Animation

Scriptnotes is a book I picked up this week, it looks like it started as a podcast for screenwriters and then all the advice was assembled into a single book.

Hi All, one book that I want to share with everyone that I LOVE is THE ART OF CHARACTER - https://www.amazon.com/Art-Character-Creating-Memorable-Characters/dp/01...

HI everyone - script notes were delayed on my end. everyone should have them in their inbox by tomorrow. Everyone writes at their own pace. if you haven't sent your script material. please send what you have :)

Sarah, I'm considered buying that Scriptnotes e-book but it's a bit expensive for an e-book. I looked at the sample pages and the first page with the list of rules, freaked me out at first because I regularly break so many of them, but the first two little paragraphs after them reassured me and made me laugh, so now I'm very tempted.

I bought the character book Evan recommended - the e-book is cheap.

I started reading the Art of Character book and immediately came across a quote that resonated, and which I'd never really thought about before.

"Comprehending your characters begins with an honest, unflinching understanding of yourself."

It took me back to a moment in my life when I suddenly discovered that part of one of my characters was also a part of me. I'd like to describe that moment in the next meeting perhaps and ask if others have experienced having their fictional characters enter their lives and influence them in that way. My fictional character literally came to life and helped me succeed in a way I would have thought impossible for me.

in mine opinion they’re both important but if you have to focus more on one than another you should prioritize storytelling

Abidoye Ezekiel - I agree with Simon Breuer . A strong storyline can grab attention and keep it there. A clean animation might look cool but can become uninteresting, fast.

Not sure what you mean by clean animation, but storytelling comes first. I’ve been moved by rough animatics before.

Bad animation will never tell (I say never, but...) a good story. If the audience notices that the animator either skips a frame or the arm movement is wonky, it will stand out and the story will be lost. That said, no amount of clean animation can keep an audiences' attention when the story is bad.

I sat through a movie about a superhero dog. The animation was excellent, but the story was hit or miss. It is the best feeling in the world when the audience is drawn into the story and the feeling of comradery within the audience as they experience the story. So both are difficult, but necessary.

This is a good question. With awesome animation, if the story is bad, the animation is wasted. So for me, the storytelling has to come first. If the story is good and the animation is great, that completes everything.

Thank you so much! I always have fun while writing these slapstick scripts. You can check one of them out in my synopses.

Hey Lucas, this is Ashley from the Stage 32 team. I just wanted to let you know I moved your post from Authoring & Playwriting to Animation, as it fits much better there. Let me know if you have any questions, and all the best to you!

Ashley Renée Smith I think Lucas Evangelista submitted this post to two lounges. I commented on the other one yesterday and got on today and thought I was losing my mind. Anyways, Lucas Evangelista I absolutely love the character design and art style. Where are you in production with this animation?

That's right Cyrus Sales, I posted in more than one forum to get a lot more feedback, because at this stage feedback is essential. Actually, right now I'm testing the impact of the series with the general public. I already have some things documented and I'm still in the documentation phase, as I plan to present a pitch. I'm preparing an 11-second animatic, but I believe I'll opt for a storyboard with voices for the practicality of testing what works and what doesn't.

Lucas Evangelista That honestly makes a lot of sense, especially at this stage. Gathering feedback early can really help shape what resonates most with the audience before moving deeper into production. I’d definitely love to keep following the progress of the project and see how things evolve as you continue developing it.

Hi Alisha Mull and welcome! Currently working on audio for an Indie feature film, an original animation, audio for a fashion show mix and recently got brought on as an AD for a short film. You mentioned you're still developing, where are you in the process?

Warning! Unsolicited Comment: Think of a logline as a first kiss - you want to land an emotional connection with your film description. How about "In a hidden world connected by a mysterious force and unexplained timeline shifts pulls a group of strangers towards an experience of choice that changes everything... Forever!"

Cyrus Sales Hello nice meeting you and thank you. I've completed the first season script and I'm currently focused on strengthening the presentation before pitching. I'm still refining character profiles and learning a lot as I go, but enjoying the process.

Alisha Mull look forward to seeing the development of your work.

Hello! I am working on my animated series pilot episode and pitch. Nice to meet you!

Music can amplify comedy or any type of mood . but without the visual, then there would be nothing to amplify. many silent era cartoons were funny without music, so I lean towards the visual being more important. plus there are a lot of funny scenes out there that are not accompanied by music.

I see what you mean, visuals definitely carry the core of the action and storytelling.

At the same time I keep noticing cases where the same animation feels completely different depending on sound choices, even subtle ones like silence vs rhythm.

It’s interesting how both can lead the emotion in different ways depending on how they’re balanced.

I believe they're all important in their own ways rights and in a way we're comparing apples to oranges. I think back to Tom and Jerry, the visuals were important but the sound design amplified the comedic timing, but as mentioned above. Without visuals there's nothing to amplify. All equally important in their own way.

Hey Jason McArdle, thanks for sharing!

thank you my friend :)

You're welcome, Mustafa Bayraktar. I think Inner Universe will be a hit. I'm looking forward to watching it!

I'm thinking on the magic schoolbus kinf of trip, I loved that show. Or are you gonna give every organ a personality? That actually would be very interesting.

Thanks, Alex!

The Magic School Bus is a great reference in terms of curiosity and learning, but Inner Universe takes a different approach.

Instead of a guided “school trip” inside the body, we’re building an inner world where key organs exist as systems with personality, hierarchy, and conflict — reacting in real time to what happens in the outside world.

Some organs do have personalities, but they’re more symbolic and emotional, not purely cartoonish. The focus is on how internal chaos mirrors real-life moments kids go through.

We want it to feel funny, relatable, and a bit chaotic — because that’s what growing up actually feels like.

Really appreciate the question, it’s exactly the kind of discussion we want around the project.

Appreciate the post, Mustafa! > For anyone in need of high-quality, independent Hip Hop for sync, I’m working with Vicious Teknique. His sound is very genre-blending and 100% cleared (One-Stop). Would love to connect and send over some WAVs if you have any upcoming needs for dynamic urban tracks!

That sounds like an interesting concept, Mustafa! I really like the idea of exploring the human body as a world. It's a fascinating setting for animated storytelling . Ive been developing my own animated Kids IP since 2018, and would always love to learn how creators structure and present concepts. If you dont mind me asking, What do you think is the most important part of developing a Kids IP at a concept stage? World building, characters or general audience clarity?

I love Darth Maul but I'm having a tough time with how much content I need to watch before this series Laura Hammer. I hadn't had a chance to catch up with "Rebels" where his character had a clear ending, so inserting this series into that timeline is a bit confusing. I could be off in that timeline but that was the gist I got when I started this one.

Leonardo Ramirez I hear you! I feel like I need to re-watch everything!

Good idea. BTS content is useful for showing process!

Sam Rivera Exactly, plus it'll help with visibility as well.

The camera angles and facial expressions I'd say is the most important part.

What makes me excited is seeing how a scene will cut together as well as camera angles and clear staging catch my eye!

I love the storyboards from Christopher Nolan's Tenet, those are interesting ones to look at , they're included with the screenplay which you can buy online, I would suggest you take a look at that.

I agree with everyone here, camera angle and facial an body expresion.

I personally like a well thought out storyboard with color, characters, and camera angles. The more detail, the better.