Pierre and Andrey Animatic | Great Comet of 1812

practice for rough animation on talking heads, tadaaaa
song: Pierre & Andrey - • Pierre & Andrey
character designs -
Andrei: sealbatross.tumblr.com/post/6...
Pierre -sealbatross.tumblr.com/post/6...

[@coregano]

Honestly, this animatic really puts this song in perspective. I remember my first time watching the musical, Andrey seemed cruel. However, here, he's just broken. When he sings coldly with that blank look in his eyes he just looks traumatized. I'm just gonna point out my favourite moments. 0:49 "there's a war going on", his response when Pierre asks him if he's okay, kind of an indirect "of course I'm not fucking okay". 1:10 "or something of that kind", he looks at Pierre, almost as if hoping his friend can tell him it's untrue, but he knows better when he sees that the man can't meet his eyes. 2:07 "forgive", he just looks so *haunted*, he's lost the energy to be angry with Natasha, but he also has no room for forgiveness. Honestly, I understand why he didn't forgive. He'd have to go back to war and what then? Fear every day that the woman you want to have a future with will be swept up by the next pretty man she sees? It says so much about what the war and her betrayal have done to him that he, being a man who would insist that women should be forgiven, would not be able to follow his own morals now. Hahaaa sorry for rambling this is just a very good animatic. You communicate all the emotions amazingly and with awesome composition as well!

[@sealbatross]

Auhg so glad you caught the 0:49 bit ahaaha, it was originally going to be a lot more focused on his face, but ended up shrinking it. Glad that feeling came through Yes and yes, loved reading your rambling :) thank you so much!!

[@brighidcampbell491]

AAAAHHH I LOVE EVERYTHING YOU SAID

[@samvidas9599]

Andrei's voice 🥺🥺he sings so quietly and softly - communicates so much about the context of his character in just one scene. Like it's too hard to speak. Man.

[@laertes8320]

ur pierre design is so friend shaped :”) I remember seeing ur dust and ashes animatic a while back, and tho this song has less…..excitement? creative material? to work with, u managed to make it unique with ur use of the dust (and ashes haha ba dum tss) in pierre’s study. rlly love watching ur animatics!!

[@sealbatross]

ahahah the dust is never goin away, thanks for watching!

[@coldandghostly]

Andrey brings the light into Pierre's room but is ultimately the one to step out of it while Pierre stays. Intresting

[@sealbatross]

👀👀

[@limeonade_limesoda]

1:23 the bee movie script eezchkeeeeeeee- Also when Andrey opens up the curtains its like hes enlighting the fact that theres a war happening, like an actual war and its real also also andrey swooshing away the dust is like him swooshing away the dillusion of him being able to forgive natasha also also also the character designs are so blorbo theyre just so shape,,,,

[@inkeye9241]

I adore this animatic. I love the character designs you chose for Pierre and especially Andrey. The first scene from this animatic that I really adore is from 0:30 to 0:46. I feel like most people gloss over Andrey and Pierre’s relationship in the musical. They don’t interact that much but when they finally do at the start of this song it is caring. Pierre makes sure that his friend is ok from the war and Andrey checks up on Pierre too. I am so happy you choose to draw them interacting as friends would and to add to that I really like the shot of them holding hands. It feels like we are sucked into looking just at this interaction with these two friends having a moment of being calm, intimate, and caring before we are thrown into the situation at hand with Natasha. The second scene I adore is when Andrey opens the window. I love how the composition of this shot with the window towering over the room, how the newly entered light is played with thought out the animatic with Andrey being in the shadows and Pierre being in the light (SYMBOLISM!!!), and how the opening of the window is drawn out with the “Warrrrrr” lyric of the song. The third scene I adore is from 1:05 to 1:11. I love the camera rotations with the camera being pointed down at Pierre mixed with his expressions. At 1:40, I love how used light in this shots composition. And Pierres expression when he states “and he smiled like his father, coldly and maliciously”. I like how somber Andrey is through this whole animatic, and how you also use light at 2:28. Also I like how you made the environment at the start of this song look like some place a 19th century Russian noble would live in. There is so many other things I could list that I like about this animatic but this comment is to long. I am sorry if this comment is to drawn out or if the spelling is very bad, I don’t know how to express appreciation about something other then mostly words. Anyways! You are a good artist and a VERY good at storyboards. Lastly if you want to answer this (please don’t if you don’t want to) , is there anyway reading the book War and Peace effected how you created this animatic in comparison to if you just listened to the musical? Because I recall at the end of your Dust and Ashes animatic you said something about getting into War and Peace the book.

[@sealbatross]

war and peace is a really good book! The book itself illustrated Andrey as having a very soft spot for Pierre and being absolutely cold to everyone else, so yes, definitely inspired. And yes, Andrey and Pierre being a lot more intimate was definitely something of a goal for making this animatic. Thank you! Woohoo the impossible window was worth it. There's less symbolism here than usual but I did my best. Haaha yeah i was wondering how to do that at first (the cam rotations) glad you like em! Yes, pierre expressions are always a treat to animate :) Thank you - there was background effort at the beginning, these crazy kids with their shelves and shelves of books. Then the background slowly disappeared, convenient dust is convenient shhhh Thank you so much for the long comment! And for watching!!

[@jellyunjarred]

I really like the designs for the characters and the expressions throughout the animatic. I also like how ambiguous Andre’s emotions are as that was pretty prevalent in the book. Very well done

[@lilyeatseverything3079]

I adore your Andrei design! And the way Pierre paces around the room and Andrei's changes in expression? Love it!!!

[@sealbatross]

i would walk 500 miles... thank you!!

[@loveyourlife9166]

the contrast between Andrei and Pierre is so well done, love their designs 💕💕💕

[@miacheezytoon8758]

MAN this is good. makes me want to listen to great comet again. also pierre's expression at 0:58 is great lol

[@qookhr]

WKFDJFDJASK thank you thank you for them I love the subtle animation it matches the mood so well especially the "there's a war" and "forgive- " part....

[@sealbatross]

hello its youuuu ! thank you sm, glad to hear that! :')

[@edward4699]

Let’s collect your heart warming holding hands scenes 🥺

[@edward4699]

and that sunlight going through as curtains opened scene is soooo cool!!

[@edward4699]

or was that a big tall door

[@cheshireshadow518]

what is this I spy? Even more glorious Seal art?! OWO! 0:06 don't say it dont say dont say it dont say it dont-AARON BURR*SIR?!* 0:10 I love the nervousness I LOVE 0:13 *gasps* OH NO! HE'S HOT 0:16 omg I love the inhale there. He knows why he's here and he thinks it's a complete waste of time. 0:17 BUT BEYOND THAT THIS IS HIS FRIEND AND HE'S HAPPY TO SEE HIM AAA THE SMILE!!! 0:20 OUMPH that entire SEQUENCE! So good... 0:35 Not me going off into tangents about this shot of their hands and how Andrey's are a stark contrast to Pierre's no doubt smoother hands *FLIPS* Andrey's didn't used to look so rough before,,,, 0:45 Trenchcoat my beloved... 0:48 That expression SCREAMS the opposite! It says "haha =) i've gotten so used to it all it's funny now" 0:53 HE OPENED THE DOORS! He let the WAR in...and BY GOD THE CONTRAST IN THE COLORS! I love- 0:58 "Andrey my love why must you be so dramatic...?" 1:00 AAAAAAAA *FLIPS* THE RANGE OF E M O T I O N S! He regretted 'blowing his top off' as it were but immediately shuts it down in favor of the emotionless mask he has no doubt had to learn to wear during the war. After witnessing and causing so many a death..is it a wonder~? The guilt would eat him alive if he didn't im sure 1:12 This FACE! *This face* It's like he doesn't know how to show true anger anymore but it's still THERE! The anger trapped behind a mask of indifference. I'm- IT'S SO VISCERAL I LOVE IT I want it pinned on my wall. This look is frightening 1:13 OH LOOK! It got even more frightening! The dash of disbelief, despair, a little bit of 'please tell me it's not true' sprinkled in. *HHNG* 1:21 *squints* now THAT'S dedication 1:30 Natasha is ill. 1:32 also I love the juxtaposition between the two. Andrey in grey/black, Pierre in stark white *chef kiss* 1:38 The microexpressions are going to murder, this animatic is murdering me! You show so clearly what's going on in his head it's insane! Like the way he said that is so REHEARED and he's trying to show compassion in his face but he just CAN'T and is just left with a fascimile of 'sadness'; the downturn of his lips despite the fact his eyebrows are relaxed. FUCKIN' A 1:51 *FLIPS* PIERREEEEEE!!!!! He's so sad to see his friend turn out like his father AAA- The realization on his face to accompany the narration!!! 1:56 Oh!! The lil surprise at being interrupted, I love 2:03 oHOHOHOHOH! Emotionless-Emotionless-FRUSTRATION/ANGER-Emotionless THAT SLIP UP!!! IS *SO GOOD* 2:10 goddAMN he's cold. So cold. The anger is ice in his veins I LOVE 2:12 and the tiny bit of hurt ACK 2:17 What could have been...Or maybe even what has already happened. The people, *Pierre,* ask him to do it all again? To suffer the same heartbreak, no doubt, again? No, he couldn't bare it 2:18 Ah kiss on the back of the hand trope MY BELOVED 2:19 ....*SNORTS* 2:23 ah waving it off like smoke, like dust. An irritation. 2:28 The sadness of that fact! He's sad that he can't but he won't back down from his decision! 2:30 *flails* stepping in the shadows SYMBOLISM 2:34 HE'S SO SOFT *A* 2:43 Goodbye hotstuff... 2:54 I love you just taking extra care to end the damn thing with the dust/smoke filling up the rest of the screen *FLIPS* YOU MADLAD 2:56 *pats* there there Pierre. You tried your best... *SLAPS DESK* THANK YOU FOR THE GLORIOUS FOOOOD!!!! *FLIPS*

[@sealbatross]

Ahahaha should i be scared 0:06 g, lmao not what i expected, but perhaps… 0:13 ahslkfdhsldfjhl Oh my god a play by play, I can’t Cheshire, I can’t 😳 0:35 oh no now i’m sad 0:45 as a rule anything longer than a tshirt now billows in the wind 0:48 ( ⊙ ͜ ⊙) 0:58 trench coat side effects. Also heartbreak and trauma 1:12 you must have quite an interesting wall 1:13 أ‿أ 1:21 don't worry, it's often confused with insanity 1:38 ehehehehhehe 1:56 yes pierre is usually so chill 2:10 “ ice in his veins” help i’m flashing back to warrior cats rise of scourge ajsldjk 2:18 19th century staple 2:19 *cackles evilly* 2:43 lmaoooooo THANKS FOr WATCHING AND OF COURSE COMMENTING. *REATTACHES YOUR TABLE ONTO IT'S LEGS*

[@jadelwd9174]

Bro I was re-listening to this yesterday. How did you just???? Know to upload this? Did u read my mind bestie??? This is sick as hell, that camera rotation👀👀

[@lilwhiner5924]

This is stunning, absolutely love the composition, really professional. I’d love seeing your designs for the other characters! The ones you’ve already created are so cleverly simplistic and capture the characters rly well

[@sealbatross]

Thank you for enjoying and the kind words! We'll see - so much love, so little time

[@kino9643]

WAHHHHHH A GREAT COMET ANIMATIC AGAIN just remembering the dust and ashes one you made makes me realize how much you've improved since then

[@azi5827]

Gorgeuos framing, symbolism light as a metaphor wow so cool absolute favorite. Havent heard this version of the song yet but the calmer, more solemn tone is perfect for the scene ur so great. Also also also the fact that you dont explicitly show how andrey "smiled like his father" a stroke of genius. so cool !!

[@sealbatross]

thank you so much!!

[@swampghost835]

IM GOING CRAZYYYYY OUGH OUGH OUGH…. i adore the body language in this. the contrast of pierre and andrey in everything they do, pierre’s compassionate openness, andrey’s reserved physicality and the way he almost never unclasps his hands from behind his back. using the dust/smoke in pierre’s study to form the figures of the world where andrey is kinder and more forgiving. your choice of not letting us see andrey’s cruel smile, just pierre’s reaction !! the frame where andrey steps back, lets go of pierre’s hands, and pierre is the only one left in the light of the open window….. anyways. i don’t know how i didn’t see this especially considering ive been OBSESSED with your dust n ashes animatic for years, but im so glad ive seen this now so i can rewatch over and over and over for the rest of time

[@hanh2127]

so good!! this pierre design is so huggable ToT ToT especially with his little :< mouth... i love it

[@aerinhinton964]

"You told me once, a fallen woman should be forgiven" Yeah, and how'd that work out for you, buddy? I wonder how much Pierre's unhappiness in his marriage affected Andrei's decision to not accept Natasha back?

[@lydiah12]

I love Andrey opening the window to the world "out there somewhere".

[@neptune3161]

seeing people Still Making Content for tgc makes me so happy bc i've recently hyperfixated on it again and it feels like it's been really dead lately. thnak u for the food (also i love your ART STYLE HRTRGNHNGNHH)

[@ramensremains]

This goes hard. A wonderful animatic!

[@ohmystars1774]

That's so good! Your animatics are always a treat! I really love the way you did the animation c:

[@sealbatross]

thank you aaaaaaa, that means a lot! :3

[@pollymitas]

WHOAH WAIT YOU DID WHAT- your videos is such a great way to start the morning amazing as always Sam can't help rewatching this one!!!

[@sealbatross]

thank you Polly AAAAAA

[@brighidcampbell491]

Lol I'm back again to geek out over your work 🙃 I love that you animate it as though it's a movie, not a stage play. The creativity and artistic vision that takes it amazing. Also the fact that your Pierre looks believably like both Dave Malloy and Josh Groban is fantastic. Everything about your art is soooo good

[@TDIFan960]

Your great comet animation are always so wonderful!!! All I can say is amazing amazing amazing!

[@mehhh_edits]

I love your animatics SO MUCH you are amazing Lighting composition expressions character designs everything about them is SO GOOD i just cant stop watching!!

[@LPSRuthTV]

THIS IS SO GOOD OMGGGGGG I ADORE THIS SONG SM AND IT DID SUCH A WONDERFUL JOB ANIMATING IT

[@chicoqore2482]

this still remains as one of my favorite animatics, and my favorite great comet one. i really love the smoke/dust effects, the way you use light, and the overall use of animation and editing. i love that you took the time to animate lipsync too! it all comes together to transport you into the scene, as well as put into perspective that andrey isn't really as cruel as the show would want you to believe. he's just tired, too tired to interact with the story's melodrama surrounding natasha and anatole. i also prefer this song to the broadway version, where andrey's actor kinda has to go out of his way to match josh grobans sweet sweet melodramatic pierre, and makes andrey sound crueler in the process. for the sake of the narrative, the original version of the song is better.

[@sealbatross]

so glad you like it! thanks for the sweet words ^^

[@iz_foo]

PLS NOT THE BEE MOVIE

[@sealbatross]

🐝🐝🐝

[@caduceusdraws]

This is stream of consciousness, i apologise (its messy) I need to watch that musical so bad I love the second man's soft voice and yet it feels like his descent into being an antagonist? Idk the story, all i have is your other animatic (which i also love) I adore your use of lighting, its very striking and it gets symbolical when the... the guy... (i need to remember names) steps into the shadows. "I didnt say I could forgive" Pierre is so adorable, in the way you draw his mouth in his beard, reminds me of an otter, and its a good contrast with the harsher lines of the other one (Andrey im assuming from the title) The way you draw faces, and side profiles is just very satisfying The one line where Pierre narrates, you chose a good shot that made me understand that he was thinking that in his mind rather than speaking it (because it was up above them, like an outside view of it) Also i noticed that Andrey is standing in shadow while Pierre sits in the light then too - thats amazing Im rewatching it a few times and i love that it opens with them being friends, they banter, Andrey smiles (the movement you made of him stepping forward is so smooth and satisfying, good job) and they hold hands (which, btw, was so cute and tender i was kinda like... vibes??) But then he talks of the war, and even when he opens the window, he's in shadows while Pierre is illuminated. And then he quickly steps away from the window in darkness as the song gets quicker and they speak of serious matters (i assume) We see a bit from his point of view, as he looks at Pierre sitting on the couch and seemingly saddened by what Andrey is saying and he seems to feel bad about it ? Idk he has a very striken expression that breaks away from the more stern one he had (i love how much emotion you show with little lines) There's something interesting and im worried i didnt get it right but it seems like Pierre says Andrey smiles maliciously (like his father?) And he has a very scared expression on his face but you didnt show Andrey smiling like so? And if i did understand it, i think that's a really amazing choice, especially since it cuts back to Andrey still stern saying "well, it doesnt matter"... idk i wont lose my mind too much about it in case im wrong haha (I should look up the lyrics) But then Pierre stands up and challenges Andrey morally and it seems Andrey tells him that, essentially, he cant be the noble man Pierre excepts of him And i like that a lot too Okay i looked up the lyrics and Pierre does say that Andrey smiles coldly, maliciously, and i LOVE that implied moment of Andrey being idk evil ig - maybe you didnt want to draw that and liked drawing Pierre being scared instead but sometimes its good to show the reaction and not the actual Thing because our imagination fills in the gaps Plus Andrey has a very cold expression when he says "i didnt say i could forgive" which im obsessed with Last thing, man, Pierre pls dust your office, thats not just "dusty" you have an entire sand storm happening in there, i love the atmosphere it gives tho but pls Pierre that canNOt be healthy for your lungs -

[@sealbatross]

Oh I appreciate your stream of consciousness very much. Yes you do need to watch this musical, you actually picked up a lot of the story here, so if you did you’ll know how right you are! Thank you, Pierre is very pierre shaped indeed!. Aww thank you, animating walking with just the torso is always a struggle for me, glad you like it! Over the smiling thing, tbh all of your points are right - i felt like the lyrics were already doing the describing, so drawing it wasn’t super interesting to me. And in the book Andrei is quite a subdued person, so it may be something only Pierre can pick up from his friend. Also Pierre is just much more expressive so he’s more fun to draw. Plus I was thinking of doing a time overlap, so i can have my cake (which is Pierre) and eat it too (oop the analogy broke down). 1:56 if you look super closely andrei could be interpreted as “smiling” and that was potentially what pierre’s reaction was to moments before interrupting him. Just my 2 cents, all interpretations are valid! yes it is indeed a hazardous amount of dust, guess that's what happens when you can't see it lmao (i have many dust thoughts but this is already long enough). Thank you for the lovely comment and watching ofc!

[@caduceusdraws]

@@sealbatross ooh i love the idea that Andrey's smile would be so subtle that only Pierre could pick up on it and realise what it means, thats really cool! Its more subtle than Andrey doing a classic evil grin hahaha (i see the small smile at 1:56 now too!) Also Pierre can't see the dust ? 👀 interesting, id love to hear about your thoughts on the dust if you ever want to talk about em

[@westonkouryfan69]

This is one of the nicest surprises I've ever had, I was just thinking about my favorite animatics and thought of yours AND BOOM. Amazing as always :)

[@sealbatross]

daww 😭

[@lonniejohnston1459]

HOLY FUCK this is amazing!

[@Hawper_]

I love this so much!

[@Oosjhteuikmm]

THIS IS SO BRILLIANT

[@stelharpwood5752]

I love this.

[@livvy94]

_dread! :3_ This is amazing as always!

[@LuNa-nu5ul]

You’re so good at making the space the animatic takes place in feel real. So brilliantly done!

[@rottebarnethellen]

I like your animatic before I even saw it, because I knew it would be amazing! (it is!) but damn. I cannot get used to this version of the song. The one I usually hear has so much more feeling and ANGST! Still great job, tho.

[@sfyatee]

OMG you made another Comet animatic!!! I have your Dust and Ashes and When The Chips Are Down animatic on loop all the time. The Great Comet single-handedly pushed me to do Musical Theatre for my minor in school. I just love your artstyle. Edit: YOU USED THE ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING, IT'S MY FAVORITE VERSION!!! I gotta calm down. Deep breaths...

[@sealbatross]

what??? oh man, that's so amazing to hear!!! YES THE ORIGINAL CAST IS MY FAV TOO

[@abigailw7146]

what the fuck i didnt see this its amazing

[@blueberryf1nch969]

This is gorgeous! I love your Pierre design, it reminds me of a plump old cat. Those Andrei expressions are really impressive!

[@loveyourlife9166]

I CAME AS SOON AS I HEARD

[@thalassous]

OOHHH this is so clean idea wise and none of your visual motifs got lost in the animatic which is!!! its so nice to see oh my goodness!!!! your art is so expressive waaaghhh (also. blake andrei and dave pierre top tier choices actually)

[@maxdeth2333]

First off this is so gorgeous???? The faces are incredibly expressive and manage to capture so much depth to the song, but the moment that most immensely stood out to me was that instead of depicting the Andrey's smile at 1:40 you show the horror on Pierre's face when he sees it. It not only is proper highlighting as Pierre is the one narrating the moment but THAT LOOK OF ON PIERRE'S FACE IS SO!!!!!!! you've done this incredibly, I keep watching it amazed.

[@sealbatross]

thank you for watching! I'm glad you liked that moment! core reason for this things existence haha

[@serarichu]

HOLY CRAP

[@ineffable_bungee_gum8251]

Bro you put this out just in time I’m obsessing over the musical again 😭 this is gorgeous!!! I was OBSESSED with your Dust and Ashes animatic, but this is incredible. Animatic feels like an understatement, the animation on the characters feels almost finished, and it’s so dynamic and full of personality

[@sealbatross]

thank you so much!!! glad to contribute to your obsession :)

[@evamaria7934]

THIS IS GORGEOUS!!!!! your composition is just stunning and you capture the scenes and characters so well. Sorry adore the imagery and the character interaction just feels so real. Hardly an animatic just feels real… you’ve done a wonderful job keep it up!!!!! :)

[@sealbatross]

thank you so much 😭😭♥️😭

[@hajniiii]

I've just read this scene in the novel... I can't do this today, it hurts.:)

[@sealbatross]

(⁠っ⁠˘̩⁠╭⁠╮⁠˘̩⁠)⁠っ

[@butterball2625]

Wooo! Great comet!!!

[@sejsstuff7960]

HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO UNDERRATED THIS IS SO AMAZING R U KIDDING ME RN?!?!?! NOW DO EVERY OTHER SONG.

[@garfystan2259]

Idk what this musical is but there’s a lot of sexual tension between those two

[@lalalei2001]

1:22 I see what you did there. XD Amazing animatic!

[@sealbatross]

thanks! no regrets lmao

[@Vicaly]

I had a brain fart or somethin cuz I did NOT remember watching this HellO??? Like button be lying to me. But more importantly, I love the movements and how easy you make your animatics flow! :D Can't say no to this puppy face tho bro 2:33

[@inde-cipher]

oh my godddd i dont know how it took me this long to watch this (especially with how much i adore your dust and ashes animatic and how much of a nerd i am about great comet) but this is FANTASTIC. T_T what program(s) do you use??? after admiring animatics for so long im finally trying to get into the animatics game. thank you!!!

[@sealbatross]

awwww thank you for watching

[@king-wenskiii2511]

This was so good! Theres such a gentleness in the character animation that must be admired! What program do you use?

[@sealbatross]

thank you so much! i used clip studio paint for this