3D Animation Cinematic Storyboards: SPLATTERHOUSE Video Game

 
 Another assignment from Brain Zoo Studios, to storyboard the 3D-animated cinematic presentations in the Splatterhouse video game, developed by Namco Bandai Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Usually, deadlines for these cinematic storyboard jobs are very tight.  I pushed myself to give more fully notated boards this time around, as opposed to some other jobs where the deadline was so incredibly tight, it wasn't possible.  It's best to do this whenever you can, because when you don't (even when your storyboards are well received) you still have to take time out of your busy schedule to go back and do complete versions that you hoped you had time for in the first place.

You have to do such things to be able to present your good work to other potential clients.  Many clients don't care how tight the deadline was, how you were able to perform mightily to do twice as much work in half the time, or that you had a death in the family, or that there was a hurricane.  Or locusts.  Or a sinkhole opening up right below your house, or that your whole apartment complex's power goes out on a regular basis.

You just need to show them solidly good and readable storyboards that are properly notated.  That gives them the confidence that you can do the same for them.   

However, there are still deadlines you cannot help but get the bare minimum finished before the already truncated deadline comes to an end.

Just one of the many various challenges one has to deal with.

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!

Video Game 3D-Animation Cinematic Storyboards: ROGUE WARRIOR

Working for Brain Zoo Studios, I storyboarded the 3D cinematic presentations for the video game Rogue Warrior, published by Bethesda Softworks.

You can see all of the various Rogue Warrior video game cinematics storyboard segments by clicking onto the images above.