8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

1/46

The Minor Project

Morrigan

Touchstone Submission

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

2/46

IntroductionsThe spark behind this project came from exploringCeltic mythologies. Settling on the interestingGoddess named Morrigan.

Morrigan, according to the mythology was an Irish,Celtic Goddess of battle and strife. She was well

known for her shape shifting ability, most notably

turning into a crow. In her various stories sheappeared as a single woman, or as one of three

Goddesses involved in the battlefield.

Morrigan was known for her ability to foretell the

outcome of battles. But she was also known forinterfering, occasionally, but only indirectly. She

would shape shift, taking the form of the crow to

either encourage allies, or terrify enemies.

There is also mention of her transforming into adeath omen. An old washer woman by a ford,

washing the bloodied uniform of a doomed soldier.

The etymology of the name Morrigan, can bedivided into Mor which translates as Nightmareand -rigan meaning Queen. However, scholars

agree that her Celtic name translates as the

Phantom Queen

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

3/46

The ProjectAnd initial influences

The aim of this project is to create an

animated short story revolving around

the character of Morrigan.

I decided to write her into a tragic lovestory. Being a Goddess of battle and

strife it probably makes relationships

difficult and her duties as a WarriorGoddess an eternally lonely experience.

I took interest in her shape shifting

abilities. Influenced by some of the

forms she is said to have taken. I tookthe liberty of projecting her as a young

beautiful woman, an old hag and most

importantly a crow.

The design influences for the storyrevolve around paper cutouts and

silhouettes for a striking but classical

storytelling aesthetic. Utilizing a

combination of 3D and 2D.

I hope to use subtle colours like a sepia

tone, but for some of the more potent

and striking imagery, a bolder colour.

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

4/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

5/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

6/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

7/46

StoryboardFirst draft

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

8/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

9/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

10/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

11/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

12/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

13/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

14/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

15/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

16/46

Character

Design

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

17/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

18/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

19/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

20/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

21/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

22/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

23/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

24/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

25/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

26/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

27/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

28/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

29/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

30/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

31/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

32/46

Environment

Design

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

33/46

My initial designs were inspired by Celtic patterns and knots. This asset was intended to be the more

complicated in aesthetics and the characters simpler, so as to stand out. Playing on the theme of pop up

story books, dioramas and paper cutouts, I felt I could create an environment consisting of literal layersand simple subdued colours. And the Celtic theme presented in texture form.

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

34/46

Having struggled with this approach to my environment design I have decided to take a different approach and

instead create the environment with the same Jewelry elements used in my character design.

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

35/46

Environment DesignIn terms of the design and physically creating my

environments I find I am more drawn towards

using a paper cutout route. A lot of layering can beachieved with room to animate within a 3D space,

using interspersed 3D and 2D elements.

Thinking in terms of transitions I like the idea of

taking a paper theatre approach, or a carousel (orboth) in order to achieve the transitions from

scene to scene. I have attempted to exemplify this

in a short clip using Autodesk Maya.

Environment Animation Test

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

36/46

Pre-

ProductionModelling and Skinning

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

37/46

Character Orthographics Morrigan

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

38/46

Character Orthographics The Hag

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

39/46

Character Orthographics The Warrior

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

40/46

Modelling The Warrior

Modelling these characters

requires a fair amount of

compromise. The 2Ddesigns may not

necessarily resolve

themselves in 3D (As

becomes more obvious

when building Morrigan)

On the left there are two

versions of the hand, onewhere I incorporated

fingers but a second one inthe shape of the mitten

which is the final design,

truer to my original

concepts. There was also

an adjustment to the beltarea and removal of line

work there, to makeeventual skinning and

animation much easier.

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

41/46

Modelling Young Morrigan

Modelling Morrigan

became complicated when

trying to create the hair.The designs in 2D, though

appealing were slightly

unfeasible in 3D which led

to the changes in the

model seen left.

This model is currently a

work in progress. Withoutthe linework

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

42/46

Textured Model

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

43/46

Skinning The Warrior

Again, due to his design, the Warriors rig will be quite different to previously made ones. In order to get a

softer bend in the arms I will be incorporating Ribbon spines used for squash and stretch. On the left you

can see the skeleton and some of the earlier skinning stills. The success of the skinning can be seen in theWarrior Skinning Tests video.

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

44/46

Anticipated Outcome

By the end of the Minor Project I hope to have completed...

A revised script

A second draft animatic hybrid. (An animatic crossed with Pre-visualization in Autodesk Maya)

portraying the revised script. With a voice over artist

Final character designs

Two Character models. At least one should be fully textured, skinned and rigged. To be presented as

rendered character turn-arounds

Developed Environment Designs

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

45/46

8/10/2019 Touchstone Submission

46/46

Touchstone Submission