In creating this animation we intended on taking occurrences from life and exaggerating them for humor. Surprise! Surprise?
is a quirky mystery that is sought out to explore over-suspiciousness
taken to ridiculous extremes. In the animation we see amateur detective
Squince’s (Squints) obsessive tendency in action as it has become more
than a good practice and instead a bad habit.
In
the process of making this animation we tried to find a way to
exaggerate the suspense in a way that would convey that tension to the
audience. In analyzing Squince’s action, her suspicion starts out
understandably, but slowly progresses into an humorous habit that can be
seen to dramatically affect her everyday life.
Visually,
the animation borrows from the film noir genre, a time of historically
escalated suspicion and distrust during the Cold War. We thought that
reflecting this genre in the animation would be appropriate as the black
and white shots of the films of that era, often taken from angles that
make the viewer uneasy would naturally evoke a sense of mystery and
cautiousness. We adapted the music in the animation to suit these
needs as well, taking an otherwise normal song for a movie such as this
and skipping it at the end, creating a sound commonly heard in horror.
Clever story! You've developed your characters really well, especially the detective, through their "dialogue" and actions. Their faces are also very expressive! Pacing in the beginning could have slowed down a touch, but overall it was wonderfully entertaining.
ReplyDeleteExcellent film noir vibe. Awesome sauce.
ReplyDeleteThe animation and sound effects were great, but I especially love the plot and ending. It really captures the characters’ personalities! Also, the music is a ton of fun. I would definitely show this to my friends because it’s funny and keeps you intrigued because you actually think it’s a mystery. I like the paranoia aspect and that you actually put some thought into the history and style more. Great job; it’s very funny!
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the subtle humor. You developed your characters really well, especially the detective, more so than the friend. I would have slowed down in the beginning. The dialogue went to fast. I really liked it a lot overall though!
ReplyDeleteGood sense of style, ambient sound effects are a nice touch, animation is very easy to follow and the plot is well executed. Pacing could use a little work; the speech bubbles at the beginning pass a little too quickly. Other than that well done, title card sequences are nicely done.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you two made a mystery that had a very film noir vibe to it. I loved the scenes that feel like it is from a silent movie. I wish you had kept some of the scenes that would have added to the suspense, like the doorknob scene you described. A slower pace would have been nice. I like how you went in a different direction than most of the groups.
ReplyDelete4: Very mysterious and dark and cheerful and I truly worry about Squints mental state.
ReplyDelete4: Characters were really well defined
3: Animation and music was choppy but easy to see what was going on.
4: The final push to show Squint's fragile mental state extended the story for me. I instantly started creating a story about squint's life. Why is she this way? How does it affect her personal life? and so on.
I think that this animation was done really well. I like the mystery concept behind it. The choice of sound effects and music fit well with the story. Another thing that was well-represented was the facial expression of the main character’s face.
ReplyDeleteAnimation Concept is about a birthday mystery. The animation is creative, but the characters do not seem to fit together. I like how the animation takes snap shots of scenes and moves in and out of them. I feel like the animation went a little fast, I would love to see the 2 minute version! The suspicion and mystery is definitely there but I would not get your backstory without you telling it to me. Character and background development is pretty good, I like how you named the main character, it helps us be able to relate to the movie. Though I wish all the characters were the same style. The music and sound effects were awesome! They create a story and mood, it was easy to feel what was going on in the animation, it helped me know what was going on. It is very original; I like how it is kid and adult friendly!
ReplyDeleteSurprise
ReplyDeleteAnimation concepts 4 / 4
I thoroughly enjoyed this animation. I love the noir feel.
Character background 3 /4
There was good character development. I would like to see more background on Squints. Perhaps you could have opened in Squints office where all detective stories start.
Animation, sound, button, etc. 4/ 4
The animation of Kevin walking down the hall was a bit wonky.
Originality 4 / 4
Bravo! This was a very creative but still relatable.
Overall 4 / 4
4344 i like the concept of this animation and how the story arc is.
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