6th March 2015

Today I started refining my storyboard. I have all the rough compositions done, but I still need to fill in the detail. Here's a couple of examples of frames I'm happy with.

The colour scheme represents the mood I want to show the audience. 

Later in the day I got some advice from Frans. He advised me on how to push my cow design further. I am working on a design where the head is more cow-esque, and seeing ways I can push style on it further, without ruining the anatomy. It's quite a new experience, as my human anatomy knowledge allows me to push designs quite far, but cow anatomy is a whole different thing. I'm very close to being happy with designs for them. 

This is an example of the kind of design I'm working on:

I also had Zack voice act for me today. He's the voice for my character in my second assignment: Performance Study. 

Here's the script I'll be following, which includes the line he recorded for me.

“Performance Study” By Jaron Wintour

Level 10, 385 Queen St Auckland City, 1010 020 407 27694 jaronw@orcon.net.nz

FADE IN:

Int. Room

Farm boy is sitting at a table. On that table there is a coaster, with a cup of milk on it.

Farm boy taps fingers on the cup frustratedly, before picking it up and tipping it back. He then slams the cup on the table. He mutters:

Farm Boy

“Stupid cow... Could have had cereal..”

Fade Out:

The End

It's very simple as it only has to be 5-7 seconds long. I have about 40 different recordings to work with, some of which are very close to what I need. I'll be reviewing these during the weekend.

5th March 2015

Today I worked more on my storyboard which is now almost complete. It should be ready for posting online tomorrow.

I also voice acted for Kirsty Li, doing a mario-esque voice. My character design is near finalized now.

Tomorrow I'm going to look at finishing my storyboard and maybe getting Cade to voice act for me for my second assignment.

I had life drawing in the afternoon. I did two expressional drawings, and two line drawings. I was surprised at the quality I managed to achieve after such a long break. I'm very happy with my progress.

4th March 2015

I'm currently working on my storyboard panels. I'm experimenting using the colour that best represents the mood and emotion of the scene.

I created a shot script this morning as well which I'm referencing. It is as follows:

Key:

FB = Farm Boy

AB = Angry Bull

Scene_01 – Establishing shot

Scene_02_Shot_01 – FB is at kitchen bench pouring cereal. Goes to fridge. Starts to open it.

Scene_02_Shot_02 – Reverse shot. FB opens fridge, No milk in the door. Closes fridge door.

Scene_02_Shot_03 – Reaches down and grabs bucket, then turns and leaves scene towards the door.

Scene_03_Shot_01 – Reverse shot. FB comes out onto the porch and squints from the sun.

Scene_03_Shot_02 – POV shot. Looks around the paddocks. Sees cow and stile.

Scene_03_Shot_03 – FB walks down stairs and over toward the stile. He hops up onto it.

Scene_03_Shot_04 – FB hops down off the stile. Walks over to the cow.

Scene_03_Shot_05 – Reverse shot under cow. FB kneels and grabs udder.

Scene_03_Shot_06 – Cow gets skittish and runs from FB. Runs off screen.

Scene_04_Shot_01 – Cow runs around trees with FB behind it.

Scene_05_Shot_02 – Cow runs into holding pens. Scooby doo hallway chase.

Scene_05_Shot_03 – Looking down over FB's shoulder. FB backs cow into corner of one of the holding pen.

Scene_06_Shot_01 – AB sleeping. Hears commotion and wakes up. Stands up and blinks hard.

Scene_06_Shot_02 – POV shot. Holding pens in the distance, with cow cornered.

Scene_06_Shot_03 – AB stamps foot and charges towards pens.

Scene_06_Shot_04 – FB milking cow. Does double take behind him. Gets up and leaps out of way.

AB overshoots.

Scene_06_Shot_05 – FB getting up off the ground and starts walking away.

Scene_06_Shot_06 – Reverse over shoulder. FB gets up, then focus switches to AB behind him.

AB breaks fence pulling his head out. Turns his head and looks back.

Scene_06_Shot_07 – FB makes a run for it cradling milk.

Scene_06_Shot_08 – FB runs around trees in an 8 with AB chasing behind.

Scene_06_Shot_09 – FB running towards stile, with bull behind him.

Scene_06_Shot_10 – Close up of FB's foot hitting a rock

Scene_06_Shot_11 – Slow motion of bucket flying out of FB's hands.

Scene_06_Shot_12 – Slow motion close up of FB's face.

Scene_06_Shot_13 – Slow motion run and jump toward stile with bucket in the air.

Scene_06_Shot_14 – Slow motion jump over the fence from the style towards the bucket.

Scene_06_Shot_15 – Slow motion looking straight up at FB leaping.

Scene_06_Shot_16 – FB lands flat on the ground having just caught the bucket. AB hits pole in BG.

Scene_06_Shot_17 – FB stands up and turns around.

Scene_06_Shot_18 – Bull wobbling around dazed.

Scene_06_Shot_19 – Boy walks excitedly up to the porch, and walks up the steps.

Scene_07_Shot_01 – Reverse shot. Door opens and boy's face gleaming.

Scene_07_Shot_02 – Close up of boy's face. Suddenly shocked face.

Scene_07_Shot_03 – Cow eating crumbs from empty bowl and box on the floor. 

3rd March 2015

This morning I finalised my script.

I looked at my notes from yesterday and fixed up the mid of the script. This is what I have now.

“MILK CRISIS”


By
Jaron Wintour
Level 10, 385 Queen St
Auckland city, 1010
020 407 27694
jaronw@orcon.net.nz


FADE IN:

INT. KITCHEN – MIDDAY – CLOSED CURTAINS. DIMLY LIT

A farmboy aged late teens is standing at the bench in a
dimly lit kitchen. There is a fridge to his right at the
end of the bench. He has a bowl in front of him into which
he's pouring cereal from a box.

The flow of cereal stops and the farmboy puts the empty box
to the side of the bench. He walks over to the fridge and
opens it. After looking into the door of the kitchen he
notices that there's no milk, and he lets out a sigh and
mutters to himself.

FARM BOY:
“Ugh... Real..?”

Farm boy closes the door to the fridge and leans
over to the right to pick up a bucket by the handle.

He grabs it and turns to walk away in a swift
movement, over towards the front door.

EXT. PORCH – MIDDAY. SUNNY WITH A FEW CLOUDS

Farm boy looks out from the porch and sees his cow in the
paddock. He walks down the steps and over to the stile on
the fence. He hops over the stile and down onto the other
side.

EXT. PADDOCK - MIDDAY. SUNNY WITH A FEW CLOUDS

He walks over to his cow, kneels down, and begins to milk
it into the bucket. The cow gets skittish and starts to run
away. The farm boy gets up and makes a desperate chase
after the cow.

The cow runs over to two trees with the farm boy chasing
behind it. They run circles around the trees, neither of
them gaining any ground. After a few circles around each
tree the cow runs off again off screen.

EXT. HOLDING PENS - MIDDAY. SUNNY WITH A FEW CLOUDS

A small area leading straight forward with 3 gates on the
left, and 3 gates on the right, each leading into a holding
pen. The end of this area is fenced.

The cow runs into the holding pen area and enters on of the
gates and goes off screen. The farm boy follows a moment
later. The cow comes out of a different gate, runs across
the grass, and enters another gate. The farm boy comes out
and looks around before going into a different one again.

This time the farm boy comes out of a new gate, then the
cow comes out behind him. He stops for a second before
realizing he's now being chased and turns around to chase
the cow again. The cow turns around and enters the pen
again.

After a short while he finally manages to herd the cow into
the corner, nowhere for it to go.

EXT. PADDOCK - MIDDAY. SUNNY WITH A FEW CLOUDS

Across the paddock a large bull is awoken by all the
racket. He stands up and blinks hard to wake himself up. He
then looks across to the other side of the paddock,at the
holding pens, where he sees the farm boy edging towards a
cow that has been cornered.

In a rage he stamps his foot and blows outward. He lowers
his head and enters a charge towards him.

The Farm boy hears some commotion coming towards him and
performs a double take in the bull's direction. Farm boy
leaps out of the way last second and lands flat on the
ground. A bunch of milk splashes out of the bucket, so he's
only left with a small amount at the bottom of it.

Farm boy stands quickly, and sees the bull with its head
stuck in the fence. He turns and starts to walk away when
he hears the sound of wood smashing behind him. He looks
back over his shoulder.

The bull has pulled its head out of the fence and shakes
the wood chips off his head. He then turns towards the farm
boy and lowers his head again.

Farm boy sees this and makes a run for it, cradling the
bucket so as to not lose any more milk. The bull charges at
him again.

The boy gets to the trees and runs an 8 around them, before
heading off again toward the stile in the distance. The
bull follows him around the trees, gaining very little
distance towards him.

As he gets near the stile he stumbles for a second and the
bucket flies out of his hands. In a moment of adrenaline he
leaps onto the stile and then over the fence, catching the
bucket just before it lands on the ground. The bull crashes
into the pole next to the stile and is dazed.

EXT. PORCH - MIDDAY. SUNNY WITH A FEW CLOUDS

Farm boy hops up the steps to his porch excitedly. He
approaches the door and opens it.

INT. LIVING ROOM – MIDDAY. CLOSED CURTAINS. DIMLY LIT

Farm boy enters the room and looks through the kitchen
door. He sees the cereal box and bowl laying on the ground,
and his cow eating up the last of the crumbs.

Fade Out:

THE END.


I also worked on some concepts and draft turnarounds. They will be my guides for when I get my tablet back.

2nd March 2015

This morning we had masterclasses about composition and storyboarding.

Other than that I have been working on my scripts, and nailing out the final story. I got critiques about my first draft for my script and switched the order of the story. At first the bull attacked him before he even got to get any milk. I was told that it didn't feel like enough was going on, and that it might be better that the bull charges after he's started milking the cow.

I completed a second draft of the script and received another critique. I was told that it was much better but there still wasn't enough. The end of it was very detailed, but the middle was still lacking. I was reminded about 3 part act storytelling. The beginning and end were important, but it was the middle that really needed to stand out, and my story just wasn't doing that. I am now in the process of adding new events to my script.

I have used Benny Hill chases as reference. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9I4nZx8UCs)

My ideas for 3 possible parts are:

-Cow runs away knocking over the bucket of milk
-The boy chases the cow around a tree, neither of them gaining any ground
-In a moment of confusing the cow starts chasing the man
-Scooby doo style running between doors (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzHrWQgr2PE 0:26)

Script Second Draft

"Milk CRISIS" By Jaron Wintour

Level 10, 385 Queen St Auckland city, 1010 0800 226462 info@animationcollege.co.nz

Fade In:

INT. Kitchen

A farmboy aged late teens is standing at the bench in a dimly lit kitchen. There is a fridge to his right at the end of the bench. He has a bowl in front of him into which he's pouring cereal from a box.

The flow of cereal stops and the farmboy puts the empty box to the side of the bench. He walks over to the fridge and opens it. After looking into the door of the kitchen he notices that there's no milk, and he lets out a sigh and mutters to himself.

Farm Boy:

              “Ugh... Real..?”

Farm boy closes the door to the fridge and leans over to the right to pick up a bucket by the handle. He grabs it and turns to walk away in a swift movement, over towards the front door.

EXT. porch and paddocks

Farm boy looks out from the porch and sees his cow in the paddock. He walks down the steps and over to the stile on the fence. He hops over the stile and down onto the other side.

From across the other side of the paddock a bull is watching, and is angered by the farm boy entering his paddock. His breathing deepens and he lowers his head, and begins to charge at the farm boy.

The Farm boy hears some commotion coming towards him and performs a double take in the bull's direction. Farm boy leaps out of the way last second and lands flat on the ground.

Farm boy quickly gets up and turns around, only to see the bull's head is stuck in the fence. He pats the dust off his body, then takes a step back and looks around the paddocks, but sees no sign of his cow. He lets out a sigh and climbs back over to the stile back towards the house. Bull can be seen freeing its head and walking away in the background.

Ext. Porch

Farm boy walks up the steps to his porch and tosses his bucket to the side frustratedly. He approaches the door and opens it.

INT. Living room

Farm boy enters the room and looks through the kitchen door. He sees the cereal box and bowl laying on the ground, and his cow eating up the last of the crumbs.

Fade Out:

The End

First draft for Milk Crisis script

Script

Farmboy stands at the bench and pours the last of his cereal from the box into his bowl. He then opens the fridge, but notices that he has no milk left.

Farmboy: "Ugh.. Real..?"

Farmboy closes fridge door, then leans down to grab the bucket from the floor to the right of the fridge. He starts walking towards the door leading outside.

Farmboy is walking towards the paddock when he looks out and sees his cow. He crosses the stile in the fence.

Angry Bull sees farmboy entering his paddock and charges towards him.

Farmboy hears the commotion and looks to his right, just in time. A panicked look appears on his face and he jumps out of the way.

Moments pass and Farmboy stands up, and brushes himself off. He turns around and sees the bull has its head stuck in the fence.

Farmboy looks over towards where the cow was when he saw it earlier, but this time the cow is gone. He looks around all the paddocks but he can't see it anywhere. Farmboy lets out a sigh, and turns around to head home. He throws the bucket carelessly on the porch and opens the door.

Farm boy walks in and sees his cow has eaten the last of his cereal.