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americanmcgee
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Turkey in the Oven (attempt 2)

Dear Insane Children,

Joey and Omri finished "Turkey in the Oven" (kidding, kidding... I think the official title is "Fire House") and it turned out great. And just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday!

Speaking of that holiday... while we don't exactly celebrate it here in China, it is a tradition to cook lots of food and invite over some of our friends. And, yes, Yan will cook a turkey. Yay!

That being the case, this week will NOT have a live stream. But I will continue to send updates related to art, design, and story.

Speaking of STORY... sad news! Alex's computer died. It's in the shop now (it's a Mac) and should be back in service within a week. Apparently, it needs a new control board. Don't know about you... but every Mac I've owned since 2000 has died at least once from this issue. Crazy. Anyway, that puts the typesetting work for the latest version of the narrative outline on hold.

I told Alex he might as well enjoy some time off. Maybe he can have an Australian Thanksgiving? (I almost made a joke about their indigenous people in relation to the same in the US, etc... Dark humor. I'm sure you can guess).

These are reference images I attached to a response I sent Omri in relation to a christening scene that takes place in the game...

the section we're discussing reads:
"At the pulpit, the priest holds a screaming newborn baby in the air, then lowers it into a bath of water. This is a memory of Alice’s christening. She is reborn, as the baby touches the water its screaming stops and the scene goes black."
First, I want to suggest a change: The christening does NOT have to happen at "the pulpit" - a location where we normally see the priest addressing the congregation. See the attached images for reference - create a new space similar to these... dedicated to the christening. It can be a room or an alcove... I like the room scene.
Second, the christening process... can involve pouring water over the head OR the complete submerging of a child/person into the water. I want to see this as a complete submersion.
This usually happens with the priest standing in a large pool of water with the person, supporting them as they are lowered on their back into the water until their head is submerged.
https://youtu.be/9_dr9njVzKM?t=121
And why this scene matters...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVPtoAE0kk
This is a rebirth scene. A doing away with of "old life" and start of something new.
I think we could see baby Alice in a gown (reference below) float down from "above" in the scene, land in the arms of the priest, and then be submerged all in one smooth action.
We should NOT see her brought out of the water. Because she must still travel the road ahead in order to be reborn. This is the submersion. The lifting out of the water happens (metaphorically) later in the game.
In-game we'll probably have the water turn black (to represent Chaos) but I do not think you need to worry about trying to capture that detail in this illustration.

Will be interesting to see the final illustration that comes out of this.

And it links to...


Which is the start of a new illustration from Gareth. In response to this image, I wrote:

Looks good to me... Couple of things: The tea being poured looks odd. Hard to distinguish if that's coming out of his face or what is going on. Maybe it'll resolve with color... but the framing is a bit odd.
The snow globe is meant to crash to the floor... so we should see broken bits of it on the floor (along with water) around Alice on the floor.
(Note related to the Christening Scene I just sent comments on: This is one of those places where Alice is being born out of water... the other side of the christening. We should think about linking this scene with the christening scene in some way... could be lighting, framing, the way Hatter touches/holds Alice, Alice's clothing, etc. Something to think about).

Tying all those threads together... fun stuff.

I hope everyone is has a wonderful week wherever you are. And stay out of the oven!

From Shanghai with Cranberry Sauce,

-American

Turkey in the Oven (attempt 2)

Comments

I’m loving the ideas for the christening scene! I hope the team and all the Insane Children have a wonderful week!

Nicholas Brokaw

The idea is awesome

Sarah McKeegan

That would be a great way to link them together! I can't wait to see that! I know the image we see Hatters lab has a glass roof. Perhaps the church Alice was christened in also has a glass roof? Like big and domed and shining with different colored stained glass!

Yeah, I am thinking about something like that as well... but want to be careful that we don't smash the visual metaphor too hard. And also keeping in mind that there are several places where she is re-born or re-emerges... for example, being reborn out of the Memory Tree. But this moment with Hatter is certainly one of the major rebirths. And we will want to link it very strongly with the christening scene. One way to do that would be with the architecture of the two scenes... have the church alcove match exactly with the form/lighting of the room where Alice emerges from the Snow Globe in Hatter's realm. For me, that would be perfect. A clear visual reference.

American McGee

The baptism scene is great, I've never seen the pool on a church, it is always a marble pile, sometimes the baby can be submerged in the water, if they are small enough.

I WILL die on this hill: Ponytail Alchemist is Best Alchemist

I'm very excited to see the christening scene tbh it's something so different in Alices world. Something from her life before! Perhaps to link the two images together after Alices appears out of the snow globe he lifts her up and embraces her? He's lifting her out of the water she was changed in. I think that's rather poetic. Perhaps she could have a dress change in this area. Something white to represent a clean slate and black shapes to represent the darkness and her encounter. Or maybe she dons a suit of armor and becomes a white knight? Just some ideas

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving week, American!

Greyson Kehm

It says "attempt 2" because Patreon was broken and wouldn't let me post the first time around. Had to log out/in and then paste everything into a new post. Mafan.

American McGee


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