Modeling Process

Arch created using the bridge tool. 

Narrative and Music

I asked my father to be my narrator for this animation because I wanted a male voice over and an English accent (my father is English). After I recorded all the script, I found it was too long so I'll need to cut it down quite a bit. I thought it was quite a basic script anyway so to cut it down even further worries me a bit. 

The video has pauses between some of the sentences and that's because they were recorded as separate files.

Narration of Script (no visuals in the video sorry)

Monk Music
12th and 13th Century Monk music. The first track I want in my video. 

The monk music will be in the background while the narrator talks. Play both videos together and it'll sound like this for the animation. 

Asset List of all the models I will build

I will completely build The main building (on the left side) but not the smaller attached buildings. Since the building is quite symmetrical I was build half of it and mirror it and build whatever is not symmetrical afterwards. I will not focus on the back of the building at all so I'm not sure if I will build it completely. 

• Whole of main building
• Inside of one room (with the high ceilings) 

I will also build the inside but just the inside of a front room.

Researching 12th-13th Century Maps

This style here is what I really want to have for my animation but for more browney, yellow ochre colours.  

Final Script

I rewrote my script to sounds more articulate and more appropriate for a museum video.

New Script: 

Narrator Script:Glastonbury Abbey is in Somerset, England.   During medieval times between 800 and 1,000 people lived there.

 In the 13^th Century Glastonbury Abbey became immensely popular with pilgrims as  its monks promoted the Abbey as the home of King Arthur and his mythical Round Table.

Pilgrims became Glastonbury Abbey’s main source of income so that by the 14^th Century it was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England.  But all this changed after Henry VIII began the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 to take their income and assets.  

In 1539 Henry closed Glastonbury Abbey and made it’s riches forfeit to the Crown.

Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury refused to surrender the Abbey and remained loyal to the Pope.  For this, Henry had him hung, drawn and quartered as a traitor, along with two other monks.  Whiting’s head was fastened over the West Gate.

The Abbey was stripped of its valuables, and over the centuries its buildings ruined as roofing lead and dressed stone were taken away to be used in other buildings

Full New Script:

Scene starts with an old fashioned map of England (cropped in close to Glastonbury's surrounding towns). Narration starts as the camera moves around the map.

Narrator:  Glastonbury Abbey is in Somerset, England.   During medieval times between 800 and 1,000 people lived there.

Bottom left corner, writing fades in saying: "Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, England.
5th-15th Century. 
Population estimated 800-1,000"
Zooms through map, then grey clouds to reveal the scene. The scene has no buildings in sight, just fields and nature. The background is a matte painting. Sunny, bright lighting. 
Writing fades out. 

Narrator: In the 13^th Century Glastonbury Abbey became immensely popular with pilgrims as  its monks promoted the Abbey as the home of King Arthur and his mythical Round Table.

Glastonbury Abbey building fades into place. Establishing shots. Camera starts panning around the outside of the building. 
Writing in bottom left corner says: "13th Century"

Narrator: Pilgrims became Glastonbury Abbey’s main source of income so that by the 14^th Century it was one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in England.  But all this changed after Henry VIII-

Writing fades out. Zoom past an English flag moving in the wind (the one from that time: The Royal Standard of England 1405-1603). Camera then moves into building to reveal inside.

 Narrator: began the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536 to take their income and assets.  

Bottom left corner writing says: "1539". The sky and scene becomes darker and depressing.

 Narrator: In 1539 Henry closed Glastonbury Abbey and made it’s riches forfeit to the Crown. Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury refused to surrender the Abbey and remained loyal to the Pope.  For this, Henry had him hung, drawn and quartered as a traitor, along with two other monks.  Whiting’s head was fastened over the West Gate.

Camera moves out of the building. Shadow of three hanging men in front of Glastonbury Abbey. Subtle blood on the ground. "1539" writing fades out. 

Narrator: The Abbey was stripped of its valuables, and over the centuries its buildings ruined as roofing lead and dressed stone were taken away to be used in other buildings 

Crowd yelling noises. Fades to current state of building in ruins -a photograph, not 3D model. Bottom left side writing says "Glastonbury Abbey currently". Scene fades out.

END.

Storyboarding

Script Development

Rough Outline of Script:

• Population of about 800-1000 people
• Surrounded by fields (completed with matte painting) and also has a vineyard
• Attracted many pilgrims. Financially benefited from this greatly
• Henry VIII came into power in 1509. 
• In 1534 Henry VIII declared he was the head of the Church of England
• In 1539 he closed Glastonbury
• This resulted in no more pilgrim visits
• The Abbot refused to submit and was hung, drawn and quartered with two other monks in 1539
• The quarters of the bodies were publicly displayed in Glastonbury and three other Somerset towns
• Glastonbury was then 'cannibalized' by the people who took stone from it for building
• Fortunately the abbots kitchen survived

Script:

Scene starts with an old fashioned map of England (cropped in close to Glastonbury's surrounding towns). Narration starts as the camera moves around the map.

Narrator: Glastonbury Abbey is located in Somerset, England. During the medieval times the popularity of the town was estimated at 800-1,000 people.

Bottom left corner, writing fades in saying: "Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset, England.
5th-15th Century. 
Population estimated 800-1,000"
Zooms through map, then grey clouds to reveal the scene. The scene has no buildings in sight, just fields and nature. The background is a matte painting. Sunny, bright lighting. 
Writing fades out. 

Narrator: In around the 1250's, Glastonbury Abbey was immensely popular with pilgrims. 

Glastonbury Abbey building fades into place. Establishing shots. Camera starts panning around the outside of the building. 
Writing in bottom left corner says: "1250s"

Narrator: This was Glastonbury Abbeys main source of income at the time.  However after Henry the 8th became King of England-

Writing fades out. Zoom past an English flag moving in the wind (the one from that time: The Royal Standard of England 1405-1603). Camera then moves into building to reveal inside.

 Narrator: in 1509, in 1539 he closed Glastonbury Abbey.

Bottom left corner writing says: "1539". The sky and scene becomes darker and depressing.

 Narrator: The Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey at the time refused to submit to the king and was hung, drawn and quartered along with two other monks.

Camera moves out of the building. Shadow of three hanging men in front of Glastonbury Abbey. Subtle blood on the ground. "1539" writing fades out. 

Narrator: As a result of Glastonbury Abbey being closed it was then 'cannibalized' by the people of the town. 

Crowd yelling noises. Fades to current state of building in ruins -a photograph, not 3D model. Bottom left side writing says "Glastonbury Abbey currently". Scene fades out.

END.

English flag: The Royal Standard of England 1405-1603

A Brief History of Glastonbury Abbey and Narrative Construction

Chronological Timeline of Glastonbury:

• 7th Century Abbey is founded at Glastonbury
• 946 King Edmund I is buried at Glastonbury
• 975 King Edgar is buried at Glastonbury
• 1016 Edmund Ironside is buried at Glastonbury
• 1086 Glastonbury is described as a town (although it would seem very small to us)
• 1184 Glastonbury Abbey suffers a severe fire
• 1186 The Lady Chapel at Glastonbury Abbey is consecrated
• 1188 Monks at Glastonbury produce a body, which they claim is that of St Dunstan
• 1191 Monks at Glastonbury 'discover' the bodies of 'King Arthur' and 'Guinevere'
• 1243 Glastonbury has an annual fair
• 1251 A hospital is built in Glastonbury where monks care for the sick as best they can. Glastonbury may have had a population of about 1,000. Town is extremely popular with pilgrims and is the towns main source of income.
• 1539 Henry VIII closes Glastonbury Abbey. The abbot and two monks are hung, drawn and quartered.
• 1685 The Duke of Monmouth leads a rebellion, which is defeated. Afterwards 10 people are executed at Glastonbury
• 1705 Glastonbury is given a corporation and a mayor
• 1801 Glastonbury has a population of 2,000
• 1814 Glastonbury Town Hall is built
• 1825 A rug making industry begins in Glastonbury
• 1846 Glastonbury market Cross is erected
• 1854 The railway reaches Glastonbury
• 1959 Glastonbury has an annual fair
• 1966 The railway closes
• 1971 The Glastonbury Festival begins
• 1978 Somerset Rural Life Museum opens
• 2001 The population of Glastonbury is 8,000

The highlighted points are what I'm interested in incorporating in my animation.

Timeline for my animation:

• Medieval Ages -16th Century 

Not so fun Fact! Being hung, drawn and quartered is when someone is hung until nearly dead, drawn as in their stomach is slashed and their insides are pulled out and quartered is when they are literally cut into quarters! 

Aesthetic Ideas

Modeling and Visual Style:

• The fading between the original building and the building now
• Realistic model, texturing, shadows and matte painting 

Camera Movement and Animation:

• (I don't know why some of this animation is warped so ignore that)
• Some of the camera movements, wide shots, going through the corridors, 

• (I filmed this myself because I couldn't find it anywhere on YouTube, ignore the bad quality)
• Dutch angles 
• Slow moving camera (could be used for more important parts of my building) to fast paced camera movement
• Different parts of the buildings show up when the narrator introduces them. To show us what she is talking about, to have audience attention on that detail
• When different walls fade in, the crests of the walls show up too, I could have details or information fade in with certain parts of my building too to add interest and more information (this could be my use of text)

• I like the idea of having an old fashioned map and zooming into the area where Glastonbury is and then it fades into the animation of it
• Calligraphy style from Henry VIII's time -relates to my narrative 

Other Notes:

• I might have day and night versions to play with lighting and moods

Choosing my Place

Considered Places:

• Pompeii
• Machu Piccu
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi
• Colosseum
• Melrose Abbey
• Glastonbury
• Carmo Church Ruins
• Yuanmingyuan
• Temple of Zeus Pillars 

Final Choice:
Glastonbury, England

Visuals of what Glastonbury Abbey looks like now: