How I made 'Play Ball!'

Intro to my film, Play Ball!

To practice directing, I decided to make a short film and bring another animator on board for me to lead. I wanted to make a film that was fun and playful, which led me to make Play Ball! Here is my process for making the film.

Brainstorming

I wanted to make an animation with simple characters. A simple character is made with simple shapes, and no shape is simpler than a circle or sphere. I began to think about what kind of characters I could make using a sphere and decided on personified sports balls.

I began to think about what kind of sports balls I should use. Then I remembered how, as a child, I heard many adult sports fans complain about how it makes no sense that American Football is known as football when it does not even allow for feet to be used for most of the game, and how soccer, also known as fútball, is the true football. I also remembered hearing about and researching how violent the game of rugby can be

I came up with the idea of an American Football and a soccer ball fighting over who is the better sport, only for both of them to be intimidated by a rugby ball.

Script Writing

I wrote a short script for the animation. It was short because I wanted to focus on making a fun story in a small amount of time.

Character Design

Once I came up with the idea, it was time for me to make and design the characters. The first character I made and designed was Alf.

My drawing of Alf

Alf is an American Football. He is generally fun and inviting, as long as you don't bother him. When I first drew Alf, he had longer eyes, but then I realized that they made him look like a frog, so I decided to make them round.

The first design of Alf, on the right, compared to his redesign, on the left.

Next, it was time to make the soccer ball character. I practiced drawing a soccer ball, and then I designed Roberto. He is confident and goes after what he wants.

My drawing of Roberto.

Finally, it was time to make the character for rugby. I made Roby. He is intimidating and does not like to be crossed.

My drawing of Roby.

Making The Animatic

Now that I had my characters, it was time for me to flesh out the animation. I drew a background and then drew rough drawings of the different scenes for the animation over the drawing. I used these rough drawings to make an animatic.

My animatic for my short animation, Play Ball!

Recruiting

I wanted to practice directing with this film, so I decided to ask someone who I knew was practicing animation to animate for me. The animator is Jessica L., and she was excited to join the project. I made a presentation about my short film and invited her to a Zoom call to show her. I asked if she wanted to take on the challenge, and she agreed.

Directing

I explained to Jessica L. the story and gave her my animatic to work from. We met weekly for her to show me her progress and for me to give her my critique. I would explain what changes I wanted to be made, such as making the characters' actions more exaggerated.

Before she even started the animation, she began to practice drawing the characters. She shared with me that it was difficult for her to draw the soccer design on Roberto, so I changed the design and made it so that only one pentagon under his mouth had to be visible.

The practice drawings of the characters by the animator.

I changed Roberto's design by having only one pentagon visible under his mouth so that he was easier to animate.

Jessica L. then made the clean lines for the animation after her rough stage of animating it.

Animator Adding Her Touch

One thing I enjoy as a director is when the people I am directing add something they thought of. When Jessica showed me the animation she did at a later stage for the film, she animated the character, Roby, giving the audience a wink at the end. I enjoyed it, and I am glad she thought of it.

Coloring

When the job of the animator was done, I then had to add color to the characters. I decided to keep it black and white for it to have the feel of an old cartoon.

A clip of me adding color to Alf.

Finishing Touches

Finally, it was time for me to add the final things to the animation. I added sound effects and the credits at the end. Adding sound was probably the most fun because it added life to the animation.

Conclusion

Play Ball! is one of my favorite animations I have made so far because I ignored perfectionism, focused on lessening my habit of procrastinating, and had fun while completing the project.