26 Jan 2011

From Waking up to Going up

Here are the storyboards for Ivan the Bird. Hopefully there isn't a big need to write what is happening as storyboards speak clearly for themselves.

But just to keep it brief: In the opening scene we see a Model of a bird. Soon a little Match character jumps in and wakes him up. Still disy the bird is curious of the surrounding. Few seconds later he jumps out of the window as he's most attracted by the "other" environments out there. But there was something to even bigger surprise to Ivan: he discovers the magical Island and attempts by any means to reach it: he attempts to float. To his biggest disappointment instead of swimming he sinks :/

Crushed , he goes back to the shore when.. Match! Is struck by an idea. or rather he remembers what he could do for Ivan. Match jumps on his chest, opens birds belly and strikes fire inside him as Ivan is a lantern. Moments later Ivan lifts in the air and to both biggest joy reaches the Island

The style of storyboards varie as it indicates the change of worlds and feelings of environment.
I'm glad to finaly have the story drawn out as it was playing in my head almost every day  till now  :D
Hope anyone who takes a moment to analysi it leaves some feedback, as I hope to make the story clear for the audience as well .
But at the moment its time to travel a bit :D





9 comments:

  1. what is the design significance of the match character? His symbolic value?

    Just interested.

    Your work reminds me of that stop-motion animation I showed you last year 'The Mascot'.

    And yes - I can follow it - and I love the golden quality of light in your paintings; I want to see lots of R&D in which you find the best way to keep your mark-making and translucency in your cg work. I look forward to seeing all your drawings put to the music.

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  2. Hey,

    When I was playing the story out there were questions: how would the bird light himself up? Yes he coul discover himself as a lantern, but how the light is struck?
    SO the match here stands for what goes in parallel with one who goes for his dreams - that is help from the outer world.. Also that one is not alone.

    Or would you think it's best to keep the concentration on the Bird solely?

    The Mascot was one of my year's favorite films we watched :D I'll make sure to get back to it as I need some reference..

    Hope to stick to the original concepts in maya too.

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  3. I'd suggest your story makes more immediate sense without the supporting the character; take him out, and it still plays fine. A magical bird wakes up, sees the world, tries to fly, can't, tries again, does...

    So you have a plot - but what's your emotional story? What does Ivan want? And thematically, what is the 'point' of your story? Is it about hope, is it about the (human) spirit of curiosity? Just as your trailer was a story about responsibility and father/son dynamics, what is Ivan actually 'about'? I think it's really important that you know, because it will help you edit, economise and cut to the chase...

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  4. And at last - the mystery solved;

    your music is composed by Stanley Myers; it's an excerpt from his Saxophone Concerto, with the Sax played by John Harle. The excerpt is from the first movement.

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  5. Ok, I'll take the second character out, thanks for clearing the doubts out . I'll get to storybords again when I'm back

    The story is about first of all trusting your intuition (hart) to lead you to true rewards and treasures.

    Then also about never giving up, trying hard and overcomming all obsticles , essentially, about reaching for your dreams.

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  6. Exactly - so you need to focus, focus, focus on your story. Taking out the second character is sensible; this is Ivan's show. There are parallels to with the story of the ugly duckling (transformation) - I'm right in thinking that, at the end of the piece, Ivan becomes a wish-lantern? He becomes a source of light - a beacon. I don't think you need worry about 'explaining' how he becomes a lantern or who lights him - it's a metaphorical lantern, after all!

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  7. Oh, ok, things are getting lot clearer then :D
    I'll be quite happy to actually get back to the initial story idea then. :)
    Thanks a lot!

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  8. Wow Jolanta, these look lovely. Very rich in colour and tone :)

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  9. Thanks Jordan ((:] Guessing yours won't disappoint either :)

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