Visual research - Enviromental influence

To create the world of Mr Tumnus, I must first understand what makes him tick. The enviroment that he lives within will manipulate his surroundings, his personality and how he would place himself as a part of it. Therefore, it is important that I fully understand where his house is situated, what he has to live on, how he makes himself comfortable and how his enviroment would naturally depict his lifestyle and appearance even without having to meet character himself. The main aim of this project is to give the enviroment a feel for the characters personality, so it is instantly recognisable if you were to know of the character, or if not, at least clearly visually readable as to what kind of person lives there.

Shorne Country Park

Local to me, this is a fully untouched nature reserve (minus a few sculptures made by a few artists for the park itself) that is highly magical to walk through and has the appearance of an enchanted forest in parts. When I think of Mr Tumnus's house, I instinctively think of it being situated in an overgrown forest, which is thriving with wildlife and interesting views. Every turn seems to have the feeling as if you are being watched, or thrown into some magical world ready to welcome you with open arms. 

Goats/Mountain Goats

As Mr Tumnus is actually half Man - half Goat, I can only look into the world of the Goat itself. We know how a man may approach an object for eating something, (for example, a Spoon) but we must keep in mind that this creature may have half of the characteristic's that a Goat may possess.

"Goats will eat just about anything. They eat all kinds of plants and weeds, wood, but have an instinct for knowing when food and water are contaminated and will refuse to eat or drink. They rarely eat objects or clothing unless it has been made from plant material or wood." - taken from http://www.goats.co.uk/Goats.html

This information shows that Mr Tumnus would probably be a fond cook, collecting any random food that he can come across in the local area. He may also keep Goats milk in nicely carved wooden bottles, or glass ones that he has foraged from human passers by. I can imagine him having food hung up in his house, with a little indoor grazing patch (including a fence around it) which he fondly munches on for breakfast and supper.

"Almost all goats grow beards, males usually having a longer and more luxuriant growth. Many people who show goats trim the beards off the females as they feel they look more feminine without them. At agricultural shows all goats exhibited will be females, males are rarely shown due to their smell." taken from  http://www.allgoats.com/faq.html

Mr Tumnus most definitely has a beard, so therefore he will need a mirror of some kind where he can groom himself nice and tidy everyday, as Goats are apparently very clean and particular creatures. Also the next paragraph on this website is entitled "Do Goats make good Lawnmowers?". This begs the question, as Mr Tumnus is starting to appear like a respectable, gentle, vegetarian character wouldn't he keep a well maintained Garden where he grows his very own delicious crops?

I think its important to note that as Mr Tumnus lives in a snowy forest, he is more inclined to be like that of the Mountain Goat. However, most interpritations of his character show him as more of a regular type Goat, therefore he has to wear a scarf to keep himself warm in the cold climate and likes nothing more than to sit in his house next to a raging fire.

Lumberjack

I think as Mr Tumnus must make everything himself he must have skills in woodwork, therefore be able to cut down Trees effectively and carve them into objects that he wishes to make. Perhaps this could mean the colour schemes used within Mr Tumnus's house could reflect the traditional red and black chequered pattern that is frequently used upon the famous stereotypical shirts worn by Lumberjacks themselves.

BnQ's - and the Rainforest

That's right. You get some mighty fine Sheds in that Mother Forker. Some of the larger ones seem so homely you really believe you could live in them. In fact, some people do! In some parts of the world, some peoples homes are literally large, fancy wooden Sheds that reflect the local enviroment. For example, the houses within the Rainforest of Sambava show exactly this style of design, some being more simplistic hut-like buildings that reflect a more traditional way of life and culture.

Winter, Snow and Christmas

Obviously, Narnia is themed around the seasons in many respects. Where Mr Tumnus lives is magical and snowy, therefore one can't help but feel Christmas spirit amongst all the snow filled tree's of the forest and the kinder nature of Mr Tumnus himself. This very welcoming feel to Narnia that Mr Tumnus portrays creates a comparison to the birth of an adventure, like life itself. Obviously this links in with the whole theme of Christmas and Jesus. See what I done there? I know right, genius!

 

Chris