cyber implantation. Pegasus, the most advanced jet fighter ever concieved.. The Pegasus AI must connect through a human brain; Deine's soul purpose was to be that connection. However, on his first 'hot' connect, the AI goes haywire and Pegasus speeds away from the base. (Originally created with several episodes in mind..)
*Screenplay mostly done.

Characters: Deine child/adult, scientists, commander
Settings: Operating room, mission control, cockpit, sky(?)

Story 3: Life - A poor girl living in Paris has had a dream. A dream that she would be able to look down look down upon the city of Paris from on top of the Eiffel tower. She has worked hard and finally built up the money to buy the ticket to reach the top of the tower and see the beautiful city of Paris while watching the sun fall. She make it to the top the tower finally. As she walks forward to see the city form up high for the first time a poor theif has been waiting at the top for a unexpected victim. He asks the girl to give him the money as he threatens her with knife in his hand. She has but a few coins with her after paying for the ticket and shows this to the man. But he does not believe her. She turns and runs to the balcony edge. The thief caught up to her and then stabs her in the back, and as she falls to the ground. The change in her hands slips from her grasp along with the last memories in her mind falling from the balcony. Oh what a beautifully view, thank you God for letting my last breath see the dream I have worked so hard for in my life. I have never been happier, "Oh thank you God for the gift you have given to me". The coins finally come close the bottom and land at a beggars side, and the beggar says "Oh thank you God for the gift you have given me".
The end


Character: poor girl, thief and a bagger.
Setting: Late 1800's Early 1900's, Paris streets and Effie tower ticket booth.

Diffrent, this one wasnt entirely written by ME my friend Robert Pacheco came up with the idea =D

That story is a bit depressing, isn't it? Although I really liked the closing line and the irony.
But I think it is a bit too old fashioned. I mean, there are no poor girls who dream of mounting the Eiffel tower nowadays. A late 1800s setting would be more fitting.

So far I liked the story with the young astronaut best. I reminds me a bit of Hoshi no Koe because of the "space lostness".

I am currently writing up the Project Itinerary...
We should try to decide on the basic story during this next week.

I think most ideas so far would be possible, some requiring a bit more work..
Let's try to get a few more ideas out before we decide.

Okay guys I really think we need some type of deadline of story ideas, or some type of idea of what the basic genre will be sometime this week maybe. (i.e romance, happy, sad, thoughtful, gory etc.) We need to try and take a more professional standing point with this whole project if we are going to finish it effectivly.

~Slaka

Everyone:
The basic story needs to be decided by Friday, April 20th, so we can get started.
Please submit any ideas by then. Also, please give your comments on which story you prefer.


My thoughts:
A simple story would be best. So far, I think the story of the girl stranded in space would work best, as a first project.
A short story with not much development, just a vision of what this character is thinking in this situation. Not overly ambitious, but still very open for creative scenes and dialogue.

--->
2. Space - A young female astronaut has to come to terms with her impending death when an accident occurs and she is stranded in space.

Several small flashbacks, a few serene/surreal space scenes.
--->

I like that Idea that Cibo brings up, I was thinking about it and my stories seem a bit longer than 5min. more like 10-15. I think that the surreal space voyage theme is very intreaging. I just need to brush up on my space background creating >.< EPP!

~Slaka

2. Space - A young female astronaut has to come to terms with her impending death when an accident occurs and she is stranded in space.

Several small flashbacks, a few serene/surreal space scenes.

I think this has much potential because we can have those flashbacks occur in a climatic order so that a touching sub-story is created.
I wouldn't go for surrealism too much because it can become nonsense if we don't think of symbols and deeper meanings properly enough. People nowadays often think surrealism is just depicting different strange objects together but it has to do with a lot of subconscious thoughts as well.
But we would be save from artisitic symbolism if we have some dream sequences as the oxygen level in the astronaut's capsule drops and she sees beautiful images in an hallucination. Every viewer would find that kind of surrealism coherent.

It would be also good to have something like a memento object that combines those flashbacks memories with the current situation in space.

Well, I'll be away for the next few days but I'll try to participate in the project on Wednesday again.

Alright, if there are no objections, we will use the 'Stranded in Space' story.
This next week will be used for ironing out the story and creating character/background concepts.

Please suggest any info (character names, etc) or scenes you would like to see in the project.

I suggest main character name: Selphina or Serafina
Time period: 1968 (Space Race Era) or 2030 (Future) ?

1968 - Requires more design research, some story restrictions.
2030 - Allows for more imaginative design.

Hmm, any of you folks have seen PlanetES? Might be relevant reference material.

cibo

1968 - Requires more design research, some story restrictions.
2030 - Allows for more imaginative design.

Imho, we don't need to be historically correct or even be clear about the time setting. Could be an alternate past (like Beyond the Clouds) even. As long as we are coherent and realistic about the kind of technology available. I believe having sufficient free play on the technology and design is crucial.

cibo

As time is running out, mission control scrambles to organize a rescue mission.

Is there a need for a lot of mission control? Imho it would be better if we can just focus on the stranded astronaut and her hallucinations and flashbacks, with minimal inclusion of mission control scenes. Possibly even limit to a few fading, noisy-with-static radio transmissions from the POV of the main character - never show any other characters for real, only in flashback mode. This will also help build a distance and isolation atmosphere for the story.

Cibo, need some clarification - is she spacewalking in just a spacesuit or EVA (Extravehicular Activity) equipment, or are we talking about a spacecraft breakdown?

I think EVA would be cooler, 'cause we could have rapid flashbacks of umbilical line snapping, etc. Or combine it all together - spacecraft breaks down, neccesitating EVA repairs, and then a mishap occurs and the protagonist goes drifting. Her colleagues can't save her since the spacecraft is stricken, and radio comms fades away, etc.

Another big question is what kind of thematic direction do we wish to set? Does she struggle for a chance at rescue, or resigned to her fate? (or progressively going from the first to the second). Are we talking about cheesy flashbacks of her life, her childhood, her home, perhaps her family/friends/boyfriend etc?

The scenario of how she became adrift is pretty easy (choose from more or less the possibilities outlined earlier) but the thing that will be hard to pull off is to build a solid character and background for the protagonist.

Well, I'll leave it at that for now. Hopefully I've been able to supply some food for thought. Will post more as I think of it. I might be popping in a bit infrequent these few weeks 'cause exams are in progress, but I'll try to follow best as I can!

I've seen previews of PlanetES, so I have an idea of what it is about.
The mission control was just an idea from the original brainstorm; I've omitted it in subsequent posts, as I was thinking along the same lines as you suggest.

Original idea: She is in a spacecraft, (on a solo-mission, or perhaps the crew is dead) now drifting in (decaying?) orbit. She panics at first, then struggles with the hope of rescue, before finally coming to the hard fact that she may not survive; leading into a series of thoughts, looking back on her life; as she floats in silence.

This was just a quick brainstorm idea... I've been bouncing around a few scene ideas this week; I hope to have something more coherent soon.


EVA could add another dynamic to the story. Excellent input.
Movies in this genre, that have a character flung off into space, always keep focus on the other characters..

Questions. (it's ok if you haven't decided on these things yet for now)

1. Space settings
Are we talking about a 1-man pod or crew ship? Is she in the cockpit while she's waiting for rescue or thinking about the flashbacks?
2. Flashback settings
What kind of world is depicted in the flashbacks? Futuristic or realistic (the world as we know it) settings?
3. Spaceship indoors v. outdoors
Is the story mainly told indoors, or should we need some outdoor settings as well?

That's all the questions I have for now, I will post again later as I think of them.

Okay, I've come up with a quick screenplay-ish writing; it may seem choppy, but I have a clear idea of what this would look like; it would be conveyed better as storyboards. Feel free to make any comments, changes, questions, etc. This is mostly to fuel ideas and to display my vision of a direction we could go.

3 to 4 man crew, when lost in space, she is only in a spacesuit, or EVA?
Time period is the present and near present for flashbacks.
Not very many interior scenes of spacecraft.

When I say 'Cut to..', it means an imediate transition, no fading, etc.
:Glitch: cuts are 1-3 frames of animation with sound, to show parallel scenes or mini-flashbacks

---------------------------------

Opening Credits.
Fade to white.
\/ First few cuts are in surrealistic slow motion \/
A dreamy intro; slow/soft synths/piano
Selphina is in a cherry tree park, having a picnic with her boyfriend.
Sakura petals falling and swirling about in slow motion.
She is looking on, smiling at her boyfriend, when something in the sky catches her eye (menacing tone slowly enters, slow motion-> head turns up as eyes look to the sky, smile fades)
Cut to sky view, (back of Selphina's head in foreground)
A dark black spot in the sky.. (additional cut of Selphina looking up, towards camera?)
/\ Everything before this is in slow motion /\
Suddenly, the sky opens in a deafening rage as everything is pulled skyward, and all that can be seen, from horizon to horizon, is the blackness of space.
Selphina reaches towards her boyfriend as she is pulled from the ground
:Glitch: Selphina reaches towards her crewmate in space suit, as she is pulled towards a giant hole in spacecraft.
Their fingers touch but she can not hold on.
:Glitch: Their fingers (in space gloves) touch.
She is pulled towards the black sky
:Glitch: pulled through the hole in ship
Cut to black, the sounds echo away. (10 seconds?)

Cut to object at a distance, in space (distant radio chatter echoes)
:Glitch: Mission just entering space, prior to accident - echo to silence
Cut closer to floating object.
:Glitch: Losing pressure!, loud boom, creaks - echo to silence
Cut closer, now recognizable as a human figure in suit (eva?)
:Glitch: "Hull breach! Hull breach!" Explosion, screams - echo to silence
Cut to close-up of her face, eyes start to open slowly.
:Glitch: Flash of umbilical cord snapping, and hurling off into space (1st person view). - Cut to Silence
She stares out with a look of sadness.
Cut to view of ship off in far distance, smoke, debris..
Cut back to Selphina, a tear comes to her eye.
She blinks the tears away and then looks around, at the Earth below her.
---> the story will continue from here..

This intro serves as a flashback into her life as well as a few glimpses of the accident leading to her current situation of being stranded.
About 2-3 minutes long, the complex animations will mostly be done in the latter stages of the project, when we are moving at a smoother pace.

-Edited after Slaka's next post..-

From here it could move to a more philosophical mode.
Starting out surreal, then action sequences, slowing down and finally leaving the viewer with a couple philosophical questions to ponder; perhaps linked to the opening events.

Hmmm. Okay My input on the concept would be more of an imaginative/intresting idea hidden in the overall story. Let me explain. Instead of just, Girl lost space crew from 1990 space voyage from USA. With flash backs of her going to middle school living life etc.
I think something less detailed would really strike the viewers attention alot more. Instead of unraveling the story all in one go make them think about it. Perhaps even a whole complete different solar system other than our own? I really like the name Cibo has chosen I think it fits extremely well.
Dialog examples: "I wonder if death feels any different in 0 gravity..." or "Will my soul be separated from the rest of the worlds(souls)?" or "Perhaps the matter from my body will become forged/merged with the birth of a star". Things like this can also show signs of hallucinations.

I may not be clear on what I am trying to get across, ill add on later. Basically, let the viewer think about what time period, think about why she is alone and weave clues in and out of the anime using flashbacks etc.

~SLaka