More drawings and preliminary storyboard panels

In no real particular order. Just trying to get something semi-close to what it may look like...at least the comic anyway.

Thumbnails from Script "The Soldier"

Don't make any sense huh? Yeah I know. Starting to slowly redraw these into storyboard panels.

The Fantastic Four Intro-2006

Jack and Stan's characters in their fourth incarnation (the 2nd in 1980's minus Human torch, and then the early nineties Marvel action hour. You could argue it was the fifth as season 2 was created by a different animation studio who did a new intro and character design.)
Im searching for possible alternative to animate the project. Intro? Trailer? Animated comic? still don't know.

Fantastic Four -1967 Intro-

Jack and Stan's original Superhero team "The Fantastic Four"- Animated by Hanna Barbera and character designs for animation by Alex Toth. Cira 1967

More Preproduction "The Vigilante"

We'll see what happens with this script/project.

More preproduction - "The Soldier"

Random thumbnails- possible shots

Scribble

Head turnaround - "The Soldier"

Costume layout - "The Soldier"

Original Face studies - The squad featured in "The Soldier". Faces loosley based on some of the Original Marvel Bullpen.

Random thumbanils - the Camp, various costumes/prop bits etc.

Punisher movie: Kuwait Animated scene

This was an animated animatic done by Punisher cover artist Tim Bradstreet for the special features for the Punisher extended edition (2004 film). This scene was cut from the opening sequence of the film as it was deemed too costly to film with the budget given for the film.

With the scripts that wrote with the dialogue as vocie overs (as in the thoughts of the main character) perhaps I could do this to tell the stories, but have more smoother animation and camera moves...

Script 2 Draft1- Working title "The Vigilante"

Took some location-for-reference shots last night. But as my previous post said, I'm nervous of the workload Im creating for myself. This could possibly stay as a pencilled or complete comic at the very most. I would have liked to animate it- maybe keep it as an animatic or possibly a more static animated comic.

Anyways:

WORKING TITLE: "VIGILANTE" REVISED DRAFT
BY PAUL MASON

FADE IN

INT. VIGILANTE’S BEDROOM – EVENING

A VIGILANTE sits on the edge of his bed. At his feet is a small metal box with old World War 2 photos, bits and pieces. In the VIGILANTE’s hands he holds an old face mask which he stares at intently. The mask resembles the mask worn by a soldier in a photograph at the VIGILANTE’s feet.

FADE TO BLACK

Various News reports, overlapping each other.

NEWS REPORTER 1
Police are on the hunt for a gang of youths believed to have sexually assaulted an elderly woman in her South Brisbane home...

NEWS REPORTER 2
...The drugs, along with hydroponic equipment was seized during the raid, with a total street value of $80,000...

NEWS REPORTER 3
...shots were fired from the vehicle, seriously wounding two Officers and several bystanders...

NEWS REPORTER 4
...hunt for the serial Arsonist continues as the Death toll continues to rise. Police say...

NEWS REPORTER 5
...the girl is in a critical condition in hospital after the 5
year old’s uncle violently threw her from a moving car...

FADE IN

EXT. UNDER AN OVERPASS – NIGHT

A young man stands under an overpass of a Freeway in a Suburban area of Brisbane. He puts down his back pack and unzips the top. He begins to dress himself in dark clothes, hand wraps and a mask.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
I’m not a superhero. Let’s get that straight. I can’t fly, I can’t punch through walls and I can’t bench press cars.

The VIGILANTE clips on weapons straps and conceals a homemade Blackjack in his jacket sleeve. Next to the back pack, a digital camera, black texta pen, street map and stick of gum lay at his feet

VIGILANTE (V/O)
I’m not a scientist. And I’m not rich. My sense of justice, doesn’t come from a traumatic childhood experience, an atomic accident, cosmic rays or radioactive insect bites.
No fancy toys, no fancy outfit. Just me.

As he finishes suiting up, He peers down at the street below and takes a deep breath.

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
So why am I here?

The VIGILANTE slides down to the footpath, darts across the four lanes of traffic into the bushes.

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
Did you ever feel powerless when something tragic happens on the news, like 9/11 or the Victoria Fires? People could be absolutely
suffering, but you feel there is physically nothing you can do?

The VIGILANTE runs through back gardens, across a park, though the trees, and across streets.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
Acts of violence that claim the lives of so many innocent people.

The VIGILANTE pauses at the sound of smashing glass. At the end of the street, he spots a street light go out, smashed by a brick. He runs into the shadows.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
So what do you do? Join the Police force? Enlist in the Armed forces?
I considered this. Fight overseas problems or dispense speeding fines?

EXT. SMALL ROOF TOP – NIGHT

The VIGILANTE scales the side of a guttering and perches in the shadows on the top of a shop roof.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
You know, my neighbour’s house has been burgled 3 times in the last 8 months.
The elderly couple down the street; stabbed and robbed in their own home.

Below, a gang of four spray paints graffiti all over the shop front. One gang member kicks over a bunch of garbage cans while another whacks the plexiglass windows with a crow bar.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
The Shopkeeper who owns the store down there has been struck with an iron bar.35 stiches.

The VIGILANTE takes digital photos of what the gang members are doing to the shop. He takes the memory card and slips it into an envelope. With a marker he writes on the front "To Springwood Police".

VIGILANTE (CONT V/O)
I don’t need to be sent overseas to fight. There’s a war right here.

As he stuffs the envelope and camera back into his bag, the VIGILANTE looks up to see two of the GANG MEMBERS harassing a YOUNG LADY walking through the street. GANG MEMBER 2 pulls out a knife as GANG MEMBER 1 tears at her clothes, attempting to grope her. The VIGILANTE’s eyes widen.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
And sometimes the police aren’t around to prevent casualties.

The VIGILANTE jumps down on top of GANG MEMBER(4), breaking his fall. He finds himself in front of GANG MEMBERS 1 and 2, who have grabbed the girl.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
So I wear the Mask.

GANG MEMBER 3 emerges from behind and grabs the VIGILANTE in a head lock. The VIGILANTE reaches over, grabs the face of GANG MEMBER 3 and leavers his leg to lift and drop the GANG MEMBER (3) onto his knee.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
My Grandfather’s mask. He made a promise, I aim to continue that promise.

Disposing of GANG MEMBER 3, he quickly jerks his right arm, sliding out the hidden blackjack, smashes the knife out of GANG MEMBER 2’s hand, and flicks the Blackjack back up, uppercutting GANG MEMBER 2’s head.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
To keep lives safe.

While GANG MEMBER 1 is distracted, the YOUNG LADY stomps on the GANG MEMBER 1’s shin, causing him to recoil. As she struggles to break free, she elbows her him in the face.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
I know I can’t fix the world doing this. I never set out to.

He clutches his face and lashes out to strike her with his other hand. The VIGILANTE slides in, blocking the strike with his blackjack, and dislocates the GANG MEMBER’s elbow, reverse elbows him in the throat and drops him with a back kick to the stomach.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
But I’d rather be out here doing something than watching another tragedy on the news at night.

He stops and looks around at the out cold GANG MEMBERS, then looks at YOUNG LADY, who smiles slightly. The VIGILANTE turns his head to the sound of police sirens. The YOUNG LADY turns her head, and turns back to find the VIGILANTE gone, with the Large envelope in his place.

VIGILANTE (V/O)
So that’s why I’m here. Why I do it. Because I choose to.

She picks up the envelope as the Police car pulls up. The VIGILANTE watches silently from the bushes and runs into the shadows.

END.
Paul Mason s2585694 Draft 2 story 2 Week 3 Sem 1 5

Script Drafts- story 1- Working title "The Soldier"

Copy of revised Draft 1 of "The Soldier". I've gone thru last night in an attempt to plan how many shots it would take for me to possibly animated/storyboard. It was around 70 shots (give or take 6 or seven possible reuses.) and maybe about 16-to 17 comic pages.

My worry is that this may be a huge workload even before considering the second story. So I'm therefore still grappling with what to do first- images for an animated short or the comic pages? I don't want to skimp on the quality of the images and I need some animated shots for my show reel from it. I dont want to do fully rendered colouring (to keep a grittyness to it) so perhaps the comic pages could be roughly pencilled and then digitally inked and coloured with the wacom (yes, I havent broken it yet.).

Anyways, I'll thumbnail it out as both storyboarding and page layouts and decide from there.
Hopefully, I'll be able to edit this script down. At the moment its exactly 5 pages. The other story (in the next post) is 4.5 pages.
I'll work it out.


"THE SOLDIER" DRAFT 1 BY PAUL MASON

BLACK

White text fades line by line onto screen:

"Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard."

-Sun Tzu - The Art of War.

FADE IN

EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - DUSK

Text: New Guinea Jungle - 1943

Dense wet jungle. Faint sounds of gunfire can be heard in the distance. A lone SOLDIER emerges from the shadowy trees. He looks around quickly, and props himself against the trunk of a tree. He pulls out the magazine from his machine gun and squints as he looks into the top.

SOLIDER (V/O)
Separated from my Battalion. Ambushed. Low on Ammo, Covered in mud, mild malaria. Haven’t slept for days. Blood on my arm. Don’t think it’s mine.

The SOLDIER quickly turns his head.

SOLDIER (CONT V/O)
Voices. Not Aussie.

The SOLDIER slams the magazine back into his gun and pulls back the hammer. Birds fly out of the trees.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Keep moving. Getting dark. Smells like rain.

The SOLDIER pauses, crouches and peers through bushes.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Footsteps through trees. Six, maybe seven. Close formation. A few stumble. Hostages.

The SOLDIER closes his eyes.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Christ. It just gets harder. I feel like a steak. Sunday arvo Barbie, kids on the veranda, footy on the wireless, Missus laughing with friends.

The SOLDIER shakes his head

SOLDIER (CONT)
No. Focus.

The SOLDIER creeps along a grassy path. Passing under a tree branch, he spies the body of a dead enemy soldier.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Why am I here? For my country? "The greater good"? The Poms? The Yanks? No.
I made a promise.

EXT. MAKESHIFT CAMP NEW GUINEA JUNGLE – DAY

Australian Soldiers sitting in scattered groups, drinking from flasks, writing letters, cleaning weapons. A smaller soldier sits against a tree reading a comic book.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Kevin Kirby, barely out of school. Stupid little bloke, young, brash, loved his comic books. All about heroes or something. Masked men, Bushrangers. Always going on about ‘em. Drove the rest of us bananas.
I told him, "Bushrangers were outlaws, robbers, killers...You
wanna look up to killers, go join Hitler and Tojo"

The SOLDIER gestures a Mock Hitler impression, a few of his mates laugh.

SOLDIER (CONT)
We all laughed. Kevin smiled. "Most were killers, not my great grandfather – He was a hero."

Still panels from KEVIN’s comic book show a masked man battling Bushrangers and rounding them up.

SOLDIER (CONT)
"What, could he leap tall buildings and punch through walls?"
"No," He answered " he just felt he needed to act. Not a copper, not a robber or a killer, just someone who kept his home and family safe, and the lives of others safe."

The SOLDIER and his mates dismiss Kevin’s story and go back to their tasks.

SOLDIER (CONT)
I shrugged at Kevin. Wasn’t my thing. I was fighting thousands of miles away from my family in a war I didn’t quite get.

Cut to:
EXt. New Guinea Jungle 1943 - Dusk

The SOLDIER pauses, before leaping into a tree.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Why am I here?
Well, because of Kev.

CUT TO:
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL – DAY

Australian soldiers batten down in a jungle trench under enemy fire. Kevin tries to help but is yelled to stay back.

CUT BACK:
EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT

The SOLDIER sprints through the bushes and perches onto a branch overlooking the enemy soldiers and hostages.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Those bloody comics; me and the boys thought Kev were too young, holding us back. No good to us.

CUT TO:
FLASHBACK EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE TRAIL - DAY

Australian Soldiers continue firing at enemies. An enemy soldier from out of the jungle launches a hand grenade into the Australian trench. Kevin yells, and without hesitating, rips off his helmet, shoves SOLDIER aside and dives in towards the grenade.

There is an explosion, the screen flashes white and returns to Black.

SOLDIER (V/O)
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall nor weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

CUT TO:
EXT. NEW GUINEA JUNGLE 1943 - NIGHT

The SOLDIER grits his teeth then leaps down in between the hostages and the Enemy soldiers.

SOLDIER (CONT)
I understand Kev. A need to act. To keep lives safe.

The enemy soldiers freeze. The SOLDIER raises his Machine Gun. As he pulls the trigger, the gun jams.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Damn.

The enemy soldiers realise and raise their weapons. The SOLDIER swings the butt of his gun into the head of the closest enemy while two others fire.

SOLDIER (CONT)
Comic heroes are ink and paper. Kevin was more than that. A flesh and blood hero who died saving my life.

Jumping to the side, He grabs two enemies by the collar and tosses them into trees. The SOLDIER Uppercuts the next enemy, head butts another and sidekicks the stomach of one attacking from behind.

SOLDIER (CONT)
So for him, for my country, for my fellow man, and most importantly for my family...I now act.

To keep lives safe.

The dust settles, all the enemies lay scattered out cold. The SOLDIER begins to untie the hostages’ hands.

HOSTAGE 1
Thank you mate...

The SOLDIER quietly touches his brow as a salute.
END.

Comic titles book 1

Explorations (i.e.: stuffing around) briefly with possible title fonts/designs for working title "The Soldier".

Images from Brainstorming-Animation look

I really like the character designs and visuals for this new show. This and "Spectacular Spider-man" is getting me up early on Saturdays to watch them.

"Batman: The Brave and The bold" is a very lighter silver age style show than my other favourties "Batman: TAS" and the Justice League stuff.

I havent read anything on the behind the scenes stuff, but I'm banking there's a Kirby influence in the superhero action, especially last week's episode which had both Kirby influenced "green Arrow" (pre-Neal Adams look) and the Kirby created 'The Demon". Even though I'm much more the Marvel fan than DC, I've read a bunch of the silver age superman stories and I have an Appreciation of the lighter and more action/scifi adventures Batman and his super team up of the week have.

Though I havent seen any episodes of the latest animated incarnation of the X-men in "Wolverine and the X-men", I found these screen shots from "Marvel Animation age" website and like the cartoon/realistic mix in the character design and the simple colour/shade rendering. A more realistic character design to the "Hulk vs Wolverine" version of Wolverine which I'm a fan of.

The other thing I'm liking with both Marvel animations is the backgrounds. Obviously I can't tell too much from the tv series 'cause I haven't seen it but, "Hulk vs" had some great backgrounds, with which I have to consider how I plan on achieving mine. Story one features a New Guinea Jungle setting (references to be posted) which would be difficult to render in 3-d. Photoshop?

And I just wanted to throw in this cover from Jack Kirby. Found on Kirbymuseum.org which is a website I just discovered which is dedicated to the King himself.

Will Eisner dedicates a chapter in his book "Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narratives" to Kirby as an example of power- check the foreshortening- I love it!

HULK VS WOLVERINE - DVD Trailer

Was a big fan of the character designs and overall look of this film. Perhaps too ambitious for my short film/comic tie in, but I would still like to have some animated shots for a more conprehensive demo reel for this year.

New Hellboy 2 Prologue Trailer by Mike Mignola

Another 'Animated" comic/Animatic style but with full rendered images.

The origin of Captain America (Episodes 1-3) - Part 1

In the mid 60's Marvel Publisher Martian Goodman allowed Krantz stuidos to take old comic books and animate them to create the Marvel Superheroes program.
Basically "animation" is a term used lightly, as they basically xeroxed Jack Kirby's images, and cheated the rest to keep down the budget.

Just one example of an "Animated" comic, which could be a method to animate the issues.

Face concepts-Soldier

Page one done and a massive blow to self esteem

Well, just briefly:

Finished page 1 for marvel submission, giving me 5 page story. Then I sent it thru to marvel only to discover they no longer take open submissions. Crushed.

So I'm lost as to how I attempt to get into the comic industry while in Australia.

Anyways, I've almost finished my second script. Both stroies will link and so far are at the four page mark. I'm writing them as animations first with the aim to animating them as moving comics with animated shots where needed, and a graphic novel with the intention to either put online or promote?

Bottom line is that I want a whole bunch of stuff to be able to market myself or have a fuller demo reel/examples of work that I can be confident with. At the moment I don't feel like I have that much animated stuff outside of the CFCA stuff and final film .

Notes:

Career wise: I like pre-production, storyboarding. Possible internship applications: I should try brisbane games industry or anything on Gold Coast? No comic book industry in Australia, apart from CFCA and Phosperesent (sic) so I don't know what to do as yet.

More later.