Script Lining

[Rodney]

All you guys and gals knew this stuff already but I'm slow and only recently read the memo...

 

Script Lining is something I have long knew needed to be present in the filmmaking pipeline but I had never really seen it in the wild.

Having now seen it I gain that sense of satisfaction that I knew it was there but renewed frustration in that digital solutions still fall short of capturing it's potential.

 

For those that share my lack of knowledge concerning Script Lining here's a good overview of the process and how it helps us break down a script to the point where we know where our cameras will be and what should be seen in the lens/renders: It can be a very useful method to move into the stage of Storyboarding where boards will be used to explore the script visually to find the best possible way to tell the story. .

 

https://www.amyclarkefilms.com/blog/how-to-line-a-film-script

 

From the article:

 

Notes

• You draw your lines left to right in shooting order.
• Red is the standard colour used for a lined script
• Sometimes multiply colours are used to indicate different shots i.e. –blue ink for single shots, green ink for cutaways, wild tracks taken by sound etc
• If a shot continues to another page an arrow is placed below the line and continues onto the next page.
• Lined scripts are also called Marked Up Scripts or MUS.

[Rodney]

and here's a video walking through the process.

You may want to watch this with the speed turned up:

 

xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n59e287Ix0

[Rodney]

Here's some related information from the Director's perspective:

 

http://timidmonster.com/what-every-director-needs-to-know-before-shooting/

 

Translating this into our world (the world of digital animation where one person may wear all of the hats) the requirements don't really change although the shortcuts very often do.

The bottom line here might be one of efficiency and breaking down our ideas into workable plans that get us from the idea to the finished presentation.

[robcat2075]

That is interesting. I have never encountered "script lining" before in film making discussions.

 

I had no idea what you were talking about when you mentioned it at LAT!

[Rodney]

For my part, and in my testing, I'm trying to work in a way that supports the creation of storyboards, comics and film and so am trying to adapt Script Lining a little to facilitate that.

This is not entirely unlike the method Miyazaki used for his storyboards... and keep in mind that those storyboards WERE his script.

Unlike most American storyboards Japanese storyboards tend to be vertical in orientation.

As such they follow more of a traditional film and script approach rather than the timeline popular in most digital software.

This equates more than a little to why I think we like the Project Workspace listing as much as we do in A:M.

In its vertical orientation we can easily see what resources are in our 'working script'.

 

In filmmaking, the process of 'breaking down the script' is different than Script Lining in that the lining of the script focuses on Camera shots and what will be in front of the camera.

Breaking down the script is where the resources needed in each of those shots is categorized so that production can proceed with the confidence that everything that is needed will be there.

In collaborative efforts that breakdown is essential in passing the torch to the subject matter experts that will work their magic on costuming, props, stunt work, fx, sound fx, etc.

The person/persons breaking everything down might use a different color to underline each element in the script.

With Script Lining the standard color is said to be red....although I could see where multi-color setups could be useful especially in the digital realm where we might want to specific different cameras.

In the real world we might only have access to one camera... because renting or purchasing those isn't cheap... but with virtual cameras that's not a problem.

An added benefit there might also be that by setting up different cameras for color coded 'linings' we might be able to optimize use of Netrender by sending it Choreographies that use those dedicated cameras.

 

That's all a bit too far afield for the subject matter at hand but the possibilities are intriguing.