The only survivor of a GARUM attack...

I realized that Lilly was the "good angel" on Gwen's shoulder...but I needed a "bad angel" or temptress "or devil" to try and convince her to do wrong. I sketched a few ideas and ran them past a few people. One person in particular "Megan" latched on to the character. What she may not have known was that she was perfect for the part. We needed a woman who was physically attractive, but deep in her heart, she was evil (Megan is not evil in her heart, but she has the ability to show evil...I have seen it in critiques...just kidding Megan). This character had turned from a life of good to evil because (tho she had escaped the GARUM'S assault) her outward beauty was destroyed by it's attack. Now, the people of the "DARKNESS" world would never have seen her physical beauty, (tho blind people can appreciate physical beauty through touch) but she 'knew' she was special...she was, until the attack, quite beautiful and rather vain. She has no idea why the GARUM let her live, but deep in her heart, she wonders if it had to do with vanity, perhaps GARUM recognized an old emotion of his in her...therefore we needed an attractive woman who, through hours of make up, we could "UGLIFY"...Megan has agreed to the make up and is very excited about the roll...she will be the 'devil' on Gwen's shoulder...here is the "SURVIVOR" in her cave...

What can I say...Ron's a genius...

Meeting with Tau (name might be misspelled) tomorrow...wanted a quick sketch of Lilly for her...

A little color...

I took Ron's concept drawing and added some color...

As promised...here is Ron's sketch

Ron has taken the GARUM to an almost zombie state...creepy.

GARUM

Tonight at ITT, Ron brought out the WACOMUS MAXIMUS and drew the GARUM's face...I was diggin' it. Hopefully he'll send it to me TONIGHT RON!!!! so I can post it...but then Ron dubbed the Garum, 'Gary the Garum'...Ron must die a tragic death in a cameo in the film for such a tragic joke...

Did some work on Danea...

It's sort of subtle...but it's better...

If the fire's too hot...

Here's Lilly after she's wiped out the DRIFTERS...she's covered in soot...

More Lilly designs...

Working on Lilly...I'm liking the new look so far!

Sickness...

Last Tuesday I started feeling bad...actually, the feeling started on Sunday, but I have a tendency to ignore illness, pain, small badgers, whatever...so I trudged ahead. But then, Tuesday I had no coffee...because it didn't sound good. That should have been my first warning. Then, no appetite. Then high fevers 102, 103,...sweats, cold spells, a desire to watch Bob Ross! It was maddening! From Tuesday night to Friday night I slept only for short spurts of time (a spurt being increments of 5-7 minutes). So at one time I had slept for many spurts...that would be one and a half hours. That was the most at one time. I became cranky and irritable. Yes, there is a significant difference between the two.

Horizon...cue sunrise music...

Today we celebrated my 40th birthday a few days early and my wonderful wife surprised me with a WACOM tablet. If this means nothing to you, don't worry...but if you understand what a WACOM is, well, let me tell you, it's a 6 x 8 in and it has all the bells and whistles a guy could hope for! Once my computer gets upgraded (Monday by my brother) the artwork should come spewing forth!

ps. Kristi-the-fantastic (as I shall call her now) also got me FIREFLY the DVD box set for Valentines day! Be envious!

At least there is some good news...

Mary dropped off some costumes last night and Ted sent these low res roughs of a tower he is designing.

Lilly, meet fly girl, fly girl, meet Lilly...ooh boy...

So, last night I get sick. BONE-ACHINGLY sick and I decide I need to go to sleep early (11:00) and sleep in. We were supposed to have LOTS of snow so I knew I could sleep in. We are currently in a Blizzard State of Emergency which means all of the schools and the three colleges I teach at are closed. So, I slept in...and then it happened. My eight year old says, "That looks like Lilly." I go downstairs where they are watching "The Tales from the Never Ending Story" (2001).



And there she was...a petite red head with hair sprouting from a WWI leather flight helmet complete with leather jacket and GOGGLES! ARRRG! Lilly needs a revamp!

Key Scene for Ron

This should help establish scale. It's a rush job...

I'm working on another key scene today. Hopefully I'll be able to post it soon.

I was working on another poster idea. I really can't wait to start shooting this summer.

This just in...

Celebrating The Art of Ralph McQuarrie


I've always been a big fan of McQuarrie...I will need this book. The Star Wars.com web site is promoting this book. click on the link above.

Lilly fighting off the DRIFTERS...

I've been doing these small, rough 'sketches' with photoshop so that the CG guys can get a better understanding of the scene. This will be entirely CG. The DRIFTERS, using the last of their strength, have once again taken flight. Lilly has exhausted her power with the 'launcher' and is now using what strength she has (the bright blue energy blast) to destroy the DRIFTERS.

Garum

doodling

GRRRRR...ARRRRG!

Joss Wheadon is no longer working on the Wonder Woman project! Very upset. For some reason, the 'link' won't work here...but this is the site where you can read more

http://www.darkworlds.com/hs/art_27484.html

And it happened while most people were watching the Super Bowl...

Last night on the way home from the in-laws, Kristi and I saw a 'shooting star'. It had orange and green fire in it's tail and it was close.

This morning I read this on one of the on line newspapers I visit.

Spectacle in Midwestern sky was probably meteor, military says

02/05/2007

Scores of people all over the central United States reported seeing flames and fiery explosions in the sky Sunday night.

Calls flooded 911 operators and area police departments, the Missouri Highway Patrol said. Callers described the spectacle in various ways, some saying it looked like a plane crash and others calling it a ball of fire in the sky.

A preliminary report Sunday indicated that the lights were from a meteor, said Maj. April Cunningham, a spokeswoman for North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, which watches for airborne threats to the United States and Canada.

"We had a pilot reporting seeing a meteor, and that's really all the information we have tonight," Cunningham said.

The patrol forwarded the information to the Federal Aviation Administration and had no reports of damage or landings from the potential meteor or space debris.

Lilly vs Flying drifters...

Lilly Lilly senses the Drifters...she turns to see them FLYING! They have summoned dark powers to enable them to fly despite their lack of wings. Thick, black, powdery smoke oozes out from their burning bodies. Lilly uses a 'rocket launcher' to take them out.

This just in...

Andew sent this low res map of the 'land masses' of the planet. Now keep in mind...this is in the early stages...and already I'm psyched! Mawete also has some good stuff I'll be posting soon.

Music

We have another addition to our music team. We're up to four. I'd like two more for some extra diversity. Calling all drummers!

Ted's Stilts

There is a scene in the film where 'fruit pickers' are on stilts in the background while Gwen talks to an elder about a frightening new development in the GARUM's attack pattern. They will be seen through a haze of rain, but Ted has sent me some early, low res images of the base of the stilts. They are large at the base so that the harvesters don't sink into the mud.

The Drifters are Coming...

This is sort of what I envision when the DRIFTERS fly in and try to manipulate the GARUM...Lilly blasts them with the "LAUNCHER"...I'll post Friday...hopefully...

so...Kate Bush is who? She's a very attractive British Gal who has an equally attractive voice...she has sung with Peter Gabriel and has had several American hits...then America embraced Madonna and our musical taste went to that dark burning place where music becomes rap or pop and smothers in eternal dark embers of stinky-ness...so there...buy her CD!!!

I'm listening to "Hounds of Love"
tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 (creepy), 10, and 12

DRUMMERS!

Talked to our lead drummer! She's psyched about our MARCH recording session...

We're listening to Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Blue Man Group, Stomp, and Christopher Franke! Let's ROCK!

And a little side bar...my son got bag pipes for Christmas...if he can manage it, I want him to play a dirge for the scene where Sy is floated down the river...Zack is 8, but he is SO TALENTED Musically...Thursday he is doing a demo at school on Scottish culture and bagpipes! A dad could not be prouder!

sort of...odd...

I've killed a lot of fictional people. In my Entropy Gate series I killed some of my favorite characters to move the plot and tell the story. But tonight, I storyboarded the death of the "Old Caretaker" who is played by my good friend John Gruse. It was surreal offing him with the attack of the GARUM. I found myself, as I was drawing the image of him turning in slow motion with a small blade in hand to face his killer, hoping he'd move fast enough to evade the vicious attack...but John died on paper and he spat blood. He'll be happy...I'm sort of wigged out! I'll post the boards tomorrow.

What a night!

I saw the digital work of the "tree harvesters"...oh wait, I haven't posted those scenes yet...

I also saw that my logo guy was creating sparks for the logo...

I added two new scenes to the film...

Oh, and my son had to go to the emergency room because he chipped a tooth at a basketball game when a cousin fell on his head...long story...quite expensive...

YET, the glass is still half full and brimming with great tasting liquids.

The new script is almost done...it is far better than the original!

I've had a rare opportunity today...almost 3 hours of freedom to edit my second book in the ENTROPY GATE series. I've been listening to two CD's as inspiration...1) KASHMIR symphonic Led Zeppelin...if you don't have it...get it! And the "Last of the Mohicans" sound track...I've got so many ideas for our soundtrack it almost hurts...

John...a good friend...he must die...

John is a great artist and a good friend, but he is also the old caretaker and in scene one he passes on the responsibility of the caretaker to Gwen...he thinks that he will live out his retirement in peace, but noooooooooooooo...I have plans for him...he dies a rather gruesome death...gurgling, sputtering, coughing, retching...finally dying...

NEW END SEQUENCE

I joke that we are international now because Andrew from the UK is interested in helping out on our film...check him out! He totally ROCKS!!! You won't be let down. Go through his archives. Fun stuff, that. Anyway, here is a shot he is thinking about doing...

This is where Lilly transforms into a "being of light" and shoots past the camera...the camera then pulls out of the forest, past the clouds and into the darkness of space where the flashing lightning lights up the planet...(possibly) a comet (perhaps Lilly) passes by...fade to black, roll credits, cue theme...

Plot twist!

Last night an idea came to me...Lilly is obviously the 'angel on the shoulder' sort of gal in the story...sure, the GARUM is the villan and it's being tortured by the DRIFTER demons...but what about the 'devil on my other shoulder' sort of person. What if there were someone who tries to misdirect Gwen away from the prophecied "UNIFICATION"? Tara and Tess, two twins from church, did a skit where one played the angel, one played the demon, and they were the conscience for some kid...it sort of clicked then that the story could use that metaphore. The bad-shoulder-dwelling individual would be human. She would be the only person whoever escaped the clutches of the GARUM...and she would BE TOTALLY INSANE!!! Did a sketch...

color concepts

the beggar who fights Gwen

His weapon is tied to his hands. The necklace establishes his rank amoung his tribe.

a hunter

This is the costume for the hunter Sy. She doesn't survive...a pity.

Clarr's costume...

Hopefully I'll do a shoot with Luke next weekend.

Cranked out some more story boards...will post on friday! Hosed!

The Grind

Click here to check out the art show at the Grind...

Official DVD poster

I'm going to print off a few of these...

Gwen

Danielle really got into the costume. It's amazing how close she resembles the drawings...I was happy. The boots are not the ones she will wear in the film.

Getting into costume

It was at this time that I realized I AM THE GARUM! Danielle looks rather small next to me...that's a good thing.

Danielle as Gwen

PHOTO SHOOT

I have a photo shoot lined up for Saturday afternoon with Danielle. I'll post pictures that evening.

Can't sleep...

Does anyone have any idea where the off switch for the brain is located?

music...

I'm meeting with BRANDON tomorrow to set up a time to record the soundtrack...I only have two more instruments to build...I can't wait!!!

I'm beat...

I had my opening at the GRIND coffee house...I can't believe I actually filled the place with art and people...after the weeks I've had. What was really crazy was that this afternoon I realized there was a blank spot on the wall of the coffee shop and I actually cranked out a drawing in "Rattle and Hum" the DVD time (I started the drawing at the beginning of the DVD and finished it during the credits). It's one of my faves...I'll take photo's this week and post. I've had no sleep. On the bright side, Danielle emailed and we're shooting her this weekend...I mean, we're shooting pictures of her in cotume this weekend...I'm currently listening to the "ANGEL" soundtrack...Joss Weadon ROCKS!

Got some more stuff done for the film. I'm hoping to get some pictures of Danielle in her costume this weekend...gee, if only she would call me. (ha, ha)