Essay Research: Normal McLaren (1914-1987)

I'm thinking about doing my 1,500 written assignment on Norman McLaren (1914-1987)
Some Sites I have been looking at..

Only a small bit of info on here:
http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/446775/

*gulps* - No Comment - 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Mclaren

A nice bit of info on here:
http://www.anim8ed.org.uk/resources_index_mclaren.asp

Norman McLaren Videos/Animation:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=norman+mclaren&hl=en&safe=off&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=TRWiS7_8C6H80wT__MT-CQ&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=10&ved=0CC0QqwQwCQ

Norman McLaren Images:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=norman+mclaren&oq=&gs_rfai=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=TRWiS7_8C6H80wT__MT-CQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CB8QsAQwAw

At the moment it's just a list of websites. But watch this space. I WILL be updating it.

Story Idea!

Hey everyone I've been thinking all week what my story could be about. and I think I've come to terms with it.

A RAPACIOUS KITE: The story.. The kite is a 'box-kite' like below.

• The story begins with, Day 1: a young boy letting his kite out, the kite soars through the air, getting quite high it see's a bird. The kite 'chases' the bird trying to catch it in its so-called mouth. (The front of the kite flaps about as if he is getting hungry.) Doesn't quite catch him, the boy brings the kite back down and goes back indoors.
• Day 2: The boy comes out again, sends the kite up again, like before, the kite soars around, and spots the same bird again. He tries harder this time to catch the bird, you can see him trying harder due to 'stretching + distorting' again he doesn't quite make it and decides that's all for this day.
• Day 3: the boy comes out for the final day, this time the kite goes up, soars about for a while and spots the same bird! He sets up the chase, he speeds towards the bird, he is now right behind the bird, nearly got him in his 'mouth', when the camera cuts to the kites' string, we see it start to fray and snap

The string snaps and the kite shoots towards the bird, the bird carries on flying normally and the kite shoots  right around the bird and plumets to the floor. The camera cuts back to the bird who is 'laughing' at the kite, the bird then hits the wall face first and the scene fades out.

Now.. Does that get too complicated? I would love to have some input please people :) Thanks.

After Todays Briefing

I have walked away today feeling more confident about this project than the past ones.
We have also been asked to produce, over the next 5 weeks, a History of Animation - Timeline.
We watched a documentary about 2D animation it featured the following:

• John Lasseter - Pixar/Disney
• 101 Dalmations - 1961
• Where the Wild Things Are - 1963 (book)
• Snow White and The Seven Dwarves - 1937
• Otto Mesmer - Paramount Pictures
• Felix 1919-1930
• Chuck Jones - Warner Bros & Sib Tower 12 Productions
• Bugs Bunny - 1933 (Warner)
• Daffy Duck - 1933 (Warner)
• Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote - 1933 (Warner)
• Sylvester - 1933 (Warner)
• Tom & Jerry - 1940-1959 (SibTower)
• Winsor McCay - 
• Little Nemo - 1911
• Gertie the Dinosaur - 1914
• The Sinking of the Lusitania - 1918
• Steamboat Willie - 1928
• Snow White - 1937
• Tin Toy - 1986
• Wallace & Gromit: The wrong trousers - 1993
• Toy Story - 1995
• Chicken Run - 2000
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action - 2003
• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabit - 2005
• Wallace & Gromit used references to Alfred Hitchcock

These are a few of the animations we looked at. I have noted the dates of them, which will help towards the timeline.

Unit 5 Intro.

Unit 5 is my unit for change. And this time I mean it. Lets begin.

Example 2D Hand Drawn Animation:

Unit 5's main focus is on the traditional hand drawn 2D animation.

The Rapacious Kite, he's a greedy character. I think i've come to terms with the kite being male,

as he is 'Greedy'.

Is he greedy for clouds?

The strings holding him up?

 The birds flying in the sky?

Maybe even leaves on the trees?

These are just a few ideas I've had this morning. I think the most likely one that I might use is the Clouds or Birds. But I can still change my mind :D