The Rabit Secret Force is an animated series concept about five individuals from separate walks of life out to help the world after the Great War and make a profit at the same time.
Rabit Secret Force
The above is a short lip sync animation I did to flush out the characters. I wanted to test a panning background as well as box style animation within toon boom.
To the right is a slower version of the pan in shot.
The First Draft
This project began with one illustration, I wanted to see how I could work these characters into a room. I also wanted to convey a little of their personalities and include many smaller details.
Some 3D modeling was used in the initial stages of this room. Using 3D for the backgrounds would go on to be a theme with this project.
The Train Scene
I wanted to see what I could accomplish with texture when I began modeling the train car. Working through the details on this the story began to unfold of these five characters all sitting silently in the car looking as if they are up to no good.
The illustration of the characters was done in Flash. This below images show a small portion of the process, while I was developing the train car. The modeling is really quite minimal and the bump maps are doing more of the heavy lifting in this scene.
“The goal of the video was to create an introduction for the characters using limited animation. Each section gives a small presentation into their role within the group.”
RABIT
He is the stoic leader of the group. His back story is not full flushed out and he operates with an air of assertive mystery. It is assumed he was a high ranking official in the Moroccan military.
WALDO YATES
He is the old money financier of the group. Coming from a long linage of wealth, he has grown board with the slow life on the estate and enjoys adventuring with his elicit friends. Though his sensibilities and refinement often clash with other members of the group. He never misses Tea Time.
ORSON
Is the thief and technologist of the group. He’s always got a way out or in. Often times he can be found eyeing the value of objects around him and making mental notes for a late night transaction. He is not always on the right side of the law, but the force knows his value more than he himself might.
HARPER KEATON
All things occult are of his interest. He has battled the dark arts and hails from a land to the East. He often times say creepy things, or tries to make everything a little to spooky.
AUBREY
She is a former vaudeville star, who has retired from the circus life. She got to travel the world and rub elbows with the elite and fabulous. She always has a friend to call when the group gets into a jam. She also assumes everyone knows who she is and carries any room she enters.
Character Turn Arounds
At the bottom you will see two new characters. These are the villains of a pilot episode that has been developed.
The Flamingo
The heroes arrive to Miami and are greeted by an overly friendly Flamingo who wants nothing more than to convince our team to buy real estate and beach front properties that do not yet exist. Rabit is the only one who remains suspicious of their new friends and sets to un-cover his sun-drenched plot.
Comic Page
This is the very end of the story. The heroes have not succeeded in saving Florida and it has been left as the villain intended, with islands now dotting the landscape.
Animated Gif
This is a quick render to show how the motion can work with these characters. The Flamingo is just about to push the button and turn Florida into an archipelago, but Orson is up in the rafters and swoops down to try and stop him.
Story Board / Animatic
In this scene the characters have just arrived in Miami. They don’t have a place to stay and they are first introduced to the Flamingo and his associate.
