FEEDBACK ON FIRST DRAFT
- The advice I found most useful –
- The larger an object is in the frame, the greater its importance. (alfred hitchcock)
- Think about how each shot is framed and how this could make an audience feel, which perspective is it from? Eg- the dutch angle helps to create a sense of unease.
- I changed part of the story after talking to my tutor to include the getaway driver talking on the radio at the beginning, this would then foreshadow the ending and give the audience valuable processing time. I cut a sequence that I had in thumbnail storyboards at the start, as I thought this was unnecessary and it would make more sense if it started with the focus on the getaway driver within the car instead of the car pulling up – therefore the zoom through the window of the car and the 180-degree whip-pan afterwards would establish the context and the sense of space.
- The scene with the robbers running was originally across a straight plane, my tutor suggested I change this to a Dutch angle, as this would increase the sense of urgency and make the robbers seem unstable. I implemented this because I liked the suggestion, and I think that overall it made the sequence of them falling look more dramatic than it did before the exaggeration.
- Characters in the final shot should be closer together (the camera moves too much and this is distracting) Also, the cops being closer to the driver shows how they are on the same side. Less camera movement would be beneficial.
- Finish sound (convey the mood of the ending)
- Sound enhanced the story
- The drawing is clear and strong
- Good use of value and tone, this helps to convey the depth of each shot
- The twist at the end ties the story together.
FEEDBACK ON FINAL ANIMATIC
- The radio noise at both the beginning and the end was a good addition – this brings the story full circle.
- Good pacing and tight editing helps to convey the tension
- ‘Tingles’ – Jane
- Sound effects completed and complemented the story
- It works very well as a short form – the ending ties it together.
Evaluation of Animatic Rotation
Overall, I was happy with the outcome! I think that I improved the most on sound design and timing, and working within Premier Pro. Although I thought that most of my storyboard panels were successful, I think that in my future films, I am going to draft storyboards faster by drawing more loosely, This means that I will have a greater variety of shots to choose from and I won’t feel as obliged to use storyboards in an animatic that I deem ‘well drawn enough’ – as long as the drawing conveys the action it will work. I also liked using depth in my storyboards, I’d like to try this digitally as well, perhaps in After Effects so that I can see this physical depth and how the story plays out within the space. I got positive feedback on my sound design, as it was ‘immersive’ and the twist in the story was seen as a highlight. The radio noise was intended to bring the story full circle, so that the getaway driver was revealed to be an undercover police officer. The most difficult part of the animatic rotation was coming up with a story that could play out in thirty seconds. I chose the bank robbery prompt, and my initial idea was a story in which the getaway car doesn’t start, so they hijack an icecream van after a series of increasingly ridiculous whip pans, from a tricycle to a horse and hearse, to an ice cream van. In the brainstorming process, I abandoned this idea. I thought the camera movements could confuse the viewer, especially because they had to move so quickly to fit within the time limit, which wouldn’t give enough processing time. I decided to focus the story on the actual getaway driver and the twist of him pretending the car didn’t work (or maybe hijacking the car) because he was an undercover agent, which worked out well because it worked satisfyingly within a short format. In my first draft, I tried to focus on camera angles, and how these could impact how the viewer felt within the story. The aim was to first present the robbers as heroic and successful, and then at the end just embarrass them as much as possible and make them look weak and pathetic. The main feeling I wanted to convey was surprise at the twist. I drew in pencil, without references for the majority of the animatic, as I wanted to keep forms simple and was aware that when I draw from references I tend to add unnecessary detail, which is something that I need to improve on. Overall, I had a very positive experience and one of the highlights for me was learning about film language and how different angles/ shots can convey emotion to the viewer, and I am excited to implement this in my future work.