Character Design | Week 7: Making a Scene- Storytelling and Staging

Tuesday's character design lecture was on storytelling and staging, and knowing what is key to the story, so we can better communicate with clearer imagery.

This includes things like contrast (silhouettes), space, perspective (the quality of line), and grouping as a  means of drawing readers eyes across the content, and having them 'read' the text in a specific way. 

Additionally, the way you present these images, (constraining them with camera shots), and have them go together in a sequence, can do a lot to change/enforce the existing narrative. 

 Exercise 1: Using a provided fictitious scenario, create 1 or 2 thumbnails staging this action.
My scenario was 'Awkward Date':

Justin's Drawing

Exercise 2: Working on your main project, take todays lecture on storytelling to start mapping out a chosen scenario.
I liked the idea of using the agent's technophobic qualities as the source of humour for the skit. 
This included having him 'succeed' at a particular task/mission, but not in the typically, conventional means. I.e. not knowing how to use a gadget, so throwing it and knocking out the threat instead.
Justin and I discussed this 'threat'. The requirements include 'In HQ', so the scenario would be a 'fake' scenario, testing out the gear. The threat could instead be 'embarrassment' or even the possibility of loosing his license as an 'agent'.
The props and stage buildings could obviously be fake (noting 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' with the fake town for nuclear testing), with ridiculous looking weapons, or water pistols etc.

 I was debating whether to have the props look a lot like the elaborate 'get smart' themed gadgets, with leavers, and buttons etc. However, I thought if he's a technophobe, it could be technology has advanced since to the 21st century. In which case, having a gadget with nothing on it- similar to how some modern tech has unobtrusive 'on buttons' and touch screens etc.
This went full circle, (as I want to be as clear as possible), and I went back to the confusing looking gadget- with dials, levers and buttons all over.