My Ghost train animation

Well everyone I have now just finished my second year in Uni and here`s my last animation project of the term.

 In this animation a humanised diesel express train has an alarming encounter with a mystery steam train one night, which strangely vanishes when the diesel attempts to stop itself. The diesel is confused until it rounds a corner and sees that part of the track ahead of it has been damaged and washed away by a landslide. The diesel panics and just narrowly manages to stop itself from plunging over the cliff.

We then discover that 70 years ago in that same spot, a steam freight train had an accident by plunging to its death after it failed to notice the huge breach in the track in time. As a result the ghost of that steam engine still haunts that section of track to warn and prevent any other trains from having the same fate (which turns out to be what the express diesel train saw at the beginning).

 I did this project because Trains have been one of my favourite hobbies since I was a child and I`m happy to have done the project. Although I didn`t manage to finish all the animation on time I still feel quite pleased with it and I hope you`ll all enjoy it too.

I had my assessment today and I passed really well, I haven`t had the grade yet though but I`ll let you all know when I get it.

 NOTE: I know there isn`t any smoke coming from the steam engine, I ran out of time before I could add the smoke in.

 

 

Above is a rough animatic video which I put together to see if the story would work with the original storyboard an rough sketches I did (I had animated a few scenes when I did this animatic).

Also as you can see in this animatic there where scenes at a big railway station that didn`t make it into the final product, first at the beginning where the steam engine starts off, and then mid way through when the diesel express train tells the other diesels it`s horrifying encounter with the steam train (and one diesel remembers hearing about a steam engine`s accident in that part of the line years ago and tells the others that the steam engine`s ghost continues to haunt the line to this day). There was also another scene at the end showing the ghost train steaming and disappearing into the night.

I was going get these scenes into the final product, but because I`d spent so much time doing the research and rough sketching, I ran out of time before I could animate them. But in future I`ll make sure that I get all the research done much sooner so that I can get more of the actual animation done.


Below are my character designs.

The first image above shows the design of the trains from the side views. The second image below shows the original facial designs of the trains, the designs had to be changed due to copyright issues with "Thomas the Tank Engine" and another train cartoon.

The third and fourth images below show the following facial designs. The designs on the right of each image are the final designs I went ahead with.

 

 

 

 

The two images below are the character sheets, which show the different poses and facial expressions of the Steam and Diesel train.

 

 

 

Well I cannot believe it, but on YouTube this animation of mine has had over 800 views in just 2 months, I`m very greatful to everyone who viewd it!!!

Also before I forget, I got a grade B for the video. I feel really proud to have had this grade after all the hard effort I put into this animation.