PopStory!!

← The Shadow in the Castle

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 Milo

Milo a wise old wizard

human male with a long white beard, wearing a tall pointed blue hat decorated with silver stars, a loose dark blue robe, and carrying a wooden staff topped with a glowing crystal

Sounds slow and deep.

Model sheet for Lina

Lina a young apprentice wizard

human female with short red hair, wearing a simple green cloak over a plain white dress, a leather belt with pouches, and holding a small spell book

Sounds bright and clear.

Model sheet for Thorn

Thorn a mysterious forest wizard

elf male with sharp features, green skin, wearing a cloak made of leaves and bark, bare feet, and a wooden pendant shaped like a leaf

Sounds soft and whispery.

The setting

Background painting of An ancient castle shrouded in moonlit mystery and shadowed secrets.

An ancient castle shrouded in moonlit mystery and shadowed secrets.

A sprawling ancient stone castle perched atop a windswept hill, its weathered grey walls entwined with creeping ivy. Narrow, arched windows cast sharp beams of pale moonlight into shadowed, labyrinthine halls. Flickering torches line crumbling stone corridors, while heavy oak doors creak under the cold night air. Outside, a dense, dark forest looms at the castle's base, shrouded in mist and mystery.

stone grey midnight blue shadow black ivy green

The plan

  1. Milo and Lina see a shadow moving in the castle at night.

    curious and tense wide establishing shot Milo, Lina

  2. Lina wants to catch the shadow. Milo says it might be Thorn.

    determined and worried medium shot Milo, Lina

  3. Milo and Lina search the castle quietly for the shadow.

    quiet and focused long shot Milo, Lina

  4. They hear a soft voice. Thorn appears and says he watches to protect.

    surprised and calm close-up Milo, Lina, Thorn

  5. Thorn leaves quickly. Milo and Lina do not know his full secret yet.

    mysterious and thoughtful medium shot Milo, Lina

How it was made

Pictures drawn
10
Words written
541
Generation steps
18
Time to make
4 min

Drawn in watercolour. Written in English at level A2, for adult readers.

Read the story