The Power of Story

[Simon Edmondson]

My niece sent me this today. It does not relate directly to this thread but it might amuse ?

simon

 

It does have a narrative thread a begining, middle and surprising end soi maybe it does fot ?

 

[Rodney]

Ha! That's a great story.

[NancyGormezano]

love it!

[Simon Edmondson]

Judging by some of the charges levied elsewhere, he was undercharging by some considerable margin !

simon

[Gerry]

I'm changing careers.

[Rodney]

I've ran into several useful thing regarding Storytelling since last posting here.

 

Here is one that was from Michael Comet that was posted to the old CG-Char list (That's where folks hung out and shared information back in the heyday of computer animation):

 

T

he 5 "O's" of Story development

 

Here are 5 basic elements of a good story -- your story (short or long; written or visual) should clearly present all of them to your audience.

 

Ordinary

Objective

Obstacle

Overcome

Outcome

 

First the characters need to be (1) Ordinary such that the audience can relate to them. Like in Lion King, Simba couldn't wait to be King. This is an ordinary feeling for children. They want to grow up as soon as they can.

 

Then, your hero/ine has (2) an Objective of some kind. They encounter (3) an Obstacle that makes achieving their Objective difficult or impossible. They find a way to (4) Overcome the obstacle. Then comes the (5) Outcome of their efforts (anticlimax, happy ending, whatever).

 

Those are workable storytelling basics.. it's up to you to create interesting characters, add details and flesh out the story.

 

For those with the nostalgic interest here is a write-up concerning CG-Char:

Cg-Char was formed in 1996 as a way for 3D CG character animators and riggers to communicate about their craft. It started as a mailing list and as the number of subscribers swelled to more than a thousand, it morphed into a forum.

 

At its height of popularity, there were more than 5,000 subscribers from every corner of the globe and practically every CG animation studio in existence. The forums accumulated hundreds of thousands of posts. Many juicy bits of information from some of the best animators in the world. Some of the original members of Cg-Char went on to become some of the most well known animators, supervisors, and directors in the industry.

 

Cg-Char was founded and maintained by animator/supervisor Rick May (me). It was a non-profit adventure that absorbed countless hours of my energy. In 2011, I decided that it was time to move on. Family and life outside of Cg-Char was far more important.

 

While the forum no longer exists, the posts are still available. We are currently trying to put them together and make them available on this blog. Further, if you wish to join the Cg-Char linkedIn Group, please do. There are almost 5,000 members and we’d love to add you.

 

The forums made for some great times and I’ll never forget how much fun we had. Not only in the forums, but the Events we had at Siggraph that attracted hundreds of guests to hear incredible animators talk about their work on some of the most high profile projects. However, everything must come to an end. And Cg-Char came to its end in 2011.

 

Please keep in touch.

 

Regards,

 

Rick May

CG-CHAR Founder

[Simon Edmondson]

I've ran into several useful thing regarding Storytelling since last posting here.

 

Here is one that was from Michael Comet that was posted to the old CG-Char list (That's where folks hung out and shared information back in the heyday of computer animation):

I was a member of cg char about 96 and was even more naive than now. I got into an exchange about Mo cap with somebody who, after revealing my ignorance, turned out to be senior mo cap man on Titanic. I still blush at the thought. It was also the first place I ever heard about , and met, people using AM.

 

In relation to your post Rodney, the O's have perhaps been touched on before as ,

character, conflict and resolution ?

You can cover establish either of the c's first as long as the resolution moves both further on and thats the journey for the audience.

 

I bought a Wallace and Gromit collection the other day and watched them with the commentaries. It was interesting to hear Nick Park talking about the changes and developments in the characters and how they tried to do something new with each short. There was a gallery section which I tried to get some shots from because the poses were terrific but, sadly, it didn't work, perhaps next time.

simon

[Rodney]

I'm going to attempt to bring this topic full circle and back on the original thought of the 5 elements of a good story. Let's see how this might look...

 

The five key elements of a good story now enhanced with the five Os of a good story:

 

Audience (who remains engaged):

Ordinary:

Objective:

Obstacle:

Overcome:

Outcome:

 

Content (what assets are maintained):

Ordinary:

Objective:

Obstacle:

Overcome:

Outcome:

 

Motivation(why forces are in place):

Ordinary:

Objective:

Obstacle:

Overcome:

Outcome:

 

Semiotics(where words and images are retained):

Ordinary:

Objective:

Obstacle:

Overcome:

Outcome:

 

Timing:(to what extent the story is sustained)

Ordinary:

Objective:

Obstacle:

Overcome:

Outcome:

 

Note that the 'when' of it is just the reciting of the story (the record of events that is played and replayed).

 

This then forms a framework of how (very roughly) stories are created.

As a for instance let's try to break down this last element on Timing:

 

Timing:

The Ordinary Timing. Within the context of the story what is the 'ordinary' pace of the story? Is it quiet and serene or is it all out action every moment with endless twists and turns? Another term for this might be the status quo. Principle characters will usually come into conflict with ordinary timing or they may be ripped out of that and seek to return that balance to their lives.

 

The Objective Timing: This is the pace with which the characters would live their lives in their ideal world. This grants us insight into who these characters are. The objective must always be seen from the characters point of view. Where there are competing objectives there is conflict and the story will dictate how the timing of the conflicts play out. This is in stark contrast to Ordinary Timing and can be used to better understand the motivation of the character.

 

Obstacles to Timing: What is preventing (or assisting) the characters in achieving their ideals. Obstacles tend to increase tension in the story and direct the characters to either maneuver around, climb over or break through to the other side. The obstacles represent friction that slows down the pace of the story and gives it texture... and provides room for the audience to breath and reflect before moving on to the next (more impossible) obstacle.

 

Overcoming Timing: It is how the characters deal with the challenges they face and overcome them that forms the primary story. Quite often it is because the character steps out of the present... moves out of sync with the others characters... and even if losing the battle, achieves satisfaction. They have found their balance and equilibrium and things have been set right again. There is an aspect of this which I hope to delve into into the future that I believe will be a useful tool for motivating imaginary characters and concerns the character's OODA loop.

 

Outcome Timing: This is a projection of what will happen as the story moves on when it is no longer specifically drawn out for the audience. It is the implication of events set in motion by the acts of the characters. Now the audience is free to imagine their own subsequent stories. And as we know from physics 101, an object in motion tends to stay in motion... we can therefore chart a trajectory for the story once it has gone off to live with the audience.

[Rodney]

One important aspect of telling stories is the timing of telling the story.

While the entirety of timing is imporant, how everything plays out, even more pressing issue of timing may be the understanding of the overall length of a story in order to determine how well it can play out.

 

It has been said by some that one page of written script equates to one minute of film and that is a pretty good measurement to work from if you've got an actual script. Another way to determine over all timing is to read the script outloud and to time it while reading. If this is read in the voice of the author, the one with the original vision of the story, then the timing should be more accurate.

 

With the script read, this timing measurement can then used to break down the script further to determine the timing of individual scenes, sequences and shots. Through this process it will be found to be no accident that the sum total of all the timing from all the shots will equal the final timing of the film.

[Rodney]

The following text is excerpted from the book 'How to Cartoon for amateur films' by John Halas and Bob Privett. It is a classic of animation production and well worth studying. For explanations of animated action, timing and movement and more, please refer to source.

 

The Story is Planned

The general idea of the story our characters are going to act is expanded into the shooting script.

 

This should be as comprehensive as we can possibly make it, giving the whole of the action divided into separate scenes, including details of the background against which each scene will be played.

 

The imagined position and angle of the camera in relation to the characters, and any change of position of the camera during the scene should be noted.

 

The method to be used in changing from one scene to the next must be indicated and the complete timing of every action worked out in detail.

 

If we are making a sound film, the script should contain a column where sound effects, music and dialogue are described in the correct position where they will occur.

 

If the script is correctly and fully prepared, it should be possible for any member of the team working on the film to choose a scene anywhere in the film, design it and animate it so that it will fit smoothly into the rest.

 

The script is the framework on which the film is built, and production should not start until it has been thoroughly discussed, criticized and amended by all the members of the team.

 

In Terms of Action

The theme of the story should be as simple as possible, and be one that can be expressed by action alone.

 

Any situations where the characters are inclined to remain still, or where only limited movement is possible, should be avoided.

 

In a sound film, humor of the conversational type is extremely difficult to portray, so dialogue should be reduced to an absolute minimum.

 

In a silent film titles should be used as little as possible, as they interrupt the flow of the action.

 

But though the actors should be kept moving, the story should allow for variations in the speed of the movement.

 

It should contain possibilities for both rapid and slow action, and the gags should arise directly from the action, and not dragged in where they don't fit naturally.

 

Don't let it be overloaded with gags and ideas. Carefully prune and select them, allow time for each to be worked out to give the maximum effect, and save the rest for another film.

 

A common weakness of first efforts is that they tend to get crowded with all the ideas of a lifetime.

 

 

The Story Must Run Smoothly

The next problem is to divide the script into scenes. Here the question of continuity, the changing from one scene to another, will arise.

 

The cartoon director cannot employ the method frequently adopted by the live action director: shooting an excess of material from different angles and distances, and then experimenting with the many different ways of assembling and editing the material until the best result is obtained. We cannot afford to animate a scene both in mid shot and close up, and decide afterwards which one to use. So our editing must be visualised at the scripting stage.

 

To help us in this, each scene should be illustrated by rough sketches, made as the script is being prepared.

 

If these are assembled in order, and arranged on a large board, the story board, it is much easier to criticize and amend the script. Afterwards they can be used as a basis for the final layout drawings for each scene.

 

When discussing the script as it appears on the story board, we must painstakingly visualize the whole film, its settings, characters and tempo from the point of view of the audience.

 

Continuity is not simply a matter of ensuring that a character appears in the same clothes in two consecutive scenes.

 

It is essential to the smooth unfolding of the story; so that the audience know where they are, and what they are looking at at any point in the film.

 

Is the close up recognizable from the medium or long shot preceding it?

 

Should this close up be before or after that long shot?

 

Does the man turn right or left when he comes out of the door, if he is walking along the road from left to right in the next shot from the opposite angle?

 

Are the characters easily recognizable, or will there be confusion as to who is which?

 

Are we allowing enough time for this situation to be understood?

 

Can we speed up, or omit altogether, this bit of action?

 

Is this effect worth the work we'll have to put into it?

 

Which are the high points of the story needing emphasis?

 

Many questions like these will have to be answered before the story board is passed and animation can start. It is false to leave them to be solved during production. That will only land you in a muddle.

 

If the action of the whole story takes place in a compact setting, such as a house, and its immediate surroundings, it is a good idea to make a rough model from which the camera angles are worked out. This will probably give you more ideas for imaginative compositions and angles, and it will be easier to check that the camera does not take violent leaps, but follows the action smoothly from one place to another.

 

The art of continuity can best be learnt, again, by studying other people's work, seeing as many cartoon films as possible, since in fundamentals the problems and methods are always the same.

 

 

Scenes Must he Linked Up

The way in which shots are linked together, also has an important bearing on continuity and must be planned in the script.

 

The various methods are somewhat analogous to the punctuation marks in a text: full stop, semi-colon, paragraph, etc. We can have:

 

1. The cut.

This is the comma of a film sequence. Here the first frame of the action of one scene follows directly after the last frame of the previous scene. It is the most frequently used and the most effective method of giving pace to the film.

 

Always cut on action, that is, keep the movement going right to the last frame of the scene, and from the first frame of the next.

 

Never freeze the movement and then cut.

 

Avoid double action; movement at the end of one scene repeated in the next.

 

2. The mix, or a cross dissolve.

Here one scene fades in at the same time as the previous one is fading out. If the cut is a comma, the mix may be a full stop, and begins a new sentence.

 

The length of a mix is variable, but the best time is 1 second. It can be longer or shorter than this, according to the length of time necessary for the pause for breath between sentences.

 

Again it is advisable to keep movement going during a mix, but not as essential as in cutting.

 

3. Fade out and fade in.

One scene fades to black and the next fades in from black.

This is the end of one paragraph, or chapter, and the beginning of the next.

 

4. Panning and tracking shots.

These are changes of scene more slowly than by cutting, effected by movement of the camera. In panning {pan is a contraction of panorama) the camera turns from side to side, a horizontal pan; in moving it up and down, we have a vertical pan — a tilt.

 

In cartoons, this is achieved by movement of the background. The latter is drawn longer than the size of field, and slides along a small distance for every frame.

 

Tracking is the movement of the camera towards or away from the field.

 

5. Wipes.

The scene appears to slide over another one. This may happen from side to side, up or down, expanding from any point in screen, or contracting from outside. In fact, the dividing line between the two scenes can be of any shape.

 

Wipes should be used with great economy, but are often most effective if used imaginatively for a special purpose. They also are like a mix, equivalent

to a full stop; the end of one sentence and beginning of the next one.

 

6. Iris.

This is frequently used at the end of a cartoon film. A circle surrounded by solid black is animated to close in from outside the screen. It can center on any point within the field. Alternatively, a black circle can expand from any point until the whole screen is covered. A combination of these two methods is a useful substitute for a mix or a wipe.

 

Another use of the iris is to emphasize any action which does not occupy the whole screen without cutting to close up. An iris can partly close in to surround the action, framing it in black.

 

However, straightforward and simple continuity is usually better than clever tricks. Skillful cutting increases the tempo of the film. Fast action is emphasized if it is divided into a series of scenes, getting shorter as the climax is reached.

 

Mixing slows down the tempo. Cutting makes photography easier. Several scenes connected by mixes makes it necessary to shoot many feet of film at one time. If anything goes wrong in one scene, the whole lot will have to be re-taken.

 

So don't use mixes or wipes unless they are necessary to bridge a gap in time or space.

 

Source: (How To Cartoon for amateur films)

[Rodney]

There is always good reason to consider and then to reconsider or reference a source.

My last post can be used to illustrate this as in transcribing the text I perceive that an unintended error and omission was made.

Case in point:

 

The two main paragraphs in the previous text are titled:

 

The Story is Planned . . .

 

and

 

. . . in Terms of Action

 

Note the ellipses form a container for the thoughts under consideration.

 

What the author is footstomping then is this relationship between the planning of the story as how it is dictated by the terms (or phrases) of the action.

This follows in the pattern of animation itself, where the animator places bookends at the extremes of a sequence in order to better consider what will be framed and presented. As we cannot include everything we must focus on what is important...the acts and actions of the movement. This is essential if we wish the audiences attention to ever reach our intended focal point.

 

To properly tell the story we must think in terms of action.

For in that activity we will find ourselves considering sources... the motivated hands of seen and unseen forces.