PAPER & SHADOWS: Preproduction Seminar

Preproduction for Live Action Puppetfilms
Monday October 17, 2011, 6:50 - 10:00 p.m.


Over the next two weeks the focus will be on PREPRODUCTION!!!

1. STORY AND VISUAL CONCEPTS

Story
- pick a simple, visual story that would be difficult to execute otherwise
- three minutes or less is plenty long enough
Images
- style, palette, feeling, shadows, etc.
- identify the mood and feeling that best serves the story
Character and set design
- be inventive and take some risks!
- utilize the medium!
- why puppets, why not actors? you have control over the look of everything!  


2. INSPIRATION

Inspiration Collection: throughout your process, it is extremely helpful to collect images, ideas, colours, patterns, and any other elements that give you the feeling you are looking for with your project. It will help immensely. You should immediately start compiling at least one of the following, if not all three:

- production journal: a physical scrapbook/notebook

- dream box: a container to hold images and items for inspiration or fabrication

- concept blog: a digital scrapbook for links and uploading digital media  


3. SHOT PLANNING

Visual Storytelling
- consider line, tone, shape, color, camera, etc.
Storyboards: much more important in puppetfilms than regular filmmaking
- they dictate HOW you build your sets, puppets, etc.
- they dictate scale and functionality, character and set gimmicks, etc
- they dictate what kinds of camera tricks, tracks, cranes, etc. you’ll need
** storyboards are essential!!! before you build your puppets/sets, you MUST have your shots figured out. Otherwise you will either waste a lot of fabrication time and build things multiple times, and/or have a frustrating time shooting **

YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT: 
Build A Preproduction Package (oct 17~31)

At the very least, this should include:
- script: a very short script - it can be a silent film, remember - keep it under 3 minutes!

- style: what is the LOOK and FEEL of your project? explore/identify
- palette: a nice limited palette -- not too many colours, and all chosen for a reason
- set design: as many designs as you can collect so that building goes smoothly
- character/puppet design: any hits you might have on how to put your puppets together

- storyboards: storyboards are essential!!!
- inspiration collection(s): the more of this stuff you have, the richer your film will be
- anything else: any other visual concepts: mechanics, tests, etc.

puppetz rule!