A little break from modelling to work on the opening scene to work on the 2D opening image. Expanding from the original concept art of a sunny scene seen from a cliff-side walk way. Bright colours, Studio Ghibli inspired, working on the stylisation to make it something more like Steven Universe Background art, more pastels and textures.
Its going to take a few more hours to finish. the trees work well but im still working on the design of the fields.
“Travellers Beware”
Ok so it’s not great, it was thought up in a hurry. It probably should contain a fox pun or something wittier. how about:
“For FOX sake”
hahahah no, just kidding. I doubt that’s appropriate. I’m quite liking the next idea for a title:
“OUT FOXED!”
It is a good description of what happens, the fox plays tricks and the girl turns it around!
“Foxxy Lady”
No probably not.
“Kitsune chaos”
People aren’t going to know Kitsune means fox/fox spirit but you can get nice alliteration with:
“Kitsune Kaos”
“Kitsune Konton” Japanese alliteration 😀
Premise/Overview (from proposal)
A girl travelling alone through the countryside encounters a terrifying beast making unsettling noises all around her to scare her. As scary as the beast may seem she isn’t going to stand for it! I want to base this loosely on Japanese folklore about fox spirits playing tricks on unsuspecting travellers. A short animated film combining 3d computer animation and traditional 2d animation that focuses on character animation.
Breakdown/Outline
It’s a warm sunning day, there’s a ledge over looking the countryside to the right and a path leading to a wooded area on the right.
A girl in a kimono style dress walks into shot. she has a back pack on her back as she’s travelling through the countryside on her own. She stops to wipe her brow and get a stone out of her shoe.
She continues up the hill, the trees begin to get thicker and darker either side.
She fails to see a sign that says “traveller’s beware” by the side of the path.
She starts to feel a little weary, she bunches up her body language and begins to look around.
As she turns around you see a shape go past behind her.
She turns back quickly, there’s nothing there.
She starts to walk a little faster, a shadowy shape of a dog/fox weaves through the trees. you hear strange noises.
She’s almost jogging now, the woods are dark and the thing is making noises and she sees shapes in the trees.
The path ahead now fills with darkness, she stops. she doesn’t know what to do, she’s shared.
Glowing yellow eyes appear in the blackness down the path.
Then a mouth full of sharp, slobbery teeth opens up grinning, it growls and begins to charge down the path. clawed feet reaching out of the blackness clawing at the ground.
The girl stands her ground, shielding with her arm.
As the monster is almost upon her her face changes, she’s no longer scared. She’s angry!
She yells “SIT!” and points to the ground.
The monsters face changes from scary to confused. “uuurgh?”
The black glow lifts from around the monster and you see its a two tailed fox.
It’s sits its but down and looks all ashamed with it’s self.
Credits – Stills of the girl with the fox, it now carries her luggage for her.
Setting
A Japanese/Studio Ghibli style landscape, the time period could be ambiguous, it could be feudal Japan or just a rural area of modern Japan. The Character designs will be my own take on Japanese style and folklore, not going with traditional representations of Kitsune (fox spirit) and the girls design wont be like a traditional yukata/kimono because of the restrictions of using the Mery Rig.
I want it to look like a warm summers day, so I can use a rich pastelly colour palettes and have strong shadows.
Stories about Kitsune are often about them shape-shifting to look like young women to trick strangers. Some Kitsune are sometimes bad and out to harm people but mostly they just play tricks to detract people if they’ve been surprised and want to flee or get revenge on people that harm them. So perhaps the girl in the story is related to a Kitsune or is a more powerful one in disguise; two tails are the weakest Kitsune.
Hopefully that makes a good third act, that girl that you though was weak, turns around and dominated the monstrous fox.
Characters
The Girl
The Fox (kitsune)
Birds flying in background, insects buzzing around (If I have time)
Assets
Backgound painting. 2D,static
Foreground a hilly path with a tree tunnel. 3D modelled in Maya.
The Mery rig needs some adjusts to the skin and some small ncloth simulation for a skirt.
Fox will be in 2D using Animate pro, will require most of the background trees and set to be modelled first.
Ok so maybe not so related butit does look tasty!
Hey!
It’s finally here! The last module of my animation degree! 😀 So here’s a blog to keep track of everything I’m working on in the next 20 odd weeks! Hopefully I’ll keep it all nice and up to day!
I’m planning a short 2D 3D combination animated film for about 40 seconds and some tasty concept art!
Final year Project 