chcarcter sketches for 'Unfortunate Phobia'

Lion Tamer- Johnny Barvo- Cartoon Network, Jonney barvo (show). Heavy Weapons Guy, VALVE, Team Fortress 2 (Game) and a picture of a Lion Tamer. 



Lion Tamer, out-of business, first scene. and a Lion.



 rat/mouse character sketch



more lion sketches

Script Idea- thanks to Phil.

Unfortunate Phobia

a few more Ideas

I'm narrowing it down from many ideas to a few, more better story ideas. here's a few short plot ideas that I will probably expand on.

Under-cover business

The manager of the gym is an ex-Lion Tamer who has kept some of his Lions. a few nights each month, he sets up Lion Bait fights and invite a group of low-lives who enjoy watching dog fights and cock fights. in this Lion baiting, the Lion is forced to fight against a pack of four dogs. But, what the Lion tamer doesn't know is that there is an RSPCA undercover worker who is taking pictures throughout the fight.
In the morning, the  Lion-Tamer is arrested, the Lions saved and given to zoos or released in the wild.

Lion,
Lion Tamer,
Dogs,
small camera phone/spy camera,
arena,
small crowd of people,
RSPCA under cover agent.

Circus Within

During the Night, when the gym is shut and the staff have gone home, a circus springs to life, bringing dangerous animals withing the gym. dangerous to mice. This circus is for mice, and these dangerous animals are cats. On this particular night, one of the cats brakes free and starts to catch the mice. the 'Lion-Tamer' (or Tabby-Tamer) is injured and a Tabby-Tamer in training (or the Tabby-Tamers son) has to rescue the circus and put the cats back in their cages, meanwhile, an employee walks in forgetting his house keys and photographs the whole thing, but is called a mad-man.

Cat,
Tabby-Tamer,
Tabby-Tamer in Training,
Crowd of mice,
Employee,
classic 'tent' circus,
camera phone.

Needing more Ideas

While researching about Lions, I learnt a few things about them.
1. there are many species of Lion than just the African and Mountain Lions. there are also, Asiatic lions, American Lions, Cave lions and White lions. I may consider starring one of the lesser species of Lions.

A new idea has also arisen when looking up some Lion Sports such as Lion Baiting- where Lions were forced to fight with bears and dogs. I could have the Lion tamer a crook to sets up Lion baiting constests in the Local gym, (prahaps manager?) and photographs the winner. this would have to be a realistic style, and would of course involve alot of fighting.

character doodles

What it says on the tin, really

Lion character.

I experimented with some styles and are hoping to try more. I mainly tried 'Lion King' Style, but made it Humanoid.

                                                 Lion Tamer. I based him on Elma Thudd (loony tunes)
                                                          and a hint of Gruu. I'm wondering is its
                                                          best to  makeing a cartoon creature as well



character Doodles

What it says on the tin

The Lion

The Lion Tamer

                                                              Animalised  Lion Tamer

 These are just doodles to know what it is I'm looking for in the characters, something cartoony... but 'kind of' realistic.

Unit 2 catch up

a bit late, but I struggle with reveiws

Alien 1

Legend 1

Away 'till Monday

I have been to the Doctors about my irattic sleeping pattern that has effected my life since last crit day. He has told me to take some powerful sleeping tablets for four days, and has ordered me to stay home for Friday. though haven't got an idea why. I will still be sketching. but will unfortuneatally, won't be in on Friday and will miss the MAYA and what ever will replace Photoshop lessons.

Early Influence Map

Loonet Tunes is an obvious influence to me- as are the picture and painting of Lion Tameing and the picture of the gym. I like old fashioned cameras the best- expecially in their look, being mainly bronze and poslished wood, giving a sense of warmth. I like the Lion King Lions look- expecially the character Scar, as his face, to me seems to give off more emotion than the rest of the characters.

Rough Script Ideas

(Based on initial thoughts, 1.Loony-Tunes, Cartoon Style, 2. Pixar, Cartoon style)

1.      Lion’s Revenge

An Elderly Lion-Tamer, wanting his days of a ‘beast’ master to return to him goes to a gym to try and get his physique back.

He tries to turn the light switch on, it does not work

(Camera focus on light switch flicking on and off)

Shrugging it off- as it is broad day light, he decides to run on the treadmill, which steadily gets faster.

(camera cuts back and forth from the Lion-Tamer’s face to his feet again and again as the treadmill speeds for a four shots then goes to a full body shot)

 The Lion-Tamer, unable to keep up with the ever speeding treadmill is flung off the end, hitting a wall and sliding down

(Camera stays at the treadmill until the Lion-Tamer’s ‘thump’ on the wall, then the camera will cut to the Lion-Tamer sliding down the wall. Fades to black)

The Lion-Tamer, then tries a different piece of equipment- an exercise bike. The Lion-Tamer, enjoying his artificial bike ride, puts some headphones on- large enough to fit over his hat. He is now unaware he is being watched.

(Camera cuts from a side-view of the Lion-Tamer to facing the Lion-Tamer [from the side of the face, near over-the-shoulder])

There is a large empty crate (which held a piece of equipment) turned on its side. Briefly, two bright dots shine- indicating eyes.

The camera then cuts to a partial close up of the Lion-Tamer’s face; music can be heard from his headphones faintly. But it then covered over by intense building strings, the camera then cuts back to face the crate, a shape quickly moves from the crate out of shot, the strings cut off sharply with plucks.

The Camera cuts to the opposite side of the Lion-Tamer, Showing two more silhouettes sneak up- one that seems to be holding a silhouette of an old-fashioned camera. And start to set it up. The Lion-Tamer is still oblivious to what is going on around him.

The Camera then returns to a frontward over-shoulder view of the crate- where a large shadow looms- it is that of a male lion.

The camera cuts to another side view the Lion-Tamer. In clear view (to the audience) the Large Male Lion is standing behind the Lion-Tamer and Roars as loud as he can. But the Lion tamer does not hear him. Confused the Lion looks towards the other silhouettes.

Camera cuts to a close up of the silhouettes, which are now revealed to be a Leopard and a Tiger, who look at him angrily and fed-up. The Male Lion tries again to scare the Lion-Tamer with a roar, but is still not heard. Giving up, the Lion taps the shoulder of the Lion-Tamer who turns around and roars in his face. The leopard shoots a picture of the Lion tamer being scared by the Male Lion.

(camera cuts [with a flash] to the Leopard’s picture of the Lion Tamer being terrified by the Lion with his mouth opened to impossible angles, roaring)

-End

(This story developed as I was writing it; originally, I had the Lion-Tamer being chased on the treadmill by a lion- but thought that was too short.)

2.      Help! My Lion is missing!

It is dusk Outside the gym, audiences are greeted with a sign post with the words: “Lion Missing, big reward, contact local circus if found”. The camera slowly pans in, close to the gym.

Camera cuts to just out-side the gym, where, a Lion-Tamer enters, looking rather exhausted. He opens the door and enters the gym

(Camera cuts to interior of the gym, facing the door)

The Lion-Tamer shuts the door walking out of frame.

(Camera cuts to the light switch turning flipping up and down.)

He tries to turn the lights, but to no avail.

(Camera cuts to a full shot of the Lion-Tamer)

Sighing, the Lion-Tamer turns on a torch and proceeds, walking out of shot.

(Camera cuts to an on-the-floor shot, far from the Lion-Tamer, the Lion tamer shines the torch-light towards the camera- the camera moves behind something.)

(Camera cuts to Lion-Tamer)

Lion-Tamer hears a noise that spooks him and turns round,

(Camera cuts to an over the shoulder shot of the Lion Tamer)

 Flooding the area with light, and a dark shadow dashes past

(Camera cuts to the Lion-Tamer’s head)

The Lion Tamer slightly screams, his hands now shaking,

(Camera pans completely around him in a circle)

The shadows from his torch seem to become fighting monsters and beasts,

(Camera then pans to his side and stays there.)

The Lion-Tamer hears tapping of claws against the floor of the gym

(Camera pans the background away)

The Lion-Tamer fearfully anticipates what the noise is as he shakes and points the light to the sound

(Camera cuts to dis-used and broken equipment- where the light is shining)

A hiss, skittering and clanking sounds from the disused and broken equipment.

(Camera cuts to a waist-up shot of the Lion-Tamer)

Lion-Tamer screams recoils and almost drops his torch.

(Camera cuts to an on-the-floor shot that rapidly pans towards the Lion-Tamer)

Lion Tamer holding his hands close to his chest looks around too late and screams.

-Camera flash-

(Camera cuts from a white fade out to a picture of the very scared Lion-Tamer being tackled by a Lion cub. And faint words on a banner in the back ground saying ‘surprise’)

-End

 (this also developed as I wrote it, becomeing much longer than I expected)

that is all my ideas I have now- script wise. I feel like I shoult develop characters for both of these scripts, as I like them both.

Unit 4- Thought Post, part 2

My thought goes to the character in the scene, the Lion Tamer.

Which can be perceived in many ways. to Tame a Lion- a wild beast with fangs and claws. to taming in a metaphorical sense, like a  parent taming her tantrum induced teenager. or a boss taming a stubborn employee (or vice versa). It could also be a natural disaster Like the natural disaster (or disaster in general) is something to be tamed and made to become weaker or back to normal. As Lions are known in mythology to be brave, strong, fearless beasts that could and would attack and kill anything with their bare claws.

I have been doing some research about physical 'Lion Taming' and though the word 'Lion' is used, the first ever Big Cat to be 'tamed' was a Tiger.
In 1819, a French circus performer named Henri Martin entered a cage with a tiger, shocking the audience when he emerged without a scratch. Martin, a retired horse trainer, soon taught the tiger to obey a series of simple commands. He eventually incorporated lions into his act as well, becoming the first famous lion tamer.
the Most common big cats used in the ring of a circus when A Lion tamer is an act is: Lions, Tigers, Pumas, Jaguars, cheetahs and Leopards.

Unit 4 Start -Thought Post-

Lion Tamer, Gym, Camera.
what do these things have in common?
I have to make a scene from them.

There are many possibilities when considering scenes- especially the basic plot that can be as complex or simple as you make it to be. There are also sounds, music and camera direction to consider in mainly the MAYA pre-viz. There are also the complexity of the character- when trying to create a realist character- even if it's for a few moments- or less. the looks they give, the movement of their body, the personality towards different situations.

 But most important of all is the Plot- without any plot there is no story to tell (even documentaries have a plot in a sense- though this mainly done through editing later, after shooting).

With this character, prop and location, the imagination can, though may have some restrictions, be limitless (provided here, be it has to be in a gym- the character's occupation has to be a Lion Tamer and there has to be a camera at least in the scene)

Here are some basic thoughts of mine- that were instantly put together when given the magic 'blue box' things:

Thought 1:

An elderly Lion Tamer, that wants to get fit and back into Lion taming goes to the gym (late at night) to find his old Lion, now looking like a body-builder and wants revenge for the Lino Tamers cruelty  and so takes pictures of him 'beating up' the lion tamer.
(Loony-Tunes type style and comedy)

Thought 2:

A Lion Tamer and his (friendly) ex-Lion meet up in a gym and have a sparring match in the boxing ring (or any other competitive sport) while being photographed
(again, Loony-Tunes style)

Thought 2:

An elderly Lion Tamer has lost his Lion, and the last place he looks is the gym. as he enters the gym- the light switch won't work and so proceeds with a torch. he hears scuttling and other noises- then gets pounced upon by  his Lion while a camera flashes- the lights are then switched on (via switch box?) and the whole 'lion lost' is a set up to a surprise party for the Lion Tamers birthday.
(starts of like a horror, then turns 'normal')

I will come up with more Ideas as the characters develop as there are still many possibilities (such as a lion tamer mouse etc).

Crit presentation

a bit rushed and paniced while doing it...

Unit three presentation

Unit three final

I'll admit- not a fabulous start to MAYA, but all will be told tomorrow at the crit.

More updates

Just changing the background... I think I edited it, but I can't remember... only a little bit more to do.

unfortunately, when I tried to render- or even build more of the chain-link, My computer- and Maya kept freezing and severely lagging, so- as much as I want to model most of this scene, I have to unfortunately compromise with only one lot of chain-link.

more progress

Many spikes of doom. I don't know how small each of thoughs struts are, I just know they were a pain. though simple, it was like placeing a needle upright on a grain of sand.

After thought- I've decided to model part of the chain-link fence, only part of it- by the time you get to the 'end' of the actural fence model, the chains would be too small to see and look cluttered.

Final Piece, Progress 2

I simplified the Santa, as to not spend eternity on it, just adding the beard made of fur instead of everything, that will make him look more ‘toy-ish’ and less realistic (and harder to model)



Placeing Santa in my scene to see how it looks




The very simple santa

I'm still usueing the temp background for now.

I'm still not happy with this santa, I can see lots of faults to corrects, and so will be tweeking them.

Final peice, progress

A very strange santa... also- for some reason, everytime I render, it 'de-smoothens' my objects



The scene... I just added some blue sky and cloud images so I could see what it would lok like- later on, I will paint the sky myself, as well as a deserty back-drop.



Furs

A compelation of Tutorial completed Furs

100%bear preset

50%bear 50%bison combination

25% sheep, 25%bear, 25%porcupine, 25%bison

Fur grey scale

Another dream inspired sketch

A few hours ago- I woke from a rather strange dream... a dream in which Santa clause were chaseing down people like a bounty hunter... only- in the desert by a strange chain-link fence. it was only later on when the thought hit me; "hey! santa in the deserts strange!"  so- I made some changes of my dream... turning the 'real' santa into a plastic duplicate you might see on a house roof in the christmas season

just realised... I forgot to add a shadow to the chain-link fence...

If your wondering, "what could you construct in maya with that?" I have it figured out, the Santa and parts of the chain-link will be in Maya as well as the forground of the terain- the rest will be in Photoshop.