STORYBOARD FOR THE ANIMATION

Here the storyboard

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WRITTEN SCRIPT

I would never good at writing, especially in English. However, when it comes to create some stories that I like my brain will work it out. Hope this story is not that much grammar-wrong.
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WRITTEN SCRIPT

In deep down of a corner of The Great Internet, a mail virus is waiting for an email to come for him to infect. Opposite to the other sides on the Internet, here is the place for darkness and silence, it is deserted. The place has no bound limitation, it is huge but with, no sky, no ground, no others, almost nothing, excepts the “Wireless link ground” only for virus to stand on .

The virus is sitting there  on the “Wireless link ground” , no, actually, he is lying lazily without doing anything. He is bored, so so bored; there must be no emails for long time. He got no friends, no family and even he was the only virus appeared here. All of sudden, the ground starts flashing; far away, there is a small light sits on the “Wireless link ground”; the light flashes attractively to gain attention from the virus. An EMAILl!

“EEEEE – MAIIILLLLLLLL” – the virus sounds happily

He stands up, start moving toward the email. He is moving faster and faster, happier and happier. At the halfway, “FLUFF!” the email disappeared.

Poor him, he was waiting for so long for this. He is so sad right now, a gloomy face he is showing.

The ground under the virus’ feet starts flashing again. Another email has come. His face changes suddenly into happy, even happier than the last time. “go, go” He moves once again.

“Clang, clang, clang!” his steel feet make real loud noises in this dark place. “FLUFF!” again, the email disappears. Do not ask what he will feel? His gloomy face again tells it all. Suddenly, “Swish!” another email appears. Today must be his lucky day, he got “3 emails” already! Failure after failure, he realizes that it is now time for being serious. Gathering all his strength, he starts moving really fast, no actually he is running.  On the way toward that email, another one appears in a corner not far from him. He takes a glance at the new email, but he knows that he is getting the first one, it is very near. “FLUFF!” not again, yes, that email disappears.  Gahhhh, he stops immediately but his speed makes him slides few more meters. His face turns out real serious, he then makes a swift invert direction. He is heading toward the newest email appeared. Not running for long, another “fluff” sound makes his face back to the gloominess.

So much disappointed, so much sad, the virus is also exhausted.  He gradually takes a look at his left hand side then right hand side; there is nothing but the darkness. He is saddest ever, his face faces the ground, and he tries to stretch out his body to lie on the ground. The ground once again flashes. This time is the shininess is covering the ground, the light is so great. Ambience is all over the place. A very very big email starts out bursting from underground but it is very far from the virus. It is felt like at the almost at the end of the virus’s sight.

The virus was stunned by the light for a moment. He can’t believe what he is seeing, this is a big, fat chance for him to infect into a sweetest home ever a virus can make. He gathers all the strength and runs at full speed; really fast and there are no obstacles in this such deserted place. There he goes, and everything seems to be alright. Yes, he almost gets that email, the distance is dropped down really fast. All of sudden, he feels so happy, and still there the stunning effect he got from the light, at his full speed, his feet don’t work properly. They start step on the others, the virus can’t control his feet anymore. “CLING, CLANG, CLING, CLANG…!” the loudest noise he ever made. He is falling down to the ground and is rolling at really fast speed.

“No, no” – he thinks he has to make it. The most serious face he ever made. He is taking so much effort to try to reach the email while rolling on the floor. And it would be the longest slide he ever made in his life. “ZZZZZZZZZZWWWWWWOSSSSSSSHHHHH!” “Reeeeeeeeerkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk” really loud and annoying sound like you use something hard to scratch a blackboard.

The virus’s slide stops right in front of the email; very close to. It is close enough for him just to reach it by his big claws while lying on the ground. “FLUFFFFFFFFFFF!” the place dims down darker and darker.

THE END.

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INITIAL ROUGH IDEA ON ENVIRONMENT

I imagined the environment my model would live in is very dark, and it is a huge place where my model is the only thing exists in that world. However, the some reflection lights or ambient lights form the ground would light the scene and my model. So these are still my very rough ideas, I need to fix it on the way to the final animation.

MODEL IN MAYA

I put everything I got into Maya, and started modelling. I didn't record much of the process on modelling, just had the final model. Actually it took me 4-5 hours to model it completely, I did it slow because modelling is still new to me, some problems still needed to be solved through the way.

The difference compares to the hand drawing : eyebrow, the joints
Eyebrow : I thought I put eyebrows to express emotions better than smiley faces or something like that.
The joints between legs : I would like to make it look alien or something out of space, so floating joints and electromagnetic would be fit more properly.

MOTION & EMOTION SKETCHES

To decide the look on my chosen model, I carefully sketched the ways how it would react (emotions) on some particular situations and how it moves in real life (motions).

MOTION

EMOTION

CHOSEN MODEL

I got my model yet with lots of legs and two big claws (maybe he can do something with those claws just in case). Here is my baby's pictures

And I spent a little bit time to render it (:P had fun though)

Also for modelling purpose, I also drew the model in orthographic views. (Top, Front, Side view)

Front view

Side view

Top view

ROUGH AND QUICK SKETCHES

I started with something looked almost like a real common crab but with 4 legs and 2 claws.
The I tried different shapes on the body as well as increased the legs to get something more interesting and kind of alien (I would like to make my model looks strange).
The sharp legs won't please my eyes, so I changed my idea into legs with a small kind of balls or metallic sphere at the bottom of each legs.
The next few trials, I put a big eyes on its face in order to express some emotions with eyes.