“I am complete but not finished” Steve Maraboli
Working towards representing the overall storyboarding and concepts was a hard task to say the least. As one individual developing a project of many in a real setting, this task has become an overall learning curve that I admired throughout the process. I wanted to dive in, get a structure and develop the animation with what was fluent and correct in my head, but without pre-production, where exactly does it all make sense. When can someone make changes or suggestions without making the animators take five steps backwards. Overall the progress has been presented in each blog post, but will be fluent in the Languishing Hiraeth sub page above. The overall storyboarding meets within the structure of my progress so far, given that I wanted to develop assets and environment structure/concepts along the way through the pre-production. I wanted to give all of the concepts and thought process in one fall swoop, rather than developing iterations and renders of each. This gave me a way to develop camera angles, concepts to be drawn from in animation and the overall progress to pursue in the production phase of Languishing Hiraeth. Below you will see the story boards and concepts developed, incorporated in the boards, and after is the refresher of the story.
Once upon a time….
Human technology advanced more rapidly than they had expected. The advancement meant that in order to produce gains to their existence, they needed to make sacrifices. As Earth once was, a beautiful atmosphere with loving human existence created by Odin. Pollution and destruction of the planet was no longer a far from reach theory. Fjorgyn (Jord - Earth - Mother Nature) became disheartened with the human race destroying what was once a precious beautiful Earth. She sought out, overruling Odin in finding a way to stop the human race from destroying the planet.
One night Fjorgyn discovered a research lab in creating a technological atmosphere to be produced, in which this would give humans the ability to travel to other planets. Fjorgyn, distraught by the evidence, stopped the oxygen intake that was needed for the experiment to take place. The result was devastating to human existence, cutting off all oxygen to earth and destroying the human race.
Odin in his last efforts was not pleased by the decision Fjorgyn made. He led their consciousness of the few chosen to explore the possibility to live amongst the planet, rather than against it, and was moved to the only living organisms on the planet, animals. Fjorgyn was not pleased with this decision, and began to find ways to continue to put an end to technological developments in order to save the planet.
Einar Onfroi, one of the chosen few amongst Odin’s last efforts, was tasked with finding a way to develop a sustainable food source for what remains of human existence on the planet. This was not an easy task considering the ever changing nature of Fjorgyn, and her will to lead to technological destruction. Einar was tasked with finding a way to develop and grow a source of food in the elements that remain on the planet. But little did Einar know what exactly happened that day, nor did he recall why he was one of the chosen to continue to live amongst the planet.
Einar wakes up within a tank on a ship in space. Little does he know yet why he is here, but soon realizes he is not as he remembers. Odin gave Einar another chance as a fish to explore the possibilities of living on Earth as what he became through this process. As much time passes, he explores his new surroundings and drives himself mad in languish. Einar cannot seem to understand what he is doing in this situation quite yet, all he feels is a hiraeth, longing for home.
As time begins to fade into a lost subject, Einar is greeted by Seager. Seager is the A.I. system developed on the spaceship in order to help Einar complete his research and task at hand. Seager introduces himself and scares Einar by telling him they approaching Earth. Einar is unaware of who is speaking and cannot find answers to why they are passing by Earth. Seager is wondering why Einar does not know of his existence throughout the time passed aboard the spaceship. Seager realizes after an analysis of Einar that he has no recollection of what happened on Earth that day, and why he is here.
Seager explains everything to Einar, but Einar is still driving himself mad being trapped within the tank. Einar begins to explore possibilities by writing notes within the algae on the wall of the tank, and beginning his research. Seager notices that Einar is within his limitations of developing a food source for what remains of the humans. Seager than takes it upon himself to create a robotic suit in order to help Einar better complete his tasks aboard the ship. Seager grabs Einar’s attention and tells him that his suit is almost in the completed stage of development, Einar is caught by surprise as he gazes upon what Seager has created or him.
After much time has passed abroad in space, Seager gains the attention of Einar once again. Sir, we are approaching Earth once more, that would mark a year in our books of research, Seager says. In excitement Einar runs to the window of the ship to gaze upon Earth, little does he know that his research is about to give him frustrations. He cannot seem to develop a sustainable source in the resources he was given for this task. He decides to make the most of his languish by taking a nap, listening, and rocking out to some music as he lets his work begin the processes once more.
Seager awakes Einar in what will be the last time we hear from Seager. Seager shows Einar that his latest process is working and creating a plant that is sustainable in the new substance driven water from Earth. Little does Einar know that Seager has been working along side Einar in an attempt to drive the research to success. Seager gives his soul to the substance in order to drive the grow, and create clarity in the substance driven water. Seager leaves a note behind explaining how to develop his soul as a by-product to be used in the grow of much more for the human existence to once again survive on planet Earth as animals.
Einar is driven mad by the decisions in this languish and is determined to find a way to bring back Seager, but the possibilities are endless……..