Fagin-omics... thinking it out again

Hi folks, Paul here - back again on the process diary.

I've taken a small break from the intense scrutiny I was putting my story under, because I felt that I was getting into an area where nothing was good enough, the story was wrong, and that I may have to start over. Worse yet - I was doubting my story, and its validity.

Truth be told: I have a setting that's intriguing: a world on the cusp between ages, waiting for a hero to set things back in motion.

I was so far off my schedule, that it was practically useless all over again. I now realize why some productions go over budget, over time, and some times fail. I also realize that reading books like "Story" by Robert McKee, while extremely helpful, only cement the fact that our hindsight is ALWAYS 20:20, and that we can only see our mistakes and our successes in the full light of the day we accomplish a task.We can compare notes on productions which are completed, but never in the works. Books like McKee's read as tho the fully finished screenplay should leap out off the page, and grab the reader by the eyeballs and suck them into your world. While that's fairly inspirational sounding, it is impossible to do. You must draft, and draft, and re-draft again.

I am on my eighth draft of the pilot - it works in its own world, but it raises too many questions, and demands a pre-knowledge of the audience which only I have. And ultimately, I am not gonna be sitting in their living room saying "well, you see, Min is actually Corben's daughter, and that's why they hate each other..." If it is not obvious, the scenes of them together don't work. So I have to focus on what DOES. Rivalry? We can understand that - so make the scene more about that. We can concentrate on why they are rivals later.

So here's what I am doing right now, and what I plan for myself for the next block of time:

Story wise:

1. Outline a brief history of the story - how we got to the place that made a desert like the Cadians possible.
2. Draw a FRIGGIN map of the place, so you know where Market, Stanton, Young, the outlands, etc ARE.
3. Illustrate how the Cadians function.
   
4. Discern the "real" world from the "fantastical".
   
5. Find each hero's desire, and explore how he/she would aim to attain that desire. THEN throw obstacles in their way.

Visually:

1. Complete model-mesh clean up.
2. Begin to explore textures, looks, colors, moods.
3. Rig characters.

I have some new bibles on my shelf right now, and they in part, have halted my progression. This pilot was meant to be a "study" of sorts, but it is now an Opus. (Way to go, Paul). So i must par back the pilot to its absolute essentials.

I will get to those bibles soon. Right now, I have to figure out what to show you and in what order. I have decided that next month, I will put the full 17 minute cut of the first pilot up so you can all see what it has been. This is because when you see what it is, you will be able to gauge the changes made.

In the meantime, I have been attending life-drawing classes, and also have been practicing on some works to use as concept art for this project. I present them for you, now:

From Public Album

From Public Album

The anatomy on the second one needs fixing - I've posted this on CGTalk, and received some very good advice. I shall be showing a breakdown in an extra show soon, as well.

OK, that's enough ramble for this week. I'll be back, now, but on a fortnightly basis, as the work ahead of me is pretty intense. Reporting every two weeks might allow me to produce double the "wow" for each post.

Here's hopin'!

Originally posted October 16th 2008

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