Kepler
Kepler was an exciting roller coaster with many twists. This project was for my senior show at Southeastern Louisiana University. It had three main parts: an intro animation, an outro animation, and a project in between.
But before we see the final work, let's start at the beginning.
Kepler Was an RPG Concept
Yes! Kepler was originally meant to be an RPG with an intro animation and end credit animation. It was planned to have its own music, unique artwork, and a captivating story. Not only that, but Kepler did not receive its name until the final stages. Before our galaxy-themed short film got its name, it was originally called RUIN!
RUIN! The Interactive RPG
The backstory was… complex. In the dystopian story, humans underwent a psychological evolution that allowed them to reconfigure their own DNA. This phenomenon gave people superhuman strength, speed, and heightened senses. However, with that new power, they lost themselves. Eventually, the emergence of “Ruins” led to the destruction of one-third of the human race.
Map for RUIN.
There was an incredible amount of lore put into the storyline. I really wanted to go big or go home. This brings us to what could have been the intro animation for this game.
The Original Draft Intro
Introducing bear suits! BUM-DA-BUM!
The Project was a Dud!
After finishing a few seconds of my intro animation, I realized that I did not want to continue with the project. I didn't have the time to finish the concept, and I had lost interest. Something was missing. After making major changes, I decided to remove the video game part and ended up changing the project to a 3D animation.
A New Beginning
The new project was in 3D, featured a new soundtrack, and removed the bear suits. It still retained some playfulness and flair, staying true to the video game concept. The project follows a surreal storyline in which the audience is immersed in a new dystopian society where people are compelled to wear robotic masks and to "always smile." This world closely mirrors our own social environment and offers a chilling portrayal of the effects of corruption, control, and the abuse of governmental/political power. Will there ever be a redo and a killer RPG? Who knows!
