Music by Slip.stream - "Coming Close" - https://slip.stream/tracks/02aa811c-12ab-4384-8f2a-822152e7a900
The gumball machine offers gumballs freely, trying to please anyone who passes by. No matter how the machine is treated, its response is the same: it always gives. This gumball machine is bright and full of generosity but is backed into a corner of a dark hallway and starkly contrasts the environment. All the gumballs are the same color; no matter how it is treated or taken advantage of, it will always give with the same intention to please everyone else. It gives freely and encourages people to take from it; even if the gumballs are discarded and forgotten on the floor, the machine keeps giving.
Awarded Best in Show
RIT College of Art and Design Graduate Showcase 2024
RIT College of Art and Design Graduate Showcase 2024
Process Work
Mood Board
Initially, I wanted to model the gumball machine and the environment using more neutral materials. Then, as seen in my initial mood board, I used pink and blue lights to "paint" the models with light. I wanted to create a scene where the environment almost controlled the machine.
Initial Story Board
Greybox Model
Animatic
Materials
While I liked the look the colored lights gave, I experimented with approaches to achieve the mood I was going for.
The grey, metallic room felt too sterile and didn't capture the playfulness I was looking for.
The light-colored pastel room swung too far in the opposite direction, feeling too playful.
I chose to emphasize the separation of the machine and its environment through color. I decided to rely less on the lights to create the blue/pink mood and instead apply that mood through the materials. I still used pink-tinted light but got rid of the blue light.
Gumball Colors
After choosing the color to separate my model from the environment, I curated each color palette, creating unity while remaining distinct.
I muted the environment and prioritized the gumball machine, creating the focal point with more striking color variations.
Texture and Realism
While I wanted this to have a playful and almost other-worldly feel, I still wanted it to have an element of realism. As seen in the test renders below, I experimented with the materials for the dial and gumballs, testing a more shiny and wet look.
I ultimately decided to keep the materials more realistic for balance as I wanted to add the eerie feeling elsewhere in the composition.
Music
I didn't want this animation to feel circus-y, so I ground this eerie feeling I was going for through music.
The piece I selected has a clear harp beat that allows for distinct cuts to match the music and is mysterious enough to match my concept.
Finishing Touches
To amplify the gumball machine's personification, I let the machine dispense gumballs on its own, allowing the dial to spin on its own accord, trying to please everyone.
This can be seen in the final animation as the dial spins on its own, as evidenced by the countless gumballs accumulating on the floor. Another element of this narrative is in the "help yourself" message on the dial. The people pleaser is essentially asking for their gumballs (their effort) to be taken away from them.
I rearranged the shot sequence to allow for a final reveal/impact of the accumulation of gumballs discarded on the floor. I opened the sequence with close-up shots to draw the viewer in and create curiosity, slowly revealing the subject.