- - - SITE IN PROGRESS - - -

Prototyping:

THE LANDLADY:

Camera:

After contemplating on the array of camera angles and movements, I've pinpointed some that may effectively narrate the early unfolding of "The Landlady". Here’s how I envision possibly integrating them into the introductory animatic as the protagonist journeys down the street and reaches the door:

Camera Angles:

Wide Shot (WS): I'll initiate with this to paint a broad picture of the setting, encapsulating the protagonist within the street environment.
Long Shot (LS): This will afford a fuller perspective of the protagonist’s interaction with his surroundings as he strolls along.
Medium Shot (MS): Employing this to delve into a more intimate portrayal of the protagonist, capturing his expressions and actions.
Close-Up (CU): I'll utilize this to accentuate the protagonist’s emotions or reactions, perhaps as he notices peculiar elements around.
Extreme Close-Up (ECU): This will be instrumental in magnifying minute details, like the protagonist's eyes as he discerns the landlady’s signboard.
High Angle: I plan on using this to imbue a sense of smallness or perhaps overwhelming realization upon the protagonist.
Low Angle: Conversely, this could be used to underscore a sense of dominance or significance as the protagonist approaches his eerie destination.
Dutch Angle: Given the eerie ambience of "The Landlady", I anticipate this angle will infuse a dose of unease or disorientation.

Camera Movements:

Tracking or Dolly Shot: I’ll employ this to seamlessly trail the protagonist, portraying his movement down the street.
Pan: Panning across will be effective in unveiling the quaint yet eerie street as the protagonist advances.
Tilt: A gentle tilt can reveal the facade of the landlady’s abode, gradually transitioning the focus from the protagonist to his destination.
Zoom: I’ll utilize a zoom to hone in on specific elements, such as the protagonist’s reactions or the daunting door awaiting him.
Crane or Jib Shot: This could offer a bird’s eye view of the scene, or follow the protagonist into a higher or lower space, presenting a dynamic spatial orientation.
Steadicam Shot: I plan to use this for a smooth, immersive portrayal of the protagonist’s movement, keeping the audience closely aligned with his journey.
Hand-held Shot: This may be used to instill a sense of urgency or intimacy in particular moments.
POV Shot (Point of View): I’ll leverage this to present the protagonist’s viewpoint as he stands at the threshold, the eerie anticipation palpable as he contemplates entering.

Hopefully these selected shots and movements will effectively weave an eerie, anticipatory atmosphere as the protagonist navigates through the quaint yet mysterious streets, leading up to the enigmatic door of the landlady’s dwelling.

My Storyboard:

Shot 1: On Train

The character is sitting on a bumpy train, he possibly sees a nice small village start to go by him as he approaches his destination, which had a small group of cosy, but odd-looking houses out on the outskirts.

Camera: Still medium shot

Sound: Train, Breathing

Shot 2: On Platform

The character gets off a train and walks left across the screen towards the exit sign.

Camera: Still wide shot

Sound: Trains, Footsteps

Shot 3: At Ticket Counter

The character approaches the Counter coming from off the right-hand side of the screen, he asks for directions and then exits through the doors shown on the screen.

Camera: Wide still shot of Main Character approaching Ticket Counter

Sound: Dialogue with Main Character and Ticket Officer, Train in distance, Doors opening and closing

Shot 4: View Down Street

The character walks down a road with nice fancy old-fashioned houses at the start but then they start looking more and more like little cosy, but odd houses down towards the end of the road which wasn't lit up with as many street lamps.

Camera: Wide shot, Follows the character down the road.

Sound: Footsteps, Wind, People murmuring in the distance

Shot 5: View At Door

The character sees something written in a window at a cosy, but odd house and decides to lean closer for a better look. It says Bed and Breakfast

Camera: Still wide shot, Possible slow zoom in to a medium shot

Sound: Wind, Leaves

Shot 6: View Through Window

He sees through a window there's a dog sitting next to a fireplace with some comfy-looking chairs

Camera: Still shot of the interior room, Possible window bars overlay on the camera

Sound: Fire cracking, Clock ticking

Shot 7: Knock On Door

Before he gets to knock on the door, a woman answers, which the audience can't quite see just yet from the angle. I feel this makes the audience more uncomfortable with the Homeowner by not seeing her appearance until they're already inside with the following shots, which adds to her odd nature/abode.

Camera: Side view, to conceal the homeowner's appearance, thereby building suspense within the narrative without revealing the homeowner as the threat just yet. And making the main character seem more isolated up until he's in her lair.

Sound: Dialogue with Main Character and Homeowner, Wind, Leaves

My Animatic:

Animatic so far

Title: Creative Interpretation and Execution in My Animatic Project

For my recent project, an animatic based on the introduction of Roald Dahl's "The Landlady," I began to creatively reinterpret the story while showcasing a variety of camera angles and perspectives.

Reimagining Dahl's Narrative

I chose to deviate from Dahl's original tone of awkward horror, opting instead for a mix of thriller and comedy horror. This allowed me to explore different narrative techniques and add unique elements to the story.

Photoshop: Crafting the Visuals

In Photoshop, my focus was on creating detailed images that effectively set the scene. I paid special attention to designing shots from various perspectives, including long-distance shots, close-ups, medium shots, shots looking up, and intricate perspective shots. These were instrumental in building the mood and atmosphere of the animatic.

Incorporating Key Visual Elements

An important feature in the visuals was the use of a newspaper at the beginning, which provided context and foreshadowing for the viewers. Additionally, characters were often obscured or rats were shown scurrying away to amplify the sense of isolation and foreboding in the narrative.

Premiere: Dynamic Composition and Animation

In Premiere, I brought these images together into a cohesive animatic. I employed animation techniques like 'ease in' and 'ease out' to add fluidity to the movements, particularly in perspective shots. The inclusion of an iconic comedic sound effect from old cartoons was used to highlight a character's exaggerated build-up of speed, complementing the delayed reaction in their movement.

Sound Design: A Complementary Touch

Towards the end of the project, I focused on sound design to enhance the animatic further. Using an AI tool from Hugging Face, I generated specific sound effects such as "steam train, old fashioned, eerie whistling, medium tone" and "Old creaking spooky wooden door." These auditory elements added depth and helped to fully realize the scenes.

huggingface.co. (n.d.). Make An Audio - a Hugging Face Space by AIGC-Audio. [online] Available at: https://huggingface.co/spaces/AIGC-Audio/Make_An_Audio [Accessed 7 Dec. 2023].

SHORT FILM:

My Storyboard:

The assignment’s focus was on showcasing camera shots, pushing me into new creative territory within a school setting. Despite a less detailed walkthrough, I prioritized the assignment's technical goals over setting familiarity. With just a week to plan, I stuck to my initial concept to maintain simplicity. The resulting storyboard is straightforward and functional, designed primarily to guide the camera work rather than to impress with its artistry or its story. It's a practical approach to meet the project's educational objectives within a short time constraint.

My first test:

This was the first idea that I storyboarded for my short film I called "The Test," which I never ended up using for my final short film, due to realizing it was too cheesy and also would take too long to do the story within two minutes, phew, what a great idea that I planned out my storyboards first to realize that this one wasn't actually feasible.

My Script/Camera Details:

Shot Places:

Shot Types:

Dialog:

Sounds:

Shot 1

opening entrance shot

medium shot/over the shoulder shot/pan up to building

wind, doors, chatting

Shot 2

tap card shot

object close up/from above/side

tapping of card, chatting

Shot 3

stairway shot

over the shoulder/cowboy shot/slightly looking up to account for stairs

footsteps, chatting

Shot 4

hallway shot

over the shoulder/ medium shot/cowboy shot/full body shot/panning to poster

footsteps

Shot 5

tap card shot

object close up/from above/side

tapping of card

Shot 6

at desk shot

full body shot/side shot/a two shot

Students greeting eachother

chatting, typing of keyboards

Shot 7

at desk shot

over the shoulder/medium shot

typing

Shot 8

at desk shot

close up shot

"Oh sh*t" or "Oh no no no," the main character says while his PC becomes infected.

typing, dialog, clicking, windows notification sound

Shot 9

at desk shot

full body shot/side shot

zapping, grunting

Shot 10

at desk shot

over the shoulder shot

"Wtf," the main character says, while waking from his nap.

dialogue, shuffling of chair

Shot 11

at desk shot

full body shot/side shot

chair moving, fast footsteps

Shot 12

hallway shot

over the shoulder/tracking shot/pan to poster

fast footsteps, and possible eerie sound effects to add in post-production.

Animatic for :

Short Film:

As always, my approach to this project was deeply rooted in the technical side of things. I started off by purchasing a drone, hoping to capture a cinematic opening shot that would add a diverse range of camera angles. However, the weather was not cooperative, and I had to make do with phone camera footage.

Despite this setback, my background in creative media came to the fore. I have a history with video editing apps like Sony Vegas Pro and DaVinci Resolve, but for this project, my focus shifted to Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. This was a significant leap, especially as I transitioned to the industry standard software Maya, moving away from Blender. This transition has been a key part of my journey, widening my confidence in a range of apps day by day. My exploration of Adobe's suite has been no exception; I've delved into almost all their software by now. In this project, I have demonstrated my newfound proficiency in Adobe's tools, applying a range of skills that have enhanced not just the camera work but also the storytelling and viewer engagement.

We were instructed to use the University campus as our filming location. I received help and cooperation from a group of friends who assisted with various tasks, such as turning off lights and acting as class members in shots. They also provided extra camera equipment, which was greatly appreciated and expanded our filming capabilities.

However, a significant challenge arose when I found that a large portion of my footage was limited to a resolution of 480p. This was a major disappointment, especially since the footage was initially filmed at 4K resolution. The issue stemmed from the use of WhatsApp Messenger, which compressed the files significantly. Prepared for some extra work with my 1080p camera, this development made keyframing and motion tracking considerably more difficult. Nonetheless, I embraced the challenge, determined to make the best of the situation.

In conclusion, this project was a blend of enthusiasm, challenges, and continuous learning. I faced unexpected hurdles, from uncooperative weather to technical setbacks. Each obstacle was an opportunity to adapt and enhance my technical and creative skills, further fueling my passion for this field.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse