Discussion considerations ~ 30.5.2018

According to the lecturer Yi Wei, the interactive video can be a choice-based, plot-driven narrative or an informational narrative. As the plot of the film is intended to be a single ending, the choices made must be interesting and impactful to the plot and slightly change but will eventually culminate to the final resolution. The lecturer also suggests that the plot may not be purely plot-driven but linked annotations can be placed anywhere in the video which lead to other videos. The informational narrative will be suitable for a documentary-style plot.

As for the website, the lecturer suggests that the website's interaction can be more unique and fitting to the theme of the website to make it more unique. CSS animations and second-person POV can be considered.

Problems involving existing toy films

The most frequent problem in toy films, especially those found in YouTube, is that hands can be seen in the video when the toys are "operated".

E.g: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRG2fBbFM3I (Monster Island Buddies: Episode 45 - "Monster Island Babies")

Some amateur toy films have several small scenes filmed in one shot and are sometimes seen with the hands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tSc1cg_Ksk (Velociraptor vs. Godzilla from BP by MonsterLover8)

Some of the instructions in the site will also address certain errors and cliches that a lot of toy films have.

Idea #1: Additional research

So far, most stop motion tutorial videos involving toys are almost exclusive to YouTube.
E.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XESmD6sVIg4 (Stop Motion Tutorial: Green Screen FX)

Some are textual and have images but have limited information.
http://www.kidvidfest.com/2017/06/15/how-to-make-a-stop-motion-film/
https://nofilmschool.com/2016/06/stop-motion-animation-tips

The website is targeted towards figurine collectors and aimed for a textual/image approach on a website specific to the stop motion animation. It will also introduce visual and practical effect tutorials for toy films.

The site is also intended for a showcase of the author's collection and films.

Stop Motion Animation Research for Idea #2

Stop motion is a genre of film that involves moving objects in the slightest degree and taking shots between the little movements to create a sense of motion that the figure is moving by itself.

Stop-motion examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSBQsckUe5Y - (Transformers Stop Motion: The Legend Exists by TFI Creations)
- the style of film inspiring the style of the project. It is a toy film that combines stop motion and video footage with added visual effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIHkiaNyMKg - (Dino Dreams by blaisingm)
- This film uses built models with stop motion, practical and green screen effects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRiPQ8YNrVs - (Early Man by Aardman Animation)

- An upcoming claymation film made by Aardman Animation, a claymation film studio. The film uses clay models.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smiq3ACnyXI - (Minisaurs: Shade by Fred the Dinosaur Man)
- An example of claymation using standard modelling clay.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lRGYsr7yxk - (Dinosaurs Extinction: Final Days. A Reptilian Holocaust)

- A film that contains clips from the early days of stop motion, when built models are used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5h7yWenqk - (LEGO STAR WARS The Last Jedi - Luke Skywalker vs Kylo Ren by Brick Force Studios)

- an example of one of the most popular genres in toy films and stop motion in YouTube, which is Lego "brickfilms". The example recreates a scene from Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZeguaJzUyk - (KaBoom! by PES Film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXIfZLt8aEM - (Still Life by PES Film)

- very simple examples of a stop motion animation using everyday objects and fruits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQuBhKU1UT8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoCdXznugmY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI_gfCRBTw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAF-joDT5ZQ

- clips from one of the most famous figurine stop motion franchises, Robot Chicken. This series is directed towards adult collectors.

There are several genres for stop motion films as shown through the video research. The genre intended for Idea #2 will be a toy film that has visual effects and combines stop motion and video footage.

Interactive narrative research

Initial research materials and techniques to be applied on interactive narratives for films.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_cinema
 - introduction to interactive films in general. Citations in Wikipedia article.

https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/ypn87y/new-cinema-how-do-you-make-an-interactive-narrative
 - This article showcases how a team of creators are able to apply interactive narratives in a cinematic hackathon project.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/01/30/alternate-endings
 - Highlights the significance of interactive films as a form of future entertainment.

http://articles.latimes.com/1995-02-18/entertainment/ca-33309_1_bad-guys
 - an early example of an interactive film released in 1995.

https://www.shortoftheweek.com/channels/interactive/
 - a collection of interactive short films.

Interactive films usually have multiple plot lines. Most interactive films have several endings based on the viewers' choices. It is quite rare to find interactive short films that have a single ending no matter what choices the viewers make during its course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPd8tD_G9ZU - (Choices by ChoicesforLifeTV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mk-HvA-LNY - (Sirens - The Interactive Film)
- these films are typical choice-based interactive shorts with multiple endings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUaN2oCOzs - (The Escape by ACDF Productions)
- a game-based interactive short film.

http://www.fiveminutes.gs - (FIVE MINUTES)
- this interactive short film utilizes interaction instead of choices.

From the research, the single ending is heavily considered for this idea as very little works based on this narrative approach could be found.

Training (instructional) website examples

Training websites can also include instructional or how-to websites. The main aim is to provide steps on how to perform a certain task and also some techniques that can be used.

Some training/instructional sites provide instructions with steps in text and images.
https://www.wikihow.com/ - one of the most popular sites for text and image steps.
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Stop-Motion-Video-of-Your-Favorite-Stuffed-Toy-or-Action-Figure - a very simple WikiHow guide on how to create a stop-motion movie.
https://developer.android.com/guide/ - Android Studio's online instructional manual.

A lot of training/instructional sites use video tutorials to document the steps.
https://www.lynda.com/ - online course videos for subscribers.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/videotutorials/ - a free online course site.

Some training/instructional sites use both videos, images and text.
http://www.instructables.com - an instructional site that offers step-by-step instructions in creative works.
https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/tutorials.html - Adobe's Photoshop tutorial site.

Several other training/instructional sites offer paid online video courses.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/film-distribution - a film learning course.
https://www.udemy.com/

There are also live online classes where tutors interact with students through the websites:
https://www.creativelive.com/
https://www.homeschoolacademy.com/home-school-programs/live-online-classes/

From the research, there is a variety of methods used in training/instructional websites. A lot of these sites use text and images while most video tutorials can be found in YouTube. Live videos need a connection to run.

Figure collector behavior research

What figurine collectors in YouTube have in common:
[Based on observations]

- They display their action figure collections in multiple shelves.
- Some also collect merchandise based on the franchises they loved.
- They also make videos showcasing their entire collections.
- Mostly, they make reviews of their figurines.
- A significant number of collectors on YouTube make films featuring their collections. Some use stop motion or live footage.

Examples of collection showcase videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsva51u6wbE - Transformers collector (Optibotimus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCtVsedun6U - Sailor Moon collector (Aurora Peachy)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf3UP2euXL0 - Godzilla collector (Goji73)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5fZcQ6JUlM - Jurassic Park collector (The Jurassic Park Collection)

So far, some figurine-collecting YouTube users make films based on their collection with visual and practical effects. However, a lot of amateur collectors or learners made a few errors when making their films. The website (Idea #1) is aimed to train these people.

Ideation of project

1. A training website for stop motion animation or toy films.

The website is targeted towards toy and action figure collectors. Some figure and toy collectors take to video sharing sites such as YouTube to review and make films out of their collections. The website would also address major problems faced in toy video making such as the owner's hands being visible in shots and ways to combine live footage and stop motion animation. The website is also planned to include visual effects and filming techniques carried out in live-action films and incorporate it into toy films.

2. An interactive short film using stop-motion on figurines in my collection.

So far, interactive films featuring figurines and stop-motion animation are quite rare and can be found in YouTube. "Interactive" videos in YouTube usually use clickable links on annotations applied to the videos. Usually, these consist of a series of separate videos, and the plot is non-linear, as viewers can follow varying story lines when choosing options.

Some examples of these videos are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZunBDYRDkA (PRIME VS. PRIME)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPQ1XrllZmA (Youtube Street Fighter)