The thing about monsters is that okay, yeah, sometimes they prowl around slavering and growling and they do strike menacing poses, but they also get itchy, roll on the ground, paw things over, stretch, investigate, and eat. I like seeing monsters doing those things as well as menacing people - it suggests that they’re actually creatures instead of props.
The same thing goes true for characters, too. Okay, yeah, characters do look appealing and play to camera and hit great poses and have dialogue carefully crafted to move the story forward. They take on a whole new dimension when they want things, though, and are the stars of their own story even if they may be only passing through someone else’s story to drop a line or two of dialogue. When they have wants and needs and some show through, it’s like seeing a rancor fussing with some dirt in the corner of his pen.
It’s all about feeding the imagination.
You can translate the behavior of dogs, cats, squirrels, any kind of animal into monster behavior. You’ve got to understand the animal’s motivation in order to give it to your creature, but it’s all there.
Cool sketches… nice action
Comment by Skylark — April 1, 2009 @ 6:47 pm
It’s interesting that in film, comics and TV, (at least the mainstream stuff) there’s not much time given to the day-to-day stuff. Paying taxes, folding laundry, going to traffic court, shopping for groceries — they all must happen but to focus on the action and move the story along those things get shelved as being non-essential. You’re right, its the little behaviors and habits that most contribute to believability and a sense of depth (whether it be a Rancor picking wookie-gristle out of its teeth or Captain America polishing his shield (I think he uses Endust©).
Comment by Nate — April 2, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
Makes me wonder what would have happened in Luke had thrown that bone into some corner of the pit. Would the rancor want to play fetch with it? You can see from that crying guy in the hood that somebody found something lovable about that thing. Or maybe the hooded guy was just broken up because he realized he was out of a job.
Comment by Yo Da — May 11, 2009 @ 12:38 pm