I’ve found a way for a screenwriter to quickly and painlessly animate a simple scene…
When running in old circles a month ago, I came across this comic computer-animated video from Markham Nolan showing the very delicate soft sell technique of a true social media professional.
How NOT to be a Social Media Guru
At the end is an ad for the technology that was used to create the animation.
I looked into it.
The text-to-movie technology from Xtranormal is billed as so easy if you can type, you can make movies, and it took two seconds before I decided to animate a scene from one of my screenplays.
I picked a scene; it’s one of my firsts but a favorite… so keep reading.
Animating it turned out to be really beneficial, it increased my understanding of what others are doing when they interpret my writing, and in the process I learned something about the language of editing.
It’s always best to be able to explain your vision in terms that other people in the production chain understand.
For a screenwriter who is still trying to increase their power to visualize a scene, I can see how animating something that they’ve written could really help.
With almost no effort this software allows you to create a computer-generated set with computer-generated actors to talk out simple scenes.
The online version of the software (which I recommend for its simplicity) is a little limited, as is real life, and even that’s a great lesson as there will always be a space between a script and its fruition.
In the last year, I’ve tried to learn a little about some of the peripheral arts around screenwriting. I’ve read books on acting, directing, editing, etc. and amazingly it all came into play even at this simplistic level.
Concepts like looking for emotion on a character’s face (or lack of it), knowing that some lines should be given while some should be received, and different ideas about editing for continuity when arranging shots were really brought home for me during this little exercise.
And remember the lesson was free.
One of the biggest filmmaking ideas I came to understand was the director’s concept of “coverage,” basically getting enough footage for editing; something as simple as three takes, three different ways, from three different angles.
This is the magical time when you find out everything your film will NOT be.
As great and as perfect as you think your story might be in screenplay form, it must take on substance sometime.
Godard is quoted as saying “editing is the transformation of chance into destiny.”
The online version of the software only allows for a limited number of camera angles, it’s about ten but that’s more coverage than you could probably expect in the real world.
This allows for the aspiring filmmaker to experiment. After getting close-ups, shots from the waist up, over the shoulder shots, even some Dutch angles, it’s possible to change the script, and instantly have perfect reshoots from all angles.
Animating a scene from a project with this software is a fast and inexpensive way of developing or finding a style.
Many years ago I saw La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, a film by Carl Theodor Dreyer from way back in 1928. I recommend it to all. As the title suggests the film is extremely emotional, a lot of tight close-ups of people crying.
Someone in the DVD extras explains that this is ironic because Dreyer went to great expense to build elaborate sets, only to draw the focus away with tight close-ups.
I thought well… why not save a few bucks on the set and just shoot close ups?
The establishing shot is the answer.
Most people with even a passing interest in film have heard these terms, but until you actually edit a film, it’s difficult to understand the power that they hold.
The audience feels uncomfortable not knowing where they are, even if the action is engaging.
It’s true on the screen; it’s true on the page.
Back to my little scene, arranged as a short film now: it’s about the role of third parties in the sexual fantasy life of couples.
I was going for a 50 year old La Nouvelle Vague, over saturated, deep focus, sort of a Jean-Luc Godard meets Charlie Kaufman but animated in 1 minute and 52 seconds affair.
I give you Sleeping with Charlie Kaufman.
Kaufman’s still a hero of mine. I hope he doesn’t object to the title.
He directed his latest effort, Synecdoche, New York. I highly recommend it, but fair warning, it will show you what you might be afraid to see and you might have a bad couple of days.
The last thing I would like to leave you with is something else I’ve realized while undertaking this little project… most people can’t tell a story with video.
I feel completely confident in that.
Xtranormal has a showcase for videos made with their technology. I’ve watched all of the “featured,” “most recent,” “most viewed,” “most discussed,” and “top rated” videos. Their technology is easy to use, and yet all of the videos are terrible.
There is a world of difference between using video to dramatically tell a story and Internet video at large.
Storytellers take heart; cheapening technology won’t cheapen storytelling.
May 2010 bring you happiness…
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