I have used different brush textures in Photoshop to create a dirty effect to reflect the seedy atmosphere of a strip bar. It also creates depth and gives more interest to the backgrounds.






My characters with the background design.

In this background example for my animation the coloured lights in the background will be animated while the front white spotlight will remain the same.

more refined example of Candy's design

Example of my aesthetic.

Loretta after her self-surgery

Final character designs

Final Animatic

The idea for a different ending was last minute. I was going to have the new girl push Loretta off the stage but decided to have her fall off the stage. Then two men look like they are helping her up and she might have a happy ending after all but she is pushed down the stairs, more rejection, and ends up in the gutter.

Candy

These are my final character shapes for Loretta, the ageing stripper, and Candy, the young hot stripper.



Loretta

Revised Animatic

I do not want my design to be too grotesque as the design needs to contrast heavily with the grotesque figure we see after the mutilation of the body. I like the idea of metamorphosis: from human to monster, although not seen completely, the change is suggested. My reasoning for this was I wanted the viewers to be shocked by her sudden transformation rather than see it happen it front of their eyes. Her state of mind metamorphoses during the animation from a happy go lucky nature where the visual form is normal to a very unhappy, ugly persona. This is like a backward narrative to the Disney film ‘Beauty and the Beast’ when the ugly beast is at first mean and nasty but changes to a nice friendly handsome prince at the end of the film.

This image is very inspiring. I particularly like the colours and the simple lighting effect.

Changes made to Animatic