Storyboard - Week 1& 2

Hello Hello, quite some time since I updated the blog. I the meantime I have started on the second year of my course. Currently I'm in the last phases of my minor project, this being the reason why I haven't updated my blog because I thought that I would get the minor project on the update as well. BUT I felt that I should give a little prelude and say that I'm still alive and animating:-)

So the first two week of in the brand new ATRiuM building (that's not a typo , that's apparently how its spelled), started with the storyboard project. Storyboards are thumbnail like images of the camera angles, shot sequence, action sequence, dialogue sequence and basically everything. In animation storyboards are one of the most important processes in the development of an animated sequence, as this stage can simply make or break the movie/animation.

To make any film sequence, live action or animation, interesting you need to have some dynamic shots, else the audience is gonna get bored very quickly. In live action you can just go out with your camera and find them, but in animation we have to build them. This is why the storyboard is immensely more important for animation than live action. If you can plan the shots before building them, you can save time and money.

For the protect we had to make two storyboards. The first was to storyboard an advert. Find any advert, live action or animated, analyze the shots/action and draw a storyboard based on the advert. This is the reverse of what a storyboard process is, but it was to get us into the concept of storyboarding and learn what the professionals do to make a shot interesting.
I chose an animated commercial from Framestore (http://www.framestore-cfc.com), that they did for the bank Abbey (http://www.abbey.com). Click the image below to view the advert:-

A simply gorgeous piece of animation from the makers of the polar bears in "The Golden Compass". Absolutely a dream workplace!!!!

As you can see the advert hasn't got that many shots (14 to be exact), but there is a ton of movement that needs description for the animators to follow. And so here is my attempt (click the images below, to view a larger version):-

The second part of the project was to storyboard to a script. The script was an episode to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Now this was where the real fun comes in, when you sit and invent the shot on your own. It can easily go horribly wrong, but if you get into the thought process of camera angles, you can get quite creative with it. Before throwing one self over camera angles, you should read the script very carefully. We each got one page assigned, where mine was page 33:-

ronnie

I wouldn’t do that if I were you.

Donatello picks up a mobile phone, dials.

donatello

I know what I’m doing.
(a beat)
It’s ringing.

int. national phone switching network - night

The Globfather reacts.

globfather

So, those Turtles think they can tap into this network, do they? Well, they’ll soon regret it.

PUSH IN on the Globfather as his expression turns evil.

back in the turtle van

Donatello reacts as the Globfather’s face appears on his monitor screen.

globfather

You’ve dialed the wrong number, fool.

Suddenly the “fold out gun” drops down.

leonardo

He’s got control of our weapons! Get down!

Leonardo pushes Donatello to the deck as the gun fires, blows the opposite door off. Donatello rolls out. Leonardo grabs him, holds onto him as...

the two guns on the roof

suddenly aim upwards and fire, blowing...

a radio antenna

off the top of a building. It falls, crashing to...

the street

as the Turtle Van swerves, barely avoiding it.

The story before this is that the villian (Globfather) has stolen a protein computer, which he has used to hack into the National Phone Switching Network. This allow him to control all electrical equipment. Ronnie is the son of Professor Huxley, the inventor of the protein computer. The Professor is held hostage by the Globfather. That basically what you need to know now. The storyboard turned into this (click the images below, to view a larger version):-

If you wanna see who the professionals handled the same scene, then here's the link to the episode; http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2YmzW2NNyzY&feature=related, my scene is 3:06 into the video.
I my opinion I think my version of the scene is better:-)

Thats it for now, Ill be back soon with the minor project. Hope you enjoyed the post....