The video is here:

This video is the final installment in the series. If you want to watch the whole story I have edited it all together. The DragonSlayer 7 complete story

About the story and the beard

The story is a simple story of the heros journey but doesn't follow Joseph Campbell's exact outline. It is more about the metamorphosis or transformation of the main character from one stage of his life to the next. He goes from being an adventurer and dragon slayer to being a wizard.

We started this whole series with a quest and a battle. And through multiple adventures we eventually return home to a wizard's sanctum, giving up the sword and taking up a new stage in life - settling down for something more pensive.

Interesting parallel the character has to my life in certain ways. One little detail that changed in me and in the dragonslayer is the color of his beard. When I started the animation, years ago, I had a brown beard. And so did the dragonslayer. And.... As the story comes to its conclusion our dragonslayer has a white beard - as do I.

Techniques and Tips from this animation

The first set I built was about six feet square and it was for the meteor crafter. I built a platform out of two by fours then used some thin plywood as the surface. The reason for the platform being elevated is so I could reach underneath and get at the bolts for the feet of the miniature.

For the terrain, including the meteor crater, I used plaster cloth.

The trees are cut out from foamboard. And everything is pretty much just painted with a little bit of terrain textures on the grass and soil. The crater is illuminated by a small bulb. It's an important point because the crystal he finds is illuminated.

Once we look into the crater we then make a perspective change. We then look out from the crater. This gives us an interesting change. And the lighting is just terrific from this angle. It accentuates the glowing of the crystal.

Ok, he retrieves the crystal and it guides him to a new place (the sanctum) Let's take a look at that scene and at that set. Continue

Watch the Video Here

The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell, arguably the greatest mythologist of the twentieth century, was certainly one of our greatest storytellers. This masterfully crafted book interweaves conversations between Campbell and some of the people he inspired, including poet Robert Bly, anthropologist Angeles Arrien, filmmaker David Kennard, Doors drummer John Densmore, psychiatric pioneer Stanislov Grof, Nobel laureate Roger Guillemen, and others. Campbell reflects on subjects ranging from the origins and functions of myth, the role of the artist, and the need for ritual to the ordeals of love and romance. With poetry and humor, Campbell recounts his own quest and conveys the excitement of his lifelong exploration of our mythic traditions, what he called "the one great story of mankind."

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