This week I developed a script to detail out the sequence of events, and plan some basic scene composition / camera angles in my head. I have never written a script before so this was also an opportunity for me to learn the formatting and nature of writing such a script. In my script, I've tried to build complete and imaginable scenes which builds on the reaction and interaction between host, audience and dog (performing competitors of the show). I have also attempted to outline different personalities for the dogs (e.g. easily bored Egyptian gods playing cards, evil/menacing xolotl, playful fox), and display them in their natural habitats to make the dogs a bit more believable (e.g. arctic foxes in the snow, celestial dog in space).
I chose script writing as my method because there will be quite a bit of dialogue in my final project, due to the nature of it being a contest/show. Scripts are a concise way of embedding dialogue into clear positions of the animation, reactions to the narration could also be depicted under each line of dialogue if needed. Overall, the process of writing a script allowed for a very detailed sequence of events (what is happening on the screen vs what is being narrated), some camera angle planning (zooming in/out, down angles) for dramatic purposes.
The dramatic nature and speech of the host were inspired by RuPual’s hosting on RuPual’s drag race. His expressions, gestures and tone of voice are always exaggerated (to the right level), making him a very memorable and enjoyable ‘character’. This sort of exaggeration for dramatic purposes is commonly found in cartoons and it’s indeed very interesting to observe in a real person. Most hosts tend to behave in a more serious manner, their speech and even the intonations in their voices sound very planned. They smile politely and perfectly, but appear very distant. This type of hosting suits formal situations dearly, but would be out of place in my project. I’ve decided to adapt a more dramatic character to make my project more engaging / exciting as a whole (cartoons are always exaggerated), and also because it suited the ‘why so serious’ theme. The sequence and nature of interactions in my project were inspired by the work of the director Edgar Wright, who produced titles such as ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Shaun of the Dead’. Wright’s work often cover serious topics such as murder, crime and apocolypse but tells the stories in light-hearted and humorous ways. There seems to be a certain level of dark humour in Wright’s work and I seek to incorporate this into my project, escalating events very quickly and ending everything in fire and death.
Extending from last week’s character creations, I’ve chosen a selective few to expand into the scripts here. There was a short process of reviewing and planning, to see which ideas would appear more interesting as animations, and these were chosen to be included in the script. For example, the fuu dog is just a stone lion and will remain a static statue no matter what is happening around it. This could look fine as a character sketch, yet a tad boring developed into an animation.
By Yi Wu (Amy)
Email Yi Wu (Amy)
Published On: 31/05/2021