Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Exercise:
The Captain
was written for a group project. If you were working alone, how
could you condense the role of the coach into the character of Max? How could you alter
what Max says to serve the same purpose?
Exercise: On fi rst read,
The Captain
would appear to be better for live action than for ani-
mation. Brainstorm visuals that would make animation the necessary medium for this story.
Summary
Dialogue serves the following purposes:
Sets the mood of the piece
Reveals the character
Drives the plot forward
Drives the resolution
Creates subtext
There are two things to watch out for when you use narration:
It can interrupt the story and break the fl ow of your piece.
It is easy to “illustrate” the narration rather than create unique visuals with meaning of
their own.
Music and sound need to be treated as supporting characters to the story.
Too often new animators use music and sound as fi ller instead of carefully building
sound and music to support the content and rising confl ict of the piece.
Often animated shorts do not have dialogue. There are times when your characters have to
speak in order to be truthful to the story. Understanding how dialogue functions allows you,
as a storyteller, to use it well.
Recommended Readings
1. Linda Seger,
Creating Unforgettable Characters
, Chapter 1: Writing Dialogue.
2. Will Eisner,
Graphic Storytelling.
3. Gloria Kempton,
Dialogue: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Effective Dialogue
.
4. Robin Beauchamp,
Designing Sound for Animation
.
Notes
The purpose of dialogue in this chapter comes from a condensation of the sources above coupled with
experience working with beginning animators to develop story. It doesn't cover everything about dialogue,
but provides the basics necessary to begin. Use the sources above if you fi nd you need to go deeper.
