For the film Maxxie LaWow Drag SuperShero I created a number of pre-vis sketches for characters, backgrounds and props, that were later transformed into the colorful and beautiful final pieces that appeared in the film, by our team of talented artists.
Here is a selection of my previs sketches and screen shots from the film to share the final results.
“Betty” and “Babs” From the Film Within the film “Jersey Dunes Two” These are loosley based on the actresses from the FIlm Beaches. I basically did a “bad” caricature of the actresses. This is hands down my favorite scene in the whole movie.
Zombie Grannies. The poor elderly users of Dina Bolical’s Age defining “Beauty Cream” These designs were very fun, we needed some average looking older ladies to look like they have had their faces lifted by the miraculous powers of the cream, to then be “zombied” up for the final battle with Maxxie.
Tuckerton Citizens, Day attire and Night attire. The regular and wonderful citizens of the Imginaed town of Tuckerton. They were designed to be the background actors for our film, always showing up either on the streets or the Pink Unicorn Cafe or Skirt and Girdle night club. Since we would see them in the day and night (clubbing it up hard!) We needed a day version and night version. The fun in these designs is just how hard some of Tuckerton’s resisdents go when its time to go clubbing. It was amazing how versitile these designs became as we just kept putting them in all sorts of places. Its helped make the world of the film felt alive, lived and in a bit more real.
Drag Queen Tear Extraction Device. This was one of the first pre-vis sketches I did for the film, and little di we realize howimportant it was that I got it right. This device had to fit on 4 defference drag queen designs and animate and look believeable while the movie played. I’m proud of how it came out.
Simons’ Mom’s house. This BG pre-vis took me way too much time, mostly because I was basically storyboarding the BG as I was designing it. We wanted a house that loooked more like one of the Mobile Home designs as we were trying to suggest Simon lives with his Mom, who while we never see her, is suggested at being on the older side. Hence why we went with an older “I Love Lucy reference with the car.
Valentina’s Office. Valentina is an amazing character, Michelle C Bonilla did an incredible job voivciong this very shrewd, no non-sense Queen of a boss, yet Valentina has softer side and I think I want to think bit of a good sense of humor with that portrait over her desk. The challenge for visualizing this space was that the Pink Unicorn is supposed to be in an old theater building, so we wanted to give it that sense of its past, while its current occupant is using it as a coffe joint. I love what our BG artist Rosie Muchanic did for the final artwork.
Pink Unicorn Cafe Exterior
Pink Unicorn Interior. This design was super important to get across the scope of this place. The final BG design was going to be used in so many places through out the film. The bg would be zoomed in, flipped, flopped and get utilized as the primary location of the movie for 60% of the first and second act. I was trying to make sure I could account for a wide number of shots with this one view. Loved the final design again done by Rosie Muchanic.
Pink Unicorn Cafe Employee Break Room. Another pre-vis dersign that would be flipped to give the illusion of a more 3D world with limited options. The perspective of the design really lent to us being able to do that, so we could have a great back and forth Conversation with Jae and Simon.
Pink Unicorn Alley Way. This one pre vis design allowed us to create 3 seperate BGs that again helped give that 3D feeling of a realy place. We could storybiard all around that area with the Demon Cats, The Whig, and Simon with just those three views.
Demon Cats The mysterious villians that appear in the beginning and only show up again in the post credit scene. We wanted a vile, disgusting, and wretched feeling for these creatures. The final designs came out looking wonderful.
News Reporter/Photographer. This was the first actual sketch for a Tuckerton BG character, and she became the template for the rest of the Townsfolk. In the final shot we ended up making more townspeople into news reporters.
Igor. Dina Bolical’s poor put upon man servant, Igor. I did two options, one more science based, going with a Bill Nye the Science Guy vibe and the other a little more “Himbo” and glamourous, both slight caricatures of Igor’s voice actor Avi Rogue.
Turckerton Police. Of course we had to do a little nod to Drag Race in thsi film. If anyone is going to be bringing the law in Tuckerton it’d be these three. Sadly we only used the Carson and Michelle models, Ross Matthews third police officer was turned into a Heavily Accented scottish-American character voiced by Rose’. The hirlarity of the visual we hope speaks for itself as the thought of a town policed by Ru Paul Judges just makes sense as the citizenry of Tuckerton are always so fabulous and fashionable.
