Midnight Odyssey
Illustrated Novella | In Progress
Description
Midnight Odyssey is a passion project I plan on working on over the next few years. It is an illustrated novella and will contain around eight chapters, or 30,000 words. As of now, the first chapter draft can be viewed here, along with various pencil sketches which I plan on turning into digital illustrations. This project is mostly for fun, but can also be used to showcase my storytelling and illustration skills.
Synopsis
A young orphaned boy, living in a secluded igloo near the north pole, must guide the spirit of his deceased twin sister through the underworld, Adlivun. The story takes place during a polar night, a natural phenomenon where the sun doesn't rise for over 24 hours - in this case, several months.
Some of the characters and settings are inspired by Inuit mythology, such as Nanook, the polar bear god, Sedna, the goddess of the sea, and Adlivun, the underworld.
The story is ultimately about death and grief with the polar night representing the isolation and darkness that one feels while grieving. The mythological setting also helps represent the mysterious nature of death itself.
Isle of Ash
Animated Film Pitch | 2023
Description
Isle of Ash is a pitch for an animated feature film that was presented at Reel FX's annual Pitchfest. This is another passion project that I hope to one day turn into an illustrated novella. Overall, the pitch did not end up winning, but was selected as one of the five finalists. Below is the PDF and screen recording of the presentation I gave at Reel FX. All images used in the presentation were retrieved from online sources. For the imagery, I wanted to use artwork created by real artists. The artwork in the presentation is a mix of traditional paintings and concept art.
Synopsis
A young girl named Ash is washed ashore on a mysterious island. She later discovers the island is inhabited by mysterious creatures who accompany her in a time of despair. The island is also inhabited by dangerous spirits who torment her through fear and anxiety. Throughout the story, we see Ash's internal struggles and learn she purposely ran away by sailing on a boat that shipwrecked on the island.
Some of the characters are inspired by Japanese mythology, mainly the Hō-ō, a Japanese phoenix, and the Kirin, a horse and dragon-like creature. Other story elements are inspired by Japanese culture, such as cherry blossoms, a significant flower in Japan, and kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery.
The story is ultimately about loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted. The island setting is meant to convey the hopelessness, despair, and isolation one feels during those times.
