CPS: Week 7 - Character and Events

Context

• Studio Ghibli character and world design
• Gaston Pacheco 

Response

CHARACTER DESIGN

Scientifically - biologically and physiologically - the way animals (including humans) have evolved has been adaptive to external environmental changes and triggers. The way this manifests most obviously is in extreme situations. Either natural - such as extreme climates of ice or desert - or via events - ice ages, wars, apocalypse, nuclear meltdown etc. When designing characters we consider these factors in order to inform the building of character and world - how do their bodies, cultures, clothes, tools, props etc function and look in order to exist in this environment. I see this as an Outside/In approach to character design.

For this week's response I began to think about an opposite approach - an Inside/Out approach to character design. I asked how a character may evolve in body, culture, costume etc through the valuing of an intrinsic personality or quality - the physical manisfestation of a mood/emotion or trait. I saw this as a subtle trigger for evolution as opposed to the more extreme external situations. For my characters I imagined two different worlds:

1) A society where shyness was revered and the dominant trait. Everyone communicates in whispers. They speak so quietly that over time the citizens evolved into having massive ears and superhuman hearing so they can hear each other at low volumes but also from great distances of each other. Preserving the integrity of maximum personal space. Their hair is also worn long and thick - to remain hidden!

2) A society where its citizens are extremely affectionate. The most affectionate are the top of the pack. The most affectionate are the biggest and softest with the longest limbs in order to give the best hugs.