Responsive Brief Development

I have began developing my project in full and having produced a mood board, I have developed a general idea of what it is I want to do.

The things I have drawn from my mood board are as follows:

• I want the setting to be something along the lines of a lone man or woman vs an evil giant monster. It's more important to me that the monster is giant rather than monstrous, as I want it to more terrifying as it's main characteristic, more than anyone else's. 

• I want the monster to have a distinctly evil appearance; not something like an angry creature, but something that is inherently destructive and malevolent. 

• I want the monster to have a humanoid form; I feel that this makes it varied by opinion as to whether this makes it more terrifying or not though I've drawn recent inspiration for reason to believe it can be from Attack on Titan.

• I also want magic to be involved, simply because I feel it will be easier to animate than a full on melee battle such as the one above. Though I don't expect to animate a full on magic fight either, it also ties in better with the story I have developed so far.

I feel that my project has taken a good direction that is not overly ambitious, but still something I can work towards.

Text Sections

The animation will have several intersections of words like this, which help define and explain the story; I think I needed more illustrations to tell the story in a fully visual manner, or voices, and I didn't have as as much time to prepare them. I used After Effects to produce it and consists of two text layers of the same size and colour. They blur in and out with a gaussian blur effect whilst a radial blur dampens and moves the text slightly, making it look somewhat like the text is being lit up by candle light. The source of this light looks like it is moving as the center is keyframed to gradually change over the course of the tet's appearance.

I'd like to think that these sections don't detract too much from the story and instead help add or explain it without ruining the mood. They are set in quotation marks and I think the text augments and facilitates the pictures, rather tan the pictures giving meaning to the text.

Mages Guard Crystal(?)

I was originally going to have this in the illustrated segment but figured it would be hard to connect the scenes together as well if it were placed between the pictures of the banished demon in the crystal and the picture of the monastery as it would become less clear they are in the same place. It also wouldn't be clear where this picture was set unless the viewer was shown the monastery, first.

So I opted instead to have this picture shown after the mage enters the door, having walked to it previously. So I was still able to make use of this picture. I animated it slightly by keeping the rings, crystal and mages on separate layers so that the rings could hover up and down.

Initially this picture was supposed to look like they were containing the Terror. However it could just as well be that the mages are tampering with it for their own ends. The viewer is left to their own devices as to what to make of it as the title appears shortly after, establishing the scene for a full length film or animation as a transmedia possibility.

Guardian Monastery

The animation then cuts to the 'present day', over 900 years later but on the same spot; as you can see the hill is the same shape because it is the same hill, and a structure has been built on and around the crystal. This confirms the founding of the order that the Hero requested, to watch over the crystal and maintain it's banishment, where he taught his magic to his first apprentices - who passed on that knowledge to others. The torch has been handed down generation by generation ever since.

I took inspiration for the architecture and aesthetic from photos and pictures of Tuscany.

To the bottom left there is a corridor with pillars, baskets of flowers hanging from them. This is the corridor through with Keseris will walk on his way to the tower, walking from the left hand side to the right hand side, towards a door.

This marks the end of the illustrated drawings and the beginning of the 'animated' segment, where I will focus more on animating.

The Ancient Hero Banishes Xexarasix

This is a depiction of the moment where the hero traps the essence of the Terror within a magic crystal that is to keep his powers and spirit bound and dormant. The magic surrounding the crystal vanishes along with the image of the demon, shortly before the hero vanishes too.

It will be followed by this picture, which is the aftermath. Here the hero is seen with his apprentices, and I was planning on also having a crowd of people gathered to celebrate. The rays of sunlight bursting through the grey skies also help with the whole symbolism of 'a new day', now that the Terror has been dealt with. The crystal in which he is imprisoned is shown hovering above the cave's entrance where the hero and the Terror fought earlier, now churning with lava.

I also planned for this lava to shift out and for the construction of a tower around the crystal to be seen that would tie into the next image, but I lost the layers for it. However, I still think the result was alright, as the purpose of that was to demonstrate that the sight of this illustration and the sight of the next illustration were the same place.

The Ancient Hero fights Xexarasix

The Ancient Hero's real appearance and identity are mostly unknown or are not common knowledge, and these illustrations were originally meant to be sort of like epic paintings that could be found in Deszer. In a way they are like those of ancient times or battles, that sort of romanticized the struggle of one man's struggle against overwhelming odds.

I didn't spend much time designing the Ancient Hero as he isn't a character we are supposed to know much about. All we do know is that he had access to powerful magic capable of banishing the crystal.

The fight takes place inside a volcano, where the Terror temporarily retreated, having decimated most of the land already, feeding off the fear of those who had survived before it would strike at the rest of the world. The hero arrives and challenges him.

The reason he is depicted as defending himself against the attack, rather than being the one who attacks, is again because of the sort of epic-painting feeling I was going for. The Hero is the shield of humanity and he is the only one who can withstand the Terror's onslaught, and from the destruction we see before, I wanted to suggest that it was humanity's resistance to the Terror that was it's true victory aside from banishing it - that it didn't give into despair. This is why the shield has a very light colour and aesthetic as light is often linked to hope.

This picture is important because it shows one of the, if not the most important historic battle in the world the story is set in, between an unknown hero and an evil that folks ought not to forget.

Xexarasix's Path

This is the second picture in the piece, illustrating the destruction that follows in the Terror's wake and what was happening to everything and everyone it encountered as long as it remained unchallenged. The ruins of a town are seen burning and I organized the layers so that the Terror and his smokey presence would appear after a moment so that the audience could first absorb the destruction of the town, and then be made aware of what caused it, though from the last picture it would probably already be obvious.

I went with a very red / fiery colour palette here because it reflects the loss of life that occured around this time in the story. Whilst you can't see any visible dead bodies it's implied that many people died or were killed in these attacks, and it was a very dark time for humanity.

This picture is important because it cements the Terror's place as a dangerous and powerful enemy.

Xexarasix's Appearance

This picture will be the first in the animation; it will start off with the character looking towards the hills before the smoke appears in the distance, shortly followed by the Terror and the fire.

This is to represent the First Rising of the Terror, the moment when it first appeared and began wreaking havoc across the lands. Unfortunately with the way I had combined the layers, it made making it a parallax picture hard or I would need to do most of it all over again and I decided I would simply press on, as I didn't want or intend this to be a fully animated piece. These are the illustrations that help introduce the story.

The importance of this picture is to stress how sudden and explosive the Terror's appearance was, literally appearing out of nowhere one cloudy day without warning before raining fire down on every village and town in it's way.

Mage Walkby

This picture is for when Keseris, the mage character, walks by on his way to the crystal room. I will make pillars that will move by as he makes his way along. The grassy plains are made of three different layers so I can parallax them, along with the mountains an clouds, making it look much more like a real environment rather than a static image.

In total there are three layers for the grass, one for the mountains and one for the sky, so it should be easy enough to turn this into a moving parallax piece.

The mage character will walk by - the reason his feet aren't included is because the camera will see him from the waist up. In reality it will he the background moving whilst the mage stays mostly stationary, bobbing up and down to simulate his walking, but this is so that it seems like the camera follows the character.

Monastery Inspiration - Deszer

When coming up with a list of places, architecture and environments to create Deszer and the Deszeric Monastery where the guardians live out there lives, I found some images that influenced how they would appear.

These are the images I looked at and found inspiration from; the setting of the monastery is to resemble Tuscany, in Italy. I find the sunny, blue skies, and rural / pastoral atmosphere to be the perfect place for the Terror to bring disharmony to once he is freed and it will make good comparison when the damage is observed, from the wastelands of 900 years ago to the place it has become today, which I will portray in the first half of the animation.

The Terror will decimate the land and we will see the same land after all the years have passed finally having recovered and restored, returned to life from the burning arrival of the Terror.

The setting is on the Isle of Deszer, a large island surrounded by an ocean that is surrounded by a desert. The only way to get through it if you don't want to walk through the desert and then somehow swim the ocean is to use a long river that flows around the desert nearly twice before it floods into the ocean, through which one could ride a boat. The journey takes a long time and it is a dangerous journey. But Deszer is a beautiful and peaceful place, compared to the outside world. Crime rates are low, satisfaction among the citizens are high and it is lead by a governing body and branch of the Guardians named the Remnants. They make sure everyone has plenty of food, though this is rarely a problem as the citizens get along well and live by the philosophy that a content life with family, friends and good food is a life well lived. They have been an independent city since ancient times. Many outside world forces' armies have tried conquering it, but the natural barriers have defeated half of them before they arrive, and the ones that do make it have found themselves met with the full force of a hundred mages with hundreds of years of practice behind them, a force that could easily defeat armies a hundred times their size. Deszer's respect need not be earned or sought, but it's wrath is certainly not something anyone in the outside world wants.

Deszer is supposed to be a wonderful and brilliant place to live, where life is fair and balanced and there are opportunities for everyone. It is a place of music, good food, and lazy days. My kind of ideal place, really. But it is exactly this atmosphere that is paramount as to why the Second Rising of the Terror is important, because they need to wake up and realize that they're a part of the world and that they're ignoring the warring and death going on outside, and the taint has finally found a way into an influencial mage of Deszer.

This is the final design of the monster; it can change it's size between a hundred and a thousand meters high. It swells in size depending on how much fear and fire is in it's presence. It is an intelligent creature capable of controlling and spontaneously combusting objects. The design for it is meant to render a thin, skeletal and jagged creature that looks like it has been burning for a long time, hence the jagged, ember edges of it's body. It also has embers and smoke constantly emitted from it's body. The middle of it's chest has a whole from which it's heart of fire is located, the magical center of it's body and perhaps it's only weakness; it's heart must be extinguished at which point it will momentarily stop moving and become inanimate until it re-ignites, and how fast it re-ignites depends on how it was extinguished. It can be extinguished and kept from being re-ignited with magic, but that magic has long since been lost and is no longer common knowledge.

Full name: Xexarasix

Pronunciation: Shes-harass-six

Nickname(s) or Alias: The Ethereal Terror

Gender: ??

Species: Celestial Entity

Archetype: Devil

Age: Ancient

Birthday: ??

Nationality: ??

Religion: None

Currently lives: Guardian Monastery, Deszer

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

A giant, spindly humanoid creature that can shroud mountains with it's shadow, a network of fire flowing through it's obsidian-like body like veins, and it appears to have a very high body temperature, perpetually steaming and smoking as if on fire.

Height: Gargantuan

Weight: Extremely heavy.

Figure/build: Slim, stick-like, spikey and skeletal.

Hair colour: None.

Hairstyle: None.

Eye colour: Yellow, flaming.

Preferred style of clothing: None.

PERSONALITY

Ethereal Terrors are an intelligent race and are capable of recognizing and assessing a threat. They are not mindless creatures that destroy everything in their path, though they usually will simply because they can. Xexarasix is an ancient being that hid itself away in another plane of existance for countless millenia until it re-appeared one day, an event known as the First Rising. It is malevolent, cruel, and unforgiving.

Likes: Asserting dominance over weaker beings.

Dislikes: Unknown.

Favourite colour: Unknown

Hobbies: None.

Taste in music: None.

SKILLS

Talents/skills: As a gargantuan creature with high intelligence and near limitless strength, and magical capabilities, they are superior to human beings in every way except perhaps their intelligence. Whilst they are smart, they do not build civilizations or technology as humans do.

HOUSE AND HOME

Describe the character's house/home:  Ethereal Terrors are said to come from the Celestia, an unknown place in the universe. Xexarasix is currently trapped inside a crystal, banished into it after it's defeat at the hands of the Saviour.

Significant/special belongings: None.

CAREER

Level of education: ??

Qualifications: Unknown, but it's skills in magic far exceed that of any human.

Current job title and description: Prisoner of the Deszeric Guardians.

Name of employer: None

COMBAT

Special skills/magical powers/etc: With some degree of intelligence, amazing strength, gargantuan size and magic powers beyond any human, no human stands a chance against them in a fair fight.

Weapon of choice (if any): Claws.

Weaknesses in combat: None known.

Strengths in combat: Size, intelligence, strength and power.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents names: Unknown, but Ethereal Terrors are believed to be only minions of an even greater evil.

Is the character still in contact with their parents? Unknown.

Siblings? Relationship with siblings? Unknown if Etheral Terrors are related to each other.

Other Important Relatives: None.

Partner/Spouse: None.

Children: None.

Best Friend: None.

Acquaintances: None.

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10): Unknown

Describe their  teenage years (11 - 19): Unknown

Describe their  adult years (20+): Xexarasix was already ancient when he appeared for the first time in history now long lost, when those of Celestia ruled the worlds, during the time of the Great Entities, the manifestations of Good, Evil and Balance. During a time known as the Scouring, mankind found out how to use magic, and heroes rose to banish the Etheral Terrors and other horrors of the world. Xexarasix, though, hid away in an alternative plane of existance. Thousands of years passed until he appeared again, when mankind now inhabited the lands and the ancient hero mages had died off, and he planned to rid the world of them. However, one ancient hero did remain and Xexarasix found himself banished too, as they cannot be killed. The ancient mage tasked his apprentices and those who would learn under them to watch over it.

Terror Development

I thought I would take a step back and resume development on the antagonist, the Terror. Whilst I already have a definition of what it looks like, I have no definite set design yet.

They all follow a similar pattern in that they have four spikes on their head and have four eyes. But I was going for a different aesthetic each time.

From left to right is a more developed idea of what I had down which I think is the one I prefer the most. Spikey, skeletal, volcanic, jagged, this is the kind of appearance I envisioned. The skull is a little round and that may have to change because it contrasts with the straight lines found everywhere else but otherwise it is a good concept.

The next one to the right I took inspiration directly from Aku from Samurai Jack; having a sort of cloaked figure. I also really like this design but I felt it was a little too straight forward or boring, and I didn't want to make it look like it was wearing clothes; it detracts from the 'intelligent beast' aesthetic I'm aiming for.

The next one is a more dramatic and exaggerated version of the first; more skeletal, perhaps too skeletal, and too thin; it looks like it has no real mass at all. But I may introduce the ribcage design somehow and I like the jaw a little better.

The last one I'm not so sure of; I thought of giving it random tubes or vines connecting parts of it's body to other parts but it makes it look more like a natural giant or a man-made mechanical construct, and it is supposed to be a very unnatural and certainly not a man made thing.

I will probably develop the first idea further but I am glad I explored the other ideas, at least - I was able to confirm that the initial idea was the one that stuck and the one I want to progress with.

Mage Character

The role this character will play will be in the animation, as one of the mages at the monastery making his way into the crystal room, where other mages are performing a scrying ritual to determine the health of the crystal keeping the Terror banished. The character has in fact been bribed by a foolish Lord from the outside world who thinks the rising of the Terror again will allow him to defeat it and become the world's second hero, winning him devotion from people everywhere. The lord promised this mage that he would make him wealthy.

The character will drop something next to the crystal as he and the other mages leave and as the door closes, and the crystal will begin to fluctuate and crack. This is where I plan to have the animation end.

The guardian's uniform consists of a red robe trimmed with yellow / gold strips. There is also a yellow-gold band diagonally across the chest, used to inform people of their rank and standing within the order. The lowest ranks / initiates have white, the standard disciples have red, the senior ranks have yellow and the leaders wear a pale shade of beige. This man as a senior is trusted with tasks such as overseeing and partaking in the ritual keeping the crystal healthy, which gives him the opportunity to sabotage it.

I produced a character profile for him. He isn't an inherently evil person but he doesn't realize the havoc his actions will cause at the request of a foolish Lord who also doesn't realize he cannot hope to defeat the Terror if it should rise again.

Full name: Keseris Grei

Pronunciation: Kesseriss Grey

Nickname(s) or Alias: Kess

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Age: 29

Birthday: 13/07/884

Nationality: Deszeric

Religion: None

City or town of birth: Deszer

Currently lives: Guardian Monastery, Deszer

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Long black hair, pale skin, neatly kept facial hair and dark brown eyes.

Height: Tall

Weight: Average

Figure/build: Slim body, unused to physical labour. No visible scars.

Hair colour: Black

Hairstyle: Long, straight hair.

Eye colour: Brown

Preferred style of clothing: Red robe uniform of the Deszeric Guardians.

PERSONALITY

Personality: A quiet, humble man who was accepted into the order as a child, having learned of the old stories of the Saviour's battle against the last Ethereal Terror, though he also has a lust for power that he knew the guardians would be able to teach him if he was accepted, but he kept these intentions to himself.

Likes: Old stories, books, knowledge, fine drinks and rain.

Dislikes: Physically strenuous activity, loud noises, large crowds.

Favourite colour: Red

Hobbies: Reading, practicing his lessons, strolling through the city.

Taste in music: Fond of native Deszeric music typically consisting of ambient, progressive and melodic string instrumentals.

SKILLS

Talents/skills: A skilled Blue Arts magic user, having been in the order of guardians for over a decade, he is one of few in the world capable of using magic.

HOUSE AND HOME

Describe the character's house/home: A hearthly monastery built out of stone, within a vast expanse of golden wheat fields surrounded by rocky mountains, consisting of a main building with gardens in the middle. Beneath the monastery is the crystal in which the last Ethereal Terror is imprisoned.

Significant/special belongings: A pendant marking him as a member of the guardians.

CAREER

Level of education: Basic education plus everything he has learned within his years at the order, mostly about magic and the history of it.

Qualifications: Level Six Blue Artist, Level Six Red Artist.

Current job title and description: Guardian of the Order, undertaking day to day activities and errands at the monastery to preserve the knowledge and lessons of the Saviour of Humanity, an ancient mage who saved mankind from extinction at the hands of the Ethereal Terror, who they are now tasked with keeping watch over.

Name of employer: High Guardian Gordric Seminis.

COMBAT

Special skills/magical powers/etc: As an Artist, he is able to use magic - knowledge forgotten to most of the world, and thus has a big advantage in a fight.

Weapon of choice (if any): Magic staff, augments and improves casting capabilities.

Weaknesses in combat: Only able to cast so much a day.

Strengths in combat: Able to deal devastating damage at long range.

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents names: Davic & Gwendyn Grei

Is the character still in contact with their parents? They write occasionally but rarely see each other.

Siblings? Relationship with siblings? No siblings.

Other Important Relatives: None.

Partner/Spouse: None.

Children: None.

Best Friend: Catheris, another mage within the order.

Acquaintances: A Lord of the Empire of Anglen across the Great Sea.

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10): He grew up as a fairly normal child but was fascinated by old stories of magic and the tales of the Ethereal Terror, and saw the order as the only thing remaining that could connect him to this ancient history. He decided he would join them at some point so he could be like the hero he idolized.

Describe their  teenage years (11 - 19): He went through basic education at school though he never did too well because he was still caught up in his fascination with old tales. Whilst the order usually required excellent grades from anyone graduating from school, his keen interest and existing knowledge of the order and it's history surprised the guardians, and they admitted him on his enthusiasm.

Describe their  adult years (20+): He has since become an integral part of the order, one of it's youngest senior guardians, charged with keeping watch on the banishment of the Ethereal Error, teaching the new initiates who are admitted each year, and taking part in the ritual to assess the health of the crystal keeping the Terror banished.