Visual Storytelling Class #4, 2/16/2012

Waiting for the bus

The exercise: draw someone "waiting for the bus" from a variety of camera angles (above is one of my 5 panels). What information do you need in the shot to convey this idea efficiently? What are the essential pieces (bus stop sign, road, person waiting...) and how much detail do you need? Don't make the audience decipher. Choice of camera angle affects the level of intensity/interest experienced by the viewer. Angled shots such as this one, looking down from above, create more intense visuals than those shots which are horizontal (how we typically experience a road, i.e...not from above and at an angle, as from a birds-eye, or when seen from an airplane).

To build intensity over a sequence of shots, the filmmaker can set up a rhythm of several horizontal shots, for example, then switch to a diagonal shot to increase the level of intensity at that moment. Think about the progression of eye movement over the course of a sequence -- if the eye has to jump suddenly and look to the opposite side of the screen, this causes contrast and visual interest. Through making a "planned progression of shots", the storyteller can establish patterns & expectations for the audience...when these expectations are dashed, there is a visual disturbance for the viewer resulting in a change in the intensity level (either up or down). It's all very psychological. ;-)

Visual Storytelling Class #3, 2/9/2012

Story Scenes: Levitating Woman

In the homework exercise for this class, we were given an initial shot of a woman levitating above a deserted country road, and then asked to compose the next four shots. One way to proceed is to write down what each shot is going to be about (what one piece of information do you want to convey), and decide where you are leading the audience. According to our professor, Mark Andrews, there must be progress from shot to shot, either the intensity increases or decreases, but it should not 'flatline'. As the story artist, you  must decided, 'what am I trying to say (information)?', and 'what is the best way to convey that information visually?'. Since the best way may not be readily apparent the first time you draw the shot, and there are many ways to convey the same thing, it is important to make thumbnail sketches that experiement with camera angles, variety of presentation, and composition. One issue I came across is that of  'geography' -- it is important to understand where all of the pieces (characters, scenery, props, etc.) reside physically within the scene. By drawing a plan (aka top-down view) of your set or scene, you can ensure continuity of space from shot to shot, and avoid breaking the dreaded '180 rule' , for example.  A major criticism of my work (above) was that I hadn't put the audience in the space (the viewer should see what the ambulance driver sees when looking up at the enchanted tree, let the viewer 'have that experience'), and I had repeated information from shot to shot. Anyway, below are some key elements to consider when composing the shot. Must strive for 'clarity of information' and 'polished thinking'.

• Screen Direction
• Composition
• Staging
• Variety of Presentation
• Progression of Intensity
• Emphasis
• Geography
• Creating dynamic shots & ideas

Weight-Shift Animation Project

Needs a lot of clean-up...I tried. From my class taught by Hans Brekke, Lead Animator at Tippet Studios.

Visual Storytelling Class #2, 2/2/12

Story Scene

I'm taking a class at CCA called "Visual Storytelling", taught by Mark Andrews of Pixar fame. We are learning how to compose visual imagery/shots that support the story (film), and clearly convey visually what is happening. The idea is that when the intensity of the storyline increases, the visuals must support and complement that increase in intensity --- everything needs to work together to reinforce the story. This reminds me of drumming and playing in a band  -- many of my teachers have related the importance of playing in support of the song/music...it's not about you, your flashy chops, individual voice etc., it's about the music and the cumulative end result. Anyway, here is one image I made for this class...one of the mistakes I made here is having a composition of 2 equal pieces (on opposite sides of the page), instead of primary, secondary and tertiary info, where there is a clear hierarchy (need this so the audience knows where to look and what the ONE key idea is, emphasizing 'one' because there should be a single storytelling idea per shot). It also would be improved by using the composition rule,  'rule of thirds'. Other things to consider when drawing the shot: What is the POI (point of interest) ?, Where are we (this can be tertiary info)? Strive for clarity in posing (the pose of a character can convey volumes, think 'iconic poses', like Rodin's"The Thinker"). Don't make the audience decipher what is happening.

Life Drawings

Life Drawing

Happy February 1st! I just realized it is one minute past midnight and we are into a new day here on the West Coast. Here are some figure drawing sketches from my "Drawing for Animation" class. I tried to exaggerate the pose and emphasize the gesture. I love drawing from the model!