You might remember, there was a couple parts of the story that were uncompleted. I have figured out what to do in those parts.
She is going to touch a scar that she has on her left side and she’ll pry it open. Goo will ooze out and interwine, thats where it flashes to white.

Played around with Maya ncloth today as I remembered Chris saying I could possibly figure out a solution for the goo.

In both cases ’self collision’ is off. I have yet to see the result after a texture is rendered. Some pretty nice and easy effects for viscous material. Obviously needs more experimentation.

I’ve been spending the couple of days trying to modify a stock mesh I downloaded of a woman, trying get it to look more chiseled and mannequin-like. Except it is proving more difficult than I anticipated as the maker did it in a billion piece NURBS. It’s frankly pretty frustrating. I might have to model my own mannequin head and attach it to the body parts that I actually like from this mesh. I suppose I can spend the extra time in getting her just as I want her because after all, she is the main character.

I like the painted facial features and how the paints looks here.

This is how I imagined she will end up.

I love the vacant stares this mannequin has and how the photographer has arranged and photographed the pieces.

Hand covered in goo

I remembered there was some really nice goo done in Spiderman 3 (one of the few good things about that trainwreck of a movie). A little behind the scene clip here:

Made a couple of changes to the storyboard:

starts with a rocking chair and teddy bear in the background

as she looks to the camera, a hint of the goo is seen in the corner of her eyes

when she takes her first steps, two drops of goo drip off and also a creepy abandoned doll is seen under the bed

in the flashback, she will be wearing a paper mask that is composited by magazine cut outs of faces. This scene will be pitch black with only the mannequin illuminated. EDIT: by that I mean how it is in this picture:

a man’s hand will reach out from the darkness and grab her shoulder, which she will struggle off

the camera will flip to her profile, where she notices something on the floor and bends down to pick it up. Zoom in to see it is the abandoned doll that was under the bed.

the camera will zoom out to see her carrying the doll into the hallway

Part one after the cut:

After lots and lots of thinking, scribbling (and procrastinating), I think I have devised a story that interprets the song and will also be suitable in terms of style. The following is the basic story of my video:

There are a couple of places which I have yet to figure out. (And towards the end, I kinda got bored with drawing…)

Major technical problems to solve: THE GOO, THE PLASTIC DECAYING

EDIT: I recieved many useful ideas in studio:

in the flashback, the use of cut out paper masks, to eliminate the need for a hyper realistic model or real life actors

the goo could spurt out and consume the camera to transition from the hallway to the desolate, barren environment

the goo could be hinted much earlier in the video

objects spread throughout, to hint metaphorically the journey of life she is taking

The song is split into 6 stages:

Stage 1: Musical introduction (0:00 - 0:17)

drum beat

set mood

introduce ‘her’

slow pan/zoom would suit

Stage 2: Tells the back story (0:17-2:20)

she says, swears, feels

converstaion

various rooms of her psyche

Stage 3: What he wants to do (2:20 - 2:39)

no guitar, loud keyboard, strong beat

environment stripped, simple

Stage 4: What it could be (2:39 - 3:04)

melody changes, elated

Stage 5: How it is now (3:04 - 3:16)

he pleads

guitar interlude (3:16 - 3:32)

Stage 6: Conclusion (3:32 - 4:00)

guitar riff keeps going

I figured analysising the song and breaking it down could help me start and visualise some ideas.

Leif Erikson – Interpol(Introduction)

She says it helps with the lights out
She doesn’t want to open up.
Her rabid glow is like braille to the night.
Her good and bad traits punctures through like stars.
She swears I’m a slave to the details
She says he’s reading too much into things
But if your life is such a big joke, why should I care?
She tells him her life’s a mess, but he doesn’t care.

The clock is set for nine but you know you’re gonna make it eight.
She pretends she can wait, but she really can’t
So that you two can take some time, teach each other to reciprocate.

She feels that my sentimental side should be held with kid gloves
His feelings are immature
But she doesn’t know that I left my urge in the icebox
But he’s holding back
She swears I’m just prey to the female,
She says he’s being used
Well then hook me up and throw me, baby cakes, cos I like to get hooked.
So he says ‘use me’.

The clock is set for nine but you know you’re gonna make it eight.
All the people that you’ve loved they’re all bound to leave some keepsakes.
He tells her that everyone has emotional baggage.
I’ve been swinging all the time, think it’s time to learn your way.
He’s been played, but he still wants to change for her.
I picture you and me together in the jungle it would be ok.

I’ll bring you when my lifeboat sails through the night
He’ll take her wherever he goes.
That is supposing that you don’t sleep tonight
Only if she wants to

It’s like learning a new a language
Helps me catch up on my mime
He feels like he’s talking to someone in another language, it’s easier just to copy her
If you don’t bring up those lonely parts
This could be a good time
He needs her to help him, and stop bringing up the sad past of their relationship, and if she’d just stop with all that it’d be a good relationship.
It’s like learning a new language

You come here to me
She always come back to him, despite what she says
We’ll collect those lonely parts and set them down
Let go of the past
You come here to me

She says brief things, her love’s a pony
She doesn’t say much, her love’s animalistic and cheap
My love’s subliminal
His love is subtle, read between the lines, but it’s there

She says brief things, her love’s a pony
My love’s subliminal