Scenography for animation project For my animation project space is playing an important role, since it is the main medium in describing the main character and setting the mood of the story. Story is set in a fantasy setting involving a witch with abilities to shapeshift (change her shape into different animals). The mood I am aiming to achive with this scenography is mysterious, cold atmosphere and a bit of ominous feeling. As I said, the story is set in a fantasy world. We have two main places where the story takes place. First one is the nearby city where witch comes to sell her potions. The city is built on a cliff with islands surrounding it. We could say the city is divided into two sections. Upper and lower part of the city. Lower part is know for it's sketchy and shady characters with it's unknown background, while the upper part is where royality and prosperous figures have their residencies. On the upper part there is magnificent view on the city and land. Thick fog lingers just above the water giving the lower city mysterious and uneasy feeling. Lower part is usually in the dark with very little sunlight coming from the upper part and that's it's symbolism: those at the bottom are in the shade of those from the top. There is almost no, or very little hope for them. They live off of scraps from the rich. Unlike the lower city, upper part is always lit up with sunlight. Another difference is in how people live their life depending on where they live. The place determines their behavior. In the lower city people are gloomy, without hope and dangerous just like their surrounding. Meanwhile people in upper part are free and hopeful. They are high above others and they act like it.
Witch's house would be located in the forest, maybe even semiunderground with windows through which sunlight arrives and meadow, that surrounds the house, can be seen. Otherways house would be lit with magic; glowing sparkles, candles, etc. Permeate with greenery, house would be one with the nature since that is the main source from where the witch derives her powers. For the house I wanted to create mysterious but serene feeling. I would try to achive that with detailes and color palette, useing mostly shades of green and blue, calming and cold colors.
Details that would appear in her house would be candles, potions, flowers and skulls she examines, uses for experiments and creates magic with.
Outside the witch's house there's a small meadow and magical forest around it. In forest different creatures lurk. Atmosphere the forest should give off is calming and magical. Picture underneath shows how I envision it. As we walk through the forest we could stumbleupon random statues and animals that live there. Statues in the forest are from ancient past and they are the guardians of the forest. They represent spirits that live in the forest , who protect it and maintain balance. Spirit can have materialistic form too. Even though sunlight penetrates through treetops and gives somewhat warm and pleasant look, forest is deep and deadly if inexperienced traveller goes troguh.
Even though the city and the forest are both set in a similar environment, and just a few miles away from one another, I want them to give off different vibes. Since the city is built on the cliff and above water level I want it to reflect that; at the top calm and beautiful but in the bottom vicious and unrestrained like water hitting against the base of a cliff. Life there is hectic and unpredictable contrary to the forest's serene life. Forest is grand and calm, representing spirituality. However tranquility can be distrubed by defying the spirits who guard the forest. Forest also provides magical properties which is why witches, druids, sorcerers, etc. can be found living there.
Maja GrÄ?ki DUP2