My Theme for COP3 - Proposal form revisited

After researching into my research project in more depth, I realised that my previous premise for my COP3 theme did not leave me much room to talk about composition in storyboards, which was the main part of the module that I wanted to focus on. It was too film based. I focused on restructuring what I would be researching with the knowledge I had gained from researching into film theory I was able to apply a more refined approached to my theme.

For my dissertation I want to expand from my Level 5 essay by narrowing the depth of field down to the persuasion of the shot, how it influences and feeds the viewer an impression of the scene and the characters. This will look into mise en scene, editing and cinematography. I want to start the essay with a very quick summary of how the silent era pioneered film, how without the use of any sound, the manipulation of the shot was undertaken; then looking into the invention of storyboards, pioneered by Walt Disney Studios.

Research into old Disney Storyboards, such as Snow White and The Black Cauldron. Looking into film storyboards, mainly Hitchcock with his iconic work Psycho and possibly The Birds, Indiana Jones and others. I want to apply film theory to storyboards, looking into Formalism, Classicism, Realism and Structuralism, as well as looking into suspense hypothesis. I then want to research into modern animation storyboards, Iron Giant, Over the Garden Wall, Glen Keane's work and Big Hero 6.

With these examples talk about the process, how the boom of technology has aided the development of storyboards, possibly go into animatics and layout artists, talk about the software that is available for storyboard artists. (ToonBoom Storyboard Pro and TV Paint). Also talk about studios that I would have visited for primary sources, looking into the storyboards that they have made, how they persuade the audience with mise en scene, editing, cinematography etc.

For my practical I will be creating 3 sets of storyboards each tainted with a different theme but with the same story. I have narrowed down the themes to, Film Noir, Action and Comedy.

For the storyboards I want to use different media as to effect the composition of the shot, to further emphasise the theme. For example, black ink with a brush and dip pen would work well for the Film Noir theme. I will need to make tests of media before making the storyboards to ensure the media will work with the theme. Rather than use someone else's story for my storyboards, such as Aesop's fables or a nursery rhyme, I want to create something original. I will need to mind map and refine my ideas for a short story further.

Taking the storyboards further, I want to apply these shots to film or an animatic. I am considering an animatic rather than film as it would be more beneficial for my portfolio. For this practical I will need, Character Designs, Beat Boards, Storyboards and an animatic. I would like to use the characters from my Extended Project if possible.

Iron Giant Storyboard example

Over the Garden Wall Storyboard example