Defne Isikli

Final Submission: Ponpontopia by Defne Isikli

Please see the video on Youtube; https://youtu.be/wW-G8j32Yf8

This project aims to explore the mind of the most beloved childhood toys. By doing that, one can unlock the mystery behind the endless imaginative capacity of young minds and why it gets lonely and narrow over time.

Ponpon(n.): best friend a child can hope to have and denies that it is not real.

Ponpontopia(n.): the perfect world where Ponpon and Defne can be best friends + unlimited imagination

Welcome to Ponpontopia.

Ponpon is one of the best friends a child can imagine. Remember your best friend, your supporter, and your unconditional sibling from when you are little? Ponpon is that significant bestie for me from my childhood. I have carried her everywhere, shared my secrets with her and enjoyed my childhood fully with her companion.

Here, you will enter the mind of Ponpon, and experience my childhood through her eyes. Do you wonder why we tend to lose our capacity of imagination when we grow up? You can explore this question by also watching the experience again and listen to Ponpon’s perspective with the matter.

Please read this excerpt before the first experience: (before watching the video for the first time)

Ponpon: - “Hi! It is very nice to meet you. I have been the best friend for Defne, even before she was born. Funny story! Her mom bought me when she was doing her master’s in England as a birthday present for herself. I guess she was feeling a bit lonely and homesick. Anyways, I was waiting for her in a small toy shop in Edinburg and I saw her through the shopwindow. I was feeling so lucky to be a part of her life. She took me back to her dorm and then, back to Turkey.”

…

- “I was there where her mom was engaged with Defne’s father-to-be. I was there where Defne started kindergarten, all her birthdays and any important family gathering. I have known all her friends, cousins. We laughed and cried a lot together. She knew that she could always count on me.”

…

- “I had the perfect life with Defne. We ate a lot of junk food secretly; we watched all her favorite cartoons. She told me how her day was every day. But the best part was when we went to bed. She always cuddled me so tight that nothing could tear us apart. We dreamed the most beautiful and incredible dreams.”

…

Now, please read this except and watch the video again and have your second experience:

Ponpon: - “From the day we met, I knew Defne and me, we had a special bond together. She was my best friend in the whole world. I wish that she could hear me, but you know the rules, right?

You shall not speak to humans, or you shall never see your best friend.

That’s why you cannot know about me, Defne. But I will forever be there for you.”

…

- “Wait, is something wrong or is it just me feeling that way? You don’t play with me as you used to be anymore. You would have never forgotten me, right? Our secret land, Ponpontopia? I heard some rumors about the fact that humans tend to care less about their best friends by the years. Hmm… What did you call that? Growing up?”

…

-“Hey! Hey! Defne, don’t be sorry. I know that this is normal. Best friends also grow apart. I will always keep our nicest memories. We had so much fun! But I guess, we have to say goodbye to Ponpontopia.”

The dual Ponpons at the beginning of the experience signifies the duality of life: childhood and adulthood. There are two perspectives within the narration which is changing the whole experience.

The maze: The maze symbolizes memory palace of Ponpon filled with great memories with Defne, her family and friends. The maze is a part of Ponpontopia where everything is possible, nothing is beyond imagination.

OLDER POSTS

Project Idea:

-Why do we lose our imagination when we grow up? (Childhood dream-like world / Ugly adult world) if life is a maze, there is a gateway between childhood and adulthood worlds; design of a maze (mirrored)

-Intimate childhood memories // Teddy bears as best friends = they also have their own stories to tell!

Experimentation:

My first aim: to create a rabbit figure, follow it with camera and move it with arrow keys & to have first design ideas about childhood world. Rabbit = free from asset store (which then be replaced with Ponpon)

For movement and rotation i watched this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJzYGsMcy8Q Jiggle Buble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xLPzDmlUKQ + unity asset store

Here is the link to my video which was supposed to be a GIF actually: :D https://youtu.be/zKqo6ScBhoE

And here is a photo of the childhood maze:

File:scenery1.JPG

File:diagram-scheme.JPG

File:ponpon.mp4