These are the things i think that have caused me to struggle so much with generating a solid, perfect story. Once i considered them not being part of my story it all became a little clearer. Right back in the very first developments of my story i suggested that the male part could be cast by a number of toys, one of which was a jack in the box, and when i spoke to Phil he also suggested that a jack in the box would be more successful. The difference here, is that he has limitations too, just like the dancer - limitations that keep them apart - limitations that ARE my story.
Being a jack in the box he can only spring to a certain distance and then return back into his box and being on a platform the dancer can only go round and round, so physically they cannot be together. In my last animated storyboard i had them together finally at the end, but i think it would be more realistic to assume that in order to be together they need to tear themselves away from what is separating them, but this would mean breaking themselves (almost a romeo and Juliet scenario)
The ending rather than them together on a shelf would be more realistic if they were nothing but a heap of broken toys. At the moment of breaking, the toys would fly towards (obviously by the force that they have been using to try and reach each other) each other and meet in the middle for a moment of togetherness that they have never had before and never will again.
For the toys it is better to say goodbye to everything that they have, including life, rather than go a lifetime without being able to be with each other.
Th problem that i now have is that both toys need a way to start their mechanisms. On talking to Phil it seemed clear that the jack in the box could easily be wound from inside of his box, thus giving him the ability to move from his box. HOWEVER the dancer has been a BIG pain!!
I think perhaps Ive bee trying to think too realistically forgetting that i have the power to do whatever i want with the characters but I've found it incredibly hard to come up with a mechanism that gives the dancer life. My original idea was that she was wound and now there is no clown so she cannot be wound by anything.
I thought about maybe integrating her with a clock, similar to a cuckoo clock and on the strike of the hour she is given life for a brief moment but i wasn't really a fan of this idea.
i also considered a chain of events type scenario where the clown has set up something, for instance illustrated in my sketches below: the lid being closed and then opened winds her, an so the clown has somehow attached string to the lid, and when pulled, her lid opens. i didn't like this idea either.
I also went to see Alan today to talk about the dancer issue and he suggested that maybe someone wind her but then be called from the room, leaving the dancer with life and no people to interrupt. This is kind of similar to my animated storyboard, where you hear people leave and close the door.
Ive also been thinking about the fact that the jack in the box will have life even when unwound, it is the winding that allows him to spring so maybe the dancer can have life but no music or turning on the platform until she is wound, giving her the ability to wind herself in order to turn.
Jack has life: needs winding to spring forwards
Dancer has life: needs winding to turn around
..........meaning both can wind themselves - but would this work
It quite safe to say I'm beginning to really dislike the dancer.
Alan also suggested that maybe i use two jack in the boxes, and i do feel this would work quite successfully however it does not incorporate the same style I'm aiming for. I think this version would be quite comical and also they would end up next to each other just fine.
Another way to get around the dancer is have her already turning, then you hear footsteps leaving, and a door close indicating that someone has been there and just wound the dancer.
Ultimately, the struggle that the toys have faced trying to reach each other is what begins their undoing. On forcing himself forwards the jack in the box starts to tear, and on leaning the dancers screws start to become lose. I want a moment of the clown observing he's started to rip and then cut to the dancer noticing shes started to come un-done and then they look up at each other, allowing the audience to understand what they want to do next. Then you would see the dancer lean far back to throw herself forwards and the jack wind himself in as much as he can (really animate him in a way that shows it is a struggle to turn the cog any further) and on the release the dancer falls forwards and the jack goes further both leaving behind their mechanisms and being together, able to touch for a moment.
Then a fade out, and on fading back in all you see are two broken toys. It does leave the question that they could be still holding hands or something similar to this but I'm not sure that would be appropriate. It verges on tacky and that is not what i want.
The problem that i am having is that in order to decide the introduction to this piece i need to know how the dancer works... and i don't. Argh! The ideas that i most like are the ones where you hear people leaving before the animation starts suggesting she has just been wound, and also the idea that the dancer has life, just no ability to 'dance' or turn until she winds herself.
Moving away from my pain, the dancer, i have also been thinking about the environment. Originally i wanted the toys to be in an antiques shop or a similar place, but now i have other things to consider. For instance the jack has the ability to spring forwards meaning his box would naturally tilt and even possibly move and so i need to place him somewhere that he will not just tip himself over. Ive thought about shelves mainly; my drawings below are very basic but i was just trying to determine what would work the best. Ive also been thinking that maybe it would be better if the jack is on a lower point to the dancer, springing up towards her, and the dancer is leaning down to reach him? I need to get some more serious sketches done up of different scenarios and try finish the introduction of this animation.
I think i will just have to decide what is best for the dancer and go with it for now, before i decide to animate a giant anvil falling on her- probably not the best ending?!
Scenario developments:
Clown developments:
Shelving:
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