rickmann
06-04-2006, 07:43 PM
Aloha fellow cgtalkers! I have been toying around with a new indie film story and I wanted to post it here to get some feedback on it.
The story is called "Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks"
The story is loosely based around the past and present timelines of Traditional Animation being replaced with Computer Animation, coupled with things like the merger of Disney and Pixar (a traditional animation company with computerized animation company) and the struggles a older man as to face as he crosses over to the digital era, and even though traditional skills are a big plus in computer animation the lack of never touching a computer in his life makes it hard for him to catch up in the digital era.
My goal in this short is NOT to show that traditional drawing skills are not needed in today’s society of computer animation but instead show that it is difficult for someone to come to terms with the fact that the days of the "Snow White" complete hand drawn movies are a thing of the past.
THE STORY:
An older traditional animator finds out that his present company is merging with a new high tech company that only employ’s computer animators. After being left out to join with the merger because of his complete lack of computer knowledge, he finds himself laid off with no means of a supporting income. He returns home where we see that this traditional animator is traditional in every sense. He has no flashy surround system or DVD player or high plasma TV. His alarm clock is the old fashioned type that you still have to wind up. He owns more books and drawing utensils than a library or art store. His idea of relaxing is sitting in his old beat up chair reading an old book. After months of being rejected for jobs because the big bosses want the kid that can draw a little and use a computer allot, he comes to terms with the fact that he may never animate again.
ENDING #1
Finally one day while sitting in a park feeding pigeons feeling older and older every minute, thinking that this is the end of his great life, he is approached by a young kid that recognized him from a book signing a few years back at a convention. The kid explains to him that he wants to be a great animator just like him but he has no basic drawing skills or job references so the companies won't hire him.
The old man realizes that this kid is in the same shoes that he is in and makes a deal to teach him in return that the kid teach him about the computer. Months go by and both have become really great in their missed skills. Soon the kid starts to realize that the man is getting older very quickly and will not be around much longer so the kid goes out to find a job where when he shows up for the interview the director tells him that he has some awesome skills and that it would be a pleasure to have him join the company. The kid makes one demand on being hired and that is to bring on the older animator, having told the director how the traditional animator has mastered the computer the director feels honored to bring him aboard. The first day of work the traditional animator is greeted by a standing ovation. As the tears start to form in the traditional animators eyes he turns to the kid and tells him thank you. He turns to the director and thanks him for the opportunity to work for his company but must decline, yet he has learned to do his work from a machine he realizes that nobody misses his traditional work and that he does not have to keep working because the spirit of his younger days of hard work does remain in alive in the high tech world of today.
I am planning an alternate ending one that involves him and buying a computer. But this one will be more of a comedy than the other one.
Please let me know what everyone thinks also when I begin if anyone would like to help please let me know.
Thanks
Rick
The story is called "Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks"
The story is loosely based around the past and present timelines of Traditional Animation being replaced with Computer Animation, coupled with things like the merger of Disney and Pixar (a traditional animation company with computerized animation company) and the struggles a older man as to face as he crosses over to the digital era, and even though traditional skills are a big plus in computer animation the lack of never touching a computer in his life makes it hard for him to catch up in the digital era.
My goal in this short is NOT to show that traditional drawing skills are not needed in today’s society of computer animation but instead show that it is difficult for someone to come to terms with the fact that the days of the "Snow White" complete hand drawn movies are a thing of the past.
THE STORY:
An older traditional animator finds out that his present company is merging with a new high tech company that only employ’s computer animators. After being left out to join with the merger because of his complete lack of computer knowledge, he finds himself laid off with no means of a supporting income. He returns home where we see that this traditional animator is traditional in every sense. He has no flashy surround system or DVD player or high plasma TV. His alarm clock is the old fashioned type that you still have to wind up. He owns more books and drawing utensils than a library or art store. His idea of relaxing is sitting in his old beat up chair reading an old book. After months of being rejected for jobs because the big bosses want the kid that can draw a little and use a computer allot, he comes to terms with the fact that he may never animate again.
ENDING #1
Finally one day while sitting in a park feeding pigeons feeling older and older every minute, thinking that this is the end of his great life, he is approached by a young kid that recognized him from a book signing a few years back at a convention. The kid explains to him that he wants to be a great animator just like him but he has no basic drawing skills or job references so the companies won't hire him.
The old man realizes that this kid is in the same shoes that he is in and makes a deal to teach him in return that the kid teach him about the computer. Months go by and both have become really great in their missed skills. Soon the kid starts to realize that the man is getting older very quickly and will not be around much longer so the kid goes out to find a job where when he shows up for the interview the director tells him that he has some awesome skills and that it would be a pleasure to have him join the company. The kid makes one demand on being hired and that is to bring on the older animator, having told the director how the traditional animator has mastered the computer the director feels honored to bring him aboard. The first day of work the traditional animator is greeted by a standing ovation. As the tears start to form in the traditional animators eyes he turns to the kid and tells him thank you. He turns to the director and thanks him for the opportunity to work for his company but must decline, yet he has learned to do his work from a machine he realizes that nobody misses his traditional work and that he does not have to keep working because the spirit of his younger days of hard work does remain in alive in the high tech world of today.
I am planning an alternate ending one that involves him and buying a computer. But this one will be more of a comedy than the other one.
Please let me know what everyone thinks also when I begin if anyone would like to help please let me know.
Thanks
Rick