THE ART CENTER / Sharing Ideas And Tips From Artist To Artist

Hat Lieberman: Stuff I've Learned About Storyboarding Part 2

Motivating the camera is a simple technique of using visual cues to set up a cut or camera-move and in doing so, ease the audience into a new shot or new information.

Below is a simple example of how utilizing the above theory can have a huge influence on the overall feel/continuity of a sequence.

I think I may have made it a bit over-complicated. Essentially you should be able to look through each of the examples and feel the difference.

Basically: Use a character's eye line to motivate a cut. It helps ease the audience through the cut and into new information. (While also putting us directly in the character's shoes)

There are many other ways to motivate the camera. Below is a short sequence I've boarded out with various examples all strung together. The idea is to create as much continuity within the sequence as possible, making everything clear and easy to follow.

Below I have pointed out the specific methods used to motivate the camera.

So as per the above sequence, ways to motivate the camera;
- Using a Character's eyeline/P.O.V.
- Having a character move on screen and adjusting the camera accordingly.
- Having a character exit frame.

There are other ways not represented in the above example, for instance;
- Having a character enter frame. (illustrated in a tip sheet below.)

I think ultimately what it comes down to, specifically for 'cutting', is the fact that a 'cut' is not natural, it doesn't happen in real life (unless you take really long blinks). Obviously we have all seen enough film/television to accept a 'cut', nevertheless, anything you can do to smooth out the transition will only help create and maintain the continuity of your sequence.

These next examples revolve too around motivating the camera, however explores more "what they are saying visually".

The next three examples are all slight variations of the same scene, each exploring a different approach in regards to the progression of information that is revealed to the audience, and consequently the effect it has on them. Please note that none of these examples are any more "right" than any other. They are merely different takes on the same scene. Their purpose is to show how slight variations in storyboards (and ultimately film) can produce vastly differing ideas/moods/responses. Ultimately, it would all depend on what the script calls for or what is necessary of the scene to determine which of the following (if any) would be suitable.

I think the most important thing to take away from this concept of 'motivating the camera', is just to try and be conscious of the decisions you are making in your storyboards. Try to understand what you are actually saying visually, what information you are revealing to the audience (and when) and what effect it will have on them. Thinking about these things as you board can significantly enhance a sequence and really help 'sell' an idea in the storyboard stage.

On a side note: None of these tips/theories/methods I've discussed (in this post or the previous) are "rules". They are by no means absolute. There are no 'right' or 'wrongs' with storyboarding, as I've stated before, simply ways that work better than others at achieving desired responses. As much as I use these principles and incorporate them into my own sequences, I find myself quite frequently deviating, or cheating, or bending these ideas. I rely much more on the 'feeling' of a sequence as I board. Boarding panels and flipping through them to see how I 'feel' watching it, to see if the cuts are smooth, or if something doesn't 'feel' right. So take these tips for what they are, simply tips, tricks and principles I have found to be successful.

Hope it helps.

-Hat

Martin Wittig: Animal drawing

Here are a few tips that help me while animal sketching :)

Wouter Tulp : Weight

Hat Lieberman: Stuff I've Learned About Storyboarding

Here are a few quick little tip sheets I put together for some of my friends who are currently doing storyboard tests and looking to get into boarding.

1. Be Careful of Theater Staging

There are no "right" or "wrongs" with storyboarding, only ways that work better than others. Figure out what you want to convey in a scene, and find the best way to present those ideas to your audience.

2. Maintaining Screen Side

Note: there would obviously be more panels if this was flushed out, to play up the acting and also hook up the action. And on the last panel, I would probably frame it more centered while the female is farther away and then adjust right as she walks towards camera.

This is a simple theory of cutting that can easily help create a sense of continuity within a sequence and or exchange. The idea is not exclusive to 1 character interacting with another. The same principle can be used between 2 different groups of characters, or even a character and an object (Ie. A telephone. A man waits anxiously for a very important phone call).

The example above is a bit rudimentary for the sake of demonstrating the concept. More realistically, you will have characters moving around as they interact. In this case what we can do is create multiple patterns to track the exchange. The important thing to focus on when trying to handle multiple staging set ups is making sure the audience clearly sees our new staging occur. The simplest way to achieve that is by having characters physically cross paths on screen;

As long as you continue to establish any new screen spacing, the sequence should maintain a certain level of continuity that will allow the audience to follow along quite easily.

3. Maintaining Screen Direction

This is a similar theory to #2 however involves more characters and objects moving in and out of frame.

I think the most important thing to remember with storyboarding is that; anything and everything we can do visually will invoke a specific response from the audience. The key is to determine what exactly you want the audience to feel and then find the best way visually to achieve that reaction.

I hear a lot of people say "You can't do that cut" or "You are breaking the 180 line, you can't do that".... well obviously you can do it, because if you can board it, you can shoot it. It's not that you "Can't" do something, it's that that "something" is confusing the audience, or isn't visually pleasing, or isn't achieving what is necessary of the scene. All of which are appropriate critiques of a jump-cut or breaking the line, however not so much if that is the desired effect you hope to have on your audience.

Please note, I could be completely wrong. I do not claim to be right, and as I stated above, there are no "right" or "wrongs" in storyboarding (and most art forms for that matter), only ways that work better than others. These are simply tips, tricks and principles I have picked up along the way that I've been able to apply directly to my own work and found to be successful.

Hope it helps.

-Hat

Louie del Carmen: Clothing Folds & Creases

I wanted to share some quick philosophies about drawing folds and creases on clothing. This is something that can be deceivingly simple. We know the concepts in our head but when we have to draw folds they end up looking awkward and misplaced. What I point out below is pretty obvious. The main things to consider are: 1.) Clothing/Drapery behavior is not random, and 2.) Observing is drawing. Look for clothing behavior in daily life and make mental notes, then sketch them until they look natural. ( Click on images to enlarge )

What I actually draw vs what I think about

When I draw I focus on the shape design and think about the construction.

Step by step by Emmanuel Briand

Hello,
I'm a french drawer working in animation and I didn't know how to share the suffs I used to work on : so as a first post A step by step of digital painting . Sorry for this post , I will share as soon as possible more tutorials about compositions , colors and shapes .Hoping you'll like this little digital paint :

1) I prefer a Background ,with mateer .not flat cause it cancels all dynamic .

Kirk Shinmoto: Figure Drawing Tip - Establishing Space

Something that it often neglected when drawing the figure is incorporating the environment into the drawing. The surrounding environment is important because it gives the drawing a sense of space and puts your figure into a context. It is also just good practice putting a figure in an environment, which can be hard to do.

The biggest thing to think about is the ground plane. Look for things that might follow the perspective that the figure is in. The newspaper in this case plays a big part in establishing the space she is sitting in. The type on the newspaper also helps to emphasize this and also starts to imply a sort of grid.

Also watch for things such as drapery that touches the ground. That piece of cloth, as small as it may be, grounds the figure as it falls off her leg then slides along the ground plane.

Looking for elements that show perspective can also help you if you are drawing a difficult pose or angle. In this case, the block the model was lying on helped me to decide how I would draw in the forms of the body. The block also serves to heighten the sense of foreshortening as we see it travel back in perspective.

Showing what the model is sitting on adds to the sense of weight, gesture, and drama. Try to avoid having just a floating figure on the page, especially if they are leaning or sitting on something.

It also doesn't take much to show the environment. In this case just a few scribbles in the right direction is enough to give us a sense that he is standing on the ground.

Try to get into the habit of always considering the relationship the figure has to its environment. It will give your drawings much more depth and believability and it is a good starting point for incorporating more story elements.