THE OPENING SHOT ANIMATIC

(Requires Quicktime)

Click the moon to see the ANIMATION

Slow Internet connections can still see STORYBOARDS

Here's where it all comes together, The Bodice Ripper's minute long opening shot, complete with orchestral score, sound FX and 600 frames of animation. This work is not as slick as my finished feature animation because this is just a rough form called an animatic. Nevertheless 90% of the shot's "feel" is there and most people mistake it for actual video. Once you've seen this shot you know exactly what the finished film's visual and auditory style will be.

The animation is dark and spooky. You may want to turn up your brightness if you can't see much detail.
 

THE OPENING SHOT'S SCRIPT FUNCTION

The Bodice Ripper is live action but some shots like this opening are digitally animated. The opening’s script function is to dazzle the audience into believing, set the scene of a polluted slum and transition to the gag appearance of major character Mona Lott, a mega-breasted hooker. By using a lot of special FX first I can get to the comedic character level immediately and avoid more budget busting shots like this for the rest of the scene. After that it's just two people talking in front of bluescreens. One long shot is also a bit cheaper than four very different shorter shots with the same total frame count.

A good opening shot is Act 1 of David Siegel's 9 Act Story Structure.

TRIVIA

Q:  What are you going to do about the clipart hooker?

A: The next version (3.0) of this shot will replace her with an actress in costume. The actress will be shot up close from the front, then her image will be mapped onto a flat card, or sprite, much as the flat cutout hooker is now. Except then she will be truly dimensional, lighted correctly and moving. As long as the flat card faces the camera at all times most things will look correct.

Q:  How long did it take to make the animation?

A: About 1.5 years. I did it in my free time.

Q:  How long did it take you to write the script?

A: Two years.

Q:  Where did you learn to do all this?

A:  On my own just doing it. There's no professor to help on the cutting edge. Most people who are good with computers just "do it." Thinking you can learn this in school is too "top down" an idea. Very few computer terms have Latin roots.  You have to go at computers "bottom up," just use them and find out about them and eventually you'll know what you need to know mostly by teaching yourself.

Q: What Windows programs did you use?

A:  Lightwave 3D for animation, Photoshop for image editing and Chalice for compositing.  The script was written with Movie Magic Screenwriter and researched using Microsoft Encarta and the web.

Q:  The music is beautiful. Did you write it yourself?

A: Oh no. That's a 50 second clip of John Williams moody score I stole from the film Seven Years in Tibet. A friend of mine is a world famous cellist who plays on all the big Hollywood soundtracks. I showed him the animation and he said "Wait, I know that music! I played on that. Hey you owe me!"  Uh, be that as it may if you'd like to hear the entire score yourself buy it now at Amazon.Com.