thursday august 19 2010

I'm back! Kinda.

I've been wanting to make at least one more picture portraying how a running building becomes a shooting star. So that's one of the things that/what I've been doing today.

In the midst of this I start messing with colour again! When I thought black and white was a firm decision. Is it out of curiosity or am I looking to prolong this process?

I've e-mailed a producer since my return home from my holidays, with no reply. When I'm certain this picture is done, I'll e-mail again.

I hope you've had - well, are still having - a great summer!

wednesday june 30 2010

Today my PDF introducing What Was Once was finally e-mailed away. It's in the midst of summer and holidays, so let's see if something will happen.

The PDF is in Swedish, but I post it here, in case of curiousity.







Don't be afraid to click to enlarge.

wednesday june 9 2010

So far, this is what the woman sees looking our her window:

I'm not entirely certain this is the final design, but for now it is.

On to the titles, so I can put together my informative little pamphlet to lure money people and producers alike into my sticky web of yarn.

monday may 31 2010

I've made a sketch for what the main character sees looking out her window, using what bits and pieces I already have made. It doesn't feel as strong as the first yet, but there you are, a first step.

Also I'm toying around with the title and the clouds I've made.

And since a few days back I'm contemplating converting some of the designs into postcards and try to sell them, for fun, to celebrate the work I've put into them and as a little way to highlight my film. Could be fun!

wednesday may 26 2010

Making small alterations that I've been longing to do since I published this image here. No hands on top of hands, and more feathers in the background. Little things that bug me.

Now it's time to move on to the second part of the image. If I have these two images done - looking out the window and what they see from the window - and a good logo, I feel that together with the character designs I have a good visual material for an application.

The application was supposed to be handed in a month ago but I haven't heard anything from my producer. From what others tell me I gather he's taken on too much work. Hmmm.

tuesday may 25 2010

Today I've been trying to incorporate the title of the movie into the imagery. I'm still not quite sure how I'll do it, combining action and movement with clear graphics isn't all easy. I have ideas of nighttime, stars becoming the title and then shooting stars, the rays of the sun and the main characters waking up....

In my imagination it's great, in what so far exists of such a reality is more or less messy.

thursday may 20 2010

Today I've made letters for the titles. The thought is to animate and integrate them into the design. I hope they are not too unreadable because I like them. They feel both graphic and jugend:y.

Now I've begun yet another insurmountable drawing of clouds, thinking the letters will disappear into the many lines of the sky.

I make myself tired and weary and excited. It feels like if the many graphic and detailed elements will work out they will add to the movie and make it pop out. And if not I've wasted a lot of time. Working out a design has elements of gambling in it. I wish I worked faster, yet I couldn't make this if I did.

wednesday may 19 2010

Today I've finally finished the background I've been drawing. The hope is that it will match the sky without competing with it, like an indoors sky, kinda. Maybe all the little lines can highlight the main characters internal confusion as well, that would be lovely.

See, before:

And after:

Here it is with a bit of shadow:

I've also been playing with fills:



And with colour:


I'm very attracted to keeping my film in black and white though.
I want it flat, just not boringly flat. Hmmm.

Right now this is my favourite, I think:

It has a bit of 20's German expressionism silent film feel to it I think, and that's never wrong in my book.

Now I'm starting to think about and tinker with the titles for the movie...

monday may 10 2010

I dreamt last night about my film. The movie was packed with patterns and structures and half abstract things intermingling with more depicting designs. And there was no colour. It was more to the Edward Gorey style that I originally, in 2004, was inspired by (you can see the original designs in the side bar).

This is an Edward Gorey inspired illustration I made for another project.

And watching these (especially pic 1 and 5) I start thinking...
Maybe a structured, to my mind slightly neurotic style, is the right way to go...? Mind you, I'm not saying that I think Pick me up's designs are structured and neurotic, but what I have in mind might be. Like something back to basics with where I am today's twist?

That sounds good, right?

wednesday may 5 2010

I've been working on one half of the image material that I'm making for the film application (I'll get back to you on that).

I've also started thinking about colour. One idea I have is to animate colour in abstract patterns as an overlay and keeping the characters and settings themselves in black and white. I think that could be an interesting and also expressive way to work.

Of course I've also gone through one of the gazillion doubts that seem important for the realization of a project. Do the demons look too childish? Would it be better if they were more like gigantic, slightly more abstract shadow beings?

Now I think not, but unless you try how will you know for sure?

wednesday april 21 2010

I made a new girl today:

I have a hard time deciding whether the boy and girl should look "normal", or as extreme as the rest. Decisions. Let's see if I'll be satisfied with this one, I do think she's slightly less the "good girl".

I was also thinking about what the world might look like as seen through the window of the flat...

...maybe like something like this?

It's hard to know when to stop. The whole world needs to be created sooner or later of course, but other projects and duties are also beckoning me. Decisions, decisions.

tuesday april 20 2010

I gave the tall one bigger wings and the little one a trident as one is mentioned in the script, but I think it looks a little stupid. Hmmm. Maybe it's the script that needs changing.

I've never been satisfied with the look of the leading lady.

It feels like I'm stuck in a mannerism that I can't shake and it's very annoying. I want some kind of androgynity to her look though not necessarily that she's cool, I don't want her to look like a "good girl" either and I want people to be able to identify with her and read stuff into her, so some kind of anonymity although I still want her to be particular...

I'm thinking of everything from the look of Patti Smith to Sofia Loren to myself to women in the street. My only conclusion is... that I might put her in a bathrobe again... that could help with the changes she'll be going through in the script.

thursday april 15 2010

Today I've written a short synopsis, project description, director's note and made a preliminary budget and sent it to the producer to get an opinion. That's the glory of not working alone.

I'm quite but not 100% happy with the design of the demons and the main characters. For instance I think the smaller demon could have a bigger beak and more of a hunch. What do you think about this?

New and old:



Which one do you think is the better?

wednesday april 14 2010

Today I finished off two demons. I discarded the owls and went for the plague, crows and ravens, inspired by pictures like these:


(The two images link to their original locations.)

Let's see if I'll be contented or not.
The main characters will get some finishing touches. The girls shirt is much too short and her thighs too skinny for instance.

tuesday april 13 2010

So this is the boy and the girl as they look right now (or should I say the man and the woman?).

Am I content with this?
Hm, I don't think I know yet.

I've been trying to make the boy look anonymous, like uncharted territory, and I do like his skinny legs. They are a bit Tintin:y.

Alright, commencing the work on the demons. A-one, a-two, a-

friday april 9 2010

New stars and houses.
I think this might look swell in change and motion.