Here's a nice trick. An animatic. Then the film.
What it doesn't say but shows is the DEVELOPMENT that occurred as a consequence of making the animatic. For a start, he's made the film substantially longer than the animatic. That might not be a good thing though... you should aim to keep your animatic realistic.
If there are bits you don't like when you've made your animatic, then draw new storyboard panels, rescan and reedit your animatic till your happy!
The animatic.
Then the film.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
From storyboards to Animatics
So you've done all the work on your storyboard. You've got your panels, with shot descriptions, angles and the basic drawings.
Scan them all in as still images and together with a basic voice track (you can mumble sound effects if necessary!) put the film together on Final Cut Pro.
You have to record the voice / sound track first, to give yourself something to time against. But once you have it on your hard drive then begin editing.
What you'll notice straightaway is that some things are working, and some things are not. Make a note of things. Remember, the animatic, like the storyboard is another CREATIVE PROCESS.
I mean by that, if you have another idea for the film, to change something, or add something, when you're doing the animatic, then do it. In fact, its pretty important that you do, otherwise you've written the perfect film and should be on your way to Holywood immediately.
Here's some finished animatics. Again, ours don't need to be as detailed. These include all main points of movement from the characters. Yours need to be at least every single shot, then within that, some main action. For example if something gets punched, we need to see the punch, then the reaction, etc.
http://www.storyboards-east.com/animat.htm
If you go on Youtube, you can find dozens of animatics. I'll put up ones that I think are similar to what you should be aiming for.
Scan them all in as still images and together with a basic voice track (you can mumble sound effects if necessary!) put the film together on Final Cut Pro.
You have to record the voice / sound track first, to give yourself something to time against. But once you have it on your hard drive then begin editing.
What you'll notice straightaway is that some things are working, and some things are not. Make a note of things. Remember, the animatic, like the storyboard is another CREATIVE PROCESS.
I mean by that, if you have another idea for the film, to change something, or add something, when you're doing the animatic, then do it. In fact, its pretty important that you do, otherwise you've written the perfect film and should be on your way to Holywood immediately.
Here's some finished animatics. Again, ours don't need to be as detailed. These include all main points of movement from the characters. Yours need to be at least every single shot, then within that, some main action. For example if something gets punched, we need to see the punch, then the reaction, etc.
http://www.storyboards-east.com/animat.htm
If you go on Youtube, you can find dozens of animatics. I'll put up ones that I think are similar to what you should be aiming for.
Storyboarding: Angles and Composition
This is another useful piece of video discussing, using live examples, what choices you have as a film maker when constructing a shot.
It serves I think as a useful introduction to angle and shot composition.
It serves I think as a useful introduction to angle and shot composition.
Storyboarding is Development
This is quite interesting. It's about storyboarding, and the value of it, for any film.
It shows how storyboarding is really a part of story development. Through storyboarding you get to learn what your film is about better.
This means you might start to make script changes, as you realise things that do work and things that don't.
Again, a major part of this is showing other people what is going in the film by getting feedback and viewing it.
Notice where the guy says, 'storyboarding is directing your film without the crew or actors present'.
It shows how storyboarding is really a part of story development. Through storyboarding you get to learn what your film is about better.
This means you might start to make script changes, as you realise things that do work and things that don't.
Again, a major part of this is showing other people what is going in the film by getting feedback and viewing it.
Notice where the guy says, 'storyboarding is directing your film without the crew or actors present'.
Professional Storyboarding in the Movies
This is great.
This is professional film makers talking about the importance of storyboarding.
They reiterate most of the main points: you make the film better with the storyboards, you work out what you need production wise with the storyboards. Doesn't matter how big the film, the process is the same.
They also introduce ANIMATICS too!
This is professional film makers talking about the importance of storyboarding.
They reiterate most of the main points: you make the film better with the storyboards, you work out what you need production wise with the storyboards. Doesn't matter how big the film, the process is the same.
They also introduce ANIMATICS too!
You don't need to draw.
I've found some storyboards for you online.
My problem with most of them so far is they don't include enough information.
They look good though. Which is probably partly why they are available on the web, since they advertise the artists ability to draw - which has, let me say this loudly, absolutely nothing to do with making a good storyboard.
NOTHING.
Since we have fighting, here's a fighting storyboard, and a bunch of other storyboards.
You'll notice how the artist uses the frame of the storyboard like the frame of the camera. If it's inside the frame, we'll see it, if not, we don't. This allows him to focus on the dramatically important information in the scene. There are some good stories here about who he was doing them for and what was expected.
You can click through the pages to look at other examples.
http://www.storyboards-east.com/sb_tarzan.htm
My problem with most of them so far is they don't include enough information.
They look good though. Which is probably partly why they are available on the web, since they advertise the artists ability to draw - which has, let me say this loudly, absolutely nothing to do with making a good storyboard.
NOTHING.
Since we have fighting, here's a fighting storyboard, and a bunch of other storyboards.
You'll notice how the artist uses the frame of the storyboard like the frame of the camera. If it's inside the frame, we'll see it, if not, we don't. This allows him to focus on the dramatically important information in the scene. There are some good stories here about who he was doing them for and what was expected.
You can click through the pages to look at other examples.
http://www.storyboards-east.com/sb_tarzan.htm
Storyboards
Once you've got your story nailed in your script, then the next step in the process of realising your animation is to build storyboards.
Although the storyboards tell the story of your script, they are very different to. There is, potentially, a lot more information you can put down in a storyboard than you can in a script.
Specific shots for example don't have any place on a script.
How the shot is framed, from whose viewpoint and other vital information cannot be conveyed in a script either.
Storyboarding therefore is a CREATIVE PROCESS. You are, essentially, writing the film again.
What's important then?
The basic unit of the storyboard is the SHOT.
The theory is: every shot should be designed to maximise the emotion of the scene, by telling the story of the scene through the characters.
How do we do that? By writing or drawing (you don't need to be able to draw to do a storyboard!) certain information. Things like, framing, camera movement, viewpoint, cuts and other shot transitions.
I also include sound on my storyboards. I don't see why not. If you're drawing a shot and you think of a piece of music that might work with it, jot it down. Or a sound effect, jot it down.
There is a standard template we use, which includes spaces for all the important information. It's up on blackboard on your part of the site.
Here's a little basic bit about storyboarding to get you started.
http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/
Although the storyboards tell the story of your script, they are very different to. There is, potentially, a lot more information you can put down in a storyboard than you can in a script.
Specific shots for example don't have any place on a script.
How the shot is framed, from whose viewpoint and other vital information cannot be conveyed in a script either.
Storyboarding therefore is a CREATIVE PROCESS. You are, essentially, writing the film again.
What's important then?
The basic unit of the storyboard is the SHOT.
The theory is: every shot should be designed to maximise the emotion of the scene, by telling the story of the scene through the characters.
How do we do that? By writing or drawing (you don't need to be able to draw to do a storyboard!) certain information. Things like, framing, camera movement, viewpoint, cuts and other shot transitions.
I also include sound on my storyboards. I don't see why not. If you're drawing a shot and you think of a piece of music that might work with it, jot it down. Or a sound effect, jot it down.
There is a standard template we use, which includes spaces for all the important information. It's up on blackboard on your part of the site.
Here's a little basic bit about storyboarding to get you started.
http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Dragon's Den
You can learn a lot about pitching by watching people pitch.
Dragon's Den is a good place to do this. You get to see how body language, props, personal stories, research, planning or lack of any of these can work in the favour or against the person pitching.
It's also good to see how to respond to questions.
This pitch seems to start well, then goes very badly.
What's interesting for us is to think about what is unique about your story. A question everyone, fortunately or unfortunately, needs to answer.
Its also worth thinking ahead, what kind of questions are you likely to be asked? And prepare responses in your head in advance.
Improvising pitches to people with sharp minds doesn't cut it.
Dragon's Den is a good place to do this. You get to see how body language, props, personal stories, research, planning or lack of any of these can work in the favour or against the person pitching.
It's also good to see how to respond to questions.
This pitch seems to start well, then goes very badly.
What's interesting for us is to think about what is unique about your story. A question everyone, fortunately or unfortunately, needs to answer.
Its also worth thinking ahead, what kind of questions are you likely to be asked? And prepare responses in your head in advance.
Improvising pitches to people with sharp minds doesn't cut it.
Pitching
Pitching is an art.
Think of your audience. Think of you goal.
You are selling something. An idea. A concept. A story.
A skilled pitch turns problems into strengths, brings something new to the audience and shares the passion with the person they want to win over.
It leaves the audience with a clear idea of what your idea is and why it works.
In our pitches, you pitch to your classmates, who are pretending they are the commissioning editors. Think about what they like. How can you involve them in your pitch? Can you use creativity to get them thinking, laughing, crying about your idea?
What can you use personally, to get your idea across.
Maybe you can use other images to show your inspiration.
Or other films to show the kind of thing you want to make.
Here's a great example from Mad Men, where the lead character has to pitch to Kodak an ad campaign for their new slide projector.
How he engages them, how he's thought about the story he wants them to think about, is brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2bLNkCqpuY
Think of your audience. Think of you goal.
You are selling something. An idea. A concept. A story.
A skilled pitch turns problems into strengths, brings something new to the audience and shares the passion with the person they want to win over.
It leaves the audience with a clear idea of what your idea is and why it works.
In our pitches, you pitch to your classmates, who are pretending they are the commissioning editors. Think about what they like. How can you involve them in your pitch? Can you use creativity to get them thinking, laughing, crying about your idea?
What can you use personally, to get your idea across.
Maybe you can use other images to show your inspiration.
Or other films to show the kind of thing you want to make.
Here's a great example from Mad Men, where the lead character has to pitch to Kodak an ad campaign for their new slide projector.
How he engages them, how he's thought about the story he wants them to think about, is brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2bLNkCqpuY
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