PRODUCTION BIBLE finished! At last.

Well, I actually finished it last week to be fair. And I THINK it is good... Now I just need to skip on doon to the print shop and see how much emptier this job will make my bank account. Ah the joys. I would put it up here, but it is almost 40 pages... SO I can't be bothered. Though soon I shall put up some example pages, or perhaps a photo or two of the final book.

Now though, it is dissertation time. Woo.

Squirrel Research

So, I figured that ol' Edinburgo would be a good place for some squirrel research as there are always LOADS of squirrels all over Princess Street Gardens. BUT guess what...? NOT ONE SQUIRREL!!!

Was mightily disappointed. It was the one place I was sure i could get some real life research done. What happened to you squirrels?? I hope you are all ok....

Did you emigrate? I wouldn't blame you.

ANIMATICO

So. Here is my animatic. I put some sound effects in, and even some squirrel 'dialogue'. There are still many sounds to be added but this is what I have so far.

Like my squirrel noises? I thought squeaky would be best, as they are squirrels after all. Just sounded like there was some lunatic in my house as I was recording them.

OOOOOOH Colour

Yep. That's right! I did COLOUR today!!! I do miss colour. Here's a bunch of, well I guess you could call it concept art... I realised I hadn't actually made any images of my characters in their environments in colour. So that's what I did today.

 This is me trying out a colour scheme for the axe dream sequence. I thought I could do a teabag stained background, with the characters just line drawings with red blood. But I'm going to try a black and white effect with the red blood and see how that turns out.

This is a drawing of Rum's tree from the outside.

Rum running with his new found knife. 

And finally, Rum attempting to shove Fox up into grey squirrel's tree.

More Influential Stuff

Calvin and Hobbes. Need I say more?! I have loved Calvin and Hobbes for many many years, and own A LOT of the books. The crazy expressions and drawings from the comics have influenced the design of my characters for Red Rum. The mental faces that Calvin and Hobbes both make are amazing! Even though it's a comic, you can still imagine what they would move like if it was an actual animation. I love Calvin and Hobbes.

Model Sheets and Size Comparison

That's the model sheets for my three main characters, Rum, Fox and grey squirrel. Coloured in with pro-markers, I think Photoshopping them would have taken a wee bit too much time. And I prefer colouring in with pens or paint.

The back cover from my one of my Red Rum sketchbooks. I enjoyed pinging red BLOOD ink at my sketchbook!!! And all over the floor of course... If anyone IS wondering what that red stuff on the studio floor is, be reassured - it is only ink.

Or is it?...

 This is the front cover for the same Red Rum sketchbook, kept me busy for a good day or two!

 Rum with the axe he dreams of.

Rum, most likely looking irritated by his misjudgement of axe sizes.