Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
shot of the arm and the wristwatch. It is important when your character sees something to
show the audience fi rst, that he is looking at something or in some direction and then what
he sees. If the audience does not see what the character has seen it will not know what the
character has experienced. If the audience does not know what the character has experi-
enced, the plot and the audience's identifi cation with the character's emotions may be lost.
The storyboard artist may also want to show us how the character reacts to what he has
seen, so that we understand what the character is thinking and feeling.
Thinking, Deciding, Reaction Shots
While the animator or actor is responsible for the fi nal version of the character's perfor-
mance the storyboard artist initiates it by drawing the iconic poses and facial expressions
that are appropriate for this point in the story. As Barry Cook, Animator, Story Artist,
and Director of Disney's
Mulan
, put it, “I would not advise leaving the acting to the ani-
mators for a simple reason: if it is not clear in boards what your characters are feeling,
the scene will never get to the animators.” If a storyboard were to show a character
looking into an empty room, the following shot could be the character's POV (point of
view) of the empty room. Then the next shot showing a close-up of the character's face
looking confused and thinking, “Why is there no
one here?” This is the reaction shot. Reaction
shots are often overlooked by beginners. Begin-
ning story artists often only show
what
is happen-
ing, the action, and leave out showing the
character's response to what is happening, the
acting. Without the acting you do not have a
dramatic story. You only have a description, a
report. Drama requires emotion.
We need to know what the character thinks and
feels about what she has experienced. The story-
board artist does this by showing the audience
the reaction shot. These reactions reveal our char-
acter's attitude, personality, and motivations, her
internal dialogue and understanding of the situa-
tion. Reaction shots are indispensable to good
storytelling.
Although this image may be a bit corny, it would be
preferable to having no representation of your charac-
ter's mood or state of mind.
