Lighthouse: A Compendium of the Visual Development Process

Abstract

Lighthouse: A Compendium of the Visual Development Process delineates an approach of developing a narrative for an animated film beyond the initial visual exploration. This paper establishes the current methodology of commercial productions within the customary phase of pre-production, where the project is grounded in visual research and preliminary conceptual design based on a screenplay or narrative brief. The author will demonstrate the strata of pre- production stages utilizing an original project created in 2018 to provide a broad overview of the process of taking the written word through the stages of research and design to create a visual framework for the remaining production phases to build upon. There will not be specific disclosure of tools used in the creation of this project unless they have direct relevance to the process. The focus remains primarily on the methodology of the execution of the thesis. Drawing from three decades of industry experience the author will also touch upon a possible landscape where the design process continues throughout the production pipeline and how the methodology may be valuable in assisting the evolution the project narrative