Your World, Only Better – Developing Narratives for Animation

1. An Introduction to Narrative Animation and 15 Minute Exercise: - have everyone. - I'm Julia Pott and welcome to my calls on developing narrative for animation. - I've been working on animation director since 2007 and since then I've created four short - films. - My first crush, - Howard Belly on the event, - along with a lot of commercial work and music videos. - I'll be referencing my film belly, - which was my thesis from From the Royal College of Art, - extensively throughout this course, - because the methods I'll be teaching you a similar to the methods I use. - That belly took eight months from conception to completion. - With four of these months spent on story development, - it's a really crucial part of the process. - And if you don't have a strong story, - then you'll lose your audience. - No matter how beautiful the animation is, - this unit will be about broad research. - Collecting from both personal and external resource is giving the ah Minnick ammunition you - need to create a really strong story. - This section will be to me, - taking you through why narrative animation is so brilliant on giving you your first task. - To me, - animation is a really good bridge between live action cinema and literature. - Literature is already really good descriptive platform for inner monologues and weird - metaphors, - and you can really feel like you're inside somebody's head. - Take this extract from Talyn's That time stories. - It was in February that the weightlessness entered into Chelsea's blood, - an inside ventilation like a bacteria of ghosts. - And it was sometime in the fall before her 23rd birthday that her heart, - her small and weary core, - vanished a little on the strange and hollowed heaviness of a heavy weekly inflated blew - with animation. - It you're so used to seeing the absurd and the experimental that you can physical eyes, - these internal feelings you could plunge your hands into your stomach. - Your face could become a watermelon. - Anything that you think your body should be able to do it can an animation. - There's an incredible freedom to it. - There are a range of animators that do this really well, - and there are links to them in the resource of section blow. - I just show you a few. - Now one of my favorites is an extract from Disney's Silly Symphonies skeleton, - and he is an extract from a Russian animation that does it really, - really well. - Ah, - that way. - Chance loud. - Yeah, - Skoczow Ah Ah, - yeah, - E Key Mabuchi The very loud The great thing about narrative animation is that you have this - freedom to create whatever you can think of, - um, - through visuals, - through dialogue, - through voiceover on and his poster live action cinema. - If you want to, - you can create entirely alone. - It's an incredible medium for the infinite possibilities of what you have in your brain. - So with that in mind, - you should create what you're obsessed with. - I learnt this a little late in the game. - In my third year at Kingston. - I spent the 1st 2 years creating what I thought my teachers wanted to see, - which resulted in work that wasn't very good that my teachers didn't like and I didn't - enjoy making. - In my third year, - I had to propose a thesis idea. - Andi. - In the weeks coming up to that deadline, - I had developed a rather ridiculous crush on a boy in the graphics design department, - which saw me spending a lot of my time in the student union waiting for him to walk past so - I could stare at him. - I spent so much time doing this, - but that by the time I had to hand in my thesis idea. - I hadn't come up with one. - I was so obsessed with his boy. - It was all I could think about, - so I decided to make my film about that. - I went around and interviewed other people about their experience with this with crushes - Andi how it turned out how they felt. - And then I used animation to visualize thes stories. - It was a combination of research, - my own personal experiences on board, - the beauty of the physicality of animation. - Of course, - that boy was not wife. - That's question. - This was my first crush, - but that's not important. - Your first task is to find your obsessions, - and then we'll be using these obsessions to do research in Part two and three of Seen it. - Do you not sense yourself if you're obsessed with it? - John saw somebody else's as well, - even if it's weird and creepy and embarrassing. - Put it down. - Nobody has to see this, - but you I will be brainstorming through ideas. - You be writing down anything that comes to your head in very small, - like a number two pencil, - something very big. - Like the concept of death. - It doesn't have to be something that you love. - It just has to be something that fascinates you and that you're wanting to explore further - . - Here is my initial brains doing for belly Justin extract to give you an example of where my - head was that when I first started. - You already see elements that I used in the final film, - like coming of age and this booty and Brothers and Sisters and other things that didn't - make the cut. - But I was building a world filled with my obsessions that made it rich and more believable - and more interesting to watch. - So for the next 15 minutes write down everything that you're obsessed with. - However Smalling significant, - it seems it could all be part of this rich world that you're building. - It helps to theme your brainstorm. - You can put things under references like TV film books that you think might be relevant - locations that you like characters that you enjoy situations that you like concepts that - you you think you're interesting, - like the concept of quitting or coincidence anything like that and then go off on a tangent - . - What can you think of that relates under those themes? - This is really about getting no brain warmed up for the preceding research. - Andi learning how to go down rabbit holes and chase the thing that is most fascinating to - you in each category. - Okay, - enjoy. 2. Personal Research - Dear Diary: - Hello, - everyone. - And welcome to Part two, - where your task is to keep a diary for one week. - Um, - this goes hand in hand with Part three, - which is external research. - Andi. - It's useful to do these alongside each other because they're mutually beneficial. - Now you can keep a diary anyway you want you can have a scrapbook. - You could make it visually appealing. - Ricky Magas A great example of this of creating things that just crazy and really - interesting to look at. - But this diary will only be used. - So only do that if that's appealing to you and something that will make you keep wanting to - come back to it every day. - If that stresses you out and you rather just write in a word document every day, - that's fine, - too. - Just whatever makes you want to do it on a daily basis and keep making notes. - She'll have a portable element, - too, - So take a little note pet pad around with you, - or have notes on your iPhones that you can write down little things that people tell you. - Um, - as you go around your day, - this isn't your typical 14 year old diary. - You're gonna be spending this week being really observant. - So go out more be social, - talk to people on the phone and just be aware of your surroundings. - So write down funny stories. - You hear people having weird encounters on the street, - weird encounters that you may have. - Did you have an awkward encounter of work? - How did it feel? - What was your body language like? - What did you say to each other? - How would you visualize the experience of being awkward if you had to? - Um, - if someone tells you a piece of trivia than write it down and then when you get home, - Google it go down a rabbit hole research that piece of information, - they told you. - Someone once told me recently that lobsters are immortal, - which I have been meaning to Google. - If someone says a funny phrase on the street, - then write it down. - Overhearing conversations is a big part of learning how people talk to each other and how - to write dialogue. - I heard someone say the phrase, - Hey, - buddy, - I miss you on the phone to somebody when I was walking around, - and that became one of the main lines in my phone belly. - My mom once has somebody say you can get a lot of money for a wolf heart, - but you have to learn how to cut it out, - which is much, - much weirder. - And I wrote it out. - If you're feeling stuck, - then you can theme diary entries so you could theme something under embarrassment. - When was the last time you felt embarrassed? - How did it feel? - Why were you embarrassed? - What was that like versus when you're embarrassed as a teenager? - As a kid, - how did that feel physically? - What happened to you? - What happened to other people? - Ask your friends and family start up conversations where people feel inspired to tell you - funny anecdotes. - All of these things will be inspiring and will help you in the future. - I personally find it helpful to keep books of net cards where I have little phrases and - anecdotes on them that I can rifle through the beginning of any project to get inspired and - get my brain working. - I'm also always looking out for visual inspiration, - not just conversational and anecdotal. - So this example here is a cookie that I made the Halloween, - which became the inspiration for a cat designed for one of my films. - Just be observant. - Be open to anything. - Andi be social this week. - It's a nice task. - Your task is to go outside so good. 3. External Research - Down the Rabbit Hole: - So this section will be about taking to the Internet reading books. - Um, - listen to radio shows on basically gathering as much research as you possibly can from - external resource is so I've included a list of links to really good websites in the - resources section. - Blow me the articles I found most helpful online human interest pieces, - science pieces, - weird stories that happened in weird places, - pieces on animals. - I recently stumbled upon this article that was talking about Seaworld and killer whales. - And there was a little segment in the article that red killer whales are social animals. - Resident killer whales stay with their mothers for lights. - You don't see it with other animals. - Maybe in some human societies you have both brother and sister staying with mother their - entire life. - But you don't see it in the wild. - No, - I never knew that, - Andi. - It's a really interesting piece of information, - and you could take that further research Killer whales extensively researched other sea - life and underwater phenomena on and also research homesickness. - What people you know that still live with their parents, - what it would feel like for you to constantly have your mother around things like that. - Another great resource is radio shoes on lectures. - So, - Ted, - talk radio lab on this American life, - if usually influential for me. - And they basically done a lot of the work for you because they spend one episode - extensively researching one theme. - So coincidence. - Identity, - blood, - ghosts, - anything they go through in the interview people. - Andi, - they're basically living their lives. - How I would like you to live your lives this week. - The great thing about these shows is it always teaches you house research so they'll have - these three stories that followed different people under these themes, - and they could be completely disparity until three completely different stories. - And they can all relate to the idea of coincidence. - And it's really interesting. - I highly recommend listening to them and watching the Ted lectures. - Do you get inspired for your work? - I mentioned literature before, - and it can also be a great resource for research. - Short stories are great reference point for story arts, - how much you could include how weird you can get, - and they could be incredibly influential. - You confined these online for three sources linked below and also obviously books. - Novels again are a huge source of inspiration for me. - I I find it very useful to you right down quotes from books that I find inspiring - throughout my day to day life. - And then when I'm starting a project, - I'll go through these quotes and see if anything speaks to me and see what it is about that - quote that is resonating with me and try and pick out. - Hone in on a feeling. - Andi, - use that in my what? - So for my first crush, - my inspiration was a moment in brief encounters. - When she's sitting on the train and she's thinking this can't lost this misery can't lost. - I must remember that control myself. - There will come a time in the future when I shan't mind about this anymore. - When I could look back quite peacefully and cheerfully and think how silly I waas. - But I don't want that time to come ever. - I want to remember every minute always, - and it just so perfectly encapsulated what I was trying to say with crushes, - that it's this horrible feeling. - It's overwhelming and miserable, - but you don't want it to end, - and you kind of love it with belly. - The quote that inspired the entire film was from the book, - extremely loud and incredibly close with the passage. - She went home with her father and the center of me followed her. - And I was left with Shell of May. - The idea of you being attached to another human being on the core of you going with - somebody was incredibly compelling to me on that led me on to research E t. - Which became a huge influence for the film. - Some of my biggest influences come from film and television. - It may sound obvious, - but watch the things that you enjoy Don't watch things that are popular or controversial - Art house if you don't actually like them. - My biggest influences at the moment are Are you afraid of the dark Buffy and Lost? - Because I enjoy the stories they tell in the way that they speak to each other and the way - that makes you feel inside when you watch them. - Um, - and it makes me want to get out of bed in the morning and make my work, - which is the most important thing. - I'm also really inspired by romantic comedies, - which I am not ashamed of, - and you can see that influence in the image hit when you watch the things that you like low - down which characters you almost compelled by, - how they talk to each other. - What kind of scenarios they get themselves into you. - How did they get themselves? - Abaco scenarios. - How is it paste? - How is it edited? - How is it framed? - Just be aware of the things that you like most. - Another great resource for research is visuals, - not just aesthetically, - but for story line as well. - This image here was hugely influential for me clarifying the concept of my phone belly. - The image of the girl with pillow in the back of the car looking out window brought up all - these memories of being a kid and having no responsibility but also longing to be older and - to be taken seriously. - It may be Remember that time when you were little and you're you fall asleep in the back of - the car and your parents pick you up and carry you upstairs and put you to bed and you wake - up in the morning, - None the wiser as to how you got there. - And there was one day where your parents wake you up in the back of the car and you have to - walk upstairs, - put on your pajamas, - fresh routine and you know something's changed and you know it's bad, - but you can't figure out quite what it is. - So make sure you look at the resource is for visual. - Inspiration, - as this could be, - just is helpful. - It is struggling with what to research. - Here. - Go back to your original brainstorm on and use those of starting off points. - Type into Google. - Ask people for stories about those things. - Also take influence from your diary this week and just really immerse yourself and don't - censor what you look for and don't try and theme anything to specifically at this stage. 4. Choose an Obsession: - Hello, - everyone and welcome to Unit Two in this section will be choosing three obsessions and then - honing in on one of those obsessions, - which will become the primary focus of your narrative animation. - These could be as broad or specific as you like. - You could choose homesickness, - family confusion, - embarrassment, - anything, - Um on. - And the research you've done so far should have left you actually inspired and prepared for - this task right down three obsessions that you have. - You can brainstorm this for as long as you like, - and then choose the three the most inspiring to you and then choose the one that is - standing out the most. - It should be pretty obvious, - but if it's hard to choose, - it's always best to go the one that's the most personal and has the most heart and emotion - behind it. - So, - for example, - with Belly, - I chose the theme of childhood, - and then I Jos is a specific point where you come of age and become an adult. - This was particularly personal to me, - and I felt very inspired to make the film based on this theme. - What I find most helpful at this stage is to choose a theme that's more emotion based than - very specific. - So, - for example, - if you wanted to make a film about how it feels to leave your parents for the first time, - that would be your theme. - And then you would go on in the later stages to specify going away to college or moving in - with your husband to tell that story. - But at this stage, - you would be more broad with the and go more with the feeling that you want to convey - rather than a specific narrative. - Um, - again, - also don't choose locations for this stage. - That will be the setting that you choose later. - So your theme shouldn't be something like the beach. - That should be where you set your story. - What may end up happening is that the other two themes that you choose during the stage - might make it into your film anyway. - So, - for example, - when I was Blake brainstorming belly, - I wrote down the theme of childhood in coming of age, - and I was right down the theme of a child's affinity with spooky and how they are obsessed - with fear and horror and feeling weird. - And that doesn't seem strong enough to me. - to base an entire film off of. - But it came the background basis of my story, - and it gave it feeling in a setting for the main storyline to take place in. - So with that in mind, - you can now choose your three obsessions, - and then we can move on to Stage two. - If you're struggling for ideas, - go through your old brainstorms, - your research so far and your diary entries for inspiration. 5. Research Part Two - This Time its Personal: - So in this section you'll be taking your theme and researching it further in three - different approaches. - Your first approach is to do mawr external research, - movies, - articles, - TV, - books, - anything that you think is appropriate to your theme on. - Do you think you can find more information on it? - The reason I didn't get you to do this first off is that you may have stumbled upon - something in your initial research that you wouldn't have if you were researching so - specifically at that stage. - So, - for example, - with Belly in my initial research, - I stumbled upon a video of a whale song which sounded very haunting and eerie and became - the corrupts of my film and the device. - I used to tell the story of feeling something in the pit of your stomach, - even though I would never have stumbled upon it if I was just giving under the theme of - childhood fear on a coming of age. - I then went on to choose how I would research the theme of childhood and coming of age. - Andi, - I honed in on the idea of researching like I was a child, - so I went back and watched all the TV media and read the books that I like when I was a kid - . - So are you afraid of the Dark? - The X Files, - Kremlin's E. - T. - I reread role dial, - goose bumps, - point horror and really immerse myself in that world. - I then thought about what it meant to come of age and, - um, - started researching rituals and Native American tales. - I then looked into fear as a subject and why you feel fear and that uncanny feeling that - you can't quite explain. - I looked into film and media that did this well, - so I watched a lot of David Lynch films for doubles and repetition. - Andi. - So how I could apply them to my own narrative. - The second threat of your more specific research is to again go back to your personal - experiences with this theme. - So go through in the same style is how you wrote your diary earlier and write down all your - memories that relate to this theme. - So with Belly, - who wrote down what it felt like to be a kid, - what my strongest memories of being a kid would like, - and this is when I really centered on my relationship with my sister and that feeling of - being ostracised and wanting to grow up and being the youngest sibling. - Then I started thinking about how being teased by my sister and being made to feel like a - younger sibling made me feel inside. - Physically. - Andi. - I sent it on the idea of sinking into the ground and melting, - which reminded me of my fear of quicksand as a child and how it was obsessed with these - very specific irrational fears. - And that became a theme of my film that led me on to remember all the things I was afraid - of when I was a kid. - Onda. - A lot of those made it into the final film and made it a much richer, - more personal world. - The third section of your research is to start asking your friends and family and - classmates on this course for tales and anecdotes that relate to your theme. - So, - for example, - with Belly had a lot of conversations with friends and family. - About fear is a child and a lot of the fears that I had well common amongst everybody, - and it went across decades. - So the fear of quicksand is ongoing. - Someone who was born in the forties. - Was Justus afraid of quicksand as I was being born in the eighties? - So it's an idea that's not just specific to you but is personal to you. - And you know that if you use it in your film, - it will hit home with a broader audience. - We also discussed the idea of casual lying on general misconceptions that people have as a - kid. - So one friend told me that she thought when people said that endorphins came out when they - were happy, - that they were actually saying that dolphins came out when you were happy. - So she thought that she was never truly happy. - But she never saw any Dolphins when she was feeling ecstatic. - If you want, - you could might also find it helpful to send down email with a general list of questions - relating to this theme. - Did you have any misconceptions when you were a kid? - What was the biggest lie then? - You told, - When you're a kid, - can you remember when you felt the most embarrassed? - It's important, - obviously, - to let these people know that you may potentially be using these stories in your own film - directly. - They don't get mad if they see the embarrassing story on the silver screen. - It's also a good idea just to chat through your concept with your friends and family as - much as you can, - because it helps clarify ideas, - and it makes you realize what's most important to you in this story. - They may ask you questions or make you realize a problem in your structure or the rules of - your world that you do wouldn't have noticed on your own. - It's still very much your own story, - but two heads have definitely better than one. - When you're trying to figure out exactly what you're trying to say. - It helps you strengthen your resolve about the world and the story that you were trying to - create by passing it by somebody else. - So this section should be very fun for you. - You should be having conversations and having dialogues with people and just getting as - many stories and anecdotes out of them as possible. - Thes three tasks are often best done at the same time, - so be Googling on the Internet while you're coming up with your own ideas while you're - asking friends and family for anecdotes and stories that will mutually beneficial Onda and - It should be an enjoyable task that strengthens your fascination with this subject, - so enjoy and then we'll move on to part three. 6. Cherry Pick Your Research - Build a Wishlist: So now we'll be going through all the research you've collected so far from your initial brainstorms. Teoh Broader research to your more specific research that you've done in this unit and cherry picking the elements that you like the most on. Before you do that, I'm going to read you this quote. Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, problems, dreams, ran and conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that. Speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work and theft will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable. Originality is non existent. And don't bother concealing your thievery. Celebrate it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember what Jean Luc Godard said. It's not where you take things from. It's where you take them to. And that is the point of this section to take everything that inspires you. Everything that you feel passion about from your research so far and start building a wish list of everything you would like to include in your film. in an ideal world. We, of course, went use everything that you choose here. But it's better to build bigger at first and then shrink it down later. Have too much to choose from than not enough. I find it helpful to section my wish list. So putting under headings such as scenarios, themes, events, jokes, phrases, locations, visual metaphors, sound references, imagery both photographic and illustrative characters, endings and beginnings. You don't have to use these headings, of course, thes with headings that I used for belly. But whatever works for the world that your building. So, for example, under sound, I put the whale howling and then references to other media that used the sound that I would also like to use, such as Twin Peaks. I also put references from my own childhood, like the sound of crickets and the sound of the constantly crashing waves. I knew what I wanted the ending to be so I wrote that in the ending section you may not know at this stage, but you should start thinking about that as soon as possible because to me it is the most important point of the film. Sometimes it's better to know your ending first and work backwards from that. So go through now and start cherry picking everything from your research that you'd like to include from your personal from your external research and from your research talking to friends and family. I find it easier to include the entire story or piece of research in each section. So you don't have to remember why it is that you liked and keep referencing back to your original documents. You could just look through everything in one big chunk and be actually inspired by this folder that you're creating now. 7. Write a Treatment : - in this section will be writing a treatment. - A treatment is a great exercise for explaining your film, - somebody that's never seen it before. - It simplifies down your ideas and makes you pull out bits of the most important for getting - your message across, - not getting weighed down by details but just including the elements that are the most - important. - This is a good document to start sharing with your fellow classmates for feedback. - You don't have to listen to everyone's ideas, - but it helps you realize what's most important to you. - What's confusing people on elements that you need to really work on If you want to salmon - to include them in the film, - I'll be taking you through how I write treatments for my films using my film belly as a - case study with each section, - I'll be showing you an example of how I tackled that section in my treatment. - In the written section below, - you can find an outline of each heading and what you should include in those headings again - . - This is just an example, - and you don't have to use this exact structure for your own treatment. - So the first section of your treatment should establish your primary theme. - So this is the obsession that you chose in Unit two, - part one thes subject matter of your film, - the core and heart of the piece. - So if a belly that was childhood in coming of age. - So in this section, - I introduced the concept with the photograph that inspired the idea and then talked about - the connotations that it brought up in my brain. - The lack of responsibility of being a child mixed with the need to grow up and be taken - seriously and then talked about how I would be telling the story, - which was through my relationship with my sister and how I would be researching the subject - , - which was taking inspiration from my own childhood and from watching the TV and media that - I enjoyed when I was a child, - I gave references to films that I would be looking at and that I felt gave a similar vibe - that I would be going for in my own film. - You can go about this section anyway you want. - You can include a direct reference to a film that inspired the idea. - You could reference your own personal life and how that's inspired your idea. - Just convey the idea is simply as possible. - So somebody reading about your idea for the first time understands it instantly. - As you can see, - my idea for Belly wasn't superb lashed out at this stage, - so it's kept quite vague. - You might know more about your film than I did at this stage, - and you could be a specific as you like. - But don't get too bogged down in details. - They shouldn't really be longer than one or two paragraphs, - so the next section will be establishing your secondary things. - These are the devices that you'll be using to support thes subject matter of your film. - So for belly, - the devices that I chose where the elements of childhood that were the most important to me - . - So these were the unknown. - So this category covered the fear of childhood Andi general mysteries such as UFOs and - quicksand. - Childhood games. - This theme didn't make it into my film, - but the notion behind it did I tried to create an immersive world that felt almost like a - game casual lying, - which is a large part of my childhood. - I used to tell people that my cousin was the voice of the Little Mermaid, - which was completely and actually not true, - and I would get cool out on it pretty much every single time. - Finally, - I included Kid logic, - which is the misconceptions and the logic of being a child again. - Instead of illustrating this literally in my film, - I took it on as a way of making the film. - I thought about the Siri's events as if I was a kid, - as if I was using this logic instead of the logic that I use now these the devices that - will make your thumb rich and personal and exciting to watch. - So in the third section you establish location on do you will explain why this location is - the best place in which to tell your story. - So for Belly, - I chose the beach and the ocean as the locations of my story. - And then I want to explain the significance of the beach and summertime to me as a child. - When I was younger, - I felt like I changed and grew up the most over the summer, - and most of my summers were spent on the beach, - so I had a personal connection to that location. - The beach in the Ocean also felt like a timeless and eerie space, - which supported my secondary themes of the unknown and spooky. - The final section will be briefly describing the tone aesthetics on genre of your film. - So, - for example, - undertone. - Will it be funny? - If so, - what kind of humor will it be? - Is there a reference that you could put in that for pacing? - How will it be edited for sound? - It can be helpful to put in references to other film and media that have sounds that you - like. - Will there be music? - What kind of music will there be? - Will it be only phony? - And if so, - when it be realistic, - Foley? - Or will it be weird? - Foley. - Will there be dialogue? - No dialogue? - Will it be a silent movie? - Aesthetics? - Will it be in two D three D Stop Motion collage will be a mix of all of these references, - so film TV and media that relate to your theme. - So here I put things like E, - T and things that I would be directly referencing in my film. - In imagery, - you can include your own work and the work of others which matches the aesthetic you'll be - going for in the film. - There is an example of some of my own work that I included here and some other people's - that match the aesthetic I would be going for. - Just remember, - if you're going through to make everything as simple and clear as possible, - make people understand what you're trying to say and why you think this is the best way for - you to say. - Remember to keep it personal, - the more personal stories and usually the ones that people relate to you the most. 8. A to Z of your film: - So in this section will be doing an exercise which was introduced to me by one of my - teachers at the Royal College of Art. - I find it helpful for going through your film, - Andi picking out the little elements and themes that are important to you. - Even if this just helps you stumble upon one small element of your film, - it will be helpful. - So the exercises to writing ages head of your film open a word document and write down - everything that you can think of relation to your film going through the letters of age is - that so? - Here's an extract of my age said for Belly. - In it, - I included themes that I wanted to touch on in my films such as The Androgyny of Childhood - and I also included quotes that I like that were relevant to the film. - Just try and go through and write down everything that comes to you for each section - because it will help you realize that things that are stuffing your brain on which you're - going over and over in your head and therefore the most important elements to your film if - you forget about something during your brainstorm that you thought you were very attached - to. - It might be the case that these are one of the things that can get edited out in the later - stages. - So now go through you and take about 15 or 20 minutes to write down an age set of your film - . 9. Choose Your Films Devices: Hello, everyone. And welcome to part three of this unit in this unit will be picking devices which is similar to the secondary themes that you outlined in your treatment. They're the tricks of your film that make it stand out and build a rich world. And they back up thes subject matter that you've chosen in your primary thing. They elevated to a new level and put it in a unique and fantastical setting. So the devices I chose for my phone belly stemmed from the secondary themes I outlined in my treatment. So the first device I chose to use was the idea of fear and the uncanny. So using doubles and repetition, Andi, general tricks to make you feel weird and scared in a way that harks back to the kind of fear you feel as a child. Another device I chose was the physics of being a kid. So the belief that you can push through walls on go through somebody's skin and melt when you feel embarrassed. E t had become such a huge reference in my phone and researching into the reasoning behind it, I had learned that it was based on an imaginary friend that Steven Spielberg had had as a child to deal with the divorce of his parents. I wanted to take the device of the imaginary friend the E T had used and apply it to my own film, referencing the idea that they have physically attached to each other. The imaginary friend character in my film became a representation of the lack of responsibility you have as a kid and how you have to choose to leave this behind, even if it means saying goodbye to something that you love and then really thought about what it feels like to leave something behind on, honed in on the idea of feeling something in the pit of your stomach in your belly. Andi. This became another device for the film, and this led me on to the idea of the whale song becoming a haunting representation of the stomach grumbling in the whale's belly, using devices that a personal to you and that makes sense to you to represent the story you're trying to tell ground your subject matter in a unique and rich world, taking a very human experience and making it more fantastical to be broken. Connect to on a personal level would also see something very unique and interesting. Remember it's animation, so you could do whatever you want. If you can think it up, you can do it. The world is your oyster, so don't be limited by thinking something is too ridiculous or bazaar. If you use it as a representation for something personal, people will relate to it. It's the pairing of the personal with the fantastical that will make your story stand out As you move onto the next unit and you start doing your layout. The devices of your film might become even clearer. If you're struggling at this stage, it might be the kind of thing that reveals itself to you in the following section. 10. Film Theory: - everyone and welcome to unit for in this unit were going to be starting our layout, - which is the structure that you begin to build before you start your script. - It's a really helpful tool to build out everything that you want to include in the order. - You want to include it in and sidelines the problem of the fear of the blank page when you - do finally started final script. - But before we do that, - I thought it would be good to introduce some film theory in the resource of section below. - There are links to everything that I referenced here, - but I'll also be talking you through some of my favorites now, - one that I find the most useful is Pixar's 22 rules of storytelling. - They touch on some of the points that I have made in this course so far, - such as the importance of unending and how it's often best to come up with the ending - before you come up with the rest of the film. - As an ending can be the hardest part. - It also talks about character development and how putting a personal background to your - characters can give them more heart and more relatability, - even if they're in fantastical environments, - I recommend coming back to this document again and again. - I'm reading through some advice that might help you structure your own story as you go - through character development, - well development and the final script writing stage. - Other advice that I find really useful is Kurt Vonnegut's rules for writers. - It's not directly related to animation, - but I think it's still helpful for what you're trying to achieve. - Hit points include. - Give the reader at least one character he or she to root for. - Every character should want something, - even if it is only a glass of water. - Every sentence must be one of two things. - Reveal character or advance the action. - This applies to animation in the way that you don't want to linger on anything for too long - , - especially if it's not relevant to the story. - Helps you with your editing, - and you should always be making sure that every plot point is moving the story forward and - giving you a new piece of information. - It also has points similar to those from from pixels. - Rules be a sadist, - no matter how serene, - innocent your leading characters make awful things happen to them in order that the reader - may see what they are made off. - Pixar touches on a similar point. - When they say, - What is your character good at comfortable with? - So the polar opposite at them challenge them. - How do they deal? - And here is a point which I made at the beginning of the course, - which is always good to remember, - especially when you're starting your final layout, - character development and script right to please just one person. - If you open a window and make love to the world, - so to speak, - your story will get pneumonia. - Do you not make your film for everyone? - Make it just for you or for a friend. - And make sure it's something that you enjoy making. - Do not get caught up on whether it's trendy, - popular or something you think people want to see if you make it personal. - If you make it for you, - then more people will relate to it. - In the end. - Because it won't seem like trying hard, - it will seem honest and enjoyable to watch. - Included in the film theory below also links to how to structure your layout. - So there's Robert McGee's central plot which I've included an image of here, - which shows you one way of laying out your film structure, - leading from progressive complications to a crisis and then the climax or epiphany and then - a resolution to your story. - Pixar's 22 Rules of storytelling also give a good reference point for starting your layout - . - So once upon a time, - there waas every day one day because of that. - Because of that, - until finally, - so when you're starting should lay out, - we can refer back to these as a reference point for structure. - Another thing to do before you saw your layout is ask yourself some final questions about - where you want to be heading at this point. - So what genre of film you making? - Is it a bromance? - A romantic comedy? - A thriller Western coming of age movie? - Are you combining to medians? - Are you making a horror romantic comedy? - Are you making a coming of age through that? - Why is that animated? - What are you doing with the animation that you couldn't say? - With live action, - make sure that you are making the most of the animated median. - How are you planning to tell the story? - Is it with interviews. - Is it silent movie? - Is it based on a book? - Is it music based sound based? - Is there dialogue? - Is that no dialogue? - Of course, - this might be the kind of thing that becomes clear as you move on to the layout, - character development and script writing. - You might not know yet whether there will be dialogue annoyed Idol. - Well, - whether it will be a music based piece or a phony based peace. - If you do know at this stage, - write it down. - But it's not vital that you do. - Who is it full? - What are you trying to say? - How do you want people to feel at the end of the film? - How have the shows, - films and books you referenced achieved what you want to achieve in this film? - This is just a few quick questions to remember your results and your reasoning behind - making this. - So go to ruin. - Read up on your film theory. - Andi, - Ask yourself those questions, - and then we'll move on to part two of this unit, - which is the layout 11. Layout: - I welcome to you pop to you of unit full in this section will be starting our layout, - which is the step before character development, - world development and then the final script writing stage. - You should be continuing this process throughout each following unit. - It's an important process on the more you work out during this phase, - the less you'll have to reject things when you come to your final script. - Layout wise, - I think it's helpful to reference one of the structures I referred to in the film theory - section of this unit. - So looking at Robert McGee's central plot layout, - where there is an incident which is followed by progressive complications, - which then leads to a crisis, - a climax and a resolution, - someone else once broke this down for me as what does the character one. - How did they get it? - How did they subsequently lose it? - And how do they find it again? - Or learn to live without it? - You don't have to follow these rules exactly, - but it's definitely helpful to have a structure in place in these beginning stages. - Once you've decided on a layout you'd like to reference, - there are a number of ways that you can start working on this. - I like to use a wall and a bunch of post it notes, - because I find it the most useful for moving things around and seeing the structure as a - whole. - You can lay things out into Act 12 and three. - This can also be done in a word document. - If you find that easier, - I wouldn't recommend using a note pad at this stage because it makes it difficult to move - points around. - Andi reject the structure of your story. - Remember, - this is the chance to make bold decisions on bold choices. - Nothing is set in stone. - All it takes is rewriting a bunch of post it notes to completely change the course of your - film. - Andi, - rewrite the structure, - character motivations except Tre. - You don't need to be attached to anything. - Just because you've written it down doesn't mean the that you have to make it that way. - This is just a forum for experimenting, - for trying things out on for landing on a structure that you fall in love with. - You're not gonna land on that structure right away. - It's through this process that you'll get there in the end. - Um, - don't overthink it. - Don't get down on yourself. - Don't think your ideas is stupid because they're all on the path to creating something that - you really like. - Look back at pixels 22 rules of stone storytelling throughout your 1st 2nd 3rd 4th and - fifth dear because chances are that they're not gonna be your best work, - but they definitely are part of the process. - I find it doubtful at this stage alongside the layout section to also have a brainstorming - document open where you're having a conversation with yourself, - figuring out what you're trying to say, - what might happen and basically just rambling. - And from these ramblings, - you can often figure out the structure and the key block points of your story. - So whether you have chosen to use post it notes or a word document, - you should now have your layout up on the wall. - So act 12 and three. - So the beginning of the film what happens in the middle? - How does it get resolved except trip, - Then go back to your cherry pick research from Unit two with everything that you'd like to - include in your film in an ideal world and start placing it along the time line where you - think it would be most appropriate. - So, - for example, - with, - um, - with the phrase Hey, - buddy, - I miss you, - which I'd like to and written down. - I put that at the end of my film because it seemed like a conclusive statement. - I liked the howling of belly and I wanted it to be the key device of my film. - So I introduced that for the first time in the middle of the film as a crisis point, - it is important here to mention the rule of three. - If you're going to use an abstract concepts to explain something, - it is often best to do this three times. - So by the third time the structure is clear, - the plot point is established and you understand what's going on completely. - So in regards to belly on the howling of the whale, - it is introduced first audibly. - So you see the whale and you see his rumbling belly on the sound that it makes the second - time you see this device, - you're inside the belly of the whale and you see a character actually melt into the ground - and the sound coming out in relation to that melting into the ground. - So you understand that when a character dies, - that's the sound that it makes. - So for the third time, - when we're above the ground and no longer with the whale and you hear the wailing of the - belly for the final time, - you know this signifies the death of Oscars monster. - As your layout develops, - you'll also notice things that are superfluous to the story, - things that you become attached to but aren't necessarily moving the story forward. - This stage is called Killing Your Darlings. - So with belly, - I I'm really attached to the idea of UFOs. - They were really important part of my childhood because I love watching The X Files, - and I just loved the idea of something being out there that was mystery. - But in the end, - it doesn't fit into what I was trying to say with my story, - and it was just getting in the way. - As soon as I got rid of it became much easier to write the story, - and it became much less confusing. - But try and identify what is dragging you down at this stage so that you keep putting back - in the film even though it's not necessarily working. - Once you're happy with your initial layout, - simplify it down right down the structure, - plot points and any important devices that you think a key to someone understanding the - story and share it with your fellow classmates. - One of the most important lessons to learn in narrative animation is getting constructive - criticism, - learning how to listen to people's points and choose the ones which are helpful and the - ones which are not. - Um, - you don't have to listen to everyone, - but a bunch of people might point out one element that's dragging the story down. - This may be one of those situations where you have to kill your darlings and get rid of - something. - You're attached to you because nobody else understands what you put it in there. - However, - if you have a gut feeling that it will really work and it's just not quite working yet in - the story, - you can always reject the layout or rethink how you want to put it in there and then show - it to your classmates again and see if it's working. - Remember at the stage always be open to change. - Always be open to cutting something out or putting something new in and reaching in the - structure of the story, - taking out things that aren't working. - This is the stage to make rash decisions on Teoh. - Include as much as you want and then pare it down later. - Wherever you feel, - it's possible to include something from your cherry picked research. - Put it in. - Um, - you can always get rid of it. - Laser. - It's always better to have too much and work down, - then, - not enough. - You want to create a rich world, - and this is how you will start that process. 12. Character Development - The Toy Box Knows It's Empty: - Hello, - everyone and welcome to Unit Five in this first part will be dealing with character - development, - which is a key part of making your story believable and relatable. - Um, - I had this story secondhand, - so I'm not sure of the details that are entirely accurate. - But apparently one hats off was walking around one of its sets on, - and they were in a Children's room. - Andi was walking through it with one of the set designers, - and he pointed at one of the toy boxes. - And he said, - What's in the toy box? - And the set designer said, - Oh, - well, - that toy box is empty, - but it doesn't matter because nobody ever opens it. - So nobody will ever know that it's empty on won't have, - Herzog said. - The toy box and those it's empty. - Um, - creating a rich world means fleshing out the details of something even if nobody's ever - going to see it, - even if it's just for you. - If your characters empty, - they'll read as empty characters in the film. - You need to know them like the back of your hand. - You need to base them on personal experiences and based on people you know and love and - understand if they're bad guys, - they can't be entirely back. - They have to have something endearing about, - um something that you can relate to because nobody is ever so evil that they have nothing - good going for them. - If they're good guys, - they need to have floors. - Nobody is so perfect that there's nothing wrong with them. - People won't relate to a cookie cutter bad guy or a cookie cutter, - A good guy. - They need tohave elements of both sides in order to make them characters that you can - identify with and enjoy watching. - Take something like Adventure time. - Your stereotypical bad guy in that film is the ice King, - but he's basically just a sad old man that wants a girlfriend. - So you relate to him. - You laugh at him and with him on D, - he's a funny and endearing character to watch. - Fin. - The main character has his own floors, - and he can be annoying on make weird decisions on. - Do you still enjoy watching him the kids. - He is a well rounded character, - however bizarre the scenarios. - If you create relatable, - believable characters, - then you'll go with them on that journey and you end and the characters themselves ground - the world. - If you look at something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, - all of the characters in that show are based on human personalities. - So even the demons and the weird creatures talk as if they are just a normal person with - quick wit and funny anecdotes. - Andi, - however bizarre the scenario is there in it's made funnier by the fact that they are so - human in the way they relate to each other. - There's a personal touch to it teamed with the fantastical, - which makes it endearing and charming toe watch. - So as you start to stage, - the first thing to ask yourself is how many characters do you need to tell this story? - When I started with Belly, - I had a lot more characters in the film and then simplified it down because a lot of the - characters were just distracting the story. - Andi, - I thought they were funny and did something, - but in the end, - I just brought their human into a different character. - It's another point from Pixar's 22 Rules of storytelling. - Simple five. - Focus combined your characters, - so creating these well fleshed out believable characters from scratch is kind of a tall - order. - It's always good to base one character on yourself. - Um, - be as honest as possible. - Think about what your floors are. - Think about what you're good qualities are on and think about all the stories and anecdotes - and mannerisms that you have. - Personally. - I always based the main character on myself because it's easier to flesh out a character - based on you than on anybody else. - Because only you really know yourself, - Of course, - when it comes to developing other characters, - if you're just basing it off, - your own experiences and what you know, - it will just be a variation on a theme. - And there won't be dynamics between the characters, - so there are a few tricks that I use to develop other characters in my film. - One way is to you think about celebrities that you like. - So, - for example, - if you wanted to base a character off of Bill Murray, - watch the meetings that he's in no down his mannerisms read up on him and his personal life - . - What's he like? - Um, - who is he usually paired with in films? - What is their dynamic? - Is one of Yorick other characters, - like one of the characters he plays off in one of his films really understand him on um, - and get into his mind set. - It's often better to reference character actors for this because they're often playing a - version of themselves so you can study them in many different films and get an idea of what - they're like. - Another approach to character development is to write a questionnaire and send it to your - friends or fellow classmates in this. - Of course, - if you ever did this at school, - it's almost like a slam book. - So writing a list of questions about their likes dislikes what they were like is a kid what - they like now, - what's their morning routine? - Funny stories, - embarrassing stories, - etcetera Andi and send it to them by email and get them to fill it out and send it back to - you. - It's a really good way of getting into somebody psyche and understanding what they're like - and developing a well rounded character off somebody else. - It's another opportunity for people to tell you anecdotes and funny stories and details of - their personality from their life, - which you wouldn't have had an insight into otherwise. - In the resource of section below, - there is an extract of one of the questionnaires I used for a recent project on the best - approach to this, - for me, - is to write a questions that more general. - So just about personality, - character, - routine, - etcetera and then right questions that relate directly to your theme in your film. - So for Belly, - I would write questions asking what their relationship was with their sibling, - Andi, - how they felt as a kid. - Intensive, - Um, - the lack of responsibility you have. - What were they scared of? - Etcetera. - Again. - Make sure you make it clear that the questionnaire itself is for your eyes only. - But the details that they share with you might be interpreted in your final film. - So if there's anything you they don't want you to know, - not to tell, - you hear another good way of fleshing out characters is a device that is used on reddit, - which is to us, - have someone ask you questions as if you were the character in your film. - So open up, - I chat or get a sound recorder and have somebody ask you, - um, - questions and see how you would react if you were that character. - Make sure it's a medium where you can record what it is that you're writing down and - reference back to later. - This is a really good way of understanding the motivations of your character and thinking - like them rather than like yourself something important to keep in mind at this stage, - as you develop layout on and the structure of your film alongside your character - development is, - do the motivations do the actions that the character that takes in the film match the - character description that you've given them. - So, - for example, - if they have to be obnoxious enough to do something, - you have to write that into their character development. - Make sure that their motivations don't seem bizarre and not relating to Skype type of - character that you've written in the character treatment. - This is an incredibly important stage, - but a lot of the things that you right here won't make it into your final film. - It's just so you have a background to your characters and you understand them. - And so when they're thrown into any situation, - you know exactly how they would react. - And it doesn't seem confusing or unmotivated, - making your stories seem thinner and less dynamic. 13. World Development: Hello, everyone, and welcome to part two of this unit in this part will be focusing on world development. So, in a similar way to understanding your characters, you need to understand how the world they live in works. Is it our world, or is it a different, more bizarre world? What is it most like? Is it set in space? Is it set on the beach? Is it set in the forest eyes? It's in all of these locations. It doesn't have to adhere to the physics and rules of our world. But if you are goingto have rules and dynamics to this world, you need to understand them on explain why it's like that. So, for example, in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, they used the device of the parallel universe, and they get into each parallel universe by cutting a hole in the fabric of the earth with subtle life. The details and rules that go into this thesis plot point is, are so well thought out and immersive that you go with them on this journey and you thoroughly relieve it because it seems like it's almost possible. It's almost as if Philip Pullman is convincing the audience that there's already exists. You just don't know about it yet. It's important when choosing what worlds and locations your characters live in, that you have a good reason for these locations. Again, I reference back to Verner. Herzog on Guy will redo this quote from him. The kinds of landscapes I tried to find in my films exist only in our dreams. For me, a true landscape is not just a representation of a desert or a virus. It shows an in a state of mind literally in the landscapes. And it is the human soul that is visible through the landscapes presented in my films. So you have an opportunity here with the world that you create to further support the primary and secondary themes in your film. Um, how can you bring an additional dynamic to the story? As I mentioned before with Belly, I set it at the beach because of the connotations of childhood coming of age, summer and the mysteriousness of the ocean. Um, it helped my, uh, I helped my primary themes of coming of age and my secondary themes of the spooky Andi, the weird physics of being a kid so it seems like the most ideal location to tell my story . As with every aspect of developing this story, it's always better to ground it in something riel and then push it further. It doesn't have to be, really, but it does have to be realistic. So taking a regular setting, Andi, using your imagination to push it into a more exciting place. So, for example, with belly, the grounding of the world is the beach and the ocean as we know it, and it is the rules of the world that make it more unique. So the fact that the characters animals the fact that they can talk to each other, the physics of them, on the fact that they can swim underwater, Andi, go inside a whale's belly and it gives your audience of groundwork for thinking that this is actually possible and they can relate it to something they already know, and then that, and then take their imagination on a journey with you. So when thinking about the rules of your world, think about the think about how the characters interact with this world. So what is the physics of the characters? Do these physics apply to all the characters or just one some character special and some not. Some characters see things that others can't. And why and how does this interact with the other rules of your world? So as you develop the ideas of your film, your only drawing task in this course is to draw a map of your world. How does everything relate to everything else? It doesn't have to be beautiful, but it it will definitely be helpful. So again, with adventure time, here is a drawing of the map of the world that Finn and Jake live in. The whole point of the show is that they go on adventures, so the world reflects this. It's like a patchwork quilt of every possible adventure that you could get yourself into. The drug refree is mapped out, and so the people making the film know exactly where everything is in relation to everything else. So you can immerse yourself in that world immediately, and it's never confusing, and it also helps with things like shot choices, etcetera to know where everything is in relation to everything else. The best approach here is to create a world that you believe could exist if you are invested in this idea than other people will be, too. If it makes sense to you, then it will make sense to others. Just make sure nothing is superfluous or in there just to be fun and quirky and ridiculous . Make sure it's a worth together to support their story as always, your combining personal stories with research on, then bringing you all together into a more unique and dynamic universe than the one we currently live in our world only better. 14. Script Writing: - Hello, - everyone, - and welcome to the final video of this course. - In this video, - we'll be talking about writing your script at this stage. - You should have spent enough time with your layout, - character development and world development to feel confident enough to start the first - draft of your script in terms of layout. - If you don't have a structure in place where you feel confident about the general plot - points story Arc Andi devices of the film don't start the script writing stage just yet. - Spend a little bit longer on layout and make sure you have everything in there that you - want to include. - The layout is basically a rough script with nothing well written on Do nothing glued - together. - Yet it is the skeleton of your script, - so make sure that's in place before you start punishing up in the script writing stage. - So this is the stage where you bring everything you've collected so far and all the work - you've done on your layout, - character development and world development into a more cohesive structure. - It is probably the thing that you can share with people most for the best feedback, - as it's the closest thing to your final vision bar the Ana Matic that you'll complete next - . - Something to look out before you start your script writing stages How other people write - their animated scripts. - There is a link to some of Pixar's scripts in The Resource is Section below, - which you can take a look out for an idea, - but you can write it anyway that you want anyway. - That makes sense to you. - Eso Here is some general tips to keep in mind during the stage Again, - It's good to go back to pick clothes, - 22 Rules of storytelling or any of the other storytelling tips that I included in the - Resource of section. - Under film theory, - look back at Robert McGee's central plot. - Make sure you're always building up to something, - building up to a conflict climax and a resolution. - If you haven't tackled the questions about whether or not there will be dialogue, - how much dialogue, - whether it will be based on a music soundtrack or ah, - sound effects soundtrack. - You should probably tackle these questions now before you start the script stage, - because if there's going to be dialogue, - you're going to need to write a hit. - Some people find it very difficult to write dialogue. - I know I do. - Um, - listen to how other people talk to each other. - Say the words that you've written out loud. - Sometimes something written on paper doesn't translate when it said vocally, - Rachel script out to other people Be is descriptive is you can with the action section as - well as with the dialogue a lot off. - The story can be told through action and not dialogue. - And with animation, - it's often best that it is. - It could be more compelling toe watch, - then just watching two talking heads. - This is definitely an important stage for constructive criticism, - so make sure you share your script with your fellow classmates and with friends and family - that you trust. - Andi. - Respect the opinions off. - Um, - read it out to people, - send it to people via email so that they can think it over and give you notes. - This will be the closest to realized version of your film so far, - so if people aren't understanding things at this stage, - it means they really need work. - Make sure you show it to people who aren't just yes, - men, - people that will give you their honest opinion Andi tell you the floors and the positives - of your film, - the fits, - their finding funny the bits that they're finding kind of confusing and and you can choose - whether or not to listen to these tips. - Remember, - it's better to hear criticism now than when the film is finished. - This is another stage where it's important to kill your darlings. - So identify the bits that dragging the story down all that elements in the script that - don't seem to be moving the story forward or aren't really saying anything. - Are you attached to them because you think that they're weird or funny or interesting? - But other people are just getting distracted by them. - Remember, - you can always include it into in another film later. - It doesn't mean it's the end of that idea. - It just might not necessarily be working. - Hit some of the elements in your ages, - said your treatment or your cherry picked research that you hadn't picked out before might - fit in now and to take the place of elements that aren't working, - don't linger on things that you think you're clever. - You never have to spell things out to the audience. - If the idea is clever. - It will come across. - You don't have to dwell on it. - Some of the most interesting and memorable animations that I've seen are not super long. - They're short and punchy, - and they get their message across. - You don't want your audience to be bored or lose focus when watching your film. - You want every moment account. - Make sure everything is working for you to tell the story that you're trying to tell. - Make sure the funny elements are funny for a reason. - And make sure the bazaar and obscure elements are like that for a reason. - The stage is usually important, - but nothing here should be set in stone. - As you move into the Ana Matic stage, - you'll notice that things that seem to work on the written page don't translate visually. - So it is important not to dwell on this stage for two too long because the automatic stage - will see you making even more revisions s So with that in mind, - uh, - you might want to start bringing in a text automatic as you developed your script so you - don't have to do any drawings, - but you can just write out plot points on actions in an automatic. - Put it together in after effects or final cut pro and start seeing how it's paste, - how the story develops, - etcetera. - You can even record yourself saying the dialogue pieces in the automatic to see how it's - pacing out on whether or not you like it. - There are other story boarding courses in skill share that you can look at for an idea on - how this is done. - If you're losing sight of your goal, - go back to original treatment or your cherry picked research or the eighties that of your - film and just remind yourself of your reasoning behind everything. - Andi, - what you're trying to say to remind yourself of the feeling you're trying to convey. - Are you conveying it with this script? - Don't lose sight of your gold. - If you stop being excited about it, - take a break. - Show it to other people. - Andi, - maybe change one of the elements. - You want to be excited about this all the way through the process. - You want to be always running towards the curtain of having a finished animation that - you're proud to show people. - You should be eager to share this with the world, - and it shouldn't feel like a bad and it should feel hard, - but it should feel like the good kind of pressure and, - um, - and hard work that results in something that you're proud of and that you love. - It's a therapeutic process. - Andi, - Um, - you should really enjoy it. - This is a very immersive process, - and you should spend a lot of time on this. - Um, - get close to it. - Get obsessed with, - move things around, - be bold, - make confident decisions. - Try and different variations. - Show it to people, - talk about it with people, - get weird, - get ridiculous, - and then take a day off, - work on something else. - Or just take a complete day off and then come back to it and you'll notice things that you - may not have seen before because you've had that rest. - Another tip that I got from a friend is to read through your script slightly drunk. - It's almost like reading it through with a fresh pair of eyes. - The bits that are kind of confusing will be more apparent when you're slightly intoxicated - and the bits that a funny should still be funny in this situation. - If you're old enough, - I suggest trying this if you're too young to drink than forget I said anything I know this - can seem like the scariest stage, - but with the ammunition of your layout, - character development and world development already behind you, - you should feel confident to start your script. - If you don't feel confident just started and it will get rid of the fear, - which comes with starting a blank page. - Remember, - you don't have to show this to anyone until he already on when you already is a really good - process to share it with people you trust. - There will be times where it feels incredibly frustrating, - and you want to pull your hair out and scream. - But it should always be a passion project, - something you're excited about, - something you want to get out there, - and that's why it's frustrating because you haven't figured it out yet. - It should never be something that you hate or that you don't want to work on. - If you get to that stage, - then rethink things. - Get excited about it again. - Go back to your original brainstorms, - your cherry picked research anything and see if there's anything in there that makes you - excited about this project again. - Remember all it takes is the delete button or ripping towns and post it notes to completely - change the course of your film on and and you don't have to. - You don't have to stick with something if you feel like it isn't working. - You've done the lead up to making this script, - and all the work you've done is not for nothing, - even if you rework it or rejig it, - it's all part of the process, - and you'll of Lansing along the way, - and it will have made you even more focused on what you're trying to say. - In the end, - there's been so many times I've written a script, - hated it and then reread, - written in what I thought was a completely different way and then, - in the end, - found that the elements there was still the same. - I just needed to tell the story in a different way in order to say excited about it, - looked back to other people, - for men, - for inspiration. - If you're feeling demoralized or frustrated, - go for a walk, - scream into a pillow, - talk to a friend, - read a tree drunk, - inject funny moments, - inject sad moments, - watch movies, - read books and just track be constantly getting inspired to make something that you love - and feel passionate about. - Remember, - it's OK to take inspiration from other things as long as you're bringing a personal touch - to it. - Remember, - in the script writing stages, - I keep reiterating throughout for creating something that's your world only better. - You're taking something that's personal and rooted in the science and the beauty of our - existing world and then taking it into a more imaginative forum. - So we buckle, - immerse themselves in an imaginary crazy world that's actually based in the world that they - already live in. - Remember everything that you write here is not set in stone. - You can always change it later on, - but will take several dress to get to a stage that you're happy with. - Be playful. - Embrace the possibilities that animation allows you. - Andi. - Always have fun with it and enjoy the process. - Never take yourself too seriously. - Never get down on yourself. - If you're getting frustrated, - take a break and come back to it later. - Think like a kid. - Always think we're on and, - um, - always think in a way that makes sense to you and is personal. - So start your script right as many drops as possible. - Before you feel like it's time to move on to the Ana Matic, - you can start with the text automatic, - and then we want to a draw number. - Anna Matic. - Remember to keep saying the words out loud. - Keep pacing everything out and seeing if it's too much information or not enough - information. - Try and give yourself a time line for your ideal final animation and try and fit your - automatic within that timeline. - Don't make things too long. - Make things as concise as possible to get the message across. - Make sure your audience isn't board getting distracted or losing focus. - You want to keep them entertained all the way through good luck and enjoy.