An animatic typically consists of pictures of the storyboard synchronized with the soundtrack. This allows the animators and directors to work out any script and timing issues that may exist with the current storyboard. The storyboard and soundtrack are amended if necessary, and a new animatic may be created and reviewed with the director until the storyboard is perfected. Editing the film at the animatic stage prevents the animation of scenes that would be edited out of the film, as traditional animation is a very expensive and time-consuming process, creating scenes that will eventually be edited out of the completed cartoon is strictly avoided.
How we created and developed the narrative of our animatic.
Originally our group decided on a plot together with our setting being a haunted house. After storyboarding our ideas and taking a few shots of our chosen setting, we soon discovered it wasn't working as well as we had hoped as the setting we used didn't look effect enough to be able to include in a horror trailer. So as a group we sat down and discussed the issue and what could be done to resolve the problem and concluded that it was best to change the whole plot in order to make our trailer effective. Whilst trying to come up with a new idea for a plot, there were a few disagreements and we found it hard to all agree on a chosen plot. Help was given and an idea for a plot was given to us as a group but we thought it was best to pull together as a group and go ahead with an idea of our own. We found watching a variety of different horror genre trailers helped with putting together ideas for our storyboard. We took ideas from trailers such as Nightmare On Elm Street, Friday The 13th and Shrooms.
Whilst brainstorming ideas for the shots to include in our animatic, we used a storyboard to sketch and make notes on the type of shots we could use. Although we focused on doing particular shots from the storyboard, as a group we found it easier to go out and take a variety of different shoots and come back to noting the ones that were successful down on the storyboard.
We took about 70 different shoots all together but only used about 24 in the animatic as a lot of them were similar.
We used 2 different locations, a small lake surrounded by a forest near by my house and the trees by the field on the school grounds. We chose to use this second location as it was easier for everyone to attend.
For the animatic we only used 2 other actors outside of the group but decided to include more for the actual moving image trailer. We chose to only use these actors as they were the only people available at the time and they were the most reliable.
In our shoots we chose to include a variety of different props such as, a car, a tent and a torch. The car was used to show the actors travelling to their chosen destination. The torch was used to show them camping at the forest and the torch was used to show their isolation in the darkness of the forest.
After each shoot was taken we discussed as a group which shoots to include in the animatic and which shoots to take away. Most of the shoots we decided to take away were establishing shots of the forest as a lot of them were too similar.
The only changes we made were editing a couple of shots using a black and white contrast to show the background story at the beginning of the trailer.
The only shots we were unable to take were the shots to show the boy drowning in the lake but we resolved this by taking a medium close up shot of the boy stood by the lake, a medium close up shot of the boy being pushed into the lake and a medium close up shot of a splash in the lake to portray the boy had drowned.
How we constructed our animatic.
;Whilst in the editing suite we all worked well as a team to put our own individual ideas across and to help each other out with each task. As a group we decided on what worked well in the animatic and what wasn't working. We each had our own individual input whilst constructing the animatic. Sophie thought of the idea 'Risen' for the main title. Millie helped come up with all the other main titles used in the animatic and myself and Jess constructed the animatic.
Originally we decided to use random lengths for each shot, with the more frightening images appearing and dissolving quicker but once the soundtrack was added we adjusted the length of the shots to the pace of the soundtrack.
The titles we included in our animatic were;
12 months later... This shows it has been 12 months since the boy died in the lake, from the background story at the start of the trailer.
The lake is revisited... This shows that the lake is being revisited again by a group of young people.
They thought they were alone... But they were wrong... This shows the vulnerability of the people, thinking their the only people in the forest but they are yet to find out that their mistaken.
1, 2 Eddie's coming for you... This makes the audience question who Eddie is, who he's coming for and why?
3, 4 you wont live no more... This associates with death leaving the audience to wonder whats going to happen to the group of young people.
The soundtrack we used worked really well with the shots and the length of them. It built up tension where it was needed for the more scary shots and it made the animatic seem much more thrilling.
I carried out a mini questionnaire and asked 4 people to watch the animatic and then answer the 5 questions given. These were the questions they were asked;
1. What age range would you put this trailer under?
2. Would you chose to go and watch this film?
3. Does this trailer appeal to people your age?
4. What stood out to you most in the trailer?
5. What makes you want to see this film?
These were the answers I received;
For Question 1, 3 individuals said 15 - Late 30's and 1 individual said 15 - 40.
For Question 2, Every individual said Yes.
For Question 3, Every individual said Yes.
For Question 4, 2 individuals said the shot of the girl being dragged across the forest floor stood out most to them. 1 individual said the title 1,2 Eddie's coming for you stood out most to them and 1 individual said the shot of the white figure in the forest stood out most to them.
For Question 5, Every individual answered, that the fact the trailer looks scary and interesting makes them want to see this film.
What I would improve on before the making of the actual moving image trailer.In order to improve the animatic before we move on to the making of the actual moving image trailer I would add dialogue to the animatic and our group didn't get chance to add the dialogue by the deadline, we need to discuss as a group what dialogue we want to include. The soundtrack needs to be changed to a more upbeat sound to the shot of the girls in the car to show that they are having fun and are not expecting what is about to happen. Relevance to the lake needs to be included more throughout the trailer and shots of the killer/ person with the iconic mask need to be included.
5 Key Images from our completed animatic.
This image represents young teenage girls, having fun. In the moving image trailer we want to improve on having more actors and having an equal amount of girls and boys, so it will attract both genders of the teenage age group.
This image represents the fear on the young girls face, bringing fear and tension to a young audience. The audience are left to discover what this girl is so terrified of.
This image was my favourite. I think it's scary and thrilling for the audience as they dont know what it is this girls being dragged by and why it's taking her.
This image just represents the teenagers camping. It brings fear to teens who think they've got nothing to worry about whilst out camping when you never really know what could happen...
This image is made to look scary and creepy. It represents the isolation of the group of teens and how they've got no where to run to.
During the process of the animatic I was responsible for putting ideas across for the original plot, taking pictures of the original setting to see if it would work, coming up with a new plot for the group, taking pictures of the main setting, attending all group meetings to take pictures with the group, putting the animatic together with the group.
When we move on to the actual moving image trailer, I will contribute to every aspect of making the trailer.
