Submitted in partial fulfllment of the requirement for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts Hartford Art School, University of Hartford Kirk Wallace UHID #: 19653267 Thesis Defense & Exhibition ILS 970 Introducing Skülly in… Rib Caged Submitted in partial fulfllment of the requirement for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts Hartford Art School, University of Hartford Defense Date: Defense Committee Committee Chair Committee Member Committee Member Committee Member Table of Contents Introduction . 01 Inspiration . 04 Process . 12 Marketing Plan ................................48 Conclusion . 55 Bibliography . 59 Introducion short flms and spot illustrations that were used in the context of a written piece. The illustrations I was doing did not require much of a backstory. They were ‘assisting Upon beginning the MFA in Illustration program in the illustrations’ that would either be developed further by summer of 2016, I had a Bachelor of Computer Science; the client, or live in perpetuity on a single screen of a web had held a few creative positions as an art director page. The work I had produced (see fg.1) throughout my and creative director; and most recently, had a steady career was missing contextual questions, such as: what freelance career working as a commercial illustrator. may this character do at home? Who is this character’s However, although I was experiencing success in my friends? How about enemies? What does this world look career without a formal arts qualifcation, I lacked like? What are the problems inside it? Or even, more confdence due to a feeling of academic illegitimacy. It simply, What is the story here? was as if I was waiting for the ground to fall out from underneath me, due to the hacked together base of my foundation, unfortifed by an academic afxion. As I grew closer to the Boston design community, I met Illustrators Chris Piascik (1982) and Shayna Piascik (b.1988) who introduced me to the Hartford Illustration MFA program, from which they had both graduated. Chris had just fnished the program, and was a sounding board for my curiosities about the MFA. In a matter of weeks, both Chris and Shayna had me sold on the idea. In particular, Chris told me the reason he went through the program was because of a situation similar to my own: he felt he also was being rushed through his career Fig.1 Kirk Wallace (b.1988), Pizza, 2016, Digital, for iOS Messenger Stickers and waiting for something to give, despite his successes. He assured me that, having completed the program, he I wanted to use this project as a vehicle to drive narrative had confdence going into projects due to the legitimacy through my work. I grew up with three older brothers of the program. Additionally, I could see the obvious (the youngest of whom is ten years older than me) who elevation in both Shayna and Chris’s work during their were constantly showing me flms like My Neighbor time in the program. Totoro, Ninja Scroll, and Iron Giant; as well as cartoons like X-Men The Animated Series and Spider-Man. This The frst course of the program, “Dream Assignment”, exposure infuenced me, early on, to be attracted to taught by Jef Sangalli (b.1978) and Willie Real (b.1979) a hybrid of fun youthful visuals and stories that had a was designed to help us consider our fnal capstone serious tone. As a result, afer a great deal of stress project. For me, this prospect was overwhelming: it was brought on by the infnite amount of possibilities, and a considerable adjustment to be asked what I wanted a few panic phone calls to my brother, Kevin Wallace to work on instead of taking projects that were ofered (b.1978), I decided for this frst course I would like to try to me on a freelance capacity. Until this point, I had to create the preliminary steps for a short flm. focused mainly on visual development for brands, or Introducion 01 What I created in the Dream Assignment course was the frst stepping stone to my thesis. I knew that I wanted to create a story with a world full of consequences and develop a character further than one or two poses. I had a character, named Skülly, that I had been developing as a mascot and imaginary creative partner to my freelance agency, BoneHaüs. When I started speaking about this character in front of the class, Sangalli and Real could see me light up with excitement, so they recommended Fig.2 Kirk Wallace, Skülly Meditation, 2018, Digital, Short flm theatrical poster asset that I make a story about this character and start simple. While this fnal thesis project is not the same story as of a clif to escape whatever was chasing him. Skülly is the dream assignment project, it did stem from the same prepared: he has a parachute to sofen his landing, but on initial concept and it involves the same character. his way down, Skülly crashes, dizzying himself and loses a limb (something that has been a problem his whole life). My thesis project is titled Introducing Skülly in… Rib Caged As he gets up from his crash, his head is upside down and or Rib Caged for short. It is an animated trailer to a short things are looking pretty strange. He rolls his eyes and flm. The story has been fully developed and realized fips his head back upright as something catches his eye into a script and storyboard, as well as key visuals of of screen. the entire flm. The scope of the thesis has included over 60 pieces of key visuals (13 of which were hung in the Curious, Skülly comes across a large, enticing, gallery for the thesis exhibition); a model sheet for the adventurous looking room, which is an adventure he main character; a storyboard of the full flm; a theatrical cannot simply pass up. The room looks like an old poster; and, of course, the fully animated trailer complete ancient temple, but with glowing blue lines all around with sound design. This project has been an awakening the door: almost alien upon frst glance. The door leads to for collaboration, having had the opportunity to work a dungeon, or temple of sort — an ancient but futuristic with some of my best friends each step of the way, I may crossbreed. As Skülly steps in, the building appears to be ofen refer to the project as “ours” which refers to the bigger in the inside. small team that has worked on it with me. Inside are three rooms, labelled in sequential order, The Story each with their own objective. Skülly confdently blasts Although this thesis project consisted of an animated trailer, I story through the doors to the frst room, using his gadgets and boarded the entire episode before scaling the project down for size. Further brute force, revealing foating, arid desert-like islands, detail on that editing process is detailed below at ‘Process’. For context and completeness, please fnd a description of the full story set out below. all inside the temple! Skülly completes the challenge that appears to await him in this frst room — hopping Introducing Skülly in...Rib Caged across blindly to the door at the end of the room. The door marked “⅔” opens up, and another challenge awaits! We join our hero, Skülly: a lovable, young (but fawed) Eventually Skülly makes it through all three rooms, but skeleton-like character, who is mid-stride of an adventure, always taking the most obvious route to the apparent and running away from something – although we are not challenges. quite sure what. Cool and collected, he takes a large leap Introducion 03 Insiration The inspiration for this project is wide-reaching, but can be distilled into multiple sections. The frst section encompasses the over arching inspiration that has generally infuenced me throughout my work and life. The succeeding sections explore specifc works that I referenced during the creative process for this project in developing the story, background art, color palettes, and other aspects of the overall project. Fig.6 Barry Wallace, 1994, Photograph, Gail Wallace and Kirk Wallace portrait General inspiration I have had the great fortune of being raised by parents that were fully supportive of anything I wanted to do. Firstly, my mother, Gail Wallace (b.1952), (see fg.6) who is incredibly creative, taught me that I can do anything. In particular, she edifed my childhood with the belief that if someone has made something, no matter what it is, I can make it too. This value remains a major component to my everyday life. For example, while others may see cartoons and stop-motion flms as magical, impossible works, I am able to deconstruct the works to understand the components. This has obviously infuenced my illustration career and, in particular, this project of making a short animated flm. Secondly, my father, Barry Wallace (1948 - 2013) (see fg.7) was a very devout fan of arts, particularly music. He passed away when I was 24 (fve years prior to the completion of this thesis). He emanated an amazing Fig.7 Photographer Unknown, 1983, Photograph, Barry Wallace with his son Kevin Wallace sense of respect for any art, and taught me that all art, no matter how bizarre, has a home and should be observed While I was working on this project, I could not help with a keen eye. Talking in depth with him about movies, but think of all the infuences that were shaping it that music, books, comedy, and paintings was an incredible I never would have experienced had it not been for my resource for me.