Roses

        As the white and red roses of York and Lancaster are focal points of my title sequence, effectively serving as visual representations of the characters/two sides of the conflict, it was important to get their design right. The dilemma was whether to depict them as 'real' roses or as the more stylised symbols that have become associated with the Wars of the Roses and are still used (at least in Yorkshire) today.

 

A example of the White Rose of York, Lendal Bridge, York.

       

 

        As in the grand scheme of things, 40 seconds is not that long to convey the detailed backstory which has led to the events of The Sunne in Splendour I think that the best option would be to use the more stylised, heraldic roses. This is due to the fact that they should more readily evoke the context of the story, having a more immediate association with the medieval time period, war, and family conflict. However, I could still incorporate elements of more realistic roses into the animation, as I intend to show the flowers unfurling from buds, so it would be to my advantage to study footage of real roses.