Project 2 (of 3) RCAA4007 / From Script to Screen

Submission deadline: Friday March 12th 2021

‘Animation is the most technical of mediums. Every dot, line, colour and movement has
to be consciously put down with a given end in view. An idea that is fuzzy in the script
stage will certainly be fuzzy on screen… The bulk of the creative work – be it script,
design, dialogue or music, is conceived and finalised before the first frame is
animated.’

‘Simple viewing is hard writing’

Stan Hayward, Scriptwriting For Animation

‘When I started writing that story, I didn’t know there was going to be a Ph.D.
with a wooden leg in it. I merely found myself one morning writing a description of
two women I knew something about, and before I realized it, I had equipped one of
them with a daughter with a wooden leg. I bought in the Bible salesman, but I had no
idea what I was going to do with him. I didn’t know he was going to steal that wooden
leg until ten or twelve lines before he did it, but when I found out that this was what
was going to happen, I realised it was inevitable.’

Flannery O’Conner, Writing Short Stories

The job of a scriptwriter for an animation is to take an idea and craft it into a working
plan that is ready to go into production; this plan is called a storyboard and it is
arrived at in several stages, beginning with ‘the idea’ or basic narrative concept. The
premise is given an outline, wherein the key-points of action, structure, and characters
are defined and rough sketches produced. The outline is developed further at the
treatment stage, as key scenes/sequences are linked and motivated by a storyline. The
treatment is visualised as a storyboard.

A storyboard is a visual interpretation of a script conveying essential

information regarding scale, positions, relationships between images, direction of
movement, angles of view, continuity, mood, gesture, action, and special effects. It is
crucial that storyboard artists understand the techniques of directing and editing;

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 RCAA4007: Story /Project 2: From Script To Screen 2020/21
“There are a lot of successful storyboard artists out there who are just strong story
people, and they get their message across, but they aren’t necessarily the strongest
draftsmen out there… understanding story and understanding camera are the main
things for a storyboard artist to know”.1

Storyboards serve two purposes: first, they allow a filmmaker to previsualise

and refine their ideas; secondly, they serve as the clearest language by which the
entire production team may collaborate coherently – and efficiently; for instance;
when each shot is boarded in advance, only the exact shots are needed to cover the
scene, thus excising the need for surplus footage (and the resources, time and money
so implied). Similarly, when a scene is fully-boarded, the director/production designer
may realise that only one section of a set is required (as opposed to constructing an
entire set needlessly).

Through the development of an original three-act story idea for a two minute
animation (from initial premise to computer-generated pre-visualisation via
storyboarding), this unit requires you to engage creatively - and efficiently - with the
challenges of crafting successful time-based narratives.

AIMS

The aims of this unit are:

A1 to develop an understanding of pre-production and sound design.

A2 to develop the ability to synthesise software suites creatively.

A3 to develop project management skills and professionalism.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

On satisfactory completion of the unit you will be able to:

LO1 employ techniques relating to pre-production and sound design.

LO2 apply software suites creatively.

LO3 demonstrate developing project management and professionalism.

1 Tim Burgard, storyboard artist on The Day After Tomorrow and Scorpion King.

RCAA4007: Story /Project 2: From Script To Screen 2020/21 2

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS

In response to the three story components given you at the time of briefing, you are
asked to pre-produce an original two minute animation.

Your preproduction is to be submitted in 2 parts;

1) Pre-Viz, to include:

a) 2d animatic with soundtrack & transitions.2

b) Maya pre-viz with soundtrack & transitions.3

2) An ‘Art Of’ publication, to include:

a) concept art: environment design

b) concept art: character design
c) concept art : prop design
d) production art: environment
e) production art: prop
f) production art: character4
g) Final presentation storyboards
h) Final script5

You are asked to produce a comprehensive blog archiving and annotating your
creative development during the duration of the unit. You should use the blog to
reflect critically upon your own creative practice and the wider cultural and thematic
context of the unit.

Important! Your blog must include:

1) Your final CG Pre-Viz.

2) Your final Animatic.

3) Your ‘Art Of’ publication (as Scribd Presentation)6

4) Final Storyboards.

5) Final script.

2 For example of animatic visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BknHApJ6e0&feature=related

3 For example of Pre-Vis visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYLLnOSjc9Y
4 For examples of character/model sheets visit http://animationarchive.net/Model%20Sheets/index.php
5 For example of script visit http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/toy_story.html
6 For instructions see http://ucarochester-cgartsandanimation.blogspot.com/2010/12/scribd.html

RCAA4007: Story /Project 2: From Script To Screen 2020/21 3

 6) Draft scripts/story development – to include:

a) The Development
b) The Treatment
c) The Step Outline
d) The Premise
e) The Logline
f) Character Biographies

7) Preparatory Storyboards.

8) Final concept art for character/environment/props.

9) Supporting artwork for character/environment/props.

10) Supporting research for character/environment/props.

11) Influence maps for character/environment/props.

12) Your ‘like-for-like’ storyboard segment.

13) Your final submission must include a short reflective statement. A

reflective statement is a statement in which the student considers their
experience of a project. Reflective statements are used to understand past
events, learn lessons and identify best practice.

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Some good online sources for film criticism and reviews include:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film http://www.bfi.org.uk http://www.metacritic.com
http://www.rottentomatoes.com http://www.empireonline.com http://www.filmreference.com
http://www.kamera.co.uk http://twitchfilm.net
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Follow this link for ‘how to reference’ conventions for all kinds of sources.

RCAA4007: Story /Project 2: From Script To Screen 2020/21 4

http://community.ucreative.ac.uk/article/25881/Referencing-specific-sources-of-information/
Important: Organise your project work by adding the following label to all relevant
blog posts.7 This will ensure assessors are able to group and segregate your
Soundscape submission for purposes of assessment.
Activity Label
From Script To Screen From Script To Screen, Story,
Storyboarding, Character Design, Film
Review…
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
CRITERION MAPS TO LEARNING OUTCOME
Knowledge of narrative structures LO1, LO2
Understanding through application of creative
skills required for story development, LO1, LO2
previsualisation and sound design.
Technical and applied skills through the creative
LO2
use of software packages
Technical and applied skills through project
LO3
management and professionalism.
READING LISTS

Essential

Begleiter, M. (2010) From word to image: storyboarding and the filmmaking process. California: Michael
Wiese Productions

Beiman, N. (2012) Prepare to board! Creating story and characters for animated features and shorts.
Massachusetts: Focal Press

Buckland, W. (2015) Film studies: an introduction. London: Hodder Headline

Glebas, F. (2009) Directing the story: professional storytelling and storyboarding techniques for live
action and animation. Massachusetts: Focal Press

Milic, L. (2006) The Animation Producer's Handbook. Open University Press

Levy, D. (2009) Animation development: from pitch to production. New York: Allworth Press

Mckee, R. (1999) Story: substance, structure, style, and the principles of screenwriting. London:
Methuen

Sullivan, K. et al. (2013) Ideas for the animated short: finding and building stories. Amsterdam: Elsevier
Science.

7 http://support.google.com/blogger/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=44498

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Talon, D.S. (2007) Panel discussions: design in sequential art storytelling. Raleigh: TwoMorrows
Publishing

Wells, P. (2007) Basics Animation 01: Scriptwriting. Worthing: AVA Publishing

Recommended

Bayley, S. (2008) Life's a pitch: how to sell yourself and your brilliant ideas. London: Corgi

Cristiano, G. (2008) The storyboard design course: the ultimate guide for artists, directors, producers
and scriptwriters. London: Thames & Hudson

Dancyger, K. (2011) The technique of film and video editing: history, theory, and practice. (3rd ed.)
Massachusetts: Focal Press

Fraioli, J. O. (2000) Storyboarding 101: a crash course in professional storyboarding. California: Michael
Wiese Productions

Hahn, D. (2008) The alchemy of animation: making an animated film in the modern age. California:
Disney Editions

Hart, J. (2007) The art of the storyboard: storyboarding for film, TV, and animation. Massachusetts:
Focal Press

Levy, D. (2010) Directing animation. New York: Allworth Press

Marx, C. (2010) Write your way into animation and games. Massachusetts: Focal Press

Truby, J. (2008) The anatomy of story: 22 steps to becoming a master storyteller. London: Faber

Tumminello, W. (2005) Exploring storyboarding. New York: Delmar Cencage Learning

Wright, J. (2005) Animation writing and development: from script development to pitch. Massachusetts:
Focal Press

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