Report – The Art of Storyboarding and The Art of Puppets

Posted on: Thursday 05 July 2018 9:04pm by Monica Siegenthaler

This session was jam-packed full, with two mini sessions combined as one! The Art of Storyboarding captured the task of creating storyboards in the process of filmmaking, meanwhile the Art of Puppets revealed how puppets can lead us down the road less travelled.

The Art of Storyboarding takeway:

• Know the script back to front. Everyone follows behind the storyboard, it is the jumping off point for the rest of the film.
• Explore every aspect you can. There is always time for one more joke.
• Care about what you do. Find something that sparks your imagination in the script when you storyboard.

Detail:

Chris Drew a Series Director for Blue Zoo Animation Studio walked us through the process of storyboarding as well as what is expected of the storyboarder and the importance of the process.

Storyboarding is not just a drawing of the script. It is the artist and directors vision of how to best tell the story. The storyboard is the jumping off point for the rest of the film, it is vital that it is very clear. The board isn’t so much a plan as it is a target that the filmmakers aim for.

The storyboarder is expected to have read the script several times before they begin to draw, to leave their ego at the door and to care about the work they are making. Chris Drew stressed the importance of having fun with the process and not being afraid to throw some ideas away.

The Art of Puppets takeaway:

• Puppets have animation appeal with the advantages of a physical character.
• Puppets offer spontaneity and speed for a live-action shoot.
• Puppets offer a unique set of strengths to a set.

Detail:

Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath, directors from Talk to the Hand, explained the advantages of using puppets in films and the dimensions they add. Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath emphasised the importance of using raised sets, custom props and having a puppeteer involved with the project from the beginning. Puppets have the strength of adding fun-loving slapstick comedy and having the all the advantages of a physical character with the appeal of an animated character.