Just a thought..

You could visit a site like http://www.conceptart.org, http://www.cgtalk.org, or something of that nature and put an ad up for an artist with mad skills to storyboard your script. I have no idea what concept artists charge these days, but it could be very helpful. Many of the people there are animators and have a pretty solid grasp of filmmaking.

It's a great tool for blocking your scenes and you can see the story play out visually and assess technical difficulties before you set up your cameras and lights.

Gabe,

yes, I remember. Thanks for that. I might have done it that way if this was a short, but for a feature, I feel we need a little more "visuals" before they end up in the store.

PS. Don't forget to send me The Obscure!  

Jonathan,

great suggestion. We're doing them ourselves though. Most likely not me unless they are satisfied with stick figures.  

Yeah, I agree with Jonathan...you must storyboard the script, and I doubt stick figures will do the trick.

Without a storyboard, you'll be completely winging it.

Good luck!

Of course we're storyboarding. I just said it won't be me doing it since stick figures is about as artistic as I get.

Still working on it. Hope everything turns out well. Keep us posted on development.

Pia, check out ToonBoom Storyboard pro.  It's very sharp and user friendly... you can animate a panel in no time with it and most of the key ins are drag and drop templates.

I've used it many times over the years.  While it's not ToonBoom Studio Pro deep, it serves its purpose effectively.  You can also drag and drop place holder characters inside the panels too (in case you can't draw very well).  You can even vector pictures using it... Like, say, you got a picture off the net and wanted to use it inside your panel -- Simply save it to your desktop, import it into Toonboom Storyboard pro and it can vector it down to the most basic shapes and lines.

Very powerful stuff really.

I drew my own storyboards. It was more than stick figures but stick figures will work. Storyboards are most handy when you’re trying to get your vision across to cast and crew.

I also made a quick reference shot list in the order I needed the shots. I kept my shot list on my shooting schedule where I could cross reference it with my equipment list. This helped make sure I didn’t miss any shots.

But, no, storyboards don’t have to be anything special. I can send you the ones I used in pm if you’d like.


Breanne

While reading through this particular message board, started because of Pia's Script question "Writing visually" I went through everybody's suggestions and really have learned a lot myself, in doing that. However, as every aspirant Screenwriter might want, I would like to contribute here -- from whatever little I know about "Screenwriting" and Story-telling.

As far as Storytelling is concerned, each individual has his/her own style. As far Screenwriting is concerned there definitely are plenty of rules if one understands "Why these rules really are there, for a Film script, that every Director would want to make into a Feature length film"

Sandra's points are very good too. But, I would like to add further that, "While writing a Screenplay, one has to bear in mind several key elements, apart from the Format alignment issues"

Those elements are around 22 generally speaking:
A) Is your Script closely familiar with an already produced concept, idea or a movie? This should always be the first question. If the answer is YES, change it immediately without any further waste of time, energy and paper.
B) Whatever cannot be shown "Visually on the screen" shouldn't be on the SCRIPT (Specially Spec Script, because by the time, the script is close to becoming a Shooting script, it has already moved through several stages of the creative process and experts have already seen it. So, we need not worry about Art direction and Studio sets, background score etc.
C) "Whatever is NOT going to drive the PLOT forward, should be removed from the Screenplay --- it can remain in the back story or footnotes which only the Writer, Co-writers and Editors might understand all through the process.

Example:
A huge Meteor/Asteroid hits earth and "Splits it into two pieces" We see "Earth A and Earth B" hanging in thin air, on Screen. It can't be shown, easily. So, such stuff shouldn't be in a Screenplay. (It is for the Director to decide how to SHOW it)

D) Coincidences -- Avoid any coincidences with already produced Movies/Screenplays.
E) Flashbacks -- having any or too many Flashback scenes is a drawback in writing the Spec Script.
F) Avoid colorful language, colorful writing patterns, because in all probabilities if and when your Script is going to be read by an Exec or his assistant they are going to throw many worthy Scripts into the bin, without even reading more than ten pages. Flowery, colorful language is not needed, it is better for writing a Book or a Novel.
G) The best example to tell the story is, 'Find that 30 Seconds window to ZAP a kid, who is about to fall asleep and you have to catch them in that small attention span with your key plot and three act story"
H) Writing Visually means, one need to "SEE the images in their head as it plays in front of them on Screen while writing the Film story"
I) One very key element for a Good script is -- ENTER each scene late and leave quickly. No need to describe the "Goodbyes" -- same way, NO NEED to place descriptions of "How each actor is seen by us, while they act and choose to use mannerisms, choice of words, phrases, styles and of course attire"
Let the ACTORS do a little work, with their own intelligence too. Aren't they supposed to be our PILOTS? They drive the Film home.

More to share later. By the way, I am posting my short synopsis of a new Horror Script that I have finished about a week ago.


Tulsa -- fighting the possession. -- Is a horror-thriller set in the 1970's in a small town of India. A daring cop investigates a murder case near a Catholic school. He meets with a young woman at a hospital, who is possessed by a nasty Tulsa spirit, that has the ability to spread very quickly in the city. He tries to help her out of the possession, only allowing the Tulsa to latch on to himself and he falls in love with the young woman, while she gets pregnant. When the entire town is threatened with such a possession, he finds a clue about conquering the menace inside his unborn child. Would he allow for the child to be born or not?

Currently, I am also working on another story about the "UFOs are real vs NOT real" paradigm.

Best Wishes.
Jagan Ramamoorthy

Quoted from jagan@spundana.org While reading through this particular message board, started because of Pia's Script question "Writing visually" I went through everybody's suggestions and really have learned a lot myself, in doing that. However, as every aspirant Screenwriter might want, I would like to contribute here -- from whatever little I know about "Screenwriting" and Story-telling. As far as Storytelling is concerned, each individual has his/her own style. As far Screenwriting is concerned there definitely are plenty of rules if one understands "Why these rules really are there, for a Film script, that every Director would want to make into a Feature length film" Sandra's points are very good too. But, I would like to add further that, "While writing a Screenplay, one has to bear in mind several key elements, apart from the Format alignment issues" Those elements are around 22 generally speaking: A) Is your Script closely familiar with an already produced concept, idea or a movie? This should always be the first question. If the answer is YES, change it immediately without any further waste of time, energy and paper. B) Whatever cannot be shown "Visually on the screen" shouldn't be on the SCRIPT (Specially Spec Script, because by the time, the script is close to becoming a Shooting script, it has already moved through several stages of the creative process and experts have already seen it. So, we need not worry about Art direction and Studio sets, background score etc. C) "Whatever is NOT going to drive the PLOT forward, should be removed from the Screenplay --- it can remain in the back story or footnotes which only the Writer, Co-writers and Editors might understand all through the process. Example: A huge Meteor/Asteroid hits earth and "Splits it into two pieces" We see "Earth A and Earth B" hanging in thin air, on Screen. It can't be shown, easily. So, such stuff shouldn't be in a Screenplay. (It is for the Director to decide how to SHOW it) D) Coincidences -- Avoid any coincidences with already produced Movies/Screenplays. E) Flashbacks -- having any or too many Flashback scenes is a drawback in writing the Spec Script. F) Avoid colorful language, colorful writing patterns, because in all probabilities if and when your Script is going to be read by an Exec or his assistant they are going to throw many worthy Scripts into the bin, without even reading more than ten pages. Flowery, colorful language is not needed, it is better for writing a Book or a Novel. G) The best example to tell the story is, 'Find that 30 Seconds window to ZAP a kid, who is about to fall asleep and you have to catch them in that small attention span with your key plot and three act story" H) Writing Visually means, one need to "SEE the images in their head as it plays in front of them on Screen while writing the Film story" I) One very key element for a Good script is -- ENTER each scene late and leave quickly. No need to describe the "Goodbyes" -- same way, NO NEED to place descriptions of "How each actor is seen by us, while they act and choose to use mannerisms, choice of words, phrases, styles and of course attire" Let the ACTORS do a little work, with their own intelligence too. Aren't they supposed to be our PILOTS? They drive the Film home. More to share later. By the way, I am posting my short synopsis of a new Horror Script that I have finished about a week ago. Tulsa -- fighting the possession. -- Is a horror-thriller set in the 1970's in a small town of India. A daring cop investigates a murder case near a Catholic school. He meets with a young woman at a hospital, who is possessed by a nasty Tulsa spirit, that has the ability to spread very quickly in the city. He tries to help her out of the possession, only allowing the Tulsa to latch on to himself and he falls in love with the young woman, while she gets pregnant. When the entire town is threatened with such a possession, he finds a clue about conquering the menace inside his unborn child. Would he allow for the child to be born or not? Currently, I am also working on another story about the "UFOs are real vs NOT real" paradigm. Best Wishes. Jagan Ramamoorthy

My god, it's almost as if Ray got bored and had so much time on his hands that he created another account to radiate an influx of information overload.

Ray, I'm kidding by the way.

HEY, NOW!
I've never been bored in my life!
Get your speculations right, buster!



So am I, BTW.
No... wait.
Actually, I never have been bored.
Ever.

---

Howdy, Jagan

It likely will.
DO IT!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH!!

Ray, you are tempting me to change my name to "Ray"-mamoorthy" lol. That will confuse our friend even more, I bet!

Quoted from RayW HEY, NOW! I've never been bored in my life! Get your speculations right, buster! So am I, BTW. No... wait. Actually, I never have been bored. Ever.

Too much tongue going on in this thread...