Self Critique

Croon's Toon 3/31

This project has been a major pain but in the end, I will be extremely happy and proud to be done with it. I started the idea of this story over a year ago and have struggled to keep that idea going as I struggled with creating the story. My main idea was to create a animation that included a mix of sound to help illustrate the emotions of the characters. My strengths would have to be the painted backgrounds I did for each shot and the composites built inside After Effects. The theme of my animation is romance and the failures my Toon Croon had to overcome to find his mate.

My weakness would be controlling the music to go along with the visuals of the animated lines that dance above the characters. I found it almost impossible to match the movements exact with the sounds. Even tho I am considering this as a rough draft I am determined to get the parts I struggle with the way I envision them. My other weakness is not being able to be as fast as I truly need to be. I have worked on this animation everyday and night for the past 4 months. No matter how long I work, I still get stuck at some points and end up spending way too much time on that part. I am giddy when I overcome the obstacle but then I find myself struggling to catch up once I figure out the issues. Its been a rough semester but I'm not willing to give up, and I dont want to show work that could be better.

Senior Project

Croon's Tune is a short animation about a species of musical creatures called Toon Croons. The main character, starts the story by discovering a paired couple singing in harmony with each other. Dazzled by their song, he sets out on a journey eager to find his own mate. With each encounter of a female he finds comes failure in his attempts. He blasts off his horn like nose causing her to run away in horror, he surprises another as she feeds and brings her to tears, and is driven away when he approaches a female who seemed to be alone until her mate appears and chases the main character away and into hiding. At night fall the lonely Toon Croon is tired and still alone. He walks until his legs give way and is forced to stop and rest upon a hill. He is awakened by a glow of light that flies across his face. Small bright lightening bugs hover above his head. They play in dulcet musical notes as they glow brightly above him. He is encouraged by these little bugs and starts to sing along with them, mimicking their pattern they play as a whole. He follows the lightening bugs through the forest and discovers where they all gather. As he continues to play for the lightening bugs he is unaware of another Toon Croon next to him. She watches, dazzled by his song to the lightening bugs and takes a liking to him as her mate. Happy to have been noticed he continues his song as she sings along with him. The lightening bugs sparkling in the background along with them.