Storyboarding Processes in Studio Two Six Five

when you run out of wall, use the windows!

Fun times in reference photos

Professor Rousseau's storyboarding class took a reference field trip to Savannah's historic Factor's Walk in preparation for our Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde storyboard projects.

In the boards, this is the sidewalk where Jekyll is being chased by the two coppers.

Then he jumps onto the railing...

And is miraculously and entirely unhurt by the three-story fall! Movie magic at it's best!

Oh yes, and a real Savannah pirate ship :)

The Strange Case of Storyboarding

I've made some storyboards for Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). If I had more time (or managed my time more wisely,) I would have made more transitional boards to put in between some confusing areas- but that would have probably been 20-25 boards and I didn't have that kind of time! I may do that over Christmas break if I can't find anything to do.

Each of the images has their own camera movements and effects listed in their storyboard template. I have an example here for the establishing shot (the one you see first- it sets the scene for the rest of the story)
Enjoy! (and critique please!)

-cbv

The Gravitas

These are some frames from my last storyboarding project. We had to make a commercial for a smartcar called the "Gravitas." The idea was that this smart car is invincible- and in my case, fuel efficient AND able to defeat two very large monster trucks.

In the story, the monster truck moderators (who look astonishingly like Rhett and Link) announce the start of the 2008 Monster Truck Jam. Smartcar driver is lost and refers to his GPS, which leads him straight into the arena. Here is where I left out posting a few frames, but what happens is the GPS tells Smartcar driver to turn left and he proceeds to roll right over the first monster truck. He follows the GPS, rolls over the second monster truck and is directed out of the arena.
Beauty shot.

If that doesn't make you want to buy a really heavy Smartcar, I don't know what will.

I had a lot of fun with this project. I had never used Prismacolor markers before, and aside from spending 40$ for 12 markers, I thought it was great.

P.S. how about that tagline?

P.P.S nobody noticed that the the car in the third frame is vacant. Thank goodness.

Storyboarding

First storyboarding assignment: The Establishing Shot: Riverstreet.

Madeleine L'Engle's The Small Rain

I love being in Savannah.
I got a library card the other day.

Now, I have access to TWO expansive (and filled with windows-thus, natural lighting) three story libraries within walking distance. One, the Jen Library- is entirely filled with art books galore... never ending. And the Live Oak- I'm not exactly sure how many stories it has- (and by stories, I mean floors), but it's got either three or four.

I just finished Madeleine L'Engle's The Small Rain.
I began reading it on a Saturday trip to the beach and finished on the next Saturday. (My roomate took my first "author photograph"- you know, the photo that's on the back flap of books. I'm not an author yet, but someday.... someday.. I was wearing my white and red Sunday-Morning-in-New York City-dress with the billowy red hat)

During the first week, when we had sooooo much work to do, I got used to being busy again and I LOVE that feeling, so this week- after I used my time very wisely- and got most of my homework done during class workshop time. I do not like to waste time anymore. If I have spare time, I want to invest it in a book by one of my favorite authors. Before I came to school, I spent a week or two reading the manual to Maya. No more unnecessary naps for me! If I do need to take a rest, though, I rest.My room is facing west, so in the afternoon, the sun graciously comes and warms up my bed for me so it's nice and toasty just in case I may need a nap. We also have lots of butterflies and dragonflies flitting around outside our window.

Oh yes, back to The Small Rain. Madeleine L'Engle wrote it when she was about my age.(20-ish) I've decided to begin at the beginning of her collection of writings and read chronologically up through her growing up. I enjoyed her first novel very much, though it was filled with a lot of pain. Her main character, Katherine is a very dedicated pianist and goes through many losses, including the death of her mother and other significant people in her life. I feel like, that through this book, I grew up with Katherine and we got through everything together, so maybe after this, I've grown up a little bit too.

"Mother said when you were unhappy or confused, Bach was the person to play. With almost everybody else you can think, but with Bach there's nothing but the music. It's true, you know."

p. 67 The Small Rain

Ira Glass on Storytelling

After watching the Fall of 08 ScadAnimate Senior Animation Short Film Projects, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about story. Looking everywhere for a story.. filling up my little book of small one sentence snips of things that could possibly be stories later...

I don't know when I'm graduating from SCAD- I have an appointment with my advisor coming up in the next 2 weeks. Since seeing the Senior Short Film projects, I was struck with the urgency of gaining a repertoire of stories- so I'm not panicking when I need one for a storyboarding project, animation, illustration, etc. Last year I found myself getting discouraged when I had an assignment due and I knew that I had ideas floating around in my head, but the unsureness of what my message should be in my drawing or what story to come up with .. actually made me become frozen and I think I lost hope in my creativity in the face of challenges that seemed bigger than me.

So, every day, I am going to make a story. It could be one sentence, It could be a page. But I'm keeping it in my book that stays in my pocket (just in case a really good one smacks into me on the bus) and by the time Senior Projects roll around, I'll have a good sized stack of stories to choose from!

That being said: Here's a nugget of wisdom, not only for animators, but for any creative person or storyteller.

Friedrich had gone to bed early that night, around, say 9:00. He woke up around midnight (thinking it was morning) after having a scary dream about his first day at his new school. Friedrich's dad made him a cup of hot chocolate and let him watch a little TV before going back to bed- because everybody knows: A monster with a warm belly full of hot chocolate isn't afraid of anything!

P.S.
Friedrich is looking for a home, any takers? glass frame included :)