Introduction
At NYP, we focus a lot on industrial projects to inject real-world scenarios into our work. For this project, we had to find a non-profit organization and create an animated web-comic to encourage youths to step out of their comfort zones and seek for volunteer work
(Skills: Research, Storyboarding, Animated GIFs, Social Media Marketing)
Approach
My chosen organization was SG Cares, a movement by the government to be a more inclusive society. Of all the government funded volunteer groups, SG Cares has one of the most youthful and optimistic communication style. They also launched an app that has a filtering system which matches volunteering opportunities through geolocation, making it easy for anyone to find a cause. However, a majority of youths are not aware of the app, despite it being a convenient one-stop for volunteering opportunities.
Style Mood board
The illustration style I've gone for is inspired by unrealistic, cartoon styles characterized by vibrant colors and exaggeration. These inspiration comes from popular TV shows such as Steven Universe and children picture books. I particularly admire the striking vibrancy and collaboration between realism and fiction altogether, which is the direction style of this web-comic.
Process
I storyboarded and illustrated the web-comic which entails animated frames. Starting with character sketches of our main character, Ray, and his mum.
Ray- A hesitant youth when it comes to volunteering because he is afraid of embracing new experiences alone and worries about the responsibilities he has to handle
Ray's Mum- A passionate nurse who constantly encourages her son to volunteer more as she wants her son to enjoy the joys that volunteering brings to people, just like how it makes her feel fulfilled and happy.
The process of my coloring typically follows sketching, cleaning up, line art, color blocking, and lastly, rendering. With a deliberate choice of colors, I used complementary colors that would make the artwork feel 'alive' and 'whimsical'
To amplify that fantasy experience, I have animated a few frames through Photoshop
Development
The storyline follows the main protagonist, Ray through an immersive fantasy/experience of volunteering. He finds himself transported to a mysterious land with cute tiny monsters (representative of his emotions) accompanying him.
Marketing Materials
Now, it is time to garner viewership and raise awareness from youths! Leveraging on the official IG account of SG Cares, I have curated a carousel post to incite anticipation from youths to read the comic linked in the bio as well as printing out physical posters that can be placed at school corridors provided with a QR code.
Takeaway
Creative storytelling told through the right words and visuals have so much more impact on different target audiences through digital means. With an added layer of animated frames into static pages makes reading much more intriguing and unexpected! I also managed to brush up on my illustration skills and find my style.
