Thought I'd start a new thread to collect miscellaneous design sketches so everything is all in one place.

So yeah, post your concept sketches and feedback here.

I'll start with alternative design for the ship.

ship #2:

This is a mission ship with 3-5 crew. It's a 2-in-1 ship, with the explorer EVA attached at the back of the ship. The 'head' ship acts more like a towing vehicle but functional and can fly by itself.

The grappling arms (or the giant chopsticks ^^) can move just like a human arms and elbows would. Guns can be added on the ball shoulder joint.

The back wings can be lifted up (as shown) to let the explorer out, but are normally down to shield the explorer when not in use, or to protect the back of the main ship when the explorer is not attached.


So what do you think?
It's a weird fusion of mech/sphinx/bike/fly design, I kinda like the action-y look..

Hahahah okay I sat down and started drawing, and then rememberd I suck at drawing mobil/ships etc. I have an idea, so ill redraw it when I have more time and its not midnight lolz.


Perspective shot.

~Slaka

An interesting 'ship' design, but still not what I had in mind..
I guess I would like something more in the traditional movie spacecraft style.
Thinking of something between these two:
http://www.daedalusal4.utvinternet.co.uk/DaedalusaL4_files/image005.jpg
http://www.daedalusal4.utvinternet.co.uk/DaedalusaL4_files/image038.jpg

And for Selphina's space suit, something between the traditional and this.
Google 'Space Suit' for tons of ideas.

Slaka -
Good perspective, for when Selphina looks back at the distant ship and sees debris, etc.

MEH. not impressive. Going of of the capsule idea.



~Slaka

THE MUSICAL IS OVER!!!
If anyone cares, it was sold out all three nights, we turned away over 500 people at the door becasue it was so crowded! I had so much fun, but now I'm ready to work on this project. Looking forward to it! I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm back on track!

cibo

And for Selphina's space suit, something between the traditional and this.
Google 'Space Suit' for tons of ideas.

Please think of the 2D animator who has to animate that stuff. I prefer the mars suit but with less details.

Please think of the 2D animator who has to animate that stuff.

Well, that's up to you to advise us esp animation noobs like myself what's feasible what's not :)

So what's with the mars suit that makes you prefer it more than the other suit? More geometric shapes?

I prefer the mars suit because it has a human shape. I have more experience in animating humans than extraordinary shapes like old space suits. I could try out an old suit as well but I can guarantee a better animation quality with human shapes.

Will our character designer Yina design the suits?

I would think it's part of character design, but I'm not too sure ..

Anyways, here's my attempt to storyboard the opening scene as described here:

Read more... (click to view)

Selphina is in a cherry tree park( 1, 2, 3, 4), having a picnic with her boyfriend.
(not much for motion besides petals falling, just a view (or 2) of the two sitting in the park, perhaps Selphina's laugh is heard)

Sakura petals falling and swirling about in slow motion.
(This would be 3D assisted or 2D assisted animation, not hand-drawn)

She is looking on, smiling at her boyfriend, when something in the sky catches her eye
-Menacing tone slowly enters, slow motion-> head turns up as eyes look to the sky, smile fades-
(This would consist of about 3 hand drawn frames, morphed together using same technique from the final scene in Avalon, by Oshii)

Cut to sky view, (back of Selphina's head in foreground, she is sitting, this perspective)
A dark black spot in the sky.. (additional cut of Selphina looking up, towards camera?)
(still shots with clouds moving and a few petals flying by)

Don't laugh, my drawings suck I know, I'm just trying to get the flow of images going in my head so I can start thinking of the background concept stuff. Anyways, I also wanted to see how I go at storyboarding, so comment away.



Some explanation.
#1 - Selphina and bf sitting under the cherry tree having a picnic. The bf is sitting up and she is lying on his leg. Oh, I added some basic retarded hairstyle coz she looks fugly with a bold head :sweat:
#2 - I picked this perspective coz I thought it would kinda make it interesting to not see the bf's face yet at this stage, perhaps revealed later in the story. Anyways, this is an upside down shot of Selphina lying down on her bf's leg. All happy and smiley.
#3 - A mysterious shadow creeps in, she looks at it, smiles gone, looks worried.
Fade to black - end of flashback, back to reality
#4-5 - This bit is slightly different to cibo's script. Here I made the flashback like a dream or a nightmare, which gave Selphina sorta a rude awakening.
#6 She turns to look up the sky
#7 [shot of the sky doing strange things]
#8 We see Selphina looking out of the ship's window.

Is this in line to what you have in mind, cibo?

Sorry I'm jumping the gun again, I'm trying to figure out a workflow for myself so I can be a bit more organised in doing things, hopefully I can settle into a better routine soon instead of just randomly posting stuff ..

- Harakri, I am fine with you using whatever will come out with the best result in animation. Just make sure its not holdng you back in any sort of way. I also agree that Yina's job would be spacesuit design.

-Cibo, Does she even need a space suit? Wouldnt it make more sense if she just was in a capsule of some sort because the accident? Cuz I still dont think she would have enough time to suit up during an accident with a bunch of people panicing. I'd say that being put in a pod type thing (by her b.f?) would make sense because then she would still be in clothing like she would have been onboard the ship and it would be a quick means of escape.

-Supermonchi, Great job on the storyboards so far More detail would be a bit better but its fine :). Just defining details like idicating light sources because if we get that completed during storyboard process then once we go in to actually create it there wont be much to worry about.
I actually have some storyboards written from Makoto Shinkai Himself so ill post:

Sorry its so damn big lol.

~Slaka

Wow where did you get that from slaka? It's awesome!
Thanks, now I have a reference, before I had none - lolz!

And just so you all know, I treat this project as a learning experience so feel free to crit away, I won't get offended - as long as you are being constructive in your comments :)

monchi

Haha you forget that I am the leader of Shinkai Brilliance here at AP lol. I have athe booklets that came with his DVD's. It has basically every step of how he creates most of his stuff, without giving away all of his secrets of course haha.

~Slaka

HAHA okay dont laught at my 30min. doodle of Supermonchi's storyboard. BUT! I am kind of testing out diffrent ways we could do the procedures and etc. Seeing if we should lay an underline of color and etc. like what I have done. OR just simple mark colors. Either way I will still need to go back in and completly re-paint everything LOL
(WARNING: THIS IS NOT WHAT THE ANIMATION GRAPHICS WILL LOOK LIKE)


~Slaka

super- There is something very familiar about your storyboards.. Being awakened by a startling dream reminds me of several films. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Aliens, Ghost in the Shell ('97 movie), among others.

That said, I like the general design of the dream, and the corresponding event outside. This seems like it may focus more on the phenomenon in the sky, whereas in my screenplay, it was just a metaphoric event inside the dream. I just worry that I may have seen this before; does this seem familiar to anyone else?
-Not the dream itself, but the character waking up startled and seeing a phenomenon outside that was just in her dream, perhaps even in space..

The storyboard looks like she is on a planet, inside the ship. Were you using the flashback/dream to show an event that happened in the past, perhaps when the phenomenon first appeared? And now she is in a shelter, or on a mission because of this phenomenon? It's a little hard to tell..

When you create a different story in storyboard form, you need to make sure things are clear.

Slaka-
Well, in my opinion, the incident timeframe will have to be assumed by the viewer, so they can assume whatever time they think is feasible. Also, (depending on the accident) I don't think astronauts would be too quick to evacuate the ship. That is, they would try to stay with the ship at all costs. Otherwise, we are getting close to that '"Emergency Evacuate!' scene you were talking about.

Thanks for coloring that pic, it gives a bit better idea of how it will look.

Hmm... I agree with Cibo in small ways. As for the story, I think it would be better if once she gets pulled into space from this dream like state, that she is floating in space (with no protection) indicating its still a dream and then perhaps waking up? Opposed to having the sky pull her in and then show her look out the window and etc.

~Slaka