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MurderousAutomaton — This Is Only the Beginning
Published: 2009-08-12 08:08:14 +0000 UTC; Views: 4249; Favourites: 86; Downloads: 64
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A short trailer I put together for my character, Sai--maybe a prelude to a comic book? I haven't really done anything with it yet.Related content
Comments: 290
Thanks so much! ^__^ Man, that's something I'd love to animate! Maybe when I get the comic/graphic novel off the ground, that'd be something to work on! 
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Ooh yeah I'd love to see that too! I generally enjoy the hero/protagonist fighting astronomical odds so I can only imagine what such a fight would be like in terms of animation
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Definitely! For a while I was considering animating it as a short film for a festival, but unfortunately I don't have time anymore for "free time" projects. 
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Ah man, that could have been sweet to see. But yeah, time is a problem for us all. Regardless, I would be still excited to see it. How would Sai compare in strength to mythological creatures actually?
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Hmm, I'm not totally sure... he would probably be stronger than most monsters--more along the lines of a demi-god, or maybe Superman. It kind of ties in to what his "species" is, which I won't go in to so I don't give any major plot points away.
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Oh wow, being on par with a demi-god or Superman is a hell of a degree for sure. Does he have any sort of super-durability or is his skill more in implausible reflexes and skill?
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I'm not totally sure yet--I'm not sure if he's so powerful because he can't be hit, or even if he was hit, it wouldn't affect him. Probably the latter, because he does a lot of things that would require near-invulnerability. 
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Heh, yeah true. Super-reflexes and nigh-invulnerability sounds like a pretty nasty combo.
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That's a good question! Just to warn you, there might be some minor spoilery things about the overall story (but not specific events) in the next couple paragraphs:
I think he would recognize that he's pretty much invincible to humans--they'd be like insects to him. So most of Sai's character development doesn't come from battles with people, but from battles with himself. He struggles to find what his role is on the planet, and since he's so powerful, he decides to try to control humanity through force. He sort of becomes a dictator with noble intentions--he detests humans for mistreating each other, so he tries to use his will to force them to be good, but of course that won't work. He realizes he has to set an example for them, not bully them around.
That's sort of the over-arching theme of the whole story, but within it there are plenty of scenes where he does fight humans, mostly punishing them for being violent or hateful, or defending himself. For instance, during the feudal era, he's approached a lot by groups of samurai who think he's a demon and aim to kill him. Each little story teaches him something more about humans and about himself, and he pieces it all together over the centuries to learn his lesson.
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Quite the interesting answer then. It should be interesting to see how the story develops as I get the feeling you've got it figured out already.
So sounds like the feudal era will have a big importance. Do you have plans for the story to begin there or do you know a better starting point?
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Thanks! Yeah, there are a lot of themes that I think will be fun to explore as I move forward with it!
Definitely! I think the feudal era will provide formative events for his opinions about humans and society. The bulk of his stories will probably take place around that time, culminating into modern day. I guess when the time comes to work on it, I can pick out certain events and stories and kinda take it from there.
It kinda feels like it should start in that era, but I'm not totally sure yet. I think he'll be telling his story to someone in modern day, so I'm not sure where he'd begin. Eventually he'll recount his own "birth" and first encounters with humans, which would probably be several thousand years ago. I think that'd be better to reveal later in the story, rather than right away, somehow.
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Well it would probably be better in the long run to start where the meat of the story will be, rather than following in chronological order. Really depends on how many eras you want to show him in.
Otherwise, sounds like you've got Sai's story down pretty well. I'll be looking forward to it once you've finished The Revival
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Yeah, I agree! It feels more natural to start in the middle, then go back and tell his origin. Chronological seems too boring, maybe.
Thanks, man! It would be a blast to finally tell a full story with this character! We'll see where The Revival takes me, but I would definitely like to work on this one next!
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We've all got insane problems with time. Still though, when you've got it set to get to work on Sai, I'll absolutely be excited to see it happening! I'll check out The Revival in the meantime. It seems like a very neat concept.
But hey, if it's possible to see, perhaps there can be some other pics of Sai sometime while working on The Revival?
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Thanks, man! I'm excited about all the possibilities these concepts could lead to! The Revival just started as concept art I did for fun, and it led to the comic!
Yeah! I'll definitely be drawing Sai more. I'll be sure to post whatever I do on dA! 
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I have indeed checked it out and The Revival definitely has that neat potential that stands out among the test! I definitely say don't stop enjoying with working on it.
And looking at Sai over the years, yep I can definitely see how much he has evolved over the times. I do like how he's evolved though and where he's ended up now. I do see some sort of katana he has on your official site. Have you decided for him to use weapons in his story or whether his hands would be enough?
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Cool! Thanks, man! I'm really excited about The Revival--I think it has a lot of potential, and people really seem to respond to it so far, both because it's based on their favorite childhood characters and because they like the story. That's exactly what I was aiming for!
Yeah, it's crazy how much Sai has changed! It's so much fun to see how characters can change with their creator's tastes and styles. I actually had imagined him with a sword at some point, but I wasn't sure what the context was. Maybe a gift from a blacksmith? A peace offering from the people of a town? I haven't quite figured it out, but for the most part, I think he'd stick to the claws. He's a very "hands on" kinda guy.
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Heh, I get the feeling the sword could be used as a gift from humans, perhaps to symbolize a possible, existing trust between them and Sai, even if Sai never decides to use the sword. On the other hand, how interesting do you think it'd might be for Sai to use the sword throughout the ages until it's worn down enough that it couldn't be used anymore?
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Ooh, those are good ideas! I figure he probably takes the weapons from the people he kills when they wander through his forest, so maybe he starts to play with them.
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Heh, sounds like that could be a plan then! I think that's all I've got for continuing the specific conversation here about Sai, though plenty more for the other topic about him
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Yeah, totally! I love talking about Sai, so if you've got other questions, fire away! ^____^
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Well I actually do have one in particular. How would you do battle damage for Sai? Like I imagine at some point he'd get visibly injured but would he bleed or would that be... different? (hope this one doesn't have a spoilerific answer 
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That's a good question! I was wondering that myself--like, is his body so strong that swords and bullets don't hurt him (like Superman), or is he just so damn fast and skilled that nobody can ever lay a hit on him? I'm not sure which way to go with it. I know for sure when he fights his equal, there will be some injuries! Maybe even a scar that always reminds him of it!
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So then Sai is both very durable and very fast? I'm pretty sure that it's hard to portray both, though I'm pretty sure it can be done. How fast would you say he'd be actually? Like how fast would he be in deflecting sword attacks from all sides, or even deflecting/catching bullets with his own hands?
I also think that the scar would be a great idea. If fighting his equal won't be happening in feudal times, perhaps he could have another sort of scar or notable injury that he somehow received back in the feudal era? Something perhaps to remind him of it if you plan to portray that era in flashbacks rather than a part of his present day life.
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Yeah, that's a good point! If he's so fast that nobody can touch him, it'd be hard to show that he's durable. Although I suppose it'd show up in the fight with his equal, since they'd be beating the crap out of each other. 
Ah, that's an idea! I haven't decided for sure when he fights his rival, but I think it might be very long ago--like maybe 2000 B.C. or something like that. I suppose another scar-inducing event could happen later on, in the feudal era!
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Ah I see then! Well I think he definitely could try and show off his durability at another point maybe. Is there anything in the feudal era that he could be used to show off his durability if he can easily evade swords?
Considering his reaction time, I do imagine he can easily catch and prevent millions of swords from hitting him. How would his reaction time be against bullets though? Would he have the reflexes to catch bullets from assault rifles and such?
Also I realize there isn't much between the feudal era and modern day in terms of events for Sai. Do you think there would be something he'd be doing inbetween those times? Like perhaps some sort of climatic battles which goes beyond the lifespans of many civilizations?
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Yeah, that's a good question... I guess just by volume--if he can easily dodge a sword, maybe a million swords would be more interesting.
Yeah, I think he could catch or dodge bullets, too. His sense are really elevated--I'd imagine that the disturbance in the atmosphere from a bullet would tip him to its trajectory or speed. I guess that's something I can play around with as I go!
That's true! I'm still not sure how to handle him for more recent events. Like, where would he have been during world wars? I was thinking that maybe something happens or he just gets so sick of people that he goes into self-imposed exile for a hundred years or so. I'll have to think about it! I thought it would be cool to do Victorian-era stories for him, though. Maybe he's the one that kills Jack the Ripper and ends his massacre!
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Heh, definitely sounds like Sai would need numbers more than quality to test his own reflexes.
As for other eras, it could be done for fun or for short stories. I'd personally say that if he isn't as active between the modern and feudal eras, there's probably a good reason for it. That means it'll also be important that Sai should have a reason inbetween both eras to have some sort of event inbetween. Like for the Jack the Ripper example, perhaps there would be some sort of minor connection between Sai and Jack which might hint to something later in the modern era? Just an idea but I figured it'd be good to connect events together sometimes, even for the sake of foreshadowing.
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Hmm... I'm not sure! I guess theoretically he would be able to dodge as many bullets or arrows as necessary, but maybe it would get boring to have him be so invincible all the time! 
Yeah, that's true--I originally thought that he exiles himself because he's so sick of the way humans treat each other, and his frustration about them and about his role with them comes to a head and he just quits for a while. I have a scene in mind that could set this event off, but I don't want to give anything away!
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Ooh interesting. Testing the limits of the human sounds like it could make for an interesting development. Perhaps then that a theme for the story might also revolve around the limits of mortals as they grow? Like if Sai and humans have any sort of connection then perhaps it may be developed in that sort of manner? Would the limits of man increase between the feudal era to the modern era?
There could be an interesting connection between Jack and Sai. It depends on what you have in mind for between Sai and humans of course, but it definitely seems like there's something there to work on. It's cliche, but perhaps a "not so different" outlook? Not shallow of course, but perhaps one to show the similarities between the insane killer and a cynical, somewhat-carefree person frustrated with the world? (I kept the descriptions that way for that reason
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Hmm... that's another good question! I guess I hadn't really thought of human development as much as I have Sai's, but that's a good point! Maybe they grow together, and in man's growing Sai better understands his own place in the world. I guess that's something I can think about as I write it!
Ah, that's good! There could definitely be a juxtaposition there! Right off the bat, I can actually think of more similarities between Sai and Jack than differences.
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Development for both Sai and humans is definitely something to think about. Might have any sort of importance from how humans act between the feudal and modern eras, might not, that's up to you I'd say.
So sounds like there will be something in the Victorian era for Sai. Will there be any sort of foreshadowing for that era? Consider that England is a VERY long ways from the feudal era, both in time and in distance, I imagine there will need to be a good reason how Sai ended up there over all those years.
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Yeah, I think that could definitely come up over the course of the story! It's all about change--how Sai changes, how man changes. In a more subtle way, Sai can also represent what man used to be capable of--man used to be a part of nature, and in a lot of ways that probably made him more powerful. Man became engrossed in his own culture, and of course human culture is impressive, but I think there's a lot to be lost by forgetting that we're all part of nature. Sai has the intellect of man (well beyond, actually), but he still has a strong, instinctive connection to nature, like an animal would, and maybe those traits factor in to why he's so powerful?
I was thinking of adding stories between feudal times, but I guess it'll depend on how long the story's getting or if I can come up with proper material. I know Sai will go through a period where he gets fed up with humans and tries to avoid them, maybe living in a forest for a few hundred years. I'm not totally sure yet. I suppose something like that could bridge the gap between time periods. But I think medieval times could be interesting for Sai, too, as well as the Renaissance!
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Ooh maybe. I wouldn't say that I know what'd be best for Sai's history, but nature sure can be a part of it! I imagine it's a lot more than that though
Medieval times or the Renaissance could be interesting too. But again, be sure to explain how Sai got to where he is. Going from the Feudal Era in Japan to the Medieval Era in Europe may take some explaining.
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Yeah, definitely! I haven't decided exactly what Sai's true power source is yet. I think his history is more or less worked out, though, but I don't want to spoil anything.
Ha, ha! True. I think that period of his life might be more nomadic--he could spend 500 years or so wandering the world, trying to get a better handle on man, and maybe working out his own purpose. I think it'd be cool to put him in all sorts of different cultures and situations, but have Japan sort of be his natural setting.
That's an idea! Sai on sailing ships could be pretty cool! Have a run-in with some pirates? There's a lot of potential there. Maybe that's how he travels to some of these lands--stows away on ships.
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Heh, alrighty then. I do bet his true power source, whatever it is, will be pretty incredible
Would Sai's story start in Japan out of curiosity, or move into that area early on in?
And yet, sailing ships and pirates sounds like it could be a ton of fun for the reader, and perhaps for Sai too. Do you'd think he'd be curious when on ships, like if this was early in the Renaissance era? Or would he have had prior knowledge of it before?
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Waaahahaha
He is scary !!
But it's a very good job yeah !!
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Thank you! I hope to do more with this character in the future!
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Lol, the way he took down those samurai's was so smooth,and the sinister smile just topped it all off, well drawn and awesome of course
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Thanks! It was fun making it. I plan on doing a graphic novel for this character, one of these days... ^__^
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Thanks! I can't post it here, but I did a cartoon about Sai kicking the crap out of Xavier: Renegade Angel (that show on Adult Swim). They included it on their season DVD for it, though, so I can't post it. Dang!
Anyway, the whole thing was in the same style as this one--it even used some of the same frames of Sai.
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That's so cool! Maybe I'll have to buy it just for that.. or you should send it to me if you can.
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that was epicly awesome!!! is there like a full cartoon or whatever???
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THANK YOU!!! 
No full cartoon yet--I had planned on doing little "episodes" about him, but I haven't had the chance yet. Down the line somewhere I plan on doing a graphic novel or illustrated novel about this character, then hopefully cartoons may come into it again.
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Wow, thank you! I hope to do more with this character soon.
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i was wondering if uv got any tips for me on timing. i've recently started studying animation and am practising but im not able to get the desired effect.
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Oh, cool! Animation is great! It's a lot of work, but it's so worth it!
Hmm... what is it about timing that's puzzling you? Actions and movements? When I started out it was harder to do things moving through the air without it looking like it's taking too long. The best technique was to just make all arial movement too fast to start with, then slow it down accordingly.
The thing about movement too is that moving objects, going from static to moving, need to start slower, then achieve their speed, then slow down before the stop. So, it's not static, fast, static, it's static, build-up, fast, wind down, stop.
These "ins" and "outs" help make movement look more real. It applies to biological movements, too. Energy needs to be used to move a body part, so it will start slower, achieve its movement, and wind down. And like, say, with a punch, there needs to be a build up of energy before it can be released, as in, a pull back before the punch is thrown. The energy needs to come from somewhere.
It's hard to explain without visual aids, but I'd be happy to elaborate on anything! Hope that helps!
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yea thanks dude that helps a lot. when u did this particular animation, did u plan out everything like from thumbnails to storyboard to dope sheet etc. or did u just go straight ahead?
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