Question: What considerations in terms of context and design are required to create a successful antagonist for the contemporary audience?
Abstract:
Ever since the human race conceived the art of storytelling, we forever immortalised the concept of an antagonist; a villain, a hurdle, a plot device, whose malice would bring a hero’s subsistence to fruition; a never-ending tale illustrating the importance of virtue over vice. However, in today’s contemporary story telling mediums an antagonist has great scope; they no longer need to be as two dimensional as a serpent tempting a naive woman to eat a forbidden piece of fruit. The best villains in literature, movies and games are arguably the most complex and compelling; there is more sustenance to their existence rather than posing a stereotypical peril. A villain has the promise to be more than merely just a lesson in morality to impede us against doing ill; in what ways can we deviate from virtue over vice, and how can a villain’s success as a character affect the quality of a story?
Character’s success can be determined by a multitude of factors. Researching story, relationships, design and audience are all very important, but to what extent can we use these and deviate from them, and what are the underlying determining methodologies behind creating a strong character? This project proposal and subsequent dissertation aim to identify key factors that should be considered in the conceptualisation of a villain, and how an effective, strong antagonist can be produced for a contemporary audience.
Details:
As part of my honours project, I will be creating character designs and high quality zBrush models of these designs. The conceptual stage will be derived from research appropriate to my dissertation, whilst the origin and profile of the characters will be justified through choices appropriate to my research in order to strengthen them characteristically.
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