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Multimedia Project Planning- Writing the Production Story/ Script

Animation Project Planning- Writing Story's/ Scripts

The writing process for everyone is different but isn't that what makes the ability to read a good book, watch a good cartoon, or listen to an awesome audio book fantastic. It is the creativity that the author of these scripts releases when he pens his or her literary magic.

Script Types:

There are many different kinds of scripts and all of their purposes are unique .

  • Single - Column Drama Scripts:
  • News Scripts
  • Animation Scripts:
    • Indicate which scene in the screenplay the script applies to
    • Indicates what actions are to occur
    • Includes the character dialogue
    • Indications what transitions are to occur in the animation scene
    • Indicate the verbal direction or action direction for the character who is speaking the part in the animation. (Parenthetical)
      • Example: Scripts without Parenthetical notation

FRANKIE (wryly) Good mornin', Bluebird. JULIE (sleepily) What? What time is it? FRANKIE (getting out of bed) After six. You're gonna be late again and I don't want to hear it.

      • Example: Script with Parentheticals that have continuing notation
  FRANKIE
                                (getting out of bed)
                        After six. You're gonna be late
                        again and I don't want to hear
                        it.

Frankie pulls all the covers off of Julie. She sits up in bed, pulls on a long
T-shirt, and shuffles to the bathroom.

                                        FRANKIE
                                (continuing)
                        You're welcome.

The script is an essential component to all the phases in the production process:

  • Preproduction Phase: Is the phase in prodution when all production details are planned.
  • Production: Is the phase in production when the actual activities occur to create the animation; drawing, recording, creating audio, etc
  • Post Production: Is the phase in production when the selection and the assembly of the animation clips, videos, or shots are placed in logical sequence.

In animation products the script writing process can take on just as much work as the actual production process. In the real world this is something that is generally given or prepared for the animator in the form of a story under the same story structure as all great literacy works are.

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Story Structure:

Image

All excellent stories include the four basic elements for a story:

      • Theme - What the story is about?

      • Plot - How the story develops and moves forward.

      • Characters - How one person differs from the others and how each reacts to the situation at hand in the story.

      • Environment - Where the action takes place?

Story Elements and Structure

  • Theme: The theme in a piece of fiction is its controlling idea or its central insight. It is the author's underlying meaning or main idea that he is trying to convey. The theme may be the author's thoughts about a topic or view of human nature. The title of the short story usually points to what the writer is saying and he may use various figures of speech to emphasize his theme, such as: symbol, allusion, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, or irony.

Some simple examples of common themes from literature, TV, and film are:

    • Things are not always as they appear to be
    • Love is blind
    • Believe in yourself
    • People are afraid of change
    • Don't judge a book by its cover

  • Plot: The plot is how the author arranges events to develop his basic idea; it is the sequence of events in a story or play. The plot is a planned, logical series of events having a beginning, middle, and end. The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.

Essential parts of a plot:

Image

There are five essential parts of plot:

      • Introduction

      • Rising action

      • Climax

      • Falling action
      • Resolution.

Beginning Elements:

  • Introduction - The beginning of the story where the characters and the setting is revealed.
  • Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts. The background of the setting characters, etc. May also be the first part of the plot.

  • Setting: The time and location in which a story takes place is called the setting. There are several aspects of a story's setting to consider when examining how setting contributes to a story (some, or all, may be present in a story):

    • place - geographical location. Where is the action of the story taking place?
    • time - When is the story taking place? (historical period, time of day, year, etc)
    • weather conditions - Is it rainy, sunny, stormy, etc?
    • social conditions - What is the daily life of the characters like? Does the story contain local color (writing that focuses on the speech, dress, mannerisms, customs, etc. of a particular place)?
    • mood or atmosphere - What feeling is created at the beginning of the story? Is it bright and cheerful or dark and frightening?

  • Character: There are two meanings for the word character:

    • The person in a work of fiction.

    • The characteristics of a person.

      • Persons in a work of fiction- Short stories use few characters. One character is clearly central to the story with all major events having some importance to this character.

      • The Characteristics of a Person - Characterization is the information the author gives the reader about the characters themselves. The author may reveal a character in several ways: a) his/her physical appearance b) what he/she says, thinks, feels and dreams c) what he/she does or does not do d) what others say about him/her and how others react to him/her

Middle Elements:

  • Rising Action - This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).

  • Conflict: Conflict is essential to plot. Without conflict there is no plot. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes the plot move. Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces the main character. Within a short story there may be only one central struggle, or there may be one dominant struggle with many minor ones.

There are two types of conflict:

    1. External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.

    2. Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.

  • Climax: This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next; will the conflict be resolved or not?

 

End Elements:

  • Falling action - The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement).
  • Resolution: This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story