If Nautical Vengeance Be Something You Wish (new project imminent)
Next week I'll be starting a new and very big animatic project. Below is the context, initial scheming, and some (or rather a lot) of my thoughts surrounding it. If you only wanna see artsy goodness, you won't find much on this first post. I figured a good place to start with this blog is to share some insight into my process (do I sound professional yet? Pretentious? Both?).
CONTEXT (ALTERNATIVE TITLE: YIPPING AND YAPPING):
While sparing the gory details, this has been the hardest year of my adult life. It doesn't look like things are going to be getting a whole lot better yet.
What I've needed to focus on, and to feel like myself again, is a project. And as is typically the case in dark times for me, a saving grace has been a new hyperfixation. Earlier in the year, it was Humpback Anglerfish (I still love them so very much).
Now, it's The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists.
This came about after I rediscovered an old gem from my time in school, that being Natalie Riess' own storyboard adaptation from 2012. If you're into storyboards and dark cartoons, and somehow haven't seen it, I recommend giving it a watch:
It's been such a comfort to watch over. And over. And over again. It was such an inspiration to my younger self, and fuelled my drive to develop my own visual storytelling skills.
I started listening to the song everyday on my way to work, and with such a darkly humorous piece of musical storytelling, I guess it was inevitable I'd start imagining my own adaptation. But admittedly, I found myself in a bit of a mental jam. A lot of ideas for designs, shots, beats etc. came back to Natalie's. I didn't want to disrespect the original by "copying" too much (which is a bit silly to think in hindsight), but I couldn't deny the influence it had on me either. I didn't want to deny it, in fact. I figured, why tiptoe around the remnants of inspiration? Why not embrace that instead? And so, I'd like to make this project somewhat of a tribute.
I have a boatload (or perhaps a shipload) of original ideas I want to bring to the table of course, without that this project would be pretty null. But intersperse with that, I'd like to add mementos to Natalie's wonderful adaptation. I love this song, I love the original animatic. So if I want to do this, I want to do them justice... and if I want to storyboard this nearly 9 minute long song...
I repeat, nearly 9 minute long...
I want to do it to the best of my abilities. I want to put a lot of thought and effort into this, hence the creation of this blog to keep track of it all. And give me strength, I think this just might be what I need during this difficult part of my life. A big project that reminds me how I started out.
INTIAL THOUGHTS, CONCEPTUALISING, DEVIOUS SCHEMING IF YOU WILL:
While I was thinking about this project, I found another wonderful interpretation by user Artur Janz on Youtube. Check it out for a grittier portrayal:
As you can probably see, one of the top comments is "flapjack meets edgar allan poe" to which I thought... perfect. Brilliant. Beautiful, no notes. I think that description of the visuals/vibe of an adaptation for this song is spot on, and I'd like to lean into that. Add some Tim Burton/cartoon German expressionism into the mix and job's a good'un.
As well as that, another comfort from my earlier years has been Guy Bass' Stitch Head book series. I could probably make a whole other post about what these books meant to me, but for now I'll be keeping Pete Williamson's illustrations as another inspo for this project.
I recently picked up the new graphic novel adaptation of the first book for old times sake, and I'm still in love with the illustrations to this day. If I'm struggling or need some inspo, one of my first go to's will be flicking through the book.
I mean, look at this bell. Are you kidding me? That's the best bell I've ever seen.
What I love about the song is that it's entire premise is something out of a twisted fairy tale or piece of harbour town folklore. I think these visual inspos will fit a cartoonish adaptation of a demented, wickedly humorous sea shanty quite nicely.
Above all, I also want to use this project to just keep developing my skills, or lack thereof. I suck at backgrounds, I want to use this to get better with backgrounds. I suck at perspective, I want to use this to get better with perspective. I've been proud of how I've been showing emotion in recent animatics, I want to keep doing that. Even if the industries in a rough place and it doesn't look like I'll get to wiggle in anytime soon, I want to be better for myself.
Now the game plan is to look more closely at my references, and from there I can get a better understanding of the setting, timeline of the story etc.
Then it'll be onto thumbnailing. I'm looking forward to it. It feels good to feel like me again.
If by some miracle you've read or even scanned through this madness, thank you! I hope you'll stick around.