"The Challenge" - Epic the Musical FULL Animatic by Gwendy [ DEMO AUDIO with ENHANCEMENTS]

[@eowynsisterdaughter]

Love how she's still sleeping on her side of the bed and looking for him on his side when she wakes up. There's a lot of moments where you show that's she's missing him as much as he's missing her, and then he's actually sneaking through the crowd at the end of the song!

[@TJWellingtonMatamu]

Penelope: waiting... waiting... waiting Odysseus: I'm right here love, can't you see . I'm coming!!!!

[@ns2dstudios]

WHY YOU GOTTA MAKE ME CRY LIKE THAT!.....I approve.

[@JhoeryMoya-by4lf]

No way, I'm crying now 🥲 Can you imagine that could be a possible line of the song in the final version?

[@my_girl_seraphine5294]

@@TJWellingtonMatamu Odysseus Wait for me, I'm comin' Wait, I'm comin' with you Wait for me, I'm comin' too I'm comin' too

[@VictoriaStarratt]

@@my_girl_seraphine5294I understand that reference

[@RewindT1ME]

@@my_girl_seraphine5294 Nice Hadestown reference

[@bestpriest2224]

They are all so fucked when Ody returns.

[@paleflame]

Hey, spoilers lol!

[@giovanmorabonilla6400]

Pssht don't spoiler. But yeah they are screeewed

[@bestpriest2224]

@@paleflame is it??? Isn't it pretty much guaranteed that he's gonna return home??

[@paleflame]

r/wooosh ;)

[@undercoverfangirl5491]

@@paleflame it’s not really spoilers, you can literally just read the odyssey and know the entire plot lol

[@Jimmy-tb9pe]

I like to imagine that, when Penelope sings "Waiting" she glances at two chairs in front of a window looking on the sea, because she used to sit there with Anticlea when they were waiting for Odysseus to come home.

[@Kaeya_Genny]

I just realized when Penelope sang, "I don't know how much I last since we saw that storm." That means they saw the same storm where Odysseus and Poseidon fought 😭😭😭😭

[@Flowery-x4z]

I just noticed that the slight armor kind of thing on her shoulder is on the opposite side of the siren’s, which shows that the siren failed to see the clear picture of Penelope in Odysseus’ head because of the beeswax!

[@ns2dstudios]

YES! Thank you for noticing because I actually went through painstaking detail to make the siren look like Penelope but give her traits that are dead giveaways that she's an impostor.

[@ezracohen6020]

@@ns2dstudios wait that’s actually genius visual storytelling

[@Flowery-x4z]

@@ezracohen6020 Ikr!!!!

[@kittydanceoff1780]

@@ns2dstudios I also noticed that the clothes the siren wears are more provocative, but Penelope’s are actually more modest and elegant.

[@gachagoddesskim7630]

According to Jorge, in order for the sirens to obtain full information about their mimicry their song has to FULLY reach the person's ears but because of the earwax they couldn't obtain that complete information

[@dootznbootz]

I love Athena giving her a sign!!!! I love how Odysseus is reaching OUT for herrr

[@ns2dstudios]

It's in line with the myth in that it was Athena who gave her the idea about making the challenge :D

[@dootznbootz]

@@ns2dstudios Athena never gave her the idea :) Penelope came up with it all herself! She brought it up to Odysseus while he was in disguise and having dinner. It's quite funny in how Athena basically had to guide Odysseus the entire time but Penelope basically had very little guidance from Athena for her plans, as Penelope basically had it all figured out. Athena was mostly giving Penelope metaphorical "pats on the head" of "Good job!"

[@ns2dstudios]

@@dootznbootz Strange. I could've sworn I read that somewhere where she dropped a hint to Penelope to do the challenge but I could be mistaken.

[@dootznbootz]

@@ns2dstudios oooh, maybe in the Challenge but in the Odyssey, Penelope comes up with it herself. I don't know if it's in Epic or not. Sorry about that! I really hope there's a moment of Penelope and Athena hanging out and/or showing how Athena favors Penelope just as much. Penelope is my favorite lol

[@ishanitagare4104]

Honestly I thought this storm sign is actually the storm Posiedon made in 'Get in water' song.

[@Muna-Jlore0997]

Penelope is such a well written character; she uses her smarts to outsmart the suitors and buying time for her true king to come home. For 20 years, she tolerated this unruly behavior, however, Penelope needed to stand tall for her and her son as she awaited the day, the suitors will get what they deserve.

[@bpsara]

@@Muna-Jlore0997 what makes it even better for me is the fact that we as the audience end up loving her well before officially meeting her character because of Odysseus’ love and perspective of her. And then, when we do officially meet her, it turns out she is exactly as awesome as Odysseus says she is.

[@taralarkin2839]

I've never heard the full song and now im crying. Penelope singing waiting just like Ody's mother is so heartbreaking

[@arghhhhy5874]

Well this shouldn't be the whole song either. Just a long snippet kind of like what we had for love in paradise where we had most of the Calypso section but not ghe whole song.

[@taralarkin2839]

@@arghhhhy5874 That just makes it even better because it means that there'll be more

[@Mochi-zt5dh]

Also Ody following her through the crowd 😭😭

[@adamthewolfboy]

the way her personality shifts for Ody, goes from regal to excited and full of hope my heart ugh

[@niteangel0496]

The way I started crying when Penelope imagined FINALLY seeing Odysseus again.😭❤

[@Darkpersephone66]

@@niteangel0496 makes two of us 😂

[@Настя-ц2щ1р]

My eyes filled with tears when I watched Odysseus and Penelope together in her imagination. They're so precious and deserve only the best. And their son Telemachus is great, he's so ready to defend his parents honour. This family deserved a really good long break from all of this mess that lasted 20 years.

[@alphateam3326]

Can’t wait for the vengeance saga to come out, this is my MOST anticipated song. Along with dangerous and get in the water.

[@VimyGlide]

isn't the challenge the first song of the ithaca saga?

[@alphateam3326]

@@VimyGlide I thought it was the vengeance saga? I might be wrong, it’s been awhile since I saw the list of epic songs

[@alphateam3326]

@@VimyGlide ah yeah, I checked. It is the Ithaca saga, just got some songs mixed up

[@tumblingartist]

SAME!! So hyped for this song!! It was my favorite unreleased song next to Olive Tree (before it got cut)

[@Manyfandoms1]

It’s in the Ithaca, I wish it was in the vengeance saga! That would be really cool!

[@rosa-san5259]

Came faster than Odysseus coming home And also, ODY REACHING FOR PENELOPE GYAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭😭

[@margheritaparacini7729]

@@rosa-san5259 (jokingly) that's not a difficult feat!

[@rosa-san5259]

@@margheritaparacini7729 I know!

[@tumblingartist]

YES!!!

[@silentknight3098]

@@rosa-san5259 came faster than Angelica on a ship to shit talk Hamilton for cheating on Eliza

[@daydream2083]

Don't make me wait for 20 years so I can parody this comment

[@saydayay5420]

The callback to her “theme” in the beginning is awesome

[@peaches2you563]

I like the addition of Odyssey’s voice in the beginning and her almost waking up to it, to her disappointment to the cold and empty side of the bed😢😮.

[@Zephirite.]

Ooh, the camera flying through the 3D axes (like the TSG entertainment logo) was perfect! I am LOSING IT over how the suitors' arrows are aimed at Penelope, because if they win, it really is the end for her.

[@ns2dstudios]

YES! TSG logo mention! That was the main inspiration for that shot. And you are very correct in your analysis. Penelope knew they wanted her for her power and would kill her to get it if they can. But she'd rather die than marry any of them.

[@YouveBeenMegged]

I love the owl in the sky at “some kind of sign”, and the pan through the axes is _amazing!_ This is so good! I absolutely cannot _wait_ to hear this song in its full glory!

[@PromethealBee]

*sobs in a corner* BUT TITA GWENDY COOKED SO GOOD 😭😭😭

[@ChaoticDoodle]

*sobs in olive tree* I KNOW JORGE HAS TO TRAUMATIZE US A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE THAT HAPPENS THO 😭😭😭 oh it’s the spicy bee again

[@claudiuskeat8336]

The way she easily portrayed how the love and longing goes both ways when Penelope imagines hugging with Odysseus was top notch. napaka galing!

[@chaoticrabbit5952]

i started sobbing when penelope started to imagine odysseus in the throne room with her

[@kmtrickster8740]

OMG!!!! Penelope seeing Ody like how he saw her when he was with Zeus just goes to show she misses him as much as he misses her and will do anything to make sure he stays by her side rather than a suitor. Man it hits hard!

[@Godzilla-bj2bb]

2:24 Odysseus: I will protect you my love Penelope: thanks love

[@Настя-ц2щ1р]

😭😭😭😭

[@Godzilla-bj2bb]

@@Настя-ц2щ1р thank you

[@Gaia1054]

Ok after a bit of digging my favorite small detail in this video is the bow itself. Instead of making the bow a more traditional recurve or even a medieval long bow style, the bow depicted here is accurate to the bows of the time, that being the Scythian bows. When the bow is relaxed it is curved down in a U shape as seen in the video. It's such a small detail but I absolutely adore it. (this rant was fueled by me asking myself "I wonder what the draw weight on Ody's bow was that all the men struggled. for reference the Scythian bows had a draw weight of 80-140lbs so Ody's was probably 140)

[@korpsmaninfantry7238]

Odyssey was said to be the only one capable of stringing and drawing it, so it might actually be closer to 200. Given that the stories say Ody was swole af.

[@colemarvel3988]

I like to imagine she makes eye contact with a disguised Odysseus and kind of connects the dots as she sings the verse “let the arrow fly when you know your aim is true” through to “waiting.”

[@Dark_Icy_Rose]

I love everything about this, but I really enjoyed the part where she gets so excited to finally do the challenge!! I've seen other clips and takes on this song where Penelope just seems unhappy when I've always envisioned her to be excited cause it clearly shows that she knows that once she gives the challenge, she'd be able to find Odysseus again!

[@silvonicant6394]

Ngl, I thought the "waiting" line was originally Penelope's lerics because I heard the snippet of Chalange before I heard the official song for the underworld

[@Sabriy2016]

The last part gave me tears when Odysseus appeared 😢

[@licas3214]

Love how ody appear in 2:54

[@MarekMango]

I like how she doesn't have canonical beat standards, but is so beatuful

[@AWizardIsNeverrLate]

OH my gosh..the details of him weaving through to the crowd to get close to her while he's in disguise..

[@dualwieldroxas358]

OH THAT ENDING IS DIABOLICAL, JORGE

[@qryptid]

Odysseus moving through the crowd after her- GWENDY MY HEART 😭😭😭

[@someothermon584]

Oh my god, when Penelope was imagining Odysseus, I teared up. Definitely my most anticipated song, and I will definitely need to have a box of tissues on hand when the Ithica sage gets released!

[@THATBrokeAroSpecWallet]

PENELOPE!!! (Idk if it's just me and this is an intentional detail but she's certainly not as bouncy as the siren ver, it's pretty cool ngl)

[@derekng7803]

Rough sketch😏

[@ns2dstudios]

That is 100% intentional. The sirens couldn't see well into Ody's head coz of the beeswax and they exaggerated her features to lure Ody into the water.

[@derekng7803]

@@ns2dstudios 😂

[@justsomeone883]

@@ns2dstudios in other words they mistook Odysseus fot another pervert

[@ns2dstudios]

@@justsomeone883 They thought he was like any other man but Odysseus is....a DIFFERENT BEAST *puts on sunglasses and walks off to the sunset

[@moonx698]

I HAVE NEVER HEARD THE "waiting..." PART OF THIS CLIP IM SO SICK BRO OH MY GODDDD

[@moxy6810]

*Penelope is REAL (loyal) one* 😢😢😢

[@imaabd640]

Love the transition from a happy and hopeful wife to a composed and almost stoic queen in front of the suitors

[@Felix0802]

I am obsessed with this! Cant wait for Ithaca saga for Ody and Penelope to reunite! They look so cute in Penelope's daydream TOT

[@chaoticdusk1316]

Be still my heart this is so amazing! The part where Odysseus shows up alongside her with the arrows part and how she still sleeps on her side of the bed is just perfect! Having Ody there in the crowd trying to follow after him at the end is also just😭

[@vincentnightray750]

This isn’t an animatic, it's a full-on animation! It's amaizing!

[@brandonallers6351]

Chills when she issues The Challenge! 1:50.

[@pianos_a_lifestyle]

THAT BEGINNING WITH ODYSEUSS SINGING PENELOPE OMG THAT WAS SO EMOTIONAL SO TOUCHING OMFG OMG-

[@azaraelaxelus]

"Cause I'd rather die than grow old without the best of you" chills!! I'm so excited for this song but the Ithaca Saga's probably not releasing for a while T-T

[@InsanityVirus]

Loved you adding Odysseus within the crowd, as a nod to the original!

[@ns2dstudios]

I hope that when the official animatics come out, that it does show Ody being there already

[@justanaveragehumanbean]

Hey Gwendy! I love your animatics! You’re one of my biggest inspirations!!

[@ns2dstudios]

Thanks dear! Glad to inspire ✨✨☺☺✨✨

[@justanaveragehumanbean]

@@ns2dstudios ❤️ Currently working on an animatic of Casper’s “I’ll do it myself” Hades God Games

[@justanaveragehumanbean]

@@ns2dstudiosupdate: CASPER SAW IT :D ✨

[@mayme4743]

i don't know what addicting substance you put in this animatic but i have been watching this daily for the past 2 weeks i am so excited to see how your animatics will progress in the future

[@tumblingartist]

WOOO !!! I love the Challenge and your really showcase the quiet strength that Penelope has in persisting against the suitors that are constantly pressuring her and Telemachus - I love her smile and the way she reaches out for the owl!! And then the dream scene with her and Odysseus??? And Ody in the crowd!!! Reaching for her!!! Love this so much

[@Phasmania]

This song was already one of my favorites just based off the snippets (that chorus omg), and the animatic definitely does it justice. Shoutout to that 12 axes shot with the camera movement and 3D elements!! I also love that this means when the official song drops this will have animatics out the fastest lol

[@Victoria-_]

Well this just absolutely destroyed me 😭. I love that the “Waiting…” lyric echoes Ody’s mother’s line in the Underworld song

[@Devionkurasao]

I just got to a point where i don't cry every time i hear this song but your animation had me tear up again 😭

[@doloresgronenberg5882]

How could this be so beautiful, the part in which she imagines Ody with her and hugging her and then Ody actually appearing in the "Waiting..." part and following her and reaching out when she dissapears behind the doors... it almost made me cry 🥺 Also her excitement at the prospect that Ody could be coming home at last. Very well done

[@Sifya]

I direcly cried to that part

[@xano2921]

holy shit, I'm bawling my eyes out... I want a love like theirs, I don't know why it makes me so emotional, but the music, the lyrics...

[@coolman2559]

Excellent animation! Ody sneaking through the crowd is excellent. As the first time in a while hearing this song since the official stuff has been coming out, the waiting at the end hit like a ton of bricks.

[@Mariwritesforfun]

This art style is so beautiful. It feels super distinct. One thing I really enjoyed in this video stems from a minor nitpick in Gwendy's *Suffering* video. The siren had very exaggerated "assets" and moves in more provocative manner. Watching this video, Penelope clearly doesn't carry her body the same way. She's more distinguished and has dignity. So, this video adds another hole in the siren's illusion. She can't into Ody's mind well enough to carry herself like his real wife would.

[@ns2dstudios]

Thank you so much! And the absence of certain....assets....is 100% intentional. The sirens couldn't see well into Ody's head coz of the beeswax and they exaggerated her features to lure Ody into the water. So Ody actually took one look at her and KNEW INSTANTLY that it wasn't his wife.

[@Mariwritesforfun]

​@@ns2dstudios Holy guacamole! I thought my comment was going to get buried. Thank you for responding. That make 100% sense. Now that I'm thinking about it, she's probably thinking something like "weird this isn't working like normal... Ok, most men like this kind of figure, so just exaggerate this, so I seem more enticing. It's not he's going to see his real wife again to notice."

[@ns2dstudios]

@@Mariwritesforfun if youre ok with spoilers, i just made an animatic with the REAL penelope and you can see how different she is from the fake one :)

[@deadeye4047]

Gwendy is 100% ready for the Ithaca Saga.

[@SerotoninSiren]

I was a little confused at why this wasn’t on the vengence saga at first because I thought that was supposed to be the plan but after listening to the ones that go put on it, it makes total sense that this one’s not out yet, oddy hasn’t actually got ONTO his island yet, so he wouldn’t fit into this scene the way he should

[@VegaTheLyra]

I saw this on stream but I still can't get over how clearly you can see Penelope's longing for Ody. And Ody in the crowd is just so cool. Amazing work, Gwendy!

[@ritajitpal]

I literally got goosebumps at the bridge part where they shot the arrows at her... so cool!!!! Also the axe zoom out was just chef's kiss! I'm sorry I haven't been able to join your lives recently cause of my exams or time differences but I will again when I have time

[@oddtalesstudios3539]

I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT "AXES" SHOT! THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL ALL THE WAY THROUGH!

[@minecrafting_il]

the sketch makes Penelope look like she is wearing some kind of mask

[@SarenDracul]

heck yea a Gwendy Challenge animatic. its gonna be awesome i just wanna say i love what you did for Jorge's Live Stream and i find myself rewatching your Animatic on Ody getting back to his palace a couple times a week.

[@That2GGG25]

I love how u included odyy in the background

[@thereview4694]

Gwendy you are gonna end me when this comes out

[@derekng7803]

Love this scene 😊 1:54

[@derekng7803]

I wonder if they're 3d🤔

[@ns2dstudios]

It's not :) It's 2D image but layered and given a 3D camera in after effects

[@derekng7803]

@@ns2dstudios interesting 👍

[@HappyTrailblazer]

@@ns2dstudios you ate that fr fr

[@deadlyace6978]

dude wtf, this is by far one of the the best amimatics I have seen of Epic. Amazing work, I love the angles, movement and composition of the scenes! :D

[@SleepyHollowKnight]

Can I just say, you are what I aspire to be in terms of animation someday. Thank you for motivating me and providing incredible art for us all to view.

[@ns2dstudios]

Thank you so much! I've been in your shoes before, and trust me, as long as you keep at it and never stop learning, you will improve and reach heights you never thought were possible. Keep going!

[@jacobbabson6786]

After the Underworld Saga, that waiting line always brings tears to my eyes

[@RawwkinGrimmie64]

Call Gwendy the King of Ithaca, because that shot through twelve axes was CLEAN!!!

[@spidervenom25]

Penelope is the type of woman that you burn down the world for.

[@nahlannentrela5376]

I can't WAIT For the full release of this song!! Oh my heart... That was beautiful

[@ItsAzzora]

This is so good!! I’m so excited for the final version of this song to be released!!

[@-Commit-arson-]

For some reason I’ve always imagined *the bow* as one of those awesome types of bows where it’s two bows and the string kind of wraps around it You know whenever there isn’t very good wood quality in the area so you have to strengthen the first bow with a second bow in the front It’s like a compound bow but without all the mechanical parts So the reason the suitors couldn’t figure out how to string the thing was because it was complicated as well as a heavy draw weight So not only do you have to be as strong as Odysseus you have to be as smart as him

[@Tamattuta]

The animatic is very beautiful! It's really cool that some scenes refer to other ones on your animatics with Odysseus! And this scene with Penelope and Ody together is just amazing😭❤️

[@DrizeldaHartman]

This song is going to mess me up when the official version comes out... Your animations are so stunning and beautiful. Thank you for always sharing your stunning work, Gwendy! ♥

[@Mochi-zt5dh]

You do Penelope justice 😤

[@Andi-yv3vz]

The 12 axes shot is incredible!

[@PetarSon]

I can't wait for the finished version of this song to come out, although I know your animation will be magnificent when it comes out complete like the song, all in the right time.

[@lastbreath1154]

I can't wait for the full dang release. 😢

[@AltaMillia]

Cannot wait for this song, every song from the final saga sounds amazing, but this is an easy top 3… top 5? It’s hard to choose. Great animatic!

[@danchile9308]

DW PENELOPE AFTER ALL THIS MESS U BOTH COULD HAVE A GOOD SLEEP SNUNGGLE AND CUDDLE EVERY NIGHTT😭😭

[@doomsanity9689]

I hung in there until I heard her sing the first waiting at the end. Pools of tears man. Thank you Jorge

[@ns2dstudios]

I can't wait to hear this song in its full glory!

[@watchout5508]

This is actually INCREDIBLE! Im jst sitting hear in tears so excited for the full release one day (waiting, waiting) God I cant wait for this to get the attention it deserves, well damn done!!!❤ 10/10 story telling😢

[@SoraYagami02]

The part with the 12 axes is supreme!! All about this song is amazing and i really love the part where the suitors are aiming at Penelope

[@pisceanskies]

Oh my God this is so well done! Penelope hearing Odysseus’ voice in the beginning, as if he’s calling for her in her sleep?? Such a beautiful detail! 😭

[@ns2dstudios]

Thanks! It's an enhancement for story telling purposes though. Far as I heard from the audio we have available, that part is not in the original demo.

[@pisceanskies]

@@ns2dstudios Yeah, I know! It’s great that you’ve added it here!

[@Animefan24]

This is beautiful i love the fine details of her armor and the fact that ody is following her. As we know from behind the scenes videos Jorge posted Ody is the final boss and he will fuck everyone up oh I can't wait to see that in the final saga.

[@dragonrider333]

Goodness gracious you can animate these well! AHHH The poses and outlines are sooo good! I love the little snippet of her remembering Ody too! Nice job!

[@Yeonjuns_respect07]

I love the part where she imagines Odysseus just running into her arms and revealing himself and the part where he tries to reach for her in the disguise it didn’t make it in time

[@demiangarden]

THIS IS SO GOOD!!!!!! also i love how you showed the passing of time with her reflection on the mirror

[@ns2dstudios]

Thank you so much!!!

[@m-wonder]

Out of all the animatics you've made so far, this is the one that hurts the most 😭😭❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 I WANT THESE TWO TOGETHER SO BAD

[@Melody_Ninjago_Lover]

1:10 HER VOCALS

[@oceanapearl3503]

Gorgeous....

[@ἈσπὶςἈχιλλῆος]

Gwendy you’re making me cry…and not the end asdejckndkfjdmfm 😭

[@magictaffy]

Gwendy, this is beautiful! 🥹🥹🥹

[@green8sandham]

Don't think I'm supposed to be crying but when Penelope had that shoujo-esque scene right after envisioning the suitors aiming for her made me ridiculously happy but also confused, like during Suffering when I thought Odysseus could see Penelope again. And then he gets ripped away and the camera switches to a shot of Penelope shuffling her grip on the bow to hold on just a while longer before she surrenders it to the pack of dogs. That in and of itself already made my eyes blur. But then we see Odysseus in disguise at the edge of the crowd, closest to Penelope and when Penelope makes her way out of the throne room, he FOLLOWS HER, up until he can't anymore and the door falls shut between them. It was such a visual representation of how much they've been through, one hoping nad wsiting and one reaching out and never holding. And you paired it with one of the saddest, most tear-jerking melodies in the musical. How could I not cry?

[@dogebrando8902]

I love this so much omg you should be hired to do animations for actual shows, you’ve outdone yourself with Different Beast, The Challenge and God Games, you’ve actually impressed me to unimaginable levels 😭😭😭

[@Whatsupmypeeps-good]

I love this so much I can’t stop watching it

[@lilymaria4518]

this made me internally cry. And also, I don't know why but I like to sing this song in the shower :) It's so GOOD!

[@marcossanchez6474]

This is my favorite song from epic hands down

[@floriazhd]

Jorge better commisions you for the anamatic when the time comes bc this is insanee!