Monday, May 25, 2009

BLEU BLOOD

After a long, arduous journey, here is the final version of Bleu Blood.

Special thanks to my family, especially my parents (for their endless support, and for also coming all the way to New York to help me bring ALL of my art and things back to California). WOW!

My Thesis II instructor, Jun Sassa--without her, Bleu Blood wouldn't exist the way it does now.

For all of my supporting instructors--Stuart Cudlitz, Max Porter, and Rees Shad. Bleu Blood grew with each of your guidances. Thank you for helping me think critically, cut down the fat in my story, and keep the Prince alive and in all of our hearts until today.

For my excellent voice actor, Mike Dunahee. Mister, you have one heck of a voice--I got compliments all around, from different ages, to different types of people. They all love your soothing storytelling voice! Thank you so much for doing such a great job on your first try!

And finally.... My Most Trusted Knight. Without you, I would have no computer to have worked on; none of the Adobe applications to use; no sound production studios to edit from, no external storage space on a laptop, a computer, and a 500GB portable harddrive; and no hard drive to burn any of my work on. Thank you for being there with me always--literally, too, 24/7! We worked endlessly day and night. If I wasn't in school, I was working on this thesis thing called an animation! You still continue to support me today. Thank you, and you're in my heart, always. :]


Thank you for everything again, and many more to come!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Monday, May 4, 2009

PART 2

Just the beginning process...





Saturday, May 2, 2009

MAKING OF

A sample of how my animating process happened...


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Stills:





Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009

SOUND

I was fortunate to get my first choice off of Voice123.com.  Mr. Dunahee has the Grandfather-type storyteller voice that my animation craves for...  I think I will go with his second version:

VO1:  HERE
VO2:  HERE


Also, I tried to modify a song that I thought could possibly fit my animation, but I ended up giving up before putting the whole thing together because it just wasn't working...

ORIGINAL:  HERE
My Clip:  HERE


So, I decided to just deal with cutting up classical music...  Thank you Modest Mussorgsky for your "The Great Gate of Kiev:"  HERE


This is the violin part that I will be using for the somber parts...
"Sad Romance" by 지평권 

**********************

BLEU BLOOD  (new narration)

o4.17.2oo9

 [as the camera starts to zoom in, until the first fade transition into the window]

A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, there lived a young Prince, the sole heir to the throne.    

[while the camera continues to zoom in, until the study scene cuts]

His tutor, a bold and feisty man, was entrusted by His Late Majesty to mold his young charge into a wise and thoughtful King. 

[scene with the prince and musical notes only]

Unfortunately, the young Prince had no interest in books and learning.

He longed for a life beyond the Castle walls.   

[minstrels shot to outside window shot]

Long days passed as he gazed out the windows... Surely, life beyond held secrets he would never know...

[Advisor shouting until study scene is over]

No, he was constantly reminded of his obligations.

[sitting at the chair profile shot]

As the nights grew longer, the Prince grew restless.   

[moon shot to the end of close up sitting in the chair]

A sweet, mournful melody beckoned him through the evening air.

It was gentle, yet lonely, touching the Prince, for he, too, felt forlorn. 

[sneaking away shots—bedroom, hall  steps, courtyard steps]

But this night was different. No longer able to contain his curiosity, he decided to venture into the Unknown... 

[foot stepping to opening the doors]

With a daring step, he pushed open the heavy gates to the World.

[scene with the wind blowing]

A cold wind rushed to meet the Prince with a chill he had never felt before.   

[halfway down the steps to the end of the Prince lifting his head]

The first thing he saw, as he descended the last stair, caught him wholly by surprise.   

[old woman passing by—2 shots]

An old, ailing woman with only a thin cloak to shield her from the bitter cold, disappeared into the dark night.  Lured by her, the Prince followed. 

[long shot after the Prince’s feet are seen]

He soon arrived at a small village not far from the Castle grounds.  

[walk cycle]

Discomfort loomed over him, and he grew more fearful with every step. 

[halfway close-up to the children scene]

Misery revealed itself in the faces of children huddled together, unable to keep warm by a dying fire. 

[extreme close-up eye opens to mother and child]

The young Prince fought back his tears and forced his eyes to see the unimaginable.

[zooming out from the frontal shot of the Prince, the village, and the Castle in the background, to the burning scene]

Here, in this desolate place, he realized the true colors of his Kingdom. 

[thorns surrounding scene]

Despair overwhelmed him - it closed in like a crown of thorns, strangling him with sadness. 

[eye squeezed shut to finger bleeding scenes]

The feeling, so strong, pierced his soul. 

[the Prince fascinated]

And for the first time, the Prince realized his true calling – he bled.

[growing up scene]

The Prince, now aware of the tragedies of his people, returned to the Castle, determined to face his duties. 

[study scene to being crowned]

As the years passed, the time came for the Prince to be crowned King.   

[zooming out from the crowning scene]

The people rejoiced and celebrated, for the boy they once knew had become a wise and thoughtful ruler. 

[music takes over with joy]

[as we zoom out—to the arch and out of the Castle door]

And so, the Kingdom grew prosperous, and everyone in the land lived a life full of happiness for many, many years to come.