We came up with the idea of a wrestling ring. We would have the E and the 4 as wrestlers fighting one and another, when the two wrestlers collided they would combine and create the E4 logo. We started of with this idea (shown below). However when we came to shooting we changed it around. We would have the E already in the ring and then have the 4 entering. Realizing that it would be hard to get one of the characters to jump onto the corner of the ring we used the idea of pushing off the ropes, much like in actual wrestling fights. This would give us the action we needed to combine the two, and give more physical animation.
We then began to create our set. Using foam board we constructed a ring and glued it together with a glue gun. We then covered it in purple fabric (capturing the iconic purple colour). We used pins to secure the fabric into place. We also used the foam board to create steps leading up to our ring. To create the poles on each corner we cut down pieces of wood and coated them in white paint. Next we cut string and rapped it around the wood to create the ropes. Overall I am happy with how the ring turned out, it looks realistic and is the right size for our wrestlers. One thing we could improve were how we fastened the wood to the foam board. Using nails we nailed them into the bottom of the wood and ten pressed them into the foam board. Although this did work, some of the nails did not go in straight and therefore caused the wood to be wonky and some of the strings loosened because of this.
Our wrestlers were also created from the foam board. We originally used cardboard, however it looked very messy and distracted from the logo. We used wire to create the arms and glued them to fasten them to the foam board. When positioning them on the ring we found it very difficult to get the characters to stay on the fabric. We used blue-tack in the beginning but found if we placed pins in the bottom it was a lot easier to hold up the character. Ultimately I believe the characters worker well, and having them join through the idea of wrestling was a interesting way to create the E4 logo. The only issue we found was when trying to move the arms of the wrestlers. It was difficult to make them move realistically and stay in certain positions. If we were to do it again we could try a different material to see if that worked better. Or use a thinner wire to see if we could move more freely.
To light our set we wanted a small circle on the center of the ring. The lights in the studio were to big and didn't give the right effect. We are now using a small light source positioned above the ring. We wanted it in the middle to highlight the characters, and blackout the crowd. The issue with the crowd was we were worried it did not realistic enough. Also when the light reflected of the fabric it created a purple reflection on the crowd creating an unrealistic effect. To overcome this we had to play around with lighting till we could fix the issues.
We also added various sound effects to our animation. We used the iconic Rocky theme tune throughout our animation. We did this to relate our ident to something the viewer will recognize. It shows that a fight will take place and could link to E4 broadcasting various films as well as TV programs. We also got the sound of a bell ringing to make it more realistic and feel like an actual fight. Lastly we added a slap sound when the 4 hits the E. This emphasis ed the action and again made it more realistic.
Evaluation:
Overall I am very pleased with the outcome of our animation. I believe it fits the brief and with the style of E4. We captured the humerus side to the channel, which was a focus for us and made our audience laugh and smile. I believe we met the target audience with our animation by using the idea of a wrestling match. It showed the channel to be exciting and entertaining, but also to have a twist and have a funny side. Our set was well built and looked very realistic.I believe the crowd worked well and added to the set. We also lit the ring well, however at times we could have lit the E and the 4 better. At points where they were circling one and another, we could have used another light to make sure both were being lit, and therefore seen better. One issue we had was with the characters themselves. As we were continuously moving them, and did have some difficulty getting them to stand, some of the edges were slightly damaged. This was at times visible in our ident and distracted some of our viewers. However that being said, it was not a major issue and overall the audience reacted well to the animation.
