More story brainstorming and ideas

11th Feb

Extra notes:

Trailer/short film aim to show quick action visuals:
Ø Explosion
Ø Character lifting/throwing heavy object
Ø Running/Jumping (explore angles)
Ø Punch/kick /combination
Ø Character acting/pose
Ø Backgrounds- comic book like or 3d objects (one or two shots like “Batman Sub Zero”

Do I throw in a gag in the trailer/film?

Script process:
My main way of thinking at the moment is that I need to hammer out a script for something NOW- I don’t think a full script will be needed at this stage to get started, especially if I want to run with a Jack Kirby/Stan Lee “Marvel Method” i.e.: Working off a plot, visually telling the story and inserting dialogue later. If the animated section of the project is going to be a detailed trailer/promotion clip, then I will need to storyboard and settle on the visuals, what dialogue will be spoken in the trailer by characters and what will be voice over.

My other idea was do 3 short films based on either 3 issues that will make up the graphic Novel or just do 3 short films and one comic or 3 comics and one promo trailer. (I’m worried I’m thinking too large for my time and capabilities this year.)

3 periods in time:

A vigilante who hunts Bushrangers in the Aussie Outback (1870’s)- a symbol of the law against killer bushrangers (Ned Kelly became a symbol through his headgear- the irony of the Aussie culture is that we barrack for the underdogs and anti-establishment to a certain degree- Ned Kelly, Chopper Read- we love our true Crime (Underbelly a huge hit)- More story development after research- or maybe this could be a smaller story that connects with the WW2 soldier?

The Australian Army in World War 2 have a “Captain American” type solider- (The soldier is inspired by the Outlaw vigilante?) more muted coloured than Captain America- Maybe not the traditional Aussie flag colours (too similar), but maybe a dark dirty green with brownish gold – this character and his scene would be more for a connection in the linage and as a homage to Jack Kirby’s first successful hero.
I think instead of being a symbol developed by the Australian Army/Government, The character could be related or inspired by the bushranger hero (maybe a relative, otherwise what’s the emotional connection-
Ok, the soldier makes friends with a young bloke in his battalion who reads the old comic books about the Bushranger vigilante- he might have his mask that was given to him by his father/grandfather and he has the mask for luck. The soldier might not think much of the comics and of the young guy but is friendly to him. Soldiers go into battle, young guy dies maybe pushing the soldier out of the way of a grenade or a bullet – prompts him to pick up his comics later, read, likes them, finds mask (linking stories together), makes his own outfit out of his uniform and gear. (Retrospective story- begins with Aussie war hero established, then retrospective origin.)

3rd story set in the present. The grandson of the war hero. I don’t want any of these heroes to have powers or a connection to space. Even though this is the case with much of the Jack Kirby/Stan Lee collaborations, it wasn’t always the case- and despite the fantastical artwork I believe the motives and characterisation behind the characters made them different.

So in saying that, I want to make the reason why he feels the need to suit up and ‘make a difference’- I want the animation in particular to show news reports overlapping (like that ‘Megadeth’ song) of events similar to recent events such as the Droughts, the floods and in particular the terrible fires, the terrorist events, and also show/hear reports (overlapping) of Drug trafficking, ATM bombings and Rapes (events start from large to small)- where the young guy feels compelled to act is how he notices the area where he lives grows increasingly violent. (maybe like growing graffiti, the owner of the local store he talks to has black eye.) Maybe he feels this growing need to help in the world, but feels powerless as (unlike Batman and Iron Man) he has very little money, can’t land his dream job (Centrelink scene?) and feels that joining the army or the police will not solve the problem now and not protect his neighbourhood. Maybe catalyst is elderly couple assaulted in his area? Goes out in Grandfather’s mask and logo T-shirt first, then a more practical outfit after first outing- assessment of the environment and the practicality of his movements and how he goes about making a difference.

Taekwon-do aspect- In his ability and moral character. Maybe words from his master can be part of what makes him want to go out and make a difference- The fist from the ITF logo to be his symbol- and perhaps an Aussie flag on his sleeve or backpack- or just the southern cross…?

Anyways, Enough for now.

Thought process-Nothing too in depth, just my train of thought:
Basically, I was exploring ideas and possible visuals by writing dialogue. Nothing concrete but I was trying to explore how the modern character (un-named) is thinking and what will eventually lead him to become a masked vigilante. Now I realise I’m not going to achieve something like Alan Moore/David Gibbons’s “Watchmen”, but what I liked about the characters is that some issues were told from their perspective/retrospective thoughts and at no time in the book were thought bubbles used- leaving the visuals to tell the story. This is similar to “The Punisher” to some degree where captions are used- The Punisher tells the story via his “War Journal” (like the Journal Rorschach uses in “The Watchmen”). I believe because the caption boxes can be coloured and given a distinctive character style/font, it adds to the visuals of the comic page/panel and makes the page feel less cluttered than large speech balloons AND thought balloons too.
I’m trying to piece together the idea that the modern hero feels compelled to do something as a reaction to modern events/everyday living. From Stan Lee/Jack Kirby era, and even before that, masked heroes have been born from the world around them and are shaped through enivornmental events (political or even personal.)

The first of the “Superheroes”- Superman, was developed by Jerry Siegel and Joel Shuster in 1938. Science was one of the boys' main interest in driving the character from another planet but the idea has been said to have come from the a story that a year before Jerry Sigel and Joel Shuster pitched “Superman” to various publishers, Jerry Siegal’s father had been a shopkeeper who was shot by a robber. He made this hero bullet-proof. Another little tidbit was when the article was discussed in the newspaper, someone had wrote in who wrote rather negative remarks about the shooting (I forget the details, may be a comment against the support of more police etc.) anyway, the letter was signed “L.Luthor”- who went on to be Superman’s greatest villain.

When the Second World War broke out in Europe and news of Hitler’s atrocities towards the jewish community reached many of the writers and artists back in America, many heroes in comic books went into battle against Hitler before the attack on Pearl Harbour brought USA into the mix. “Captain America”, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, was one of these heroes born from the era- A “Super Solider.

Obviously, sales in comics and trends plays huge factors in popularity of characters and types of comics, I’m just being really general here. To get to the point though, Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s characters were often born out of the Cold War and the Atomic age: science and the new world of the Nuclear bomb- The Fantastic Four were space explorers trying to beat Russia to space when they were bombarded with Cosmic rays; The Incredible Hulk was a scientist for the American government who while saving Rick Jones was bombarded with Gamma rays from a Nuclear Bomb; Iron Man was a American Arms manufacturer who was injured in Vietnam and built an iron suit to escape his captors and save his heart (who often confronts Russian spies and Russian and “Red” Chinese villains including Crimson Dynamo, The Mandarin, Titanium Man and the Black Widow). Spider-man was a different sort of hero to the norm (Teenager) but was created by a spider bite from a radioactive spider, Daredevil was also a different sort of hero (blind Lawyer) as he was more street orientated but gained his powers from Radioactive waste spraying into his eyes.

Ok, I’ve gotten a little carried away- more stuff later.