shop and pattern trials colours ect. markers

Initial designs of shop exterior

Kendra has been drawing up some designs for shop exteriors.

Initial plan of shop interior

Katie created a rough plan of the shop layout from the animatic, to explain where the props would be. By photographing the set from different angles, we can create a photomontage of the set to bring in those wonky angles often seen in 1950s set design.  

Research: Shop Interiors

Katie and Kendra collected photos of boutique shoe shops to analyse their layout and design. 

50s set design

These were collected from the book 'Cartoon Modern' written by Amid Amidi. We like the wonky angles - they're so wrong that it's right! - and the printed block colours which don't stay inside the lines. 

Moodboards for shop interior (set dressing)

These moodboards are ideas for the interior of the shop - pastel walls, heavily patterned furnishings and checkerboard flooring. Images taken from magazines, Cath Kidston shops and Crown & Crumpet in San Fransisco.

The High Street by Alice Melvin

The High Street is a childrens' book, written and illustrated by Alice Melvin. It's not quite in the 50s style we are after, but I love the traditional designs and details put into the facades of the buildings and the nifty way the pages fold out to show the interiors of the shops.  http://www.alicemelvin.com/ 

50s Style Illustration

An American in Paris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcD-e05HJ8

This dance sequence in An American in Paris, starring Gene Kelly, uses different coloured backgrounds to show the different parts of the character's personality. In each dance the background is full of real props and furniture and everything is painted in shades of one colour. This makes the space look almost flat and unreal, like a stage set. I would like a similar look for our animation, referencing the very flat 50s design.