Special Pitch

So far in my education at MCA, I have been exposed to a wide variety of animation techniques. And while all the different mediums have their own intrigue, stop motion animation is the one that has captured my heart most. Knowing that stop motion was going to be choice for my BFA piece, I then had to choose a story that would not only show my capabilities as a filmmaker and animator, but also as a dedicated craftsman of a miniature world.

I began brainstorming different scenarios in my head that would hopefully lend themselves to be funny. In the end a particular abstract about a private detective with a less than macho hobby stuck with me. Soon afterward, he became Frank, an alcoholic private detective who cross-dresses.
Usually the first sketch is that starts setting off a character for me and by proxy, the story. Knowing how I wanted it to feel and look was a big part in figuring out which direction I wanted to take. After spending part of the summer pouring over Pixar's art books, I also began sketching what I thought his office would look like. This, I reasoned, would help me fill in the gaps on who this character was. Also taking inspiration from the background art from Disney's 101 Dalmations, I produced a sketch that also focused on the lighting of the piece. 
As I started working with my story, I realized that there was a large piece that seemed to be missing. Struggling with one's identity through cross-dressing just wasn't enough, there needed to be another character, an external force, to move the story along. I also needed another character to help play off of Frank to keep the piece light-hearted and comedic like I originally intended.
So I added in a second character, Agness, as not only as a potential love interest. Now as a storyteller I could  play off the natural chemistry of the characters to confuse the viewer from the punchline of Frank's transvestitism. 


The basic premise of the story is that the detective goes into the office and has a flirtatious greeting with his secretary. He enters his private office and reveals to the viewers that he has a pearl necklace in a gift box, presumably for his secretary. However,  it is revealed that the necklace is not for the secretary but is the finishing accessory to his transvestite ensemble. The two then leave the office as friends.
In this piece I want to focus on humor of people appearing not as they seem and that the acceptance of friends is what keeps us living life to the fullest. I will do this through the contrast of warm and cool light as well as play up the interchange between the two characters through animation skills.
After completing my BFA piece, I wish to travel to France and attend the Annecy Film Festival in order to get exposure to other forms of fine animation that are not necessarily from an American point of view.