Lab 7:Story Development
IDS252: 3D Animation, Spring 2014

Goals

• Develop a story idea for a 1 minute animation.
• Draw the storyboards.
• Pitch the story and revise.
• Entire Class: Choose stories and groups for final project.
• Deliverables: A brief text of a story and the corresponding storyboards pitched to class.

Links

• Resources for Storyboarding.
• See Evaluation Sheet (pdf) for the "Story Check List" and the "Storyboarding Check List".
• Directions for Converting Your Storyboards into a Storyreel (this will be used in the next lab)

Files and Folders

• In this lab you will work with one partner. On cs-render, in folder \IDS252Sp14\Lab7, create a folder with the name of both you and your partner. Any files you create or use should go in this folder.

Story Options

There are several approaches you may take to developing your story. Your 1 minute animation does not have to be a complete story. Instead, it could be your own interpretation of:

• A brief excerpt from a book or play that you like and you feel would work well as an animation.
• An brief excerpt from a well known story, e.g. a fairy tale (e.g. Little Red Riding Hood). Fairy tales tend to be about the universal human qualities, emotions, experiences. Re-tell a part of the story either 1) in a modern day context or 2) from the perspective of a different character or 3) use the characters in your own story.
• A brief excerpt from a film (live action not an animation!) that you want to turn into an animation.
• A serious or funny scenerio you have written yourself or modified from something you have seen, e.g. a newsreel, a documetary, etc
• An animation that explains a concept (e.g. math or science) or recounts a historical event.
• A scenario or story that conveys a message or idea you feel strongly about - global warming, love, war, gay rights, food, growing up, relationships, family, etc.
• A full 1-minute story that you have written and that works well as an animation.

Considerations:

• Aim for a story that is 1 minute long. Remember, it takes time and effort to do modeling and animation well so keep it simple!
• Think long and hard about what will work as an animation given your skill level. Try to avoid dependence on special effects - this is an exercise in animation more than in anything else.
• Once you decide on a story, write it down in text/paragraph form. It does not need to be more than a few paragraphs long. Be certain to address the following:
  • This is a visual story - your words must show, not tell, e.g. see p.3 of your textbook. Your story must be told through the characters, gestures, actions and supported through the use of camera, props, sound, and lighting.
  • Identify the emotion, intention, and thoughts of the characters. Specifically address how these will be visually conveyed to the audience? Don't rely on subtlety.
• Your animation will have music and foley but no dialogue. How will these be used to help convey your story. What, if anything, will you want to ask the musicians to do or to consider?
• Vary the pacing and tension. Make a plot e.g. of tension or pace as a function of time.
• Go for quality, not quantity - don't bite off more than you can chew! You need time to go through several edits.
• You may use any rigged characters as long as you have tested the rig and find it easy to use.
• You may model your own simple characters. For example, look at what students have done in previous animations, e.g. their "characters" have been balls, cars, mice (with no moving legs), sandwiches, etc. You should not try to rig your own characters because this will take too much time and you will not have time to do the animation well (the focus should be the animation!).

During Lab (Fri, Feb 28)

• Pick a partner.
• Work with your partner and begin to discuss story ideas. Feel free to consult others in the class or the instructor.

• Homework (for Mon, Mar 3):
  Through email, Google docs, or in person, continue to discuss various story ideas with your partner. There is nothing officially to turn in just yet.

During Lecture/Lab (Mon, Mar 3)

• During class and lab, continue to work with your partner on developing one or more story ideas. Begin work on the homework.

• Homework (due Wed, Mar 5):

  • Come to class on Wednesday with a rough draft of one or two story ideas. The idea(s) should be 1 or 2 paragraphs, typed (e.g. in Word). Place this file in your Lab 7 folder on cs-render. Be prepared to discuss the questions in the Story Check List given in the Evaluation Sheet (pdf).

During Lecture and Lab (Wed, Mar 5)

• In class & lab, we will go over your story ideas as a group.
• In any remaining time in the lab (or complete as homework), meet with your partner to:
  • Narrow your story choice to a single story if you had more than one. Revise this story based on feedback during lecture.
  • In the same file containing your story, write down your answers to the Story Check List given in Evaluation Sheet (pdf).
  • Begin the rough storyboards, i.e. using the small storyboards (e.g. see here), so that they are quick to draw and don't have many details. Other resources may be found here. Try different ideas and don't be afraid to throw out boards and insert new ones. You may even want to start by using the whiteboard or Photoshop (with tablet).
  • Once you feel the rough storyboards are satisfactory, redraw them more carefully on 8.5x11 sheets of paper. Be careful to follow the instructions in the Storyboard Check List given in the Evaluation Sheet (pdf).

• Homework (due Fri, Mar 7):

  • Before class on Fri, place your revised story (and Story Check List answers) in your Lab 7 folder on cs-render.
  • Bring to class your storyboards. Be ready to pitch.

During Lecture and Lab (Fri, Mar 7)

• Each group will pitch their stories using their large storyboards. The pitches will be timed and should last around 1 minute.
• Carefully revise your storyboards based on class feedback.
• If you want, start to make the storyreel (only the picked stories actually need to have a storyreel) In class, we will go over how to create the storyreel.

• Homework (due Mon, Mar 10): Be prepared to pitch the revised story.

During Lecture and Lab (Mon, Mar 10)

Warning: On Monday, Mar 10, we will vote on the stories - if absent, you will be assigned a story.

• Each story (or storyreel) will be pitched (no critiques). Then, students will vote on which story they want to do. Based on the vote, the stories will be chosen and groups will be formed. There will be 5 chosen.
• After the groups are formed: come up with a short one-word name for your group (to be used for your mail group) and a working title for your animation (you can change it later).
• Go through the story and the storyboards to make sure everyone is in agreement. Modify the story or storyboards, as needed.
• Assign each person in the group the task of collecting reference material for some part of the story.
• Create a group subfolder on cs-render in the folder \IDS252Sp14\Lab8.

• Homework: At this point, you are done lab 7. Note, Lab 8 begins with:

  • Creating the storyreel.
  • Collecting reference material and place it in the "Reference" folder.
  • Setting up the shot list and task list.

Evaluation

This lab will be graded based on the items in the Evaluation Sheet (pdf).

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