In this unit I was tasked in creating a storyboard that was inspired by the DADA theme of which I was to make from a poem that was created by me from newspaper clippings. The idea of DADA is to be expressive & it doesn’t always have to make sense. From this poem I have based my research, ideas & development that I have created into a storyboard & concept art of the story.
In my research I feel i looked into some interesting subjects that I wanted to reflect in my work. I feel that the historical context of DADA is also beneficial as it displays some background information on what my project is based on. Another bit of research I thought was helpful & essential for my work is the research into camera angles & shot sizes. This is because I can teach myself the various types of shots & how I can use them to my advantage to enhance a piece. I liked the focus on certain aspects of my design such as the involvement of the mirror & the analysis of the use of mirrors in an existing piece as through this I determined that using the involvement of the phone was more effective. By looking at colour palettes it helped me develop my ideas so that I ended with the colour choices i made for my concept art & storyboard. What i would do if I redid this part of the project would be to research more on specific aspects like more artist styles. The development part of this project I felt I could’ve experimented with more as I thought I could have made my own workshops on things like art style & brushes on Photoshop. However the development I did make on my ideas I feel I made enough choices to create my full realisation.
Overall I think If I were to do this project again I would experiment with another route like a literal concept or another conceptual idea. Although, I do think I achieved what I was set out to do & achieved the criteria.
When my final idea of what I wanted to make was realised I started on the making of the storyboards. I did this by setting the canvas on Photoshop to a 16:9 ratio so that it is the right format for my boards. I then scanned in my sketched storyboards, lowered the opacity & set them to a multiply blend mode so that I could see the lines through the digital colours I was about to apply. I created my own brush which was based on the existing pressure sensitivity brush with added jitter count, etc & used it to create a rough effect. Not only does this add character to the design but it gives it a pencil-style effect. I made groups for each of the storyboard frames to keep organised as there was many layers for each page of the storyboard. I had a colour palette in mind to distinguish between scenes as I wanted to show contrast of the dull apartment (purples), the joy of the imaginative world (reds, oranges, yellows), & the emptiness of the wasteland that reflects no mood (grey). The photos below shows some of my process which was created in photoshop:
After receiving feedback on my initial storyboards I decided to act on the feedback given & develop my ideas more to create a more coherent concept. The feedback I was given discussed the fact that there was a lack of involvement with the phone which I wanted to include & I should think about switching out the mirror idea for the involvement with the phone. I talked about how I wanted to add a contrast with colour in my storyboards to differentiate between the locations in the story. One location is a dull apartment while the other is a bright dream world that has been created due to the phone & its significance.
In these improvement storyboards I added & changed some ideas to involve more of the phone & social media aspect of it. My thoughts on it are it is more distinct in its story now & can be followed more clearly.
Inspiration & Research: The Use Of Colour Palettes
The use of a colour scheme is essential in creating a mood for your project as it can reflect many things such as mood & foreshadowing the plot. In my storyboards I want to explore the use of colour to reflect on the plot of the story that was created from a DADA poem. To do this I must have examples to look at & analyse to determine the successful use of colour.
The Use Of Colour in Steven Universe
This children’s program has a unique way of presenting it’s scenes & characters with colour. The linework blends well with the colours & the schemes appear softer than the bright tones such as neon colours. This could be due to the fact the style of the animation has a “soft” look to it & by adding a soft colour palette it completes the piece. Another thing about the shows colours is they have a general colour theme. For example a character called Garnet has a general colour theme of burgundy & rich reds to reflect on what the gemstone garnet looks like. It complements the linework well & is not too neon-like. Another thing I like about Steven Universe’s style is the lineless block colour style they use for background detail which intrigues me. I would like to experiment with this in my work.
Steven Universe sources:
Design Culture (n.d.), tumblr_o0tmgizNFv1ue1abwo2_1280 , (accessed date: 20th Nov 2018)
Design Culture (n.d.), tumblr_nt73zv0JfA1ue1abwo4_1280 ,(accessed date: 20th Nov 2018)
FANDOM (n.d.), Garnet , (accessed date: 20th Nov 2018)
This particular animation caught my attention as it has a great deal of positive aspects about it. For example I like how it changes colours to create a new location & mood to the animation such as the pairing of brown/grey as a dull colour & blue & red as vibrant colours to express a mood. This particular scene with the use of blue makes you feel calm & at ease which is quite an effect as it made you associate a mood with a colour. Another thing is the style of the animation & how it uses colour instead of complete linework & very little of linework when actually used. I feel it gives a nice effect as well as texture as the lines aren’t completely smooth. What I also noticed about the use of colour is that it tells a story through the change in colour which I would like to explore & how it affects the character. I would like to take note of these techniques as I feel they will be beneficial in future projects
The task I was given to do in this workshop is learning the basics of Illustrator & how to trace a reference. To do this I found an image from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/ in which I used a bird as a reference to trace over. I used the tracing workspace setting on Illustrator which changes the format of the workspace/ tools depending on what task you would like to do. I placed the image as the background & lowered the opacity by checking the template box on the settings to which made the design go lighter than the original image colour. This is beneficial as I can see more of the lines I will put down & can differentiate between the layers.
The bird reference that I used in this workshop can be found here
I used the pen tool to outline the image in a different colour & began creating my own bird piece. I made my own palette instead of using the reference as I liked to see what the bird would look like in another palette. I used gradient tools to add something extra to the piece instead of just having flat colour. To do this I clicked on the gradient box just underneath the colour boxes on the left & proceeded to choose what colours I wanted in my gradients. The slider tool allowed me to adjust how much of each colour I wanted of each which was helpful when editing the colours.
The other aspect to this workshop was learning about masking text. to do this I found a wood image in which I placed underneath the text. I then highlighted them & then went into clipping mask then make. The result of this left the text looking like a wood texture.
The wood texture used in this workshop can be found here
The Finished Result
Overall I thought I did a good attempt at learning these tools & creating a test piece. The feedback I got from this piece are:
”I’d like to see the wings blended in with the body to create a better illusion”
“Try experimenting with other colour palettes as well as this one”
“It’s good & I hope to see a full image next time”
To visualise what visual language means in a project, I was put into a group in which we were tasked to create a storyboard for ‘The 3 Little Pigs’ story. The aim was to illustrate the key points of the story & to visually display actions that tells you the story through images & not having to be explained. To do this we needed to think about how we could show & not tell the viewer what is going on in each part of the storyboard. First we looked at existing representations, including our own recollection of the tale, to get to know key points in the story. We wrote down the key scenes & then started to bounce ideas off each other to find the best route on how to represent the scenes uniquely but still relevant to the story. We assigned roles on who was doing what in the team & began building our own representation of the tale. By doing this we gave one another feedback which helped us develop our storyboard. In the end we all agreed on a final design & how each scene was presented.
Our work process can be seen below as well as out storyboard we concluded on
When it came for our group to present our storyboard to others, we explained what we did in our representation of ‘The 3 Little Pigs’ We received feedback on how we established the settings & how we were conveying what was happening in the shots. The things we needed to improve were:
“Add more shots to establish the setting”
“Add detail to show what is clearly happing”
“The wolf looks like a dragon & the shadow should look clearer, a closeup is not best to establish the character”
“The houses looks confusing, I would change them to be more distinctive”
“It’s hard to determine the time frame, I’d make it clearer to show how long they spent”
“A wider shot could be used for the first finished house to make it clear”
“The house should be obvious that the pigs live there, I would change or add something to it to determine that”
Improvements
After the feedback we received, the group gathered again to act on these comments & improve our storyboard. We gave each other jobs to do such as split the number of storyboard frames we needed to improve between us & began to work on them. We shared our progress via social media to keep track of what we needed to do. In the end we regrouped & put our improved storyboard frames back together again which now establishes a better story.
What I learned
What I learned about this task is that feedback makes a huge difference in the process of design as well as teamwork to help you create an elaborate design. I will use this knowledge moving forward to help me in future work
Camera sizes, angles & movements are beneficial to know when in production as there are many options to choose from but hard to know which one to choose to create the right mood for the piece. From reference & my own knowledge I have made a list of the sizes, angles & movements of the camera to aid me in the future.
Hill, Naamah (2014), Film Glossary, (accessed date: 10/11/18)
Sizes
Extreme Long Shot - Usually a shot that has something to do with setting/ location. It can be used to establish where something is or what is happening in the scene, eg. a large landscape with something happening far away.
Long Shot - May be used to establish a character or something behind a character. It shows a full body of a person which may be beneficial for certain scenes requiring something happening a fair distance away but still visible to see detail of a character, scene.
Medium Long/Medium Shot - These shots are mid range that are used quite often & are used for when characters are talking to each other. The shot refrains from going below the thighs
Extreme/ Close Up Shot - Focuses the attention on the subject in shot like an object or character. It shows that it/they are important & should be paid attention to.
Angles
Low Angle - Shows that something is huge in size like a building or person. It makes the subject look larger than they actually are. Characters with power often have this angle such as bullies, businessmen, villains, etc.
Eye Level Angle - Often a standard camera angle for most shots. It allows the viewer to see the things in the scene from a straight angle which other angles might distort a perspective (low, high angles).
High Angle - Shows that something is small in perspective which can relate to an object or person. It is the reverse of a low angle & can make something look vulnerable due to it’s small distorted perspective, even though it may not be small at a different angle.
Canted Angle - Gives a sense of unbalance & uneasiness. It makes the shot seem interesting & give a fun/chaotic theme to the shot. It could be used for various reasons like a POV shot of someone falling to the ground or losing balance.
Bird’s Eye View Angle - An angle from above which also could be used to establish a situation (for example where a house is in a neighbourhood). As it is from high up it shows as if the viewer is looking down on them which hints to superiority. This angle is useful for shots of busy crowds/traffic.
Movements
Pan Left/ Right - The camera doesn’t move but instead turns which changes the perspective of an object
Crab Left/ Right - Often mistaken for pan but the camera moves so that the object moves to one side of the screen (without the object being moved itself).
Track In/ Track Out - The camera moves in but the focus stays in the same position & the subject stays the same size.
Zoom In/ Zoom Out - Zooms in on a specific point of focus (e.g. a person’s face).
Pedestal Up/ Down - Moves up/down like an analysis of the subject
Tilt Up/ Down - The same as the pedestal movement but instead of the camera moving it tilts up/down from where it’s positioned instead
Tip: For storyboards/animatics when showing camera movements is to use another colour to do rectangles & arrows to show zooming, panning & movement etc.
Storyboard - Visual organizer to display stills/ illustrations in a sequence with directions before production. They may be rough sketches or cleaned up for pitching the idea(s)
Animatic - A rough draft of what is going to be made in production. It uses storyboard panels with audio tracks to create a rough animation
Storyboards & animatics are important for many reasons:
Saves time on the unnecessary steps that would waste time & expenses
Outlines a guide on how much time can be spent on each shot
It can be used to pitch ideas
Editing is easier so you can make creative decisions & resolve any mistakes
Continuity between animators is retained when working in a team
In industry, it conveys the director’s vision
Communication with team members to display an idea is simple & they know what is going on
One way to go through the storyboarding process is:
Thumbnails (first sketches of storyboards) >> Shooting boards (a storyboard that crew use to shoot) >> client/ presentation boards (cleaner & more colourful pitch boards)
Components Of A Storyboard
There are key things when making a storyboard & many things to consider:
Page & shot numbers
Project/ scene name
Direction of movement/ action
Camera angles
Notes
Audio track(s) & script
Clear visuals of what is happening
Rule of thirds
Centre of interest (4 points in the centre of the image where the eye draws to)
Leading lines & framing
Focus
Background, midground & foreground
Lighting & colour (if applicable)
I will consider all these points when making my storyboards as this will aid me to create a good example of a intricate & well produced storyboard.
From the ideas I got from my DADA poem I was inclined to look into what the poem could mean. One meaning involved the use of social media & mirrors. The key link between the poem & the research I chosen is mirrors. Mirrors are symbolism for a lot of things & this idea is discussed in many pieces. Mirrors can symbolise truth, lies, desire, etc. In some pieces it is believed that mirrors hold power like in Snow White the Queen has a magic mirror that tells her who is the fairest of all. This symbolism of mirrors is the premise I would like to explore.
Selfocracy is an electropop genre album released by belgian singer Loïc Nottet in 31st March 2017. He has focused the album on his struggles/ bullying he received about his voice in the past which has gives context to the topics discussed in the album. The premise of Selfocracy is clear throughout the album & discusses situations like self image/ self worth, the “idealistic life”, & various other concepts. As I am already familiar with this album & artist I thought it was perfect research inspiration to look into as it deals with themes that are evident in my DADA poem.
The opening monologue sets the tone to the album & summarizes the themes of the album. The person speaking personifies the mirror & calls the reflections “ravenous” & “insatiable”. There are lines worth noting which relates to my DADA poem like ‘Too many who only live for appearances’ & ‘The mirrors distort us, they hatch outsized egos inside us’. My thoughts on this monologue is that it tells a story in a way that flows well in the album so that the songs tell a story. The speech tells you about the problem which then sets it up for the story to be solved at the end which is a good example for me to research for my idea.
Selfocracy Monologue
My mother told me not to go near mirrors
For it seems that one day
A young boy died through looking at himself for too long
People say that they are ravenous
That they hunger for perfect reflections
That their insatiable appetites can even kill
Many are those among us who lose themselves in mirrors
Too many who only live for appearances
Aware that he is not the fairest of all, man is jealous and evil
And aware that he is not the ugliest of all, man is boastful and arrogant
The mirrors distort us, they hatch outsized egos inside us
Selfish. Self-centered
This is what they are reflecting from mankind
Why help someone if his misfortune allows us to advance?
Mother told me not to go near mirrors
Because it would seem that the more we look in them
The more our ears stop listening and our eyes stop seeing
That the world continues to revolve around us
Welcome to Selfocracy
There is also a second monologue towards the end of the album which goes into detail of how the mirror’s reflection controls you. My thoughts on this relate to my poem & how I can interpret that as social media being in control & the mirror is the catalyst to the problem. Phrases in the speech like ‘it mocks us’ & ‘some even believe what the mirror says & sell their body to it’ backs up that idea of control. The end shows hope of what breaking the mirror will do & just to be you which inspired my ending of the character being happy to be in their own life again as living in the fake reality was unnatural to them & toxic.
Peculiar & Beautiful Monologue
What is a mirror?
What does it tell us?
Lies? Truth?
What is it reflecting?
What we are?
What we want to see?
I know nothing more capricious than a mirror.
It can choose to make us love or detest all that we are.
Our face, our body, ourselves, nothing escapes it.
And in this game where it is familiar with all the traps and pitfalls,
It never ends up losing.
It laughs at our tears, our fears, and our pain.
It mocks us.
And what do we do in return?
We encourage it.
Some even believe what the mirror says and sell their body to it.
They begin to lose weight and money in order to please it.
They mark themselves with countless scars
Hoping one day to become more beautiful than Narcissus.
And God alone knows that to obtain the most beautiful smile,
Man is ready to suffer a thousand trials.
How sad…
Because in the end, it is the mere fact of being us
That makes us peculiar and beautiful.
But man is afraid,
He's scared by his differences,
Scared of what others might say,
Scared of what the mirror would think.
Fear, what a strange feeling.
An overdose can poison a whole life.
But let me give you a piece of advice.
Break it, break the mirror.
It blinds you.
And be you, simply you.
That will be enough.
Believe me.
Mud Blood
There are some music videos for the album that visualise the narrative being told, for example the one with the strongest visuals for the narrative is ‘Mud Blood’. The music video depicts a light & dark side of the human, the dark representing all the struggles the person has & it mocks them in the mirror that separates them. My DADA poem does less of mocking but more enchants the person to strive for that lifestyle which differs from the inspiration I got from here. The music video does start with the person facing away from their dark counterpart & trying to ignore it but to end up getting entranced by the mirror. The room surrounding them is practically empty depicting the emptiness of the mind & how it is a mental fight as well as it could be a physical one. Through synchronised contemporary dance they display a narrative of the two sides at odds & eventually the person breaks through the mirror to dispel those doubts & starts to be themselves (in the light where the artist is). The moments of the artist being thrown back from the mirror by himself could represent the struggles of self worth & the pressure to fit into society. From this I can adapt it to my idea & today’s struggles of social media being & trying to fit into the online society’s standards. Instead of using the colours that are displayed here in this music video to show the light & darkness I could play with colour theory to make a different kind of light & dark contrast.
In conclusion I feel this analogy of the Selfocracy album has given me sufficient inspiration for me to develop my idea further.
These are the initial storyboards of the DADA poem. From the poem I interpreted it as a person’s obsession over another person’s perfect life which is displayed though social media. They walk into the bathroom & look at themselves in the mirror to which they close their eyes & wake up in this “ideal” life. They soon realise it’s not everything it is cracked up to be & they are overwhelmed by this. The brace themselves for the crowd that is gaining on them & then wake up in a wasteland. They find the person from the social media post & life they wanted to have. The character realises it’s not a real life but only something that they present to the world that it’s “perfect”. She takes her hand & they run towards the mirror to brake out of this backwards dimension. The person lands back in her bathroom & smiles to herself as she is content with the life she has as it’s perfect to her.
The use of mirrors is significant in this story as it hold significance in many aspects such as folklore & superstition (e.g. breaking a mirror means 7 years bad luck, etc). I will continue to research into this to develop my ideas.
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