Concepts for Maman and Snow

Super Sketchies of the Babies!

Still More References!

Indian style clothing for indoors, traditional wraps and patchwork style on bottom. I'm not sure whether or not I want to have embroidery, I believe it could add an interesting flavor. Most characters would remain inside most of the day so it could be a logical pass-time.

For Male indoor clothing I wanted to keep the shapes simple. They are generally wrap style or simple straight cuts (not fitted). I liked to add maybe a leather accent, like a harness or belt to hold a weapon put across the chest or as a kind of jacket harness. (See third from left on top).

More References!

I found some homemade post-apocalyptic weapons, made from gears, saw blades and average melee weapons. I liked the idea of layered armor/patchwork leather and tire scrap. I also looked at modern fashion to derive a more punkish, distopia look. The clothes are really shape driven, triangles, rectangles etc. Lots of layer and grunge colors.

Avatar embodies that softness that I want in conjunction with the Young Justice style. I like the semi-realistic hair and the overall simplistic/realistic design. 

I liked the fur and rustic elements from Game of Thrones. Some of the leather elements would be interesting as well. I want to also explore more natural weapon designs. 

Gas Mask References. I want the masks to channel personality and be identifiers for characters. Raven Black actually has painted his mask (fangs)

Rock climbing is an important skill for Rose and the others, they have to go down to the ravine on lines in order to salvage gear and supplies. Line Climbing starts at a young age and climbing is integral for life. I also like the hanging shelter, just in case people are traveling in harsh environments.

Slum city ideas, I really liked the bridge and I think that should be a main location in the series.

I want to have a similar animated style to Young Justice, though I want to tone down some of the sharper features.

Rough Character Mood Boards

Rose Mood Board:

   For Rose's design I want to have a punkish look. I want her to have dark hair to show her heritage (most likely from an Asian area) and a half shave style for her hair. I want to play on her duality, edgy but gentle. The world is heavily influenced by Indian culture and Asian culture in general, so I want to have a drape and wrap style as well. There is a difference in clothing as far as what one will wear inside and what one will wear outside. There is a lot of heavy gear that is important in going outside, this is usually more reminiscent of previous era's in history (21st century etc.) The gas mask is a very important element in outer wear. Inside wear is more reflective of India, reference photo in lower right hand corner. Fur is a big element for outside and inside clothing because of how cold the world has become. Fur is something very valuable and important to a family, it is often passed down from generation to generation. Not that everything else isn't, recycling and reusing is a ongoing and an increasingly more creative process. There are some elements of armor that I wanted to add, but only to the effect that she can be identified as a Liner or Salvager (someone who descends into the lower levels to retrieve valuable items. Guns are almost non-existent at this point in Earth's history, they are too expensive for most and it is generally easier to fashion and sharpen a blade.

Bear and Mother Mood Board:

   I can honestly say that the Bear character and the Mother are lovers. Even though he is there and paying for her company, they are very much invested in each other (not just sexually). I wanted to make Bear gruff and stocky, a little intimidating, but not too much so. His personality is very easygoing, but he's prepared to do what it takes to survive or protect what he wants. He has a beard, mustache and is graying a little on the sides of his hair, though he is not much older than thirty-five. I want to say that the mother and her family are his treasures. The mother is definitely a softer character with more of the Indian influence that I mentioned earlier. Imagine having her be more natural and warmer than the other characters, even her own children. She has longer curly hair, longer hair is a signal for those that do not leave the home often. She is an older character for this world, but she is still very beautiful/attractive. Usually clients want younger women, so she is feeling the pressure of having fewer clients.

The Children Mood Board:

   There are quite a few children that I wanted to develop for my work. All of which are named after colors. This board is to display the diversity of the children. The other girls tend to be more tame and feminine than Rose is. The boys range from collected to scruffy. I hop to maybe make more specific boards for each. But for now, the general synopsis.

Snow White and Raven Black Mood Board:

   Snow White is characterized by a much lighter palette and a softer structure. Her hair will most likely be blonde and shoulder length. I want to model her after my own younger sister and have her be the purest character in the story (aside from the other younger girls and boys). She generally stays inside and is kept safe by the family. I want her to be teaching herself basic circuitry, so she could be hired at a shop somewhere in the city. All of the siblings provide her with the tools and materials she needs in order to further her studies. She has learned how to read diagrams and has a few books that are showing her how to build basic machines. If she does manage to get hired on, she will be able to support all of them (in conjunction with the other siblings working). Raven Black is another major character, he is Rose's older brother. I wanted to give him a sharp and dark look. I'm definitely playing on the punk style. There are more fur accents on his outdoor clothes because he is the eldest son of their house. He is able to carry much more than the others, but doesn't need to usually because he works at the factory and not on the lines anymore (he's too heavy to be lowered with their strength cables). I liked the idea that Rose and Raven could be mistaken for twins, they are only a year apart. Raven has a similar shaved hair style, though on both sides of his head. He also has an artistic side, as he's painted fangs on his gas-mask. I believe he would carry more than one weapon of his own fashioning. He has concealed knives in the folds of his vest.

Story Board: Take Three

Yet Another Story Board

  So I actually started to think about the story this time when I went about building my third story-board. I wanted to add a layer of cinematic lighting and perspective. Sorry for the super-sketchies.
 (Starting from upper left corner): An shot from the inside to the balcony, Rose overlooking the lighted city.
Top right hand corner: Cut to city scene, Rose's silhouette. Want to give a real feeling for the setting and it's mood/sound/warm appeal.
Middle Left: Cut to close up of Rose. Establish the gas mask, poor air quality. Her identity is still a little sketchy at this point, but we see that she is bleeding on her face. She had gotten hurt on the Lines earlier that day and is dreading showing her mother.She won't come inside until Snow prods her to do so.
Middle Right: A scene of the Maman telling Rose off about their rent. That she shouldn't hang around if she didn't want the rent to spike.
Lower Left: Cut to the Crew (The Brothel Kids) They are all getting ready to leave for the day, factory work, lines, salvaging, courier etc. Give a shot of the city far off. Add sense of layering.
Lower Right: Cut to far view of the city, how the smog/fog is rising from below and how it's engaging the different colored lights. Like an island rising out of ocean mist.

Rose Red and Snow White Mood Boards: Round One

Mood Board for the City

   For the city, I envision a crowded place. It's stacked and grown over the ruins of older generations, as to rise above the layer of fog. It's punctuated and strung by lights and creaky, grated pathways. There are suspension bridges out of old disconnected power lines and lifts that are cranked by hand. Lights will play an important role in the story. Yellow light is usually warm and inviting. White is harsh and dangerous. Red is also dangerous, the corners can still be black. Green and blue are almost sickly, but they hold an air of mystery and intrigue. By using a light vocabulary I believe I can engage and train the viewer to expect certain outcomes in settings with certain lighting. I would also like to break expectation to keep them on their toes.

Mood Board for Characters

   For the general look of the characters in the world I wanted to make a stark difference between what people wear indoors and what people wear outdoors. Outdoors, they need to wear heavy gear and fur in order to be prepared for the cold and any survival situation they may encounter. Weapons are usually within the blade spectrum, guns are hard to make and keep together. The occupation can be displayed with the location and type of harnesses or armor on the character. ex. Salvagers need climbing harnesses and knee guards. Indoors, the style is reminiscent of India. The wear a lot of wrapped and draped clothes because it is easier to maintain and sewing is harder to do without the supplies. Most of the color palettes are subdued. I want to add some flashes of color for the main crew as to give viewers something to cue into. 

Mood Board for the Brothel

   I wanted to give the brothel a crowded, eclectic, but homey feeling. I felt that the blue walls were a really good choice to add a soothing atmosphere to the interior. I might go with something closer to a maroon, more for a warm inviting feeling, but the blue seems right. Unlike the photos, I want all the buildings to have cleaner air, so they have air conditioning and close-able doors. So it must be pretty air tight, but I wanted to keep the layers of grid metal and stone work on-top.