"Poor Unfortunate Souls" Animatic

I finally finished cleaning this one up! I still want to make some more animatics for my portfolio because I'm trying to find a job as a storyboard artist. I might take a break though and work on a comic for a bit. Thank you to everyone for all the super nice comments on the rough version by the way! I'm sorry for being bad at replying but I never know what to say! :0. I really loved reading through all the comments you guys left though!
The song is a cover by AnnaPantsu of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from "The Little Mermaid."
Link to creator of the cover: / @annapantsu
The characters and story are from a comic that I'm wanting to start making!

[@RMSalners]

Edit (5/17/24): I have a Patreon for this comic project! The Patreon is /XenolithicComic I’m 38 pages in! Everything is free on my Patreon so money is completely optional, but greatly appreciated!! 🦖💕I post high quality pages, character sheets, creature sheets, etc. :D everything available for download too! Edit (8/19/23): The comic is officially started! for anyone who wants to check it out you can find it on Webtoons under the name "Xenolithic." I'm 6 pages in and am going to be posting three pages every Wednesday from now on! I'm planning on making an actual community post announcement once I have more pages done. Thanks again for everyone's support and interest in this project, I'm really excited to tell this story! If anyone is curious, the story and villain in this animatic are from a comic that I'm working on making! I post character sheet and concept art on my instagram @Ungeziefer_Art is anyone wants to check them out! Also I started on this comic a few years ago and the old version is still up on webtoons under the name "Primordial" if anyone wants to read through it. Be warned though, the old version is not well written and the art is outdated! I'm really excited with how the preproduction process has been going with the reboot and I hope it doesn't disappoint when it officially launches :D Thank you everyone for all your kind words on this project btw!

[@shadowwolf1338]

I only have two questions: 1. Is it some kind of Stonepunk world? Because the tribal vibes and the dinosaurs tell me that AND I LOVE IT. And 2. Which program(s) did you used to do this animatic?

[@RMSalners]

Sort of! It’s a fantasy setting but instead of elves, dwarves, and dragons it’s different humans based on different species of early man and dinosaurs :D all the magic is caveman and prehistoric themed too! And for programs I do things in a dumb way so there’s probably a better way to do what I do but it’s just how I’m used to doing it lmao. I draw all my frames in procreate and then export them to my laptop as pngs. Then I plug them in adobe premiere pro and use that to animate all the camera moves and fancy stuff! I have the characters on different layers than the backgrounds to help with the 3d like effect on some of the scenes :D

[@dragoncat5412]

​@@RMSalners soo like neanderthals and homosapiens. That kind of stuff. I know there were more humans but those are the only two I know

[@RMSalners]

Yeah exactly! I have them sort of loosely based on the species so it’s not 100% scientifically accurate but I made sure to include some fun anthropology facts and stuff!

[@dragoncat5412]

​@@RMSalnersright on. That's pretty cool

[@flowersent9614]

0:58 this is so incredibly smart I replayed it so many times. It shows so perfectly how she does follow through the promise, but just not how you'd expect. The bird did in fact got thinner, and the other one did get the girl. Incredible omg

[@zuazz]

I noticed that too! Wild!

[@MouseofMischief]

It caught me off guard, and I loved it

[@Demi_Sukimata]

I chuckled out of shock when the girl turned to bone and the boy got her-

[@VelociraptorsOfSkyrim]

That was actually a Dinosaur, but yes. 😂

[@lovedovexoxo6173]

I love how she appears the same age and size as the human when she’s in the physical world but in the paintings we see her true self, something ancient and malevolent and much bigger than a human

[@Mr.happy689]

So is it (trying to seems smaller so she looks more nice) or is it (making her look bigger in the paintings because she thinks she is better then she actually is)

[@kipofthemany2213]

What a fascinating villain concept!! I love the manipulation of reality through her cave art. Very creepy!

[@wendydunham2343]

I agree!

[@kevindegollado7112]

Me too

[@greenlightcomics7602]

Like how witches are supposed to be.

[@T-Law.]

“This one longing to be thinner, that one wants to get the girl” was so well done! Literally the definition of careful what you wish for. It’s like the story of The Mitus touch, or the Magic Haddock. Really clever visual story telling!

[@pessoaaleatoria2586]

You mean Mida's touch?

[@wendydunham2343]

It's The Midas Touch. 😐

[@ladyariadne]

The cinematography in this is CRAZY. This is way too ominous

[@Meamery]

My favorite bit was definitely when she was being pulled through the cave it had like a flipbook animation feel to it

[@hubertstasik4404]

Have to agree ^^^

[@voidjockey82]

What I love here besides the art is the allusion that the witch has no need for the deal. She was perfectly able to push her guest into her painting, erease and re-create their mouth and later even forced the deal on them by slamming their hand against the stone. It seems that they do this whole game simply out of the sadistic pleasure it gives.

[@Adam.ace.]

2:03 i have to say, something about this scene intrueges me. Its eerie yet amazing and how the mc is dragged deeper into the cavern and the madness where no one can save her gives me chills. 😅

[@hunterivy-sx2os]

I love the fact that annapantsu's cover of this song matches perfectly with the insane look this character has in their eyes

[@Miss.Lioness.]

I agree babe ❤

[@grimoireweiss6428]

This is without a doubt, the best poor unfortunate souls animatic I have ever seen. The animation is so fluid and smooth.

[@MouseofMischief]

I love how much emotion and purpose the antagonistic character holds in their movement, going back and forth between holding the other charater close and then pulling or pushing them away. The way that the antagonistic character awlays smiles is so pleasantly unnerving to see as part of their design, and I love how they use a kind of magic that is like cavedrawings come to life! I wasn't expecting "the one wanting to be thinner" becoming bones and the other bird still getting what they wanted, and then the other character getting their mouth erased and drawn back on again, but I adored that subverted expectation! This is great work, my friend!

[@hamsandwich1628]

holy CRAP. I had to run back and revisit the original rough animatic you did. The amount of work and fine tuning you put into making this is absolutely insane. Between the expressiveness in your characters, the background detail, and attention to design. You are very talented and able to convey the story you see in a way that others would easily understand it. You'd make a wonderful storyboard artist.

[@Meamery]

I’d love to see the scene where she’s flying through the cave in like a full budget animation I feel like it would have a flip book animation feel because it was already so cool here

[@Katrinci]

I already left a short comment but now I have some time so I'll leave a longer one. God. GOD. This is one of those animatics that just makes a person remember why they love art. I can't get over this, and how underrated it is. When I watched this I was like, blown away by the sheer talent and skill on display. As an animator/artist myself, I sometimes go through these drought periods where my motivation and drive to create dies down and I start half-assing my work. But then I see stuff like this THIS MASTERPIECE and I remember "oh yeah this is what art can do when you take your time and put love and passion into it". You actually have no idea how inspired this animatic made me. The characterization through the movements, the creative scene transitions, the general big brain ideas, the fluidity of it all. I will definately keep an eye out for when this comic starts bc I am so invested already. When I finished watching this I was so sad bc I wanted more, so I'm extremely hyped for what you have planned!! Thank you for sharing this amazing animatic with us, I have already watched it far too many times and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

[@RMSalners]

Thank you so much!! I’m so excited to make this comic! :D

[@MezephelesArt]

The animation style (not the art style, but the way things move) reminds me of Don't Starve and that's a good thing

[@elvirak8846]

the animation or the actual game

[@MezephelesArt]

@@elvirak8846 The promotional animations

[@uno_stronzo]

Dam i see it

[@sin_fork1911]

this is so sick, i love the characters shape language so much it is so tasty, id love to see more! the characters seem so compelling just from one animatic

[@EmrysTheGreat-dg7zv]

It's just brilliant, the idea of a prehistoric witch/demon who uses cave art a magic focus is just genius !

[@_luna.b_8938]

WORTH THE WAIT BRO THIS IS FANTASTICCCC AAAA

[@Stardity]

OH MY GOD…I HAVE NO WORDS YOU TOOK MY BREATH AWAY I WAS DRAWN IN, EYES LOCKED ON THE VIDEO FROM THE START…AND IT CARRIED ALL THE WAY THROUGH YOU DID AN AMAZING JOB AND THE STORYLINE IS SO GOOD AHHHH

[@zacharyfrierson6972]

I absolutely love this animatic. I really love how the witch lady, whatever her name is, is just so masterfully creepy while also being the type to use her skills in a roundabout way like with the first dinosaur literally getting thinner and the second one still getting the girl, just not the way you’d expect.

[@kikio0529]

This is amazing! Creepy yet amaxing! The world building is top notch. I feel the cold and dark of the cave. I often find when OCs replace the OG characters I can get confused (they can still be beautifully made but too much or too little info can be an issue) but everything was balanced so well. I want to see a movie with these characters in this setting.

[@rat10758]

This deserves so much more attention holy shit. The characters look so distinct and the movements are so pleasing. This is amazing!

[@andifishgallery9400]

Someone HIRE THEM THEY’RE AMAZING I said woah as soon as I watched this! The quality is insanely good and I love how expressive and clear the characters and motions are! It’s wonderful :)

[@Katrinci]

This is actually a masterpiece I will be rewatching this one for years to come !!!

[@Dustythetransman]

2:37 I like how the girl is like "Oh shit-" before getting swallowed up by that ink monster thingy

[@deadopeople]

The character with the long hair seems really cool. The animatic is also amazing!

[@lexi7912]

This is actually one of the most beautiful animatics I've ever seen. I really look forward to the comic! The style you're using is phenomenal.

[@thevulpex]

YOU FINISHED IT!! THIS IS SO GOOD :D!

[@ryliedillman7391]

I am speechless. The way you show the characters through their movements is just so expressive and delicious! Keep up the good work!

[@greenlightcomics7602]

Ok you just made me obsessed with the concept of your witch. You actually made her creepy and charismatic in a fascinating way. I hope you make more with her.

[@ZippityLala]

I love the design and concept for the villain! The unsettling smile and sharp features and making her seem like a crazy woman it’s fantastic!

[@Aspen789]

Super Good! And let’s all appreciate the effort and the they took to make this. It probably a while.

[@bombsqwad1493]

THIS IS AMAZING!!! So creative look and characters, and the evil magic seams so interesting, can't wait to see more. Instant like and sub.

[@twotailedtang]

I can’t believe I’ve found this by accident by searching up the song. Glad I found it either way!! this is super cool!!

[@karlbenito9992]

I love the sharp strokes of the characters, it’s like the studio that made secret of the Kells and don’t starve

[@doddthedodo7435]

This is AMAZING. Not just the art and character movements, but the way it goes so SEAMLESSLY well with the song, with the movements, expressions, backgrounds and reinterpretations of the original visuals into the established surroundings. Hell it's the best thing I've seen all week!

[@themaniae4803]

I'm not crying, i have ink in my eyes. Still, this video is damn amazing! The final rush is crazy like the original cartoon, and i love it!

[@nonoo2157]

The character designs? The shots? Just phenomenal 💜

[@beets_and_rice]

this is amazing! i love how expressive and dynamic the movement is. i’d love to see the story behind this

[@mystii8134]

Oh damn! This was incredible, completely blew me away. I adore the concept of the shadows and paintings on the walls.

[@a1rconditioned]

GAHDAYUM THIS IS WHAT I CALL EYE CANDY FR. IT'S SO CREATIVE AND MESMERIZING WOWIEEE!! EVERY FRAME IS DRAWN BEAUTIFULLY I HOPE THIS GETS THE ATTENTION IT DESERVES❤️❤️❤️

[@Kim-xv6sl]

omg this is awesome!! It's amazing and I love the villain concept!! This deserves so much more attention!!!

[@winstonthecatwizard7868]

The part at 2:03 is so darn cool, it conveys so much with very little. really just love the whole thing

[@mothlight9661]

For some reason, going by the thumbnail, I thought the antagonist was Gabriel from the Mandela Catalogue

[@absolutelynot6137]

This is one of the best pieces of animation I've ever watched

[@mjlorchan2421]

I like the specific detail of how she paints on the wall, like the way her hand moves 0:46 , 1:44 , 1:55 -w-

[@wilczus222]

The body language and staging here is on POINT!

[@coloandra]

i'm so grateful that i found this animatic, it looks so cool and i already want to know the story of the characters in it!!

[@Nobody-jg9mu]

Holy hell. This is really impressive and absolutely deserves more attention. Keep up the good work!

[@kamiya_teruo]

I LOVE IT! OMG! WHOA, I WAS IN SHOCK! THIS IS SO AMAZING, YOUR WORK IS SO GREAT!

[@Raster_Rasper]

This animation is by far one of THE ABSOLUTE BEST on this platform! Its amazing! I love rhe fluidity of it, the Character Design! It's all so good! Plus the the concept is unique asf

[@DJcystrom]

Amazing! Fantastic!! Really special piece of art you've put together here!

[@limelantern5637]

This takes all of the character of this particular cover and brings it out to it's full potential, theres so much personality baked into this it's so good!

[@swr2437]

Great stuff! I can't get over how sick the shot of the tunnel at 2:02 is

[@mA-nd1xr]

Such good camera angles and drawings. Also love the desings

[@cosmicmeliii]

I discovered your work today through “Fester”, and I love your art style! i hope i can draw in the same style one day, i fell in love with your animations, they are my newest inspiration. Hope you keep doing what makes you happy but don't forget to rest, art can be tiring sometimes. Kisses from a Brazilian hobbyst artist ❤️✨

[@RMSalners]

Thank you! I really appreciate that!!:D

[@feyrefoxglove]

THIS IS ACTUALLY INSANE OH MY GOODNESS??? I don't have the words but I am SO EXCITED to see more work from you!!

[@icantthinkstraight8853]

the cave painter really has the vibe of a classic villain song, and a villain who alters reality with her art is always a fun concept

[@KhaosGorvin]

Witch: Weird, probably evil and definetly crazy. Me: I can fix her :p

[@gamingwithjohnrusso3385]

I realized a lot of her is triangular, her chin, her smile, her rags... triangle lady

[@pancakeoftheopera2808]

THIS. THIS IS WHAT I ASPIRE TO DO ONE DAY. This was so beautiful and fascinating to watch I love this so much! The designs and just everything sdjfg phenomenalll

[@wendydunham2343]

I wish you luck!

[@laurenekins8986]

STARS ABOVE!! This was absolutely incredible! Your character designs are stunning! The expressions and the movements are stellar! The shadows and the depictions on the walls were amazing! Also, Anna's cover is such a wonderful choice, especially for the part where she drags them through the cave (around the 2-minute mark). All in all, this is absolutely stunning!!

[@ls_akari9149]

I stumbled upon your video and just had to comment you're so talented this is so well made I can see the passion you put into this! Great Job can't wait to see more of your work the witch herself is so unique and ahh the expressions and movent is soo good!

[@elvie_neves]

This is seriously amazing. You're so talented!!

[@evanm1337]

The ending sequence is incredible, very smooth! Plus the monster who swallows the protagonist looks great!

[@theartofthefart3244]

ahhhhh my GAWD your animatic work is so good! I got a clear grasp on the plot and direction wit this. well done! hope you get hired on as a storyboard artist!

[@generalaj7164]

Just amazing I have just sat and watched in awe like 20 or so times now and something I was wondering was what other inspiration did you have for this other than this song as when I was watching I was thinking this was some sort of DnD like warlock or some sort of devil making deals with people anyway just wondering once again thought this was amazing.

[@pessoaaleatoria2586]

Okaay, so from reading the comic i think that i got a theory: This is how Brun (the girl with short hair) and Tesha (the person she is holding hands with in the end) got together, by Brun making a deal with this ink witch of some sorts. Im probably wrong and would love to be corrected because i really want to know more about the lore, like how Brun got her Zuko style burn and who is this ink witch

[@RMSalners]

I love the lore speculation! it makes me so happy :D okay so without spoiling anything, the character in this animatic is actually not important at all in the comic. I wanted a blank slate character to have Laskō interact with just for this little video project. I might have them appear just as an easter egg but they aren't significant to the story. Brūn's scar is an important part of her backstory though! I don't want to spoil anything but her getting that scar is important because it shaped her worldview as a character. She also got it right before meeting Teshta as teenagers :) I have all the lore and plot in this story thought through and planned out so I hope you enjoy and have fun with future speculations! :D

[@pessoaaleatoria2586]

@@RMSalners Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me :)

[@secretlymoony7489]

I love the part when she gets rid of the shadowy magic stuff when she says ur voice! Bad explanation but it's so satisfying

[@DevNexsin]

why i have Mandela's angel vibe here, and this is so cool!

[@wendydunham2343]

I like how annapantsu said "-just your voice!" at 2:13!

[@Zap287]

I adore the camera movements in here so much

[@njmoonfrost6145]

Duuuude!!! This style is flipping amazing!!!

[@isobelesperanza]

This is so freaking amazing! The art style and animation is beautiful and you can tell you did a ton and I mean a ton of hard work.

[@bingo-bongo-boingo7183]

Honestly really like that she's using ink(?) Shadows(?), whatever it looks quite swell. Really well executed overall.

[@xxminixkittyxx]

INCREDIBLE! I LOVE THE STORYTELLING AND THE TEXTURE! LOVE IT!

[@charismaentertainer1657]

Suddenly very invested in this webcomic concept. This is a great animatic

[@RMSalners]

Yay!! I’m so glad! I have the skeleton of the story done and I’m actually almost ready to start finalizing pages! I have a loose launch date of August 8th just based on how many last bits of prep work I have planned to make!

[@FallenAsylumSanityFallen]

Holy crap this is beautiful! The art, the swinging, the wildness of the characters I love it!!!

[@Axolotlmacaroon]

Me looking at the villain: UH- uh 😳

[@JDueler11]

Reminds me of some art design they used in the cartoon "Freaky Stories".

[@bendykid4908]

I just watched this again for like the fifth time and I love this already. I'm so glad you're keeping up with the comics, too!

[@sydney8631]

This animatic has tickled my brain.

[@strangeweirdandproud1319]

You're art style is incredible and the animation is well done, but your story fascinates me the most. Such a unique and interesting concept. I'm curious as to how the story will go.

[@Ratigan2]

Someone creeping up to the protagonist and starting to sing is so funny

[@olinaw5145]

Ahhhh this is amazing!!😮🤩🤩 I love how expressive the characters are

[@floor-goblin2247]

This is amazing!! Everything is so fluid and cool to look at. I adore the character designs. I could watch this for days and not get tired of it :D

[@rollychairs]

The cinematography is so clever! I had to watch it twice because your story telling through composition is so well done

[@tokipico]

WHAT THE HELL?? THIS IS SO FREAKING COOL! you literally took my breath away with this one, the art, the clean animatic, the villain concept, how the lyrics were portrayed, everything about this is a masterpiece!!

[@mackquinones]

Okay this is so amazing like genuinely the animation is so smooth and the expression of the characters are so great! Good job!

[@zeewars6851]

Damn this animatic animation is beautiful it reminds me of some of a Disney film in how good it is now I wish this could be a movie and I like the theme of the location and the villain character design well done hope more people see this soon

[@dr.torment]

I keep replaying this and regret nothing!

[@hubertstasik4404]

I have no words, this has to be one of the best things I've ever watched. ❤ Thanks for lifting my poor spirits up

[@marthatyler1637]

This (I kid you not) is one of my favorite animatic I’ve seen on this site!! The animation, the cave painting, the movement, ALL OF IT! Is just so beautifully done!! 10/10

[@tonof.c.1397]

*I'm speechless.* Animatic? More like animation. Such a clean movements, captivating artstyle and display of talent. It's not only the way you did this what amazes me, but the concept: The creativity of the story and originality of the characters are unmatched. Their expressions are on point too. I hope I can see more of this in the future.

[@randomdragons]

The whole sequence when their inside/part of the cave art is just an awesome concept. Great work!

[@victoriakeelan9246]

Yooo this is actually amazing I love the style and way you have animated it I've watched it like so many times it's SO GOOD!!

[@Crowsfoott]

This is utterly immaculate animation, you've got yourself a new sub for sure!

[@sumomo2236]

This is so amazing! You did an incredible job at the details! It tooks so fluid and so dynamic! XD I love that bit with 'This one wants to be thinner' and got turned into a skeleton, then 'this one wants to get the girl' and got to eat her, masterfully done [chef's kiss] XD

[@expressodepresso5909]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH THANK YOU FOR THIS, I'VE BEEN STARVING FOR CONTENT LIKE THIS I'VE RUN OUT OF DON'T STARVE CINEMTATICS TO WATCH AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHT I NEEDED

[@sapnupua5]

this is so good! you were so creative with it and so skilled at showing expressions!!