Pieces in the key of Justin

(Image found on Head Injury Theater's website for Art Crash in September of 2006)

I've set the goal of having a completely posed, camera ready story reel for next week. So I've been spending a lot of time figuring out how to end the piece. After posing Justin all the way through attaching the red piece I had animator's block and couldn't figure out how to have the last yellow piece arrive.

In talking to Jenny, she referenced choreography advice that she had gotten--establish a pattern and then break it. It seemed like sound advice, and I'd already established this pattern of the pieces falling from the sky. What if the last piece existed already? This would inextricably bind up Justin as fated to construct this puzzle (if there was no way for this puzzle to be completed without the piece he possesses, then only he can finish it). But where to put the piece? It has the shape of a key, but unfortunately the piece is too big to fit in a pocket or go around his neck.

So I started thinking about somehow having the piece be a part of him...its somewhat outlandish, but after watching the Oscar Nominated Shorts at IFC Film Center, and seeing Maestro by Geza M. Toth (below), I reminded myself--push for stylized animation!

I didn't want him to lose a piece of himself--i.e. ear, nose, foot...so I'd rather the piece be imbedded in him. I couldn't seem to resolve how to do this, make it visible to the viewer and seem integrated into the world. I did like the idea of it in his neck and he goes back to scratch his neck and finds it, but it ended up being a little too complicated--and not in keeping with the world I've constructed.

In the end I decided to imbed the piece in the rock and what draws his attention to it is a smaller version of himself sitting on a rock on the piece--I love this idea (thanks to Lauren) because it enhances the idea of worlds within worlds. So, now I just have to pose it all and figure out cameras!