CHARACTER DESIGN HEAD MODELS

These are character designs for head views. The full body views have already been completed and posted on You Tube. Remember to look under VendiriaHQ! as the channel name or type in Vendiria in the search bar. 

CHARACTER DESIGNS UPLOADED SOON

I will post a series of character designs introduced in the previous animation projects. These will show frontal, profile, rear and three quarters view of all major characters. It is important for animators to show consistency with drawing and technique. These drawings work as "anchors" and reference points for vantage angles. Since no character will be viewed from the same angle it is important to render the subject from multiple viewpoints.

I am also looking into new options for artist techniques on future animation projects, Please stay tuned I will have more artwork on the way!

2ND ANIMATION NEAR COMPLETION

The second animated project is nearly done! Like the first project I used some of the same animation techniques to achieve the desired result. Here are a few more of the completed "cells" that will be included in the final showing:

Remember to check out the videos under VendiriaHQ profile on You tube and Twitter! See you soon!

NEXT ANIMATED SEGMENT

My next animated piece is more than half way completed. After the technical issues that AI faced with the first one I decided to use Adobe Flash instead of Toon Boom. I also made some changes with the story 'mood' and atmosphere. Instead of he dark brooding and sinister setting of the previous animation this one is colorful silly and light hearted. Below I have some of the incomplete "cells" that I will use in the completed work.

FIRST ANIMATION STORY

This is the first animated piece that I have mentioned before. It took many long months to complete a art piece that stretches just beyond six minutes. The amount of detail and timing that goes into constructing anything animated is no laughing matter. It requires serious dedication and a creativity edge to construct something of this nature. Here is a short list of the roles that go into creating and producing a cartoon;

Director/Supervisor Oversees the smooth and timely production of the project

Producer Create and arrange and organize the segments that go into completing a project

Storyboard Artist Bring ideas to life my drawing a sequence of sketches describing the story

Conceptual Artist Designs elaborate detailed pieces to emphasize settings or characters

Layout Artist Design environments, settings and the surroundings where the story takes place

Character Designer Creates the general appearance of all characters in the story

Screenwriter Organizes the story by writing dialog and the plot; establishes the script 

Effects Animator Adds additional visual effects to enhance the project

"Inbetweeners"/Key frame Animators Draw/Ink all drawings and scan in material to computer

Illustrators/Colorist Color and manipulate all drawings in the computer with artistic programs

Film and Video Editor Determine the organization of finished scenes to complete a movie

Voice Actor Coordinator Talent Scout selects voice actors and read dialog from script

Sound Effects Technician Manipulates and provides correct timing sound sequences in project 

Music Composer Creates music score that enhances the "mood" of all scenes in the project

It was no doubt an exhausting experience, but one that I am more than capable of undertaking!

Anyway, I decided to animate this part to show the general mood for this piece. This is part of a story that I have written about in the "VENDIRIA" universe. "VENDIRIA" refers to the home nation that these protagonist are from. It is also the title of my work. I have character profiles, background info and character designs too. This story features the three top secret military agents deep in enemy territory who are looking for the whereabouts of secretive technology. While doubts are cast about the reliability of their safety they proceed with their mission. It turns out these doubts were justified when they are ambushed by a familiar face!

If the video does not play for any reason look for it on You Tube under username VendiriaHQ! Click this link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZsGXBnMQBw 


REMEMBER: My cartoons are on You tube at the channel VENDIRIA HQ. Simply type in the title Vendiria to find it!

STOLEN IDEAS

Ever get the feeling that all your ides are being secretly stolen right from your head? Well as a creator I feel like this all of the time. With all of the drawings and writing that I do it's no wonder that sooner or later something from some other cartoon or video game series will seemingly swipe the idea straight from my notes.

My desk can LITERALLY look like this when I am "deep thinking" mode. Organization falls to the wayside and is traded in favor of literary prowess

Whether it's a creative plot point, a character model or two thirds of an entire story, I get this unshakable feeling that my ideas are being taken slowly but surely. Don't get me wrong, there is the whole concept of "originality" versus anything that is truly "new and innovative". Most ideas are rehashed and reshaped in some different form and presented as a entirely new story. Take the concept of "Good and Evil" the oldest and most reused plot device in Human history. Hero fights against the evil tyrant/emperor/ruler who threatens the peace of the city/nation/world/universe and either alone or with the help of equally powerful allies rises up up to overthrow the evil overlord. "Damsel in Distress" is another one. Hero single handily takes on the bad guys and defeats them all to save the female protagonist. Ideas are retold over and over again, I understand that part......

Stories, Characters and Settings can be highly influential to any viewer. They are often redone from a pre-existing work and displayed as something "new". Think about a movie, book or game where you swore that you've seen the same concept before. Memes like this are recognizable almost instantly sometimes. Observe:

Evangelion released in Japan 1995 Pacific Rim would catch up in 2013

Lion King and Kimba the White Lion the latter of which preceded the popular Disney film

Heathcliff and Garfield. Heathcliff came out as a comic in 1973 and Garfield would first appear in 1978.

These are links that show some more coincidences. I am sure anyone involved with any creative process can sympathies with what I am going through right now.

This one for Cracked:

17 Famous Movies That Ripped Off From Lesser-Known Films

http://www.cracked.com/photoplasty_656_17-famous-movies-that-ripped-off-from-lesser-known-films/

This one for Screen Rant:

Anime Films That Were Ripped Off By Hollywood Movies

http://screenrant.com/hollywood-movies-based-anime-japan/


For some reason the things that I create get swept up in some unseen thought stealing device operated by powers greater than mine. While I have been getting my computer fixed, writing the stories, screenplays and short stories, drawing character designs and settings, animating the stories, mingling with like minded artists and establishing social networks , and completing the copyright process (ALL of which takes a tremendous amount of time for a single individual) Disney will launch "Moana" late this year. It appears to be about a Pacific Island girl with a oar(?) who will embark on a adventure to "fulfill her ancestors' unfinished quest".

Links for "Moana"

http://fandom.wikia.com/articles/the-characters-of-moana?utm_source=wikia&utm_campaign=recirc&utm_medium=rail&utm_content=2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_(2016_film)

http://movies.disney.com/moana

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521164/

Looks interesting so far..... except certain things about the product look awfully similar to my own creation. Right now I am waiting for a response from the Library of Congress on approval for my work(s) before I upload  more material. This way I can be sure that no one will "steal" the idea that I've been working on for ages now. It isn't as though I've been blabbing to others about it either. I like to keep things quiet until I am finished with the work which takes a tremendous amount of time to finish. Anyone reading this blog and into long art projects knows that. The older entries contain bits and pieces of the the work I've mentioned. When I get the copyright certificate I will upload more work that is directly from the animation  But what I've seen from Disney as of lately is too strange.... Take a look at my own work and see if can spot any similarities.

Spot the connections! I did when I first caught wind of the new Disney film! 

I am not saying that Disney whole sale copied my idea but the similarities are unnerving. The last thing I want to be accused of is being "unoriginal" and a artistic thief. Even though the drawings aren't exactly the same (EX: my characters have dreadlocks, small tribal tattoos on their left upper arm, and are renowned martial artists) the characters in the upcoming Disney film share some common ground. They are from the Pacific Islands, mine are from a fictitious Pacific Island; they sport Native style apparel, and so do mine; they are brown skinned people who seem to be have a unique culture, and so are my own characters. That is why I had their place of origin in the Pacific Islands to begin with. Even their names made me look twice.  The main character has a grandma whose name is "TALA", my main character's name is "TALALELEI"!

Seeing the previews for the Disney film today just reminded me that this has happened before. In another animation that I am doing I have a character who never talks but she happens to be a sniper with a rather violent backstory. Her name is Justine and you will recognize her by her red hair and black outfit when I upload the cartoon. Metal Gear Solid Five was launched in 2015 with the character "Quiet" the sniper. When I first saw her I was speechless with the similarities! 

My character "Justine" and Quiet the Sniper may have been twins separated at birth

And this one for the Killzone game franchise on the Play Station. The villains wore black armor with glowing eyes and were called the "Helghast" Mine is a old drawing that I did along with part of a comic book I made back in High School. With some exceptions on the armor the characters do look alike. I based my drawings of these bad guys off of combat pilot flight gear. They also look a little similar to the swat team unit in the original Bubblegum Crisis anime series. 

Clad in similar armor these set of henchmen could practically team up with one another.

Keep in mind that I've been working on these concepts for years. Some of these concepts I started before college about six years ago.  But I also know I don't have anywhere near as much recognition as any multi billion dollar animation or video game studios. Disney and Kojima Productions will outpace any solo artist any time I afraid. So the absolute worst thing about being caught in this situation is that no one believes you. Most people will say you are just another copycat artist trying to cash in on someone else's idea. Hopefully by uploading this ahead of time I can prove that I am far above that!

With the copyright still in processing I will have to wait to put up more work. For now keep a eye out for idea stealing devices that secretly hover in the shadows. It appears that like ambushing me on a regular basis. 

REMEMBER: My cartoons are on You tube at the channel VENDIRIA HQ. Simply type in the title Vendiria to find it!