I was honored to have made it to the end of the three month ILM/Art Station challenge in 2015. Here are a few of the key frames and sketches I did. All keyframes were done in two days, along with sketches and written pitches for concepts. I learned a great deal while working on this challenge. Being in such an intensive helped improve my creative thought process and design sense.
KEYFRAME 1: WHILE ON TATOOINE SEARCHING FOR THE MISSING DEATH STAR PLANS, DARTH VADER CONFRONTS THE LEADER OF A TUSKEN RAIDER TRIBE BY THREATENING AND KILLING HIS BANTHA.
KEYFRAME 2: TUSKEN RAIDERS AND BANTHAS FORM A DEEP, LIFE LONG BOND. WHEN BROKEN BY DEATH, EITHER THE TUSKEN RAIDER OR BANTHA MUST GO OUT ALONE INTO THE DESERT TO LIVE OR DIE. THIS TUSKEN RAIDER EXPERIENCES A VISION OF HIS BANTHA SPIRIT, WHICH LEADS HIM TO A NEW, UNKNOWN HERD.
KEYFRAME 3: WHEN LUKE SKYWALKER WAS TWELVE, HE BUILT A CUSTOM MADE SPEEDER BIKE OUT OF SPARE FARM PARTS AND OLD MINING EQUIPMENT HE FOUND IN THE DESERT, STRAPPING IT ALL TOGETHER AS BEST HE COULD. AT SUNSET AFTER A HARD DAY'S WORK ON THE FARM, HE WOULD OFTEN RACE THROUGH FIELDS OF MOISTURE VAPORATORS, MUCH TO AUNT BERU'S CONCERN.
KEYFRAME 4: TEENAGED LEIA ORGANA WAS OFTEN SEEN RACING THROUGH THE PETRIFIED KILLIK MOUNDS ON THE GRASS PLANES ON ALDERAAN. SHE SHOWED UNUSUAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ABILITIES AT A YOUNG AGE, SOUPING UP AND CUSTOMIZING THE SPEEDER BIKE HER ADOPTED FATHER, BAIL ORGANA, GAVE TO HER WHEN SHE TURNED TWELVE.
KEYFRAME 5: THE REBELS, WHO WERE HELD CAPTIVE IN A TAUNTAUN PEN, DEVISED A PLAN TO SCARE THE BEASTS INTO A PANIC, CAUSING A STAMPEDE AND NECESSARY DIVERSION. WHILE THE STAMPED DISTRACTED THE SNOWTROOPERS, THE REBELS LOOSENED THEIR TIES AND OVERWHELMED THE SITUATION, USING CAPTURED BLASTERS TO BRING ICE DOWN FROM THE CEILING.
Hakka Four-Den researched Dagobah, and while there, she encountered the unusual military force protecting the Dagobah system, the Danji. We don't know for sure what she encountered, as many of her records were lost, but we now know that the Danji are supremely motivated in helping the Rebel forces after the destruction of Alderaan.
The Danji are not an offensive military, but a defensive. They have religious reasons that go back to the beginnings of the universe and formation of the Force. The Danji believe that they serve to protect, not seek out the destruction of others. Their sentient ships can organize to absorb and reflect massive blasts of all kinds. They also have the ability to attract negative energies; tie fighters intent on killing will be attracted to their ships, only to be absorbed and consumed. Their most massive military ships are able to emit an energy field derived from Force energy that absorbs and deflects blast fire. They use parts and scrap that they find to make their ships, believing that the universe gives them what they need.
The function of the Danji in a battle is to confuse the enemy, attract rouge fighters intent on negative destruction, and absorb them. The Danji and the sentient beings are symbiotic.
KEYFRAME 6: PRINCESS LEIA AND ADMIRAL ACKBAR WAIT WHILE THE DANJI ARRIVE TO FORM A NEW ALLIANCE WITH THE REBEL FLEET AND RETURN C3PO AND R2D2.
Princess Swana, from the swamps of Dagobah, is an incredibly strong and adept Force user.
She has the ability to not only Force push, but deflect and repel blaster fire, levitate massive objects and confuse her enemies.
Her abilities are so powerful that when she uses the Force, objects around her, trees, grass, rocks, bend and levitate in her wake. Swana, like all Danji, have an extremely close bond with the ancient and wise creatures that power their ships.
Her eyes allow her to see in almost complete darkness and the patterns on her skin flash when threatened
My inspiration for this character concept came from carnivorous plants, octopus, jellyfish and the Dagobah environment.
KEYFRAME 7: (FROM SCRIPT PAGES) HAN ARGUES WITH SWANA DURING THE ATTACK WHILE C3P0 IS TRAPPED UNDER DEBRIS.
