The Cast of

The Softest Blanket

In All of Dingledorf

The Baby King

The Buff Baby

The Old Woman

The Town Crier

The Sailor Baby

The Knight

The cast of characters you see above belongs to a student film entitled The Softest Blanket in All of Dingledorf, on which I served as the lead 3D modeler. The production process lasted a little less than a year and had a main team of six people, as well as a small team of stop-motion artists and some outsourced help. Throughout my time on the production crew, I modeled the six characters featured above, as well as the majority of the environment and various props. Aside from my main job, I also worked on texturing, lighting, and rendering, and built a three-foot-tall rigged prop for the stop-motion sequence. This project was definitely full of challenges, as it was the first film I worked on almost entirely remotely and without ever meeting the director in person. At the same time, I was working as outsourced help on another student film, my character model for which can be found here. In short, I had a full schedule and gained significant experience in juggling multiple tasks and making the most of my time. At the end of the day, I think this project helped me to grow both professionally and personally as an artist, and gave me a taste of what to expect as I traverse further into my career. (All characters created by Xan Poulsen.)

The

Baby King

The Baby King is the main character of a student film project entitled The Softest Blanket in All of Dingledorf, on which I worked as the lead modeler. He's everything one would expect a baby king to be: impatient, demanding, and, most of all, clumsy. In fact, his blundering is what sets the story in motion. After an unfortunate accident causes the Baby King to lose his favorite blanket, he calls upon his subjects to bring him the softest blanket in all the land. The winner would receive a knighthood, while those who failed would be punished severely. This call to action attracts people from all different walks of life. Namely, a sailor with a big mouth, a buff guy who thinks strength is always the answer, and an elderly woman whose best friend is an alpaca. Will the Baby King get the blanket of his dreams, or will history be doomed to repeat? (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

The

Old Woman

She's an elderly woman and a baby at the same time. How that works, no one is quite sure. But, one thing's for certain: she can knit like no one's business. The Old Woman is one of the many Dingledorfians that responds to the Baby King's blanket quest. Armed with her knitting needles and accompanied by her trusty alpaca friend, she treks, albeit at a snail's pace, to the castle to present her handmade blanket to the Baby King. Will she win the king's favor and be knighted, or will her hard work be for naught? (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

The

Sailor Baby

He would love to stay and continue to talk your ear off, but he's actually got an important lunch to get to. Just like Yankee Doodle, he stuck a feather in his cap, and he'll probably claim that it was plucked from the rarest bird on the planet. The Sailor Baby is another one of many who responded to the king's call, looking for the reward of knighthood. Although, if you ask Mr. Sailor, being knighted is just another drop in the bucket in comparison to his already important and successful life. He uses his vast fortune to purchase the "softest blanket in all the land" and presents it to the king, but does he actually get what he paid for? Either way, let's move this along. He has places to be and people to brag about himself to. (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

The

Buff Baby

He's big. He's strong. He's bald and buck-toothed. Facial features aside, the Buff Baby thinks muscles are the answer to everything and is always ready to show off his strength. He's yet another one of the poor, unfortunate souls who accepted the Baby King's quest to find the softest blanket. Of course, a rough-and-tumble guy like Buff here doesn't have any blankets just laying around, so he comes in possession of his entry the only way he knows how. He seeks out the biggest, toughest guy in all of Dingledorf and steals the goliath's blanket right from under his nose. Of course, being as hardcore as he is, Buff doesn't actually check if the blanket is soft enough for the king's delicate skin. Will his brute strength win him the knighthood, or will he fall short in the end? (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

The

Town Crier

Hear ye, hear ye! Gather round, because the Town Crier has a message for all those who will listen. This mustachioed gentleman opens up our story with the most buoyant of entrances. He bounces in on his trusty rubber-horse steed with an official-looking scroll in his hand. Reading from his paper prompter, he relays the Baby King's plight to the citizens of Dingledorf. He tells them of the king's lost blanket and the mission, should they choose to accept it, to bring him a replacement fit for royalty. The winner shall be granted knighthood, but beware, for those who fail will face a grisly punishment. But, no pressure, right? (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

The

Knight

The epitome of the strong and silent type, these are men of few words, and probably even fewer thoughts. But, what they lack in firing neurons they make up for in unconditional loyalty and a boundless work ethic. The Knights are the Baby King's army of identical personal servants. They wait on him hand and foot, providing every kind of service, from item retrieval to applause. They never complain, never step out of line, and never seem to do anything unless it's for the king, and that's just how he likes them. I'd say they need to take a break, but they probably don't even know what that is. Toxic work environment aside, these fellows are kind of inspiring. (Character created by Xan Poulsen, reference sheet drawn in collaboration with Xan Poulsen.)

Linx

Linx is the main character of a student film project entitled Brake, for which I was recruited as outsourced help. The film showcases the importance of service dogs and the good they do for those diagnosed with ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder. It features mostly 3D animation, with a 2D animated sequence that gives a visual representation of being overstimulated and on the verge of a breakdown. I worked with the team throughout the production process, communicating almost daily with the director and offering whatever help I could aside from modeling the main character. Other tasks I performed included cleaning up the topology of and UV unwrapping other character models, as well as assisting the rigging team in building a quadruped rig for the service dog. I learned a lot from this experience about teamwork and communication, and about what it means to be a director and the responsibilities that come along with it. I also worked entirely remotely, which in itself was a learning experience. (Character created by Aja Weary.)

Watch the film here: