We began last month’s Open Studio animating LEGO toys with Play-Well TEKnologies, a company devoted to teaching engineering to kids. Visitors were able to combine our animation software and tools with a countless array of LEGO characters and props, then make them into their own animated movies! The thrill of building and animating unique environments and scenes was enjoyed by visitors of all ages, and surely inspired visitors to see the iconic toys in a more lively light.
The end of May focused on the use of color in storytelling. Have you ever thought about how certain colors can inspire particular moods and emotions? Lighter colors can make you feel calmer, brighter colors can make you feel happy and excited, and darker colors can make you feel sad or scared. We explored storytelling through color in our Open Studio by giving a scene from your own original story an overall color and tone, emphasizing the emotion you are trying to influence with your color choice.
The workshop began with writing out the key moments and turning points of your story, breaking it down into five separate scenes. Once a story is outlined, the next step was to determine the overall mood of each scene and the colors that pair with those emotions. Just like a color script that would be made for an animated film, you can get a sense of story flow just by looking at the overall colors of each scene.
The next time you watch a film, whether it’s animated or live-action, see if you notice the color and tonal changes through each scene. Were these artists and filmmakers successful in influencing your emotions with not only the character and dialogue, but through color and tone as well?
Jenna Calvao
Studio Coordinator