5 TLG Concept Animatic videos

[SimbaPrescott]

So, over at the Lion Guard wiki some members have been uncovering some early concept stuff. In addition to finding the Zuka Zama concept song (which is all over the place now) the same member found five different concept videos containing Kion's Lament (early/demo singer), Tonight we Strike (two versions), Call of the Guard and the original ending for RotR:

http://lionguard.wikia.com/wiki/Concept ... ted_Scenes

I have to say, I think I prefer the very early version of Tonight we Strike to the final. I love how those birds fly out from behind him.

[Panpardus]

Ooh, cool. I like 'Making of' videos and seeing tidbits of early work, especially for animated projects, so I hope more of this stuff gets found. I've already given my thoughts on the unused "Zuka Zama" concept in its own thread, so I might as well give reactions to each new thing individually (because I have too much time on my hands on weekends).

The early mark of the guard
I actually prefer the paw print over the current lion head symbol, though I've never been a fan of the idea of it being a magical tattoo. Would've been cooler, a lot more grounded, and arguably more meaningful if there was a whole ceremony where Rafiki painted it onto each member individually, rather than Kion wasting precious time during the hyena attack magically handing out markings like Oprah. ("You get a magic marking! You get a magic marking! Everybody's getting a magic marking!") I think it also looks good on the logo; ties the whole project together.

The V4 introduction
I've been looking for this for over a year now to no avail, so I'm glad it's been rediscovered. I actually like this a lot more than the final version, for various reasons that I'd ultimately sum up with the term 'dynamic'. The music, while it still needs some editing to get a better blend and balance, has noticeably more dynamics than the final version, and the different lyrics are more percussive. I especially like how the brass at the end is noticeably louder than in the rest of the song and contrasts the harp glissando, as well as the interjecting male voices during the bridge that make the choir's part more rhythmically interesting. As for the animation and other visual things, something I really like is how the characters are more properly proportioned, especially Fuli, whose large, non-aerodynamic head is actually the most jarring part of her design (for me), more so than the markings and even lack of tear marks. I think showing Mufasa in the sky by himself would've been cool, but he should've been in the sunset frame (in the same way he does here in Simba's Pride: https://www.mylionking.com/w/images/thu ... clouds.jpg) instead of sharing the shot with Simba and Nala (and Kiara, who should've been included in that image just so that we have a picture of the nuclear family together in the intro to better ground Kion's existence, since he feels more like a standalone character than part of an actual family). They should've kept Kion's entire pouncing sequence as well; it's a lot more engaging to have him indirectly break the fourth wall than just having his feet appear out of nowhere. There are other small details I like, including:

• Bunga's facial expressions (they seem pretty Timon-like, especially at the end)
• Kion's claws
• Beshte's less rotund body shape and general lack of exposed tusks (I've never like that part of his design), and the fact that he actually swings his head into the hyenas
• the way the bird embraces its (still oversized) egg in a way that it's not using its primaries as fingers
• the fact that the land and Pride Rock look a lot larger and more expansive
• the roar is on beat and rhythmically matches the music

and a bunch of other small things that I won't bother listing here.

"Kion's Lament"
Still not as big a fan as others of this song, but the voice actor and singing performance are a lot better in this version than the final. There isn't too much different here aside from Kion looking at himself in the water, which is a touch I think they should've kept.

"Tonight We Strike"
The original version is a whole lot better than the final version, at least to me, wholly because the imagery is a lot better. It's not as goofy as the final version given its fewer obvious sight gags (and no jumping hyenas; I just thought that was extraneous), and the black backgrounds really add to the nightmarish ambiance. The muted color palette is more menacing and less psychedelic than the final version, especially because it uses more intricately-patterned prey animals like zebra and giraffe. Kion waking up as Janja looms over him is so much more menacing, too, but the best shot is undoubtedly the airborne vulture formation. I love that the end shot of Janja on the rock isn't a straight-up copy-and-paste job of "Be Prepared" and "My Lullaby", and it ends in 'real life' which allows for a better transition into the rest of the scene. Overall it just makes the hyenas - and Janja in particular - seem like serious villains, more so than even the original hyenas.

Everything else is fairly minor material that I actually think is either unnecessary or improved upon in the final version. I really hope we get to see more of this behind the scenes stuff; I'd like to hear more music and the making of the actual score.

[Squeely]

I'm mixed on the original "Mark of the Guard" design - on the one hand, the lion head of the final is a lot more dynamic and iconic. On the other hand, the pawprint is adorable and a touch more realistic. Like many others, when I first saw the pawprint mark, I thought Kion's spots had coincidentally developed into a pawprint formation, or perhaps he touched his shoulder with a muddy paw. Like Panpardus, I too was hoping there would be a Rafiki ceremony associated with the marks. Either of those would have either kept it more grounded in realism, or tie it into the first couple films better. But we got what we got.

I love the shot of Kion on Pride Rock with his parents and Mufasa. I really wish they had kept that in the final, with the minor change of adding Kiara.

[KionScar]

I like the mark as it is now, and honestly it still does look like a paw print and roaring lion head.