CSE 456 - Story for Digital Animation

Assignment #3: Developing an Animatic

DUE: Wednesday, 7/15 by 8:30 AM

This week you will be iterating on your title, seven steps, and beatsheet, and then using the Cinematic Sandbox to create a first pass of an animatic.

An animatic is basically just a series of 3D storyboards, a mock-up of what a story will look like as a film. It is used to approximate shot composition, timing, and in the case of this class it provides a means to convey your story with simple characters and poses.

Start your assignment using your most current thumbnail sheet. Before moving into the sandbox, print out a copy of your thumbnail sheet and make edits to fix beats that aren't working as well as they could be. Jot notes in on the side, sketch improvements over existing drawings, or create completely new thumbnails. Just be sure to indicate where any new drawings fit into the story. You will be required to scan and turn in these notes/improvements.

When moving on to construct your animatic, the thumbnails can be a useful guide for how many shots to start out with. However, realize that you may need to create more shots per thumbnail to express more complicated ideas. Conversely, there are times you can compress several thumbnails down into fewer shots to convey a beat more simply and clearly.

Keep things simple and clear! Only include elements important to telling your story. Use the built-in characters and props of the Cinematic Sandbox when possible. If you find that you need more flexibility, use the faux animation technique taught in lab to define custom characters and set pieces.

If you would like to draw storyboards and edit together a storyreel instead of making a 3D animatic, you must get permission from the staff.

Checklist of what is due:

  • Story Title (revised)
  • 7 Steps and Armature (revised)
  • Completed Beatsheet (revised)
  • A scan of the notes/improvements you've made to your thumbnails
  • Animatic First Pass
    • It can be no longer than 3 and a half minutes. If you find yourself need more time, simplify your story and remove unecessary beats.
    • If you do edits outside the sandbox, the resulting video file must be suitably compressed (check with the staff)

All work for this project should be submitted to the Catalyst Dropbox by Wednesday July 15th, at 8:30 AM. Additionally, please print out and staple together five packets of your story materials for the staff to review in class. Be sure to include all of the items listed above in each packet. There is a printer in 329 you may use, but do not wait until the last minute!