Communications
First, write a very simple, seven-sentence story on any topic or subject using the following format. Note, this is not a fairy tale that you’re writing, but rather the universal story structure for all stories.
1. Once up on a time…
2. And everyday…
3. But one day…
4. Because of that….
5. However…
6. Until finally…
7. And ever since then…
Again, I don’t want you write a seven-sentence fairy tale– unless you love that genre and really want to write one! Your story can be about anything and any characters that interest you.
You’re the director. You will create a storyboard for this simple story that’s at least 14 frames in length. A storyboard is a VERY simple set of drawings that lays out what the frames of your film will look like. A full, proper, feature length movie storyboard might be thousands of drawings long.
There are many different styles of storyboard– here’s one: http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource/graphics/stickfigures.jpg
For this assignment you will create a very abbreviated storyboard for your whole story brought to film. Instead of making perhaps 100 drawings for a key scene, your assignment is simple to create 7 pairs of frames, one for each part of the story as you wrote it (so one for “once upon a time,” one for “and every day,” and so on). Your job is to illustrate the moment when you would use 7 different film transitions. The purpose is to explore how inter-connected stories and editing transitions are. Where might you use a fade out? Where might you use a jump cut? Why?
For example, perhaps in part 7 of your story, you have a special ring that the main character sees on the ground. You would draw a wide shot of the ring on the ground in square 7A and then a close up of that same ring in drawing 7B– that’s an example of an inset editing transition– from 7A to 7B. A second example might be when one of your characters says, in drawing 3A, “What’s that?!” while pointing to the sky. In drawing 3B we see a meteor coming toward the city. That’s an example of a motivated cut, or a cutaway.
Draw each pair and label which editing transition is taking place as A moves to B.
So write your story first. Imagine what kind of scene might go somewhere in each of the seven parts. Draw 7 pairs of frames– 14 drawings in total. Your drawings should be 1.5 inches x 1.5 inches and all 14 drawings should fit on one page, which you will scan in and submit. Submit your story and your drawings with editing transition labels under them. Add any extra details that you feel are essential. I should be able to see your drawings and their labels clearly.
Specific Types of Cuts for editing transition
Jump cut – Abrupt switch from one scene to another which may be used deliberately to make a dramatic point. Sometimes boldly used to begin or end action. Alternatively, it may be the result of poor pictorial continuity, a mistake, or perhaps from deleting a section.
Motivated cut – Cut made just at the point where what has occurred makes the viewer immediately want to see something which is not currently visible. A typical feature is the shot/reverse shot technique (cuts coinciding with changes of speaker). Editing and camera work appear to be determined by the action. A fire truck goes by, the action cuts to a house on fire. This is a motivated cut.
Cutting rate – Frequent cuts may be used as deliberate interruptions to shock, surprise, and/or emphasize.
Cutting rhythm – A cutting rhythm may be progressively shortened to increase tension. Cutting rhythm may create an exciting, lyrical, and/or staccato effect in the viewer.
Cross-cut – A cut from one line of action to another happening at the same time.
Cutaway/cutaway shot (CA) – A bridging, intercutting shot between two shots of the same subject. It represents a secondary activity occurring at the same time as the main action. It may be preceded by a definite look or glance out of frame by a participant, or it may show something of which those in the preceding shot are unaware. A character mentions that the park is full today and the camera cuts to a shot of a lot of people in the park before cutting back to the character continuing to speak. This is a cutaway.
Reaction shot – Any shot, usually a cutaway, in which a participant reacts to action which has just occurred.Insert shot – A bridging zoomed in shot inserted into the larger context, offering an essential detail of the scene.
Fade, dissolve (mix) – Both fades and dissolves are gradual transitions between shots. In a fade the picture gradually appears from (fades in) or disappears to (fades out) a blank screen. A slow fade-in is a quiet introduction to a scene; a slow fade-out is a peaceful ending. Time lapses are often suggested by a slow fade-out and fade-in. A dissolve (or mix) involves fading out one picture while fading up another on top of it. The impression is of an image merging into and then becoming another. A slow mix usually suggests differences in time and place.
Superimpositions – Two of more images placed directly over each other (i.e. an eye and a camera lens to create a visual metaphor).
Wipe – An optical effect marking a transition between two shots. It appears to supplant an image by wiping it off the screen. The wipe is a technique which draws attention to itself and acts as a clear marker of change. The original Star Wars movies are full of wipe transitions.
Inset – An inset is a special visual effect whereby a reduced shot is superimposed on the main shot. Often used to reveal a close-up detail of the main shot. Note the difference between this and an Insert shot. An insert shot might be a quick shot to say a gun in the villain’s hand. An Inset shot might be a box on the screen of the TV show CSI showing the blown up image of a license plate the detectives are trying to read.
Split screen – The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time (i.e. a phone call). This can convey the excitement and frenzy of certain activities, but it can also overload the viewer.
Stock shot – Footage available for purchase to show images and environment appropriate for a scene’s setting. Sometimes called b-roll.
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