Production notes

Every story starts as a cast and a setting. Those are drawn once, then used as reference for every picture in the story, so the characters stay themselves from beginning to end.

The cast

Model sheet for Gareth — **Gareth** the brave knight

human male, tall and strong build, wearing shining silver armour and a red cape, with short brown hair and a clean-shaven face

Sounds deep and steady.

Model sheet for Elaine — **Elaine** the wise lady knight

human female, medium height and slim, wearing elegant blue and gold armour, with long blonde hair tied back in a braid and bright green eyes

Sounds calm and clear.

Model sheet for Rufus — **Rufus** the loyal castle guard

human male, stocky and muscular, dressed in dark leather armour with a horned helmet under his arm, with a bushy black beard and curly hair

Sounds rough and hearty.

Model sheet for Mira — **Mira** the swift scout knight

human female, lithe and agile build, clad in light green armour and a short cloak, with short fiery red hair and freckles across her face

Sounds quick and lively.

The setting

Background painting of A bleak, weathered castle where four knights guard a troubled realm. — **A bleak, weathered castle where four knights guard a troubled realm.**

The setting is a sprawling medieval stone castle perched atop a misty, rugged cliff. Grey, weathered walls rise tall against a perpetually overcast sky. The light is dim and cold, casting long shadows across narrow, winding corridors and the shadowed great hall. Flickering torchlight and the gleam of iron armour add stark contrasts. Around the castle, stark battlements and a gloomy courtyard reveal scars of past battles, with creeping ivy and worn banners giving a sense of faded glory.

grey dark blue rust deep crimson

The plan

The four knights notice that the castle walls have deep cracks and worry about its safety.

worried and tense wide establishing shot Gareth, Elaine, Rufus, Mira
Elaine suggests a plan to repair the walls quickly, but they find the materials are missing or too late to arrive.

frustrated and anxious medium shot Elaine, Gareth, Rufus, Mira
A heavy storm starts, making the walls weaker as rain and wind hit the castle hard.

stormy and fearful long shot Gareth, Elaine, Rufus, Mira
The main wall suddenly collapses, and the knights rush to help each other, but the damage is great.

urgent and tragic close-up Gareth, Elaine, Rufus, Mira
Though the castle is badly damaged, the knights stand together, promising to protect what is left.

hopeful but sad medium shot Gareth, Elaine, Rufus, Mira

How it was made

Pictures drawn: 11
Words written: 1075
Generation steps: 19
Time to make: 5 min

Drawn in charcoal. Written in English at level B1, for teen readers.

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