What? - Did voice and sound recording today. I'm finishing a few shots of animation and then I'm moving on to post-production. Which shall be odd because we haven't finished production yet. But that's because of the short time scale and Andy said that might happen. We're just about on scheduale. It's hard to tell because nothing takes the amount of time you think it will, some take longer and some are done quicker. And there are a lot of problems that come up. For example today I was trying to animate almost a whole conversation through eye movement, but on our 2D models the eyes didn't animate properly and other parts of the faces looked odd when moved so I spent nearly a whole hour re-drawing Katie's face in Flash so I could work with it, which was an unforseen but still a bit annoying error. However it's overcome and that's the main thing and I'm not one to go pointing fingers or complain. Well...I'll moan a bit and then get on with it.
Stress is starting to kick in. I came in on thursday thinking it was wednesday and worked on the What project all day a bit annoyed that no one else turned up. But obviously it was because it was the drawing seminar. And it was only when I started to leave I noticed the date on the computer. So on the one hand its bad I missed the seminar on the other hand I accidently got ahead on my personal tasks for the What project. Everyone else seems to be getting motivated more now too. I stopped setting deadlines about a week ago because things would change and take longer than expected and so on so there just seemed no point in getting on peoples cases for things out of our control. But there's nothing like an Ultimate Deadline to get people moving :P
I've also finalised the general plot for my Animal Firm thing. I know we're not required to come up with a story but I got so into it that I have. It's also made it clearer for me knowing in terms of designing ther characters because I know what they'll be thinking and all that. I was talking to other people about it too and we all agree its actually a shame we haven't got the oppertunity just yet to actually make these into films. I'd really like to see my idea evolve and be critized (constructivly obviously) and realised.
Bassically it's about the last 4 pigeons in existance. The place setting is a post-apoloclpyic London divded into two halves. The Never and the Anglo Peak. (inspired by the 2002 film Equilibrium) In Anglo Peak resides a Facist and Totalitarian society of rodents and "prey" with a paramilitary police that frequently acts outside of morals and law and in their own interests. They resist the Squabs. Squab is a derogatory term for the Birds (it's actually a baby Pigeon or Dove) that inhabbit the Never.
The birds are divded into two gangs called The Birmingham Street Rollers and the Bronzewings. The Rollers are African and Carabian immigrant birds who are into drugs and general gang-ness. They operate like gangs of today using runners to carry weapons and fight over terriorty. The Bronzewings who will be small British birds like sparrows and bluetits etc. They claim that they fight for an equal Britain and safer future and democracy etc, but really just like a good fight, especially against the Rollers who they say are corrupt.
Then there's the Talon Company who are Birds of Prey. They're veterns of the 'war' and are few in number, hunted by the Anglo Peaks. They actually fight for what the Bronzewings say they're fighting for. The difference is the Talon Company arn't corrupted by the violence and all that.
The last 'gang' are Father Columbide (the family name for pigeons and doves) and the Hitmen. He's the last known dove and leads a pack of dogs who are contract killers. They used to be slaves of The Canadian.
The Canadian is a bear and ex mob boss from the old days. His age is unkown except that it's very old. It's rumored he has magical powers. He's become a sort of legend and it's not known if he's actually still alive.
Then there's the 4 pigeons.
Cezanne. The story starts with his murder/death/sucide (you're not supposed to know. I don't know so how can you?)
"Bleeding Heart" Luzon. is the oldest, ex-army/bodyguard/hired killer who's turned to religion.
King - almost as old as Luzon, ex-con, hot blooded, based on Marv from Sin City.
Repartee - ex-mental patient. calls himself the orginized chaos. based on the Joker from Dark Knight. (If you don't know repartee is a synonym of joke)
All of them have spent time serving or locked away in Anglo Peak and have an intricat knowldege of it's design which is why they're able to elude capture.
The basic plot is, the 4 pigeons used to rob banks but after an "incident" quit and went their serperate ways. Some years later Cezanne is killed and the 3 are brought together to find out what happened.
I've thought of a few twists and stuff too.
A red herring - The Canadian killed Cezanne in order to use the knowledge of the pigeons to bring down Anglo Peak.
What will come to light - The Canadian is the leader of the Talon Company who arn't as good as myth tells but have far greater numbers than first thought. And it's true that he has mastered magic.
However what the whole thing is really about is the 3 pigeons and how they cope with being the last 3 left. after the London Pigeon Wars. (yeah I might knick that)
I want it to be kind of dark so I'd like to show that over time Luzon becomes overcome with guilt and finding redemption for his killings and begins to despise himself.
King slowls sees more and more red and loses control.
Repartee becomes consumed with madness and turns into a golem-like creature.
There's also another character i'm still thinking about which is a Police Captain/Commander who turns out to have a soft side despite heavy scars and one eye.
The police rodents are based on Combines from Half Life 2.
And the police "S.W.A.T / Armed response units" are Rats with terminator like exo-skelletons and mini-mechs a la Mech Warrior and the Matrix Revolutions.
As previously mentioned the whole style is based on Sin City, it's always raining. I've also taken a few things from films like Blade Runner and Children of Men and Watchmen (More the style of storytelling and drawing than the plot). Oh and Schindler's List too because the only colour I'm using is red.
So i'll be uploading some drawings I've been doing for that. I haven't gotten too far with actual drawings because most of my time is devoted to the What project. But after the 28th it's all go for Animal Firm.
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