Concept Maps

Here are some concept art I drew of the Viking Cosmos. They will not be featured anywhere in the film, but as the film deals with the creation of the cosmos, I had to decide where it will all end up. I say decide, as there are no precise description of the Cosmos in any preserved texts, only several contradictory ones. The essentials though are references to nine worlds (some of the nine vary), and Yggdrasil, an enormous Ash tree that stands in the middle of the world. This is very much my take on it, taking as a basis what geographical knowledge I believe the Vikings had. Cold in the North, increasingly warmer further South (possibly burning hot if you sailed far enough), a massive ocean to the West (the Atlantic) and unknown lands to the east, therefore I placed most of the "nine" worlds east of Mannheim, home of the humans.

Niflheim is the realm of cold and darkness, Muspellsheim the realm of warmth and light. These two worlds created Ymir, the Frost Giant whose body was slain and used as building material by the Gods to create the worlds in between.

Clothes

After the heads are pretty much done, It's time to make the clothes. In choosing the colors I make quick temporary bodies to see what colors goes well together, for each character individually and for the characters as a group. I don't want them looking too similar, but I prefer "rotating" the colors rather than using many of them, i.e. the color of one character's shirt is the color of the trousers of another one etc...

I took this photograph outdoors because the sun gives great lighting, but the characters can only make quick trips to the outside world as the sun also provides a very hostile environment. Plasticine people need a cold climate in order to stay in shape.

Introduction

On this blog I will post the progress of my current claymation, a short film telling the Norse creation myth. Working title is "The Frost Giant". Though not the main character, he is the center point of the story, as the world was created from his dismembered body by the gods who with this act ignited a never ending feud between gods and giants.