Terrortorn : A Perilous ‘Mothman’ Sighting Storyboard
Role • Self-Appointed Storyboard Artist
Programs Adobe Photoshop, InDesign & Illustrator
Tasks storyboarding, style frames, thumbnailing, character design, wordmark
Terrortorn : A Perilous Mothman Sighting is a storyboarding project has been a creative endeavor to build my skillset through the planning and visualization of a sequence of events relating to an upcoming entry in my Cryptids & Their Antics zine series. A mixture of traditional sketch ideation, Procreate, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator were used to bring these boards into fruition.
Credits
N/A
Plot Summary
Jane Doe finds herself stranded off the side of a decrepit midwestern roadway in the dead of night. There, she is approached by an enormous predatory bird. Utilizing her car, wit, and quick reflexes, Jane Doe manages to fend off her frighteningly famished foe long enough to receive some unexpected help.
Creature Feature
This featured creature, dubbed the Terrortorn, is an enormous predatory bird. At such a scale, these individuals are spread thin throughout the North American continent, pursuing sizable fauna and scavenging roadkill. Their large eyes allow for efficient nighttime hunting. Survivors of Terrortorn encounters often report strong lights can frighten the bird. The population in the midwest area of the United States (where this story takes place) is thought to be a hotbed of Terrortorn activity, as the disappearance of wildlife, abundance of roadkill, decaying infrastructure and urban sprawl emboldens local birds to pursue human prey.
Process Sketches & Thumbnails
Before tackling the above storyboard and style frame, I went through an extensive research, writing, sketching and thumbnailing process. Drafting the plot was initially brief, as there is a distinct lack of discourse. However, the actions taken required recording minute movements and thorough visualization. Characters and scenery sketches (including Jane Doe’s 1996 Jeep Cherokee) helped to better refine the vision for the sequence.
Rough thumbnails of important story beats allowed for a more informed approach to he second stage of thumbnailing. There, pieces of the storyboard would be cut apart and rearranged for better communication and a more effective visual flow.
