MORAV: MISSIONS Is Go!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Fon Davis

For the last couple of years I have been chronicling the progress of what looks like an amazing giant robot themed sci fi series called "M.O.R.A.V.". Late last month I got a couple of emails from the team behind the project, including creator Fon Davis, about spreading the word about a fundraiser on Kickstarter to .. well ... give the series pilot a kick start.

Giant robot fans responded to this ... and how, pledging to donate above and beyond the $40,000 Davis and his crew needed.

This overwhelming support caught Davis off guard as this message he posted on Facebook illustrates:

"I have been staring at my computer with my jaw dropped for some unknown amount of time, just taking it all in. With less than a day to go you funded MORAV: Missions.

Then I thought, what on earth can I say that would express the excitement we are feeling at my studio right now and verbalize the perfect "thank you" you all deserve for supporting our project?

I don't know what the perfect "thank you" is, so I'm just going to share.

I am deeply moved by all the work, encouragement and kind words you have all shared in your blogs, websites, groups, facebook walls and twitter feeds. When we started this campaign on kickstarter a month ago, I had no idea how emotional this whole experience would be. Every time someone would pledge some money or share our kickstarter link, I felt a warm feeling that frankly, took me off guard. It was not just money, it was a belief in our project. It was a vote of confidence. It was helping an old friend out. It was helping me realize a dream. It was supporting your local artist community. It was joining our team.

Thursday we will launch our first funded project on MORAV: Missions. I will be sure to share the experience with you so you can see what you have joined us in creating. We won't let you down!

Thank you for all the generosity and support you have given us and continue to give us. As I am typing this we are now exceeding the goal amount. You are all amazing! Keep it up! The extra will make an even better MORAV! We will spend every penny on making MORAV: Missions something you can all be proud of.

Thank you sincerely a thousand times to the moon and back!"

Fon Davis

M.O.R.A.V.: Missions Plot:

The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.

If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.

The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.

Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.

As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war.
But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.

Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.

Giant Robot Fans Unite! MORAV Needs A Kickstart

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources : Fon Davis / Todd D'Amario

For the past three years I have been talking off-and-on about an amazing giant robot series called M.O.R.A.V. ((Multi-Operational Robotic Armored Vehicle) which has been a pet project of Hollywood effects master Fon Davis. The series has been a true passion for Davis along with a team of movie and television effects veterans who have devoted hours of spare time and money to create a unique sci fi showcase that is heavily inspired by the Japanese anime classics, "Patlabor" and "Macross".

As is the case with any effects heavy project both time and money have been issues that have plagued "M.O.R.A.V." since its conception, yet Davis and company believe in their vision and have kept the giant mechs marching over most obstacles in their path.

Now three years down the pike Davis is so close to his goal of getting a pilot episode that he can shop to networks completed he can taste it. All he needs is another 40 grand and the episode can be completed.

Like many projects I have talked about in the past Davis has created a "Kickstarter" page where fans can donate what they can to help raise the needed funds to move forward.

Now I understand that one cool photo (above) and my word isn't going to cut it. You need a little more before you open up your check book. I got ya. Check out the clip and the synopsis below:



The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.

If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.

The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.

Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.

As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war.
But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.

Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.

Do I have you now? Go to Kickstarter - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/morav/morav-missions-live-action-series-pilot?ref=emai

MORAV - A Graphic Novel And Web Series On The Horizon!

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Robot War Espresso / Avery Guerra

It's really hard to believe that it has been well over two years since I first reported on "M.O.R.A.V." (Multi-Operational Robotic Armored Vehicle) a pet project of Hollywood special effects maven Fon Davis. Over those two years the giant robot anime inspired feature has morphed from a possible television series or feature film, to a comic book series, which never found a publisher.

You really have to tip your hat to Davis though, he has never given up on "M.O.R.A.V.", and now, finally the project has been given a second life by Insight Editions who now is going to release the original 6-issue comic as a one-off graphic novel.

According to Davis, "We’ve taken what was going to be the 132 page 6 issue comic book series and combined it in to a single graphic novel, which will include an extra 30 pages of bonus material."

"So, the 'M.O.R.A.V.: History of Robotic Warfare' graphic novel is 160 pages long. If you or anyone you know wants to order a copy, there is a link on my website morav.net (Also At Amazon.com). I will be signing exclusive advance copies of 'M.O.R.A.V.: The History of Robotic Warfare' at Comic-Con 2010 in San Diego."

To correspond with the release of the graphic novel, Davis and his team are set to begin running the live-action "M.O.R.A.V." series as webisodes starting this August.

"I am going back to producing the live action webisodes of M.O.R.A.V. this August." Davis adds, "I’m really looking forward to getting back to the live action series. Here is a sneak peak at the 1/6 scale Gen 1 M.O.R.A.V. we’re building for that series right now in my studio (see very bottom below)."

"If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you’ve always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. [It] is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real."

Indeed "M.O.R.A.V." has all the makings of a live-action "Patlabor" series crossed with a hard-hitting military based action series.

Here is the synopsis (from my initial 2008 article about 'M.O.R.A.V.):

The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.

If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.

The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.

Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.

As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war.
But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.

Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.

Here are some test shots and concept artwork from "M.O.R.A.V.":

See Also: An Exclusive Look At Fon Davis's MORAV Comic Book / Interview - Fon Davis (SFX Wizard And Creator Of MORAV) / Giant Robot Fans Rejoice! MORAV Is Coming!

An Exclusive Look At Fon Davis's MORAV Comic Book

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Fon Davis / Avery Guerra

It has been well over a year since I last heard anything out of the MORAV camp. It is great to see that director Fon Davis is still pushing forward with his awesome looking giant robot project.

It was kind of Davis to send over two exclusive pieces of artwork from the comic book based on his unfinished project. The cover image above was created by the very talented artist, Emmanuel Shiu, however, this will not be the issues only cover. Artists Brian Matyas, Roel Robles, Lei Jin, Greg Knight and Paul Hamblin have also signed on to produce unique covers for the first issue as well.

Since it has been over a year since I last wrote about MORAV, let me catch everyone up.

This is courtesy of Fon Davis:

MORAV is an action/sci-fi story that features amazing technology and massive armored robots embroiled in a corporate war for control of the country of Tangri Island. A non-stop action adventure story, MORAV centers on its characters as they struggle for personal and political freedom.

While MORAV’s excitement comes from the massive 30-foot tall robots, it is a dark and gritty action-filled military drama seeped in sci-fi overtones. MORAV also captures the political and sociological undercurrents of what are going on today in places like the Middle East as well as capturing the dynamics of the China/Thailand situation. While keeping the sci-fi elements to the story exciting and realistic, MORAV is a non-stop action adventure that will excite for years to come.

The story begins with the robot pilots and their peers testing and training then follows them through their struggles with the hardships of war. The audience witnesses the start of a global arms race to build the greatest giant robot army in the world. MORAV covers many decades chronicling the characters through a coup de'tat followed by a civil war that eventually leads to World War Three. The viewer will actually get to see the entire historic saga of robot warfare through the eyes of the men and women immersed in this reality.

If you like robot science fiction, MORAV could be what you've always wanted to see but no one has done. This kind of gritty realism is uncommon in the robot science fiction genre. The show is heavily focused on keeping stories character based and making the environment tangible. There is an effort to bring the audience into a world where robots really walk the streets. The robots in this series do not jump, fly, and shoot lasers out of their eyes. They are designed the way giant robots would be if they were real.

The Nation of Kumala. Divided into two separate states, they have endured an uneasy peace for hundreds of years, but now they find themselves embroiled in a bloody conflict that pits East and West at each other’s throats for control of the entire country.

Across the Jilta Straits lies her sister country of Tangri Island. A peaceful nation with a rich blend of traditional Asian heritage and Western-influenced modernisms and, not unlike any other paradise on Earth, there are those who wish to exploit her and take what she has to offer, no matter what the cost.

As tensions evolve into all-out war, heroes from both Tangri and Kumala unite with a corporate peacekeeping detachment of the Joint Nations Defense force in an attempt to prevent the onslaught of genocide. If they fail, the conflict could destroy Kumala and threaten not only the stability of Tangri Island, but engulf the remainder of South-East Asia into a global war.

But even as Tangri’s King deploys his historic special forces team, The Dragon Army, in an attempt to help subdue the ethnic cleansing in Kumala, the JND is secretly testing a new and devastatingly powerful robotic super-weapon on their peaceful island, one that will ravage Tangri’s future before the King’s forces have time to react.

Lines will be drawn, friendships tested, alliances forged, and the balance of military might will be forever changed by a weapon the likes of which no one has ever seen or imagined.

Davis also wanted to let everyone know that if they want to contribute to his MORAV project they can purchase Coffee Mugs, Men's and Woman's t-shirts and more on Zazzle .

See Also: Interview - Fon Davis (SFX Wizard And Creator Of MORAV) / Giant Robot Fans Rejoice! MORAV Is Coming!

Interview - Fon Davis (SFX Wizard And Creator Of MORAV)

An Interview By Ken Hulsey (Robo Japan)

KH - How did the idea for MORAV first come about?

FD - The idea for MORAV grew out of my interest in robotics combined with my career in motion pictures. I have always wanted to see someone do a really good live action giant robot movie or television show. First I had the idea of creating a show around 1/24th scale bipedal robots actually fighting each other in a miniature environments with a WWF over the top style. As I started writing the back story to each of the fictional pilots, I realized it would make a better science fiction story than a live show. Once I came to that conclusion, I set forth creating stories for a more gritty realistic version of MORAV. I could see the MORAV world so clearly, it practically wrote itself. That’s how I knew I had to make MORAV.

KH - The effects for MORAV look top-notch. How were you able to recruit people for the project, and how have you been able to finance all this?

FD - I am very fortunate to have many friends in the motion picture industry to help me turn my vision into a reality. It does not hurt that I am a good sales person and strong team builder by trade. The excitement and originality of the MORAV projects has even drawn the attention and assistance of people I have never met.

Producing MORAV has proven to be a greater task than even I, with my background in the entertainment business, could have imagined. First off, if I were to maintain what I felt to be the most important elements to the success of MORAV, I needed to fund it myself long enough to prove the concept. Now that MORAV has built a strong following I ‘m almost done producing our first 6 issues of the MORAV comic book, I feel like I can invite other producers in to join the MORAV excitement

KH - Does Morav take place in an alternate universe?

FD - MORAV does not take place in an alternate universe it takes place here and now.

The story starts on an island in the Pacific because I wanted the audience to believe this could be happening right now. The later episodes in the MORAV series take place in more locations around the world. This is not a story that takes place in the far future. The idea of giant robots can be made more tangible by placing them in familiar situations and environments. It would be great if after seeing a MORAV episode you could easily imagine a MORAV walking outside your window.

KH - Why was stop-motion animation and miniatures chosen over CGI?

FD - I chose to do our initial tests and plan to do a considerable amount of the show in miniature because it looks better and it’s less expensive than CGI for many things. You get a lot for free when shooting miniatures, especially with interaction with light, fire, smoke, debris and water. That’s not to say that we won’t use computer effects to enhance shots and do things that are not possible in miniatures. Mainly, we want to avoid an all CGI look. CGI on a budget often looks more like an animated painting than reality, we’ve all seen it. If you don’t keep an open mind and rely too much on one technique then the look of your project will suffer.

KH - What is your audience for MORAV? Do you see it as a syndicated TV show or a web only series?

FD - MORAV is created for a mature audience. If we were to gear it toward too young an audience, it would water down the gritty realism MORAV fans have responded to so well. I’m imagining it’s the same kind of audience that would enjoy the Alien series.

We have taken a multi pronged approach with the MORAV series. We have enough chronology to do webisodes, comic books, a television series and motion pictures without touching the same story twice. We have always remained flexible since we do not yet know what production opportunities will arise first. We believe in the project and we’ll keep pushing for anything we can do to get MORAV to it’s fans. After putting so much work in to MORAV I decided that the only affordable path for me was to produce a comic book series. Until I get seed money for bigger projects I will continue doing whatever I can to keep MORAV moving forward.

KH - Have you had any networks step forward to either back or air the program?

FD - I have had brief talks with some motion picture, television and Internet production companies, about MORAV, but no deals have been made as of yet. So feel free to e-mail suitable companies if you want to see MORAV, wink.

KH - Your resume is quite impressive. It seems that you have been head model maker on every top sci fi film for the past decade. Which of those films were the most challenging?

FD - It would be very difficult to choose a favorite or most difficult film of the many I have had the great privilege to work on. Each project has been very different. Imagine that one day you’re doing a story in ancient Egypt , and then you’re doing an epic World War II drama followed by a science fiction adventure. You immerse yourself in the subject matter you are dealing with, develop solutions to a complex array of problems, perfect techniques for achieving your goals and then throw them away and start over on a completely different project. I think what I love about the entertainment business is that creative variety. The greater the challenge, the greater the feeling of accomplishment at the end of each project.

KH - What is your favorite model that you have built for a film?

FD - My favorite model that I have built is oddly not one of the largest, most impressive or even recognizable. It was early in my career. There was a space station model added last minute to the movie Deep Impact. Because it was not part of the original plan, the production could only come up with a very small budget for the model. My supervisor on that show, Brian Gernand , told production if they gave me the one piece of existing art and left me for a few weeks, I would deliver a great model space station. I really liked being trusted in that way. I do really like people and enjoy working as a team, but it was a nice change of pace to do something almost completely on my own. That was a small but proud moment for me.

KH - You have worked on all six, Star Wars films, (three being special editions) what was it like to be part of the greatest movie franchise of all time?

FD - I grew up a pretty big fan of the Star Wars series. That movie was one of the reasons I got into the motion picture business. Never in a million years did I imagine I would actually work on a Star Wars movie. After all, they were all done before I finished high school. Then to my great surprise George Lucas decided to do the Star Wars special edition movies while I was working for Industrial Light and Magic. It was mostly like any other movie project I worked on, except for the occasional giddy feeling I would get when I allowed my inner child out. Then I would think things like “I’m working on R2-D2.” I’d chuckle for a moment and get back to work.

KH - Do you have any new movie projects coming up?

FD - I just got back from working as an assistant art director on a film called Coraline at LAIKA Entertainment, and I’m now in Doug Chiang’s art department at Image Movers Digital working on several motion picture projects that are not yet public. If I can land the right funding deal with a television or motion picture company, I hope to be producing MORAV in the future.

See Also: Giant Robot Fans Rejoice! MORAV Is Coming!