Wednesday 24 November 2010

comments on previous

i believe its nearly there and that there are some very strong themes i will have to sit down and go through it twenty times over picking it to pieces before i commit to it though

very rough story outline

1.pov of the kid pinning up a newspaper cutting depicting a smoky picture of the eel and text stating that famous Sea Hunter “Lars Ulriksen” cannot find it and is rewarding people for documented sightings.
2.Pov still the kid pins the newspaper page up on a wall that is covered in pictures and posters of his hero, Lars, with various sea beasts that he has caught.
3.We take a moment to absorb the array of imagery only to be interrupted by a harsh intermittent beep.
4.The kid rushes upstairs to investigate the situation.
5.The kid looks at his sonar to see a solitary dot on the screen he quickly jumps to his periscope and spins on the spot trying to see whats outside.
6.Exterior shot of the ocean, wide angle showing an iceberg dominating the right side of the frame the sub is travelling from left to right.
7.Cut back to the disappointed kid who turns away from the periscope and leans on the desk as he does so a penguin appears at the porthole.
8.The kid smiles then grabs his camera to head outside.
9.Audience gets a close up of the sonar, slow push towards it, it shows the penguin and also a much larger dot?
10.Fade to black with titles
11.the kid is now outside and is swimming down to the penguin.
12.The penguin looks rather jittery but the kid just smiles and raises his camera
13.wide shot kid left penguin right the camera flashes, as this happens a giant eel bursts through the pair and through the shot. On the z axis.
14.Low angle shot looking back up at the characters and the sub, the shot shows the characters reeling from the encounter and the tail of the eel disappearing from frame whilst the camera floats down out of frame.
15.Pov of the penguin noticing the camera falling into the deep
16.close up of penguin determined bolts out of the shot after the camera.
17.Looking down at the penguin as he disappears into the black deep
18.the kid gathers his senses and he is now totally alone, spins on the spot scared
19.interior,helmet, close up of the kid breath on the inside of his helmet scared and jittery looking left and right
20.close up portrait of the kid the glow of the eel can be seen behind him.
21.Sudden flash from below the characters the kid looks down and the glowing shape stops and sharpens its body, attacking pose.
22.Cut to the penguin swimming underneath the camera nudging it skywards with its beak.
23.The eel bolts straight at the penguin
24.penguin sees this then gets scared and swims backwards as he does so he kicks the shutter button causing multiple flashes.
25.As a result the eel is stunned by the flashes and ceases the attack trying to regain its vision.
26.The penguin swims out of danger towards the kid
27.pov of the kid as we see a very young eel approach the giant eel the young/baby eel investigates and then turns to the kid and penguin.
28.The realisation hits home for the kid that the eel is protecting her young and that he would condemn her and her child to death if he provided the photos that were taken
29.he takes the polaroid's from the cameras sheath and looks at them they display in crystal clear qulity the giant eel in a progressive attack.
30.Flashback to the kids wall of photos highlight now on the dead sea creatures, fade back to the kids photos he holds for a moment then chooses to discard the photos into the deep.
31.The kid has chosen to take his own path and discards his hero for the realisation of what he does and how violent it is.

after thoughts

my after thoughts of the new script directive are that the kid has a hero, a great fisherman who is famous for catching great sea monsters.

the kid is attacked by the eel but it is introduced that the eel has a baby, shes a mummy, the kid has a realisation that if he were to produce the pictures he had then the the eel and its child would be hunted and killed. the change of heart tells the coming of age story and also an independence story. i like the way its going but will push ideas before scripting.

dave bull and Mr mike

i presented the idea for script 03 to dave bull, a rather mixed script as i had more ideas whilst pitching. the idea was liked and enjoyed but the same elements arose, the script lacked an ending and the idea of pain was a definite no.

he suggested many go around's and also elements to provide greater character depth.
such as an introduction of the kid stealing the submarine from his father to help his fathers sight seeing business, the kid goes to locate the mythical eel.
i personally believe this would extend the film way beyond a workable time scale.

there is also the ending suggestions
- the boy gets his picture becomes rich and famous
- the boy doesn't get the picture- boring
- the boy gets the picture but then decides not to keep it.

i liked the idea of the final ending and will push this idea, the eel is not the beast it is claimed to be.

the element of the harpoon gun should be used as a symbol and not as a weapon...

after speaking to mike he too really enjoyed the idea of the eel not being the monster its claimed to be and that by the kid not keeping the photos he would save the beast.
but mike suggested the introduction of another antagonist character to attack the eel and for the kid to somehow save the eel- i believe this is impractical as it introduces a new character to the story.

over all great feedback that is all taken on board and will help to make my film great.

script 03

my personal thoughts on script 03

i believe this is a step forward from the original script but i fear that i have wasted time in the writing of it. i jumped in to the writing too early and after reading it feel it has no meaning and lacks an engaging ending.

the new use of the camera as an element to "capture" the eel i feel is a definite step in the right direction. i like the pull of the penguin to cause the kid to get in to the water. i feel that the suspense part is nice but causes the duration of the film to extend. the ending results in pain and blood shed, albeit not death but this is undesirable.

script draft 03

1.INT. Submarine – Upper deck

Slow track from left to right in the interior of the submarine showing the sofa, table with a camera on top and mounted swordfish. Shot ends with a butchers knife and table in the foreground plus a headless fish, a bucket is on the floor next to it with fish in a similar state.

The light is dim but with a warm glow- homely and inviting.

2.INT. Submarine – Lower deck

Small push into the kid's bed. We see the back of our hero's head and the blanket slowly raising up and down with the motions of his breathing. His boots are on the floor slightly
askew. A puddle on the floor reflects the glow from the over head fairy lights. A large
iron door can be seen to the side of the frame. Above the kids head is a notice board with a series of photographs pinned up.

3.INT. Submarine – Lower deck

Camera track from left to right across the photographs.
The photos simulate the kids path through life as a young fisherman.
1.He has caught his first fish with his dad, a small fish with a small child.
2.The submarine is up on stilts in a warehouse the proud father has just finished building it.
3.The kid sitting on top of the submarine with a fishing rod out in the ocean.
4.The Kid a little bit older now has caught himself a swordfish, he is just able to hold
it. big smile.
5.The last picture is a newspaper clipping of a mythical eel that lurks in the cold north waters. The article discusses whether or not its real and a smoky picture of a shadow in the water is shown next to the text.

A progression can be seen by the audience and the swordfish in the photo links to that of the one in his living room.

Sound effect of the sonar and warning light cut into the scene. Back to reality.

4.INT. Submarine – Lower deck

shot follows from previous
the kid sits bolt upright in bed yawns then rushes out of shot and upstairs.

5.INT. Submarine – Upper deck

Kid rushes to the front portholes and looks out, leaning over the control desk. He cant see anything but the sonar still pings.

6.INT. Submarine – Upper deck

Kid runs along the sofa to look out of the back window but again all he can see is the blue water.
He is about to turn away when a penguin pops up in front of the porthole looking rather relieved but slightly frantic.
The kid smiles and relaxes slightly. He decides this would be a good opportunity to photograph our new acquaintance.


7.INT. Submarine – Upper deck

kid picks his camera up from the table and proceeds down the ladder and out of shot.

Fade to black

title “The Deep”

8.EXT. Submarine

Long shot-
The Kid swims a small distance under the sub to where a small glowing lure hangs from the sub. The green glow casts an eerie feeling.

9.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot-
The Penguin appears near the kid looking rather worried the kid smiles and raises his camera.

10.EXT. Submarine

Close up-
Camera raised to his face the kid is about to take a photo when a low rumble can be heard, it reverberates through the water causing the camera to shake. The kid quickly lowers his camera. Happiness fades to fear.

11.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot-
The penguin swims closer to the kid and both look around for the source of the sound.

12.EXT. Submarine

POV of Kid-
The Camera darts from left to right then back again no sign of anything.

13.EXT. Ocean

POV of Eel-
The camera is focussed on the characters who are trying to locate the Eel.
The movement is smooth almost steady cam but definitely animalistic.
Camera movement from right to left.

14.EXT. Submarine

Close up of penguin-
The penguin looks fearful but then looks to the kid for safety.
When the penguin turns to the kid the audience can see the glow from the Eel in the back ground.

15.EXT. Ocean

POV of Eel-
The Eel has moved around to the rear of the characters, the Eel is directly behind them.

16.EXT. Submarine

Mid Shot – wide angle lens
The Two characters are centre stage surrounded by the glow of the Eels body that's all the audience can see.
17.EXT. Submarine

Mid Shot- slow push in
The Two characters are now back to back we can see the characters from the waist up to head, camera slowly pushes forward. The kid and penguin are worried and act in jerky movements.

The Eel bursts out from behind them the kid and penguin part just in time, although the kid manages to drop his camera in the process but as he does a picture is taken and a small flash emits. The camera sinks.

18.EXT. Submarine

Mid/Long shot-
The Kid and Penguin regroup more frantic now, penguin has got the jitters. And has developed a need to ball his fins in tight.
The Kid looks up towards the submarine.

19.EXT. Submarine

POV of Kid-
We see a Harpoon Gun on the side of the submarine, focal shift.

20.EXT. Submarine

Long Shot-
The Kid swims up towards the submarine and removes the harpoon gun from its hooks.
As he does so there is a roar and the Submarine is rammed by the Eel.

21.EXT. Submarine

Low angle Dutch shot-
The Kid and the is knocked by the submarine and drops the harpoon gun.
The Harpoon gun falls past the camera as the kid is knocked out of frame. The Submarine rolls slightly and recovers its balance.

22.EXT. Ocean

Mid Shot slightly angled down-
The penguin looks on, scared,

23.EXT. Ocean

POV of penguin-
focus shift on to the falling harpoon gun.

24.EXT. Ocean

Mid Shot at character height-
The penguin goes from scared to focussed and bolts after the harpoon gun, out of frame.

25.EXT. Ocean

Mid Shot-
The Kid gathers himself and looks around he is now away from his submarine and cannot see the penguin, light is much darker as he has cascaded deeper.





26.INT. Helmet

Extreme Close up-
Inside the Kids helmet, profile, we can see the kid serious yet fearful.
(possibly rotate head to look past camera as well)

27.EXT. Ocean

Mid Shot-
The Kid realises he has a flare he pats his belt, locates it after two attempts and pulls it up.

28.EXT. Ocean

Long wide shot-
The Kid raises the flare as he lights it. Red jets of bubbles and light emit.
The Eel is darting straight at the kid and again he only just has enough time to move out of the way.

29.EXT. Ocean

stationary shot-
The Eel disappears out of frame from left to right slightly diagonal on the Z-axis.

30.EXT. Ocean

Mid/ Long shot-
The Kid looks flustered again treading water to keep his balance in the water, the penguin enters from the bottom left of the frame holding the harpoon gun in his mouth.
The kid smiles elated to see the penguin, not to mention the harpoon gun.
He takes the gun whilst the Penguin takes the Flare.

31.EXT. Ocean

Mid/ Long shot-
Prepared the two scan the water, both characters are determined but nervous. The Eel is spotted moving towards the characters the glow of the flare displays the Eel's shape.

32.EXT. Ocean

Close shot-
The Kid raises the Harpoon gun ready for the Eel, Determined and focussed.

33.EXT. Ocean

Low Angle shot- camera placed between the kid and penguin
From behind the characters we can see the Eel approaching fast.
The Eel is almost upon our characters.

34.EXT. Ocean

Extreme close up-
Finger squeezes the trigger and the harpoon is away.

35.EXT. Ocean

Mid/Long shot-
The Eel is travelling from right to left of the frame pretty much filling up the screen. With absent space on the left.
The Harpoon strikes the Eel in the face, the Eel wails.
36.EXT. Ocean

Long Shot-
The Force of the Harpoon causes the Eel to corkscrew in pain up and over our characters and then down into the Deep.

37.EXT. Ocean

Mid shot-
Our Characters breathe a sigh of relief and relax slightly the kid places one hand on the shoulder of the penguin and they both proceed to swim out of frame.

Fade to black

Fade in with a Newspaper cutting on the wall showing the kid and penguin back on the mainland with the battered submarine and a the picture that the camera took when it was dropped.

new scripts

so new ideas are floating around to solve the net issue.

1. the net is simply replaced by a big fish and the penguin is chewing on the tail of the fish attached to the submarine. the kid has caught a fish but also the unexpected penguin and as such the physical argument between the kid and penguin causes the interference of the eel.

2. the kid has a big fish on the end of the sub again but this time the kid is hunting for the eel that is out there somewhere. the kid believes he has a snag but it turns out to be the penguin. the eel is attracted and then the hunter becomes the hunted.

3. jaws style the kid and penguin are in the water and a suspense thriller ensues. the kid and penguin are hunted by the eel and majority of the film is built on tension with a mix of pov's from eel and kid resulting in an inevitable clash.

Directing elements

so i have been reading a copy of cinematic storytelling, jennifer van sijll, like the bible recently and it has infused me with various elements which i wish to use within my film.

here is a list of techniques and tech that i wish to emulate in my film:

introduction to characters must be based on ease or discomfort of perception - good character introduced from left to right and and bad vice versa.

depth of field - i want my film to exist on multiple planes i dont want it to appear flat.

focal shift/ rack focus - there are parts in my story where the cameras focus will change midshot to emphasize the action.

scale - the element of the giant eel in comparison to the child and penguin must be infused in the audience but not necessarily straight away.

composition - i wish for my films composition to mean something and as such for each shot to appear to tell a mini story such as a painting.

quick cuts and dissolves

pacing - my film will have a balanced pace with parts that are slow and some wich are fast, so as to keep the audience interested and guessing.

lenses - wide angle and possible telephoto, wide for the establishing shots mainly and then the telephoto for the attacking eel.

close ups - i will use these to escalate the kids fear factor and to show times of decision and thought

POV - these will be important in my film as i will be able to provide the hunter aspect from the eel, such as in jaws, and then to again escalate the fear of the kid as he looks around for the imminent danger.

low angle - there is a shot i have in mind as a low angle shot as it will imply distance and also show the audience that the object has left the characters and must be re-obtained.

shot choices, camera movement--
static shots, tracking shots, circular, push in, pull out

lighting will be key, it will be a mix of warm and cold depending on environment(interior of sub or exterior water). it will also be quite dark and foreboding in some places as well lit only by very small elements of light.

sound effects - the eel will have a distinctive sound, the sonar sound is a plot turner, plus the importance of atmospheric water.

music - i am undecided whether music will be a good idea as it may get in the way of the piece or it could infuse it and make it better, this will be decided through tests in the animatic stage.


these elements are like my personal shopping list and i will be ensuring that a variety of these are used to add spice to my film and as such it wont get stale.

Gravity dynamics tests

so after what dan had said i thought about the situation and went online for tutorials, unable to find anything helpful i remembered the use of soft and rigid bodies with an implied gravity field to create a physics based bouncing ball.

i thought of tweeking the gravity options to lower gravity and make the atmosphere thick like water.

tests show the results





these tests show that the dynamics could work and it diffuses the issue of objects passing through each other BUT, in doing so the objects are unable to be animated so the finished product would look fake and stilted, there is very little control over the objects. also when there are multiple objects with dynamics applied maya lags in playback due to the amount of computing, but the render is relatively quick.

so after the tests i have come to the conclusion that dynamics would not be the way forward and that the net of fish has to be struck from the script in order for the film to appear good and finite

hows things going

things are all good, my team is working well and creatively i am particularly impressed with fahrans ability to produce a high quality of work very quickly. the rest of the team is functioning well together and production is moving smoothly

i personally have been working on the script and colour script.

we had a meeting with dan the other day which raised the attention of the fish inside the net and how this needed to be tested and addressed early in order for the film to work.

Saturday 13 November 2010

Bios and backgrounds

The World – Terra Aqua

steampunk style
open grassland with sprawling fields and deep cliffs
technology is based on steam, coal, wind, water and very early electricity
reference to the film “Water world”
the world is broken into small archipelago's of islands clustered together (Greek and Caribbean islands)
majority of transport is sea and air
thus connecting trade routes between islands
a world of wood and metal
its an easy world the ruler ship is fair and the populous is virtuous
there are a few rogue pirate islands but they keep themselves to themselves
as the world is heavily water dominated it breeds large fish

The Kid's Island – Agri

a farming island with steep cliffs on one side and a long shelf of sand on the other
the boy chooses to fish as it is different to his island
a large windmill dominates the hilltop
the village is located near the beach with farms stretching the length and width of the island
families rarely move islands and as such the islands consist of tightly nit communities

The Kid – the hero

12 year old
name, no name (kid)
an underwater fisherman
wishes to be up in the stars adventuring the unknown
he fishes to feed his parents on the mainland
he fishes for a week at a time
the submarine means survival!
has a sweetheart waiting for him on the mainland
he is cautious but adventurous
kind hearted
motivation= fish, provide, eat, survive, love
hates= wasting time, the thought of dying, not catching fish

The Deep – a wide gorge situated in Agris' neighbouring waters.

a deep and wide gorge
plentiful supply of fish
secluded fishing spot relatively unknown
no previous knowledge of dangerous fish
but its the ocean so how can one tell

Conger Eel

animalistic, primitive
travels long distances feeding in bulk
there are myths of a large fish that preys on fisherman and their haul, but sightings are brief and nothing is definitive
this myth has been documented in Terra Aqua's lore and is deemed no more than a fisherman's tale
the kid has heard of the tale but disbelieves it
although he appears deadly he eats fish not people/mammals
He gets hounded from island to island by fishermen as he steals their catch

Penguin – Ed

way out of habitat, he drifted down on an iceberg, separated from family and species he is making his way home
he enjoys the warmer climate and decides to stick around
main drive is food
very inquisitive and young/innocent
unable to plan or think ahead he lives for the moment
thus he finds himself in a horde of fish, in a fisherman's net, but he is happy as he has plenty of food
secretly lonely
scared of being hungry and of course dying

script draft 02

1.INT. Submarine – Living quarters

The room is full of “nick-nacks” and props, which are necessary for comfortable living, dimly lit by a swinging lamp in the centre of the room but homely.

Track to the right to show table, sofa, and close up of fish on butchers table.

2.INT. Submarine – Sleeping quarters

This room is below the living quarters and is lit by a series of fairy lights attached to the ceiling. A small puddle on the floor glows with the rainbow of lights. The Back wall is dominated by a hefty iron door, evidently the air lock.
Our hero is asleep in his small wooden bed the blanket slowly
rising and falling with deep breaths.

Slow push towards the sleeping character.

(quiet beeping can be heard slightly muffled)

3. INT. Submarine – Sleeping quarters

Close up of a collection of photographs pinned to a notice board above the kids head whilst he is sleeping.
4-6 photos showing his island, each one must be character based, but showing a large part of the environment.

Shot will show photos along the top 2/3rds of the screen whilst the kids
sleeping head is visible in the bottom 1/3rd.

Slow track from left to right focussing on the photographs, the sounds of
the submarine will fade into the sounds of the photographs.
Inferring the kids life on the mainland and also his dreams of longing to be back up there with his friends and family.

The track is interrupted by the harsh beeping of a warning alarm.

4.INT. Submarine – Control Panel

Control panel with assorted dials, buttons, knobs and displays.
A sonar “pings” as it oscillates but this is not the source of the sound.
The source is from a red bulb that is denoted by a sign that simply states “net full”.

Static shot of the red bulb flashing with the sonar in view.

5.INT. Submarine – Sleeping Quarters

Focus on the iron air lock door closing. We can see the back of the character putting on his diving helmet, seen through the porthole in the door.

push in towards door and fade to black.

(clang and creek)


Title “The Deep” dissolve to next scene.


6.EXT. Submarine

A dark emptiness that is somehow all consuming.
Alone.
Faint shards of light break through the murky depths and cast columns of wavering warmth into the chill of the deep.

The fish shaped, wood built submarine is carried by the tide,
its red canvas sail billowing in the absent wind.
A thick warm glow converts the reluctant liquid, seeping from the eyes of the Sub.
The trailing net, now full with fish, entices with green lanterns casting light onto the mostly silhouetted Sub.

Long shot-
The kid swims the length of the Sub, from bow to stern.
He presses a button/lever at the rear of the Sub which rotates the tail of the sub which ties the net off.
He notices a lone fish bone float away, down into the void.

7.EXT. Submarine

Mid/Close shot– Character on right of frame.
Both confused and intrigued the kid proceeds out of frame, towards the net.


8.EXT. Net

The Net is full of tightly packed fish, varying in size and colour.

Mid shot(maybe POV)-
Kid parts the fish in the net and investigates the situation.

9.INT. Net

POV – kid
A chubby little penguin has found his way into the net, munching his way through the kids catch.
The penguin has fashioned an oily throne, out of the abundance of fish and has no intention of leaving.

10.EXT. Net

Mid shot
The kid reaches into the net with little success, his catch is too tightly packed. Frustrated he resorts to muffled shouts.

KID
Stop eating my fish

11.EXT. Fish bone

Mid/close Dutch shot – fish bone follow
looking up from the depths of the ocean, rippling light tickles the distant surface. The under belly of the Sub
silhouetted by waves of fading light. The fish bone plays like a leaf in the wind gliding downward slowly as if drawn by an unearthly force.

(cameras focus is always on the bones and follows it down)

The Fish bone gains some momentum and is whisked into a chasm,
a deep scar on the barren sea bed. Moments later bubbles rise and a low rumble can be heard.

12.EXT. Net

Mid shot-
We join the kid shaking the net and flailing wildly when he suddenly stops.
He backs away from the net, face pale no movement just drifts back ever so slightly.
A look of shock and terror etched on his face.

13.INT. Net

Mid/Close shot-
The penguin laughs and blows a victory raspberry in the direction of the kid.

14.EXT. Net

Long shot (static)- rear of kid looking down past net into the Deep.
A huge glowing shape emanates from the black depths, taking
form as it snakes towards the kid.
The Kid, initially frozen ,in shock at the dominating shape gathers his senses and hastily retreats to the airlock at the bow of the Sub.

15.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot-
The Kid struggles with the hatch loosing his strength, his fear is consuming him.

16.EXT. Net/Submarine

The Eel latches onto the net, but the Eel does not stop and continues his course taking up the slack in the rope attached to the Sub.
(shot will show both the net and the Rear of the sub)

17.INT. Helmet – (EXT. Submarine)

Close up Profile of kids face inside His Diving helmet-
A bead of sweat rolls down his face as his hot breath fogs a small patch of glass. Shock turns to determination as he
decides to save both the penguin and his livelihood.

18.EXT. Submarine

Mid right track along sub slow stop with kid
The Kid swims alongside the Sub and reaches his harpoon gun which is mounted to the side. The gun is rusted and laden with barnacles, aged and disused the harpoon is a long shot but its his only opportunity.

19.EXT. Submarine

Long shot of submarine and Conga eel
We are able to see the size of the Eel for the first time, the massive beast hauling the Sub through the big blue.
Orange light glows from patches on the snaking body, whilst the scales on the upper part of its body are bathed in the crumbling columns of daylight fighting to reach the Deep.

20.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot- character on right of frame looking left now.
The Eel has rotated the sub, which is now being dragged backwards through the water.
The Kid has one foot locked in place on one of the hooks on the hull of the Sub. He moves with the water feeling the motions of the Sub the Eel and the current.
Lining his shot.

21.EXT. Submarine

Close up- kids face (possibly inside helmet again)
One eye shut the moment of truth.
Complete Focus. Shallow breathing.

22.EXT. Submarine

Close up-
finger on trigger 1 second pause,wavering...
Squeeze (swoosh) the harpoon sails through the water.

23.EXT. Submarine

Close up-
The rope is severed by the harpoon.

24.EXT. Eel

Long Shot-
The net unfolds and wraps around the head of the Eel, the net is caught in the multitude of teeth that the Eel has at its disposal. Thrashing wildly trying to dislodge the net and continuing at some speed the Eel collides with a rock wall.
Trapping the head and foremost part of its body in a sharp rut in the rock. Fish from the net lazily float in the aftermath too numb to the situation at hand.

25.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot-
The Sub hangs Limply in the water a small distance from our characters.
The Penguin cowers behind the Kid, shaking with the thought of the preceding events.
A look of exhaustion mixed with slight triumph melts into anger as the kid turns to face the penguin.

26.EXT. Submarine

POV- KID
Penguin unleashes the puppy dog eyes and a solitary tear rolls down his cheek. Until a brain numbed fish floats into shot.
The penguin quickly snatched the fish from the water. Beaming
he presents it to the kid as an offering of friendship.

27.INT. Helmet

Close up profile facing right – kid
a smile creeps across his face which then turns into a raspberry, and then into convulsive laughter.

Fade to Black
The End

Credits roll over a few stills of the kid and the penguin.
Polaroid stills flicking over each other.
Showing their progressive friendship.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

sub floor plan




nice and tidy

model sheets for carlos





model reference sheets for carlos' prop modelling

Kid Development





so a week of design and re-drawing, it took a couple of days for me to realise the character was losing its point so the design was reconsidered.

after watching lost and found, and then the special features it was brought to my attention by one of the studio aka guys that a character with no neck will move like he has broken his neck. this caused me to go through a design wave.

after placing a tiny neck for rigging senses i remembered the kid has a helmet which needed to be designed to its full

helmet is tricky as i dont want to hide the kids face but i didnt want it to be a glass bowl

week1

yay the deep got green lit so now its full steam ahead .....

group members acquired and the week 1 schedule set

key members
ME
BEN
MEL
CARLOS
KEITH
FAHRAN

specialists
CLYM
TOM
EMMA
DAVID
JOSH

Friday 5 November 2010

script

  1. INT. Submarine – Living quarters


The room is full of “nick-nacks” and props, which are necessary for comfortable living, dimly lit by a swinging lamp in the centre of the room but homely.

Track to the right to show table, sofa, and close up of fish on butchers table.


  1. INT. Submarine – Sleeping quarters


This room is below the living quarters and is lit by a series of fairy lights attached to the ceiling. A small puddle on the floor glows with the rainbow of lights. The Back wall is dominated by a hefty iron door, evidently the air lock.

Our hero is asleep in his small wooden bed the blanket slowly

rising and falling with deep breaths.

    Slow push towards the sleeping character.


(quiet beeping can be heard slightly muffled)

  1. INT. Submarine – Control Panel

Control panel with assorted dials, buttons, knobs and displays.

A sonar “pings” as it oscillates but this is not the source of the sound.

The source is from a red bulb that is denoted by a sign that simply states “net full”.


Static shot of the red bulb flashing with the sonar in view.

4.INT. Submarine – Sleeping Quarters


Focus on the iron air lock door closing. We can see the back of the character putting on his diving helmet, seen through the porthole in the door.

push in towards door and fade to black.


(clang and creek)

Title “The Deep” dissolve to next scene.



5.EXT. Submarine


A dark emptiness that is somehow all consuming.

Alone.

Faint shards of light break through the murky depths and cast columns of wavering warmth into the chill of the deep.

The fish shaped, wood built submarine is carried by the tide,

its red canvas sail billowing in the absent wind.

A thick warm glow converts the reluctant liquid, seeping from the eyes of the Sub.

The trailing net, now full with fish, entices with green lanterns casting light onto the mostly silhouetted Sub.


Long shot-

The kid swims the length of the Sub, from bow to stern.

He presses a button/lever at the rear of the Sub which rotates the tail of the sub which ties the net off.

He notices a lone fish bone float away, down into the void.


6.EXT. Submarine


Mid/Close shot– Character on right of frame.

Both confused and intrigued the kid proceeds out of frame, towards the net.


7.EXT. Net


The Net is full of tightly packed fish, varying in size and colour.


Mid shot(maybe POV)-

Kid parts the fish in the net and investigates the situation.

8.INT. Net


POV – kid

A chubby little penguin has found his way into the net, munching his way through the kids catch.

The penguin has fashioned an oily throne, out of the abundance of fish and has no intention of leaving.


9.EXT. Net


Mid shot

The kid reaches into the net with little success, his catch is too tightly packed. Frustrated he resorts to muffled shouts.


KID

Stop eating my fish


10.EXT. Fish bone


Mid/close Dutch shot – fish bone follow

looking up from the depths of the ocean, rippling light tickles the distant surface. The under belly of the Sub

silhouetted by waves of fading light. The fish bone plays like a leaf in the wind gliding downward slowly as if drawn by an unearthly force.

(cameras focus is always on the bones and follows it down)

The Fish bone gains some momentum and is whisked into a chasm,

a deep scar on the barren sea bed. Moments later bubbles rise and a low rumble can be heard.


11.EXT. Net


Mid shot-

We join the kid shaking the net and flailing wildly when he suddenly stops.

He backs away from the net, face pale no movement just drifts back ever so slightly.

A look of shock and terror etched on his face.


12.INT. Net


Mid/Close shot-

The penguin laughs and blows a victory raspberry in the direction of the kid.


13.EXT. Net


Long shot (static)- rear of kid looking down past net into the Deep.

A huge glowing shape emanates from the black depths, taking

form as it snakes towards the kid.

The Kid, initially frozen ,in shock at the dominating shape gathers his senses and hastily retreats to the airlock at the bow of the Sub.


14.EXT. Submarine


Mid shot-

The Kid struggles with the hatch loosing his strength, his fear is consuming him.


15.EXT. Net/Submarine


The Eel latches onto the net, but the Eel does not stop and continues his course taking up the slack in the rope attached to the Sub.

(shot will show both the net and the Rear of the sub)


16.INT. Helmet – (EXT. Submarine)


Close up Profile of kids face inside His Diving helmet-

A bead of sweat rolls down his face as his hot breath fogs a small patch of glass. Shock turns to determination as he

decides to save both the penguin and his livelihood.


17.EXT. Submarine


Mid right track along sub slow stop with kid

The Kid swims alongside the Sub and reaches his harpoon gun which is mounted to the side. The gun is rusted and laden with barnacles, aged and disused the harpoon is a long shot but its his only opportunity.

18.EXT. Submarine


Long shot of submarine and Conga eel

We are able to see the size of the Eel for the first time, the massive beast hauling the Sub through the big blue.

Orange light glows from patches on the snaking body, whilst the scales on the upper part of its body are bathed in the crumbling columns of daylight fighting to reach the Deep.


19.EXT. Submarine

Mid shot- character on right of frame looking left now.

The Eel has rotated the sub, which is now being dragged backwards through the water.

The Kid has one foot locked in place on one of the hooks on the hull of the Sub. He moves with the water feeling the motions of the Sub the Eel and the current.

Lining his shot.


20.EXT. Submarine


Close up- kids face (possibly inside helmet again)

One eye shut the moment of truth.

Complete Focus. Shallow breathing.


21.EXT. Submarine


Close up-

finger on trigger 1 second pause,wavering...

Squeeze (swoosh) the harpoon sails through the water.


22.EXT. Submarine


Close up-

The rope is severed by the harpoon.


23.EXT. Eel


Long Shot-

The net unfolds and wraps around the head of the Eel, the net is caught in the multitude of teeth that the Eel has at its disposal. Thrashing wildly trying to dislodge the net and continuing at some speed the Eel collides with a rock wall.

Trapping the head and foremost part of its body in a sharp rut in the rock. Fish from the net lazily float in the aftermath too numb to the situation at hand.


24.EXT. Submarine


Mid shot-

The Sub hangs Limply in the water a small distance from our characters.

The Penguin cowers behind the Kid, shaking with the thought of the preceding events.

A look of exhaustion mixed with slight triumph melts into anger as the kid turns to face the penguin.


25.EXT. Submarine


POV- KID

Penguin unleashes the puppy dog eyes and a solitary tear rolls down his cheek. Until a brain numbed fish floats into shot.

The penguin quickly snatched the fish from the water. Beaming

he presents it to the kid as an offering of friendship.


26.INT. Helmet


Close up profile facing right – kid

a smile creeps across his face which then turns into a raspberry, and then into convulsive laughter.


Fade to Black

The End

Credits roll over a few stills of the kid and the penguin.

Polaroid stills flicking over each other.

Showing their progressive friendship.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

The Deep Trailer



so i made it and just in time, i couldnt be happier with the look of the trailer and looking forward to making the rest of the film.

2 weeks for trailer start to finish.

The Deep Trailer from andrew on Vimeo.

Renders












i am so happy with the renders that i have produced. both exterior and interior were rendered with an occlusion, full light and ambient layer then composited in photoshop to produce the images.
im particularly pleased with the lighting and the appearance of the submarine in the exterior shot as i believe it looks like it is underwater.

concepts























here are the current concepts i have produced the underwater sub is more of a target render for my trailer but also includes the net and glow lamps used for attracting fish. the character is current but im still not happy about the helmet too contemporary.

sub model














here are the finished interior and exterior models (2 seperate files) took around a week to complete both with textures as well.

i am extremely pleased with bot models, especially with the tight time frame as pitches are coming close, if i had longer i would refine some of the interior models as they are very basic and very low poly.

i have managed to get away with absolutely no bump mapping in this as i feel i dont have the time and that it might not make a huge difference.

More concepts



































the sub interior was done very roughly so i had a colour palette and rough idea of space and furnishing. the penguin is still in early stages but im stuck with a cute round headed design which i want to push away from.
as for the underwater one i found it was very easy to represent an underwater environment without having to clutter the scene. a simple blue to black gradient will do as i am seeking space and lots of it, vacant dark empty space

Deep trailer boards





















the storyboards here very rough and scribbled over whilst making i think it looks quite cool though and adds character to the boards themselves. as far as accuracy there were only a couple of things i changed and they were to do with render times.

The Deep trailer

i have decided that i shall do a trailer for my pitch, this will greatly help my story as i will be able to represent filmic style, rendering, mood, lighting, soundfx, and possible music.

The Deep Story boards



The Deep submarine

design stages for the submarine, now that the film is underwater i need to have a memorable and iconic landmark that fits in with the environment but isn't too blatant.
i have designed it to fit in with the older classical wooden and bulbous subs but also included fish in the design process not only does this make it more believable, waterwise, but also adds a stylistic choice.


The Deep character sheet

progressed designs for the Kid, no name as yet or perhaps his name should be "the kid". he is an ambiguous character as far as age, hes a fisherman who wishes to be a space explorer. his parents live on the mainland and he fishes for a week at a time. he fishes to feed his family and make some money through sales. he is adventurous but cautious and scared of death.

i like the design so far as it is simple but very appealing, the only puzzle i have left is his helmet for diving as i dont want to obscure his face.

Fishy (now The Deep)

opening creds/ title
- interior shots of the submarine (4/6)
- no character shots all objects and photos - characters backstory
- titles end with a flashing light - full load - and the door closing
-----------------------------------
- long shot to show the entire sub and the boy swimming to the net.
(fishbones can be seen floating down into the deep)
- kid gathers the net and the notices the fishbones
- investigates by parting fish in the net.
- discovers a baby penguin eating his catch
*cut to floating fishbone looking back toward the silhouette of the sub*
- kid gestures to the penguin to vacate the net, pingu stays put.
- kid jams his arm in to the net to grab the penguin but cannot reach him.
*cut back to the fishbone falling into a dark cave, bubbles appear with a creeping sound*
- kid is looking inside to see the penguin poking his tongue out at boy.
- kid is at a loss and pulls back from the net- a dark shadow is appearing in the distance / from the deep

- kid retreats in fear to the front of the sub back to the airlock
- penguin believes he has won so continues his dinner/smugly
- kid panics and tries to open hatch
- eel grabs enormous fish ball in his mouth and begins to swim
- penguin shaken clears some fish to see what the matter is. he is now staring down the throat of the eel
- kid now feeling sorry for the penguin grabs his harpoon gun from the side of the sub
- shoots at the rope attached to the sub and the net opens, freeing penguin and wrapping the net around the head of the eel.
- eel collides with a rock wall and gets stuck in a hole - tail flailing wildly
-------------------------------------

- kid turns to the penguin who is now hiding behind him, shaking and scared(kid angry face)
- penguin looks up all puppy eyed and grabs a close by fish then beams wildly and offers the fish to the kid

closing creds
- interior of the two eating cooked fish
- dark shape swims past porthole.

mood board of the gods

so this mood board/ reference sheet is a collage of all the useful reference that i have collected so far it spans across all of my stories and has amalgamated into a very stylistic yet grounded theme.
so my main influence is monkey island mixed with zelda windwaker with designs coming from very early underwater exploration with bizarre curiosities that lurk in the deep.

meeting 2

so the clan met again minus clym and fahran as they have now decided to go solo.

we met at the O2 to scout the new college and also to discuss the ideas again.

so this time chris had a finished idea to present along with his script which i am very impressed with, it has a very mature feel and is quite an accomplishment.

toms ideas were still progressing but he was undecided over which ones to pick.

after progressing the fishy idea/story it went down a storm and we decided that this should be my area to focus on, although it was apparent that doing the story above and below water was too much and that creating believable animated water on the surface would be too difficult. we came to a conclusion that my film would work best underwater as it would be easier to represent and would shorten my ever growing story line -- possibly cutting the 4-5 min film to 3

this was great for me as i now imagine a submarine instead of a boat and a cool diving suit :D

i spoke to alex about his idea aswell which was still in its infancy but sounds equally promising.

concepts


here are 2 refined concept for my film the 1st is to show the scale and design of the conga eel compared to the character but also to show mood and lighting. the 2nd is to show the above water world and the design of the boat. i am extremely pleased with both pieces especially the underwater piece as it captures the mood exactly.

monkey island character sheets




managed to find some character sheets for monkey island, very very cool and distinctive style that i will hope to take influence from with my film

fishy reference


style wise legend of zelda the windwaker has a really cool cellshaded appearance both in its 2d and 3d representations