soaptears
Castaways
Merk, a 15 year-old with a severe case of main character syndrome, accidentally finds himself stranded on the shores of the mysterious Islands and now faces the challenge of returning home. He vlogs the entire experience after retrofitting Tin & Fin equipment to establish the first internet connection from The Islands to Earth. Along the way, he shares the stories of the castaways he encounters, whether they've been there for hundreds of years or just arrived a few hours ago.
I had the pleasure of working on this story as its narrative lead! I worked as a writer, character/prop/background designer, storyboard artist and gif lead!
Social media gif by Bianca Candalera
Characters
Merk
Originally created as the protagonist of the Castaways video game, Merk was designed to be simple as to be an audience stand-in.
Turnaround by Kimberly Gouge
Concepts
Marina
Marina is a 15-year-old island-born girl, the only person ever to be born on The Islands, nurtured by magical spirits and the creatures of the land. A stark contrast to Merk's ego, she is full of self-doubt yet possesses untapped mystical abilities, carrying a deep connection to the islands through her magical gem necklace.
Marina was the first original character I got to create for the show. She was designed to be similar to the environments of The Islands. Her clothing and hair are reminiscent of the palm trees and ocean.
Turnaround by Kimbery Gouge
Concepts
The Captain
The Captain is an old man who once worked for Tin & Fin but turned against them after uncovering their horrors. He watches over the Castaways, especially Merk, guiding them with a fatherly hand, though his own reasons for staying may not be entirely selfless.
He was also created for the game as a tutorial guide. His design was fun to transfer to animation!
Charlie
Turnaround by Chloe Cristina
Concepts
charles
Charles is a one-of-a-kind orange cat with an oddly stretchy sprout growing from his head. After accidentally eating a Tin & Fin tracking device, he's become an unexpected wildcard in Merk's journey, his origins and connection to The Island's magic remaining a mystery.
Turnaround and reference sheet by Emily Satterfield
Concepts
MISC
Final render by Victoria Aldrich
Final render by Kimberly Gouge
Co-designed with Emily Satterfield
Final render by Victoria Aldrich
First pass by Derek Hamm
First pass by Derek Hamm
props
Final render by Emily Satterfield
backgrounds
Concepts
final
night palette concepts
By Emily Satterfield
