-> 2024 25th Jan
Week3 Class session
Continue developing your three ideas, incorporating the lessons learned in mise en scene, props/environments, and camera animation. Enjoy the process and create plenty of layout and previs shots, which may be utilized in the future. These shots will be essential for the first draft of your three ideas, due in two weeks’ time.
TELLING STORIES THROUGH THE CAMERA
In the initial storyboard stages, animate various camera types and angles, identifying elements for each scene or shot before incorporating character animation. Utilize the rule of thirds to guide composition.
TIPS for CREATING ESTABLISHING SHOTS
- During storyboarding or Previs/layout, it’s customary to include an establishing shot. This shot sets the scene’s location before zooming in closer.
- Let’s remember to apply the rule of thirds, positioning the horizon line at the bottom or top of our scene for effective composition.
We’ve explored various examples of cameras utilized to craft establishing shots, a technique prevalent in most media formats such as films, shows, commercials, and manga.
The audience needs to understand the story’s setting, whether it’s at the story’s onset, when characters change locations, or at their journey’s conclusion. For further insights into establishing shots and creating specific camera motions in Maya, I’ve included some links below.
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Some videos talking about camera settings in MAYA:
In this video, we see a talented artist creating a beautiful painting of a landscape. The artist uses various techniques and colors to bring the scene to life on the canvas. Throughout the process, we witness the painting gradually taking shape, from the initial sketch to the final touches.
The video provides a mesmerizing glimpse into the artist’s creative process, showcasing their skill and attention to detail. Overall, it’s a captivating demonstration of artistic talent and serves as inspiration for aspiring painters.
In this video, we see a person building a small wooden house. They start by laying out the foundation and then putting up the walls and roof.
It’s ‘interesting’ to watch how they use tools like hammers and saws to put everything together. By the end of the video, we see the finished house, complete with windows and a door.
Here is an example we can study how they set the camera in the movie.
This video shows cool stuff under the sea. We see lots of different sea animals and how they act.
Some glow in the dark and others look really weird. The camera takes us on a journey through the ocean, and it’s pretty interesting to watch.
Some people might think the camera settings in the movie are good because we can see everything clearly, while others might wish they could see more close-up shots of the animals. Overall, it’s a neat video about sea creatures, and it makes you want to learn more about them.
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My homework – Reference
I also created a moldboard deck to collect some ideas I like. -> Slide Link
I’ve always been drawn to design studios that utilize cute, simple styles with vivid colors. I’m fascinated by how they use minimal shapes to craft characters and build stories. I appreciate how they convey rich narratives and pleasing aesthetics using such straightforward designs, making their work both beautiful and entertaining.
In this mood board, you’ll notice that I plan to use vivid rendering and a Bauhaus-inspired style to create my scene. This approach emphasizes bold colors and streamlined, geometric designs, capturing the essence of this influential art movement while bringing my own creative vision to life.
Storyboard 1
Life is a bouncing ball.
This story explores how everyday life tends to repeat itself. It shows that people often don’t realize how routine their lives are until it’s too late. When one person’s journey ends, another begins, creating a continuous loop, much like a repeating scene in a movie.
Storyboard 2
A Mountain Escapes.
In this storyboard, I was struck by a sudden idea: What if one day a huge mountain decided to get up and walk like a human? It would be fascinating to follow the journey of a walking mountain, almost like following a giant monster. This is a fictional story, but it opens up exciting possibilities. I’m curious to see what the mountain might look like—maybe it would appear as a towering monster, or perhaps as a curious child exploring a new world. This concept adds a whimsical twist to our perceptions of the natural world.
Unfortunately, I decided not to go ahead with this storyboard because it lacks a strong connection to the audience. It felt more like a magical tale, which might be harder for people to relate to or find resonance with.
Storyboard 3
Screen Slave
Inspired by a poster labeled “screen slave” that I saw near my accommodation, I planned to create a story highlighting our addiction to screens. The concept revolves around a world where everyone’s face is just a big hole, symbolizing our entrapment in the digital world and losing touch with our real lives. The narrative begins with an innocent child landing on a planet dominated by screens, where people lack eyes in their faces and even use eyes as currency. In a museum, golden eyes are treasured and displayed as the city’s most valuable items. The plot thickens when a giant eye falls and crashes into the city, eventually soaring into the sky and beyond into the galaxy.
The story concludes with a revealing shot showing the entire city caged, symbolizing that living in a screen-dominated world is akin to being trapped. This visual metaphor aims to provoke thought about our deep entanglement with digital screens and their impact on our perception of reality.
After talking with Geo, we decided not to use this storyboard because it was too complicated and hard for the audience to understand without a lot of explanation.
