Indy Theme Park: Character Design
Atlas the Mountain Lion Cub
Atlas is a young mountain lion cub. He lived with his family in the wild before poachers killed his mother and he was injured trying to escape. A ranger from the reserve found him and brought him back to recover. While he is recovering, he enjoys playing with the children that come to visit the reserve. He acts very much like a child, he is excitable and energetic. He is motion activated, so whenever someone comes near him, he comes alive with a lot of energy. Because of his injuries after escaping, Atlas's right front leg is in a sling and one of his whiskers is bent.
Purpose in Land
Atlas will be placed at the entrance of a playground for young children (age 3-9). He is small, about three feet tall and is seated on a tree stump so that his height is not intimidating to children. When children enter the playground, he will be activated and welcome them into his playground where he likes to hang out. He can't play with them today because of his arm but asks them to take good care of it for him.
Animation
Atlas has a lot of motion, mostly in his face and upper body. He is seated on a tree stump with his feet on the ground. He can move and tap his toes but the rest of his lower body is motionless to provide support for his upper half. He can squash and stretch his torso as well as twist and lean forward and back. His free left arm can wave and swing around like a normal arm. His right arm in the sling can move slightly back and forth when he speaks. On both arms, his fingers can move and wiggle. His tail has 4 joints in it to provide as much fluid motion as possible. His head can rotate, move left and right, and back and forth. He can blink his eyes and move them around to look at people. His mouth and nose have several joints to allow for relatively realistic motion.
Prototype
Design Inspiration
