Fire Test

FX Testing:  As an alternative to not rendering and animating fur (which can be difficult in 3d), this solution both gives him a 'furry' look, as well as serving the story metaphorically as Zac became a dog that was too 'hot' to handle.

Timelines

Rough timelines.

With such a small production crew we are only stacking up 2 disciplines at a time to (hopefully) ensure we don't spread ourselves too thin.

Anatomy Studies

It does look very creepy, though these anatomy studies allow us to gain a

deeper understanding of how dogs move and animate.

This information brings a level of realism to the animation and aids in the story telling.

We are still not sure how real we are going to go with the style; the more real you go, the higher the production costs and longer it will take to finish the film, though in these early stages we're happy to explore all creative paths.

Moving into 3d

Modelling the characters in 3d allows for fast camera choices and framing to be made before we begin animating too heavily.  These images also serve to inspire the story and guide the structure of the screenplay.

Characters for colour and scale reference.

Calm and aggravated moments of the initial first meeting.

These images represent what could happen if we take the story into sci-fi, where the dogs' elemental super-powers represent their inner psyche.  Zac for example, burns/harms people unintentionally with his anger, where as Zen is a more calming force.

This is a quick animation test integrating 3d models into a live action plate filmed from a nearby park.

Notice the warm/cool colour palates shifting from the light into the shadows.
I was very happy to see the 3d elements fitting so well into the real world.

Sketches and Studies

Some photos from zac to study from:

Skull studies to understand dog anatomy.

Value studies to test fur complexity and likeness.

Scary to see how a friendly face can turn to violent in a matter of seconds.

Style guides

I've gathered reference over the years and these are just some of the

images I'll be drawing (pun intended) upon for this project.

Zac Facial Reference

Lighting Reference 

Style Reference