April 5 - April 19: Researching large animals, their poaching and 3D animated references

 Large Animals, Quickly deciding on project aspects and 3D concept references

April 5 - April 19

Overview

Now that I have settled on an animation style, I can focus my technical reference study more and move onto other parts of the project. For starters, looking more into historical and modern poaching/hunting of large animals would be a good way of fleshing out the giant creatures that are meant to inhabit this fictional world. How do they interact with humans? How have humans hunted animals bigger than them in the past? How does the dead of large animals affect the environment and the ecosystems they inhabit?

Additional, I am looking into good 3D reference for the project. While there are no hard and fast rules about what I am looking at for these references, I'm generally after media that is aimed at teens to young adults.

Animal Species to look into

• Wildlife
• Elephants
• Whales
• Bison
• Otters

Seaspiracy - Netflix Doco

A Netflix documentary released this year that aims to "expose" the fishing industry's part in destroying the world's oceans. Whether or not the documentary is reliable is up for debate. I don't know if the documentary is worth using as a reference, but there are a few good leads on other references that I can use.

Hello Future Me - Korra's Worldbuilding: How did technology advance so quickly? [ Avatar: The Last Airbender ]

A quick video made by an Auckland based author discussing the world building of tech advancement between ATLA and Legend of Korra 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZkEcbsGaC0

Pushing the self critiques

After our talks on Tuesday 7 April, I have a quick objective for the project. Paul mentioned that we need to start narrowing our focus and sorting out what we are doing and why. My goal for the next two weeks (as we have no meeting on the 13th) is to nail down all the ideas for my project as fast as possible and to start a early concept work round to get the actual work under way. 

3D references

• Tales from Arcadia
• Star wars; Clone wars
• Dishonored

Artist references

https://www.artstation.com/alexander-ostrowski

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0nk63e

Story Questions

What are the main characters individual motivations? Why do they want the money?

1. Engineer - Funding their projects, buying their own workshop
2. Gunslinger - Getting a trophy, Proving themselves as the greatest hunter, Funding sports hunting of Fuamh
3. Pilot (Main character?) - Debt, paying back the mob, Personal dream (racing vehicles), Debt to the law?
4. Cartographer - Supporting family, Buying back the family home, Restoring "nobility" wealth
5. Scientist - Proving themselves as a academic, love/ interest of Fuamh, paying for more research

What kind of society is Shliwyd? What kind of government do them have? What kind of culture do they have?

Systems of Government

Oligarchy - Ruled by a small council of appointed representatives

Monarchy - Ruled by a family of Nobles/ King and Queens

Democracy - Ruled by an elected representative chosen by the people

Society type: Industrial

Economic system: Capitalism, Plutocracy, Corporatocracy

(Focus on a system that is similar to our own, the point of the story is to criticize modern practices)

What are Baron Yier's motivation's beyond just money?

Power? A belief that industry is the main thing that makes the lives of human beings better

Putting themselves up for election, need to be able to prove they can fix the energy/fuel crisis - Critique of politicians taking the easy popular route.

What kind of kind of creatures are the Fuamh? Are they flesh and bone or magic and animated debris?

(This problem should probably be fully resolved in concept art work)

If the series is aimed at a younger audience, it is probably a good idea to make the Fuamh out of magicial fused debris and earth, as that would keep the age rating down.

If the goal is an older audience, scenes of flesh and blood would make the butchering of the Fuamh more gruesome and help push the idea that killing them is cruel and wasteful.

What do the hunters believe in? What is important to them? Why are they undertaking such a dangerous job?

Caring for their own, Community and family, Small religious sects/ Multi-cultural?, Few other jobs are a available to them? Used to be an industry with good steady work,

How are the hunters able to bring down creatures so much larger than them?

Tech, Large multi-person vehicles mounted with equipment designed for the job, stalking hunting tactics? Pack tactics, explosives,

What relationship do the Miran have with the Fuamch? Do they work together willingly? What benefits are there? What drawbacks are there?

Enslave or symbiotic: Some smaller tribes work with the creatures, keep them safe and healthy, others domesticate the giant animals, larger tribes treat them as beasts of burden - The more people depending on the Fuamh, more control the society needs over it to feel safe

How do Shliwyd and the Miran see each other? Are there culture clashes?

Distrust and suspicion, Both believe the other to live an a backwards society with the wrong values, Shliwyd has in the past forceful displaced Miran tribes so they can hunt their Fuamh, While there are a few small scale conflicts between the Miran and the hunters, the Miran lack a singular force to threaten Shliwyd. Miran are discriminated against in Shliwyd as backwater barbarians.

What other cultures might play a part in the story?

• A several small nomadic tribes/wandering cults who worship the Fuamh (people who have been exiled from cities or survivors of towns destroyed/trampled by Fuamh)
• Other cities that act as trading partners with Shliwyd (not focal points for story)
• Independents that make a living traveling along safe roads from city to city
• 
  

What modes of transport are there? Why is it the main way people get around?

People from Shliwyd have all sorts of vehicles available to them, running off of the fuel from Fuamh. Most of these vehicles that inspiration from 19th and 20th century.

People from other profit cities might have some similar vehicles or something different but runs on the same stuff

People from more remote or less profitable cities would be forced to use simpler methods like beasts of burden

Miran would use domesticated animals that follow Fuamh.

(Should Shliwyd have flying machines????)

Technological progress is often the result of trading of ideas, how did Shliwyd become a center for invention?

Centre of trade, easy access to metals and minerals, Relatively protected in a rocky mountain coast, cultural perspective of success driving innovation

Where does the magic fuel come from? What is its life cycle?

Comes out of the earth in large crystalize forms and fissures, needs to be digested by Fuamh before it can be used as fuel, crystals are unstable and volatile.

Seeps out of cracks in the earth > quickly solidifies into crystal form > crystal structures grow creating more fissures for more crystal growth > Fuamh feed on the the crystal slowly digesting it > Excreted as a slick oil that is rich in nutrients which feed plant life.

How many types of Fuamh are there? What habitants have they conquered?

• Large migratory land Fuamh (Bison, Elephants, Rhino)
• Smaller territorial Fuamh (Big cats, Wolves)
• Surface bound water Fuamh (Turtles, Whales)
• Deep Sea Fuamh (Squid, Deep aquatic nightmare fuel)

What are the side effects of the presences of the magic fuel? How does it impact the word?

Anomalies - Antigrav (Chaotic gravity), mutate creatures, scoured plants, pollution

How advanced is the rest of the world with comparison to Shliwyd?

Cities with trade relations with Shliwyd are on a similar tech level, more remote cities are less advanced, Miran are far more primitive.

What are the main industries of Shliwyd? What do the daily lives of its citizens look like?

Main Industries - Fishing, Trade, Mining, Tech, Fuamh Hunting

Upper class citizens - Profiting from business, attending parties, wasting time

Middle class - Running businesses/shops, hobbies, Socializing

Lower class - Manual labor, Family time, scavenging

If the presence of the Fuamh makes agriculture difficult, how do the cities feed the population?

Terrace farming high output plants, Trade with cites that have better agriculture, personal gardens for the middle and upper class