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Third Step

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So, the script is done. Well, pretty much. Any changes from here on will be made during the thumbnail stage. But first I’ve got to design everything.  

I’ve got to design EVERYTHING. :’O

I did a count and there are approximately 35-50 characters to design, 49 specific locations, and 9 major props (someone kill me now). A bunch of these characters are non-speaking roles, and some of the locations are sections within a larger location, if that makes any difference to the amount of work to be done. Probably not.  

Being a storyboard artist, I’m used to having everything already designed for me. Or if something wasn’t provided, I’d just make up something quick. I don’t think that’ll fly in this case. Who knows, if things take too long I might have to resort to that for less important designs. The good thing is now I can show you all some art, at least as much as I can without spoiler-ing the story.   

Wish me luck!              

Script…Locked!

Second Step

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Yesh! The second draft is done.  

About 5-6 months behind schedule. *gulp* I think I grossly underestimated how long things would take. This new schedule should be a bit more accurate. Three years sounds about right, right? I’m just gonna focus on the next step and fill in the dates as I go…for now.

So why did the 2nd draft take so long? Besides the amount of revisions, I hit a couple roadblocks that killed the momentum I was building.  One was around June when work got intense for a month or so.  Then in August I had a week off and was making good progress— until I hit this one scene. It needed to be completely re-imagined and my revision notes for it were pretty much “this needs to be fixed, here’s a bunch of possibilities, so fix it”. Also, the outcome would affect the scenes that followed, so I couldn’t skip past it. After running away scared and banging my head against the wall, I made it through and finished off the rest this past week.          

Coming in at 99 pages, I’m feeling pretty confident with it. Compared to the 1st draft, which was 86 pages, this one is more fleshed out, flows better, and is much clearer. Here’s what’s next: 

The third draft. This will be more of a polish than a complete re-write*, so it shouldn’t take as long (I hope). I’ve marked a bunch of scenes that need a little more tweaking, and there are few new revisions that came up that still need to be addressed. After that, I’ll do a dialogue pass to make sure everything sounds okay. Then I’ll put it away for a bit and re-read later to assess the whole. THEN it should be ready for thumbnails, which I’m sure will bring out any remaining dialogue and story issues.

Alright, let’s go!  


*this advice worked wonders, but probably isn’t necessary for my 3rd draft

One & Half Step

Quick update since I’m past the first due date.  Currently 77% done the first re-write.  Aiming to finish by the end of month.  Gotta push it!  

Talk more soon-ish. 

First Step

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Made a super simplified production schedule to keep a track of my overall progress.  I’m not sure how much time each stage will actually take me to finish so the dates are estimates.  My day job as a storyboard artist is the main obstacle right now.  It’s great, but it drains a lot of my creative energy.  I’m working on a solution to that (more on this later).  

So what’s next? Well, I went and re-read the script again.  This time with my revision hat on, and…well…I kind of ripped it to shreds. :}  There are a lot more revs than I had realized.  But it’s fine.  I’ve made a huge list of all the areas that need fixing, so now it’s time to jump into the re-write.  

I’ve also started the character design process.  I spent a few evenings compiling all the random sketches I had laying around the computer and house.  Now that it’s all organized, I can start chipping away at designs while I re-write.    

On Your Mark

This whole thing started when I finished the first draft of a story back in 2012.  I pulled out the script a few months ago on a whim.  Surprisingly, it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting it to be.  There were definitely some parts that needed fixing, but overall it seemed to be working.  There was one problem though.  I wrote it imagining a live-action film.  Unfortunately, there’s no way it could be made without heavy CGI and visual effects.  I doubt anyone would be interested in putting up the budget for it either.  What’s funny is that when I first came up with the idea I pictured it as a comic or a book.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that a comic might be the best way to go.  I’ve been wanting to make one for a long while and now I have the excuse to do it.  So!  Here I am, documenting my progress (or failure) online.  It’s going to be a tonne of work, but I’m up for the challenge.