The next stage on from my initial research stage was to actually put a pen to a big sheet of a3 and get some ideas down. This was one of the hardest stages of this project for me. Being given the freedom to do a project on whatever you like is both the nicest thing but also the WORST. As it opens up so many opportunities but also puts my decision making ability into overdrive.
Spinning off of the previous blog about how I looked into memes and the simple combination of copy and design. I decided to create my first idea, which went by the name of ‘The Chungus Chapter’. Now Chungus if you are wondering is a meme all about a fat bugs bunny, but chungus goes beyond just being a fat bunny. The word chungus is used amongst the meme community and millenials to describe anything and everything. After much contemplating and when I say much, I mean ALOT. I finally decided to bite the bullet and start developing this Chungus Concept.
My plan for Chungus Chapters was to create a series of short animations which would take simple one liners such as ‘How to catch a flight with Chungus’ but turn these one liners on their head creatively. Like in the same manor that How to lose your shit did their video. I would think of a long list of skits which I would then have to creatively twist and find an execution for. Another one liner as an example was how to eat healthy with chungus, and this episode would play out with Chungus going outside and eating anything green such as trees etc.
After developing Chungus in my head and on paper, I wrote up a brief revolving around exploiting a singular meme and turning it into a brand. I took my development to Brian and I myself just was not 100% over the idea of Chungus. Firstly it being a meme, secondly this is my final major project, which is why I had doubts as I just didnt think this would be taken seriously or substantial enough to be taken through to the end of the term and at the end, I hold a solid body of work. Which led me to cut this idea out as I decided, although it is a good idea with humour and culture behind it, the execution and shelf life of Chungus Chapters was shit in my opinion. Also the other reason why I did not go ahead with Chungus was due to copyright reasonings.
Which takes me onto my second stage of ideation and concepts. I went back to the drawing board and thought this time to come up with a character of my own and revolve a whole brand around that. Which is where Rim was born.
Rim was a character which I had a lightbulb moment with. Based upon the insight of the world being flooded with people that are just pure arseholes. So I figured coming up with Rim I could create a brand with a whole series of meme style illustrations and animations that followed the life of Rim. The rim name evolving from the rim of an arsehole…..
I began developing Rim through the a3 sheet above but also in terms of creating rim. Finding a simple style which I could then transfer over to animations etc was proving a lot harder than i thought. It was not easy to distinguish my little character to be an actual arse hole. I had the same feel during this development of Rim as I did with Chungus. I just didn't feel like it was the one idea to run with.
Baring in mind that this is a good two weeks on from finishing my D&AD submission, the pressure was starting to mount on myself to get the ball rolling. With Rim, i had the vision of using animation and copy to execute this, but the animation side was the part I thought may be too ambitious. Which led me onto my breakthrough one to one with Steve Stacey one thursday afternoon.
I had not shown Steve any of my work or development so I had to give him the rundown from the beginning to the stage I was at. I said how I want to base this character or series of illustrations around simple animation and copy, Also stressing to him that I hated animation, to which he replied jokingly, then don't bloody do animation.
That was the point in which I felt like I had switched on and found my FMP. I ditched Rim completely as it just was not a substantial enough idea like Chungus.
Which is where my final idea came from. My chat with Steve was the launchpad to Creative Bantz. He told me to go and check out Mr Bingo’s postcards and also Modern Toss. Which were both heavily inspiring to me. Creative Bantz is a copy and illustration based brand which purpose is to solely take the piss out of certain parts of the creative industry.
The Next stage after this lengthy ideation and concept stage was to crack on and develop Creative Bantz.