Animation Short

Katie Cornish - 984990 - Henley College

11 | 10 | 2021

Title: A New Found Friend

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Contents

Proposal

Character Design / Brainstorming

Actors / Role List

Auditions

Sound List

Script

Storyboarding

Production Schedule
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Proposal

The task presented for this unit was to create a second film, different to our first task of
a short film. We were given the option to create a music video, a second short film or a
stop motion. I chose the route of a stop motion in the style of digital drawing. As my
chosen age range is 5 - 12 year-olds, I wanted to give the children something to
remember, a life lesson within my short animation.

I want to make this animation to show children that just because some people do not
look like you, doesn’t mean you shouldn't love them any less. If someone how looks
different to you joins your family, they are your family, regardless of skin colour, race,
gender, sexuality or belief. This idea will be shown through animals, and different
species. For my sake of drawing them and how easily recognisable these animals are, I
have chosen to do a family of rabbits and a stray cat that's gotten lost in the forest. My
original idea was to do a family of foxes/bunnies and have the other species not chosen
to be a lost animal, but I felt that I wouldn't be able to relay the relationship of a bunny
and a fox appropriately like in Disney's Zootopia. Another reason for changing the foxes
was because I had a difficult time trying to draw one fox, and knew that I wouldn't be
able to draw a full family. I started to go through what animals I can and cannot draw,
and a cat was one of the first animals confidently on the list of what I can draw. I
thought to myself about how rabbits and cats live together and how there is no predator
/ prey dynamic and how I could make it work with the short time I have for this
animation.
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Character Design / Brainstorming

For my animation, I am choosing between a family of foxes or a family of rabbits. I
wanted to test my abilities by drawing these animals. I found myself struggling with
drawing foxes, even with references. From this, I knew that going down the path of
choosing a family of foxes would be a bad idea as I would be drawing these animals a
lot, and I didnt want to create low quality drawings [in terms of style]. I chose to create a
family of rabbits with a stray cat as the lost animal.

This is the initial design and I ended up liking it so much so I fleshed it out to 3 more
characters and attempted to draw a similar cat to the design of the rabbits, following
the appearance of my wen cat, Lupin. She has a white chest and a grey coat, and all 4
paws have white fur, similar to socks.
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These are the finished characters

PAPA BUNNY MAMA BUNNY SISTER BUNNY BROTHER BUNNY LOST CAT
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Next I had to create a background for the animation. I wanted the setting to be in a
forest, surrounded by trees and to make the idea of the cat going missing more
believable as forests are large and full of mostly identical trees. I used the three images
below as references for my backgrounds. Ii took the idea of having shadowed/darker
trees in the background to add depth to the image to show that it is a deep forest.

This is the forest background I ended up making and choosing to be in my animation.

Main Forest scene Bush scene (when rabbits help cat)

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Actors / Role List

Actor Name Role Name Successful Audition? When they are

needed

Toby Griffin Papa bunny YES 17th Nov

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Chole Alden Mama bunny YES 17th Nov

Kilou Cornish Twin bunny YES Anytime

Matt Simpson Twin bunny YES 17th Nov

Lucy Hucker Lost cat YES 17th Nov

[dif species]

Sound List

Sound When its used How to make the Link to sound

sound

Grass ruffling Whenever the Shredded paper

[walking thru grass] animals are walking and chopsticks
/ move their feet

Birds tweeting For the opening Small plastic

scene on the forest recorder / Human
whistles [if no
recorder available]
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Script
A NEW FOUND FRIEND

EXT. FOREST – GROUND – NOON

RABBITS are walking along and the two children slow down behind
them.

PAPA BUNNY

Come along now children, it is a big forest y’know.

BROTHER BUNNY
Just coming dad!

The two SIBLINGS hop along until BROTHER BUNNY hears a noise. A
meow is heard from the bushes surrounding them.

BROTHER BUNNY
Hey what was that?

SISTER BUNNY
What was what?

BROTHER BUNNY
That noise, did you not hear it?
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The noise BROTHER BUNNY heard plays, a FAINT MEOW is heard again
from the bushes near them.

BROTHER BUNNY
That! That noise.

MAMA BUNNY
Kids? Are you okay?

BROTHER AND SISTER BUNNY

Yes mum!

The two CHILDREN lean over the bush as it opens up and they
lightly gasp at what they find.

LOST CAT
Can you guys help me out of this tangled bush?

BROTHER BUNNY
How’d you get in there?

LOST CAT
I was playing around this bush and I fell, and now I can’t seem
to get out…

BROTHER BUNNY
Well, would you like us to help you out?
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LOST CAT
Yes please!

The BUNNIES help the CAT out of the bush and set her down next to
them.

LOST CAT
Thank you, guys! I would have been stuck in there forever if it
weren’t for you.

SISTER BUNNY
Now that you’re out, want to come play with us?

LOST CAT
Oh, I’d love to!

The BUNNIES and their CAT FRIEND hop over to the parents.

SISTER BUNNY
Mama! Mama! Look, we made a friend!

MAMA BUNNY
Oh well that’s lovely dear oh-
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LOST CAT
Hi, there.

MAMA BUNNY looks worried, and startled at the fact that they are
friends with a cat. MAMA BUNNY turns to PAPA BUNNY.

MAMA BUNNY
(whispers)
It’s a cat?

PAPA BUNNY
(whispers)
Why it shouldn’t matter if they are a cat, bunny or squirrel. A
friend is a friend, regardless of what they look like.

MAMA BUNNY
(whispers)
Well, I didn’t think of it like that. Thank you dear.

MAMA BUNNY turns to the LOST CAT.

MAMA BUNNY
Hello my child, would you like to play with us?

LOST CAT
Oh, boy! Would I?

LOST CAT calms down from their excitement for a moment.

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LOST CAT
Well, that’s if you’re okay with it, Mrs Bunny...

MAMA BUNNY
Of course I am sweetie. Come along now.

THE NEW FOUND FAMILY RUNS (HOPS) OFF SCREEN GIGGLING AND BEING
HAPPY

Storyboards
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