Next Step: What Do They Look Like?

So here's the update on my Cartoon Network pilot that I can't tell you anything about.  We're moving onto storyboard!

But before we get there, we have to get these characters of mine designed.  I've done a series of drawings, of course.  They were part of the pitch.  I've also done new versions as the story and personalities spread in new directions.

Some of those sketches show a little spark.  For example, I actually like my version of a key antagonist.  Even a couple of my main characters could feasibly be a jumping off point but there's no overall sense of design and that's what it needs.  The joy of being a producer of animated shows is to cast people better than you.

In the past I've worked with artists on staff to zero in on what I want.  Greg Guler was my go to guy on most of my shows, especially those that were spin offs of existing features.  Greg is an artistic chameleon.

But this time I was searching for something different than anything I had worked with before.  All I can say is, "Thank God for the Internet."  If you're a professional artist and don't at least have a blog that showcases your work, you are losing jobs.  Every studio has people looking at portfolios but that's been augmented by their own internet searches.

The artwork above is my John Hoffman who would definitely be a candidate for my show.  He has a couple of sites that showcase his talent and incredible range.  Sadly, for me happily for them, PIXAR got him first.  He'll be starting there at the start of the new year.  Still, he got me thinking of my characters in a different way.

It's not like anything on his pages was the exact image that I wanted, but his overall sensibility seemed to fit my ideas.  And that's the trick: searching for something that isn't there yet.  You can't walk into a comic shop and find it on the rack, it's not in the movie theatre, it's not even out there on the net.

You look at how an artist uses shapes or his sense of caricature.  You look for distinctive characters that feel like a specific individual instead of a type.  You look at how the art communicates attitude and emotion. 

But the same characters can be portrayed in drastically different ways. The stories will be the same, the dialogue will be the same but the "feel" will be different.

A Kirby/Lee Spider-man would lead to an entirely different end result than the Ditko/Lee version that became a sensation.

 So it's important not to zero in on a particular style too quickly.  A writer should consider a variety of styles if he's lucky enough to be part of the casting process.   It's certainly smart to include him because he's been imagining action and gags for months.  He's one of the best people to judge if the gags will still work if the style is retro, realistic or hallucinogenic.

As for my pilot, I've collected samples and of course the Cartoon Network execs are doing the same.  I'll be curious to see if there's any crossover of styles or actual artists.  

It's like waiting for baby to be born.  Will it have the mother's eyes or the father's nose?  Will the child be tall, short, curly-haired or straight?

The difference is that in this case, I'm hoping for funny looking.

 

--Tad

Comments

[Chris Schweizer]

Thanks, Tad! I'm always curious to hear how the preproduction folk get found for projects like this - most everyone I know who does character design and contract works for the studio doing the project in question, or has in the past. Is it common for TV animation to bring people in like this?

[James Madison]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts/blog(s).

It is appreciated! And WOW! Your show is looking good...even in developmental stages.

I look forward to seeing it!!

James M