The Peacock, the Watcher and the Sphynx in their near final stage.
Early design iterations for the Watcher. At the time, I was struggling with different aspects of his persona from cryptic farseer, to weird hobo pigeon.
Original bird mask version. I ended up keeping the avian quality of the design only on the body, for a more subtle touch.
Clothes patterns.
Late Watcher.
Those are very early Peacock iterations. From the original design I made in 2014.
Materials of the original Peacock.
New design and color scheme experiments.
Final Peacock.
Very early experiment for the global shapes of the Sphynx's face.
Renders of the first version of the Sphynx. I ended up rethinking a lot of the mask's shapes to make her more appealing.
Final Sphynx
This is a bunch of early renders showcasing process and experiments for the three main protagonists.
The characters of Distance are sentient automatons. The conception of their complex bodies is vastly ornated with strong Art-Deco iconography.
Disruption of communication being the core theme of the film, the characters are muted, and speak only with screams and onomatopoeia.
Their copper bodies and heavy clothes constrain their movements. They wear concrete masks, giving them a sense of identity, while limiting their expressions.
That ostentatious and restrictive combination emphasizes on the inherent social inertia that defines their world.
The mechanical engineering of their bodies is apparently functional and powered by an implicit form of energy. Each ornament and apparatus is a reflection of the character's social status and a hint at his character.
Despite displaying vastly different aesthetics, the characters stay consistent in their design, and appear to be crafted following the same set of rules.
Every creature is unique, and has a specific role in the universe, its very existence always serving a metaphor.
