Summer project// 'DEERICK' PART1

Over this summer I want to work on more personal work and projects outside of my university studies that contribute to my development as a cartoonist and animator but still give me full creative freedom. As well as developing comics, such as DIY zines and cartoons - I want to enter Manchester Animation Festivals Student Film awards. My goal for this summer is to develop an animation concept, produce characters and a story, as well as begin animating the final project. I'm planning on getting the final animatic done by late August/early September with 3months left to animate. I'm also going to limit myself to roughly 1 minute 30 seconds.

My concept for this animation is something personal,
a while ago I worked in a restaurant as a chief and waiter, despite the fact I'd had no training before hand. I found the whole experience also degrading, because I'm an educated artist. Why was I working here? What's the point? But, as I thought more about it. The money I'd be getting from this job would fuel my art, helping me pay for materials, events and even the rent so I had a house to call a studio! It was fine to work part time, if it meant I could still do what I love. It didn't change me into anything besides an artist, just because I had a part time job that wasn't creative - I want to represent this idea.

I've been partly inspired by a number of animators I've discovered recently to create characters that aren't people, like animals. I've been interested in improving my deer drawings and awhile ago began drawing a deer skater guy character I nicknamed 'Deerick', to annoy myself because I dislike puns. I want to develop this character further and I'm planning on having his character design finished by the end of June.

As of right now, my rough idea for the animation is:

• Character works in a supermarket, dislikes it
• Character receives his pay check and spends the cash on art supplies
• Character is over joyed because he can go back home and draw
• Character wakes up the next day, seeing he's used up all his supplies
• Character is happy about going back to the supermarket to work, because then he can afford more supplies