Brother Thomas Film

Unexpected Visitor

This is one of the storyboard panels that I got a little carried away with.  I can’t help playing with foreground and background elements…and then there’s those light shafts that make everything look better.

Click on the detail above to see the full image.

Stained Glass Apostles

Here’s a sequence of images that I’ve been working on.  I find I’m doing more character design than actual storyboarding lately but I guess it all needs to get done at some point.  These are the Apostles that flank the right side of the Madonna and Child.  Eventually they will represent the specific apostles. They are far from being final but in general I’m liking the direction they’re headed.

Click on the detail below to see the full sequence.

To see more go to the Br. Thomas Page or click on the Br. Thomas category to the left.

Silhouette

Here’s a short storyboard sequence that I like a lot.  Michael Spooner suggested we go for a silhouette on this shot and it really stands out.  It gives a nice break from the otherwise thick atmosphere of the room.

Click on the detail below to see the full image.

To see more go to the Br. Thomas Page or click on the Br. Thomas category to the left.

Scriptorium

I’m still working through the boards in the first scriptorium sequence but I keep getting drawn into some of the more involved tonal sketches to get a better feeling for the space.   While it’s seriously slowing down my progress on the boards I’m finding all sorts of visual possibilities within the space (lighting, composition, etc.).  This shot represents Thomas’ entry into what’s considered to be an extremely holy place.  It rests at the center of Thomas’ world  and is a space that he fears, respects… and longs to be more at home in.

Click on the detail below to see the full image.

To see more go to the Br. Thomas Page or click on the Br. Thomas category to the left.

Madonna and Child-Tonal Study

As I’m trying to work out the space for the scriptorium I had to work up some tonal studies to establish the mood in the room.  While this is probably a far cry from what the finished design of the stained glass will look like I thought the tonal study was quite striking….back to the storyboards.

Click on the detail below to see the full image.

To see more go to the Br. Thomas Page or click on the Br. Thomas category to the left.

More Storyboards-Entering the Cathedral

So this is the space Br. Thomas walks through every day on his way to work.  If you can’t tell from the images (but I hope you can) he feels a little out of place in such a beautiful and austere environment.

The challenge for me in these boards has been to establish a somber tone to the scene and create an almost overwhelming expansiveness to the space.  I really want Br. Thomas to feel small and insignificant in the shear weight of all the beauty, history and religiosity.  Light and shadow have a lot to do with this as well.  The church fathers are merely stone monuments but for Thomas the long shadows they cast only serve to increase his already heightened sense of not belonging.

If you click on the 8 panel image you can see the entire story sequence.

Storyboards-Off to Work

It’s sooooo nice to get back to work on this after a crazy three weeks of wrapping the semester.  I’m still trying to figure out just how much of my preliminary work to post…and when. I’m posting the first completed sequence of storyboards (completed for now anyways).

This is the third scene in the film in which Br. Thomas  is headed off to work.  It is his first encounter with the dragonfly…who is about to make a mess of his tidy little life.  I’ve had the overview of the story written for almost a decade so you can imagine how exciting it is for me to see these shots emerge.

The story itself isn’t changing but with each new story panel there comes new layers of ideas and meaning.   The biggest change in this sequence is the addition of the animals.  I realized the action was moving forward too quickly to properly introduce the main characters.  They also serve as a great prelude to the second act where these animals are joined by there friends to help Brother Thomas celebrate his day of unabashed epiphany.

If you click on the 8 panel image you can see the entire story sequence.

Brother Thomas-Happy Dance!

This is an image I’ve taken from the story beats for a short film I want to make called The Temptation of Brother Thomas.   The real title for the image is The Procession but “Happy Dance” does a better job of capturing my immediate mood.  I recently found out that I received the Research Fellowship Grant from Huntington University which will allow me up to a year (along with some cash) to develop Brother Thomas into a completed film concept.

Development includes exploring old cathedrals and illuminated manuscripts as well as other artifacts from Church history.  I will also be investigating stop-motion and digital graphic techniques, and doing a whole lot of drawing in the next 12 months.   Some friends have stepped up to help out in story development and visual design so I’m thinking that a year from now we’ll have a great package to take on the road…so to speak.   I will also be using this time to research funding options that can help get this little guy up on a screen.

The Temptation of Brother Thomas

I know it’s been a while but I’ve spent the last two weeks working on a proposal for a development grant for for Br. Thomas.  I hope you’ll forgive me posting old work but he’s been on my mind a lot lately and I’m really hoping something comes from the proposal.

Tags | Grant, Makette