pet gerbil in gerbil ball

beginning of storyboard

Chapter 9 Summary: Getting a Gig

There are a variety of ways of getting your first gig.  Personal connections made from low/no budget projects help.  It helps to identify the potential work where you live:  film schools or universities with film or drama departments, video production houses--especially those that make music videos, ad agencies, DVD development companies and web designers who use motion graphics.  Internships are another place to start, however make it clear how long you are willing to work for free and what kind of work you are willing to do in the beginning.  Early in your career, you may take a flat-fee arrangement.  Again, the author cautions a clause specifying an end date.  Some people charge a sliding scale:  ad jobs and other work where the job is less creative must pay well, while a low paying job is acceptable if it is artistically satisfying.  Once you have a solid portfolio, you may consider an agent.  The advantages are that the agent is a more savvy negotiator, will look for work while you are busy on another job, and make sure you get paid on time.  However, the agent will take a cut, sometimes even on jobs you got on your own.  Additionally, you will be expected to be on call.  Unions for storyboarding are mostly unnecessary outside of LA of NY.  The small union is called #790.  You must work 30 days on a union job to become union.  Some people respond better to the more regular hours and security of an in-house job, some thrive on the more unpredictability of freelance.  In the beginning you may have to take any and all work that comes your way, but at some point you should determine what work and lifestyle works best for you.

Ch 8 Summary: The Human Form

The human form is one of the most complex thing to render in a natural appearing way.  Therefore, when storyboarding, concentrate on only some of the fundamentals of the form.  This is important as the shapes are often represented in a 3"X5" frame.  Often the artist will only have overheads and shot descriptions to visualize the frames.  The author finds a 12" mannequin with movable limbs helped her learn to draw different positions and perspectives.  She stresses play and experimentation without being overly critical in the beginning stages.  Some guidelines about to remember:  gesture before detail, 3-D figure in space, and simple animation of facial expressions.  After the stick figure, the skeleton is a good rendition to practice.  After this, create forms with simple cylinders and cubes.  You may only refer to movement in these drawings rather than exactly reproduce them.  Keep in mind that the face is the "window to the soul" and are important to show as they are ofter a counterpoint to our words. The shape is a basic egg (pointy side making the chin).   Again, the author how you design a storyboard should be based on their audience and purpose.

Ch 7 summary

Homework:  Exercise pg 164

1pt. 

2 pt.

3 pt.

Perspective on the picture plane

Horizon line

Midterm review

3 act structure
hero's journey
Chapter 1-6

what is the 3 act structure
1. inciting incident (bite)
2. all is lost/crisis
3. climax resolution

Heros journey:
Faced with a challenge-refusal of the call, fear of change
belly of the whale--final separation of the heros

trilogy of form

text diagram image
(script) (overhead) (drawings, photos)

5 a's
assessment
ability
attention
awareness
agreement

editorial storyboards vs comps:

camera angles vs. sales tool
guide production vs. create excitement
how to make vs. to get it made
for industry vs. understandable by layman

storyboards(are necessary) lend themselves to sequences:
EFX/actions-$$$

3 different camera angles
high
crane
low
dutch

camera scale
MS
CU
WS

Camera moves:
dolly
tilt1


Aspect ratio:

Extended frame
either separate frames or long frames

Composition:
categories of compositional strategy
geometric shapes
symmetrical or asymmetrical

Chapter 6 Summary: Composition

There are two ways to view a film: passively and actively. By being an active viewer, you can pick up on the subtleties of composition as a storytelling device. Decisions of line, form, depth, and texture affect the way the picture is interpreted by the audience. Formal aspects of design such as symmetry, balance, randomness as well as qualities such value, contrast and texture play a role in enhancing motion picture storytelling. Unlike normal sight, which can be endlessly scanned in each direction, the artifice of the frame decides what we are shown and what is left out. This manipulation of point of view is what shapes the random happenings into a story. Effective use of positive and negative space, creation of depth in the frame which implies space beyond the screen, and changes in scale, can all combine to manipulate the image in useful ways. Focal length and depth of field (the distance from the camera where all objects appear to be in focus) contribute to how an audience interprets a space: a telephoto-ed image makes the foreground and background appear closer together than they are, a wide angle lens will exaggerate relative distances, and images with fuzzy backgrounds divert the audiences attention to the objects in sharp focus. Balanced frames suggest equal importance of items in a frame, while imbalance draws attention to a particular object. A repetitive series will exaggerate the differences in an object. Randomness in the frame may imply a world without order. Horizontal lines are reflections of the horizon, and seem to expand the frame. Vertical lines imply a defiance of gravity. Diagonal lines move the eye out of the frame, and may cause us to wonder "what's out there that we cannot see." Simple geometric shapes also give a structural element, the most important being the horizontally oriented rectangle that is the frame itself. Values express other ideas. Contrast sets a tone and guides our eyes and our understanding of implied 3D. The textures of plastered walls or a puddle, for example give information for the story. Color is another important element of composition.