Minor Project: 2 possible ideas

After thinking about what it is I want out of the project I have decided on two ideas of which only one will be taken forward to complete for this year. I want to produce one or two characters that are completely figured out in terms of character and personality and to have them fully functional and animatable; I want to improve my 2d concept art and sketching to a professional standard too whilst also improving my 3d skills too. 

Minor Project Goal

To have fully completed characters, this includes: designed, modelled, textured, rigged, skinned and turnaround. Also to have concept art done of the environments taken place with a full animatic of the story too. 

End of Year Goal

 To have a complete animation ranging around the 4 minute mark or less in ready for new designers. I want to take my viewers on an experience and for them to feel for my character(s). 

Idea 1  - One Man's Journey

 This idea is set with a singular character that works as an office worker, he's bored and fed up with life and does not have much to live for. Until he discovers an opposite world to his own - an dream world - but at the end of the animation he has to realise that he still lives in the normal world. This idea of when you have a great imagination the world can be whatever you want it to be!

The opposites are obvious here the mundane worker and the dream world, I'm unsure what the dreamworld would be at this time but some design choices are: 

• The colours will contrast the everyday world with muted colours browns, greys, grayish hues to the environment. Where the dreamworld is vibrant and colourful! 
• Perhaps this world could on top of itself, inside out, upside down. 
•  Could be an abstract world with warped versions of reality. 

The ways I thought that he could enter this world is via puddles, mirrors, windows etc.  or  He finds a pair of glasses that give him the vision to see this new interpretation on the world. 
 

Influences: 

 Idea 2 - The Beast At Home

 This idea includes two characters a child and their mother. The child is an every day child who doesn't like going to school, but what is at home is even worse for them! She is scared to come home to the evil step mother who has a personal dislike to the child, treats her like crap and shouts at her given any opportunity. All she wants to do is escape to her room away from her step mum, but will the house let her? 

This idea is based on an advert to do with parents drinking problems and how children see them through their own eyes. I found this interesting and thought of adapting this to an animation to raise awareness of how children are effected by mistreatment. 

From a design standpoint I want the house to play a factor like in the film Monster House  where the environment is also a character within the animation and its all about her reaching the end goal, her safe zone, the bedroom. 

The colours will play a huge role when setting the mood of the animation as I want the audience to really feel for the character and what they have to go through. The environment itself will be low lit like an old horror house in a suburban American environment with the child coming home from school. 

Here again are some influences on how I want this animation to look in terms of character design and environment: 

 

Overall I am liking both ideas I feel as though the second one has more drama behind it and may impact the audience a lot more and therefore I am leaning towards this one, also I haven't done female characters or younger characters, so this would be an exciting journey to take! 

Anyways before I ramble on too much, I would like to know your opinion in which one has more potential for my minor/major project.