Class Log 01-08

Today was our initial meeting for the SDGM 560 class, and it brought together the writing, VFX and Preproduction teams. We heard several versions of the stories for Analog and Artist Block. I enjoyed elements of each of the stories and had some thoughts after our meeting.

On the topic of Analog, the pacing seemed to be moving very fast. We were always moving, with few moments to rest. A lot was happening, but not every moment revealed who the characters were or what they wanted. We discussed refining who the paper character is, but I think that we need to determine more concretely who the artist is as well. In multiple drafts, the artist abandons her drawing because it is not fulfilling. Then, later in the story, she accepts it back again for reasons mostly attributed to the wear and tear of its journey. Honestly, this setup just makes me not like the artist very much. I understand the theme that the scars of our journey can make us beautiful, but I do not think the payoff is worth the cost. There should be value before and after scars. I think it could be more interesting for the artist to accidentally lose her drawing, only to find it later, broken but still loved. That angle would provide opportunities for fears of rejection, acceptance of reality, and many other powerful themes.

As for the drawing itself, Dennis and I were discussing how it could be interesting to use the motif of a pet and its owner to help describe the motivations of the drawing (in the case of the drawing being loved from the start). The drawing just wants to be with the artist, but the artist leaves the studio. In its quest to get back to the artist, the drawing goes through all sorts of trials and gets separated from the artist. At its lowest low, then we can help it find a way back to be accepted again, warts and all. I find that to be much more inspiring than a story abandonment. That story has been done well, especially in the animated short The Present, but that relied on the twist of the judging character being just as broken as the character who was judged.

I liked having other drawings that came to life in the piece so that we could understand the rules of the world. It adds charm that all of the drawings have personality and gives a foil for the new drawing to be set against.

The classroom scene was a popular option, but it had one plot issue. The student had become a teacher by that point, but only a day had passed. I suggest that maybe the artist is a visiting artist to another teacher’s classroom.

Visually, I think there is a lot of great material to work with for Analog. I am excited to incorporate the city of Savannah and the SCAD culture into the images. I think not having 2d animation on the paper would be a huge missed opportunity, even if we could only afford limited animation. For the drawing’s design, I thought going really rough would be a good idea. The drawing could morph and draw itself, similar to an etch-a-sketch. The first thing I thought of was how artists draw a rough mannequin or gesture, and using that as the character. Ryan Woodward’s Thought of You was a style reference that seemed to fit. The paper character will make or break the short, because that is who the audience connects with. 

Stylistically, the artist needs to feel connected to the drawing in some way. Finding some way to allow the CG world to have a roughness or random texture could be a fun way to tie them together. A filter system could go a long way towards making the entire world feel drawn, and it could allow us to get away with more limited animation overall thanks to the visual energy it would provide. Keeping it subtle is important though.

In regards to Artist Block, I thought there were many strong opportunities for dramatic tension and levity. I really enjoyed the back and forth with the author, although I am skeptical—after mulling over it for a while—of having a giant person in the sky or even having him in the scenes. I think it is very likely the scene will start to feel very cheesy, especially with such a jumpy story. Cinematography, such as match cuts and good transitions, could achieve the same effect with more subtlety. For the versions of the script that involve the romantic relationship of the author and his wife, I thought the build-up of tension between the characters and the author was beautiful. That really made me invested in the story.

More to follow!