Character Design - Shape Outlines and Basic Details

I've been working on the shapes for the characters and then adding some basic detail to get the feel for there clothes and some basic character.

Hero Shape:

Hero Detail:

The Hero is a sort of traveler, as he searches England for the Kidnapped Maiden. Due to this I have tried to create a look that is heroic as well as worn. This is shown in the shoulder cape, the gauntlets and armour flaps around the waist. I have also tried to keep in the theme of Arthurian and Fantasy. As he is a young man, I did not want the 'super' squareness of the some typical heroes, so instead I based it around squares but curved them off to give him a younger, more friendlier feel.

Sidekick Shape:

Sidekick Detail:

My Sidekick Character is an out of work male Pixie. As the more comical part of the show, I created him as a 'portly' character made of circles. He appeals to the audience as the 'down on his luck' loser. He also has sharp wit, hence the pose. The clothes of the sidekick is based upon that of a genie, but are very tight fitting, as he has put on weight since leaving the rank of a Pixie. When I think of this character, I picture Danny DeVito.

Villain Shape:

Villain Detail:

For the villain of the show, I have tried to channel the likes of 'Skelator' from He-Man and 'Cobra Commander' from G.I Joe. By this I mean a more maniacal villain as opposed the dark, evil villain of a more grown up shown, hence the evil laughter pose. I have also given him armour for an imposing look and made it more pointy and triangular. This especially comes across in the hands. It is in contrast with the hero who has circular hands and gloves, while the villain has pointed gauntlets. I have also used a helmet to mask his true face, again in the vain of 'Cobra Commander'. All you can see is red eyes and the rest is black. It creates a mystery as to what exactly the man underneath looks like. I also used a long, flowing cape as opposed the the shoulder cape for the hero to create more contrast.

Character Design - Plot Synopsis

I have redone the plot synopsis because I forgot one key component... the fact that its 80s cartoon. I was so busy thinking of some realistic take on Arthurian and Fantasy archetypes that I overshadowed the most important part.

80s Cartoon Plot:

The Kingdom of Camelot lives in peace, surrounding itself with the Forest of Serenity for protection. England beyond this border, is a cold dark place which the evil Dark Lord Mordred rules. Inside the city walls, lives a young man named Garz that aspires to join the Knights of Camelot under the guidance of the great Sir Lancelot. But on the eve of her wedding, castle maiden Dylena is kidnapped by the evil Mordred that claims her love for himself. Astride his mighty dragon, Lancelot ventures into the Barren England in look of the damsel. Seeking to prove himself to his mentor, Garz starts his own quest to find the maiden, leading him into the Forest of Serenity and beyond...

Join Garz, a young man seeking to save the maiden, and his friend, Vortaii, a Pixie that has lost his way after leaving the Pixie Protection Guild, as they journey throughout there great mystical land for a lost Hero and a lost Maiden. Along the way they will meet new friends, such as dragons and imps, and visit magical places. But they will also face the ultimate evil... Dark Lord Mordred!

Follow there adventures every Saturday!
(1980)

Character Bios to follow...

Mulholland Drive Review

Where do I start with this one...
Phil said that this film divides opinion and spurs on discussion. There is the group that loves its intricacy and general weirdness that they embrace it. There is the group who find it irritating that it can't seem to hold a plot. I fall into neither of these two...
I despise this film. So lets delve in:

The film is about... oh, a road block already. To be honest I have no idea. There are to many plot strands that don't go anywhere or are linked so minutely that there non important. I tries to be so many different films and genres, it has no focus, which I never knew it would, absolutely infuriates me.

I can watch a film that has no story, where its all about the action for example. I can also watch a film that focuses on character development and story progression. Mulholland Drive falls into neither category as it tries to be something and not at the same time.

One plot through out the film is the journey of Naomi Watt's character Betty, as she flies to Hollywood to chase the American dream. Yes, this plot starts with a story. So far, so good. By the time the credits role, was there any continuation? There were a few scenes here and there about her auditioning but a conclusion? No. This is juxtaposed with a scene that lasts about 10 minutes, also at the beginning, where two men sit in a dinner, discussing a dream.
'This dream talk is lasting a bit long, but it must be leading somewhere... right? RIGHT????'
No, inner Earl voice... it does not. Man sees scary face. Scene over. Thank you for being in my film, goodbye. We will never talk of this again. There were countless more of these little (and not so little) scenes throughout the film, that I can't even start analysing for fear for my sanity.

On a high point, the direction was well done, only allowing the viewer to see what they needed without it feeling forced.

When the film finished, Dan said to me 'I have to go ask Phil what that was about'. I, on the other hand, wanted to distance myself from the film as soon as possible. I think the main culprit was that it was confusing and ,to me, had no story realised enough. I don't normally get confused, I watch 'Lost'.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the chance to see the film, if only to discover my hatred for it...

Yes Naomi, this movie does start with a semblance of a story... But don't get your hopes up

Maya Facial animation - Lip sync

Here is how it stands at the moment:

Only a playblast I'm afraid. It seems my PC isn't cooperating with it. Whenever I load it, it says
'errors have occured while reading this scene that may result in data loss'
and bammo, nothing there...
No biggie, I'll render it out at Uni.

Also why is the video freezing in the corner at the end?

Void Canvas Ident Work

At the moment I have been tasked with creating an Ident for the team from our Logo. It's fair to say I have created alot but thats because we want it to be perfect, something we are all 100% happy with.

Here is the Evolution of the Ident:

Character Shape Skecths

These are the shape sketchs I did during the lesson.
I'm not the most artistic of people so stripping away everything but the the skeleton allowed me to so just how to put a character together and a better understanding on how to do my future characters:

Hercules:

Danger Mouse:

Batman:

Daffy Duck (Female):