This is one of the reasons why war movies are so popular, as they display human conflict in the most raw and brutal ways. Such stories focus extensively on the people involved in the conflict, but only occasionally shift their focus onto those individuals who aren't active participants, but are affected and hurt by the conflict. These stories are less about the conflict itself, and more about those connected to it through friends or family who actually participate in it. The stories of the non-fighters are tricky to tell, but are often just as intriguing, or potentially heartbreaking.
Such is the story I am aiming to tell in my coming project.
I won't be focusing the entirety of my animation on the conflict portrayed, nor will I be focusing entirely on those the soldier leaves behind. I aim to capture both sides equally, from the gritty nature of the war itself, to the just as stressful position of hoping those involved in the conflict come home.
I talked last year about my coming project, one I've scaled down drastically since then. I decided over the summer that I wouldn't make the same mistake as I had with Primitive by biting off more than I could chew. This project is obtainable, practical, and will be plenty of fun.
I took out the concept of an enemy family giving the soldier shelter during the conflict, as it would be too much to animate, and tricky to show a distinction between the warring factions. I've also decided to include a mixture of 2D and stop motion, primarily for artistic purposes, but also because it would be incredibly difficult to animate the battle scenes I want using exclusively stop motion.
This project is going to be a massive undertaking. Many of the assets and models are already ready, tested, and in place, but the majority of the stop motion work remains. I'm looking forward to moving forward on this project, and telling the tale of the war that never was.
12-13-2016
So it's been several weeks, and the stop motion filming is progressing nicely. I have only a few shots that remain to be filmed as the quarter draws to its close. As I've moved through filming, I've found relief in the fact that each line of the song I plan to use is roughly four seconds, leading to an easy standard number of frames for filming.
The song I've synced the entire animation to is an older piece from the Second Boer War, but was popularized during the First World War later on. The song "Goodbye Dolly Gray" is one of my personal favorites of the period, as it depicts exactly what I aim to capture with this project: both sides of the conflict, from the home front to the battlefields themselves.
I'm not entirely sure if the entire project will be completed by the semester's end, but I at least aim to be finished with filming by the time finals are over. If need be, I'll do shot assembly and any necessary special effects upon my return in January.
2-24-2017
At long last, the animation is finished! There have been a few changes to the original design, primarily in how it's presented. It was my teacher's recommendation to add the older-looking overlay. It adds to the aesthetic, and turns down brighter colors.
The decision never to show who exactly the protagonists' country was fighting was a tricky one. How could I show conflict without ever showing the enemy outside of the silhouettes? However, I came to see that it didn't matter who they were fighting. The conflict would remain the same regardless of the foe, but I decided to include the enemy in the 2D segment for a particular purpose. In showing both sides with the same 2D models, I highlight the pointless and futile nature of conflict, as in the end, each side isn't separated by that many differences.
This is likely my favorite project I've done in animation, and certainly the best one I've actually finished. After a while of half-finished work, it's refreshing to end with such a complete and excellent project. I hope you all enjoy my new favorite project: Toy Soldier.
