Visual Filter style reference (images and videos)

Nell shows some lens Flare in her sketch too. These images also showcase the light distortion effect to give the impression it is being filmed by a portable camera/camcorder.

Visual Filter style reference (images and videos)

Hey here are some videos and images to give you an idea of the CRT filter effect and camcorder light distortion effects I had in mind. I'm thinking it could be a bit more subtle than is shown here, but hopefully this will give you an idea of what I'm on about. The idea is that there will be faint lines visible as though is were being watched on a CRT monitor and digital distortion effects to give the impression it's being shot on a portable camera. 

Videos of the camcorder light distortion lens flare effects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2StEvMRv5d4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wDXunftPB4&feature=related

Video of the CRT TV filter effect.

http://vimeo.com/12034856

First attempts at overall look & feel.

Hello everyone!

I am adding here the first sketches of how I imagine the world of Caruso, and Caruso himself. You tell me if I got the vision correctly:

Also, I am including a collage with the mixed race/latino traits I imagine Caruso might have:

Tell me what you think!

Refence Images description

My thinking behind 'Caruso Mendes' is that he would have similar vibe to that of 'Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo' and that he would look kind of like a cross between 'Keanu Reeves' and 'Michael Mando'.

I picture him being a bit unkempt due to his general demeanor and the rough lifestyle he has found himself living. 

He used to be on the cutting edge of cool and was the definition of charm, swagger and charisma, but he is slowly becoming a bit more of a weary unfocused meandering lost soul. Unable to get his swagger back and gradually losing his once famous charm and charisma. 

During his adventure/Journey he gradually rediscovers his winning spark and flair. Lifting his general attitude and outlook on life.  

Reference images (Caruso)

Knightside Story Overview Draft 2

 The Knightside Chronicles: Caruso’s Journey is set on a Galactic 

stage in a far flung future where space travel has become as trivial as air 

travel is today. Humanity has expanded into the far reaches of the Galaxy 

with colonies ranging from prosperous resort worlds where the most 

wealthy spend fortunes in exquisite decadence to back water mining 

colonies where major corporations employ the most destitute and 

desperate individuals to exploit their hard work for pitiful pay and a 

meager existence. 

Caruso Mendes is an odd job gun for hire with aspirations of once again 

attaining the glory days of his late teens where he basked in the life of a 

music superstar. Having split from his former band due to creative 

differences. Caruso subsequently blew through his newly attained wealth 

almost as quickly as he acquired it in a wholly typical affair of 

unrestrained extreme decadence, further added to by his wallowing in self 

sorrow due to a failed solo album which resulted in the studio on which he 

had signed dropping him due to substantial losses. 

Once Heralded as a legend in the making. Caruso now largely forgotten, 

tours the fringes of the Galaxy playing any gig he can get as well as 

taking odd gun for hire jobs just to make ends meat. Unable to reclaim 

his former spark and flair, he gradually begins to accept his decline into 

obscurity until he is sent a personal vid message that turns out to be an 

advert. The video presented by an eccentric looking scientist of some sort 

and his robot assistant claims to have invented a new virtual world 

simulator and is looking for physically capable musically talented 

individuals to immediately begin testing the virtual world program that 

could potentially help one find their true musical potential. Considering 

that it could be a scam or trap of some sort for a moment, Caruso decides 

out of blind curiosity and a lack of anything much to lose to head to the 

coordinates given in the vid message. 

After some initial hesitancy, Caruso Decides to follow the adverts explicit 

warnings to jump directly to the coordinates given rather than risk 

navigating the anomaly heavy stretch of space where the facility is 

supposedly situated. 

On Arriving to the coordinates given Caruso is met by a very Large space 

station, and on docking is greeted by the very scientist and robot 

assistant from the video message. The scientist: Maximilian von Lugner 

introduces himself and his robotic assistant Tamil. 

Max as eccentric as Caruso expected, is more than a little vague and 

indecipherable when asked how his experimental virtual world simulator 

works or more importantly how it will allow him to find his true musical 

potential. Rather than merely explain how it works, Max convinces Caruso 

to give the Machine a go. 

Donning special mask, gloves and keytar provided by Max. Caruso is 

instructed to enter the strange spherical device and stand in the middle of 

it. 

On activation of the machine Caruso closes his eyes in anticipation for the 

worst and after an intense moment of very loud whirring and a sudden 

burst of heat, all is silent.  

Caruso opens his eyes to a strange desolate land populated by Glowing 

crystals protruding from the ground around which hints of greenery have 

begun to grow. Similar crystals jut out of floating islands of various sizes 

that circulate around a giant crystalline structure upon which there seem 

to be the remnants of some sort of buildings. 

Hearing Max murmur in his ear about heart rate readings being good 

among other scientific calculations via the communicator in his helmet. 

The first words out of Caruso’s mouth after standing for a moment in 

awestruck silence are “This is real! isn't it?”! 

Max ‘about to begin asking him how he is feeling’ responds: Um… what? 

How did you?…. Yes… remarkable… yes Well done mister Mendes you 

have figured it out much faster than the others did…. I’m afraid I haven’t 

been quite honest with you about where it is you really are! 

Caruso insists Max tell him what is really going on but barely gets the 

barest of details out of Max who assures Caruso that things will be best 

answered as Caruso experiences them first hand, but that basically Max 

has managed to create a gateway to a planet in another dimension. The 

planet has been overrun by a race of machine like spirits that invaded the 

planet and wiped out the indigenous people by draining all their life giving 

crystals of their energy. 

Later Max informs Caruso that he is not the first of his “subjects” to have 

been successfully transported to the planet, but all the others perished 

except for his last recruit who initially thought dead has recently been 

showing intermittent signs of life. 

Caruso must locate the signal of Maxes last inductee Liorna Samuelson 

(Li) and figure out what really happened to her.  

The crystals on the planet can physically manifest the music Caruso 

plays on his Sword Keytar into a powerful energy capable of destroying 

the machine wraiths. The special mask, gloves, and gun provided by 

Max can also utilize the power of the crystals in various ways; thus giving 

him the power to destroy the machine wraiths and release the life energy 

they have absorbed. Releasing the life energy by destroying the machine 

wraiths will allow the crystals to fully re-energize and eventually bring life 

back to the planet. 

When a large crystalline structure has been fully charged Caruso will 

be able to use it to view the memories of the extinct indigenous race and 

piece by piece discover more about how they came to meet their fate and 

the connection the information gathered on their demise has for the fate 

of Caruso’s dimension. 

Rift Gates Allow Caruso to travel back and forth from his dimension to 

the crystal planet. Rift Gates are only located at specific points on the 

planet where a Rift anomalies are found.