I’m going to be a physics major, but I really enjoy telling stories. I use my knowledge of quantum physics and relativity to craft complex magic systems during my world building. My Freestyle projects weren’t able to exemplify this, but I was able to grow my skills in other aspects of storytelling.
Raine and Raccoon
For my Zenith project, I wanted to explore telling a story with music. I wrote five songs that tell the story of Raine and Raccoon as they venture from the mushroom-infested woods out to the sea. I started to make an animatic for the first song, but quickly realized that I wouldn’t have time to do a full animatic and switched to less animation. I would appreciate feedback on the story and flow of the end result.
I would also like to apologize ahead of time for my poor vocals, I had a bit of a cold.
Lyrics:
Oop I ate a mushroom
spoopin through the woods
stepped on a raccoon
now he is my friend
But where did I go
To end up so alone
But I’ve got Raccoon
So leave me mushroom blues
See the squirrel kingdom
All up in the leaves
Raccoon’s having fun
Climbing into the trees
But how could this be
To almost forget me
But I’ve got Raccoon
So leave me mushroom blues
Raccoon is the king now
Ruling all the squirrels
He’s rocking his shrooms crown
Now he calls me earl
But when did that change
To Earl and not Rain
But I’ve got Raccoon
So leave me mushroom blues
Raccoon is a tyrant
Oppressing his people
Rebels making good chants
While hiding in the steeple
But who is Raccoon
His reign I need to end
Raccoon is my friend
I’ll save him from these shrooms
So I overthrew him
And then we ran away
We went and picked more mushrooms
To save for another day
Lyrics:
left the past, but at what cost
felt so alone, felt so lost
never thought I would
Stumble out of these woods
into the
Open air
out on the prairie
the wind blows so softly
out on the prairie
can carry you anywhere
or time can pass you by
out on the prairie
free to move, just not back
what to do? I’ll get a snack
never thought I could
stumble out of those woods
into the
Open air
out on the prairie
the wind blows so softly
out on the prairie
can carry you anywhere
or time can pass you by
out on the prairie
too many choices, lost again
what to do? where to begin?
maybe I should
stumble back to the woods
out of the
Open air
out on the prairie
the wind blows so softly
out on the prairie
can carry you anywhere
or time can pass you by
out on the prairie
Lyrics:
I just kept walking
why’d I keep walking
up to the cliff edge
looking down over
don’t push me over
stuck on the cliff edge
but Raccoon’s doing fine
so I should be too
need some peace of mind
what should I do
look out at the sea
not down at the beach
but I want to go back
afraid of falling forward
I just kept walking
why’d I keep walking
up to the cliff edge
looking down over
can I climb over
don’t fall off the cliff edge
how is he so fine
what did I miss?
the only way down is a dangerous climb
and yet Raccoon has bliss
look out at the sea
not down at the beach
we can always go back
or find a new way forward
I’ll just keep walking
glad I kept walking
up to the cliff edge
looking out over
before the sunset’s over
sitting on the cliff edge
Lyrics:
Make it to the shore
with the little leaving light
left me wanting more
but it has to fade to night
the waves are not crashing
just lightly sloshing
what a relief
building a pyre
starting a fire
flames getting higher
Raccoon gathers more sticks and leaves
but from the fire he picks and heaves
the flaming fuel he chooses to pull
spreads the heat around the cool beach
stare into the plasma
burning off miasma
waves sloshing forward
pulling me toward
the sea
building the pyre
tending the fire
flames getting higher
Raccoon tugs at my arms and sleeves
telling me that it is time to leave
he made obscene the beautiful scene
spreading the heat around the cool beach
stare into the plasma
burning off miasma
waves sloshing forward
I’m running toward
the sea
we built the pyre
tended the fire
flames gotten too high
now we must say bye
to the soft sand
to the cool breeze
to the dull sounds
of the nice beach
say bye
to the soft sand
to the cool breeze
to the dull sounds
of the nice beach
say bye
to the soft sand
to the cool breeze
to the dull sounds
of the nice beach
Lyrics:
Drifting at sea
Alone in our boat
Just you and me
But it’s always
home
When I have you here with me
Drifting at sea
Alone in our boat
I’ll never leave
Cause I have a
home
When I have you here with me
Drifting at sea
Alone in our boat
our long journey
and you make it home
Walter Jynkins
We started off this year by modeling 3D weapons. When we moved on to character modeling, I wanted my weapon to connect to my character in some way, and so I thought of the silliest combo I could: a small squirrel and an unwieldy axe.
From there I built the story of Walter Jynkins, an innocent little squirrel that stumbles upon The Axe which chooses Walter to be its immortal ward. From then on, whenever Walter picks up the axe, he blacks out and his body goes on a rampage, causing chaos, as The Axe desires.
Walter figures this out pretty quickly after waking up covered in blood after the first few times he tries to pick up The Axe. He also figures out that he’s no longer anywhere recognizable; The Axe had taken him to a new world.
Out of fear of The Axe, Walter piles some leaves on top of it and finds a nearby village, unfortunately still in flames after an encounter with The Axe. When the villagers spot Walter, they recognize him as the one who caused all of this carnage and chase him out. Not knowing what to do, Walter runs back to The Axe to escape. When he wakes again, a prairie dog, Thomas “Tommy” Thomppup, stands over him with a concerned expression on his face.
Walter proceeds to have a panic attack, and Tommy vows to help Walter understand what’s going on.
The Axe doesn’t have much to understand except “destroy,” but that isn’t enough for Walter and Tommy, so they spend years trying to find a pattern in the destruction. Tommy is able to find a way to get them back to a single point after each outing, setting up a home-base where they spend their time together in between adventures.
Tragedy befalls the duo, though, on one fateful outing. Walter wakes up to find The Axe lodged in Tommy’s chest. Walter carries Tommy’s body home, with The Axe still stuck in it. At home, Walter buries Tommy’s body and plants a tree on top of the grave. When Walter goes inside, he finds a small package with a compass and a message that reads “for my dear Walter, so even when I’m not there with you, I can still help bring you home.”
After this, Walter’s relationship with The Axe is a bit less stable. Sometimes, Walter can’t stand to even bear to look at The Axe because it reminds him that he killed Tommy. Other times, he feels like he must continue the quest for understanding that Tommy had been devoted to. Over time, Walter uses The Axe more and more as a way to escape from his guilt and grief.
Since Walter no longer has Tommy to carry The Axe back home for him, he finds an inhabitant in each place The Axe takes him to help him get back home. All of these people Walter brings back to his home eventually join together to create a new civilization.
The Axe and its motivations, the civilization and its structure, and the civilization’s inhabitants have all been fleshed out more, but I think I should put a limit on much of your time I take up.
I would love feedback on Walter’s story, where I might expand it or flesh it out more, changes, or new direction.
Thank you for your time!