Storytelling and Storyboarding (Chapters 2 & 3)

Storytelling

The great challenge is more about disciplining yourself to reel it in and be intentional about your storytelling choices.

The first step in storytelling is to create a story structure. Create 15-30 cue cards – the moments / active steps that move the story forward. Each card can be physical or emotional and should represent an active step or beat in the storyline. Next, a Three-Act Structure should be created by placing cue cards on the wall in chronological order in three separate rows (a story with three acts).

• A character has a problem
• The character works towards a solution
• The character solves the problem, usually in a surprising way

A fourth row of “additional beats” can also be created that don’t fit in the structure or you are unsure of at the moment (may not even use them) This works for infographics too such as PSA's. The first act  (first row of beats) should introduce the character(s), establish what they want and introduce a problem standing in the way. By the end of this act the problem should be established – solving the problem is going to take serious effort. The second act tells the viewer where the character attempts to overcome the problem and the roadblocks that make solving the problem less likely. This will be easier if you take the time to flesh out the main character with specifics – what else can we know about them? The more specific traits you give the character, the more opportunities you have to create organic roadblocks for them in Act 2. It is important to ask specific questions – what do they love / hate – what is their motivation in life? By the last card in act 2 you should have the feeling that the problem will NOT be solved. Act 3 is the resolution – usually fewer cards than acts 1 and 2 and in order to create a satisfying ending, we need to know what the story is “really about” or the theme which should enrich the entire narrative.

It is important to begin this entire process with inspiration. First, you must identify a point of departure (sound, image or idea) that is powerful enough that you are inspired to build around it. Don’t let your inspirational element do the heavy lifting in your piece – let it lead by inspiring other elements to rise up and match it. After you are inspired, build a structure around that inspiration using these tips:

• Book Ending – End the story exactly where you begin. Go anywhere you want in between
• The Countdown – Create a constant upwards build in drama until the end, without any de-escalation. Challenge yourself to elevate each beat a step higher.
• The Puzzle – Purposefully keep your audience in the dark about certain story information. Reveal that information piece by piece until the big picture is finally clear.
• The Beaded Necklace – Use music, sound or voiceover to hold all other chaotic elements together. Sound acts as the string preventing the beads from falling to the floor.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is your opportunity to work out the visual elements that best suit your story. This not only saves time and money but also, the better the storyboard, the better your project will be! This process should be organic – let it evolve gradually from simple to complex.

 Creating individual frames of the action ensures the story is understandable and then add elements that make the story interesting. This phase should be experimental so create rough sketches, or thumbnails, of the storyboards. This helps work out sequencing of shots and provide opportunity to establish important aspects of staging, framing, scale, and transitions. Next, put them on the wall – do they make sense? Pitch them frame by frame to yourself and include any dialogue or music that will be played. A good way to pick out the issues is to stick post-it’s over the problem areas and redraw until it feels right. This saves time and heartache down the road.

Use the space underneath each completed frame to write the dialogue or brief explanatory notes and once you’re done, any observer should be able to understand and follow the overall story. Present storyboards to a small audience or someone who will ask hard questions – this will force you to clarify the decisions you made regarding staging and flow. Watch the audience’s body language as you pitch because it is more honest than verbal feedback. Once you’ve made changes, revise the boards and clean them up - they should be detailed enough so that no element is left up to interpretation for a crew of animators or designers.

•  Humorous piece = lighter, cartoony style
• Dramatic piece = black and white coloring
• Sophisticated = layering in detail

You have to compose your shots – not only for clarity but also for maximum emotional impact because adding the details frame by frame making each a perfect unit allows the complete story to unfold. The audience is hungry for information and shot composition is all about revealing information to your audience however, this can also be used to withhold information for maximum effect. This grants you the power to reveal info how you wish to your audience. 

Framing is all about keeping the eye interested and is the artistry of your shots. Dynamic framing is one of the keys to enhancing the visual drama in your story. Use the Rule of Thirds – 9 equally sized quadrants by dividing the single frame into thirds vertically and horizontally - to help to get this effect. Make the focal point in one of the four intersections because the eye is more gratified if it goes searching for its subject - this give the viewer a sense of excitement and suspense. 

Staging is where you put that subject in space in the scene in relation to the camera. This should create a visual conceptual hierarchy for the objects and characters in your frame – placing them in a way that reinforces your overall story. By staging your subject along with important visual information, you offer your audience a deeper read of what’s happening in your story – why a good story is “deep.”

Animated transition is the most powerful advantage over other forms of filmmaking The possibilities are endless, but it takes practice to make those transitions work with your story. Continuity is the natural flow of visual information from one shot to another to support your story – always follow the logic of the world you’ve created, the story you’re telling and the physical direction it’s heading in.

Observe Spatial Continuity is making sure that the rules that you’ve established in your world are consistent from shot to shot. Observe Temporal Continuity is the consistency of logic in your story. Audiences will go along with dramatic visual change from shot to shot as long as it is loyal to the story they’re being told. Observe Directional Continuity maintains the direction of any action for an object or character in a sequence from shot to shot.  Switching directions of vehicles, characters or any object that is headed in a particular direction is disorienting to the viewer.

Timing is one of the most important details with storyboarding. You should:

1.     Determine how long your whole piece must run / Total Running Time (TRT)

2.     Break story into three acts – establish how many seconds each act must be

3.     Time each scene using dialogue and / or stage direction

An anamatic is a video version of your storyboards laid out in a sequence on an animation

timeline with a soundtrack aligned. This allows you to see your storyboards come to life and

get a true sense of how the story will come out. Timing is the truth – this is the last chance

you have before you start to really create your animation.