April 2, 2018: Pre-Quarter Assignment

In preparation for our Concept Development class, we were given a pre-quarter assignment in which we were to find a short film under three minutes that we thought would help represent our vision for our senior projects. With that in mind, we had to explain why we chose it and what elements influence us. The short I chose was "The Incredible Shrinking Day," which aired on Cartoon Network in the early 2000s.

This was a bumper segment that was aired by Cartoon Network back in the early 2000s, featuring stylized interpretations of characters from the show, Ed, Edd n Eddy. I remember enjoying the short when it aired for the music, the visual style, and the overall outlandish nature of the characters being shrunken down to toy size. As I see this again, I really this latter feature, especially the parts when the three are stuck in their respective rooms in the dollhouse and when they escape in the toy car, and are being chased down by Sarah.

I also really enjoyed the brief montage at the beginning as the three wake up and put on their clothes. In just a handful of scenes, it shows these characters and links them together. I also really enjoyed the visuals of this short. One reason may be because it was a total revamping of the characters and shift from the original style of the show. Regardless, I really enjoyed the character design as well as the combination of the 2D characters and the 3D environment.

When I watch films or television, one of my favorite elements I like to focus on is the dynamic between a group of friends, which is common in Ed Edd n Eddy. The three must put up with each other and their differences and work together to achieve a goal, which, in the case of this short, is to run away from Sarah. The group dynamic is a major influence on my work in general, and I want to incorporate this into my own concept. The absurdity of the plot is another thing that I want to see reflected in my concept. While it will not be the same idea as shrinking someone and playing with them like a doll, I might want to take it in a similar goofy direction. Overall, this work can point the way I want my concept to go because it relies on a group of friends who must work together while in a ridiculous situation.