Ye Olde Stupid Animatic

While chatting with a close friend on the phone last night, we noticed how quickly the last few years have passed.  We both have been busy, she's started a new job a year and a half ago, is managing an etsy shop, and recently was married!   While discussing upcoming opportunities, and old forgotten projects, we realized my old pitch was now four years old.  I haven't worked on it for almost two years, there was some interest, but it just wasn't meant to be.  Honestly, I sort have forgotten about it.  

It's been long enough, that I just see it as an awkward cobbled exercise.  When this was made, I hadn't storyboarded in six years, since college. And during college, a teacher and a couple of classmates had made comments that I'd never be a board artist.  So I was dumb and believed them.

It wasn't until there was interest in this pitch, that I had to bite the bullet and try storyboarding again.  As bad as this is, it was probably one of the better hurdles I attempted, it gave me a little bit of confidence back, and new opportunities presented themselves.  Poor Harpy was left behind.

So below was the attempt at putting an original story together.

Harpy Gee

Synopsis:  Harpy, Opal, and Ash live and work at an Item Shop.  They're no longer children, not quite adults, and have moved to this town to begin finding their roles in the world.

Characters:

Harpy: An elf that cannot use magic, considered a grave handicap in her home country, she's been sheltered all her life.  She lives and works at the Item Shop, but also will take any odd job around town, regardless if it's teaching, ballet school, or scrubbing the castle floors.  Nothing is too mundane or adventurous.  She's doing her best to make up for lost time and stay optimistic.

Pumpkin:  Harpy's goblin cat.  He is indestructible, and will eat anything.  Luckily he is lazy and sleeps most of the time.  He's also her living suitcase, she keeps her important items, clothing and weapons in his inter-dimensional stomach.

Opal: A witch doctor from a large family of pig ranchers.  She doesn't like dirt, but since she has to dig up most of her potion ingredients, she wears gloves and a bandana.  She uses her shovel to fly, since she also needs it to dig.  She likes anything that's cute, and her helpful ingredient smelling pet pig, Truffle.

Ash:  A knight in training.  He thinks highly of himself, and regards the others as children.  He secretly collects playing cards of famous knights.  He tries his best to act like what he knows what he's doing, but half the time ends up embarrassed.

Humphrey:  The prince of the kingdom, he was sent to live at his uncle's castle in town.  He doesn't like being outside or sunlight, and would rather write sad poetry or read about battles that end in failure.  His uncle regularly sends him out to take Peepers, the royal dog out for walks.


There was a script I had to act out to a roomful of strangers, so there was some dialogue.  Good luck watching it without it!  It's really stupid!

Harpy animatic from 2008

Music was graciously provided by the One Ups.  You can purchase the music directly from them