Sword of the Stranger

   Sword of the Stranger is a 2007 Japanese Anime film directed by Masahiro Ando and produced by animation studio Bones (Known for such works as Wolf's Rain, Soul Eater, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Space Dandy). 

   The film follows Kotaro, a young boy is hunted by a group of swordsmen from Ming Dynasty China. Kotaro and his beloved Shiba Inu eventually meet a nameless ronin whilst in hiding, who is haunted by memories of his past what have led him to avoid drawing his sword ever again (Which is not to say that he still can't kick some serious ass when needed). As the two (Or three, if you include the dog... which we should) begin to bond, they eventually find themselves dragged into the messiest ordeal possible as the Ming clash with a feudal Lord, a proud general, and monks during their pursuit of Kotaro.

   

   The one thing I did not at all expect in this film is the inclusion of Mandarin. Sure, there are Chinese characters, and notably historically accurate costumes and settings... but I was still pleasantly surprised over that aspect and the fact that they had actually bothered. After all, there aren't necessarily that many animes shows and films that have bothered with such a thing when it came to their non-Japanese characters (Of course, this could mostly be due to budget constraints). To hear these Ming hunters speak to one another especially shows a much more human side to them than one would have expected. The Ming's Western fighter speaks in an entertainingly heavy accent as he speaks mandarin, to further accentuate the fact that he is truly not one of them, which is another nice little bit of detail from their part. The Japanese voice acting as well is notably more realistic, like something you would hear out of a live-action chanbara. Having been so use to really expressive and over-the-top voice acting from all the animes that I have watched, it really isn't that difficult to notice.

   But anyway, let's get down to the main focus on this film and the most probable reason as to why most folks decide to check out this film in the first place... the fight scenes.

   No words can truly describe how amazing the cinematography actually is for all the fight scenes featured in this film, but seeing as this is a blog post, I am obviously going to have to give it a try. The camera angles and movements are just so unbelievably dynamic that one couldn't possibly begin to imagine how they were actually able to visualise all of this during the pre-production stage. With detailed and complex movements that are the perfect balance of exaggeration and realism (And surely some references had to be used when it came to these duels). 

   There is just so much detail for every single frame, from the way their hair and clothes move, the sparks that are emitted when metal clashes against metal, and the even the briefest glimpse of someone's intestines as he cut swiftly through in a large spray of blood. There are no shortcuts in the way the fight scenes are animated (You know, when it appears that a character is moving so fast that they don't seem to be moving at all?), and as a full-length film, it is clear that the animators went all out. It could have been so easy to simply take the Quentin Tarantino route where exagerrated amounts of blood would spray in every direction and cover most of the view (Not that I'm thrashing that aspect about his films), but they didn't,  while violence and gore is most definitely evident from how these warriors mercilessly kill their foes, you can truly see the littlest detail that would make even those with the strong stomach go "Whoa ho ho ho~!".

   Again, there is just so much detail, as seen in the gif below, if it isn't the way his fingers move and wrap around the sheathe, it's the way the sword is torn right out from its bonds (I just... what?!). There are quite a few fight scenes that take place in the rain and snow (Which is another little weakness of mine), and so to see rain drops patter against-- no, drench their forms and to see their breath form right in front of them... it's just sheer beauty right there.

   To add to that, Sword of the Stranger also has a decent storyline with good pacing and cast of characters. To me, there is no denying that this is a masterpiece of a fighting anime film, everything was considered. The writing, the music (I did jump a few times during those flashback sequences, they did have a tendency to use pretty shocking sound cues for when the character thinks back to his traumatising past), the settings, the cinematography (Which we already talked about)... absolutely everything. It is obvious that this would be one of my biggest inspiration for my Extended Practice project, especially when it comes to figuring out the fight scene/s in there. It will most definitely be incredibyl mediocre when compared to the masters, but, we all have to start somewhere, don't we?

The Bond of Four - Statement of Intent

   Not much has changed since the first proposal that I sent in, there were just a few tweaks here and there on some details, such as the duration of the animation and the narrowing down of the ethnic groups that I wish to focus on. There is also another confirmed stakeholder now, that being Rosy Turner, whom I have had a pleasant enough experience with when she had made a set of title sequences for my COP3 project.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

1. Blog Address - Where are you documenting the development of Extended Practice online?

   While everything will be documented through my Studio Practice blog as per normal. Concept art and other visual contents will also be posted on my Tumblr side blog: http://thebondoffour.tumblr.com/

   I plan to continue using this blog even after this module ends, teeing that this will be a series that I hope to continue and expand upon after.

2. Subjects and Themes - Broadly speaking what are you interested in exploring and why?
A story centering around the fantasy and adventure genres, I will be looking into a variety of ethnic cultures to create a diverse world that would strongly portray the message of Racial Harmony that Singapore have always wanted to promote since it became an independent country.

I will particularly be focusing around the major groups (That being Chinese, Malays and Indians), as well as a few minor groups such as the Japanese, Koreans, and Peranakan.

3. Statement of Intent - Specifics of what you want to do, during this module? 

What

   For my extended practice, I will be aiming to produce a short animation (Of around 1 and half minute duration) and a concept art book (Consisting of character, prop and setting designs, storyboards of various scenarios (Scenes that will be featured in the animation short and concepts) and a look into the story’s universe itself as well as the characters’ relationship with one another) to go along with it. This will be a realistic enough duration for the animation considering that it will feature fully-colored sequences (Come complete with proper shading and lighting) and dynamically animated scenes.

   Titled “The Bond of Four”, the story takes place in a fantasy-based world where four siblings are separated from one another at a very young age, only to reunite with one another several years later, one now a humble scholar, one a daring pickpocket, one an assassin to a wealthy king and another a crown prince. And soon they will realize that it is fate that has brought them back together as a war will soon wage between two kingdoms.

Why

   This project was initially presented as a concept for a stage play, while it was not necessarily stated that the universe the story would be a non-fictional one, the designs were heavily based on a variety of Asian cultures and religions (Such as Chinese, Malaysian, Peranakan and Japanese). In the end, this series was created as a way to show further appreciation for not just Asia’s wide variation of colorful cultures, but to also promote racial harmony.

Who

Seeing as this series had originally been designed as a booklet that would be handed out to those that would be viewing this hypothetical play, this was originally aimed at teenagers and adults (When considering the age groups that would possibly be interested in attending such plays). Again, seeing as this had been created to promote racial harmony, the series is aimed at roughly the same target audience, but can now be further extended seeing as it is presented in a more reachable form of media.

How

   In terms of my research, aside from looking into a number of inspirations (Which will include movies, shows, video games, comic books and music) for my animation, I will also be referring to various animation, concept and fashion books.

   The concepts will allow me the chance to play around with both traditional and digital mediums, especially when experimenting with an art style that would work for the overall series. During this pre-production, I will also attempt to improve further on drawing stronger poses to evoke a stronger personality for my characters aside from typical referencing to their appearances.

   The animation itself will be worked on in Adobe Photoshop and will be touched up on in Adobe After Effects. Adobe Indesign will be used when putting the concept art book together.

   Music and sound for the animation short will be composed by a collaborator whom I have worked with on a few other projects in the past, including my recent Context in Practice 3 project.

When

   While the module’s final deadline is on the 6th of May 2016, there are several other deadlines for presentations and critique sessions. A Gantt chart has been made so that I will be able to stay on track over the next few months and efficiently progress and produce the work needed for the final product.

4. Explain how this will be developing your Specialist Practice?

   Such a major project will also be a huge addition to my portfolio, which will be required by the time this module ends. I wish to explore into all the areas (Visual Development, Character Design, Storyboarding, Scriptwriting and Animating) that I hold a deep interest in, and by the end of this module, I should be able to confirm which areas in particular that I think I will work better in and should focus more on.

5. Resources and Workshops - What do you need and by When?

   Perhaps a refresher course on After Effects might help (Particularly when it comes to the camera tools). An available Cintiq would also be of great help.

6. Will you be working on a group project or brief? ( If YES explain )
No.

7. Are there any stakeholders in your project? If YES, explain who they are and what their responsibilities are? - This is essential if you've got a Live Brief from a client
   At the present moment, I have definitely confirmed that I will be collaborating with an ex-Leeds College of Music student for the music and sound of my animation, as well as a classmate who will be working on a opening and closing title sequences for the animation itself.

The Bond of Four - Presentation Session

   Not much has changed for the direction in which I will be taking this project in since my last tutorial with my lecturer a couple of months back. I will still be working on an animation of 1 and a half minute duration (We will see really, once I get the storyboard and animatic done) and an artbook (A much more comprehensive one as compared to my COP3 one) to go along with it. I believe that I have learnt so much during my struggles with Context of Practice 3 and will try to do a much better job this time round. I will attempt to incorporate more strong and dynamic poses for my characters when designing them, and of course, this will be a good time to relearn how to draw (When it comes to perspectives especially, I believe that my drawing skills have become incredibly rusty, seeing as I was struggling so much to make my character drawings more lively when working on Lurk).

   While I am very keen on creating more intricate designs for my characters for this particular series (Especially with all the beautiful references and inspirations I have gathered from various traditional costume sites), I will also have to do a simplified version of these designs for when I animate them. When considering other aspects such as coloring, lighting (And of course the body and facial expressions of the characters themselves), there will be no need for crazy amounts of detail to make them stand out. And it is due time that I get some proper animating done for my final college project, I swear, I'm going to go all out for this.

   All forms of research and development will of course be documented here. I will however use my PPP blog for when I begin working on marketing material for this series, as suggested by our lecturer to the whole lot of us. I had made a really quick poster for this series back when I studied Illustration in NAFA, and so this would be a good time to put together a much better one alongside other promotional materials.

  As I had written before on my COP blog, I am very enthusiastic about relearning After Effects, I am sure that I will be able to put it to very good use for this project. While I am not necessarily sure when a workshop for it will be held, I am sure I can take that time to learn the basics of the camera and puppet tools on my own in the meantime (Seeing as I was shown how to only 2 days ago... it all depends on this god awful memory of mine, to be honest).

   It is also during this module where I will attempt to collaborate or at least contribute in some shape or form to my friends' own projects. Continuing on in her designing of various title sequences for animations and films from COP3, I just might be working again with Rosy on getting a one done for this animation. During Becky's presentation, I was interested in helping out a little in the concept art aspect of her project. Seeing as she will be working on an animation based on Rumpelstiltskin and wanted to give it a creepier and darker look akin to that of Grimm Fairytales, I find myself interested in contributing to that area (It would be nice to work on some slightly darker stuff alongside my own project).

   I put together a really rough gantt chart that I will be updating again soon (After all, I will probably have other plans aside from staying in to draw and animate all day, especially during Easter break, and I will most definitely be attending MCM Liverpool in March). All my classes have already been put in there, as well as roughly when I am going to do what and for how long. Research, concept art and scriptwriting will especially be worked alongside one another for the next two weeks. I am sure I will get things done properly this time round so long as I don't procrastinate like I did for COP.

1st Gantt Chart

   I especially find appeal in getting some of our characters printed out as cardboard cutouts for the end of year show. I still can't believe that this really is my final year here...

The Bond of Four - First Tutorial Session

    After rushing up that steep hill (This is probably one of my most informal blog posts, but then again, how often am I actually ever formal?) and taking some time to catch my breath (Having just left my home 10 minutes before 9.30am)... I wounded up having a very progressive discussion with my lecturer and covered quite a few things during this first session (And as usual, went over the time limit, ehehe...), while she approved of my plan to make a short animation and a concept book to go along with it, she had quite a few tips and suggestions I was more than happy to take up on.

   Having finally shown Celles et Ceux des Cimes to her (Seeing as it is one of my biggest inspirations as to why I wanted to go in this direction in the first place), I was told that I could bring the animation duration down from 2 and a half minutes to 1 and a half instead. If there is time, I was also suggested to work on some animatics for scenes that will not be featured in the animation itself (Though, I am beginning to wonder if these particular scenes might require some voice acting in them... if so, professional voice acting wouldn't be required, right? Or should I go that extra mile and find some experienced folks that will be willing to do just that?).

   Aside from the content one would expect of any concept art book (Such as character, setting designs and storyboards), the book will further expand upon the story, character biographies and the world design of The Bond of Four, I was reminded to give my character designs from big, strong action poses, and now to stay too hung up on the concepts as compared to the animation itself. Seeing as I am taking a lot of influences from eastern cultures, the colour palettes should also be driven by them, and so quite a bit of research into these cultures is required (Such as the symbolism as to why certain colours are used in some of their costumes).

   Speaking of the eastern cultures that I will be looking into, I was once again told to narrow it down a little more instead of attempting to squeeze zillions of asian cultures all into one design, something that I am actually pretty relieved about being told to do, actually. Still, it wouldn't hurt to include some references from a few others and subtly incorporate them into my character design later on, if it works that is.

   The last bit of advice that I was given before I was chased out was to attempt to follow the same practice as Cartoon Saloon and develop concept art boards that closely (If not almost exactly) present what a final frame would look like in the animated trailer itself. And... just be smart and learn how to utilise whatever concepts I have into the animation itself (As well as reuse a few things such as tree designs when possible).

  

   And oh... try to use a back up drive during this entire project (Especially since this project is surely going to grow to ginormous proportions as I progress over the next few months, my poor laptop), and especially if I am intent on using one of the college's Cintiqs.

   AND OH! Other inspirations I had wanted to include to the bibliography and moodboards were Samurai Jack, Secret of Mana, Bee and Puppycat and Steven Universe (I am just going to list them down here for the time being until I get the chance to add them to the list).

   ... And also take a refresher course on After Effects so I can fully utilise it for my animation.

The Bond of Four - Moodboards

   I honestly should have started way earlier on my mood boards for my COP3 project (Which I had only just put together earlier this week), and I am certainly not making the same mistake again for this module. These were the mood boards I quickly put together for my first Extended Practice tutorial session to give my lecturer an idea on how exactly I am visualising this entire concept.

   This first board focuses mainly on the overall aesthetic of the project,
it is obvious that this project will be much more colourful as compared to Lurk,
and will have a very Asian flavour to it (Despite being a mainly fantasy based world
that I hope to build from scratch, so this also means researching into more fantasy
based works as well, which should include fairytales, myths, and so on). 

This one focuses more on a series of traditional costumes from various ethnic groups,
as seen from my old illustrations, a lot of inspiration and influences were actually taken from
Chinese, Japanese, Indian and Peranakan costumes. I attempted to include some more
variety this time round.

Some ideas on landscapes once I get started on designing the universe itself.

And here are my main inspirations and influences in terms of... everything.
The art and colour style, the character and costume designs, the narrative, etc.
Some of these examples have been applied when I had first worked on Bond of Four
all those years back, and now a few new inspirations have been added to this collection.

The Bond of Four - Rationale

Respondent: Rebecca Wong Si-Lin_253249 Submitted on: Tuesday, 1 December 2015, 10:58 AM

RATIONALE

1. Where are you documenting the development of Extended Practice online?

   While everything will be documented through my Studio Practice blog, I have considered creating a Tumblr blog for it as well, especially if this will be a series that I will be able to continue and expand upon even after this module as ended.

2. Broadly speaking what are you interested in exploring and why?

   
While the project is highly fantasy based, I will be looking into a variety of ethnic cultures to create a diverse world that would strongly portray the message of Racial Harmony that Singapore have been so strong about since it became an independent country.

3. What you want to do during this module? Be as specific as you can at this moment in time.

If you plan on working on multiple briefs to demonstrate your practice, identify clearly each brief.

What 

   For my extended practice, I will be aiming to produce a short animation (Of 2 minute duration) and a concept art book (Consisting of character, prop and setting designs, storyboards of various scenarios (Scenes that will be featured in the animation short and concepts) and a look into the story’s universe itself as well as the characters’ relationship with one another) to go along with it.

   Titled “The Bond of Four”, the story takes place in a fantasy-based world where four siblings are separated from one another at a very young age, only to reunite with one another several years later, one now a humble scholar, one a daring pickpocket, one an assassin to a wealthy king and another a crown prince. And soon they will realize that it is fate that has brought them back together as a war will soon wage between two kingdoms. 

Why 

  This project was initially presented as a concept for a stage play, while it was not necessarily stated that the universe the story would be a non-fictional one, the designs were heavily based on a variety of Asian cultures and religions (Such as Chinese, Malaysian, Peranakan and Japanese). In the end, this series was created as a way to show further appreciation for not just Asia’s wide variation of colorful cultures, but to also promote racial harmony. 

Who

   Seeing as this series had originally been designed as a booklet that would be handed out to those that would be viewing this hypothetical play, this was originally aimed at teenagers and adults (When considering the age groups that would possibly be interested in attending such plays). Again, seeing as this had been created to promote racial harmony, the series is aimed at roughly the same target audience, but can now be further extended seeing as it is presented in a more reachable form of media.

How

    In terms of my research, aside from looking into a number of inspirations (Which will include movies, shows, video games, comic books and music) for my animation, I will also be referring to various animation, concept and fashion books.

   The concepts will allow me the chance to play around with both traditional and digital mediums, especially when experimenting with an art style that would work for the overall series.

   The animation itself will be worked on in Adobe Photoshop (Though I hope to perhaps make some attempts with Flash and TV Paint Animation if I am able to better familiarize myself with either or both over the next few months) and will be touched up on in Adobe After Effects

   Music and sound for the animation short will be composed by a collaborator whom I have worked with on a few other projects in the past.

When

   While the module’s final deadline is on the 6^th of May 2016, there are several other deadlines for presentations and critique sessions. A gantt chart will also be made so that I will be able to stay on track over the next few months and efficiently progress and produce the work needed for the final product.

4. Explain how this will be developing your Specialist Practice?

   Such a major project will also be a huge addition to my portfolio, which will be required by the time this module ends. I wish to explore into all the areas (Visual Development, Character Design, Storyboarding, Scriptwriting and Animating) that I hold a deep interest in, and by the end of this module, I should be able to confirm which areas in particular that I think I will work better in and should focus more on.

5. What do you need and by When?

Perhaps a refresher on Flash might help, and if anyone has had experience with TV Paint, receiving assistance from someone that has used it before would be beneficial. An available Cintiq would also be of great help.

6. Will you be working on a group project or brief?

( If YES explain )

   ... No.

7. Are there any stakeholders in your project?

If YES, explain who they are and what their responsibilities are? - This is essential if you've got a Live Brief from a client

   At the present moment, I have definitely confirmed that I will be collaborating with an ex-Leeds College of Music student for the music and sound of my animation.

8. What, where and when do you need to research. Begin to identify and artists, practitioners, companies or organisations that you will need to talk to. This could include getting to speak to people at conferences, events and other organisations. 

   I might be visiting a few studios over this period, and during then, I can hopefully show some progress for this project and receive some proper advice on how to further my concept art and/or storyboards before the deadline.

9. Please identify at least 6 books, periodicals, websites or other media that may be informing your rationale. Please use Harvard referencing. 

Books

1.     DiMartino, M, D. and Konietzko, B. (2010). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Art of the Animated Series,US: Dark Horse.

2.     Louis, W. (2015). Super Turbo Atomic Ninja Rabbit Groundworks, UK: The Line.

Games

1.     Capcom. (2002) Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. [DISC] Playstation 2. Osaka: Capcom

2.     Capcom. (2006) Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams. [DISC] Playstation 2. Osaka: Capcom

3.     Clover Studio. (2006) Okami. [DISC] Playstation 2. Osaka: Capcom.

4.     Game Republic. (2005) Genji: Dawn of the Samurai. [DISC] Playstation 2. Tokyo: Sony Computer Entertainment.

5.     Heart Machine. (2015) Hyper Light Drifter. [ONLINE DOWNLOAD] Kickstarter. California: Heart Machine.

6.     Ignition Tokyo. (2011) El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron. [DISC] Playstation 3. UK: UTV Ignition Entertainment.

7.     Level-5. (2010) Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn. [GAME CARD] Nintendo DS. Fukuoka: Level-5.

8.     Omega Force. (2004) Samurai Warriors 4. [DISC] Playstation 4. Tecmo Koei.

9.     SEGA AM2. (2000) Shenmue. [DISC] Dreamcast. Tokyo: Sega.

10.   Square. (2000) Legend of Mana. [DISC] Playstation. North America: Square Electronic Arts.

11.   Square. (2001) Final Fantasy X. [DISC] Playstation 2. North America: Square Electronic Arts.

12.   Square Enix. (2003) Final Fantasy XII. [DISC] Playstation 2. Paris: Ubisoft.

13.   Ubisoft Montreal. (2014) Child of Light. [DISC] Playstation 3. Paris: Ubisoft.

14.   Tecmo Koei. (2012) Pokemon Conquest. [GAME CARD] Nintendo DS. Tokyo: The Pokemon Company.

15.   Tobyfox. (2015) Undertale. [ONLINE DOWNLOAD] Microsoft Windows. US: Tobyfox.

Movies and Shows

1.     The Book of Life (2014) Directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez [Film]. US: 20th Century Fox.

2.     Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011) Directed by Makoto Shinkai [Film]. Japan: Media Factory.

3.     Kung Fu Panda (2008) Directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne [Film]. US: Paramount Pictures.

4.     Kung Fu Panda (2011) Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson [Film]. US: Paramount Pictures.

5.     Millienium Actress (2001) Directed by Satoshi Kon [Film]. Japan: The Klockworx Co., Ltd.

6.     The Secret of Kells (2009) Directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey [Film]. UK: StudioCanal.

7.     Song of the Sea (2013) Directed by Tomm Moore [Film]. Ireland: StudioCanal.

8.     Spirited Away (2001) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki [Film]. Japan: Toho.

9.     The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Directed by Isao Takahata [Film]. Japan: Toho.

The Bond of Four - Introduction

Compilation of all the illustrations that I had produced for my old end of year
project.

   Much like my Context in Practice 3 project, I will be working and expanding upon an old project of mine back from my old art academy end year project. 

   Titled the Bond of Four (Though, who knows, I might actually change the title over the next few months as I work on it), the story focuses on four siblings whom are separated from one another at a very young age during a freak storm accident, everything was lost during that fateful night, and that included their little village and even their parents. Fast forwarding to a number of years later, two of these siblings happen to chance upon one other by fate (With one trying to pickpocket the other), only to find themselves going on an adventure to find their two other siblings, whom are about to be caught up in a particularly large political affair between two kingdoms.

   Will the siblings be able to reunite in time before a war is waged? Only time will tell.

First Day Extended Practice Briefing

• Deadline: the 6th of May 2016, 2pm
• To show what you can do, what y0u can make, what skills you have acquired over the past two years
• A seamless integration of theory and practice
• There is a reason for what you make
• Working in a group or collaborating is optional
• 60 Credit Module (Half a year's worth of study)
• Opportunity to show what you specialise in
• Develop a substantial body of work over the module (Which must be properly negotiated with lecturers)
• 5oo Word Rationale
• Use pro-forma and submit to eStudio by 2nd December 2015, 2pm
• Come in on 3rd December 2015 for Individual Tutorial, Sign Up slots available on eStudio again
• Label with OUAN603, Rationale on blog
• Deliverables: Rationale, PPT/PDF Presentation
• To be uploaded to eStudio by 9.30am
• Statement of Intent
• Polish up your rationale based on feedback received
• What is the project/brief?
• Who is the audience?
• What are you producing? A short animation? A portfolio of work?
• This will then been presented to your peers for feedback
• Research and Development Portfolio
• Will be done through blogging
• Will typically contain posts that explore industry practice, prototyping, material and process investigation, script/storyboarding development
• Detailing how you plan to take the project forward
• It should also contain research into any theories or approaches to your practice that you are considering 
• The summary will be submitted to the programme administrator
• Realisation and Presentation
• Pay close attention to Statement of Intent
• Document development on blog again
• Technical development, detailed evidence of planning and organisation
• Formal presentation at the end as a final critique
• Critical Evaluation (1000 Words)

Food for Thought - Production - Marketing Materials

I came in early today in hopes of printing out all the DVD Covers, and booklets for Cara, Anna and I, little did I know that I would be spending the next hour or so wasting quite a bit of money attempting to print out the DVD covers in a suitable size for the casing. Strangely enough, Cara's original file turned out a little too smile, and so I made numerous attempts in trying to fix it, despite what seemed like a proper template, the damn thing still wouldn't fit...  until what was possibly the 20th attempt did it manage to fill out the casing decently, it wasn't perfect, but at least it is better than the very first one I had printed out.

The booklets weren't too troublesome at least, especially after my experience with printing my project report for Responsive, the ordering of the pages was easily done. I did do a few tiny tweaks based on Annabeth's feedback (That being the removal of the black border on the back page), and so printed them out a second time.

Below you will see all the failed attempts on the right, and one the left, you will see what I deemed to be alright enough for submission.

At least the poster shouldn't be too much of a hassle to print out...

Food for Thought - Distribution - Animation Progress 5

So I helped out at the last minute on a few more things, seeing that there was no way that Anna and Cara could finish cleaning and colouring everything, I spent the entire night trying to at least neaten the last 9 files that they have yet to work on, so hopefully these slightly neater sketches can still be used for the animation. Seeing that Cara was already working so hard to edit the animation as well as work on the promotional items, I then helped to colour at least one scene as seen below.

As I coloured the cleaned up lines, I was however a little saddened to find out that the clean up took away quite a bit of the exaggeration that was in the original sketches I did... I will take note of this for future projects however. I also actually wanted to fix up some of their expressions in the clean up versions, but it was going to be a little complicated trying to ask them to pass me their files just so I can fix the eyes or mouth, I could probably ask about it another time if we are still interesting in submitting this for competition.