Pursuing the 'Aztec' Pitch
With this post, I'm discussing the 'Aztec' pitch in more depth and mentioning some critical elements to consider as we pursue this story idea for our third-year film. Out of the narrative proposals presented, we both felt Aztec was worth pursuing and exploring further due to the rich cultural history and the mythological backdrop of ancient Mesoamerica, and the extensive opportunities for research and development. With significant potential for unique storytelling, animation, and design elements, 'Aztec' was the pitch that appealed to both of our creative palettes. Combining the incredible architectural background of the Maya with an explosive cast of mythological creatures and gods, we both felt we had the recipe for an engaging animated film.
The original project pitch for 'Aztec' followed a single character being treated like royalty for the day, after winning a lottery prize draw, and are showed the various accomplishments and landmarks of the culture, before being led up the iconic pyramids to 'meet the gods' in a comedic spin on the sacrificial rituals of ancient Mesoamerica. Notably, we both had some necessary reservations with the concept - namely, we recognized that human sacrifice and images of savage violence are often attributed to the Aztec and Maya civilizations in Western media - leading to the formation of a harmful stereotype. I also felt having the Aztec society treat an outsider as royalty was somewhat degrading to a film celebrating the culture, and discussed the idea of moving away from this specific narrative and instead towards exploring stories and characters of Aztec and Maya legend.
This type of narrative and approach to animated filmmaking can work and be engaging, but it will also bring inevitable criticism as to why we are telling this story. In response to this, we can only approach the project as creatives who are passionate and respectful of the subject matter and willing to delve into extensive research to complete the task successfully. With this, we should consider Maya voices, and historians well-versed in ancient Maya civilization - avoiding stereotyping and false 'facts,' and working to gather a solid base of reference and viable information that will influence the project.
One significant aspect of our research will be looking into both Aztec and Maya civilizations - they are individual and unique, despite being interchanged in almost all Western media representation. When completing our research in preparation for the next round of pitches, we hope to select one of these as a focal point and strictly depict the chosen civilization. Each has its own unique and compelling creation mythos, a pantheon of gods, and prominent religious figures, so it is integral to explore one culture and stick to it.
Lastly, we will be pursuing this project under the working title of 'The Pantheon.' With all these points considered, we are both eager to explore this pitch further - taking more time to explore this concept through another round of pitch decks. Having enjoyed the formal presentation process, we felt it would be beneficial to continue this and have set ourselves the task of producing a second document exploring potential story threads and narrative directions. With this, we plan to begin preliminary research into Aztec and Maya cultural practices, mythology, and lifestyle - developing a second mind map of ideas, a concept piece, and visual reference boards to reflect an initial impression of the aesthetic and style we could pursue.