The Snow Queen Goes Interactive finally online

It is great news to announce that The Snow Queen Goes Interactive is finally online! Viewers can now enjoy the interactive short film on YouTube. Pick away and tell your own version of the famous story!

Note: The release will be in time for the upcoming Anomali 1505 exhibition at The One Gallery, Bandar Sunway. Do stop by and try it out at the exhibition too! The exhibition runs from 28 February to 7 March 2019.

Poster release

A poster has been made for the short film's showcase in an upcoming student exhibition!

Test screening results

Test screenings and functionality tests for the film have been conducted throughout the month of January. A total of eight testers tried the film. The results are as follows:

• Visual effects are decent, and there is room for improvement.
• The short's pacing may be too fast or too slow.
• Overall interaction and scene changes are seamless.

Production is finally complete!

The Snow Queen Goes Interactive has finally wrapped up editing! It will then run through a series of revisions before the final version hits YouTube.

Updates for 2019!

The Snow Queen Goes Interactive is now nearing its end of post production!

Music and audio will come from incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) and Immediate Music.

Editing backgrounds and keying characters in Premiere in progress.

Green screen backdrops

Backdrops are almost done for the project!

Outside the siblings' house.

The Snow Queen's throne room.

Inside the mirror.

The frozen lake.

The fountain.

The square.

The village in winter.

The village in summer.

Delayed release and trailer reveal!

Due to conflicting schedules that includes rushed paperwork deadlines, production of The Snow Queen Goes Interactive is slowing down. Currently, the short is in its post-production stages, with all the stop-motion sequences rendered and ready for editing. The short is expected to be released on YouTube at end 2018, but will be pushed to a new date: by February 2019.

At the same time, a series of functionality tests were conducted. And the project is also given a new task: to make an introductory video for the project to show its functionality and introduce the project altogether.

Major updates!

It's the beginning of December and the film is on track to composition. During a discussion session with the lecturer, several style frames of the expected video have been made.

Scene 1 - Choice

Scene 1 Choice B

Scene 2 - Choice

Scene 3 - Choice

Scene 3

Scene 4

The discussion session highlights the typeface and composition of user interface elements. Several suggestions are made by the lecturers:

• Consider the target audience when choosing the typeface. As this is for college students, a flat, simple and minimalist typeface should be used.
• The choice buttons can be resized to smaller sizes.
• Add some white space (empty space) for breathing room.
• For scene 3 (choice), the question can be placed on top of Ann's head while the choice buttons may be placed above Ben's head, considering the choice buttons can be resized to be smaller.
• Choice button arrangement can be consistent.
• Add thematic frames to the buttons. Consider using complimentary (contrasting) colors or neutral (light grey) for the buttons.

Steps to be taken when editing:

• Add frames to the buttons.
• Change typeface to a simpler, flat typeface
• Rearrange the button composition to accommodate breathing space.

Updated production schedule!

Shooting has wrapped up!

Shooting for the film wrapped up on November 12, 2018!

The editing process will begin soon after,a and the film is expected to be completed by end 2018.

Considerations and suggestions

Several considerations are being made for the film:

• Character scale: characters are scaled due to age difference. 
• Thought bubbles: Instead of subtitles, thought bubbles will be employed to show which character says their lines.

Production schedule!

Work on the project will begin on September 18, 2018. The project is expected to be completed by the end of December 2018.

Ben's clay sculpt

Ben is now made with modelling clay covering the wooden mannequin! The switch to modelling clay is because the figures I use have commonly smooth surfaces, in which modelling clay can be considered for the smooth surfaces, and is consistent to the figurines' appearance.

Sculpting in progress.

YouTube Annotations and Cards

Based on the YouTube channel, the site discontinued annotations on May 2, 2017. They were replaced by cards to link to related videos, channels, websites and polls.

So, tutorials on YouTube linked cards will be consulted in making the project.
http://tubularinsights.com/youtube-interactive-cards-tips/
https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-youtube-cards-in-your-videos/

End screens are also strongly considered by YouTube for the links to the videos.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6388789?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

Green screen and background Chroma key

The project will use Chroma keying with the use of a green screen. It will be carried out in Premiere and After Effects.

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/atv/cs5-cs55-video-tutorials/creating-a-green-screen-key-using-ultra-key.html

https://helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/keying.html

These tutorials will aid in the keying process.

Casting update

After the first showcase of the idea, the lecturer team suggests about reconsidering the cast since "Ben" is slightly taller than the other two characters and had a smaller head based on the current design. The team also suggests the Queen to be larger. The Figma #308 Queen Elsa can be considered for use. I had it unopened since I got it on 1 May 2017.

As for the sizes of the other characters, they will be sized like this as they are within the ranges of 9 to 11 years old.

Decision making scenes concept

The decision making scenes in the short will be based on those commonly found in YouTube interactive videos.

Note that the main character's design is still under development.

The name "Ann" may still be discussed as the name sounds very similar to the figurine character's original name "Anna".

Character WIP

Character posters coming soon! Main character design pending approval.

Art direction: Mood board references

The color correction of the short will be based on the weather of the scene. Most of the film is based on winter weather.

Summer weather scenes will have color correction based on warm and vivid colors.

Modifying the plot

Scene 1

Ben and Ann read about the Snow Queen. One winter, Ben sees the Snow Queen, who wants to visit him.
Choice A: Ben agrees to let her in.
Ben lets the Queen in. She tells him about a cursed magic mirror.
Choice B: Ben decides to tell Ann first.
Ben tells Ann about the Queen's visit, also saying that she turned out to be nice in person. They let her in, and the Queen tells them about the cursed mirror.

Scene 2

On a pleasant summer day, Ben finds the mirror and suddenly its powers affect him. Ben goes missing.
Choice A: Ben goes to the square.
Ben finds the Snow Queen's sleigh carriage parked at the square. The Queen is shocked about his condition and decides to take him to her palace. Luckily, Ann is here and follows the sleigh carriage to the Snow Queen's palace.
Choice B: Ben goes to the large fountain.
Ben finds the Snow Queen at the fountain, who is shocked about his condition. The Queen goes back to Ben's house and tells Ann about Ben's condition. Ann agrees to follow the Queen to her palace.

Scene 3
The characters arrive at the Snow Queen's palace, which houses an ice lake. The Queen says that there is only one way to release Ben from the effects of the magic mirror. Meanwhile, Ben is trying to form a secret word that the Queen is trying to find to neutralize the mirror's powers.
Choice A: Act of love
Ann kisses Ben on the forehead, and he is saved by the power of their love.
Choice B: Warmth with love
Ann gives Ben a warm cardigan she brought along with her. Ben is relieved of the mirror's effects and finds out that Ann's love for him also worked in curing him of the mirror's effects.

Scene 4
Find the secret word!
Choice A: "ETERNAL" - Normal ending
The characters dance on the ice lake so joyously, with the cracks spelling the word "ETERNAL". The mirror's powers finally dissipate, and the magic mirror disappears. Ben and Ann return home after thanking the Queen for her help. Ben and Ann return home to find out that it's summertime.
Choice B: "FRIENDSHIP" - Secret ending
The characters dance on the ice lake so joyously, with the cracks spelling the word "FRIENDSHIP". The magic mirror breaks, revealing two pairs of skates. The Snow Queen decides to give the skates to Ben and Ann as a gift for their gratitude. Ben and Ann return home after thanking the Queen for her help. Ben and Ann return home to find out that it's summertime, but the lake is still frozen. They find out that the Snow Queen froze the lake for them to skate on.