3D Animation Storyboards / Orthographic Turnarounds for 3D Modeling: HASBRO STAR WARS TOYS

When I worked for Reel FX Creative Studios, I storyboarded for countless toy product commercials, mostly for Hasbro.  One of the jobs I had was to storyboard was a simple 3-5 second 'bumper' for the Star Wars toy commercials.  The approved concept I came up with was of the soldier droids from Star Wars: Phantom Menace, moving along an assmebly line with the Star Wars logo integrated into the back wall.  Just something visually cool to do for the beginning or the end of the commercials.

I was able to convey the concept in one single pan-shot frame storyboard, notated to specification.  In addition, I was given a previs design done by one of the Star Wars production designers, and assigned to produce orthographic turnarounds of it for 3D modeling, which you see below the bumper frame.  I had to take the previs design, and then extrapolate from the single representation to work up accurate views from all sides (except from the bottom, this time).

Even when I get paid to do my work, often a job goes nowhere and is abandoned.  That happened with this assignment.  I got to see a 3D test of the orthographics I worked on, and it was beautiful!  When we found out this was a no-go, there was a collective exclamation that came from all who worked on this project.

I can't repeat what a lot of us said here in this blog.  That would be just rude.

But it was fun to do!

Video Game Cinematic Storyboards: STAR WARS MUPPETS 3D-Animated Video Game Cinematic

Part of the same pitch from my previous post, Brain Zoo Studios had me also draw the most strange combination of things: Star Wars Muppets!

Whuuuuuuuhhh?!? I know, right?

I must admit, I don't remember if ever there was a separate Star Wars Muppets video game, or if there was to be a special Muppets Star Wars 3D cinematic presentation in the Knights of the Republic video game.  It's been several years since I worked on this pitch, and going back to my emails on the subject still doesn't explain it.

But I did them!  And they were awesomely fun!  C'mon, this is the quintessential Muppets In Space!  Kermit Skywalker, Qui-Gon Fozzy Bear, Piggy Amadala & Darth Animal!  I think I would have wanted to draw this stuff just for fun anyway!

Yeah, I'm a geek.  I'm Darth Dork!

3D- Animated Video Game Cinematic Storyboards: STAR WARS - KNIGHTS OF THE REPUBLIC

Sometimes it seems as if all I do is work on pitches that go nowhere.  Not true, as I do get paying jobs also!

Brain Zoo Studios contacted me to ask if I'd like to pitch storyboards for the Star Wars: Knights of the Republic video game cinematic presentations.  I've successfully pitched with Brain Zoo before, turning a spec job into a paying one.  And since Brain Zoo is an excellent studio with a top-notch reputation, it was a no-brainer to give this a try.

Star Wars video game projects are highly sought after by animation studios, so we had our work cut out for us.  I was given treatments of each storyboard concept, then I drew up my thumbnail storytelling.  I was given 3 boards to work on, and it was decided that I was only to go to finishes on 2 of them.  It was also suggested that I keep the frame count for each board to about 17, so I wouldn't do way too much on a pitch that didn't succeed.  This results in the storyboards becoming more like 'key frames' rather than the fully fleshed-out storytelling that is usually done with fully finished storyboards.  I did a few more frames anyway, to better flesh out the storytelling.

I am including the thumbnail layouts below of the one board that did not get finished, just to show you the process.

 

When I do my 'first pass' on a job, it's usually done in what are called "thumbnails", which are proportionately smaller versions of frame compositions.  It's a good way to plan a storyboard project without spending all that extra time drawing full-size, only to make mistakes that you have to correct later.  There's no sense in making your mistakes on all that 'real estate', when you can get everything right in a much smaller form, which you can enlarge later when you're ready to go to finishes.  Not all jobs require or need this approach, but it comes inpretty handy. 

As with many pitches, someone else got the job.  That's the way it goes.  Oh well, nice try.

TIME... MARCHES ON!