Battle Angel Alita

Watch this video, which I storyboarded, directed by Forrest McClain.

Here's the beginning rough for an Alita fan art piece I'm doing. It begins with finding a reference photo, I wanted something to do with Alita's martial art background and chose a muay thai photo I found online. Using it as a basis for the figure, I sketch out forms and adjust the limbs and head.

Next, I'll render out the details more and start on the background in grayscale before I tackle coloring the piece.

 

ZOMBORG

Here's a quick sketch (2-ish hours) of a Zomborg, something I thought sounded cool. This is just an initial breakdown, I hope to update this post as I work along to tighten up the rendering. I like to work from dark to light, so I'm working on the shadows first then will tackle doing the highlights. I've been trying to expand my digital painting skills and I hope random sketches like this will become more prominent in my blog as I practice more.

BATTLE ANGEL ALITA Fan Project

Please watch this VIDEO first, directed by Forrest McClain.

Battle Angel Alita is a manga (japanese comic book) produced by Yukito Kishiro and is my favorite comic. The detailed artwork and sci-fi storyline has greatly influenced my own art and person. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where androids, cyborgs and robots are commonplace. The main character is named Alita, a cyborg whose memories are gone and is discovered in a junkyard by a cybernetics doctor named Ido who rebuilds her. The storyline is about her attempts to rediscover her past, along the way fighting foes with the only memory of her past, her mastery of the cyborg martial art Panzer Kunst. She first becomes a bounty hunter, then a motor ball player (think speed skating gladiators), and eventually a messiah in the second series Battle Angel Alita: Last Order. James Cameron currently owns the film rights, which I was ecstatic for, but he's decided to focus on the Avatar sequels instead (which I don't mind). He's my favorite filmmaker, so my fingers are crossed he'll still do it.

Anyway, I've been contacted to work on a fan project for Alita, a live action production for a possible web series. I jumped at the chance since Alita is such a strong influence in my life and here are storyboards for the initial short film. We hoped to used these boards to build up interest in the possible web series. I decided to fully render them in a more digital painting style.

Velocity Channel Storyboards

Below are storyboard pitches for a commercial promoting Velocity Channel, which focuses on men-centric programming about automobiles and sports. These were 3 different ideas for a commercial, I believe the Wind In Your Hair spot won.

Hungry Jack & Folger's Storyboards

Here are storyboards for a commercial spot for Hungry Jack and a Folger's spot produced by MacGuffin Films. These were drawn and toned in Adobe Photoshop.

New York Life AARP Storyboards

Below are storyboards for a IKA Collective produced commercial showcasing New York Life Insurance and AARP. These were done in Adobe Photoshop.

Sony Store Storyboards

Below are some storyboards I did for VOX Media showcasing a commercial about the Sony Playstation store. This has a split shot effect throughout, showing two different personalities utilizing the Sony Entertainment Network store. These were done in Adobe Photoshop.

Here's a link to the final commercial: https://vimeo.com/10815254
 

Deadline Crime Storyboards

Here are storyboards for a commercial promoting ID's show Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall. Here's an example of changes throughout the pre production of this spot. The beginning boards show the initial idea for the commercial, a piece focusing on transitions, but then the spot was cut down to something simple inter cut with video from the show.

Mother Of All Talent Storyboards

Here are storyboards for two possible commercials showcasing the launch of TVGN's show Mother Of All Talent produced by IKA Collective. These were drawn in Adobe Photoshop and shows my quick sketchy style, usually caused by a crazy deadline. Some directors prefer this style, just to have a quick reference that isn't bogged down in detail.