So that idea I’ve been hoping to have, something I can turn into a short movie.. I had it. And I’m doing it.
The project is working-titled: “A Moment In The Sun”. These are the two main characters. In the script their names are Gronky and Pointy.
My production diary so far:
30 April
- Came up with the nugget idea during a tea break at work and sketched down a big monster being yelled at by a smaller monster. The smaller monster is standing in the larger monster’s shadow and ranting “You’re blocking out the sun!” – this is the central idea. It is a small thing. It is perfect for a “junior” animated short.
1 May
- Drawing the two characters and figuring out what they should look like.
2 May
- Did a sketch of the musical soundtrack, or at least something like a musical soundtrack. Won’t use it. It’s rocking but I wanted something a bit more sedate.
- Drew that nectarine dragon thing. Decided it wasn’t Gronky enough.
- Successfully carried off a nifty rigging experiment, the significance of which I shall reveal in good time.
3 May
- Drafted up a script. It was three pages long and really elaborate. Vowed not to produce that script because it was too elaborate. I just want to make a little film, damnit. Just a little one to begin with. Is that too much to ask for? Is it? IS IT??!?
- Got sketching some more. Figured out that Pointy should look like an arrow. Also figured out that Gronky should have more of a hump.
4 May (today)
Sunday is my focussed creativity day, so it was all systems go!
- Resisted the urge to model the characters. Modelled an infinite white backdrop instead. Yeah!
- Wrote a simpler iteration of the previous day’s script that went for half a page. No gag at the end.
- Split the script up into story beats and shoved the beats into a spreadsheet. (I believe this may be known as a “beat sheet” in the biz.) I ended up with 23 story beats, including an ending where [REDACTED]
- Drew storyboards from the “beat sheet” using Krita – any given beat took anywhere between one and seven drawings to do.
- Compiled a story reel in Blender with the storyboard drawings timed out.
- Viewed the story reel. The ending was.. rubbish.
- Rewrote the ending. The events leading up to the ending are a set-up and the ending is now a pay-off. Comedy!
- Re-drew storyboards, recompiled story reel.
I ended up with about seventy storyboard drawings in the end, and timed out they add up to a movie that runs about 65 seconds (1560 frames) long. Works for me!
This is not a profound tale of profound significance through the ages. It is merely a light-hearted tale about a gentle giant and a one-eyed shadow-hating idiot.
Maybe the full working title should be “A moment in the sun between a gentle giant and a one-eyed shadow-hating bastard”. AMITSBAGGAAOESHI for short. Or in French: “Un moment au soleil entre un doux géant et un salopard borgne qui déteste les ombres.”
