I've tried a number of times to start storyboarding my flick...should be a good fit...me, latterly an animation person...storyboarding... A good storyboard would be a plus for any future pitch; but as you should know by now I've developed an allergy to deconstructing films into millions of little drawings...Gee, can't think why!
I'm also off-put by the trend which has developed over the last couple of decades which has become the industry standard to 'board everything with perfect sketches that look like panels from a graphic novel...thanks for raising the bar @$#*-wits!
On the one hand, this has the advantage of allowing the storyboard artist to direct the film...which is fine if he/she actually is directing the film...on the other hand it could potentially lock the shot or sequence in people's heads, stifling that impromptu ad lib inventiveness that can give rise to more interesting solutions.
Even in traditional animation; which never goes beyond being anything more than a drawing, simple sequences were often only storyboarded as rough thumbnails...which was more than sufficient.
In a live action shoot, particularly on location, outside of a controlled studio set up, a zillion variables will inevitably arise on the day and have to be dealt with to get something in the can. A storyboard is of course helpful, but not an end in itself, and needn't be treated as such.
O.K,. enough excuses. I've given a lot of thought to trying to shoot a few scenes to try to drum up some interest. I don't think anything is worth doing unless it can be done properly. You're better off not making a movie at all than making a bad one (hence this Blog!, which I realize is pretty crappy but not widely known)...a bad film is to a hopeful filmmaker what bad architecture is to an architect...you really don't want to get stuck with something that conspicuous.
What can I realistically shoot within my no budget; no real location; full body cast constraints?...well quite a bit perhaps...
The location requirements of Manila Envelope are, I feel, pretty flexible.
Much of the action is set in Makati; the modern business district of Manila. High rise office blocks look the same everywhere...as do large scale animation studios, Pizza Huts, McDonald's and mid range studio apartments.
haven't got time to finish this entry right now...
Sets appeal...
This is a photo-collage of a 1:50 scale model for a set of the first class cabin on a 747 (I designed and constructed the left hand wall floor and bulkhead from photo reference gleaned from the Internet)
Early in Manila Envelope we see our protagonist flying to Manila Mabuhay Class on Philippine Airlines...it just might be possible to shoot part of this seq. as a teaser...also test out some green screen...the idea is to reveal this grand beginning, travelling in opulent luxury; the protagonist will be awakened from a preceding dream sequence and be served breakfast. During this montage we will see a contemporaneous Pop video on the video projector at the front of the cabin...ideally a remake of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by a Filipina pop star. This is all MOS under the waltz from Coppelia.
Gringo's Digs
The protagonist's flat (1:50 scale) seen from off the balcony...
The protagonist's flat minus a few wild walls...sorry about the pix, my crappy digital camera died...I think I'll buy a new one today...
P.S. 07/07/07
Didn't buy a new camera yet.
I've seldom had access to a decent camera when I needed one...nice as it was; and seemingly very high tech at the time, I only shot a few pix with my SX-70 when I was in Manila...below is the view from that balcony modelled above...
