[5/30] Lost Wolf - Part 1-3

Shryett and her husband Gyrstermherk - she calls him Gyrs, or bear, sometimes less nice words - were taking a break from setting up the tribe's new camp in a familiar part of the giant forest. The young folks could do the rest of the work, for a change. They sat down on their mossy old tree, a natural bridge connecting both sides of the stream.




"Quite some time we had camp here.", Gyrs pondered.



Shryett took a while to answer.
"Ye...Ushky used to collect crabllings here. Remember that dam he built? Damn dam. What a mess."



"Yeah..." He smiled softly.



"Feels like yesterday.", Shryett added, staring off into memory.



For a while, Shryett and Gyrstermyhrk just sat there contemplating, listening to the sounds of the stream and letting old memories flow. While Shryett can be a very talkative one and her husband is more of the silent type, they can sit together for hours in silence.












But not forever.
"So you gonna smoke all that by yourself?!"



"I'd never."



"Greedygreedy. Gimme that." He handed her the pipe.



She inhaled deeply.



"Ahh..."



"It's power of earth and the fire!", she proclaimed.
Gyrs chuckled.



Again, no words had to be spoken. The herbs helped them connecting their minds to the forest and easing old pain.



For a while, they were one with their surroundings, when suddenly something ripped Shryett's attention out of that dulling, comforting state.



"Well hold my pipe... what's that? Am I imagining things already? Gyrs, you see that too?"



"Huh? What's what?"



"There. It's a..."



"...dead man."



"....on a fakking raft!"











To be continued.

Very nicely shot and composed, and well-paced, too. Not to mention the cliffhanger in the end. But I do sense a resurrection in the works...

Wowwwww.... that was awesome. The poses, the use of your hand-made props, the camera angles... all so well done! I love this glimpse into their adorable old-married couple quiet moment, and then boom... Keanu Jesus floats by! :'D 


The blood on the hand like that is very striking, and the pose you have him in actually looks like someone who has collapsed in pain! amazing!

you are a poet and a story-teller, a weaver of 1/6 tales.....
when you submit posts like this, it gives me faith in the
future of 1/6, as if there's more to this hobby than just
buying and collecting....

Really nice start to the story. Love the natural setting, and the poses. I like how she accused him of Bogarting the pipe.

DUDE! This looks so good! Both characters look incredible finished, and I can't get over how great the face-paint (or tattoos?) looks. Their interactions come across so warm and natural, and I just love it. I didn't comment in the make thread, but the pipe is gorgeous too. And damn, what a beautiful spot to shoot!

But my favorite part has got to be the last 4 shots. It's SO freakin cinematic. The way the man on the raft is in the background, then that angle of him on the raft are so perfect. Then the tension in those last 2 shots! Ugh! A bit of foreshadowing with what he's holding in his bloody hand?! These all look like they could be film stills, and give me a very Terrance Malick vibe. I'm floored.

GregT -- beautifully stated, and that is how Ovy's *art*work makes me feel, too. It's incredibly inspiring.

Rev -- The Terrence Malick comparison is spot-on!  Great observation!


P.S. Ovy.... in this case, already having seen the 'behind the scenes' of your 'verse has not detracted from the magic at all. Such is the power of your figures, props, photography, storytelling...and well, magic. ;')

GubernatorFan wrote:Very nicely shot and composed, and well-paced, too. Not to mention the cliffhanger in the end. But I do sense a resurrection in the works...

Thanks a lot! And noone expects the Spanish Inquisition.

skywalkersaga wrote:Wowwwww.... that was awesome. The poses, the use of your hand-made props, the camera angles... all so well done! I love this glimpse into their adorable old-married couple quiet moment, and then boom... Keanu Jesus floats by! :'D 


The blood on the hand like that is very striking, and the pose you have him in actually looks like someone who has collapsed in pain! amazing!

Thanks a lot! So happy you had fun.
The blood is from an alcohol marker, not sure if it's removable.
Glad you dig the pose, that's what I tried to accomplish.

GregT wrote:you are a poet and a story-teller, a weaver of 1/6 tales.....
when you submit posts like this, it gives me faith in the
future of 1/6, as if there's more to this hobby than just
buying and collecting....

Wow that's very nice, thanks s lot! I'd be a bad collector, I am one of these horrible persons that would open a 50 year sealed  box to get the figure out.

Stryker2011 wrote:Really nice start to the story. Love the natural setting, and the poses. I like how she accused him of Bogarting the pipe.

Bogarting. xD thank you.

ReverendSpooky wrote:DUDE!  This looks so good!  Both characters look incredible finished, and I can't get over how great the face-paint (or tattoos?) looks.  Their interactions come across so warm and natural, and I just love it.  I didn't comment in the make thread, but the pipe is gorgeous too.  And damn, what a beautiful spot to shoot!

But my favorite part has got to be the last 4 shots.  It's SO freakin cinematic.  The way the man on the raft is in the background, then that angle of him on the raft are so perfect.  Then the tension in those last 2 shots!  Ugh!  A bit of foreshadowing with what he's holding in his bloody hand?!  These all look like they could be film stills, and give me a very Terrance Malick vibe.  I'm floored.  

Thanks man! 
It's face paint. Glad you can get behind the poses. These two are rather cheap plastic people with some limits in poding.

Love that you see a 'cinematic' side at the end and tension could be built up! I think I only watched The Thin Red Line from Malick yet. Was an interesting weird watch. It has quite some rivers and forests at least.

skywalkersaga wrote:GregT -- beautifully stated, and that is how Ovy's *art*work makes me feel, too. It's incredibly inspiring.

Rev -- The Terrence Malick comparison is spot-on!  Great observation!


P.S. Ovy.... in this case, already having seen the 'behind the scenes' of your 'verse has not detracted from the magic at all. Such is the power of your figures, props, photography, storytelling...and well, magic. ;')

You two gotta tell me more about that Malick dude. Thanks so much all you.
Glad the magic works! ;D

Part 2

"I see him too.", Gyrs finally answered.



"Ah..good."



"...well maybe not for him."



Gyrs squinted his eyes. "You sure he dead?"



Shryett shrugged. "Nah. We'd have to ask him."



Gyrs pondered.
"Maybe a trap, he attacks if we help."



"Of course. So his plan is sliding down waterfallside, die and rob the helpers?"



"Would be unexpected at least."



"He got bloody bolts sticking there!"



"Bloody indeed."





"Get up Gyrs, we gotta stop that ugly raft."



Gyrs grabbed his staff, unsure what exactly the plan was.









"Better jump right in now, Bear!"






"Come on, don't flukk around!"



Gyrs reached down with his staff.
"What are you doing? Poking him with stick??", Shryett complained.





"...when I wake up dead next to you one morning, will you poke me with stick too??", she added.



"Ugh, you're no help woman!"



She continued: "Poking me, like: 'Bitch, you dead'?? Get in there, already!"



"Føekk! Missed him!"



"Of course you did!! Now get in there!!"



You can't wake up dead, actually, or you wouldn't be dead, he thought, but it was not the time for arguments. Also, Shryett was yelling again. In her beautiful raspy smokey voice he so loved. And thus prevented him from throwing the staff right at her.



"Get..."



"...in..."



"...there!!"



So he jumped into the cold stream. It was not that powerful or fast, but if he wanted to reach the raft before the waterfall, he had to hurry and could not trip over.



"I run along shoreways, you follow him!", Shryett yelled into his ear.



You can't wake up dead, he thought.


But maybe that boy could wake up from being dead.

Wow, this is must have been very difficult to pose and shoot! Impressive, especially considering the set-up and location. 

I am cracking up at tiny lady bossing around the big bear man, and he can't help but love it. ;D 

Their dynamic is precious. :'D 

Really keen to see more!

Great sequel, and again, beautifully posed, shot, and scripted. You managed to epitomize the timeless stereotype of the nagging wife perfectly, even in this post-apocalyptic setting.

These are some fantastic camera angles and framing. Really great job.

And sky: wives bossing their husbands around is just part of marriage. It’s a woman’s job to nag their husbands endlessly, beat them down over years and years, until a man’s soul dies, and his only response is “Yes, Dear.”



(Haha; just kidding...




Or am I...?)

Very cool story, great looking photos!

What a lovely couple, I really like Gyrs he looks like a cool dude. The outdoor shots really add to these figures.

Nice photos and natural scenery, it works beautifully. The pacing is slow and feels like a movie. Did you make the raft, or was it just conveniently there? I'm anticipating the interactions between Keanu Jesus (and possibly his actual name reveal).

Great story, fantastic pictures and an amazing area. I love it because the story is so real and believable. Not like all the movies with explosions here and there. I always worry about the facial expressions of figures. The Old Man looks relaxed when he smokes his pipe. In the scene where he tries to rescue the man on the river he looks a little panicked. But it´s just the same figure heads. Sometimes you see what you want to see.

He reminds me of Christian Redel from the movie Krabat.

GubernatorFan wrote:Very nicely shot and composed, and well-paced, too. Not to mention the cliffhanger in the end. But I do sense a resurrection in the works...

Is it wrong that this comment amused me so badly?

Ovy wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:DUDE!  This looks so good!  Both characters look incredible finished, and I can't get over how great the face-paint (or tattoos?) looks.  Their interactions come across so warm and natural, and I just love it.  I didn't comment in the make thread, but the pipe is gorgeous too.  And damn, what a beautiful spot to shoot!

But my favorite part has got to be the last 4 shots.  It's SO freakin cinematic.  The way the man on the raft is in the background, then that angle of him on the raft are so perfect.  Then the tension in those last 2 shots!  Ugh!  A bit of foreshadowing with what he's holding in his bloody hand?!  These all look like they could be film stills, and give me a very Terrance Malick vibe.  I'm floored.  

Thanks man! 
It's face paint. Glad you can get behind the poses. These two are rather cheap plastic people with some limits in poding.

Love that you see a 'cinematic' side at the end and tension could be built up! I think I only watched The Thin Red Line from Malick yet. Was an interesting weird watch. It has quite some rivers and forests at least.

Well, all the poses totally work.  

Ovy wrote:You two gotta tell me more about that Malick dude. Thanks so much all you.
Glad the magic works! ;D

I don't always love Malick's movies, but are consistently so freakin beautifully shot, I think he may be one of the most powerful visual directors out there.  A Thin Red Line is by far my favorite, so if that didn't move you , I'm not sure I'd bother with the rest (or just check out the visuals for their own sake).  There's just this grandeur and lushness to all his work that I love to look at.  He shot most of Days of Heaven during the "magic hour" at dawn and dusk, with most of the rest of the day just prepping to shoot, and utilized this brand new ultra sensitive film to accomplish it.  The effect is stunning.  Thin Red line actually has a lot of moments that really gut me, like Ellias Koteas as the Captain who won't send his soldiers into a futile battle to die, or the scene where the guy who's been collecting teeth the whole movie comes to his senses, and realizes the horror of what he's done.  

There's something about the composition and color palette, along with the way the light is captured in the woods in all of these shots that reminded me a lot of some of his work.  

Ephiane wrote:Great story, fantastic pictures and an amazing area. I love it because the story is so real and believable. Not like all the movies with explosions here and there. I always worry about the facial expressions of figures. The Old Man looks relaxed when he smokes his pipe. In the scene where he tries to rescue the man on the river he looks a little panicked. But it´s just the same figure heads. Sometimes you see what you want to see.

Hey Epiane, have you ever heard of the Kuleshov Effect?  I think about it ALL the time when I'm shooting or looking at 1/6 scenes.  Basically, this film maker back in the early 1900's shot this expressionless face, and then edited next to various other other shots, like food, or a coffin with a dead child, or an attractive woman.  When he showed it to an audience, they all commented on how sorrowful the actor looked when juxtaposed with the dead girl, or how hungry he looked with the food, or lustful he looked at the woman, and how great of an actor he was, even though it was all the same shot of the actor.  It's been the subject of psychological study and is discussed in film studies to demonstrate the importance of editing and it's role in film as an artform.  

Since we're all working with static faces in 1/6 (Most of the time) it's a great example of how well we can still tell a story and convey so much, through context and body language, that the expression doesn't really become a hinderance.

So, on to part 2!!!!

Still just loving this.  The banter between the couple is so perfect.

"Poking me, like: 'Bitch, you dead'?? Get in there, already!" made me laugh out loud.

And these shots are awesome.  I like that since they're not shot on a flat plane, we get such an interesting sense of perspective from all the angles.  And working down in the dirt and the water, and the regular changing of where you're shooting from must have been a lot of work, but damn, it pays off.  Loving watching this story unfold.

skywalkersaga wrote:Wow, this is must have been very difficult to pose and shoot! Impressive, especially considering the set-up and location. 

I am cracking up at tiny lady bossing around the big bear man, and he can't help but love it. ;D 

Their dynamic is precious. :'D 

Really keen to see more!

Haha, yeah, thanks. I put a stone and a piece of wood in the stream so I could stand and squat in it, didn't want to stand in the mud, it's deep. xD

Glad you like their dynamic!

GubernatorFan wrote:Great sequel, and again, beautifully posed, shot, and scripted. You managed to epitomize the timeless stereotype of the nagging wife perfectly, even in this post-apocalyptic setting.

Haha, hope she didn't come of too stereotypical.
And yeah, the apocalypse is about the timelessness of human behaviour.

Stryker2011 wrote:These are some fantastic camera angles and framing. Really great job.

And sky: wives bossing their husbands around is just part of marriage. It’s a woman’s job to nag their husbands endlessly, beat them down over years and years, until a man’s soul dies, and his only response is “Yes, Dear.”

(Haha; just kidding...


Or am I...?)

Thanks a lot! And now get back to the wife and finish your chores! xD

BAD WOLF-787 wrote:Very cool story, great looking photos!

Thanks wolf!

Theboo-bomb wrote:What a lovely couple, I really like Gyrs he looks like a cool dude. The outdoor shots really add to these figures.

Thanks, yeah he is cool! They are made for outdoors, with not too much details that can be lost and materials that don't mind a bot water or mud.

AlKelAstra91 wrote:Nice photos and natural scenery, it works beautifully. The pacing is slow and feels like a movie. Did you make the raft, or was it just conveniently there? I'm anticipating the interactions between Keanu Jesus (and possibly his actual name reveal).

Thanks, nice you feel that movie pace. I made a raft, it's in the other forest people thread, but I didn't update the title.

Ephiane wrote:Great story, fantastic pictures and an amazing area. I love it because the story is so real and believable. Not like all the movies with explosions here and there. I always worry about the facial expressions of figures. The Old Man looks relaxed when he smokes his pipe. In the scene where he tries to rescue the man on the river he looks a little panicked. But it´s just the same figure heads. Sometimes you see what you want to see.

He reminds me of Christian Redel from the movie Krabat.

Thanks a lot! So glad you find it real/believable.

And I did notice the different felt expressions too! Especially with the single shot after he fails to stop the raft. Didn't know that effect had a name.

And yeah, remember that Krabat guy with the eye patch!


@spooky, won't quote the whole quote in quote block:

That Kulshov effect is interesting, how convenient for our hobby! Thanks for teaching.
I recently shot my fierce looking forest boy next to a guest figure, a fierce looking girl. Next to her he looks uncomfortable in a cute way.

My favourite part in the Thin Red Line was when they stormed the Japanese camp, where the Japanese soldiers are stumbling around drunk, crazy, exhausted, naked and laughing, all to the beautiful music of that film. So beautifully sad and surreal. 

Well, anyway, glad to make you laugh! The different heights are fun to shoot too, a lot of potential.

Part 3


They had followed the raft down the river, the wounded stranger was heading towards the waterfall.


Getting too old for this shydd, Gyrs thought, as cold mud and water soaked into his boots.



"Hurry hurry!", Shryett yelled.



Girl is still fast, he thought.



"Run you old fyukk!!", she yelled. It sounded friendly, motivating and rude at the same time.



But if they wanted the boy to get to know her charming personality, he really had to catch up with the raft.






Almost there.. 



While Shryett was climbing down the rotten, mossy tree stump, Gyrs took a leap.



Just in time, he was able to stop the raft from sliding down the water, wouldn't have been healthy.
"Got you boy!", he ached.



After they pulled the stranger from the raft, it slid down the waterfall, along with the hatchet and the strange short arrow sticking in the wood.
The current couldn't move Gyrs' trusted staff, though.



He was breathing, at least, though not awake.
Shryett counted the wounds - not only two bolts sticking in leg and chest, also another, bandaged wound on his arm.
"He looks like a hotter, younger you. You had a secret son?"



"Yeah, from a hotter, younger woman."
Both snickered like dumb teenagers, relieved they got the sporty part of the rescue behind them.



Shryett took a look at his necklace.
"Look, he carries the Wolf's mark, with the teeth pointing outwards."



"I noticed. Let's hope that won't be a problem..."



"Those føekkin' Norther bolts might be greatest of problems...but I can get them out. At camp."



Gyrs pulled the man further up the tree.



"If you are finished, can I cuddle him too, Gyrs?"



He mumbled something about shutting up and  helping him.



"Good job, Bearly. Ancestors still might have plans for him. Rest, stay with him. I get some boys down here that carry him campways. Don't forget our stuff!!"



Then Shryett hurried to the tribe's encampment, not far from the river.


Gyrs looked down on the mysterious masked man.
You better wake up to thank us, boy.

Nice rescue. I have changed my mind on the name Shryett. At this point I'm assuming she has a shrill voice to go with her charming demeanor, so it is totally fitting. If I were her husband at some point I would have let her do whatever she wanted done herself instead of following orders... which may be why I'm not married...?

The outdoors shots in the woods work so beautifully!

Lots of great shots and fun story in the further adventures. The blurring affects around Gyrs was really cool (was the figure actually falling? Cause it helped with the sense of movement). You found the best environment to show them in scale. Nice work.

Love the new addition to the story, Ovy! And I agree with Rev's assessment of Malick's films... gorgeous cinematography, with storylines that aren't always that ... memorable? At least, I can't really remember all the details of what happened in something like 'The New World', but I *can* remember some of the beautiful and haunting imagery from it. 

Some people on this thread seem to have a rather dismal view of marriage, and about the dynamics of relationships between men and woman in general.  That's all I'm gonna say about that.... 

Regarding Shryett and Gyrs, their dynamic seems more to do with their personalities than anything else.  

I'm really curious what will happen when he wakes up.... you have us in suspense!

skywalkersaga wrote:Some people on this thread seem to have a rather dismal view of marriage, and about the dynamics of relationships between men and woman in general.  That's all I'm gonna say about that.... !

Ahh, it’s all in good fun. My wife and I tease each other relentlessly like this all the time — it’s what makes us laugh every day.

Man, that creek bed is just an ideal and picturesque backdrop for this. Well worth however far you're hiking to shoot each part of this story. Still just loving the dialogue. I think you really capture the playful connection that's endured through their long relationship, which in a post apocalyptic future, I'm sure has seen it's share of trials. All of your photos continue to look beautiful, and you really capture them wrestling to drag this stranger out of the water. Your composition is always excellent, and all of the outfits photograph really well. I'm hoping they don't regret helping him. Always looking forward to the next installment, and hopefully him waking up.

I know ... I am envious of Ovy’s locations. Wish I had places like these within hiking distance of my house. :3

I’m normally someone who doesn’t like to leave demanding or impatient comments on people’s stories/fics, lol, but in this case .... I’m dying for the next entry already, damnit!