OF interest- 3 minutes. and a neat little story/edit.

Ok, interesting: someone has taken a Classic 'Dexter's Laboratory' episode, and condensed the crux of the episode into just under three minutes. The length of your final assessment.

Using the episode itself, it's basically an exercise in editing. With the use of montages, but still keeping a three act structure, conflicts to overcome in act 2, a climax and resolution/return to status quo, we see a full emotional journey and change with our lead, and understand the whole thing.

Keep this in mind when doing yours/trying to edit your previous scripts to three minutes or less. Therein lies the challenge of storytelling.

All the slides should be up at L@GU, will throw up clips from this week's class soon. Still working through the email scripts. Thank you for those who send story beats and short 3 minute scripts, rather than 10 minute scripts and block text pages I have to go through for others...you know who you are haha- you guys are killing me :P

WATCH!

Week 8 2013: Some Genre clips and class reminder recap

Hey guys,

Slides from week 8 will go up this week, had to shoot interstate after class last week, and returned tonight, so am a little behind on things, including all the feedback on the scripts/stories currently sitting in my inbox. Have touched base with a few of you, but seems the 5-6 minute +  scripts plus various treatments/long form scripts are taking far longer to read than first planned (Don't forget, it's only 3 minutes...trim excess) So hopefully in the meantime you all are doing what I've suggested and continue working on the project until I can touch base with you, either in class or via email.

Essentially, your chosen stories will be fine, it's just a case of making them "doable" in the context of the final assessment, and having the thing make sense.

In the meantime, some of you were chasing a task list for the final assessment. Let me get that sorted ASAP, I still have much to do on the script reading/feedback front, so bear with me. The important thing is, as I said above: "KEEP WORKING".

Hope the following helps to re-clarify: straight from the Course Profile from GU:

Create a story for a predominantly animated short film, however this is not limited to cartoon style
character animation. The story should be around 3 minutes long.

Deliverables include:

visual development artwork (environments, character profile and design, preliminary sketches and reference image folio),

storyboard (including text/dialogue elements, sound design direction and general directors notes).

examples of moodboards of two sequences of varying tones

Full-colour Treatment image (style, genre, proposed visual treatment) - The "look" shot

3 or 4 correctly structured layout or pre-viz shots that concur with industry standards

An animatic is also required that indicates broad timing and pacing for the project.

Further details  and delivery instructions to be announced in class and with assignment handouts in week 2. The project is designed to develop a feasible script for possible production as a graduating project during the program. this is NOT intended to be the final idea that will be made, but a draft development exercise in realising the range of aspects that need to be determined to develop a good short project

NOTE: It is essential that this assignment be developed over the course of the semester, with demonstreted weekly updates on progress and creative development included in the deliverable. Each of the in-class exercises should be attempted alog the theme of this final projecct to develop the idea in many iterations.

Criteria and Marking (Weight 50%): 

Appropriate Visual realisation for Story 15%

Creative Innovation 20%

Effective story structure 20%

Technical realisation 20%

Demonstration of iterations and development of the story 15%

Adherence to the brief 10%

Anyways, quick recap of some of the clips from week 8:

Spot the shots and compositional rules in use in the example of the various genre clips we watched in class:






The other two clips we watched were 'Drip -Along Daffy' and 'Rocket Squad', both featuring Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in various genre/genre mash parodies, which incorporate the various characteristics

Reference Recap Clips Wk7 2013

Hey all,

Clips from last week's 'Reference' class.

Oh, remember to send me your scripts/story ideas. I have quite a few coming through now to read, so give me a bit of time. In the meantime, keep referencing, thumbnailing shots, character designs etc. It's week 8, and after the break in week 11, your work-in-progress will be reviewed before the final in-class presentation in week 4.

If you're not doing a pre-existing script, and your idea is new, try to think of your plot/story as simply as this:

> What Genre? Does it need one?
> Character/s?
> Setting/Era?
> What's it about?

Traditional Narrative Arc: 
 - Normality
 - Inciting incident
 - complication/s and escalation
 - low point, which leads to
 - Climax
 - Resolve: return to status quo or 'new world order'.

> What's the Style? How do you want it to look? 

(And start finding references, and arranging them into a files structure/matrix for YOUR benefit and assessment :D )

Have fun, and email me if you need assistance/sounding board : pmason83@gmail.com

Chuck Jones; referencing the style of the old "Hardy boys" style of novels, historical references etc. Note the smearing style of animation in the fast action movements of the cartoon, and the fantastic character posing employed by Jones.




Jackie Chan: Referencing the silent movie directors of old with his take on physical comedy and martial arts/Peking Opera style action scenes.

For some strange reason, I can't get a clip from the 'Project: A' Clock Tower scene due to some copyright/region thing. Anyway, you guys remember. Here's the reference for that scene.



Some more from last year: http://www.masonnotes.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/week-6-clips-recap.html