This was my graduation project, a movie concept about an Arabic circus in the 1800's
i created 5 characters each with a different background and from a different Arabic country
i created 5 characters each with a different background and from a different Arabic country
Character Lineup.
The first character is Em Abdo Al-bassara (bassara is Arabic for fortune teller) Em Abdo means Abdo's mother -in Arabic culture when a women has a son she gets referred to as
"(her son's name)'s mother".
She's a fortune teller but if we're being honest she's a fraud, that's why people are angry with her and have written "nassabe" -meaning fraud- on her poster.
She's a fortune teller but if we're being honest she's a fraud, that's why people are angry with her and have written "nassabe" -meaning fraud- on her poster.
Name: Em Abdo Al-Bassara
Nationality: Moroccan
Profession: Professional fraud
Nationality: Moroccan
Profession: Professional fraud
Backstory:
She joined the circus with her son Abdo.
It is believed that she ran away with the circus because she has debts.
People doubt that "Em Abdo" is her real name because Abdo isn't a very Moroccan name.
She joined the circus with her son Abdo.
It is believed that she ran away with the circus because she has debts.
People doubt that "Em Abdo" is her real name because Abdo isn't a very Moroccan name.
She has tribal facial tattoos to ward off the evil eye and for luck.
She's wearing a dress with amazigh embroidery, and has rings on her fingers that are of an unknown origin (she probably stole them).
She's wearing a dress with amazigh embroidery, and has rings on her fingers that are of an unknown origin (she probably stole them).
Facial expressions, Model sheet
Next we have Abdo w ghanamato (Abdo and his sheep)
Abdo is Em Abdo's son, he's a very arrogant character that thinks he's talented for training his sheep how to sing (though they sound terrible).
Abdo is Em Abdo's son, he's a very arrogant character that thinks he's talented for training his sheep how to sing (though they sound terrible).
Name: Abdo
Nationality: Moroccan
Profession: sheep orchestra conductor
Nationality: Moroccan
Profession: sheep orchestra conductor
Backstory:
He joined the circus with his mother and has 3 sheep that he claims to have
He joined the circus with his mother and has 3 sheep that he claims to have
trained to sing.
It is believed that he stole his sheep.
It is believed that he stole his sheep.
He wears a roman helmet that he found buried underground and thinks it's a fashion statement and a jacket that he had cut and sewn to look like that of a conductor's.
Facial expressions, model sheet.
Abdo was too lazy when it came to naming his sheep so he named them (1, 2, and 3)
1: thinks she's a dog and is shaved like a poodle.
2: is just always hungry.
and 3: is very arrogant and thinks she's the star of the show.
1: thinks she's a dog and is shaved like a poodle.
2: is just always hungry.
and 3: is very arrogant and thinks she's the star of the show.
Bahij Al-Mharajati is our clown, though he seems happy and jolly he's a very shy and sensitive soul.
Name: Bahij Al-Mharajati
Nationality: Syrian
Profession: Clown
Nationality: Syrian
Profession: Clown
Backstory:
-He grew up in an orphanage with Faten and was bullied as a kid for having a big belly.
-He's very shy and doesn't talk, and has a crush on Faten
-He grew up in an orphanage with Faten and was bullied as a kid for having a big belly.
-He's very shy and doesn't talk, and has a crush on Faten
(but is stuck in the friendzone -send help!- ).
He wears a traditional syrian outfit with a "tarboush/ fez" to cover his bald head and always has his hands in front of him to hide his insecurity (his big belly).
Facial expressions, model sheet.
Faten (batta) Al-Bahlawani is our freak show character.
she has a third eye that she can juggle with.
she has a third eye that she can juggle with.
Name: Faten aka batta Al-Bahlawani
Nationality: Egyptian
Profession: juggler
Nationality: Egyptian
Profession: juggler
Backstory:
She grew up in the same orphanage as Bahij (the clown),
until Samaan Al-Bahlawani discovered her talent, adopted her (that's why she has the same last name as him), and added her to his circus family.
She grew up in the same orphanage as Bahij (the clown),
until Samaan Al-Bahlawani discovered her talent, adopted her (that's why she has the same last name as him), and added her to his circus family.
-She has a third eye in her forehead that she can take out and juggle with,
and she wears pharaoh clothing.
and she wears pharaoh clothing.
And last but not least we have Samaan Al-Bahlawani the founder of our circus.
He's a contortionist (a back bender to be specific) and though he's old he's super bendy.
He's a contortionist (a back bender to be specific) and though he's old he's super bendy.
Name: Samaan Al-Bahlawani
Nationality: he forgot
Profession: contortionist and founder of the circus
Nationality: he forgot
Profession: contortionist and founder of the circus
Backstory:
He used to be a street performer, then he met Faten at the orphanage when
He used to be a street performer, then he met Faten at the orphanage when
she was little and adopted her, then he started searching for members to join
his circus family.
It is believed that he doesn't have a spine.
It is believed that he doesn't have a spine.
His clothes are inspired by karakoz and iwaz.
Facial expressions, moddel sheet
The tent
Samaan's circus is a poor one, that's why they only have one big top tent for shows
and two little ones, one for selling tickets and the other is for fortune telling.
The big top is shaped like an octagon with horizontal stripes instead of vertical ones
that are black and white to give it more of an Arabic look.
A digital rendition of the tent in color and one of the interior to the fortune teller's tent.
Storyboards
1. The story of how Em Abdo finesses people into giving her all their money.
A man standing next to a sign that reads fortune teller,
the moment he sets foot in her tent Em Abdo pounces at him making him jump,
then ushers him to sit down and put money in a pottery jar to start his coffee reading
but when she looks at his coffee cup she make the most dramatic performance so that he's more eager to know what she has to say, then points at the jar every other sentence to put more money in.
And by the time she's done he's all out of money and holding every gemstone and crystal that he could buy.
2. the mystery of how abdo got his sheep (well... there's no mystery...he stole them)
Abdo and his mother are making a bargain with a sheep herder
but when they give him the money bag he finds out that it's filled with rocks
next thing he sees is Abdo running away with 2 sheep one in each arm,
and Em Abdo.. well she's too smart than to carry a sheep, so she lets IT do all the running while she's riding on top by baiting it with some food at the end of a stick.
next shot is abdo sewing a jacket then he wears his roman helmet that he think's is a fashionable item and gets his sheep to perform by making them sing for food.
next shot is abdo sewing a jacket then he wears his roman helmet that he think's is a fashionable item and gets his sheep to perform by making them sing for food.
3.The story of how Bahij and Faten met.
Bahij was a chubby kid that only grown up clothes would fit his big belly
(though they were too long at the sleeves), even his feet were too big for his
child size slippers.
The kids at the orphanage would bully him because of this.
Then he saw Faten all happy and care free playing around and juggling, but one of the kids got jealous of her and yanked at her head wrap which revealed a big hole in her forehead that she was trying to hide.
Bahij seeing this wanted to console her but was too shy to do so,
so he took one of the balls that fell to the ground and drew an eye on it but being too timid to go up to faten and talk to her he drew on his face to make himself look like a clown and then walked up to her and gave her his gift, suggesting that she puts the ball inside the hole in her forehead.
Flash forward a couple of years later faten is performing in the circus with her third eye as a part of the act.
The kids at the orphanage would bully him because of this.
Then he saw Faten all happy and care free playing around and juggling, but one of the kids got jealous of her and yanked at her head wrap which revealed a big hole in her forehead that she was trying to hide.
Bahij seeing this wanted to console her but was too shy to do so,
so he took one of the balls that fell to the ground and drew an eye on it but being too timid to go up to faten and talk to her he drew on his face to make himself look like a clown and then walked up to her and gave her his gift, suggesting that she puts the ball inside the hole in her forehead.
Flash forward a couple of years later faten is performing in the circus with her third eye as a part of the act.
4. This is the storyboard of samaan's contortion show.
when people see a very flexible person they say, do they have bones?
Well i took it literally.
here we see in order for samaan to do contortion he has to take off his skeleton first.
samaan enters the stage walking with a cane as you'd expect an old person of his age
but then when the music starts he starts belly dancing and gets a little too excited that he injures his back and has to go off stage, that's when things get interesting...
Samaan in 3D
the finished T pose model
Samaan with textures, hair and finished rig.
Walk cycle test after the finished rig.
Color key
Samaan with finished stage modeling, texturing, lighting.
And here is the final result of my 3D journey.
This was my first time using a 3D software; first time (modeling- texturing- rigging- animating- rendering...)
This was my first time using a 3D software; first time (modeling- texturing- rigging- animating- rendering...)
i still have a log way to go and a lot more to learn but i'm pretty happy with the result.
please make sure you have the resolution on 720 or higher for good quality
(i've worked too long on his body hair to go unnoticed)
(i've worked too long on his body hair to go unnoticed)
Now for Samaan Al-Bahlawani's show... Enjoy!
