Animation Mentor Class 4 - Pantomime with a dear childhood toy

I had a few ideas for this one.  The concept I settled on was some sort of longing.  My first idea was a guy chucking something into a lake.  Maybe a ring, a locket, or an heirloom; something valuable, but something that held too many painful memories.  The point right before he throws away the object would be a really interesting emotional shift.

As I'm apt to do, the first idea was very long winded.  A pause, a reluctant throw, a failed throw followed by a casual toss, a wistful glance back, a struggle to recover it.  All of those ideas were cliche, but at the same time they held a clarity I didn't want to lose.  From my last several storyboards, I settled on a guy throwing away a beloved stuffed animal.

I thought of it as the Toy Story 3 moment, where Andy grows up and has to give away his toys.  I'm not ashamed to admit I still have a couple stuffed animals, so this idea spoke to me.  The lake was simplified into a trashcan (with a push-button lid for interest), and the wistful glances and reluctance were kept in.  I thought this was an idea that would hit home for most people -- the concept of giving up your childhood, or losing something that was once important to you.

Also, writing "Old Stuff" on the box did wonders for subtle readability.

In the end, I quite like this one.  The story is clear, the emotions are clear, and the environment is simple, but reads nicely.

Have some progress shots!