Semester 2 Week 8 19/09/16 Monday

Apologies for the lack of updates, I was waiting on a response from my supervisor regarding my exegesis draft. If all goes well then I can begin writing my exegesis while also hoping my developer can make the APP on time. As a back-up plan I am going to make my comic into a video compilation of all the pages. There are 65 pages worth of story, plus an additional 2 dead end pages and 1 alternative ending which loops back to the beginning.

Here is the final plan that I am going with.

I am using After Effects to composite all the panels together. Each panel will appear one after the other. The most difficult thing about this is the timing; as every person reads at a different pace, it is impossible to make the timing perfect for everyone. Which is why the APP is the most ideal format, as the reader can go along at their own speed.

Semester 2 Mid Semester Break 05-07/09/16 Monday-Wednesday

I have now officially completed all the necessary pages for the comic. Now I just need my developer to begin assembling the APP. I will also go on to compositing the panels together to create a video file just in case the APP does not get finished. I will also compile a PDF for the comic which might be printed out as a book later on.

I also have my exegesis left to do, in which I will have to state all my reasoning for the choices and decisions I made. I also need to be more specific in detailing my work in progress, as well as explaining what worked and what didn't. All in all I am feeling quite accomplished at the moment, I will be busier towards the end October since that is when everything is due; I am also going to the Armageddon Expo this year, so that's another thing on my to-do list.

Anyway, here are some WIP. Sometimes I forget to take screenshots because I was so focused on completing my work.

 I had to draw in a page for the alternative endings. In this screen capture, I was working the "dead end"; or a wrong choice that causes the reader to "die" in the comic. I wasn't planning to add dead ends, but it seemed to fit the narrative, and it was also interesting to explore this type of branch. Therefore I decided to create an ending like that for my project.

 Testing out the animation. I know most of my animated sequences aren't that great, but I have too much to work through right now to go back and fix every one of them. The focus of this project is not primarily on the animation, but more on how static comics and moving animation can work together to form a flowing narrative. I must admit that most my animations are quite rushed through, and it would it be incredibly time consuming to polish everything up. But the animation is enough to be indicative of movement, and that is what I am aiming for at this point.

 Here is an instance where I have gone back to fix the animation. This is because the error I made here is rather obvious, and even young children would spot the mistakes. It took a long time to re-do these panels, but at least the movement of the caterpillar is more natural, instead of it teleporting from one spot to another.

 Old animation for page 35.

Fixed animation from page 35.

The very last page of the comic. This is the "good" ending.

Semester 2 Mid Semester Break 01-02/09/16 Thursday-Friday

I am very near the end of the comic drawing. I still need to finish the "true" ending and add in a couple of dead ends, as well as an alternative choice somewhere for the readers. There are also areas where I need to fix, but I have made time for myself there. I should also mention (in the exegesis) of certain design decisions I have made along the way.

But anyway, here are the updates.

 Nelly has finally returned to the real world in these last pages, which means there is little to no animation. The shades of grey are also gone, indicating she is now back in the reality.

 WIP of page 62.

 WIP of page 63.

 Rough base sketches for page 64.

Line art layer above rough sketches.

Here are a couple of completed pages.