There Is Nothing Like A Dream To Create The Future
@lesmis-animated
An account dedicated to developing concepts for Les Miserables for an animated format. No animation will actually be done here at least at first, it will start with concepts. Question box is open! Admin: @youngthursday
I’ve decided to pursue a Les Mis adaptation project, which is specifically adapting it for animation, based on the book. At this stage I have not done anything with it, but I’ve made myself a tumblr blog so you guys can follow the progress along and hold me accountable at @lesmis-animated
As a little additional note for anyone who doesn’t know me, I’m currently finishing a degree in animation due to graduate in June so I DO in fact have credentials in this area..I’m just not an animator (I specialise in Character Design and Storyboarding). So expect a lot of concept art, visual development and character stuff, and hey maybe if this gets pursued in a wider sphere for actual production there’ll be some animation!
Thats all, hope yall come follow along because my personal drive is LOW and I NEED to be held accountable. Asks on the account are open so ask me anything about it at any time!
Grantaire had risen. The immense gleam of the whole combat which he had missed, and in which he had had no part, appeared in the brilliant glance of the transfigured drunken man.
He repeated: "Long live the Republic!" crossed the room with a firm stride and placed himself in front of the guns beside Enjolras.
"Finish both of us at one blow," said he.
And turning gently to Enjolras, he said to him;
"Do you permit it?"
Enjolras pressed his hand with a smile.
This smile was not ended when the report resounded.
Enjolras, pierced by eight bullets, remained leaning against the wall, as though the balls had nailed him there. Only, his head was bowed.
Grantaire fell at his feet, as though struck by a thunderbolt.”
- ‘Les Miserables’ (Victor Hugo) : Volume 5, Book 1, Chapter 23 [‘Orestes Fasting and Pylades Drunk’]
This animatic was created as part of my honours year at university studying Animation! I specialised in Storyboarding, and wanted to board this scene as practice. Creative liberties were taken for the sake of dramatisation, such as there being more bodies in the actual cafe than there probably was then. Either way I hope people enjoy this
As some of you may be aware, I am an OC artist before I do any fandom work - and while I mostly post fandom work on this blog, I would like to start making dedicated side blogs for my biggest projects, similar to @lesmis-animated . These stories are my biggest passions and while I know people aren’t here for that, I wanna showcase the things I am proud of to a community I’ve grown to love!
What we are doing here is a POLL, in which I will introduce 4 projects of mine; One is a Collab, Three are Solo. I have other stories I know I will make a blog for that are not included, and chances are all 3 of these will eventually be created; this is just to gather people’s vibes on which they want me to start with/what is most interesting!
You dont have to follow me to vote! Just read the summaries below and pick one!!
Ready for me to try and condense a yap?! Here we go!
Option #1 - THE AVIARY
The walled kingdom of The Aviary has stood steadfast for centuries, between conflicts and failed uprisings. At the helm, the council of 4; The Avian Governors. While many praise these symbols of peace and power, one group do not settle. The Passerines have been the biggest threat to The Avian since they were founded; and now, under the leader of firey-eyed Goldfinch, they are more powerful than ever before, and The Avian will do anything in their power to crush these rebellious chirps before they grow wings and soar.
A collaborative fantasy world with OCs from a bunch friends! Set in a walled kingdom called The Aviary, where all characters are based on birds, it follows the rise of The Passerines; a ragtag group of rebels set on bringing down the walls and creating a brighter future free from the tyranny of The Avian government. The story and designs are inspired by the French Revolution, and Victor Hugo’s ‘Les Miserables’.
Option #2 - DIVINO
As war rages across the countries of Pa’ndagra, the people of The Valley live in peaceful harmony and denial of the loss and suffering beyond their harbours. At the heart of this peacetime country is the Seraphicus Order, home of the religion of Coelestis, taking in refugees but refusing to have any participation in stopping the war. As the Order prepares to lock down for the election of their new figurehead - the powerful and magic-endowed Divino - Isaiah Contreras, a high-ranking Seraph priest and a favourite for the role, receives specific custody of a young girl called Bíkka, the daughter of his estranged close companion from his youth. As the war breaches the boundaries of The Valley, and Isaiah must choose between his duty and position in a place so closely tied to his faith, or this new child he has the obligation to take care of.
A fantasy story exploring religious corruption vs true faith, and wartime effects on innocent citizens. Draws heavily upon both aesthetic and thematic symbolism found in Catholicism, and was in part inspired by the 2024 film ‘Conclave.’ The story with the most development and work behind it thus far, so no shortage of content.
Option #3 - ELEUTHERIA
Eleutheria is the big city of progress and industrial change, the likes of which have never been seen. As industry and technology spreads its roots across the lands, the travelling nomadic group The Oikos, do everything they can to retain their self-reliant lives, and avoid it. That is, until the two younger sons of their leader - Kyros and Theseus - run off to make their names in the big city. What follows is a battle between identity, culture, technology and humanity, an exploration of corruption between politics and the military. As their worldviews split, the experience could tear the two close brothers apart, or bring them together closer than ever.
Eleutheria is a newer story using OCs I’ve had since 2020. A fantasy story looking at the total effects of Industrial Revolution on tradition, culture and community life, the corruption of the military and government bodies, and mistreatment of certain groups that comes with rapid industrialisation.
Option #4 - AULD REEKIE DETECTIVE AGENCY
16 year old Antone O’Neill and his sister Viola run their own self-proclaimed private detective agency - Auld Reekie Detective Agency. They often tackle small local issues among the community of lower class Edinburgh that the two of them live in, but this harmless little job takes a turn for the worst as they begin to unravel the mystery of a murderer from the 1700s, a supernatural entity, and rumours of sold souls and immortality whispered around the cobbles.
A horror/mystery story set in early victorian Scotland and incorporating Scottish culture and themes of death, cultural abandonment and loss of identity. I have had these OCs since 2023 and have only recently recreated their story to a point I like. I have not done any visual work on this one yet, so it would be a new slate!
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With all that over with ITS VOTING TIME. Let me know which story you’d like to see have a sideblog the most to start with! There is a chance I’ll use the interest as my idea of which ones to set up in which order!! Reblog this around, you don’t have to follow me to vote! Read the above summaries and pick whatever you like best, any and all questions or comments or reblogs or engagement is encouraged!
WHICH ABOVE STORY DO YOU WANT TO SEE A SIDEBLOG DEDICATED TO? (FIRST)
Reposting my main account! These are some polls for making a sideblog similar to this, but for my original projects :) go read about them and vote! These stories are everything to me
Initial Concepts of Enjolras and R! These will be taken, developed further and then simplified for animation purposes. This is a little insight into how my personal character design process tends to go
Enjolras was visually inspired by greek statues (specifically statues of Apollo!) and Saint-Just, the young french revolutionary figure. In the book he is compared to both - so it made sense to draw inspiration. I looked at the ideal fashion style of 1832, and put him in something similar - compared to Grantaire he is composed and put together.
Grantaire’s costume design is inspired by ‘La Bohéme’, the opera about a group of failing artists in 1830s Paris. I felt it fit his character. For his body structure I am looking into heavier set boxers with more natural muscle distribution, and facially trying to go as far opposite from Enjolras’ perfect marble-like features as I can - chipped and crooked teeth, freckles, scruffy beard, previously broken nose and messy hair.
As I design them I’ll keep approaching them as a pair every so often - as narrative foils, it’s important that I design them together for cohesion, and similarly I’ll do the same with Javert and Valjean. It is also important that i focus on them individually, to make sure their unique personalities dont get lost in the importance of the duo design.
Thats it for now! Will hopefully be coming to you with more soon, but it’s gonna be a busy month for me as I finish with university.
Grantaire looks like this homeless dude that approached me and my friends after a gala in slc asking for cash (we didn’t have any) and just repeated that he wanted cash even when we offered to get him food or go to a store and then walked away. It was an experience
Initial Concepts of Enjolras and R! These will be taken, developed further and then simplified for animation purposes. This is a little insight into how my personal character design process tends to go
Enjolras was visually inspired by greek statues (specifically statues of Apollo!) and Saint-Just, the young french revolutionary figure. In the book he is compared to both - so it made sense to draw inspiration. I looked at the ideal fashion style of 1832, and put him in something similar - compared to Grantaire he is composed and put together.
Grantaire’s costume design is inspired by ‘La Bohéme’, the opera about a group of failing artists in 1830s Paris. I felt it fit his character. For his body structure I am looking into heavier set boxers with more natural muscle distribution, and facially trying to go as far opposite from Enjolras’ perfect marble-like features as I can - chipped and crooked teeth, freckles, scruffy beard, previously broken nose and messy hair.
As I design them I’ll keep approaching them as a pair every so often - as narrative foils, it’s important that I design them together for cohesion, and similarly I’ll do the same with Javert and Valjean. It is also important that i focus on them individually, to make sure their unique personalities dont get lost in the importance of the duo design.
Thats it for now! Will hopefully be coming to you with more soon, but it’s gonna be a busy month for me as I finish with university.
Trying to get some Enjoltaire designs done for portfolio purposes before I graduate. Take some face development! Will be working the rest of the day so I may post again with my selected variants but for now its a secret. Various wild cards and various safe choices! Got more ideas out of Enjolras’ sheet than I did with Grantaire, I know how R looks to me
Practice storyboards of the opening of the ExR death sequence I’m storyboarding for my degree at university. This section will probably be unused for my submission (just due to timing constraints for both my assessment and to actually get the work done) but I’ll use it afterwards when I complete the scene in my own time.
Enjoy this little snippet! A taster of the kind of work i do for you all, and a vision of what this project could be ^^
hi! im super excited to follow this project~ im curious if you will be adapting the full story or if youll be focusing on a specific section? also, do you have an idea on the final length?
no worries if you have no answers now! ik youre pretty early on in the project <3
I’m not entirely sure yet! If I was to focus on only a section it would be the 1830s-Amis-Barricade section, since I have a soft spot for the amis and everything that happens thereafter. However I do feel pulled towards the full story or as much of it as I can, because I feel so much context would be lost if I only did one part! I did consider tackling it as a two-part sort of deal? With part one being pre-barricade and part two being during and post.
HOWEVER, all of that said this project is currently very much a portfolio thing for me as well as a love letter to this story that means a lot to me, which means it’ll be starting out as more of a concept-based Pitch situation. Ideally it’d be picked up to be made into movies, I think? Again, perhaps a two parter. But that’s not even remotely a thought I’d consider plausible, just a dream!
It’ll take a while to fully get into things since I need to work out how I’d adapt the story in all its brick-glory into a story able to be shown on screen. I want to preserve as much as I can. I may need a lot of you guys to help me out with some ideas of what you imagine the story to be! I want this to be a really interactive project if it can be.
But yeah tldr I’m not sure of length or what I’d focus on. I am more endeared to the barricade section, since revolution-based stories are my favourite and one of my biggest personal projects is pretty much inspired BY les mis, but again I’d love to do it all if I can. I’ll see where it takes me! Thank you for your interest in it, it’s been awesome seeing how people feel so far <3
Working on this damn uni mandated tragic yaoi...no spoilers, only sneak peaks of my adaptation of the ExR death scene thus far..first draft thumbnails are my favourite stage
First post! Things will be slow at the start while I gather research and inspiration, but for my degree I am currently storyboarding the ExR death scene (unrelated to this project, but I suppose I can treat it like a taster). Trying to nail down base concepts to draw them like for that, for consistencys sake, but these won't be anywhere near the final designs.
