ASSESSMENT 2
BRIEF RECAP
"When King William of Galimír - subject of Basilius, the manticore deity of life and the land's protector - abandons his royal escort during a hunting trip, he encounters a merchant in a nearby town selling a very interesting violin. After acquiring the item and taking it with him on his journey back to the palace, William discovers that by playing the violin he can summon Basilius' brother, the manticore Lucifer - the presumed dead god of death rumoured to be a ruthless and unspeakably evil creature who once failed in trying to overthrow his younger brother. After hearing what Lucifer has to say, however, William realises that perhaps such rumours don't hold as much truth as Basilius had led Galimír's people to believe."
To give an overview of how some of the important locations in Second String would look with colour, I narrowed down three out of the five sketches previously included in assignment one as being the most impactful locations in the movie. These were then refined to give a higher quality idea of how these scenes would look.
KRAKEN'S KEEP MARKETPLACE
After looking at the original sketch of the Kraken's Keep marketplace, I decided I liked this composition and so wanted to use it almost as-is in the finished version of the shot.
Colour was then added. I decided to go with a sunset setting to make use of those gold, orange and red colours that are so heavily connected to Lucifer in the movie. When William first enters this location it is still daytime with bright blue skies, but as he spends time here and traverses the streets the sun sets and this colour shifts. This shot in particular happens right before William finds Lucifer's violin being sold in a nearby stall. The transition between the blue and red of the sky represents that Lucifer is about to enter the scene, and subtly indicates the decision William will make in the future - that he will choose to ally himself with Lucifer in order to denounce Basilius as the so-called "protector" of Galimír.
After determining the colour of the scene, the outlines of some people were added to make the shot seem more populated, aligning with the typical atmosphere of a marketplace.
In this scene, William's colouring would be more yellow than the blue of the people around him; this serves to separate him from the Basilius-worshipping commoners, indicating that he is in a place he does not belong and further reinforcing his personal doubts as a servant of Basilius'.
For aesthetical purposes some extra lighting was then added to give this shot more depth.
FORESTS OF SUNFALL - WILLIAM'S ENCOUNTER WITH LUCIFER
William's first encounter with Lucifer is the pivotal moment of Second String where he realises the truth behind Basilius' "innocent" façade. As such, this scene was an obvious choice to be coloured and refined.
Although the initial sketch of this scene gives a good overview of the layout of the campsite, I disliked the idea of this being a genuine shot in the film as it's taken at eye-level and doesn't convey the feelings of dread and insignificance William experiences after Lucifer reveals himself. For this reason, I decided to completely resketch this scene and create something a bit more dramatic, positioned at a lower angle looking up.
Once the new sketch was complete, I proceeded to colour in orange-browns for the trees and off-yellows for the grass, reinforcing Lucifer's colour scheme.
After this, William and Lucifer themselves were added.
To reinforce Lucifer's looming figure, he was drawn from a somewhat low angle to make him look more intimidating and regal. In contrast, William's body language is unsteady and unsure as he extends a hand in an effort to ward Lucifer off whilst his other hand reaches for a weapon. The fire being positioned between the two of them indicates that, currently, each of the characters is seeing two separate and vastly different sides of the same story - the story Basilius has attempted to weave for centuries.
After establishing this composition, warm orange lighting was added to give the scene more depth and a dramatised appearance. Seeing as William sets up camp right as the sun is setting, and given that orange is heavily associated with Lucifer, the light gives off a strong, warm, late afternoon vibe.
THE ROYAL GALIMÍRAN THRONE ROOM
The last environment I decided to refine for this part of the assignment was the shot of the Galimíran Throne Room.
Being the place where William and Samuel are both coronated, as well as the place where Basilius most frequently spends his time, I thought it highly important to make sure this room was shown in more detail and colour.
I liked the original layout of this room, however felt that it didn't feel grand enough - so before I added colour, I expanded the size of the room and added in more details to make it feel more spacious and empty.
After this, the room was lined and coloured. This scene being lined is different from the previous environments, as I wanted to show this area as being a lot more structured, symmetrical and orderly due to Basilius' presence. The sprawling size and cool colour palette consisting of blues gives this room a feeling of isolation and emptiness, reflecting what the characters feel under Basilius' control.
After the room was lined and colour, I added some shading to give this area a more dramatic and polished feel. The lighting here is a strong golden backlight pouring in through massive stained glass windows.
Since stained glass windows are typically associated with churches, and churches are typically associated with purity and holiness, I thought that this suited Basilius' air of righteousness and nobility very well.
Given that the scene in which this shot in particular is used occurs right before William returns to the palace and reveals to Samuel that he did not perish on his hunting trip, this backlighting represents the idea of something big sneaking up on the remaining Galimíran royalty. This refers not only to William's reappearance, but the looming fight between Basilius and his newly "revived" brother.
To show a version of the size proportions of both characters, Samuel and Basilius were then added to the room.
Given the possessive nature of Basilius' character, his tail is wrapped constrictingly in front of the throne, cutting Samuel off from the rest of the palace. It also makes him look like a protective figure - another way of misguiding viewers, seeing as he is the cause of Samuel's death later in the film. In this way, his posture could even be referred to as "suffocating".
As the main character of the film, getting the style and colour of William's clothes correct was vital.
Given the information outlined in assignment one, I focused on matching the colours from the mood boards I created to their respective attires. To recap, this was blue for William's prince's clothes (to represent his allegiance and closeness with Basilius), purple for his king's clothes (to represent that he is entering a period of being skeptical of Basilius' power and questioning whether Basilius is really deserving of his fealty), and red for his travelling gear (representing his allegiance with Lucifer after he finds out that Basilius has been behind his land's sickness for centuries).
Getting the right colours for William's colour palette was rather difficult, and I spent a long time adjusting hues and saturations until I got something that worked well with his clothes. Finding a shade of purple that wasn't too blue and wasn't too red but was regal enough to fit his status as King was a challenge, but I think the shades I have ultimately settled on work well with his rank.
During his time as a prince and an ex-King, William is resolute in his beliefs and the lighting he is depicted in reflects this. While he is a prince he is generally depicted in a colder blue light, whereas when he aligns himself with Lucifer he is typically depicted in warm yellow, orange or red lights. The only time these lighting themes come into conflict is when he is King and is starting to realise that Basilius may not be the benevolent and merciful deity he has been raised to believe.
As the younger brother of William, Samuel became King at a far too young age, and as such his design was intended to make him feel small and childish; out of place in a castle run by a creature as manipulative and sly as Basilius. His prince's clothes make him look much older than he actually is while wearing them, representative of how William somewhat sees him as being more grown up after their parent's deaths and contributing to why William thought he could leave his brother to inherit the throne without repercussions. In contrast, his King's clothes look too mature - out of place on a kid his age.
In scenes where Samuel is more in allegiance with Basilius, his lighting is cold, reflecting how he is trying to isolate himself from his emotions so as not to be hurt again by people leaving. By the end of the film, when he realises that William and Lucifer were on the side of good after all, his is lit up with warmer colours, representing his acceptance that Basilius has been the evil mastermind behind his kingdom's sickness this whole time despite his reluctance to believe it.
Refining Lucifer's design was probably the easiest to do out of all the main characters. I already knew that I wanted his coat to be a mix of dark reds and browns, and knowing that I also wanted his markings to look rough and jagged helped cement the more ragtag appearance I was going for.
I personally love how Lucifer's design turned out, especially since the process of creating it felt incrdibly natural. I think that, at face value, the ragged and devillish appearance would trick viewers of Second String into initially believing Lucifer is the villain of the film, making the reveal that he innocent and trying to stop his brother that much more impactful.
Unlike his brother, Lucifer is riddled in scars. During the first fight the brothers had, which caused them both to become attached to their instruments, Lucifer was highly reluctant to fight despite knowing all the awful things Basilius had done. He held off on attacking for as long as possible as he tried to talk sense into Basilius, defending against his brother's vicious assault and resulting in him leaving the fight with many more wounds than he had inflicted.
I struggled with drawing the front and back shots of Lucifer, however after redrawing the basic sketch a few times and looking at references of real lions I was finally able to create something that looked somewhat accurate whilst still being relatively stylised.
In scenes where Lucifer's more gentle nature is revealed, instead of using blue lighting to soften his appearance - so as not to make his design look washed out, cold and uninviting, or related to Basilius and his ideals - Lucifer will be shown in light pink light. This meshes well with his standard warmer colour palette and softens the harshness of his design greatly into something less distant and intimidating.
Of the two manticore brothers, Basilius' coloured design was definitely the hardest to get right. I knew that I wanted his palette to be whites and blues, but many combinations I tried ended up not looking as regal as I wanted them to. This eventually ended up resulting in me also incorporating some purples into his design, which helped balance out the colours and made his colour palette feel infinitely more regal than when it was strictly confined to whites and blues.
Overall, I think Basilius' final design hits the nail on the head when it comes to making him look friendly, inviting and personable at face value. The soft and round dotted markings on his body were inspired by the patterns on the hide of deers, making his design lean even further in to the "can do not wrong" vibe his appearance radiates.
The only blemishes on Basilius' body are the defensive scars Lucifer left on him. He hates the ugliness of his scars, but unfortunately even in all the centuries he's had them they have not faded. The only reason he can tolerate the imperfections is because they remind him of how few scars he walked away with compared to how many he left on Lucifer. Despite the fact that Lucifer willingly obtained those scars if it meant he could talk some sense into his brother, Basilius sees the wounds with a sick sense of satisfaction knowing that he was the "winner" of their battle. He revels in knowing that, for once, he was better than Lucifer, and neglects to acknowledge that it was only because Lucifer let him win because he did not want to kill his brother. This was a sentiment Basilius did not share.
Given that I was able to create somewhat accurate front and back shots of Lucifer, and given that both manitcores share similar anatomy, I was able to reuse Lucifer's lines with some minor alterations.
In scenes towards the end of Second String where it is revealed that Basilius has been the source of a land-wide plague for centuries, instead of using red lighting to show that he is "evil", green lighting will be used instead. Green is a colour typically associated with villainous characters, poison and plagues. Given that Basilius' primary colour other than white is blue, making his "villainous lighting" almost sickly shades of green rather than red not only will prevent his base colour palette from being drowned out, it will greatly accentuate his design, and make it blatantly clear right until the end that he hasn't forgiven or chosen to "side" with Lucifer.
THE GOD'S INSTRUMENTS
As the most important objects in Second String, I took a while deciding on the designs of Basilius' cello and Lucifer's violin. I wanted to make sure the designs aptly reflected each of the deities since these instruments are somewhat of a symbolic representation of their respective souls.
Based on the ideation I did in part one of this assignment, I then refined these instruments until I came up with their final designs. These designs combine both written and illustrated ideas gathered in the sketching phase.
For Basilius' cello, I ran with the idea of making his instrument very intricate, looking almost like a piece of fine china rather than an instrument that has been handled and passed down through hundreds of generations of royalty. This clean and symmetrical design matches the controlling and orderly way Basilius conducts both himself and his dealings in the palace.
Despite its immaculate and pristine design adorned with delicate flowers, if one looks closely the flowers actually aren't any of the decorative plants one would find in the Galimíran royal gardens. Instead, the flowers depicted are Wolfsbane, Ornithogalum and Hemlock - all flowers known for their beautiful appearance yet poisonous, often deadly attributes. In addition to these dangerous physical attributes, each of the flowers also has a more symbolic meaning behind them; Wolfsbane typically represents misanthropy, or a dislike of humankind; Ornithogalum represents innocence, hope, trust, and death; and Hemlock is typically associated with the phrase "you will cause my death", symbolising poison, toxicity, negativity and inauspiciousness. The two-sided nature of these plants suits Basilius' character perfectly, and is a brilliant way to subtly foreshadow what's to come right from the beginning of the film to any viewers who may be familiar with flower language.
Lucifer's violin, in contrast to Basilius' cello, is somewhat less complex - and that is an intentional choice. What you see is what you get, and when Lucifer is interacting with William he makes no attempt at concealing the truth or softening the severity of what Basilius has been doing to Galimír while Lucifer has been powerless. The warm colours, asymmetry and fun design make it look less clinical and fake that Basilius' cello, representing his typically more laid back, accepting and inviting temperament. Due to it being passed down through commoner hands for centuries, it has suffered many scratches, blemishes and scuff-marks over the years; but rather than ruin the craftsmanship of the instrument, this instead gives the violin even more personality.
THE ROYAL CROWNS
In many medieval pieces of media, silver is typically associated with princes and princesses whilst gold is associated with kings and queens. In Galimír the connection between princes and silver holds true, but when it comes to the mineral associated with monarchs, instead of gold the royal family uses diamond. Given that oranges and yellows are closely tied to Lucifer's design and blues and whites are more resembling of Basilius, the use of diamond concretely cements the monarch of Galimír as being aligned with Basilius rather than with his brother.
For much the same reason, sapphires were chosen as the royal family's symbolic gemstone. Not only does this match the colour of Basilius' mane, but sapphires are also a royal stone known for representing wisdom, virtue, good fortune and holiness; all traits that the royal family has tried to embody and bestow upon their kingdom, oblivious to how Basilius has been undermining these values the entire time.
SAMUEL'S CELLO PIN
Meant to vaguely resemble Basilius' cello, Samuel gives William a cello brooch before William sets out on his hunting trip. This pin is made of porcelain, decorated with small diamonds and inlaid with sapphire gemstones, making it a piece of jewelry certianly fit for a king. William carries this with him everywhere until the end of the film, where, as described in part one of this assignment, he leaves it with the deceased body of his brother.
Although not a required part of the assessment, I drew up some potential poster designs to try and visualise what Second String would look like as a finalised film. If this film was to be created, some variation or combination of the elements presented in these graphics would make for what I believe would be a unique and intriguing poster that would be sure to capture the attention of potential movie viewers.
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ASSESSMENT 1
WEEK 2
COLOUR THEORY
Different colours and shades provoke different emotional reactions and thoughts within different people. Colour theory details how colours can be combined, contrasted and used in a plethora of different ways to stimulate specific responses in viewers based on connections they have previously made between subjects and colours in their day-to-day lives. This concept is of high importance to designers, filmmakers and creative industries to ensure the message or mood being conveying through visuals is reinforced by the material's choice of palette.
In film, colour and light is used to underscore the meaning of a shot and help tell the narrative, amplifying emotions felt during impactful scenes. Warm colours such as red, orange and yellow evoke a feeling of heat, warmth and energy because of their association with fire and violence, whilst cool colours such as green, blue and purple evoke a sense of cold and calmness due to their correlation with nature and water.
Factors that affect colour are tint (when white is added to a pure colour), shade (when black is added to a pure colour) and tone (when both white and black are added to a pure colour). Mixing white and black together without colour produces shades of grey.
Common models of colour include RGB (red/green/blue), HSV (hue/saturation/value), CMYK (cyan/magenta/yellow/black), and CMY (cyan/magenta/yellow).
REFLECTION
As someone who has been drawing digitally for over a decade, I have had plenty of experience with using colours and finding colours that mesh well together - however actually seeing the colour theory behind it helped open my eyes more to the different techniques and combinations that mesh well together. I will be aiming to use the knowledge gained by applying it to a variety of scenes throughout the second half of this semester's assessments.
PERSPECTIVE TERMINOLOGY
Diminution: When receding forms appear increasingly smaller.
Convergence: When receding forms appear increasingly closer together.
Foreshortening: When receding planes appear to shorten.
Ground Plane: The area floor beneath an object, where the viewer's feet would theoretically rest if stood nearby.
Station Point (SP): The height at which the camera is positioned. A point in space that has no direction.
Line of Sight: The direction the camera is looking.
Center of Vision: The point where the viewer's eyeline coincides with the object.
Point of View (POV): When the viewer's 'station point' and 'center of vision' is combined.
Picture Plane (PP): A metaphorical frame outlining the viewer's visual field of view.
Cone of Vision: The total area, in degrees, of which humans can see when looking at a single point.
ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE
One-point (or 1PT) perspective is used when the vantage point of a viewer is relatively flat (I.E. the front view of objects create basic geometric shapes).
TWO-POINT PERSPECTIVE
Two-point (or 2PT) perspective is when two pairs of parallel lines recede from the viewer, appearing to converge at separate vanishing points in the distance.
BASIC GRID PERSPECTIVE
The basic grid technique utilises a 1PT perspective and helps artists visualise the ground plane of the scene they are illustrating.
REFLECTION
Having never worked seriously with perspective before, I found the 1PT and 2PT exercises very fun to complete. I love how dynamic they ended up looking and the great level of depth these techniques add to my art, and will be sure to incorporate them in future artworks I complete.
WEEK 3
SHOT TYPES & WHAT THEY'RE USED FOR
High-angle: Depicts invincibility, strength, confidence & leadership.
Eye-level: Depicts normality and neutrality.
Low-angle: Depicts vulnerability, weakness, danger and loneliness.
THREE-POINT PERSPECTIVE
Three-point (or 3PT) perspective adds another vanishing point to the previously mentioned 2PT perspective.
In 1PT you can only look straight ahead; in 2PT you can only look around, but not up or down; however in 3PT, the viewer can look in any direction they want. Wherever the viewer looks, the picture plane follows.
REFLECTION
I have rarely seen 3PT perspective used outside of very niche shots used in anime, so experimenting with this technique was challenging yet very rewarding. I like the more skewed and borderline nauseous feeling this perspective produces, and can see myself using it in pieces where I want the viewer to feel somewhat disoriented within the scene.
WEEK 4
SIGNS, SYMBOLS AND ICONS
Signs have been recognised historically, philosophically and psychologically as important indicators for humans. The effect of a sign on a person is called an "interpretant"; the word also doubles as referring to signs that serve as representations of objects.
Signs utilise commonly seen elements such as colour, shape and size to get a specific meaning across to the viewer.
The three classes of signs are:
Symbols: The signifier does not resemble the signified. This indicates an implied meaning and often has a casual relationship with the message.
Icon: The signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified. The relevance of an object, mark or sound is defined by a convention.
Index: The signifier is directly connected in some way (either physically or casually) to the signified. The signifier communicates what it signifiers through either analogy or resemblance.
Icons are never pure due to the plethora of varying cultural contexts they can be observed through.
ISOMETRIC WORK
Isometric perspectives remain the same regardless of where the object is places in the composition. Their angles never meet and remain at perpetual parallels.
Isometry was mostly used by engineers, technical illustrators and architects, and is now used by certain companies within the game design industry.
REFLECTION
I am currently creating a huge amount of artworks for another subject which makes use of the isometric perspective, so this is a technique that I am very familiar with and love to use. I like how clean it makes structures look whilst still retaining a sense of depth, and how it is a relatively easy style to work with when wanting to produce something that is nice to look at.
WEEK 5
CHARACTER DESIGN
When developing a character, their purpose (to market or to entertain), place of visibility (where viewers are most likely to see them), animated-ness (whether they will be static illustrations or feature in animations) and medium (either 2D or 3D) must be kept in mind, as these facets will dramatically alter how the character is designed.
Before designing the character, it is important to first understand the project brief, the audience, the character's personality, their backstory, and any similar characters that can be used as references. After this has been conceptualised, their scale of cuteness or aggression, shape language, anatomy, proportions and colour palette can be determined.
WEEK 6
GENRES
Genres provide scriptwriters and filmmakers with a convenient way to structure their narratives in order to fit into manageable, well-defined frameworks. They also help audiences sort by the type of content they want to watch, satisfying their desire to watch a film or TV series that fits within expected and predictable on-screen decisions. Most films are considered 'hybrids', fitting into more than one genre at any given point in time.
Cinema history has progressed through five stages:
- PRIMITIVE / EARLY: The earliest and purest genre. Here, iconography, themes and patterns started to develop.
- CLASSICAL / TRADITIONAL: The beginning of growth, popularity and solidification of what genres were, clearly outlining characteristics of each and setting a 'benchmark' or 'baseline' expectation.
- REVISIONIST: The reinterpretation, recasting and questioning of the original genre guidelines. Themes were explored with greater complexity whilst still retaining their core characteristics and iconographical elements.
- PARODIC: The 'spoofing' or mocking of genres characterised by over-exaggerated characters and themes.
- EXTENDED / MIXED AS HYBRID: The blending, modification or creative extension of various genre elements as each category evolved - essentially bringing multiple genres together to form a new cohesive one.
ATMOSPHERIC PERSPECTIVE
Atmospheric perspective refers to how the appearance and colour of objects seems to fade the further away they are viewed. The darkest areas of the landscape are affected first as they become lighter and more blue in hue; all other lighter areas follow, receding into the distance, until eventually the landscape blends with the colours of the sky. This phenomena happens due to the dust, pollution, haze, rain, fog and mist that resides in the Earth's atmosphere.
Reverse atmospheric perspective is also possible, where, instead of becoming a cooler colour such as blue the further away something is, the landmark instead become a warmer colour such as yellow or orange.
Edge Fluting: The human optical/perceptual response to closely valued abutting colour fields. This effect is commonly seen in greyscales.
REFLECTION
Atmospheric perspective is something that I have used plenty of times in the past for my own personal projects, so I was well versed in using this method when it came to replicating it in workshops. I highly enjoy the depth that atmospheric perspective provides and intend to use it throughout the course of this body of work.
To determine which poem I wanted to create a story about, I went through the list of poems and gradually whittled the selection down from twenty, to ten, to six, and then eventually to four.
The four I liked the most were as follows:
I found it very hard to choose just one poem from the selection, however I eventually decided to go with poem 23 as that was the one I had the most ideas for.
There was an Old Man of the Isles,
Whose face was pervaded with smiles;
He sung high dum diddle,
And played on the fiddle,
That amiable Man of the Isles
Many years prior to taking this course, I had come up with a concept surrounding a Prince who was able to summon a powerful deity-like creature by playing a fiddle. The idea had been floating around my head for years and every now and then I would add more detail, however I had never really done anything further with the concept. This unit seemed to provide me with the perfect platform to do so.
MY INTERPRETATION OF POEM 23
To align with the idea I had, my interpretation of the poem is to take the words as different from what they first appear to be at face-value. Primarily this surrounds the word "old" and the phrase "pervaded with smiles".
As will be detailed later in this portfolio, the Prince eventually gains a type of immortality from the deity he summons through the violin. At the end of the film, it would be possible to do somewhat of a time skip showing what happened after the events of the film's main premise - representing the word "old". Even though, physically, the Prince may not look old, he has been through much in his life and has lived far longer than a mortal should.
The phrase "pervaded with smiles" is something that I was particularly interested in using in a different manner than what is implied by the poem. Smiles are not necessarily always happy, and in this scenario I wanted the emotion conveyed to be that of a wistful melancholy instead.
"Amiable" describes the Prince's general attitude towards meeting new people, as he is someone who is not afraid to extend a helping hand and lift others up when they need the help.
Ultimately, I interpreted my former idea as being a suitable and relevant concept to poem 23 in a more abstract capacity, and from this I was able to start this task with a solid pre-conceptualised foundation that I could make even stronger the longer I worked on it.
ELEVATOR PITCH
King William discovers a long forgotten musical relic and realises the god his family's been worshipping for centuries may not be as benevolent as it makes itself out to be.
EXTENDED PITCH
When King William of Galimír - subject of Basilius, the manticore deity of life and the land's protector - abandons his royal escort during a hunting trip, he encounters a merchant in a nearby town selling a very interesting violin. After acquiring the item and taking it with him on his journey back to the palace, William discovers that by playing the violin he can summon Basilius' brother, the manticore Lucifer - the presumed dead god of death rumoured to be a ruthless and unspeakably evil creature who once failed in trying to overthrow his younger brother. After hearing what Lucifer has to say, however, William realises that perhaps such rumours don't hold as much truth as Basilius had led Galimír's people to believe.
Learning about Basilius' insidious plot of using dark magic to end the lives of Galimíran citizens early in order to absorb their remaining life force and grow exponentially stronger, William abandons his role as King and joins Lucifer in travelling across Galimír to grow the death god's own power in the hopes that they can one day challenge and defeat the corrupt god of life.
FILM RUNDOWN
MEDIUM: 3D animated film with some 2D animated elements
LENGTH: Approximately 2 hours
GENRE: Fantasy / Action / Adventure
SYNOPSIS
King William, after finding a magical fiddle bound to the god of death, helps the god amass power by guiding spirits into the afterlife, supplying him with enough energy to take down the god's tyrannical brother.
SETTING
Second String is set in Galimír, a medieval kingdom situated along the coast of western Europe. Its terrain is comprised of rolling fields, dense woodland forests, gravelly beaches and low mountain ranges. Some magical beings, such as mythical animals and otherworldly plants, populate the terrain.
THEMES
Besides being a work of art that aims to captivate audiences for a couple of hours, Second String, broadly, is a story about familial affection and sacrificing everything you have for those you love. It aims to depict close familial bonds in more emotional and intimate ways that is typically seen in Western media, and warns against taking things that seem too good to be true at face value.
Samuel's story, as the younger brother of William, depicts the overwhelming good and crippling evil that can result from being so loyal to a cause that you are blind to its wrongdoings.
William's story is that of being more mindful of those around you and the things they go through - that sometimes making decisions for the good of others isn't the best idea if the others have not been confided about these decisions.
Lucifer's story is about not accepting negative rumours and gossip unquestionably without first hearing the accused's side of the story.
Basilius' story is a cautionary tale over the poor headspace one can fall into when they add fuel to the negative emotions that fester in their hearts.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The primary audience for Second String is teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 - 24. The film features a bright, engaging mix of 3D and 2D animated styles, but also deals with more mature themes and visual depictions, making it unsuitable for younger viewers.
NARRATIVE OUTLINE
The 'prologue' of the movie starts with a chaotic sequence showing flashes of giant beasts and magic being flung in every direction as the camera, low to the ground and angled downwards in order to obscure the scene and create suspense, slowly pans through the rubble of a castle. Eventually the noises and brief visuals fade until there is a silence only filled by orchestral music, and the camera finally comes to a rest pointed towards a cello and a violin, both mostly obscured by fallen debris. After a few seconds, the logo of Second String appears on screen and the shot fades to black.
We abruptly cut from black to show two children, one four and the other eight, running through the halls of a palace. The sound of a stringed instrument fades into hearing as the children push open a set of large doors and pause, eyes lit up in wonder.
We cut to a shot of the same cello seen in the prologue now being played by an older man as the children come and settle around him. The following scene features the young princes William and Samuel being told the story of the cello and how it is the sworn duty of the royals to always continue playing it so that Basilius, the land's protector, is always at full strength. Towards the end of the story, Basilius himself appears and tells prince William that one day that will be his duty. The princes look excited about what the future holds.
We cut to a scene taking place six years later, where we see that the King and Queen have grown incredibly sick with a mysterious illness. They, despite the healer's best efforts, pass away, and a now older William is coronated as the new King at the age of fourteen. He and Samuel's bond grows closer and the brothers end up helping each other through their grief between their royal obligations. William becomes privately skeptical of Basilius' reign, somewhat blaming him for not using his magic to save his parents when that should have been within his realm of capability.
After some time as King of Galimír, William grows weary of his position - having been King since the age of fourteen through eighteen - and asks Basilius if he may take some time away from the palace to go on a hunting trip. Basilius agrees after some persuading. Before he sets off, William receives a gift from his brother - a small cloak pin in the shape of a cello.
William and the hunting party spend three days getting to the Forests of Sunfall, where the royal hunting grounds are situated. When they arrive they spend the rest of the day hunting game. Later that night, William sneaks out of the camp so he may relinquish his duties for a while, and travels to a nearby village called Kraken's Keep.
Upon entering Kraken's Keep, William spends blissful hours interacting with commoners and perusing the infamous Kraken's Keep market lane, purchasing small trinkets here and there when something catches his eye. He notes that there does not seem to be many elderly people in the village, instead only coming across children and younger adults, but pays the observation little mind.
As he is about to wrap up his journey and head back to the hunting grounds, William's eye catches on an ornate violin being sold by an antique collector. The antique collector, Shaun, explains that the violin is unplayable - however after picking up the instrument and drawing the bow across its strings, William is able to play it flawlessly. Shaun is so impressed that he offers to sell it at a bargain price, and William agrees, taking the violin with him as he starts to head back toward the escort he had abandoned in the forest.
As night falls on his journey back, William sets up a temporary campsite within the forest and decides to give playing the violin another shot. Upon playing the instrument a second time, Lucifer is summoned. William is terrified at first and tries to defend himself, but after Lucifer calmly introduces himself and starts to chat, William feels emotionally disarmed and lets his guard down. Lucifer explains his situation - of being stuck in the violin for centuries and waiting for the right moment to reappear and put an end to Basilius's evil plot, which has seen millions of humans killed prematurely for centuries to satiate a twisted craving for power. He explains how the energy generated when the violin's bow is drawn across its strings creates power that he can use to regain his own strength. The more Lucifer speaks, the more certain observations seem to fall into place, and William finds himself believing what the god of death is telling him.
The two chat for some time, and Lucifer eventually tells William that he has two choices; return to the palace and ignore Basiius' misdeeds, or flee his position as King and help Lucifer regain some of his power in the hope that they will one day be able to free the land from the god of life's clutches. William takes the night to deliberate, and eventually concludes that he will help Basilius in order to not only protect his people, but to also save his brother from an early death.
Lucifer explains how he can also gain energy by helping the souls of the dead pass on to the afterlife, and states that since he's been away from Galimír for so long there is likely a huge build up of energy that the pair can harness by travelling across the land. At dawn, William and Lucifer break camp and start the journey of freeing Galimír.
A month after the royal hunting party returns to the palace without William, William is declared dead and Samuel is coronated in his place. For the next four years, Samuel enacts his duties as the new King of Galimír whilst William and Lucifer travel around the land, putting all lingering souls to rest.
At the end of these four years, when Lucifer is finally confident in having enough energy to confront his brother and win, William and Lucifer travel to the capital where William sneaks in and tries to convince his brother to flee before the gods wage war against each other. Samuel is confused, distraught and wounded over William's sudden reappearance, hurt that William had been alive this whole time and never sent word. He believes that William has been brainwashed by Lucifer, and tells Basilius about their presence in the castle. Both sides eventually make it out to Ilga's Meadow, some fields bordering the south-eastern wall of the royal palace, and a fight breaks out.
The fight drags on. In order to help contribute to their god's strength during battle, William and Samuel play their respective instruments. William tries to convince Samuel of Basilius' wrongdoings, but Samuel still believes him to be at the mercy of Lucifer and so ignores his brother's pleas. Toward the end of the fight, Lucifer manages to get Basilius to confess to some incriminating evidence. Samuel is left shellshocked over the revelation that William was telling the truth the whole time, and in his moment of weakness Basilius skewers him through the chest with his scorpion tail. Samuel falls, William rushes to be with him in his final moments, and the deities continue to battle.
As Samuel breathes his last breath, William becomes enraged. Determined to end the fight now and get revenge for killing his brother, William plays Lucifer's violin with more power than he ever has before. Lucifer is able to overpower and kill Basilius, and the fight is won.
Later, William buries Samuel with the cloak pin he was gifted.
In the epilogue of the film, another time skip occurs showing William and Basilius in the modern day continuing their task of helping guide spirits into the afterlife. William seems melancholic, but he still wears a grin. He knows happiness is what his brother would have wanted him to find in life.
INSPIRATION
The art style of Second String aims to replicate a painterly, heavily stylised 3D aesthetic similar to the art seen in Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse, The Bad Guys, and Arcane.
SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
Into the Spider-verse is a perfect example of breaking the mould when it comes to inventing new art styles to keep the genre of animated films fresh and engaging.
On a technical level, Into the Spider-verse is an absolute masterpiece; from the comic-book like aesthetic of using thought bubbles like dialogue boxes, to applying halftones over most textures, to animating the characters at varying frame rates to show how awkward or confident they are in themselves, Into the Spider-verse is littered with different techniques that positively shook the animation community upon its release.
Spider-verse also has a highly unique art and animation style, with characters being modelled in a semi-realistic way using a combination of 2D and 3D textures, making typically cartoon-like, exaggerated movements. It primarily uses bright, saturated colours to make the characters 'pop'.
All these facets of Spider-verse, but more particularly the techniques it uses, serves to create a breathtaking film and is a massive source of inspiration for Second String.
ARCANE (2021)
Out of the three listed inspirations, Arcane is the biggest for Second String in terms of visual art style and shot composition.
Harnessing a combination of 3D models with a painterly, 2D style makes each frame within Arcane look like a painting. During battles scenes or scenes charged by immense amounts of emotion, the degree of 2D art amplifies and crowds the screen to reflect the severity of these feelings. Additionally, Arcane has a gorgeous mastery over lighting and how light bounces off each object or character in the shot, creating immersive and in-depth visuals that I would like to replicate to an extent in Second String.
THE BAD GUYS (2022)
The colour grading used in The Bad Guys is a source of inspiration for Second String in regard to being able to subtly convey the mood and setting of a scene by utilising specific hues. In The Bad Guys, this is done to by primarily accentuating orange and yellow shades to give the city an exciting, desert-like atmosphere. The intensity and saturation of these colours varies depending on whether the movie is depicting fast action scenes or slower, more emotion-driven ones.
Additionally, The Bad Guys masterfully combines 3D animation with 2D to accentuate certain objects and character expressions. This creates a unique and cohesive art style which works to make the character's emotions extremely clear to viewers.
WHY "SECOND STRING"?
"Second string" is a phrase meaning 'second-choice players' or 'an alternative resource or course of action in case another one fails'. Not only did I think this was accurate the Lucifer's situation - the first fight with Basilius failed and so William effectively becomes his "backup plan", but it also gives a nod towards how both cellos and violins are stringed instruments, and the fact that the number '2' appears frequently throughout the story. Two princes, two kings, two parents dead, two gods, two battles between the gods, Lucifer appearing before William after he plays the violin for the second time, Samuel being second to William in terms of his playing ability... the number two is everywhere in the narrative.
COLOUR PALETTES
The colour scheme of Second String primarily revolves around what is known in filmmaking as an "Orange & Teal" colour palette.
"Orange & Teal" is a popular choice of colour grading because of the fact that these two colours create a vivid contrast when used together. This helps develop a deeper sense of depth within visuals, providing a way to separate subjects from their backgrounds via colour usage rather than through light or depth of field (DL Cade, 2017).
Being close to the colour orange, red is an important warm colour utilised within Second String due to it's stark contrast with the blue/teal palette and its inherent underlying symbolism. In media, red is typically associated with negative themes such as fire, violence and warfare, however can also be associated with strong positive emotions such as love and passion. Additionally, it is also known as a colour which signifies both high importance and danger. Brighter shades of red are associated with energy and the feeling of being overwhelmed, whilst darker shades of red are associated with a more subtle sense of power and elegance (Chapman, 2021).
In tandem, orange is also a colour associated with high energy and vibrancy. Due to its abundant appearance in nature throughout the Autumn season, orange is associated with change and movement - and because of its relation to the orange fruit, it can also be associated with health and vitality (Chapman, 2021).
Because of the outlined associations with the colours red and orange, I determined this palette to be most fitting for Lucifer's character design. Being a creature that Basilius has warned the humans against for centuries, he is feared amongst humankind as a dangerous and volatile beast - however his true motivations lie in an intense passion to free the humans from Basilius' clasp and bring forth positive change to the kingdom.
Lucifer is also associated with the colour black, which positively symbolises power and elegance and negatively symbolises death, evil and mystery (Chapman, 2021). This works in juxtaposition with Lucifer's motivations and represents the human's opinion of Lucifer rather than Lucifer's true intent; the people of Galimír see him as a harbinger of death, and so to position him as the initial 'evil' in the film he is alluded to via shades of black.
Conversely, blue (or teal) is a cool colour associated with calmness and responsibility. Light blues indicate that something is refreshing, relaxing and friendly, whilst dark blues indicate strength and reliability (Chapman, 2021).
Additionally, white and ivory is also utilised throughout the film to represent purity, virtue, sophistication and elegance. In some cultures it is associated with goodness, but in others can represent death and mourning (Chapman, 2021).
I determined blue and white to be the perfect contrasting colour scheme for Basilius. Since he is initially positioned as the benevolent protector of Galimír and revered by the population, these colours cement him to be initially perceived by viewers of Second String as a trustworthy, almighty and reliable figure. As the movie progresses, however, and his true nature and motivations are revealed, the double-meaning of white being attributed to death and mourning becomes more apparent, as does the secondary notion that light blue can also be associated with ice, coldness and indifference towards others.
The last colour that makes a prominent appearance throughout Second String is purple. This palette only appears on William's clothes whilst he is King and Samuel's clothes whilst he is Prince.
Establishing these initial colour schemes helped dictate the assigning of colours to William and Samuel - specifically to their clothing - throughout the movie. This will be further discussed in their respective sections later in this portfolio.
NAMING THE GALIMÍR ROYALTY
The two main human characters who appear in Second String are William and Samuel. William functions as one of the movie's protagonists (alongside Lucifer), whilst Samuel acts as William's motivator, brother, and to a lesser extent his antagonist.
Seeing as the brothers are both part of the royal family, I wanted to ensure they had names fitting their status. After doing some searching online for monarchal names, I thought William (shortened to "Will") and Samuel (shortened to "Sam" or "Sammy") fit their characters perfectly.
I found these names especially accurate considering the origins of both, with 'William' deriving from 'Wilhelm', meaning "resolute protector" or "strong-willed warrior" (Yip, 2021) - characteristics William upholds throughout the entirety of the movie - and 'Samuel' positioned as both a 'good' and 'evil' name in biblical history, simultaneously meaning "God has heard" and "Venom of God" (Wisner, 2021) - apt, considering the fact that by continuing to play Basilius' cello after he becomes King, Sammy is unknowingly being used to continue spreading the poison harming his land in the belief he is faithfully serving his country.
Coming up with middle and last names for both William and Samuel was a bit more of a challenge than settling on their first names. Again, I wanted to ensure that these names suited their royal status, but seeing as they come from a family of musicians I also wanted to pay homage to that ancestry.
After doing thorough research into various musical terminology and traditional English names, and the meaning behind each, I eventually settled on combining different words until I created unique names that sounded royal and alluded to specific musical meanings.
The middle name I decided on for William would be "Rhupat". This derives from both "Rupert", meaning "bright fame/glory" (Wikipedia, 2022) - relevant to his status as a Royal and the fact that he eventually sees the world with bright eyes after Lucifer reveals the truth of Basilius' plans - and "Rubato", a music-related word meaning expressive and rhythmic freedom (Dunnett, n.d.) - something he gains when he loses the formalities Basilius imposed upon him and instead explores his own individualism under Lucifer's guidance after fleeing from his role as King.
Samuel's middle name ended up becoming "Gioffrey", stemming from the musical terminology "Giocoso", meaning to play a piece cheerfully or playfully (YourDictionary, n.d.) - characteristics William observes in his brother when they are both children - and "Geoffrey", a name meaning "divine peace" (Dictionary.com, n.d.) - both a nod to the idea that William finds great comfort in his brother's presence in the moments they share together, and a rather morbid allusion to the fact that Samuel dies by the end of the film.
The decided last name for the royal family became "Alisado", stemming from the two musical terms "Ostinado" - a repeated musical phrase or rhythm (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica) - and "Rallentando" - to gradually play a piece slower (The Free Dictionary, n.d.). I thought this was apt considering their family history; new royals are born, only to take up the mantle of continuously playing Basilius' cello as their god's power gradually kills them.
PRINCE / KING WILLIAM RHUPAT ALISADO ("WILL" / "FIRST PRINCE OF GALIMÍR")
As the firstborn prince of Galimír, William was raised his entire life to be prepared to take on the burden of being King. So when his parents passed and he was coronated at the age of 14, he was mature enough and well equipped for the position - much more so than a fourteen year old should have ever had to have been. This preparation was a privilege he did not consider when he fled his royal status at 18 to help Lucifer, leaving the kingdom in the hands of his severely unqualified younger brother.
William hates himself for leaving Samuel alone in the palace with Basilius, but knows he has no other choice if he wants to help Lucifer replenish his power without Basilius catching on to Lucifer's re-emergence. His adoration for and desire to protect Samuel sees William working tirelessly throughout the four years he spends away from the palace, doing everything in his power to make Lucifer strong enough put a permanent end to Basilius' tyranny.
William was heralded as one of the greatest cello players of his lineage. When he was declared dead by the royal palace, the kingdom mourned the loss of a devoted, fair and skillful ruler.
CLOTHING & COLOUR THEMES
At the start of the film, whilst William is still a prince, his primary colour scheme is that of blues and whites. Being the older of the two royal siblings and having been prepared by his parents for the role of King for years, William is strong in his beliefs that the kingdom owes its fealty to Basilius, and that it is his sworn duty to continue playing Basilius' cello to enhance his godly strength. The palette of his attire therefore mimics the colour of his god. The blue he wears consists of dark shades, accentuating his maturity and responsibility over this task.
The style of his Prince's clothes are not as intricate as that of a King, but still distinctly mark William as being a noble and part of the royal family.
When he becomes King, William's primary colour schemes changes from blue to purple. In the wake of his parent's deaths, William becomes somewhat skeptical of Basilius' power and harbors some discontentment towards him. He is confused and saddened that Basilius either couldn't or wouldn't save his parents, and although he never confronts Basilius about these feelings directly out of reverence and a now reluctant sense of obligation to his god and his people, William lets these emotions fester. Purple marks the middle-ground between blue and red, indicating that he has entered the crossroads of choosing to side with Basilius, or choosing to side with Lucifer.
The clothes of a King is are highly extravagant compared to the clothes of a prince, subconsciously establishing a huge separation between both his former status and his relationship with his brother, Samuel.
After William is told the truth by Lucifer and agrees to help take Basilius down, his clothing changes from shades of purple to shades of red. This indicates his new allegiance with Lucifer and his complete severance of connection to his former life as a Prince and King. It also serves to position him as a direct opposite to his brother Samuel, whose clothes take on shades of blue at the same time William's become red.
The style of his clothes is simplified significantly, fitting in with the clothes worn by travelers and civilian hunters rather than those worn by nobles and royalty. William has completely denounced his life as King so that he may blend in with the people of Galimír more effectively, allowing him to move around Galimír with the utmost secrecy.
When designing William, I made sure to make his features more pointed and slimmer than Samuel's. This mimics Lucifer's shape language outlined later in this portfolio, tying the once-king and god of death together aesthetically.
After Samuel's death, William was completely shattered. The destruction of Basilius helped fill the void minutely, but he never forgave himself for causing the death of his little brother, even though he eventually came to reluctantly accept it. Lucifer was with him every step of the way to support him through his breakdowns and lift him back up when they abated.
William and Lucifer crushed Basilius' cello into unsalvageable pieces after his death and threw the fallen god's body into the deepest chasm they could find to ensure he could never return and poison the land again.
PRINCE / KING SAMUEL GIOFFREY ALISADO ("SAM" / "SAMMY" / "SECOND PRINCE OF GALIMÍR")
Losing his parents at the age of 10 and forced into becoming King at 14, Samuel was never trained to bear the weight of the crown like William was, but bear it he does.
Although boisterous, curious, loud and unintentionally crass at times, Sammy is fiercely loyal and only wants the best for the people he loves. Without the presence of a mother and father, he relies heavily on William to give him direction, purpose and stability in life - so when William flees and is presumed dead, Samuel takes this loss incredibly hard. The result of his mourning is an almost unbreakable devotion to Basilius, who he relies on for guidance about how to govern the kingdom of Galimír correctly.
When four years pass and Samuel is once again reunited with William at the age of 17, he is enraged and wounded beyond belief upon the discovery that his brother has been alive this whole time. After the initial stage of fury over being abandoned passes, he falls into a deep denial over his brother ever having knowingly left him alone for so long, and comes to the conclusion that William has fallen prey to Lucifer's manipulation and dark magic. Basilius reinforces this misguided opinion, using it to his advantage by affirming Samuel's 'realisation' and prompting him to do everything in his power to free William from Lucifer's control. This, unsurprisingly, includes killing Lucifer once and for all.
CLOTHING & COLOUR THEMES
At the start of the film, whilst Samuel is still a prince, he primarily wears shades of purple and white. The white indicates his family's allegiance to Basilius, with the purple signifying that - since he is still a young child - he does not yet completely understand his obligation to Basilius and to the crown. His shade of purple is more vivid than the purple William wears as King, accentuating his youth and purity. At this stage, Samuel is still learning about what it means to be a Galimír royal.
The style of Samuel's prince attire is youthful and simplistic, representing his more boisterous and loyal nature as William's younger brother.
When Samuel becomes king, his primary colour scheme shifts to solidly existing within shades of blue. Losing his brother so soon after losing his parents causes Samuel to become fiercely loyal to Basilius, more so than even William was before his coronation. Samuel is terrified of losing any more people he cares about, and this results in him attaching his worth, his fealty and his honor to Basilius in the absence of his older brother.
Samuel's clothes as King harmonise both light and dark shades of blue, with the light blue signifying his youth and the dark blue representing the fact that he was a child forced to grow up way too fast.
The style of Samuel's king attire is heavily detailed and elaborate - a mimicry of his brother's time as king. Unlike William, however, who managed to wear the garments of a king with elegance, Samuel just looks out of place - like a kid playing dress up in his father's clothes. This is again an allusion to the notion that he was a child forced to bear the responsibility of the crown far too soon.
When designing Samuel I made sure to keep his proportions more rounded than William's. This mimics Basilius' shape language outlined later in this portfolio, tying the boy-king and god of life together aesthetically.
At the end of the battle, after he is dealt a fatal blow by Basilius, Samuel realises too late that William had been telling the truth this whole time. The red bloodstains from his wound interrupt the otherwise pristine blue of his king's clothes, representing his final realisation and acceptance over which side is truly 'good', marking him as having sided with his brother in his final moments.
Samuel was never a match for William's prowess when it came to playing stringed instruments. Instead of being bitter over this, however, he saw it as a challenge. Samuel adored his brother's playing and hoped to one day be on par with his older brother.
After his death, Samuel went down in history as the last ruler to ever play Basilius' cello. Although initially hated by the kingdom when the people discovered the true nature of Basilius' reign, William made it his duty for decades after to change their perception so his little brother could be remembered as the boy-king who embraced life with wide-eyed curiosity, always wore a cheerful demeanor, and pledged his unfaltering loyalty to his family, his beliefs, and his people.
As seen above, William and Samuel both have unique silhouettes. William's features longer and sharper anatomy, similar to that of Lucifer's, whilst Samuel's features shorter, chubbier and rounder anatomy, reminisce of Basilius.
WHY MANTICORES?
Ultimately, for the deities in Second String I wanted to use mythical creatures that deviate from the ones typically seen in pop culture. There are many movies and TV series including beasts such as dragon, werewolves and vampires, however I have rarely ever seen manticores used - and after researching into their history a little, I thought they would be a perfect fit for portraying the gods in my film.
Originally, the word 'manticore' stems from the Persian word for "man-eater" (Rhys, n.d.), and in a more abstract way this suits both Lucifer and Basilius' powers. Whereas Lucifer consumes the energy of deceased humans, Basilius consumes the energy of living ones.
In European culture, the manticore represents "evil, envy and tyranny" - an apt way of describing Basilius' character. It is also said to symbolise evil tidings and calamities, and whilst this directly applies to Basilius and his actions, it also subtly represents Lucifer through the Galimíran people's skewed perception of his character. Manticores also represent undefeatable strength and power (Rhys, n.d.).
Whilst traditional manticores are depicted with the face of a human instead of a lion, I decided to use their more modernised feline design to ensure Second String didn't become too horror-esque by crossing into uncanny valley territory - a phenomena that produces unease and discomfort stemming from the realistic portrayal of human faces on distinctly non-human things (Cherry, 2022).
NAMING THE GODS
Coming up with names for the two manticores gods was a lot easier that coming up with names for William and Samuel. It didn't happen without its challenges, however.
I ended up sticking with the name Lucifer for the god of death not only for the inherent modern associations between the name and human mortality, but also because of its double meaning which I thought suited Lucifer's story perfectly.
The name "Lucifer" stems from obvious biblical origins describing the leader of the fallen angels - similar to how Lucifer was previously revered by the people of Galimír before Basilius tarnished his reputation - however originally it meant "bringer of light" (Nameberry, n.d.). This matches Lucifer's current intentions in Second String as trying to bring natural life back to Galimír rather than the prematurely ended life Basilius has been creating for centuries. Seeing as this is one of the lesser-used names for the modern 'devil', I elected to use it in this film. I also thought it could be an interesting choice to go with as, although Second String is a fantasy-genre film, it is supposed to be set back in early medieval Europe, and so using the name 'Lucifer' could function as a non-serious origin for the name in modern biblical applications.
After deciding Lucifer's name, it was just a matter of figuring out what to call the god of life. I wanted to stick with the general theme of Latin-derived names and so scoured multiple sites until I found the word "Basilius", meaning "monarch", "emperor" or "king" (Wikipedia, 2022). Considering Basilius' relationship with the royal family of Galimír, I thought this was a pretty obvious choice to go with.
LUCIFER ("LUCY" / "LUCE" / "GOD OF DEATH")
Lucifer, also known by the people of Galimír as the "god of death" and to William as "Lucy" or "Luce", is the older of the two manticore brothers and acts as a gateway for spirits to enter the afterlife. By collecting the remnant energy of deceased human or animal souls, he is able to gently dispel any lingering spirits from Earth.
After his battle with Basilius, Lucifer's soul bound to the nearest object it could find - which just so happened to be a violin, seen later in this portfolio.
Lucifer's violin was taken from the ruins of the old Galimíran Castle by looters looking to profit off the now deceased royal's riches. It had been sold from merchant to merchant ever since.
The violin changed hands frequently over the centuries once people realised it couldn't produce sound and only held value in being a decorative item. Inside the instrument, Lucifer waited, observing the land and rebuilding a small portion of his energy until he could one day cross paths with someone who could help him put a stop to Basilius' tyranny once and for all.
Cue William's trip to a merchant selling a certain item in the market square of Kraken's Keep.
In shape language, triangles are associated with sharp, dynamic, dangerous and unpredictable characters (Walt Disney, n.d.). Considering Basilius' positioning of Lucifer being the 'bad guy' at the start of the film, this works to intentionally mislead audiences by having them also perceive Lucifer as evil right from the get-go.
Lucifer's job was to keep the land free of malevolent lingering spirits to ensure a prosperous world where the dead could rest easy. His work was not confined by the borders of Galimír; instead, he would travel all over the world to help spirits pass on.
From very early on, Lucifer was aware of the pitfall that was Basilius' power. He knew that, if left unchecked, exercising that power could not only lead to calamity within the human world, but could also twist his brother into something evil; something he was not.
For all Lucifer's worrying, he was too preoccupied with his duty to see the resentment slowly building within Basilius. By the time he pieced together why there seemed to be so many new souls left stranded between life and death, he was too late to use words to persuade Basilius to stop.
The brothers fought, and Lucifer lost.
The sharp edges of Lucifer's mane and horns gives him a distinctly different silhouette than his brother. It also matches the straighter and sharper hair that William sports.
BASILIUS ("GOD OF LIFE")
Basilius, also known to the people of Galimír as the "god of life", is the self-declared protector and advisor of Galimír and its royal family. He is the younger of the two manticore brothers, and has the ability to prematurely end human life - a fact that he takes great care not to disclose to anyone, lest they see him as the villain he truly is.
After his battle with Lucifer, Basilius' soul bound to the nearest object it could find - which just so happened to be a cello, seen later in this portfolio.
Basilius' cello was taken from the ruins of the old Galimíran Castle by one of the castle's former employees: a minstrel by the name of Lucian Alisado. Taking it back home and drawing a bow across the instrument's strings, Basilius appeared before the minstrel and declared him the next ruler of Galimír if only he would dedicate his life to playing Basilius' instrument.
The minstrel accepted Basilius' offer.
In shape language, circles are associated with soft, harmless and approachable characters (Walt Disney, n.d.). Considering Basilius' stance as a character that is meant to feel highly approachable until the truth is revealed, this works seamlessly with his pre-established colour palette to create a design that intentionally works to mislead audiences.
Unlike his brother, Basilius' powers don't serve an inherent purpose in keeping world stability. Without his interference, humans will still die - and regardless, ending life isn't a power that is his and his alone. Humans have been doing it to each other for millenia.
For centuries he was persuaded by his brother to not use his power, considering the rampant chaos he could cause by ending mass amounts of human lives early. Eventually, however, Basilius grew sick of being held back and thought his brother considered him as lesser: unimportant and a nuisance because his powers weren't as useful.
Basilius became bitter, and after disobeying Lucifer and feeling the thrill he received by exercising his control over mortals, he acquired an addiction to the rush his abilities gave him.
Basilius started using his powers more and more. By the time Lucifer found out and confronted him, Basilius had already amassed a huge amount of energy. The brothers got into a vicious physical dispute, and the rest became history.
The curliness of Basilius' mane and the back-curving appearance of his horns gives him a distinctly different silhouette than Lucifer. His curly hair also matches with Samuel's.
BASILIUS' CELLO
In keeping with Basilius' colour scheme of blue and white, I brainstormed some possible appearances of his cello to mimic this aesthetic:
An elaborately detailed instrument such as the ones depicted in the moodboard to the left are ideal for this kind of object design. The floral patterns in particular help develop and accentuate the feeling of regality and elegance that should be associated with the instrument of a god.
In future design iterations of the cello, I will consider pursuing this floral pattern further by incorporating flower language throughout the cello's design. The similarities between some flowers and Basilius both looking perfect and inviting on the outside only to be poisonous at their core is a concept that I think would be incredibly interesting to explore. Flowers such as Aconitum (Wolfsbane), Ornithogalum and Hemlock especially could be worth incorporating due to their beautiful appearance yet fatal qualities.
LUCIFER'S FIDDLE
In keeping with Lucifer' colour scheme of red, orange and black, I brainstormed some possible appearances of his violin to mimic this aesthetic:
In contrast to Basilius' intricate design, I think something a bit rougher and more free-flowing would work better in representing Lucifer and what he stands for. Particularly, I thought a gold-leaf-like look could be interesting to work with since it compliments Basilius' floral pattern whilst still being unique and original. At this stage I am still unsure of the exact style I like, however I think it would be interesting to create a mix of examples one, three and four as depicted above.
THE CROWNS
Although not vital objects to the storyline (like Basilius' cello and Lucifer's fiddle), the crowns are an important indication of status and represent significant change in the royal brother's lives. As such, I wanted to ensure there was a high level of visible difference between the crown made for the King, and the crowns made for the Princes.
At the start of the film, both William and Samuel have a Prince's circlet each. The streamlined, relatively unadorned design is vastly different from it's counterpart, showing just how different the two hierarchal roles are.
With the death of their parents, William inherits the King's crown; this marks significant change in his life and the beginning of his negative opinions of Basilius. When Samuel inherits the same crown four years later, however, this item signifies the complete opposite; his reverence of Basilius grows exponentially.
Despite the importance of the crown being visually depicted on the brows of the brothers, however, it actually becomes even more significant in its absence. William choosing to leave the crown behind when he flees the campsite of his royal hunting party marks the beginning of him finding Lucifer's violin and uncovering the truth; meanwhile, the only time Samuel loses the crown after his coronation is in the final battle when he is ultimately betrayed by Basilius, symbolising that the fealty and awe he previously directed toward the god has come to an abrupt end.
THE CELLO CLOAK PIN
Given as a gift from Samuel to William, the cello cloak pin represents the love the brothers have for each other. When giving it to William before he left on his hunting trip, Samuel had joked that he liked the pin so much he almost kept it for himself - but thought that it would bring good luck to his brother, and so wanted him to have it. William loved it, and promised that when he returned they could trade the pin back and forth, taking turns wearing it on their blouses.
After William abandons his position as King and starts travelling with Lucifer, the only piece of clothing he chooses to bring with him is the cloak pin. This becomes a staple part of his character design for the majority of the film, and is only removed from his person when, after the death of his brother, William decides to bury the pin with Samuel as a representation of returning the brotherly affection he had promised four years ago.
CASTLETOWN SQUARE
Castletown, named after the former Galimír Castle that used to stand where the Royal Palace does now, is positioned right at the foot of the Palace walls near gates which lead into the imperial courtyards.
Castletown Square - the main central location of Castletown, and a place considered the heart of the village - houses a plethora of market stalls and shops selling every manner of item to local residents, travelling visitors, and the rare noble that deigns to step foot outside royal grounds.
Looking from Castletown up at the Palace is a sight to behold; due to the terrain of the Galimír Palace being at a higher elevation than the village, and due to the Palace's immense size regardless, the walls of the imperial palace seem to tower endlessly over bystanders.
CROWSPERCH CLIFF
Situated quite a ways to the west of the Galimír Palace, Crowsperch Cliff is a relatively unremarkable location just off a popular trade route which happens to have one of the best views over Galimír's capital city. The location itself isn't particularly anything to write home about, but the view it provides certainly is.
GALIMÍR ROYAL PALACE INTERIOR
The main setting for the first quarter of the film, the interior of the castle is where William and Samuel grew up, is where their parents and ancestors died, and is where Basilius currently resides. This structure was previously destroyed as a result of Basilius and Lucifer's fight, and was later rebuilt by humans under the instruction of Basilius.
THRONE ROOM
The throne room inside the Galimír Palace is where the royalty of Galimír welcome visitors and conduct court hearings. It is a massive space located in the heart of the palace featuring huge, wall-length, intricate blue and aqua stained glass windows, colossal carved pillars supporting a roof that dwarves the humans under it, and smooth, tiled floors that cool the room down in summer and retain heat in winter. This room is also where Basilius, Galimíran protector and advisor to the royal family, spends his days, with the room being specially tailored to accommodate his enormous size.
ROYAL GARDENS
The royal gardens are a private space reserved for Galimíran royalty, and are located behind the throne room. The circular, greenhouse-like stained glass roof and surrounding windows allow plenty of light to filter in, making it a breathtaking place to keep a variety of exotic flowers.
Although built to accommodate Basilius' size, the deity rarely enters the gardens, preferring the feeling of power that comes from residing in the throne room.
The gardens are a somewhat sacred place for William and Samuel, having been the location where they made some of their best memories with both their parents and each other. It was not uncommon to see Prince Samuel volunteering to help the royal gardeners maintain the various plants within its walls, and King William would frequently sit on a bench by the garden's central fountain to clear his mind when things became too burdensome as Galimír's ruler.
KRAKEN'S KEEP MARKET PLACE
Situated in heart of a bustling seaside town called Kraken's Keep, about half a day's ride from the south-western borders of the Forests of Sunfall on the western fringes of Galimíran land, the Kraken's Keep Marketplace is where William finds Lucifer's violin and plays it for the first time.
MARKET LANE
The Kraken's Keep "market lane" is one of the most well-known marketplaces on Galimír's west coast. Perfectly positioned to receive both merchant ships and inland travelers, a wide variety of sellers travel to the Keep to establish their own stalls within this thriving city. Everything from meat to women's makeup is sold by multiple merchants here.
SHAUN'S STALL
Shaun's Stall is one that William stops at in his journey through the markets. Positioned in the upper-class side of Kraken's Keep, Shaun the stall owner is a traveling merchant and treasure hunter who sells antique items and rare jewels to the wealthy. Whereas William may have normally passed by this stall and elected to instead spend his money where it may be beneficial to farmers and those in the lower class, the fiddle displayed in the most visible part of the stall caught his eye immediately.
THE FORESTS OF SUNFALL
A huge expanse of untouched woodland north-west of the Galimír Royal Palace, the Forests of Sunfall are a popular hunting spot for Galimíran royalty despite the lengthy travel time it takes to reach. Most of the woodlands remain unexplored due to their notoriously precarious and confusing terrain. Few hunters who've tested their luck by venturing deep into the forests have returned.
With royals and nobles alike using the forests as their primary hunting grounds, commoners are all but forbidden from entering.
DEER TRAIL
Deer trails are a common sight in the Forests of Sunfall. Mostly they help hunters locate areas where the number of deer grazing is highest, but for William they act as small shortcuts that help reduce travel time to and from the royal hunting grounds and Kraken's Keep.
In spring, the forest is rife with lush greenery and home to a huge and plentiful assortments of animals. In summer, some parts of the forest are known to become waterlogged due to constant light rain, whilst others prevail through raging forest fires. In winter, some parts of the forest that are higher in elevation are known to receive snow, whilst other parts see the trees lose all their leaves. The most notable season for this movie, however, is Autumn - the season of change, in which William embarks on his hunting trip and meets Lucifer for the first time.
WILLIAM'S CAMPSITE
In making his journey back to the royal hunting grounds from Kraken's Keep, William chooses to spend a night camping in the forest in order to replenish his energy and get an early start the next day. This location is where he plays his newly acquired fiddle for the second time, and encounters Lucifer for the first.
ILGA'S MEADOW
Formerly cultivated by a Galimíran royal before Basilius and Lucifer's first fight, Ilga's Meadow used to part of the Royal Botanical Gardens before the aftermath of the god's brawl destroyed all its floral life. It now remains a relatively empty expanse of fields bordering the south-eastern quadrant of the Palace, and is where the occasional Sheppard goes to graze their sheep.
This is the location where, at the end of the film, Lucifer and Basilius have their second - and final - fight.
MEADOWS PRE-SECOND BATTLE
In the centuries between the manticore's first and second battles, Ilga's Meadow became a vast and relatively untouched expanse of empty fields. Many attempts were made to try and turn the pastures into farms, however the soil was deemed infertile for all but the most hardy types of grass and weeds. Now, it is only considered a good place to take livestock to graze.
In an effort to put the land to some use, certain wealthy farmers have been granted permission from the Palace to erect their own fences on designated plots of land to keep cattle, sheep and horses in. The royal family themselves has a small plot of land close to the Palace walls where the royal chefs keep livestock intended for consumption, and where the steeds of the royal family and their associates are let loose to roam in times of disuse.
MEADOWS POST-BATTLE
After Lucifer and Basilius' second battle, the land in Ilga's Meadow is torn up and trashed for the second time in memorable history. Huge scour marks tear the earth, many hundreds of meters of grass and dirt is displaced, and some remnants of the manticore's magic (such as raging fires and vast spires of ice) litter the fields, permanently altering the terrain shape of the pastures.
In time these fields will once more resemble the rolling hills where animals are taken to graze, but it will take many decades until that time arrives once again.
These fields mark not only the wrath of gods, but also the deaths of both an immortal deity and a mortal king.
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