Here we see my concept art for an upcoming addition to the Dulsin cast: Apith the honeybee! These sketches are from 2020, so it's exciting to finally get to share them!! Oh, I think she'zzz going to be lots of funnn, donn't you?
This week for me was lots of plotting. Lots and lots and LOTS of plotting.
First, I had to plot out the overall structure for the new rig system (which I am tentatively calling BrushRig). The system is so complex and involves so many moving parts that I really needed to be 100% certain just how I was going to hook them together, before I actually hooked them together.
Luckily, with all the component parts pretty much done, I'm pleased to say that actually hooking them together went pretty smoothly! The proof of concept for BrushRig is done: The system works!!! Now, to automate it and make it durable.
Before then, I'm taking a moment to make sure mesh generation from Grease Pencil strokes works right. While I had a rough version going with the previous episode, now I'm cleaning it up to ensure it runs effectively and consistently (and can be easily extrapolated to new parts), with logic that plays nicely with everything else. Generation from strokes and fills is working--now, to get them subtracting from each others' shapes!
Second, I unexpectedly was struck with the urge to do more story plotting. I had already gotten the Formicosa arc flowing better than ever, but I just realized an even better way I could do it! Previously, I floundered with trying to give Formicosa episodes a sense of direction or focus--they were mostly just disconnected snippets of character interaction and worldbuilding, no tension or goal.
Meanwhile, Dulsin episodes are always laser-focused, with plenty of drama in the works. So, I realized…I can just make every episode a Dulsin episode, with the Formicosa scenes interspersed along its skeleton to complement it! I think this is the best approach, and by far the happiest I've ever been with the outlook for this season!!
This cut the episode count down slightly, but not as much as you'd think. With the burden no longer on Formicosa episodes to hold themselves up, many scripts I'd discarded for being too thin are now back on the table. Looks like Zeugospa the mantidfly and Teddi the solifuge will be coming back after all (though not as rival exterminators)!
Of course, this does mean individual episodes are now much longer…but, it had already been going that way. Besides, with BrushRig, work at almost all stages will be consolidated into mostly one step: storyboards, animatics, modeling, rigging, layout, camera work, and animation will all have a considerable amount of bleed between them. This means that the pressure will be off to get things perfect on the first try. It also means that rigging and weight painting will no longer be the nightmare and major choke point that they were, and that it will be considerably easier to introduce new character designs on the fly! (That means, many more possible macrovolutes as background characters!)
Meanwhile, Claire is still hard at work on the storyboards. I came up with the idea for an extra scene, so it'll take some extra time to get that written and boarded too. Besides that, I want to take some more time to get things ready for animatic conversion, and to feel like I've hit a good point to temporarily switch focus from BrushRig before then.
So, we'll aim to get that all wrapped up next week. Then, I can do my part on boarding, and recording and casting can begin! While this episode's new workflow has meant these initial stages are taking longer, I am far happier with them than I have been in years, and as optimistic with the future of the project as I was at the outset. I'm excited for the potential of what's to come--in terms of technology, in terms of art, and in terms of story. I can't wait to show you! Until next time!
