Character Movement

After watching a few cat cartoons, I really enjoyed the movement and the sound effects played when the cat walks (0:15) in the tv show "Azumanga Daioh". This could work well for me, as these are minimal sounds and the movement of the cats legs are still distinguishable to a cat, but a very simplified version which is exactly the feel im going for in my animation-

Cat Walking

I decided to have a look at the movement and momentum of a cat, and the way it walks. This clip from youtube helps nicely as careanimalclinic slow down the motion midway through.




They basically walk directly on their paws, and are capable for walking very precisely. They place each hind paw almost directly in the print of the corresponding forepaw, minimizing noise and visible tracks. Cats use a pacing, moving two legs on one side of the body before the legs on the other side.

More Cats

I decided to do more research into cat styles as I now have a better feel for the adobe after effects program. I think a more simplistic style of cat will work best, as it being a quadroped makes it harder to animate with lots of detail. Some cat characters I looked at are:

JiJi, from "Kikki's Delivery Service"

Neko Koneko, from "Azumanga Daioh"

Nyanko-sensei. from "Natsumi yuujinchou"

Sketches

I did some more initial sketches to get an idea of a minimalistic stylization that I can carry out for my cat characte.-

Class Exercise

I completed the class exercise given and played around with the after effects program

Experimentation

I decided to experiment with the process of character animation by creating gifs. This follows the more traditional animation process of filming drawn sketches-

Goldfish 

Cat

Initial Sketches

Here I have done some initial rough sketches of what I imagine the main and minor characters of my animation could look like-

Main Character

My plot I have chosen focuses around a mysterious cat who appears to all under bad superstitions, but turns out not to be the source. I explored a range of potential styles I have seen in a number of cartoons and tried to resonate them. 

The character Baron Humbert von Gikkingen from Studio Ghibli's "The Cat Returns"was the most inspiring for my sketches. He is a surreal cat figment of imagination that talks and helps the protagonist.  I like Ghibli's unique representation of a cat and the stylization of the character.
URL- http://forums.wolfire.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14303&start=0

  


I really enjoy the form of this character Umbreon from the television series and gaming franchise "Pokemon". Again, a unique stylization of a cat-like creature. The simple flat colouring and bold outlining appeals to me.
URL- http://pldh.net/dex/sprites/umbreon

This mobile phone japanese accessory brand "Niconico Nekomura" are well recognized by their popular ear phone jack cat accessories. The simple design attracts alot of young woman, and I love minimalistic style and their 3D forms. This is a nice simpler style to transfer into a 2D animation.
URL- http://weheartit.com/entry/35834359







This card represents the Dash character from the anime "Cardcaptors". Its form is a cross between that of a cat and a fox. I like the harmonious, mysterious mood it creates through its big eyes and flowing tail and ears. These features suit the personality it is given.
URL- http://es.sakuracardcaptors.wikia.com/wiki/Carrera_(The_Dash,_%E9%A7%
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Minor Characters

The human body is extremely complex, and will be complicated to draw and vector for this animation. I think a more minimalistic style will work best for my animation and suit the innocence mood I am aiming to create. 

The "Adventure Time" style works really well for  this brief, as the characters have a basic but unique appearance. As facial features are better avoided to display emotion and mood for this assignment, having the simplistic dot eyes and basic mouth are ideal for the human characters to have.
URL- http://video.tvguide.com/shows/Adventure+Time?length=fullepisode

I came across this image whilst browsing deviantart, and really loved the characters structure! This is the sort of delicate simplified figure I am wanting to recreate for my characters.
URL- http://m4thz.deviantart.com/

Common Superstitions

A list of ideas I could include in my animation of common superstitions-

• Friday the thirteenth is an unlucky day
• A rabbit's foot brings good luck
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away
• To find a four-leaf clover is to find good luck
• If you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck
• If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck
• To break a mirror will bring you seven years bad luck
• To open an umbrella in the house is to bring bad luck
• To find a horseshoe brings good luck
• Step on a crack, break your mother's back
• You can break a bad luck spell by turning seven times in a clockwise circle
• Garlic protects from evil spirits and vampires
• Our fate is written in the stars
• At the end of a rainbow is a pot of gold
• Clothes worn inside out will bring good luck
• Wearing your birthstone will bring you good luck
• If you blow out all of the candles on your birthday cake with the first breath you will get whatever you wish for
• To have a wish come true using a wishbone, two people make a wish, then take hold of each end of the bone and pull it until it separates. The person with the longer end gets his or her wish
• An itchy palm means money will come your way
• A beginner will always have good luck: beginner's luck
• A cat has nine lives
• Eating fish makes you smart
• Toads cause warts
• A cricket in the house brings good luck
• Crossing your fingers helps to avoid bad luck and helps a wish come true
• It is bad luck to sing at the table
• It is bad luck to sleep on a table
• After receiving a container of food, the container should never be returned empty
• A lock of hair from a baby's first haircut should be kept for good luck
• A bird that comes in your window brings bad luck
• To refuse a kiss under mistletoe causes bad luck
• Goldfish in the pond bring good luck
• Goldfish in the house bring bad luck
• For good luck, wear new clothes on Easter
• An acorn at the window can keep lightning out of the house
• If the bottom of your feet itch, you will make a trip
• When a dog howls, death is near
• It is bad luck to chase someone with a broom
• A sailor wearing an earring cannot drown
• To find a penny heads up, brings good luck
• To cure a sty, rub it with a gold wedding band
• Animals can talk at midnight on Christmas Eve
• A drowned woman floats face up, a drowned man floats face down
• A person cannot drown before going under three times
• To drop a fork means a woman will visit
• To drop a knife means a man will visit
• To drop a spoon means a child will visit
• To drop a dishcloth means bad luck is coming
• If you shiver, someone is casting a shadow on your grave
• To make a happy marriage, the bride must wear: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
• The wedding veil protects the bride from the evil eye
• Washing a car will bring rain
• You must get out of bed on the same side you got in on or you will have bad luck
• Evil spirits cannot harm you when you are standing in a circle
• A cat will try to take the breath from a baby
• Warm hands, cold heart
• Cold hands, warm heart
• It is unlucky to rock an empty rocking chair
• To kill an albatross is to cause bad luck to the ship and all upon it
• Wearing an opal when it is not your birthstone is bad luck
• Smell dandelions, wet the bed
• To give someone a purse or wallet without money in it will bring that person bad luck
• A forked branch, held with a fork in each hand, will dip and point when it passes over water