For my first step into production, I had my brother draw the final image for Psycho. Drawing on the iPad made the final copy look professional and it gave the image more texture.
This post has my finished storyboard. I made some changes just to make the video a bit funnier and move more smoothly. I'm sure there will be more changes when it comes to filming, but for now, I'm happy with what I have.
Old Storyboard
This post will be the first part of my final storyboard. I drew my final drawing of Psycho and tomorrow I will upload my brother's first digital render of the character along with the rest of the final storyboard. The storyboard also includes the entire final script. Post #12 and #13 should be my last pre-production posts for the project and I will be moving on to the production stage shortly.
Psycho Drawing
I fixed up my concept drawing of Psycho by using the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland as a reference. I improved some details by overlapping lines and coloring the character.
This post will be used to go over any other important factors of the video that I haven't yet gone over. This includes color schemes, costuming, and casting.
Color Schemes
As I've mentioned before there will be scenes with three different types of lighting and color. The scenes with Will alone have dim lighting with dark colors including grey, navy blue, and black. These colors will be used to highlight Will's depression and pessimism. Grey is being used with furniture, black with Will's wardrobe, and blue for props. Scenes, where Psycho's character is hinted at, will have normal lighting and color with background props/ set design that has dramatic and heavy colors like deep purple, bright red, and lime green. The scene at the end with Psycho will have colored lighting and the same dramatic purple, red, and green. The clashing colors are used because I don't want Psycho to necessarily have one core tone. I want him to feel random and like his nature opposes itself because he doesn't have a simple personality. His thoughts are supposed to be so ridiculous and incomprehensible that he doesn't have one personality. In other words, he practically suffers from a split personality disorder which makes him and his life so uncontrollable with powers that can affect the whole universe immeasurably.
Costuming
There will only be three characters in the opening. Swiggy the cat will not have any costume designs because that seems like a lot of extra unnecessary work. Psycho won't have any real clothes, but he will be drawn with clothes. His design is simple whereas his fur and wings will be white and the swirls on his body and in his eyes will use the purple, red, and green color scheme. The white fur and Will's black outfit will be used as a contrast so the screen isn't too blown up by the clashing color scheme. Lastly is Will's black outfit. He'll just be wearing a black hoodie with black sweatpants.
This post is all about equipment and props. I want to make sure I have a solid list of all the things I need to successfully film my video.
First of all, I'll need my camera and other parts to go with it. I have a backpack full of all my camera equipment including lenses that I can switch out along with my SD card. As for components like dolly, stage lights, microphones, and tripods, I will be borrowing all of that from a friend who will be helping me to make sure I get the best shots possible since he is very experienced in video making. For color, he also has some LED's and I might buy colored plastic to cover the stage lights.
Next on my list is props. The first scene to include a prop is in the hallway. I need to buy a clock to put on the wall. I'm going to need multiple shirts and mugs for the continuity errors as well. Speaking of shirts, another component of filming is the wardrobe. I'm gonna keep it simple and have Will in mainly black and white clothes because I think it fits his personality best and it won't complicate coloring. Another important prop is my cat. He's never too busy with work so hopefully, our schedules align. Furniture like my bed and chair are also important, but they stay in the same place so no worries about that. Finally, I'd like to add some background props like comics, pencils, and other things to show off Will's personality and hobbies.
Lastly, for post-production I'm going to need to wipe my new computer I got of all its previous data. This way I'll be able to set it up to my liking and when it comes time for editing it will be smooth sailing. I'll also need the finished animation that I'll use my brother's IPad to create. Other than that I'll just need the music, footage, and graphics to put the opening together.
For this post, I want to focus on what techniques I'm using and how I will use them. Important factors of the opening include music, color, lighting, animation. I want to find music that fits well with my idea so I'll search through a couple options and try to make a decision. I will also be constantly changing colors and lighting throughout each scene, so I need to look for a way to do that. As for animation, I want to animate Psycho as well as the words I use for onomatopoeia.
Music
There are many different moods showcased throughout the opening, so I have to be creative with the sounds. The feeling I want the music to radiate is a weird, suspicious, and slightly thriller tone. Although Will is in a depressed state, I don't want the audience to feel too much of that heavy-weight emotion while watching. That's why I decided that the colors and dialogue can be a tad darker while the music stays light and helps guide the comedic tone. Here are two free sounds I found that fit this description. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqk6fqAkGA & https://www.youtube.com/watchv=oGv9HD_k6b4) As for the thriller sound, I was thinking of just adding a few horror sound effects in the song when Psycho is around. (https://www.youtube.com/watchv=L_bjXnWMgiY&list=PL634EA6C2844 05875&index=8 & https://www.youtube.com/watchv=7D2zNvRBfaU&list=PL634EA6C284405875&index=16) I'll keep searching after I film to make sure I get the best fit for my opening.
Color/Lighting
Color and lighting are easy for me since I've been taking a television class for three years, I can use adobe premiere pro to fix up any visuals I don't like. I have plenty of other options to make the video look even better. I can use colored paper or plastic to change light colors. I can also borrow studio lights from a reliable friend to get the best lighting. Other than that I could also use specific objects with colors that fit the scene best.
Animation
This is the hardest part of the project for me. I would like to animate Psycho into the video, but I have zero experience animating. I'll be researching many videos and keeping them for upcoming posts to review my progress. My brother has a great IPad that he uses for drawing, so I will likely use that to draw and animate Psycho. If not I'll just have to change up the character's physical appearance a bit and have a friend play him for me. Other than that I need to animate onomatopoeia into the opening the way Scott Pilgrim does. I can easily do this on premiere since I've done it before in previous videos I've made. The only thing I need to do is choose how I want to style it, but that decision is best to be decided while I'm editing since I'll have the options right in front of me and I'll have a better understanding of the tone.
