When I was working on a particular scene in LotD, I recorded 3 hours of screen captures, filling it up along the way with unscripted narration. Throughout the entire process I’m describing reasons or excuses for what I’m doing, pretty much thinking aloud the whole time. Part 1 starts at the very beginning of the rough animation process and by Part 33, we’re watching the full colour character and lighting process.
Some day I’ll do a fully narrated background capture but until then, hope you get something out of this. Here’s Part 1 (below). Click HERE if you want to watch the playlist (parts 1-20) on YouTube. I’ll be uploading the remaining videos over the next few days.
Work on The Last of the Dashkin 2 (temporary title) has begun. The story has been in place for a while but it’s now a matter of getting it into screenplay format before moving on to panels and a working visual format.
LotD was a prologue. The plan for part 2 therefore is that it’ll be an on-board view as the story really begins to blossom. It’s not the story that will be told in the feature film, so some of the bigger mysteries will remain.
For the conclusion of the story, I’ve decided against putting myself through hell. In other words, I’m using Animate Pro. I have a plan and a little secret to help me get the movie onto NG at a reasonable filesize. In the meantime, I’ll keep you posted with screenshots and updates!
Yes, the witch at the end of LotD is Lemonee Wee. I’ve been getting feedback from disappointed fans who say they’ll miss the old design.
So to answer the question, why the redesign?
Mainly: because the original design (by my friend and ex-Disney colleague David Wilkinson) was very different to my own style. In the semi-realistic world of Brackenwood, Lemonee Wee’s ‘Cartoon Network style’ now clashes terribly. The old design was well-suited to ‘Bitey of Brackenwood’, but that’s back when all of Brackenwood was very simply drawn and animated. Still, I was getting the occasional feedback that Lemonee Wee somehow didn’t fit the rest of the world. Anyway, since then, the series has evolved in every way. Rather than a pointy witches hat, straight from cliché, she now has a hooded cloak. Rather than a huge nose with a big wart, straight from cliché, she now has a face.. just like Bitey is now has several colours in his skin, hair and horns, rather than a single flat colour for each.
Partly: because in the feature film, Lemonee Wee is not a grumpy old broom-riding cliché with warts. She’s one of a race of people with their own unique history and traditions.
There may or may not be some narration in the Dashkin sequel, but Lemonee Wee definitely does some talking so if I can get the same voice actor on board, you’ll be hearing her again.
“Bitey crept closer, crouching low behind the grassy bank. He could hear the clamber of prowlies just out of sight around the bend. He also knew they had food. He had earlier seen them collecting plums, fish and raspnuts and if he didn’t steal them soon, he’d have to go foraging for himself – something he always hated.
He shifted his balance, careful not to make the slightest splash in the shallow water. He glanced up at the trees, his eyes darting from branch to branch as he visualised his trajectory.
SMASH!
The tiny fish breaching the surface shattered the stillness. Amidst complete tranquility, it seemed all the noise of a falling tree compressed into one moment and startled, Bitey whipped around to face it, his hooves splashing and clattering on stone. Almost as quickly as it appeared, the fish was gone. Bitey stood and peered over the bank and as he suspected, the prowlies and all their food had also vanished.
Growling, Bitey decided he’d catch a fish for breakfast.”
The very first Brackenwood poster is an ultra high-quality 18″ x 12″ print, depicting Bitey by the stream on a dreamlike Brackenwood morning. Check out details in the high-res image here.
You’ll need to get your order in pretty soon if you want one in time for Christmas.
Day 35. I’m nearing the summit of this huge mountain. The world is watching and failure is not an option. Why did I choose an old friend as my climbing partner? True to his nickname, Ed “Halfs” Boa is barely competent and I find myself doing twice the work just to ensure we both get to the summit alive, sane and on time.
Now and then his talent shines through and I’m reminded of our successful early years together. And yet in the back of my mind, I’m dreading the next time he stuffs up and almost kills us both.
Most of the time Boa coasts along with an agenda compl
who said?