Saga: Animatic
This project was done entirely by yours truly over the course of two months as a self-imposed art challenge in the spirit of storytelling while keeping things casual and fun for myself then seeing where the adventure takes me.
I share my entire process from worldbuilding, storyboards, to the final animatic that I am so proud of.
Step One: Worldbuilding
My first steps were to design a simple, fun character and come up with a basic plot for the story to follow.
The Plot Outline:
I want to make a coming-of-age short story that follows our main character as they go on a little quest, fulfilling a rite of passage conducted by the elder to become a fully fledged adult in the eyes of the village.
Saga wakes up to a letter being delivered instructing her to head to the village square. There, she is tasked with finding a rare plant and bringing it home - seems simple enough.
She heads out into the wilds to find it while hitting a few roadblocks along the way and making some friends as well.
Ultimately, Saga returns home triumphant with the rare plant in hand, receiving a mark that symbolizes her completion of the rite.
Towards the end of the first month I made a proper character sheet for Saga to make sure I stayed on model while animating it all.
The first prompt was Sanctuary where I decided to interpret it in two ways: firstly as Saga's cozy space she calls home, then secondly as the village that remains as one of the last havens in the land after the world was transformed by calamities.
I then decided to combine two prompts Transportation & Crystal into an interesting and innovative technology for the world to use.
It was at this point that I realized not all worldbuilding needed to include artwork. I wrote out my ideas regarding the next two prompts Passage & Sky (but may have made art anyway, oops).
Passage
To become a fully fledged member of the research institute of Sanctuary, Saga must find a specified rare plant in the wilderness and bring it home safely. This rite was put in place to protect the precious knowledge those at the institute uncover through their research from being used by malicious minds, as plants can just as often have deadly effects as they do helpful ones. Typically, candidates who studied under careful tutelage of a mentor undergo the rite on their fifteenth birthday and have until sundown to complete the task assigned to them. However, it is not unheard of for some to return the next morning, successful or not.
The research institute is focused on the cultivation, study, and innovation of herbs in potioncraft. They strive to create potent remedies for any ailment imaginable and many rely on their expertise to survive the harsh world leftover after a catastrophic climate event took place in the not so distant past. Sanctuary is one of the only havens left. Some people even journey from beyond the greenhouse village wanting to join their ranks. These people go through an ever-changing series of trials designed to test an applicants hands-on skills and practical knowledge before being accepted into the research institute.
Sky
The sky islands hold their own history that is largely unknown to the surface dwellers. There are dedicated teams of people who explore what they can and bring artifacts back for research purposes, but limited amounts of people and resources make this a slow process.
The reality is that the ruins above were once home to an ancient people who utilized hoverstones to build all sorts of bridges connecting and structures atop the islands. They had advanced well thanks to this technology that the surface is just now beginning to discover for themselves.
This biome is known for its orange-hued grasses and unique fauna who flit around freely on the wind, mostly undisturbed by people. The native flora includes many specimens lost to the surface, or species that can only grow in the specific conditions available in the sky. Saga's rite of passage brings her skyward when she learns that the plant she seeks to pass cannot be found on the surface.
The next two involve my venture into the flora (Remedy) and fauna (Reverse) of the world Saga's story takes place. Our rare plant is shown here as well as a little friend who helps the main character in a big way.
As important as the previous two topics, the environment is a powerful tool that can convey things without saying a word. This is a peek at a Dangerous location we see during the story.
Step Two: Storyboard
The second portion of this project was to create a guide for future me to follow and make the rough animating that much easier.
I really tried to capture interesting movement with the character and camera alike.
The further along I got in this step, the more real and exciting the whole project felt to me. It was finally coming alive!
This entire thing was made using Procreate on my iPad Pro.
Step Three: Animatic
Here we are at the end of the journey! Please enjoy my coming-of-age story where the world is full of wonders and delights!