Master Of Animation, Games & Interactivity
Master Of Animation, Games & Interactivity
  1. Rationale: Intention

I am currently contemplating in either making a minute long animation sequence about change, a concept explored by using tarot cards, or interactive animations that are triggered through clicking on the object to cause some reaction where the concept examined will be based around magic. I’d like to experiment more with animation as I have a little experience in it and would like to branch out more.

Change as a concept is scary for most so I’d like to demonstrate that life’s journey often has its ups and downs but that at the end we get through it all. The major arcana in tarot cards often reveal the story of life and each card has its place throughout the journey. Magic and interactivity are a concept I’d also like to think about exploring as fantasy has been a big part of my life, and I could better learn how to do special effects in interactive media. Magic and creativity can spark something within and often the world of fantasy can help us to push through the bad times.

Through the week by week updates I can create animation cycles, keyframes, a story progression outline, sketches of the character designs for the major arcana, and the character design of the person will be followed.

Edit: I have decided to work on the animated cards, and settle on the themes of magic and interactivity

  1. Context: Field

My work stands within 2d animation, games interactivity, card games and just general interactive media depending which way I go with.

Examples of the interactive card project can be seen in some gacha games, some cards in Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, and there have been artists online creating recreations of the traditional 2D cards as an animated card. There are many examples of short story animations, such as the ones at the start of Pixar movies. 

  1. Method

I can create the designs in class and create different colour palettes. Until the end of week 3 I will be developing both ideas that I am interested in and then finalising what seems feasible, and which appeals to me by the end of that week. I will create the designs as illustrations, sketches, and do some research into the story and ideas of tarot cards. After I settle on an idea, I can then further develop the idea through peer reviews and suggestions. For the interactive card I can present multiple iterations, as for the animation I can create keyframes and a storyboard flow. I can also test to see how practical the animation idea would be by creating a rough animatic if needed as well.

  1. Production tools

Throughout the weeks I will experiment with my designs through using traditional drawing mediums, then transferred to digital artworks on clip studio paint, procreate and medibang paint pro depending on what I need. I shall also use unity if I am to create interactive cards along with Maya.

Week 1: create mindmaps, story ideas, research relevant information and create a rough outline. Create a moodboard and inspiration page of the ideas to flesh them out some more

Week 2-3: once the ideas have been fleshed out, start exploring the designs of the characters, collect more reference images of pre-existing card examples in order to make my own, explore which idea feels doable

Week 4: have settled on which idea I want to work on, create keyframes for the animations whether it be the video or card animation.

Week 5-6: experiment with a few versions of each idea. Create some small test frames, if creating the interactive cards look into code and programming. Get some feedback on each idea.

  1. Outcome

The final form of my project will either consist of a one minute animation where the character is strolling through life and a story is told through the use of the major arcana cards, or I will hand select a few of the major arcana to create as interactive media (between 6-12) in great detail with a stretch goal of finishing the entire deck.

Edit: Since I am working on the interactive cards, I will spend more time and energy exploring this concept

About This Work

By Chase Profaca
Email Chase Profaca
Published On: 04/03/2022