Workshop: Digital Character Making
Mitsuru Kaneko∗
Kunio Kondo

Koji Mikami
Naoki Okamoto
Ryuta Motegi
Creative Laboratory, Tokyo University of Technology.

Takahiro Tsuchida
Nmerichi Umennachi

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to propose an effective technique for
Character making. Character making is the construction of details
to create the appearance and impression of a character and is themost important component of video content production. Charactermaking deals with the creation, selection, design, exploitation andmanagement of characters. In this paper, we show a series of digital character making techniques that can be used and supervised
throughout the production process: story, setting, plot and episodedevelopment; character and content design, production and distribution; and finally even exploitation of the licensing, marketing,and distribution of auxiliary merchandise.

1 Visual Content Production Industry Structure

Figure 1: Scheme of Visual Production Industry

We outline the scheme of the visual production and visual content
industry (Fig. 1). Creators produce video content based on an assortment of knowledge, technology and experience. The main components of the visual content are the script (scenario) and the characters. The script describes how to create the content in scenes andshots while characters describe the content through action and dialog. The director creates the content based on these two elements.
The core of the director’s job is directing the “mise en scène,” which
consists of arranging props and characters into scenes based on hisor her interpretation of the script. However, the director’s responsibility also includes general supervision of the entire storytelling
process including crew and cast selection and guidance, scheduling and budgeting, editing and mixing, and finally fine-tuning thefinished materials. These jobs are collectively called “direction.”
The finished visual content is presented to the distribution industry
and then packaged and delivered to various viewers and customers
by means of exhibition, broadcasting, transmission and sales. In
exchange, the viewers pay money to the distribution industry anda portion of that money is then shared with the visual production
producers.

2 Character Making & Industry RelationshipFig. 2 shows the relationship between Character Making and thecontent industry/society.
(a) Character Generation Stage: (designer, director, producer, etc.)
In this stage a director creates a character’s impression basedon literal and visual information.
∗ e-mail: mits@media.teu.ac.jp

Figure 2: Relationship Between Character Making & Industry(b) Utilization Stage (publisher, distributor, licensor, etc.) It is herethat content is licensed, distributed, and re-purposed.
(c) Value stage (Consumer, end user, etc.) Here societal, psychological, and cultural morés combine in complex ways to attribute value to the character.

3 Character Making Templates
In this section, we explain the use of both literal and visual templates in preparation for the Character making process.

3.1 Literal Information
Character making requires aggregation of literal information related
to the character (Fig. 4). Most often found in the script ("Content"in Fig. 2), this information may be details found within the description of episodes, physical structures, costumes, abilities, props, behavior and other characteristic information in alliance with story
setting, genre, and other factors.

Copyright is held by the author / owner(s).
SIGGRAPH Asia 2009, Yokohama, Japan, December 16–19, 2009.
ISBN 978-1-60558-858-2/09/0012

4.2

Figure 3: Literal Information Template

Figure 4: Literal Information Template

3.2

Character Making Process Classroom Results

During the Literal Information stage of the Character making process, students decided the settings of their desired character’s society, life-style, abilities, appearance, and personal relationships. Students then collected images of pre-existing characters with similar
settings into a DSB and placed them on a CIS based on the students’impressions of the character. Fig. 6 shows an example of charactersplaced on a CIS, and Fig. 7 shows an example of a character design
sample generated by a student after selecting parts from charactersin their DSB and then combining those parts to form a new character.

Figure 5: Character Development Process

Visual Information

Next we gather visual information by collecting visual samples ofpre-existing characters using a system we created called the Digital
Scrapbook (DSB). The DSB is a personal digital database that helps
directors pin down the appearance or looks of a desired character.
DSB works with 2D and 3D graphic software to allow the user tomerge and mix lines, colors, and images to create new characters.
Our DSB system provides creators who are unable to communicate through drawing or sketches with another way to convey their
desired images to staff and crew. It takes literal information fromscripts and other written materials and combines it with design samples of pre-existing characters in order to generate visual references
for new characters.
Figure 6: Example of Characters Placed on a CIS

4The Character Making Process

4.1

Character Making Process Exercise

Our Character making process can be divided into three majorsteps:
1. Development of literal information material by writing small
and medium sized script outlines called “S-plots” and “Mplots,” respectively that we then store in templates (Fig. 4).
These outlines describe character and setting information including various characteristics of each (Fig. 5).
2. Development of visual information material by classifying
the desired character image on a Character Impression Scale(CIS) and collecting design samples into a collage. Thesesamples are kept in a Digital Scrapbook (DSB) database.
3. Production of 2D or 3D versions of the desired character image based on the design samples in the DSB.

Figure 7: Example of a Character Design Sample