This is the fine cut of my animated documentary, “Gustave Whitehead: The Forgotten Flier“.  I’m really pleased with it, and I hope you are, too!

Let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Kristian

I’m making an animated documentary about Gustave Whitehead. He was a flier, and was largely forgotten. The reason why this is interesting is because he made a controlled, powered flight in a heavier-than-air vehicle two years before the Wright Brother’s flew! So, I’m making an animated documentary about him. Perhaps this work will inspire other people to innovate and push the envelope of human discovery, knowing that even if they never achieve fame, even if they die penniless, it’s possible that someone might make an animated documentary about them. Indeed, a chance at immortality.

Yep — I am indeed doing it! I’ve made the bulk of the artwork, which is charcoal pencil on heavy watercolor paper, and I’ve got it into After Effects. The voice track is done and I’m quite pleased with it! An original score is also underway. Exciting things!

Below are some low-res captures from my first renderings. I’ll no doubt do some general color correction and maybe throw a vignette on it and whatever other finishing is needed. Blah blah. Here are some stills!

Since when do airplanes cast shadows on the sky? Since I adopted a puppet show aesthetic for my new documentary! That's when.

Gustave Whitehead exhorts his assistant to stoke the steam engine!