Stuck in a rut as to how to kickstart your next animation project? You’re not the only one; many designers and editors often have trouble coming up with ideas, too. Creativity is something that should be developed over time, but sometimes it can be difficult to think of new projects due to stress or just a general lack of inspiration.
It can be frustrating and time-wasting, but there is no need to bang your head against the wall about it. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen, or else comes out slowly. Below are a few ways that you can jumpstart the inevitable fuel of inspiration into your next project, and just maybe, make your existing projects even better.
Make anything TALK.
Pixar films do this to great effect. They’ve made fishes, cars, superheroes, and even regular household appliances converse with humans. Heck, stories such as Pinocchio and Beauty and the Beast have portrayed inanimate objects talking to the main characters as part of the main plot. Depending on your project, you can create a set of characters that aren’t necessarily able to talk, and then make them speak for your subject.
A Day in the Life Of . . .
This works best when you’re trying to create awareness in your audience in regards to a particular issue. When dealing with serious issues such as child trafficking, corruption in the government, or lack of water supply, it is important to create an emotional connection which will make viewers sympathize with their plight. Focus your story around a twenty-four hour timeframe will work wonders in highlighting the differences and similarities in one’s own life.
Tell Me A Story
Been inspired by something in the news, lately? If you’re looking to inform your viewers, try to explain a current event through the guise of flash animation. Use your visuals to great effect by drawing simple charts and diagrams in order to explain certain things. For example, if you’ve ever wondered what the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom, flash animation could be a great tool to clear the air.
Teach Me
Instructional videos are all the rage, nowadays. People now want to be able to do things by yourself — DIY if you will — and they look to YouTube and other video sharing websites in order to learn. Whether it’s a new language or the difference between mitosis and meiosis, you can teach someone anything through getting them to watch your animation.
Blast from the Past
They say that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat them. As it is with each succeeding generation, we end up informing our youth less and less about the events that have happened before them. Educating people about the past, especially as to how it relates to their own life, is something that should be done more often. How many people know Jose Abad Santos, or PandayPira? More than ever, people need to be reminded of where they came from.
HP Outsourcing Inc. 