1/27/2023

The primary focus of the past couple weeks has been about decision making. Rather, discussing ideas in order to be definitive about what we're gonna create. This will continue until the fourth week, where hopefully there won't be any confusion about the assets and scenes in the film.

In order to pursue the best elements, our team put together images and concept art into individual Pinterest boards, then presented them to the rest of the team to discuss what we should keep. There were many awesome concepts for architecture, character designs, and atmosphere, and we compiled the best material into its own board to reference when we start to work on sketches and models.

The image above was made in Photoshop by me. It's a color sheet for the five most distinct scene changes in the short: the outhouse, the alien abduction, the UFO interior, the bathroom, and the bathroom in emergency mode. When designing for color, I've found it important to keep contrast in mind. Changes in colors and tones assist in guiding the audience, letting them know when the location or situation has changed. I applied this to the scenes in a variety of ways. When the scene is calm, the tone of the colors resemble each other more closely, making the room feel flat an still. When the intensity ramps up, however, the contrast between light and shadow grows. This is done with the bright shine of the UFO beam, the glowing in the aliens' eyes, and the blaring of the red emergency light.

I shared this sheet with the team when we met on Wednesday, and it was met with approval. Of course, there was advice on how to alter the lighting for better effect. For example, the lighting in the UFO room will shift from being dark at first to being lighter once the alien's design is revealed. These notes were discussed and taken into account.

An important lesson in learning to work with teams is to not leave ideas for granted. I'll admit, with Bathroom Stall Galactica being my baby, I still get a bit defensive about incorporating new ideas. However, even if the initial concept doesn't survive scrutiny, I've found that further dissection - identifying what the original and the change want to accomplish and finding an option that does both - can result in an even better solution. Not only does this improve the short, but communication between teammates. While acknowledging that I need to stand up for my ideas, I also need to be welcome to second and third opinions to help improve the short overall. This is a big and overwhelmingly important step in the right direction.