Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Props give us important information about time period, geography, character per-
sonality, and history. If a piece is set in the present, props become especially
important, providing specifi c and unique information about the character and space
that distinguishes them from the rest of modern society.
Space.
Space is the empty area in a set that must be big enough for the characters
to do what they need to do. Whether this is a claustrophobic interior or a vast expan-
sive exterior, the design of the space should direct the viewer to the important action
in the scene. Therefore, great care needs to be taken to analyze the action and
compose the props in such a way that they do not visually interfere with the action
and so that they are where they need to be when the character needs to use them.
Look at the space in the design on page 115. In this story, the animator needs to
move from his desk toward the entrance to his cubicle. As the entrance is blocked by
his chair, he tries to climb the bookcase as an alternate route of escape. He is pulled
off the bookcase and forced back to work at his computer. The space is designed with
a direct route from the chair to the door. The desk is placed against the far wall of
the cubicle. The character simply needs to turn his chair around and head for the
entrance. When the entrance is blocked, the bookcase is to the left of the character
so he can turn and begin to climb. There is, then, the same direct route back to the
computer from the bookcase, allowing for maximum action, minimum interference from
other furniture, and minimum movement of the camera.
Imagine the difference if the desk was turned around facing the entrance and if the
bookcase was located behind the desk on the far back wall. The space would require
