Echoes – An Animated Science Fiction Short Film

· by · in Director's Sketchbook, Echoes. ·

In January 2010 I finished my script for The Wendigo Effect, my full length science fiction horror movie.

I realized that it would be very difficult for an unknown filmmaker to raise the money I needed to build all the sets I wanted. So I thought about making it as an animation film.

In the past, I had done a lot of 2D animations and rotoscoping and I knew that creating a frame to frame cellanimation is always a huge amount of work. As in working half a year for a 19 second clip. One of these projects were the animations I did for the music video for my friends from the band Dark Signz. Although I love doing things like that, it´s not a workflow to make a whole movie out of.

So I had to teach my computer to draw and animate the way I do.

I did some tests early in 2010 and they went well. Next thing I needed was a project to test my workflow.

Voilá, Echoes was born.

Echoes is the story of a female navigator stranded on a dead planet. With all her crewmates having dies and food and water running out her only chance to survive is to go out, into the desert…

Here are some concept tests I did very early. They also show the kind of textures I am going to use in the film.

26 responses to “Echoes – An Animated Science Fiction Short Film”

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  7. It’s difficult to find educated people about this topic, however,
    you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

    Like

  9. Today, while I was at work, myy cousin stole
    mmy iPad and tested to see if it can survive a twenty five foot drop, just
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  13. First of all I want to say fantastic blog! I hadd a quick questoon thst
    I’d like to aask if you don’t mind. I was curious to know how you center yoiurself and clear
    your head before writing. I’ve had a tough time clearing
    my mind in getting my thooughts out there. I do take plkeasure in writing but it
    just seems like thhe first 10 to 15 minutes tend to be lost jhst trying to figure out hhow to begin. Anyy suggestions orr tips?
    Kudos!

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    • Thank you very much, Maisie, I’m glad you like my blog 🙂 and about my writing style…Hm, that’s a good question. I think it is rather straight forward. It is more or less always like this: 1) I write down some very rough scene ideas onto little yellow cards. Just ideas like “people in sado maso style clothings meets Mad Max” or “Claire trows the bloody cloth onto the table” “the table is out of glass”. These are not scenes yet, just ideas. 2) when I got a good hand full of yellow papers (50 – 100 usually), then I take a day and lay them out on a big table. This only works when I am alone. I organize my yellow papers into columns of things/ideas/scenes that belong together (in a scene). This way I have my scenes all laid out. Some things get sorted out at this step. 3) then I order or rearrange my scenes if I feel, that somethings fits better somewhere else. After this step, which takes one day, I have my “scene structure”. And I do not think about acts or steps or what has to happen in which minute. I just do like when I draw: I do not think very much, just trust my guts. 4) then I take each “scene paper package” and write what was not kicked out into a scene in my scrift writing programme (which is Celtx, but I think there are a lot cool writing packages out there). After this step, which is a bit boring, I have my scene structure in a writing prgramme. 5) then I sit down for a month in isolation and write a long version of every scene note I have. With dialogue and location descriptions. Scene by scene by scene. And I never ever ad what I have written before, nor do I correct what I have already written.

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    • I think that the trick is to have a workflow where you do not have to think of what you are doing. Just do what the steps before have decided. When I write my scripts I do not have to think about what i have zo write, because I have the wole road already laid out. I just read what is written on the scene description and write a longer version of it. Of course this is easier when I can work for longer time periods on the piece and not for 45 minutes every day (in a train). Writing on the train, just for 45 minutes is frustarting and it takes longer, but I just have accomodate to my life circumstances. I have done both, written on the train in little chunks and 4-5 in an isolated room. The second one is far more easy, because everybody needs some time at the beginning to get warmed up

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    • And my method of getting warmed up is: Do not think (!), drink a good, nice cup of coffee while you are firing up your writing programme and start writing as a warming up. Then, as stupid as it sounds, you are alrady writing before you notice it. And what you have written as a warm up is already part of your script. Then you just have to keep on writing… And don’t forget: Never read what you have written the day or hour before unless your script is finished. You just have to punch out your first version of your script. You can then refine it. I think that is important to keep in mind. And: Have fun writing! For me, writing is the most fun part, because I can come up with whatever I want. Figuring put how Iwant to film the stuff is something that comes later :))) Hope it helps 🙂

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  15. I am desige student.I am following your blog from half years,so wonderful! I hope you can keep going update design content.

    Can you tell me that photos how creative and what using software ?please:)

    Like

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