Category: Story - The Librarian

Final animatic

31/3/2013

The final, definite, no going back locked down animatic!

Changes to the story

16/3/2013

I have decided to get rid rid of the idea that the Librarian dislikes books completely. Whilst wrestling with the story I believe this is the thing that has been causing me problems all along, especially since he has lost the motive of his fathers death. I have decided to change the Librarian to be a character who is going about his daily business in the Library when his attention is drawn to one book in particular. This book then interacts with him.

More brain scratchings

2/1/2013

He has fallen asleep at his desk
(Dreaming book flapping around head scene?)
Closed book on table - words start to creep up his hand. Stories start to scratch at his skin to try to wake him, constrict him.
He wakes to see book vortex spiralling before his eyes pounding towards him (Coraline-esque?)
He is sucked into the book.
Book closes to reveal subtitles?

He is old, he has forgotten the joy of stories - scrap father idea?

He is writing his own book - this is the one that consumes him, his own story. (Shots of him writing this story.)

Feedback from stop motion tutor

30/11/2012

There is currently too much going on.
Use narrator or montage scene in books to catch audience up with the story.
2.5 minutes is the time I should be aiming for at the most. Realistically try and make it shorter? 1.5 minutes?
Library reacting against him is the main part of the story.

Feedback

9/11/2012

There needs to be another character. Could the books themselves be characters, they interact with the librarian.
His character suggests that he should be trying to narrate the story - Does he get bored and keep picking up different books and throwing them down again - a mash up of different stories.
Do the books then fight back?
Does he pick up a book that reminds him of his father - the book narrates this story to him which blurs into a character based flash back.

More thoughts on the story

8/11/2012

Shows books in the library tormenting him adding to the pain of his fathers death.
One story reaches out and narrates an acceptance to him, story of father and son? Death? Grieving?
After he crushes book sculpture - shot to him angrily chucking away scrunched up book page. Throws over his shoulder, then writes out titles.

Story development

6/11/2012

I've been trying to make sense of the story thats in my head, so here it is:

Story:

Slow build up, telling the story of his father, he's alone, this is the reality. Close up camera angles on his expression, sighing, eye movements.
Books come to life, the stories bring out a character in him.
He tells a story which animates him, books come to life.
Relates his grief through stories, his emotions become animated.

In reality he is sunken into his chair, part of the chair, looks like he is growing out of it or has become part of it with time. Appearance would suggest that he will never be able to get out of this chair again and is resigned to this fact.

Suggestion that when he tells the stories the sprightly librarian is in his mind, it is his spirit coming to life with the story, himself rememberin the excitment and life in books.

Feedback

25/10/2012

Character:

A bit one dimensional?
They need to become a character rather than an avatar for your story.
Is it a solo performance? It is an interaction between a librarian and the stories he tells.
Is there any speaking? Currently unsure, there might have to be to make the story more clear.

Set a pace for your film - a tempo that could be the music that your character/story moves to.

To reconsider:
2D and 3D together? Might be too confusing in a short space of time. Could I keep 3D librarian when telling 2D story? However on reflection the 2D by itself would be too seperate from the 3D librarian. May scrap this idea altogether.

If there is a back story and it is relevant to the story it needs to make its way onto the screen.

Class notes - Archetypal Stories

8/10/2012

Archetypal stories - Theory most/all stories fit in one of these formats:

Rags to riches (Cinderella)
Good vs. evil
Role reversal
Fish out of water (the character is put in unusual circumstances)
Ship of fools (characters that would not normally be found together find themselves on an adventure)
Quest
Love

Character led stories:

Individual characteristics
Conflict between characters (status and tension)

Does a back story help? - This could make a short film stodgey. My story is currently led by a heavy back story! Should I review this!?

Paper animation

5/10/2012

I've been thinking I can show the fairytales that the librarian is narrating in the form of paper cut-out animation much like the style of Lotte Reineger (see all pictures). The librarian would still be a 3D puppet but the stories would be in this 2D style so as not to confuse the reality with the story.