Sunday 31 January 2016

Script to Screen - Initial Storyboard






Initial draft for the storyboard, however I have a couple disjointed places, that need work and this will affect the ending of the storyboard, so the ending is not there yet.

Script to Screen - Frog Study

After my first sketches of toads and realising they all look too old - I tried to refine this set for a younger look - 
still not right, but getting the look on a couple of them.

Sunday 24 January 2016

Saturday 23 January 2016

Script to Screen - Mouse study


Trying to figure out how to draw mice, they all seemed to have massive ears at first but slowly shrinking them down...

Thursday 21 January 2016

Script to Screen - Psycho


Alfred Hitchcocks, Psycho 1960. A cleverly disguised murder mystery mixing the paradigm of a embezzlement movie with the fright and psychological thrills of a horror. “Hitchcock deliberately wanted “Psycho” to look like a cheap exploitation film”. rogerebert. But movie goers would have been shocked and stunned to watch as the seemingly lead character gets slashed and brutally murdered in the first third of the film. Hitchcocks ability to lead and manipulate the viewer with his camera work and narrative exposition, in to thinking they are understanding the plot, only to be shocked and thrilled when the development of the film is exposed and the real lead character is carried forward. “This is one of the most audacious substitutions in Hitchcock’s long practice of leading and manipulating us. The rest of the film is effective melodrama, and there are two effective shocks.” rogerebert.

(Fig.01)

The ability to manipulate his audience, was due to the meticulous level of attention that was used throughout the films camera work and aesthetic, applying the same level of perfection to the sub plot as was used for the main. “This is a completely adequate setup for a two-hour Hitchcock plot. It never for a moment feels like material manufactured to mislead you”. NYTimes. But it does.


Hitchcock is a master of cinematography, and Psycho seems to provide shot after shot of symbolic imagery, producing tension from the full framed head shots of the Policeman and Private detective (Fig. 02) , dramatic slasher multi- cuts and angle changes (Fig. 03) to the low viewpoints emphasising the eeriness of the rickety old house overlooking the movies main stage (Fig. 04)

                               (Fig.02)                                            (Fig.03)                                             (Fig.04)

From the Clever camera work of “Rope” providing a seemingly continuous flow of viewing, Psycho is a master class in the realm of editing and effortlessly flowing from one shot to the next, depended  that have been used ever since by film makers and artists 


Though Psycho is iconic for the first slasher movie, and must of been a shocker in 1960. There does seem to be a lack of blood in these somewhat disturbing scenes, suggesting that situation and artistry are more important than graphic details.

Bibliography:

Websites:
•  http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-psycho-1960
• http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173DE273BC4F52DFB066838B679EDE

Images
•  (Fig. 01) http://www.therobotspajamas.com/horror-month-day-2-psycho/
•  (Fig. 02) http://www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2015/03/in-profile-alfred-hitchcocks-psycho-1960/
•  (Fig. 03)http://www.fact.co.uk/psycho-re
•  (Fig. 04) https://becauseicantn.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/book-vs-movie-showdown-psycho/

Monday 18 January 2016

Life Drawing




@Phil - Script to Screen - Revisions

triumph over adversity

Background of Mouse

Orphan street Mouse, performs on street corners to earn his keep

Dreams of being a Professional Opera Singer - changing his lifestyle for the better

Has a talent for acrobatics due to theiving and surviving on the street

Wears make-shift opera outfit 

Fed up of being looked down upon by the high society due to street presence.

Has a really talent for his performing arts and inginuity

Story Plot

Busking street Mouse, looking at aww at a poster for the National try-outs for the sacred opera school,
high-up in the mystic mountains.

(Mouse has his adventure pack on his back, mainly a box of Matches holding his living utensils and a few matches).

As mouse lowers the clasped poster,  “Camera pans up” to the actual scene of the opera school in the clouds.

Looking up at the Opera School, the mouse can see hundreds of Chinese Lanterns floating up into the sky,
heading for the event. 

As mouse tracks the illuminated lanterns back to ground zero, he looks towards a lily pond, where flamboyant Opera singers are queing for their transport on the grounded lanterns powered by candles 
(Lanterns using Lilly pads as docks - Little rickety bridges used as walks-way over pond water for commuters).

as the mouse is distracted, gazing in amazement at the magical view, a pompous fat child opera singer in flaboyant attire pushes the little mouse over onto floor spilling his adventure pack across the ground, laughing as he does so....

Fat child opera singer heads over to lilly pond  with smug smile upon his face, knowing he has transport to get to the try outs

With enthusiasm and excitement to get to the try-outs, Mouse gathers his adventure pack to see what materials he has to make a makeshift lantern.

Using his tent as a balloon, Mouse strikes a match and uses the flame to start his journey up into the clouds,
but the match burns a hole in the tent and the makeshift lantern falls back to the ground.

 pompous fat child opera now laughing at Mouses failed attempt high up from a latern on its travels up to the auditions

Sad Mouse realises his failure and will not get to the audition for the Opera, but has one last idea.

Emptying all unnecessary weight from his adventure pack, Mouse places all matches into box apart from one.
Rips a small whole in the bottom of the box and straps to his back very tightly.

Striking the loose match, Mouse holds the flame to the small hole in the match box... Igniting the matches inside, flames shoot out the box and the mouse is sent rocketing up into the air. 

After a few fly pasts of some lanterns and couple loop the loops Mouse arrives at Opera.

Fat pompus singer watches from lantern unhappy that little mouse will get there first.

as mouses jet pack runs out it gently springs him the edge and onto his feet so he can walk towards the school in a effortless motion.

Sunday 17 January 2016

Maya Workshop - Pre Viz














Character Workshop



@ Phil - Script to Screen

Very rough outline for the revised story - would love to hear thoughts and views


A Wanderlust mouse staring up in aww at a poster of a opera that’s held for the exclusive higher class up in the Chinese mountains. Mouse has his adventure pack on his back (Mainly a box of Matches holding his living utensils and a few matches). 

Looking up at the Opera, the homeless mouse can see hundreds of Chinese Lanterns floating up into the sky, heading for the event. Following the path of illuminated lanterns back to ground zero, The mouse looks towards a lily pond, where rich families of mice are queuing for their transport on the lanterns powered by candles.
(Lanterns using Lilly pads as docks - Little rickety bridges used as walks-way over pond water for mice families).

With excitement to the see the Opera, Wanderlust Mouse empties his adventure pack to see what materials he has to make a makeshift lantern.

Using his tent as a balloon, Mouse strikes a match and uses the flame to start his journey up into the clouds,
but the match burns a hole in the tent and the makeshift lantern falls back to the ground.

Sad Mouse realises his failure and will not see the Opera, but has one last idea.

Emptying all unnecessary weight from his adventure pack, Mouse places all matches into box apart from one.
Rips a small whole in the bottom of the box and straps to his back very tightly.

Striking the loose match, Mouse holds the flame to the small hole in the match box... Igniting the matches inside, flames shoot out the box and the mouse is sent rocketing up into the air. 

After a few fly pasts of some lanterns and couple loop the loops Mouse arrives at Opera.