Karalyse's Senior Film

This is the written blog of the process of making my senior animated film. CARE - uh - Lese 22 | animator | photographer | artist Bradley University '19

[karalyseseniorfilm]

The end is near!! Sorry for not updating in a bit, but the deadline is this Saturday and the crunch is on. Digitally painted backgrounds have been eating away a ton of my time, but I’m enjoying the outcome! Let’s power through to the finish line! #bradleyuniversity #animation #studentfilm https://www.instagram.com/p/BwnHrvaBBfq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e9g1apuc373x

[karalyseseniorfilm]

More rough animation! Spring break is this following week which means it’s mega crunch time 😭 . #studentfilm #bradleyuniversity #animation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu_i07oBHRA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iq1eu9oiq81c

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Run, Fionn, run! More rough animations, I also finished the other character run cycle, and have choices for the narrator voice actor picked out! Things are coming along! . #studentfilm #bradleyuniversity #animation https://www.instagram.com/p/ButjxfCBBXU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=o0pmliedjqve

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Woo more animation! Here’s a rough pass of Fionn running, and I’ve started on a couple of running scenes too . . #studentfilm #bradleyuniversity #animation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bubn9FDh0LS/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ekkbya7rvi1f

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Whoa! Actual progress that’s only like a step away from being finished frames, groundbreaking. In all seriousness though, I’ve realized my own apprehensiveness in working lately and that I was afraid to really start anything in fear of things not being good, and kept stalling with constantly planning things. I’ve decided that my process only has to make sense to me for this, and am going to not be working linearly anymore. Anyway! Here’s Fionn’s realization to how big Benandonner truly is in the middle of the fight sequence. #studentfilm #bradleyuniversity #animation https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt3gEAqBaBK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1a9j5twtl1bln

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Hello! I’ve come back from winter break with some new progress! No my film is not in 3D at all, but here is a 3D model of the giant’s house for prospective guides . . #bradleyuniversity #studentfilm #animation https://www.instagram.com/p/BtBZ6c9hsS2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=e9us30if67vt

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Anddd heres our final main character! Benandonner is a Scottish giant and the antagonist for this film. I’ve started rough storyboarding and some more research on the settings; I want it to look as close to Ireland and Scotland as possible #studentfilm #animation #bradleyuniversity https://www.instagram.com/p/BqZ_VvJhivJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=po7yz2jl3z8

[karalyseseniorfilm]

11/13 Here’s the character design for Oongah, Fionn’s wife, and arguably the smartest of the bunch #studentfilm #animation #bradleyuniversity https://www.instagram.com/p/BqZD55zBEAb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10y87akyfpg5e

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Here he is! Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn MacCool) is finished in his design! I’ve settled on a style, and his wife, Oonagh, is almost done as well. I hope next week isn’t super busy. #filmstudent #animation #bradleyuniversity https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp1Q4znBcq_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=l90qydl3o55w

[karalyseseniorfilm]

More sketches = more character and style exploration!

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Woo progress!! With the idea down; now comes concepting. I quite like the 3rd one’s style and look, but I’m not sure if I want the protagonist to be younger and more joyous feeling. #studentfilm #animation #characterconcept #bradleyuniversity https://www.instagram.com/p/BpRAj9rhfYG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=135fy5z0qw1fz

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Hello all! It’s been a little crazy since fall break and just the middle of this month in general. Unfortunately something pretty unexpected happened, and my grandfather passed away this month. He was wonderful and loved stories, and was always interested in mine. The good thing that came of all that, was the clear decision to chose an Irish myth to commemorate his love of our ancestor’s home. 2 summers ago my mom and her siblings, including my grandpa and his cousin, took a trip to Ireland. They went to the Giant’s Causeway, which is an amazing natural rock formation, resulting in hexagonal columns. There is an old folk tale that says that the rocks were really formed by two giants fighting, one from Scotland, and the other from Ireland. These are a few photos my mom took at the causeway, along with their group picture. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpQ_nzHBrb8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jbg2gsv627z5

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Legends

Here are some of the stories from legends I’ve picked out as potential film ideas.

Sun Wukong - Monkey King

On top of Flower-Fruit Mountain, rested a magical rock. Suddenly, the rock bursts open, giving birth to a monkey! At first, the monkey lives among the regular apes on Flower-Fruit Mountain, until one day he displays his courage and wisdom by jumping through a waterfall and discovering, a special cave with an large iron bridge and temple. The other monkeys follow him into the cave and live there, crowning him their Handsome Monkey King.

The concept of mortality occurs to the Monkey King, and he decides to give up everything to seek immortality. He learns from a Taoist Master magical powers like the 72 Transformations, which allow him to become anything he wants, and the ability to fly 60 thousand miles in one somersault. The Taoist names Monkey Sun Wukong, meaning—Awakened to Emptiness.

After leaving his master, Wukong becomes a mischievous deity. He disrupts the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, demanding an armor and special weapon. He acquires the Golden-banded staff Ruyi Jingu Bang. It can change its size, multiply, and fight according to its master's whim. It weighs 8.1 tons. When not wielding the weapon, Sun Wukong shrinks it down to the size of a sewing needle and tucks it behind his ear. In addition to taking the magical staff, Wukong defeats the dragons of the four seas in battle and forces them to give him a golden chain mail shirt, a phoenix-feather cap, and cloud-walking boots.

Upon his return to home, he demonstrates the new weapon to his monkey followers and draws the attention of demon kings, who seek to ally with him. Sun Wukong then defies Hell's attempt to collect his soul. Instead of reincarnating, he wipes his name out of the Book of Life and Death along with the names of all monkeys known to him. The Dragon Kings and the Kings of Hell report him to the Jade Emperor.

Chang E and Hou Yi - Mid-Autumn Festival

The Jade Emperor had ten sons, that turned themselves into ten suns and the extreme heat made people's lives very difficult. It was the hero Hou Yi, who shot down nine of the ten suns. On hearing of this amazing feat and the hero who performed it, people came from far and wide to learn from him. Peng Meng was among these people. Later, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind-hearted woman named Chang E and lived a happy life.

One day, Hou Yi came upon Wangmu (the queen of heaven) on the way to meet his old friend. Wangmu presented him an elixir which, if took, would cause him to ascend immediately to heaven and become a god/goddess. Instead of drinking the potion himself, Hou Yi took it home and presented it to Chang E to keep. Unfortunately, Peng Meng secretly saw Hou Yi give the potion to his wife and three days later, while Hou Yi was out hunting, Peng Meng rushed into the backyard and demanded that Chang E hand over the elixir. Knowing that she could not win, she took out the elixir and swallowed it immediately. The moment she drank it, she flew out of the window and up into the sky. Chang E's great love for her husband drew her towards the Moon, which is the nearest place to the earth on the heaven.

On realizing what happened to his wife, Hou Yi was so grieved that he shouted Chang E’s name to the sky. He was amazed to see a figure which looked just like his wife appeared in the Moon. He took the food liked by Chang E to an altar and offered it as a sacrifice for her. After hearing that Chang E became a goddess, folk people also offered sacrifices to Chang E to pray for peace and good luck.

Cu Chulainn

According to the legend, he sets out on his own, and eventually runs onto the playing field at Emain, unaware of the custom of asking for protection. The other boys see this as a challenge, and attack Setanta, but he beats them all single-handedly as he carries the trait of ‘ríastrad’, in which he undergoes a sort of distortion, becoming an unrecognizable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. King Conchobar put a stop to the fight.

Culann the smith invites Conchobar to his home for a feast. At this point, Conchobar is so impressed by Setanta that he asks him to join the dinner. Setanta is unable to attend right away, but promises to join them at Culann’s house later. However, Conchobar forgets, and Culann lets loose his ferocious hound to protect his house. On arrival at their house, Setanta is forced to kill the guard dog in self-defense. Culann is devastated at the loss of his guard dog and Setanta feels so bad that he offers to rear a new one, and to guard Culann’s house until the new dog is ready to do so.

Dragon Dance

The Dragon Dance is generally believed to have originated in the time of the Han Dynasty (180-230 AD). At the time, and still today, the Chinese people were very much an agrarian society depending for survival on their farming and agriculture for their daily needs.

Performing the Dragon Dance was a means of appeasing the dragon so that rain would fall in the right amounts for a good harvest and there would not be too much hot weather which brings drought, hunger and disease. During the Song dynasty it had become more of a folk dance that was performed during the major festivals.

The dance is performed by a team of dancers who move in a flowing way in imitation of way the dragon causes a river to move. The performers need to be very fit and move in a very coordinated way. They need to time their movements perfectly as a mistake by one dancer can have a domino effect on the other dancers ruining the performance.

Valkyries

In Norse mythology, Valkyries were originally sinister spirits that would fly above the battlefield in search of the dead, deciding the fate of the fallen for Odin. The word “Valkyrie” means “chooser of the slain,” and once chosen the warriors would be flown by the Valkyries over Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, and on to Valhalla. Valhalla was the heavenly home of Odin’s fallen army, and hall of those who had died heroically in battle.

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Woo! Visual progress! I’m trying to feel out what style I want to take this project in, and I think I’m starting to pick out what’s working and what’s not. Or maybe they’re all similar 😅 eh A script is in the works and coming! #studentfilm #animation #characterconcept #bradleyuniversity https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn783dqFPae/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1bv553b7w6z62

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Story Progress

I’ve made some progress on the story of my film itself, I’ve also have a rough schedule for the pre-production phase as well. I’ve been watching some of the recommended resources given to me, and have been thinking actively about how to make my story unique, but also still be clear.

Opens with young boy waking up to an alarm excitedly, checking his calendar to see the date circled. He jumps out of the lofted bed and the camera cuts to him running down the stairs outside the house, and runs off somewhere. He stops in front of a natural formed archway of rocks and ivy, and places a flower at the base. As he stops to look up at the sun to check it’s position/time a glowing guide appears and leads the boy to a small boat on a still river. He drifts along the water, and more spirits begin to appear and interact. Some appear as animals, others as fictional creatures, and seem to not disrupt the nature around them at all. The boat reaches the shore and the boy gets out, and climbs up to a small ledge and leaves a flower on it as well as a small token. The forest spirit appears to the boy and he folds his hands and closes his eyes as if he’s wishing on something. When he opens his eyes he has left the spirit world and is at the entrance archway away. Credits role.

[karalyseseniorfilm]

Hello World!! 

Welcome to my senior film’s production blog. So far I’ve created a mood board for the feel and direction I’d like to take my film in. The glow worm caves in New Zealand and the Bioluminescent Bay in Puerto Rico have been big inspirations. I’m looking forward to sharing more in the upcoming weeks!