FMP | Transformers

Watching Transformers 2 yesterday, the power of 'the' story was put into my head again. Following transformers from early childhood, you can easily see how much time and effort was put into the story and how the characters are connected together.
The story of the Cybertrons: Autobots vs. Decepticons, led by Optimus Prime and on the other hand Megatron, the endless fight between the brothers.

FMP | 'The Fränz' / Branding

Portfolio | Drafts

First drafts for my website. Center of the attention will be a 3D object reflecting either my name or my logo. The links will be created around the 3D object and interact.
I want to portray my work in a minimalistic, yet creative way with use of white space to make it less confusing for the viewer.

FMP | 'The Fränz' / Friends

Differently to the first initial drafts, I changed the main story line for 'The Fränz' from representing a family from Fränzland, to a circle of four individuals who are shaped completely individual from each other and being friends with distinctive key elements.

FMP | 'The Fränz'

Different meaning for Franz:

1. The boy's name Franz \f-ra-nz\ is a variant of Francis (Latin) and Frank, and the meaning of Franz is "frenchman; free man".

2. The baby name Franz sounds like Frans, Franzin, Franzen and Franzel. Other similar baby names are Frantz, Frann, Fran and Franc.

3. Franz is a very rare male first name and a very popular surname (source: 1990 U.S. Census). Displayed below is the baby name popularity trend for the boy's name Franz. Compare Franz with related baby names.

4. Franz is a small lunar crater that is located along the eastern edge of the Sinus Amoris, a bay that forms a northern extension to the Mare Tranquillitatis. It lies to the southwest of the prominent crater Macrobius. To the north is the smaller Carmichael, and to the northwest is the diminutive Theophrastus.

5. Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals) and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals).

6. Franz Wilhelm Seiwert (March 9, 1894 – July 3, 1933 was a German painter and sculptor in a constructivist style. Selbstbildnis (Self-portrait) by Franz Wilhelm Seiwert, 1928, oil on canvas, 79 x 50 cm, Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal. Seiwert was born in Cologne. He was seriously burned in 1901, at the age of seven, in an experimental radiological treatment, and afterward feared that his life would be short. He studied from 1910 to 1914 at the Cologne School of Arts and Crafts. In 1919 he took part in Dada activities; he was invited to exhibit in the large Dada exhibit in Cologne but withdrew at the last moment. In that same year he met Max Ernst, and also formed the Stupid group which included Heinrich Hoerle and Anton Räderscheidt.

7. Franz Joseph Spiegler (* 5 April 1691 in Wangen im Allgäu; † 15 April 1757 in Konstanz) was a German Baroque painter. He is best known for his frescoes, which decorate many of the churches and monasteries along the Upper Swabian Baroque Route. The frescoes in the Zwiefalten Abbey are considered his masterpiece.

8. Franz Anton Beckenbauer (born 11 September 1945) is a German football coach, manager, and former player, nicknamed der Kaiser ("the emperor") because of his elegant style, his leadership, his first name "Franz" (reminiscent of the Austrian emperors), and his dominance on the football pitch. He is generally regarded as the greatest German footballer of all time and also as one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game.

9. Franz Kafka (German pronunciation: [ˈfʀants ˈkafka]; 3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was one of the major fiction writers of the 20th century. He was born to a middle-class German-speaking Jewish family in Prague, Bohemia (presently the Czech Republic), Austria–Hungary. His unique body of writing—much of which is incomplete and which was mainly published posthumously—is considered to be among the most influential in Western literature.

10. The meaning of the name Franz is Free. The origin of the name Franz is German.
FRANZ
Gender: Masculine
Usage: German
Pronounced: FRAHNTS [key]
German form of Franciscus (see FRANCIS). This name was borne by the influential author Franz Kafka (1883-1924), writer of 'The Trial' and 'The Castle' among other works. Also, rulers of Austria and the Holy Roman Empire have had this name.

11. This is a name of Roman-Latin origins. It derives from "Franciscus", which was originally both an ethnic name used to describe a "Frank", later to be known as a "Frenchman", and a personal name of the 5th century a.d., which means "a free man". In the latter days of the Roman Empire, the Romans were permanently at war with the Franks. It may be that at this time the name was used as a derogatory term by the Romans, for somebody who claimed to be a free man. Be that as it may the later surname, which dated from the 12th century, became hugely popular world wide, there being over two hundred spellings! These range from the English Francis, the French Francois and Frances, the Spanish and Italian Francisco and Francie, to the diminutives Franzel (Germany), the Italian nickname forms Scotti (!), Ciccolini and Zecchi, to the patronymics Francesconi (Italy), Franssen (Germany), Franson (England), and the Polish Franciskiewicz . The popularity of "Franciscus" it is said, was due in large measure to the fame of St. Francis of Assisi (1187 - 1226), however the name was also associated with the Knight Templars (Crusaders) of the 12th century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Hugo Francus, which was dated 1135, in the register of Oseney Abbey, Oxfordshire, England, during the reign of King Henry 1, known as "The Lion of Justice", 1100 - 1135. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

FMP | SouthPark

South Park
is an American animated sitcom, created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the cable channel Comedy Central. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become infamous for its crude, surreal, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics. The ongoing narrative revolves around four children—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and their bizarre adventures in and around the titular Colorado town.

The show mostly follows a group of four boys—Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormick—and the adventures they share in South Park, a fictional small town located within the real-life South Park basin in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. The town, sometimes described within the show as "a pissant white-bread mountain town", is also home to an assortment of frequent characters such as students, families, elementary school staff, and other various residents. Prominent settings on the show include the local elementary school, bus stop, various neighborhoods and the surrounding snowy landscape, and the shops and businesses along the town's main street, all of which are based in appearance on similar locations in the town of Fairplay, Colorado.



Stan is portrayed as the everyman of the group, as the show's official website describes him as "a normal, average, American, mixed-up kid". Kyle is the lone Jew among the group, and his portrayal in this role is often dealt with satirically. Stan is modeled after Parker, while Kyle is modeled after Stone. Stan and Kyle are best friends, and their relationship, which is intended to reflect the real-life friendship between Parker and Stone, is a common topic throughout the series. Cartman—loud, obnoxious, and obese—is often portrayed as an antagonist, and whose anti-Semitic attitude has resulted in an ever-progressing rivalry with Kyle. Kenny, who comes from a poor family, wears his parka hood so tightly that it covers most of his face and muffles his speech. During the show's first five seasons, Kenny would die in nearly each episode before returning in the next with little or no definitive explanation given. During the show's first 58 episodes, the boys were in the third grade. In the season four episode "4th Grade" (2000), they—along with the other main child characters—entered the fourth grade, where they have remained ever since.

Plots are often set in motion by events, ranging from the fairly typical to the supernatural and extraordinary, which frequently happen upon the town. The boys often act as the voice of reason when these events cause panic or incongruous behavior among the adult populace, who are customarily depicted as irrational, gullible, and prone to vociferation. The boys are also frequently confused by the contradictory and hypocritical behavior of their parents and other adults, and often perceive them as having distorted views on morality and society.

FMP | The Simpsons

The Simpsons
is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and lampoons American culture, society and television, and many aspects of the human condition.



The family was conceived by Groening shortly before a pitch for a series of animated shorts with the producer James L. Brooks. Groening created a dysfunctional family and named the characters after members of his own family, substituting Bart for his own name. The shorts became a part of The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into a half-hour prime time show and was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990).
Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks had asked Groening to pitch an idea for a series of animated shorts, which Groening initially intended to present as his Life in Hell series. However, when Groening realized that animating Life in Hell would require the rescinding of publication rights for his life's work, he chose another approach and formulated his version of a dysfunctional family. He named the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name.

FMP | Disney/Pixar

Most significant cartoon character samples of the digital era.

FMP | Timeplan check

Timeplan check:

According to my initial time plan, Research stage is finishing within this week.

FMP | Pollocks Toy Museum

Pollocks Toy Museum
takes its name from Benjamin Pollock, the last of the Victorian Toy Theatre printers. Set up by Marguerite Fawdry who bought up the stock of Benjamin Pollock Ltd., after trying to buy one small item for her son’s toy theatre. Originally at Monmouth Street, near Covent Garden, the present museum has been at Scala Street since 1969.
Nearly every kind of toy imaginable turns up here from all over the world and from all different time perods. It’s a fascinating exhibition of toy theatres, teddy bears, wax and china dolls, board games, optical toys, folk toys, nursery furniture, mechanical toys and doll’s houses.

--> Beneficial to see the vivid variety of toys over the last 50 years and its development. An important message was that the toys are targeted to a wider audience.

FMP | Artists

Paul Klee
(18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was a Swiss painter of German nationality.[a] His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism.[1] Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented with and eventually mastered color theory, and wrote extensively about it. His works reflect his dry humor and his sometimes child-like perspective, his personal moods and beliefs, and his musicality. He and his friend, the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, both taught at the German Bauhaus school of art and architecture.



Pablo Picasso
(25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. As one of the most recognized figures in 20th-century art, he is best known for co-founding the Cubist movement and for the wide variety of styles embodied in his work. Among his most famous works are the proto-Cubist Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937), his depiction of the German bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War.










Henri Matisse
(31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid, brilliant and original draughtsmanship. As a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but principally as a painter, Matisse is one of the best-known artists of the 20th century. Although he was initially labeled as a Fauve (wild beast), by the 1920s, he was increasingly hailed as an upholder of the classical tradition in French painting.[1] His mastery of the expressive language of colour and drawing, displayed in a body of work spanning over a half-century, won him recognition as a leading figure in modern art.





Georges Braque
(13 May 1882 – 31 August 1963) was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art movement known as cubism.

FMP | Cubism

Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music and literature. The first branch of cubism, known as "Analytic Cubism", was both radical and influential as a short but highly significant art movement between 1907 and 1911 in France. In its second phase, Synthetic Cubism, the movement spread and remained vital until around 1919, when the Surrealist movement gained popularity.

FMP | Primary Research

Questionnaire:



Survey:

FMP | Concept Evaluation

Re-evaluating the different concepts, which were created in a brainstorm session, the most commercial viability can be found in The Fränz, which will be a story around a family called Fränz from Fränzland.




Characterization
is the process of conveying information about characters in fiction or conversation. Characters are usually presented by description and through their actions, speech, and thoughts.

Character
is any person, persona, identity, or entity that exists in a work of art. Along with plot, setting, theme, and style, character is considered one of the fundamental components of fiction. Characters may be entirely fictional or based upon real entities, contemporary or historical. They may be human, supernatural, mythical, divine, animal, or personifications of an abstraction. Characterization is the process of creating an image of a person in fiction, complete with that person's traits, features, and motivation.

Character development
A well-developed character is one that has been thoroughly characterized, with many traits shown in the narrative. The better the audience knows the character, the better the character development. Thorough characterization makes characters well-rounded and complex. This allows for a sense of realism. As an example, according to F.R. Leavis, Leo Tolstoy was the creator of some of the most complex and psychologically believable characters in fiction. In contrast, an underdeveloped character is considered flat or stereotypical.
Direct or explicit characterization
The author literally tells the audience what a character is like. This may be done via the narrator, another character or by the character him- or herself.

Indirect or implicit characterisation
The audience must deduce for themselves what the character is like through the character’s thoughts, actions, speech (choice of words, way of talking), looks and interaction with other characters, including other characters’ reactions to that particular person.


source: Character Design Today: 200 Powerful Characters and Applications by PIE (PIE Books / September 2008) & wikipedia

FMP | Concept d) F***ing MP's