The Star Sailor Dev Log

First off, Hello! My name is Zelus, I am 21, my pronouns are they/them. I am currently an animation and creative writing major in my junior year at art school. As part of my junior project, we were required to keep a log of our projects in the form of a Blog or online link to keep track of our progress.

My Junior project run down can be found here in DEV LOG 1

I have been working on a personal project for a very long time, and I have decided to use this as an excuse to start development on it in earnest. The goal is to start a comic and hopefully, an animated proof of concept by the end of 2027. Then the blog will transform into a log of canon series content.

To read more about the series, you can see here in the TREATMENT

This blog will have regular dev logs and posts of art/writing introducing you to characters, world, and story elements. I will upload weekly sketches, WIP's, and blog posts.

See you in the stars!

-Zelus

MASTERLIST:

INSTAGRAM. TIKTOK. BLUESKY.

TREATMENT

DEV LOG 1

DEV LOG 2

DEV LOG 3

Confused? Check out the introduction here

Midterms have vomited all over me the past few weeks. I had to spend the weekend not working and sleeping since I was a bit sick.

I have a packed schedule though, and I plan on finishing one of the character acting scenes tonight. I was able to get my little sister, and my two friends Niche and Denda to help with voicing the characters. Here is the current keys for one:

I'm actually blazing through! I'm, glad I chose to only do roughs so I can spend more time on the technicalities. This summer I plan to clean it all and color it instead of rushing towards the end of semester.

The music video is 1/2 way into Keys as well. I decided that instead of planning everything ahead, I would play it by ear. It's keeping me fresh and hopefully away from stress and burnout! Here is the current WIP:

I'm really enjoying the process of timing to lyrics I can't understand lol.

Im supposed to show my process for my grade so I think I'll show some gifs of before and after for some of my dance animations

Other than that, animation is underway and I feel confident in finishing on time to start the personal parts this summer. I had a moment where I faltered, and I just avoided work for a bit. The task of starting the series is daunting and full of scary possibilities. What if it isn't good? What if no one likes it? What if I fail?

I had to remind myself that I don't do art because it's good, I do this because it makes people happy. And I am one of those people! It makes me happy, and if I can make one other person happy with my work, I succeeded. So if it's not making me happy, I resolved not to do it! But now I'm locked in and ready to go!

Zelus

DEV L0G 2

Confused? Check out the introduction here!

I am officially 21, the age I thought my whole life would begin. But as of now, it is still cold and raining, so I might as well work instead of party. Today, the studio's power went out for the first hour, so the morning was not productive. I am working on the skeleton of one of my dance loops and also the built-out body on top (but I'll keep that one secret for now). I have completed all my thumbnails and concept sketches for my moderate character acting scenes in the Dev book I am keeping. It's a fun sketchbook full of thumbnails, sketches, writing, and basically an analogue version of the dev log.

I had this fun idea that I could use video game elements to tell the short music video sequence. Mixing in fun drinks, funky tech, and anything that I can to help explore the feel. I, as well, have been studying manga artists like Ryoko Kui to look at how she draws expressions to hopefully make the characters feel more alive.

Making the character designs has been fun, but still requires a lot of creative energy and thinking when it comes to their motifs. I'm trying to really nail down their function in the story as well as their inner workings as individuals. (Character introduction posts will come soon!)

I as well have assembled a team of friends to help me start writing the plot down, as well as the first script. Writing a sequential series, I think, needs a team of people to really make the story feel more rounded. I also don't want to tell stories just from my own perspective, as others usually enrich it.

Animatics are complete for the scenes that focus on character acting, and I'm pretty happy with them! This is one of my favorite scenes in Archer and inspires a lot of the dynamic between two of the characters. I did have fun having to work out how one of the characters' functions with a sci-fi prosthetic and still wears shoes. From what I can tell from my research, there are many different types of prosthetic legs for different athletic and lifestyle needs. So I took a stab at what they would look like 1000s of years in the future. Where they can now fit in silicon covers and function both as a foot and a shoe for better ambulatory function by using magnetic tech. I will probably reach out to real scientists and doctors who work with prosthetics, as well as leg amputees who use them, to ask for their feedback.

The guy who helped develop and direct the Cuphead show came to give presentations, and color me INSPIRED. He showed crazy behind-the-scenes sketches and development books that really gave me a better idea of where to look.

Dance loops should be completed by Tuesday if all goes according to plan. I have nothing but time as long as I work hard and stay focused. Right now, I'm having a blast, so hopefully it stays that way.

Zelus

FIRST DEV LOG

I am sitting in the studio right now, tired. People are chatting idly as they work while I listen to Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" through my over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones. I have been spending the past 3 weeks working on things that should already be done. Not in terms of my project in the studio, but the project at large.

Here's the setup:

The Star Sailor: Tales of Asteria is a project currently under development and a labour of love. It is a Fantasy Sci-Fi epic about Astro, a half-human/half-alien learning to navigate early adult life while being thrown into the role of the planet’s guardian, ​the Star Sailor. With the help of their friends and found family, they learn to unlock their powers to make a difference in a world that has long lost its magic and is slowly dying. But for this semester, it will be spent on 2d frame by frame animation tests and exercises, employing the use of Toon Boom and After effects. All of which act as a “warm-up lap” for a proof of concept music video in 2026-2027. 

These tests include: dance tests, fight/weapon choreography, responding to audios to create scenes, responding to music to create small sequences, and taking the existing test to test motion graphics. All tests will be focused on the four main characters of the series, as they will be the focus of the senior production. It is hoped that after going through the course of exercises, the artist will have a better grasp on the visual development for the Senior year project. By testing out many major facets of a music video (character acting, responding to music, and motion graphics), the visuals for the SGA and the artist’s skills will be of higher quality. 

I personally chose this instead of a conventional film for personal artistic development. I want to improve as much as possible to be ready for the level of quality I want to use when I try to turn Star Sailor into a series. I have had plenty of productions to test those skills, but I want to “level up” the ones who need more care. Since my audience is mostly young adults, I want to make something more eye-catching and enhanced when it comes to the visuals of the story. I also will not have the student discounts I currently have post-grad, and seizing the opportunity to develop a proof of concept now, I think, is wise. But so I can really focus on production quality in my senior year, I must first stretch my muscles and grow as an animator. Also, I just want to have fun! To really fall in love with technique and find a workflow that works for me.

All this means I'm working on my own stuff for a whole semester, and I'm excited. I have a series of exercises throughout the following week that are gonna take some serious energy to focus on. Not only have I chosen to start by developing my main body of work alongside it, but I'm getting ambitious about advertising it. The worry is that no one will like it or actually be bad in execution. But if I fail, I fail, and it was never meant to be.

Zelus

All residents of the Planet Asteria know the tale. From each generation, one guardian known as the Star Sailor and their three chosen paladins would protect the realm. Their abilities allowed them to shape land and sea, call from the system’s Sun and Moons, and control gravity to their whim. With the help of their great Oracle, they kept peace in Asteria and were treated as heroes. 

But now, nearly Three Hundred years after the establishment of a new political order, it is nothing but a myth. Asteria slowly degrades as her people follow laws enforced upon them to usher in a “Civilized Age”, one of militant control and lack of resources. Neighbors turn on neighbors as slowly their natural lands turn into mining operations and needless city expansion. All the Asterians have to cling to is their identities as their Government representatives slowly trade away their home for riches and power. 

At the beginning of our story, a young Asterian comes of age. Astro Nautusani’s only solace is a letter of acceptance into the Asterian Racing Leagues and a plan to become the best racer from their valley. A wrench is thrown in their plans however, when they discover an abandoned temple and awaken what’s inside. Turning out to be the lost Oracle, Astro is informed that their destiny is to become the Star Sailor and bring Asteria out of its age of chaos. 

They will have to balance a new adult life as a racer, training to become the famed Sailor, and keeping it all a secret. With new friends to help, Astro finds how to live within a society that treats them as an outsider. And with their new found powers and community, they learn that hope and happiness is closer than they think, as long as you stay united.