LAUAN504 Study Task 3 - Documentary - Basic layout and storyboard

Basic story layout:



Captain Moonlite
Opens on tense shootout between Moonlite’s gang and the police at Wantabadgery station. Near miss! Nesbitt is almost shot. Freeze frame as camera focuses on Moonlite.

Transition to scene of bank robbery. Scott wearing a mask and cloak, writing a statement admitting his guilt and getting the teller to sign it to clear his own name. Origin of the name “Captain Moonlite”.

Transition back into shootout, they escape the rangers and move to a new area.

Transition to previous prison scene 4 years prior, when Captain Moonlite (Andrew George Scott) and James Nesbitt first met and became lovers.
Scott was in and out of jail for years, escaped, recaptured, but he met James Nesbitt in prison and developed a loving, devoted relationship with him. 

Moonlite’s letters in prison to Nesbitt scene.

Released, toured together around the country committing small crimes and delivering lectures on prison reform, which brings Moonlite back to the original scene.

Another shootout scene, the bushrangers gang are fighting the law.

James Nesbitt gets shot in the head (mild gore), reduced pacing as, Moonlite greaves over his dead lover. Then surrenders to the law and is charged before execution.

(Epilogue - Moonlite’s famous quote and information about how he finally go buried next to Nesbitt in 1995).

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Entire plot storyboarded

This will be cut and simplified because it is too long and a lot of unnecessary back story can be reduced for the animatic.

(Chris' storyboarding rough sketching ideas below, 11 storyboard pages)

  

LAUAN504 Study Task 3 - Documentary - Animatic and scenes

LAUAN504 Study Task 3 - Animatic and scenes

We have allocated roles in animating scenes between us and discussed who would be more productive and enjoy certain parts, organising who does what fairly.

The backgrounds will be done between me and Eloise as specified on the animatic clip above.

As a group we are discussing what works well in the animatic, and what we could change in the animating. I am describing the scenes that I am animating below and any changes we are making in the final animation.

Scene 2.5 'Flashback bank robbery' 
The trickiest part was how we would decide how to animate the part when the camera shot shows Moonlite kicking down the banks door and then transitioning by zooming in and over Moonlite's shoulder showing him aiming his gun at the banker.

We discussed that we could zoom in on Moonlights head and rotate around that before showing his field of view in front of him.

The problem was that if we showed all the backgrounds around Moonlite as the camera rotates, they would be too challenging to animate because the background as a variety of colouring and depth in the environment.

We decided that the camera would zoom on Moonlite's head but also use motion lines and blur the background as it rotates around. This works well because the scene is supposed to be fast paced because its a holdup at a bank, fast motion lines and dramatic effect when Moonlite points his gun at the banker after kicking open the door.

Scene 4 'Scott and Nesbitt in prison'

Working with the camera transitions in the scene for creating a background.

The Red boxes show the cameras points of movement in the scene. Each Red box is 1920 x 1080px dimensions.

The Green box shows the complete area that the background needs to fill. This Green box has the overall dimensions of the areas used by the previous Red boxes, which is

Scene 5 'Flashback hard times'

(...)





The final scene 7 'Nesbitt's death' 

(not my scene but good discussion on what works well with the overall pacing)

This scene works he best because of the pacing such as scene timing and sequencing, also scene layout.

Action becomes intense as this couple are fighting, as shown they are ruthless to escape, but when James Nesbitt gets shot the pacing changes suddenly, James Nesbitt falls back in slow motion and in front of his lover Captain Moonlite (Andrew George Scott).

The pacing transition remains slow as Captain Moonlite greaves for his loss and holds his dead companion and lover James Nesbitt.

This helps to convey the overarching theme of an emotional struggle against the law and two lovers trying to survive on the run.

LAUAN504 Study Task 3 - Documentary - Background design research

Background design

I have researched into background design having looked into the animation theme and chosen documentary story setting.

Here I am gathering some examples we are looking into as a group for the best background design.

The animated film, 'Home on the Range' has really colourful backgrounds of old western style environmental scenes and theme. It has bold colours with outlines and shading, also featuring elements of abstract design with the overall layout as visually slumped, suggesting the feeling of the setting.

Flat open spaces, easy to replicate and defiantly conveys abstract elements in the design.

Looking into more abstract examples, 'Journey to Cape Verde by José Miguel Ribeiro' an animated short, showcases deep texture and mellow colouring. Using basic outlines and full of textured colour representing the background, also bold black silhouettes, other techniques for visually suggesting the environment and experiences the animation wants to represent to the viewer.

Comparing these examples of background design to the imagery of our setting, 1800s Australian town and environment. We have decided that the abstract use of texture is the best option for capturing the aesthetic of 1800s historical setting in the animation for best portraying the documentaries themes.

Along with the colour pallet, beiges, browns, ambers and yellows with black shadow. This combination should achieve the desired effect for the historical aesthetic we are going for.

Bank setting and design, along with colouring based from buildings and towns.

Background research into characters, George Scott and his relationship with James Nesbitt. Historical art depicted at the time of these events.

LAUAN504 Study Task 3 - Documentary - Researching

Research into documentaries and animation combined

Documentary types and variations
Documentary, should be fact director and can’t influence the film only what they record can be shown not as scripted.

Poetic:
More subjective, random series of imagery, annotation, abstract
Koyaanisqatsi.

Poetic Documentary. Instead of using traditional linear continuity to create story structure, the poetic documentary filmmaker arrives at its point by arranging footage in an order to evoke audience feelings, through imagery, emotion, rhythm, or other association.

Expository:
Generic documentary, standard, imagery for narration. Voice if authority, teaching element.

Expository documentaries speak directly to the viewer, often in the form of an authoritative commentary employing voiceover or titles, proposing a strong argument and point of view.

Observational:
Natural filming, obverting someone or place. ‘Flower on the wall’

Participatory:
Interviews, 1st person

Reflective:
Actively involved director.

Performative:
Film makers perspective, about them finding answers, catish film.

Animation for documentary
Character, perspective, insight, abstract, complexity, or comedy.

BRIEFING
Captain moonlight, documentary. Me with Eloise and Chris
Theme: History/politics


Successful team Research pitch into topic. Brand presentation showing work (idea).
Lecture style, educational. Primary and secondary research, members, roles, medium, colours. Books to backup research and facts of story.

Here I have created slides for the researching of my role in the group, the background design.

Audiences overview:

1. Children (5-11 years old)

2. Family groups

3. Teenagers / young couples / students - (This area and up is our target audience)

4. Adults




Reading, Animated Documentary by Annabelle Honess Roe:

I am researching into examples of animated documentary and application in media. Animated Documentary, the first book to be published on this topic, considers how animation is used as a representational strategy in nonfiction film and television and explores the ways animation expands the range and depth of what documentary can show us about the world.

What I have gathered from briefly reading this book, is about how the combination of animation and documentary cooperate despite the fact that they are different in forms of media. How animation is more a 'strategy' in documentation and a conventional alternative to portray a theme or message.

Conventionally used to describe scientific diagrams, charts and bring life to objects and events impossible to capture with the live-action camera, documentaries of space and microscopic scenes. 'How spiders fly' (1909) an example of scientific film to help arachnophobia.