Monday 6 December 2010

Creating Animatic using Sound

Sound plays a major role in most things, particularly when it comes to film, animation and video games. Sound is a tool used to create mood, atmosphere, tension, suspense and anticipation. It is a powerful tool and also a necessary one when creating an animation.

http://filmsound.org/marshall/index.htm

There are two types of sound in film - Diagetic and Non Diagetic sounds.

Diagetic Sounds - Sounds that are in a sense 'actual sound'. This includes things like dialogue, sound of objects, environment sounds etc

Non Diagetic Sounds - Sounds that are added for dramatic effect, mood music or narrators commentary.

'The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening.  We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are  represented as coming from outside the space of the story events.  A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy).'  (http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm)


THE TASK

- Develop a storyboard & Animatic through the use of sound.
- Write and propose a synopsis for the idea.

- Screenplay of about 3 - 5 minutes (1 page approx = 1 minute)

- Needs to be presents with either a short critical or explanatory commentary (Pitch)

As this project is sound driven the first thing to do would be to listen to the sounds and analyse how they could be applied visually.

Sound 1 - Strings being plucked, could be an instrument (guitar) or maybe a bow and arrow.
Sound 2 - Windy day outside.
Sound 3 - Something being scribbled down.
Sound 4 - Multiple people running with heavy gear. Sounds almost like soldiers charging
Sound 5 - Teeth being brushed.
Sound 6 - Explosions in the distance.
Sound 7 - Something being eaten/ crunch sound.
Sound 8 - Toilet being flushed.
Sound 9 - Door being shut/ Gunshot
Sound 10 - Cow bells or a wind chime.
Sound 11 - Radio being changed.
Sound 12 - Cracking stone.

I can use these sounds as literal sounds which would make them diagetic or I could use them as almost sound effects creating a non diagetic sound. The idea of having the Wind sound and the radio sound as an almost non diagetic mood music would create a very eerie atmosphere that could work well. The sound of cracking stone could possibly indicate being underground or having the main character as a miner.

Few other ideas:

- Post Apocolyptic Wasteland, Mutated creature that lives in an underground lair.

- A miner trapped in a mine shaft.

- The use of a gargoyle would be interesting with the idea of it setting into stone to sleep and when it awakens, the use of the cracking stone sound could be used.

- The main character could be in a war zone completely unaware of his surroundings?

- A gargoyles war against pigeons.


A mood board I created of images that seem relevant to my ideas for the animatic.

The first thing once an idea has been finalised is to write the synopsis which is a quick summary of the plot.

SYNOPSIS

It is a lone dark night, amidst the war torn city stands a old bell tower. Explosions in the distance can be heard echoing through the cold empty ruins. A warm light illuminates from inside the clocktower that contrasts with the bleak night sky. In the candle lit hall of the clocktower stands a single statue, gracefully posed in the moonlight, there are signs that someone lives within the clocktower yet no-one is established or introduced. A pigeon flies in through the balcony and excretes on the statue before flying back out the balcony. As the radio begins to play the statue comes to life and looks in disgust at his shoulder. He becomes very aggresive however his tone of aggresion is abruptly interuppted by a yawn as he simply forgets about it and hops over to the water bowl. The Statue washes his face and begins brushing his teeth ready to engage in a normal day of solitude. His night begins with writing a warning sign telling all 'PIGEONS STAY AWAY!' As he hops over to the balcony and begins putting his sign up he is bombarded yet again by a squadron of pigeon. He heads back inside and loads an arrow into his crossbow. Back on the balcony he begins firing his crossbow into the air yet he is once again bombarded by a squadron of pigeons. Now furious the statue rushes inside and fetches his 9mm handgun and frantically begins shooting at the passing pigeons. Suddenly the sound of a bell can be heard as the pigeons overun the entire clocktower and the statue can do nothing except admit defeat and live amongst his new 'guests'. At least he wont be bored anymore.
With a synopsis in place and a screenplay being plotted, I can now move on to the more visual design aspects of the storyboard.



With the main character being a statue, I thought it would be fitting to put the enemy as a pigeon as they tend to often ruin monuments and are often regarded as vermin. My design of the pigeons was very loosely based on a typical cartoon bird character with a few references to the actual thing.




The pigeon characters are stylistically quite cartoony and have a few resemblances to an actual pigeon as I wanted them to be only loosely based. The main key feature being the curved downwards beak.

For the statue I wanted to do a gargoyle stlyed character however I liked the idea of having a mighty looking warrior who just turns out to be abit of a loner. I liked certain elements of the gargoyle however I didnt want him to look too demonlike or as that seemed quite dark and that is not a feature I wanted him to have.


Most of these thumbnail drawings look too demon like and go more for the gargoyle approach. I quite like the look of the Easter Island stone heads with the actual shape of the heads and I liked the idea of a statue based loosely off a greek god.

I liked the idea of having a half statue, although it is based loosely off a greek god statue I also wanted some gargoyle elements in him. I like how Kratos has a tribal tatoos on his head which I would like to encorporate onto my statue.



A few facial expressions that I could use in the final storyboard.



The Statue in sleeping pose as the pigeon bombards it.

The Statue washing the dirt of his shoulder.

I also decided to do a few concept drawings of the old stone hall that the statue lived in. I thought it would be a nice touch to give them a quick paint job with watercolour and I like the simplicity of the design and layout.
Concept paintings of the tower. Interior and Exterior.

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