[FMP] "Cutie dividers" · 6:03am Sep 27th, 2015
With the newest adventure story underway (and my second collaboration for this fandom), I've made a decision to do what I've been wanting to do for a long time. Now that I have the appropriate skill with my software, as well as blatantly copying the idea from those infinitely better than me, I'm devoted to using special scene dividers to both break up the passage of time and swap between characters throughout the tale. You've likely seen such images in the prologue chapter.
Well, I'd like to take tonight's time in order to properly explain their purpose, as well as show a few that I have ready to go. And, if nothing else, you can rest assured that I fully intend to make more "cutie dividers" as the cast expands. With any luck, they can be just as simplistic and creative as Rainbow Dash's turned out to be!
Did you catch that? The horizontal rule? It's literally a black line that extends from one side of the reading pane to the other, and it serves its purpose well. In the past, I've used this (or a collection of symbols to the same effect) in order to show a change in scenery, time, or focus character. Each segment would thereby be called a scene, and I would plan each scene accordingly with context in mind. This came into play very well during Rain without Rainbows, where I tried to make each scene have its own core issue that would be addressed. But I also made an effort to avoid using it when the situation allowed, such as the entirety of chapter sixteen - I'm sure you all noticed how that chapter, judging by my own rules above, is all one flowing scene with no breaks.
(Yes, I know that's not how it works in the film industry or many...most...entertainment mediums. But it's how I was able to manage the time I was able to get, and it ultimately succeeded, so nyeh.)
Then I read The Immortal Game, a story that had been on my radar for a very long time. I'm not here to talk about that story - it's an experience you'll have to earn yourself! - but rather about what that story did. In each chapter from beginning to end, AestheticB utilized the cutie marks of each major character in place of a horizontal rule. Those marks did two things at once: changed scenes, and changed characters. If you started the chapter with Twilight's star, you followed her. If that chapter suddenly showed Rainbow's bolt, you instead followed Rainbow. These rules, while never stated, were ironclad...and the best part? They looked good!
I've since wanted to try something to the same effect. It's part of the reason I've been messing around so much with paint.net (as previous entries have shown (still not sorry)). In the couple years since I started experimenting with it, I've learned a few tricks and a couple flaws. I've also totally lost two large projects due to the software itself crashing mid-save. But regardless, what I was able to KEEP allowed me to pick up on a few good traits!
So let's get down to business. Obviously I'm pulling inspiration and resources from both the pony show and the alchemy show. What do I have to show, and when can you expect to see them? Take a look:
-This one is going to be the new general-purpose scene divider, for when a scene changes but the focus character does not. Typically this will be used when time passes but more remains to be said about the character in question. So far, this particular divider hasn't been used, but the upcoming "chapter one" will show it for the first time. This little project took maybe twenty-five minutes to complete, and the hardest part about it was getting those circles equally distanced from each other. I took inspiration from similar, fancier scene dividers I was able to find in a standard image search.
Note: For the following images, you may click on the image itself to bring up a larger version.
-This is one shown for when we're following Twilight after she's attained the truth of alchemy. A simple basis: mix the key symbols from each main character. For Twilight, it's obviously her cutie mark; for Edward Elric, the Flamel. I would go on to incorporate the Flamel into other cutie marks as necessary (if you've seen Brotherhood, you can guess who will be affected), but this was the first time I brought it in to play. It was also the first divider I made, period. This particular project took maybe an hour and ten minutes, not counting the time I had to restart it due to a design change. The hardest part was simply getting that shadow effect right.
-For the pony who would eventually become known as Whiteout, I actually had a very easy time deciding on his mark. Since the beginning of the fic was inspired by the beginning of the anime, it only made sense to utilize the alchemy circle of Isaac McDougal. What I didn't count on was so many scribbles in the official design that would have complicated the entire process. Still, I went about my way and cut out the fat, then tossed in a couple gradients to make the thing look full. This one took barely fifteen minutes from start to finish, and its hardest task was just aligning the gradient "fill" with the gradient "spill" that goes beyond the edges of the circle.
-A mark that went unused! During the drafting stage of 0.3, I entertained the idea of having the freezing circle be bloodied to give away how Whiteout's encounter with Luna ended. It would have been a dynamic way to tell the reader what became of him, but as time went on, I decided to leave this one out. I ultimately settled with simply leaving the chapter end on that cliffhanger (that OBVIOUSLY wouldn't have ended any other way), but I still like how this one turned out, so I kept it as an archive. Obviously, all I did was overlay a stock blood splatter on the finished freezing circle, erased the spots that fell outside the lines, and added a vignette. This process took all of five minutes, and most of that was experimenting with shadows to decide what looked the best. It wasn't hard at all.
-My personal favorite of the bunch so far! When TwiBest approached me with the idea, we both didn't need much convincing to put Rainbow Dash in the role of Roy Mustang. That turned up the dial on my inspiration, since I wanted to do something similar with Twilight's divider - include elements from both shows. I spent some time to study both symbols and ultimately decided to put Rainbow's cutie mark as an element within the flame circle. Once I had a design in mind, I put the bolt where I thought it best, changed the colors on it to match the circle, then added a few more lines to keep the triangles intact. Unlike the freezing circle, I used only a gradient "spill" for this one, since the flame circle itself was set against white ignition-cloth in the anime. I love the effect it gave, like seeing the glow of a fire around the edge of a door. This project took about an hour, with matching the bolt to the circle being the most difficult part.
And, to finish up, here's a couple others that are ready but not yet used:
i could go on and detail my exploits in making the cover art and title card, but those are tales for a different day. Plus the cover art's story still makes me a little upset, so let's just leave them here for now.
~Leo
Nice. I actually like these. I use them quite a bit myself. I've always found that it adds a little touch to the story to keep it in tone.
I approve.
3423533 That's all I've ever wanted, daddy! Your approval! Maybe now you can let brother Tommy come home?
3423552
No. He ruined the garden with his god damn monster truck.