Visual Storytelling syllabus

Visual Storytelling ANIMA21001

Greg Lemon, greg.lemon@gmail.com
Fall 2012
Monday/Wednesday 12-3 pm

This course is an introduction to the methods and tools of visual storytelling. Students will learn to create story images from written/spoken ideas, to develop these images and ideas into a clear and dramatic narrative arc, and to edit these images into an emotionally-satisfying story reel.

Course Learning Outcomes:

Upon course completion, students should be able to:

1. Identify the elements of story structure and describe their function
2. Identify and compose visual elements to support story ideas
3. Translate character behavior principles into narrative ideas
4. Utilize film language in shots and sequences
5. Communicate visual story ideas verbally through pitch sessions

Class Structure:

This is a three (3) hour class meeting twice per week. The class will consist of lectures, dailies and screening clips from various live action and animated films.

Expectations:

• Come to class. Missing three (3) classes will result in an F grade for the course.
• Deliver story assignments on time. Late work will not be accepted.
• Failure to show a story reel (due on the last day of class) will result in a failing grade for the course.

GRADING:

Class Participation: 10%

Come to class, participate in discussions and critiques, and be passionate about your work!


Projects - 90%

Project 1 - simple sequence storyboard - 10%
Project 2 - film scene storyboard - 20%
Project 3 - action/drama ANIMATIC- 25%
Project 4 - final project ANIMATIC - 35%

Storyboard projects must be delivered DIGITALLY at 1280 x 720 resolution. Boards should be either in a layered PSD format or image sequence. You can:

• draw then on paper, and then scan them
• or
• draw them in a drawing program (photoshop, storyboard pro) 

Animatic projects should be delivered digitally via a .h264 movie file at 1280 x 720 resolution.


Project 1 - simple sequence without words - 10-20 boards - due week 2 - Wed. 1/30

• Create a simple story sequence using no words or dialogue. 
• The story can be about anything, and does not have to involve people. 
• The story should be extremely simple, but should still have a sense of beginning, middle and end. 

Project 2 - 1 minute sequence from film or script - 20 - 40  boards - due week 5 - Wed 2/20

• Pick a 1 minute scene from a film or script to storyboard
• You must use the same location, characters, dialogue and actions from the script/film
• You may use existing camera angles from the film in no more than 50% of your project; the rest you should re-imagine!

Project 3 - action or drama sequence - 30 - 50 board ANIMATIC - due week 9 - Wed 3/20 

• Pick one of the two scenarios listed below. 
• Plan out the sequence, writing out a beat sheet and shot list
• Storyboard the sequence, and then make an animatic with sound effects!

Action

• Setting: city park.
1. A man jogs at a leisurely pace
2. An out of control rollerblader enters the park across from the jogger.
3. The jogger passes a couple walking their dog.
4. The dog barks at the jogger, causing him to flinch and throwing him off course, directly into...
5. The path of the oncoming rollerblader, heading towards the jogger at full speed!...
6. How does it end? Resolve the situation - do they collide? Does the dog save the day?

Drama

• Setting: fancy restaraunt
1. A sits alone at a table/bar looking at his watch, annoyed.
2. B walks in to the frame.
3. A expresses his/her unhappiness at Bs lateness (points to watch).
4. B quietly stews; A mutters one last comment.
5. B erupts angrily at A; A shrinks back in fright.
6. How does it end? Resolve the situation - do things settle down, or does someone get hit with a wine bottle? 

Project 4 - original story reel ANIMATIC - 40 - 60 boards - due week 16 - Wed 5/8

The final project for this class is the creation of an original story animatic. Your story can be about anything...drama, comedy, science fiction, suspense, etc. It can be a self-contained story, or part of a larger narrative.

• The completed final project is due on the final day of class.
• Story reels must have sound, music and dialogue (if needed)
• Story reels should be a maximum of 1:00 long.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1 : 

• 1/21- MLK, no class
• 1/23 
• Introduction, class overview, goals and expectations
• Discussion and analysis:Visual language of film, overview
• Why do we watch?
• What is a story, what is a character?
• Character vs. Plot driven
• Threshold of awareness:
• events of the story (visible) vs. structure of the storytelling (invisible)
• Overview of continuity style of film-making, three act structure, hero's journey
• exposiiton, confict, resolution
• anticipation, action, reaction
• show, don't tell
• Aim for the heart, work at a structural level
• Three objectives of cinematography
• don't confuse viewers - be clear
• enhance the film with angles, cuts, etc that complement the film's mood/message
• do fancy stuff that wows viewers
• Camera shots - EWS, WS, LS, MS, CU, XCU
• Camera angles - high, low, dutch
• Rule of thirds and 180 degree rule
• Storyboarding basics
• clarity in:
• shape, tone, space, location, mood, action/motion
• Workshop:
• draw 5 frame story using only basic shapes (cube, spheres, cones)
• begin working on Project 1

Week 2 : 

• 1/28 
• Lecture: 
• Showing one thing at a time - beats and pacing
• beats are like...punctuation!
• Story telling is story delaying - Scheherazade and JAWS example
• Blocks' 6 visual elements of film
• space, line and shape, tone, color, movement, rhythm and timing
• Lab:
• Work on project 1
• Watch scenes from films
• 1/30
• DUE: Project 1
• Lecture: 
• Critique project 1
• Deep dive on space
• Deep/Flat/Limited/Ambiguous
• Framing and dividing the frame
• Flat vs Deep ---> awkward (funny) vs. exciting(dramatic)
• Watch scenes from the Matrix and The Royal Tenenbaums
• Lab: 
• Depth vs. Flat - take 30 minutes and find an interesting location on campus. Make at least two different drawings of that space, one from deep perspective and one from flat.
• Begin researching scripts/films for project 2

Week 3 : 

• 2/4 
• Lecture: 
• Line and Shape
• object axis as lines
• direction: curves vs linear
• basic primitives: circle, square, triangle
• the importance of silhouette 
• Lab:
• Go to one of the frame still sites on the blog, or on the net. Find 5 interesting stills and redraw them in storyboard format, using simple primitives in the composition.
• Continue working on project 2
• 2/6
• Lecture:
• 180 degree rule in action, ways of breaking the 180
• bridge shots 
• building tension: cross cutting
• Lab: 
• Watch clips from Iron Giant
• Create a 5 - 10 frame sequence using 2 primitives. Establish a 180 degree line between the two. Have a third object enter the scene, and find a way to establish a new line with the third object.

Week 4 : 

• 2/11
• Lecture: 
• Story: hope and fear, pivoting between
• Drawing characters for storyboards
• finding volumes
• posing and appeal
• straight vs curved
• Look at storyboards from various films for character reference
• Lab:
• Watch clips from film storyreels
• 30 minute drawing exercise - go to a place on campus, and draw shots of that space, adding in a few characters
• Work on project 2
• 2/13
• Lecture:
• Tone
• Controlling tone: material vs. lighting
• Lighting basics: 3 point lighting scheme
• Lab:
• Watch various film noir clips
• 20 minute drawing exercise - find an interesting object or location to draw. Change the lighting in your drawing to reflect a different time of day and/or mood. 
• Work on Project 2

Week 5 : 

• 2/18
• Lecture: 
• Color
• Hue, Saturation
• Color and Mood
• Color and story associations
• Watch clips from The Incredibles and Dark City
• Lab:
• Work on project 2
• 2/20
• DUE: PROJECT 2
• Lecture:
• Critique Project 2
• Movement
• straight, curved, etc
• stationary vs. moving objects
• Rhythm
• alternation, repetition and tempo
• editorial rhythm
• patternsContrast and Affinity
• Lab:
• Watch scenes from Pi
• Begin research and planning for project 3

Week 6 : 

• 2/25
• Lecture:
• Contrast and Affinity
• Story intensity and visual intensity
• Mapping intensity curves
• Lab:
• break down a scene from a pixar film and plot out intensity curves for various visual elements
• plan out the scene for project 3 from a top-down orthographic angle. Find the important plot areas, actor paths and conflict points. 
• 2/27
• Lecture:
• Contrast and Affinity continued
• Sound 
• Lab:
• Using abstract shapes and photoshop, make two quick board sequences, one featuring heavy contrast, in a visual element, and one featuring heavy affinity in another. 
• begin hunting/creating sound fx
• thumbnail workshop for project 3

Week 7 : 

• 3/4
• Lecture: 
• Creating animatics in AfterEffects 
• Keyframing zooms, pans, fades, etc
• Editing aesthetics and shot planning
• Cutting on motion and sound
• Lab:
• Create a short 5-panel story reel in AfterEffects
• work on project 3
• 3/6
• DAILES: Beat boards for project 3
• Lecture:
• Creating animatics in Storyboard Pro
• Lab:
• Create a short animatic in Storyboard Pro

Week 8 : 

• 3/11
• Lecture:
• Editing examples
• Inception, Good Fellas, Boss of it All
• Lab:
• work on animatic
• 3/13
• DAILIES: ANIMATIC for PROJECT 3
• Lecture:
• critique project 3 animatic
• Lab:
• work on revisions

Week 9 : 

• 3/18
• Lecture: 1 - on - 1 time for Project 3
• Lab:
• work on project 3
• 3/20
• DUE: Project 3
• Lecture:
• Critique project 3
• Story structure
• Plotting vs Pants-ing
• Lab:
• discuss project 4, brainstorm story ideas

Week 10 : 

spring break

Week 11 : 

• 4/1
• Lecture: 
• Using Maya to help plan scenes
• Toon Boom Storyboard
• Lab:
• Use Maya and pre-built models to block out a few quick camera angles in 3d. Draw 5 boards of the scene using Storyboard pro, all from different angles
• Work on story summary and beat/shot list
• 4/3
• DAILES: Story summary and beat/shot list 
• Lecture:
• Using Maya con't
• Toon Boom Storyboard con't
• Lab:
• 3D/thumbnail workshop

Week 12 : 

• 4/8
• Lecture: 
• Editing for motion continuity
• Watch clips from Tin Tin
• Lab:
• beat board workshop
• 4/10 
• Lecture: 
• Advanced camera moves using AfterEffects
• Lab:
• Practice camera moves in AE
• work on beat boards

Week 13 : 

• 4/15
• DAILIES: Beat boards
• Lecture:
• critique beat boards
• Lab:
• work on revisions
• 4/17
• Lecture:
• screen films
• 1 - on - 1 time
• Lab:
• work on revisions

Week 14 : 

• 4/22
• Lecture: 
• screen films
• 1 - on - 1 time
• Lab:
• work on finals
• 4/24
• DAILIES: Final storyboards
• Lecture:
• screen films
• 1 - on - 1 time
• Lab:
• work on finals

Week 15: 

• 4/29
• Lecture : 1 - on - 1
• Lab : work on finals
• 5/1
• DAILIES: Final Animatic
• Lecture : 1 - on - 1
• Lab : work on finals

Week 16 : 

• 5/6:
• Lecture : 1 - on - 1
• Lab : work on finals
• 5/8: 
• DUE: FINAL PROJECTS