Subject: If it continues, there will be need.
Author:
Posted on: 2017-02-14 10:35:00 UTC
OFUM needs both large numbers of fangirls, and large numbers of mostly-male staff members. The first trailer was done sneaky-like, but if I try to make the second, it'll be open auditions. (With first refusal to the people who voiced the characters already; it wouldn't be fair otherwise.)
hS
Specifically I made a trailer for something that might well never be a full project. But that's what trailers are for, right?
... right?
The trailer in question
With thanks to everyone involved. Credits are in the description.
hS
Okay, okay, this is awesome. Really awesome. This needs to happen.
That was WICKED! You should definitely make more trailers.
What, in your opinion, does Lina Holling look like?
hS
this.
Only description we get of her that I remember is that her hair goes down her back, and it's red.
Gimli's girlfriend is a redhead.
So is Tauriel.
This means one of two things:
1/ Miss Cam is a seer who foresaw the tall redhead-dwarf romance in the Hobbit movies.
2/ The dwarven fondness for redheads is implicit in Tolkien's work.
Either way... :D
hS
PS: Does this mean Galadriel's hair is more reddish-gold...?
Even more evidence: Phobos, who voices Gimli in the trailer and might actually be a very tall Dwarf, also likes redheads. Coincidence? I think not!
(I'm not a redhead, though. Alas, the conspiracy buck stops here.)
~Neshomeh
We need to make the facts fit the narrative; you need to dye your hair red.
(If it's not clear: this is a joke.)
But only if I can have it look somewhat natural. I don't like the obviously fake dark reds. {; P
~Neshomeh
... with 'redhead Nesh as interpreted by hS's art' for our Lina model, aren't we?
That... would actually be a decent idea, come to think of it.
hS
Gosh. Should I be flattered? I kinda feel like I should. ^^;
Well, I have a couple pictures in my Photobucket of me in high school, if you want those for reference, though one is very low-res and in the other <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/Neshomeh/Merlin/neshmerlin.jpg">I'm sideways and have a kitten's foot on my face. I have long hair in the first one, though. {= D
There's pictures of Phobos around, too, should you decide you want them.
~Neshomeh
In which Dot, Gimli, Lina, and Legolas (left-right) play the classic drama game 'sit, stand, lean, hover-nervously-expecting-to-be-glomped-any-second'.
Lina is loosely based on Neshomeh. She doesn't have glasses, because she spends so much time waking up in random places that they'd be unfeasible. Gimli is movie Gimli, but slightly Phobosified around the eyes (because I can't see M!Gimli's eyes anyway). Legolas is Legolas. Dot isn't based on anyone - her face is a set of eyes, nose, mouth, and chin designed to distinguish her from Lina. Hopefully that'll work better once inked.
(I really want to claim this is a canon scene... but it's not, I just fancied doing some interesting poses.)
Comments on character design are most welcome. :)
hS
Though I can't really put my finger on what it is about his beard that reminds me of someone else...
I tweaked his hair to try and make him more Gimliish, but he just refused. :( I think he reminds me a bit of Thorin from the Hobbit graphic novel, but there's someone else there too. Can't pin it down.
Maybe he'll improve once he's coloured. Ve zhall zee.
hS
I do think Gimli could be broader/stockier, actually, and the beard more full and scraggly. It's a bit more wizardly than Dwarvish, if that makes sense—maybe it's reminding Iximaz of Saruman or Gandalf the White? Wiggly edges instead of smooth would go a long way.
The line of Legolas' nose where it meets his forehead strikes me as too smooth. I think Orlando Bloom has a bit more of a brow ridge?
Other than that, nothing particularly jumps out at me. I can recommend a series of crisp, clear tutorials that I've found helpful and that I think would work really well for your budding style, though, hS: Majnouna's Tutorials on deviantART. I just like looking at them sometimes, even when I'm not drawing anything. {= )
~Neshomeh
I've stockied up Gimli (by cutting his arms off and moved them outwards), and scraggled his beard. The other thing I've done is refer back to the trailer pic of him and disconnect the two halves of his moustache, which had a big impact (I think).
I've also tweaked Legolas' head, though in the process his shoes seem to have gone awry. I really don't like feet, though Dot's worked out okay.
I've also made an attempt at shadows (instead of just shading); I think I need to work on the colours used for them, or possible just use a darken brush and let the computer sort it out, but it looks a lot better than the non-shadowed version.
I've also bitten the bullet and shrunk the brush used for faces, which has had a big effect on the ability to differentiate people. Compare this picture to the trailer to see what I mean.
... huh, I'm actually quite nervous about posting this all of a sudden. Odd; not sure why. Once more unto the breach!
(I will take a look at the tutorials; thank you!)
hS
(Yes, this is kind of me poking you to look at the script for episode one. Unless you want me to extend it farther...)
I think you did a good job with the picture, and I really like Dot's design. Her face is a lot easier to make out in the colored version. I think the thing going on with Legolas' head is that it looks just a bit too small for his body?
Iunno, you're the art director here. I just steal mercilessly from OFUM and pretend I know how to write a good script kinda stand around and wait for you to tell me what to do. :P
Does this mean your Elrond now looks like me, a weird, gangly androgyne with a rapidly-developing beer gut? =]
... that would be if I'd said that I was going to model Gimli on Phobos. ^_~ Canon characters still look as close to the movie as I can get them. I'm not averse to molding bit-part fanthings to look like their voice-actors, though... well, within reason!
But so far as I know, there is no canonical depiction of Lina Holling. [Checks; takes an hour to archive the OFUM fanart page] No, I take that back: there's one (insofar as fanart is 'official'), and it looks like this.
About all I can make out is a suggestion that she might have quite wide hips, and of course her hair length. Frustratingly, Galatea apparently drew a picture of Lina and Gimli in black leather, but the file wasn't archived.
hS
Just sayin'.
-Phobos
...but I did find a whole page of results on DeviantART (some repeated, admittedly) for Elves and other Middle-earth beings in black leather or teaching classes and so on (search term was "ofum").
On a slight tangent, I also found this depiction of Laurelin and Telperion, which is gorgeous.
~Zingen
I've got to admit, Pika's style is very much 'how OFUM looks' in my head. She really did enjoy the black leather pictures, didn't she...? ^_^
Those Trees are utterly beautiful. Wow.
hS
-Phobos, 6'1" (1.85m) Dwarf
It would be great to do some of our setting's shorter missions or interludes, though I know it would get time consuming.
I'd, uh . . . I'd love to be in on voice acting, if there are any parts needed in the future? I'm a baritone.
—doctorlit never heard back from Ekyl after his initial voice auditions, now glomps on to hS's project
OFUM needs both large numbers of fangirls, and large numbers of mostly-male staff members. The first trailer was done sneaky-like, but if I try to make the second, it'll be open auditions. (With first refusal to the people who voiced the characters already; it wouldn't be fair otherwise.)
hS
I've secretly wanted to make Protectors of the Plot Continuum: The Radio Play for years and years. Sign me up to help if you want to produce it. ^^
~Neshomeh thinks she might make a good Acacia if she does say so herself. ^^;
I think the mostly-dialogue style lends itself nicely to a radio script. I don't know thing one about doing good sound effects, music, editing, etc., but it sure would be fun. ^_^
... Maybe Response Center F: The Radio Play or Jay and Acacia: The Radio Play, to avoid confusion?
~Neshomeh
I'd be happy to contribute more if the project does continue. (I'll try to improve my sound quality, too. Couldn't help but notice the difference there. >.< )
I hope Miss Cam likes it. *crosses fingers*
~Neshomeh
Also Phobos, because his Gimli is amazing.
I did notice that your line was a bit flat-sounding; it might be fixable in Audacity, but I'm not sure.
Oddly enough, I found my best recording device wasn't a microphone, but my telephone. So maybe that's an avenue you can explore, if you've got a mobile? Most of them have voice recorders these days.
hS
*screams in excitement, then likes the video* The animation and voice acting was great! Good job!
Sounds like a very fun time for all!
We should get Roger Ebert's site to review it!
Now, I'e got a stupid question. Is it possible to voluntary apply to an OFU? I mean, even good/decent authors could want to improve. And why the Suethors should be the only ones visiting these worlds, eh?
2a/ Actually, most student names in OFUM and HFA and probably many other OFU stories are taken from people who volunteered themselves/their fangirl alter egos. The main protagonists mentioned in the first chapter usually exist before there are any fans of the story. (OFUDisc and some others may be different.)
3/ As far as I understand OFUM and HFA, magic makes it impossible to write any fanfic for the continuum if you don't have the license to write, so even good authors must apply – or at least take the final tests – in universe to get the license. That is, if you don't assume that OFUs just gift licenses to good authors for free.
HG
1/ OFUDisc had a couple of PPC agents attending, who signed up because they wanted to learn more about the Discworld. So depending on the OFU, it's definitely possible to volunteer yourself.
2/ Since some people don't know this: all student names in OFU stories are taken from people who volunteered themselves/their fangirl alter egos. In-universe they're dragged there, but the 'fangirls' and 'badficcers' are actually fans of the story who signed up for it.
hS
I'm looking forward to watching more of this if/when it exists, and I think the trailer was well done. I don't really have any more substantive comments. Now shut up and take my money!
I will keep you updated on her reaction.
I just got a reply to my email, and she says she's very pleased that people still like her stuff, and that making more in the same vein is fine.
And I refuse to admit to squeeing over that.
hS
I think it's always okay to squee over getting approval for a fanwork of a thing from the creator of that thing. ^_^
~Neshomeh
(Are you and Phobos up for playing Gimlina for a second trailer?)
hS
... please let me know in good time so I can duck and then watch with an awestruck expression.
Also: Miss Cam has a Tumblr?
hS
I like how this turned out. I mean, I really liked it. To the point where I have a suggestion:
OFUM Podcast.
I don't like work. >:(
More seriously: ... more seriously, I actually have very little idea what a podcast even is, so I can't comment on that possibility. An explanation (with no 'you should try this one!', plz, because free time isn't a thing) might help?
hS
You can make it available for download through things like iTunes, Soundcloud, et al. I think it would suit the OFUM format better, and while I accept that the audiodrama is a thing and converting OFUM to a radio play would be slightly more work (which, y'know, eurgh), the result would be very different and still interesting.
Also, if you wish to contact me about further adventures in this, my email is at hheath1992 at that email service where the mail is hot.
The thing is here!
Please will there be more of the thing? :3
I have a script for Trailer Two all worked out! It all depends, really, particularly on Miss Cam's reaction (if any).
hS
Would you mind if I tried my hand at screenwriting and started on a feature length script?
Not asking if you'd animate it because dear Moffat that would be a lot of work. Just wondering if you'd mind me writing a script.
1/ It's no skin off my nose if you write a script. ^_~ Miss Cam might have something to say (literally 'might', I don't know her reaction yet).
2/ If you're looking towards possible animation, shall we discuss over email? I've got a few thoughts on how it could be done to make that feasible. (Also, I'd probably have you look over the trailer 2 script to see what you think.)
hS
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—
*deep breath*
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou—
*coughs*
I'll, ah, I'll definitely keep all that in mind.
^w^
