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Yet they've left out my simple goatee... as with all of the others.
Right.. especially when it come to reviews and the like. People tend to write from the heart. I know I do. It often gets me into a place I didn't intend - words came out wrong.
Accept every 'truth' in your own way. Even if someone points out a truth about something and applies a negativity around it... try not to let 'that' person's 'truth' become yours if it wasn't already. We get that a lot here in the Carrara forums.
"The Carrara Vertex Modeler sucks"
While that might be true for the author of that quote, it's not at all a True statement for all. Especially not for me. I love the Carrara Vertex Modeler!
"I tried Carrara and find it doesn't behave for me - back to DS for me!"
That is the same as the earlier quote. Not enough patience, practice or experience. Not enough soaking in what others might teach. While it may very wel be considered "True" for the author, it's not an actual True Statement - as with my examples from someone whose read "Save the Cat", which is an extraordinary piece of writing, and should not be avoided due to a bummer of a review.
Some folks just thrive on negativity - which is fine, I guess. Just beware to not let too much of their truths soak into yourself - or you might never get anywhere. Negaitivity pulls back, while Positivity pushes forward... always remember that! ;)
Dart here is a link to a free script writing software I had down loaded a while ago and it looks simple enough to use and auto formats as you go.
https://www.celtx.com/index.html
As suggested by my Intro to Screewriting class, I'm taking some time to watch some movies that I really like - and in doing so, watch for how the structure works to capture the audience.
Yesterday was "Supernova", a movie I haven't seen since it came out on DVD, and it follows fairly strictly to the three-act format. Very nice! I was certainly captivated by the pacing of it all!
Right now I'm starting "Fifth Element"! This one has a second Bonus DVD, which I'll likely watch afterwards! ;)
Thanks! You must have posted that while I was writing my last post!
Just got done with 5th Element and all of the Bonus material. That moovie is SO GOOD that I almost forgot to pay attention to my assignment entirely! LOL
Really cool how we start off - live as usual. Friendly aliens show up and turn on a catalyst for the future - 300 years into the future!
We get to the future and it's live as usual except for this unidentified... thing coming s l o w l y toward Earth - or at least invading on the Federated Territories. The fuel of the catalyst. The fuel is lit by our own obsession to attack the unknown.
Meanwhile, it's life as usual for our protagonist - Corbin Dallas.
ACT 1 (in the Character-Driven Three-Act Structure - the most Popular structure of Hollywood Films) should always begin with "life as usual" - if even only for a moment. This does that nicely across sevral fronts, as I've described above. Some BIG EVENT then comes along and sparks off the beginning of ACT 2.
I really love how Luc Besson (Writer/Screenplay/Director) engulfs us in a torrent of chaos for his BIG EVENT, rather than just having one sole spark.
Some folks - especially a few classmates in my last course - loathe the idea of following a popular structure or format, thinking (wrongly) that it must tie us to a certain way of writing. The panel in the course, I thought, did a great job of showing how we use our creativity to mask the structure. David Trottier gives many tools in this regard in his Bible. We should (as I've made many attempts to illustrate to my felow classmates) always remember that this popular structure is an excellent method for helping us to pace our creations to a specific length of time, while also helping us to realize what all needs to happen during that time - but without those "needs" having to be any particular thing described by the structure - that part is up to us... the authors!
What I'm basically saying is that we should always know to write from our hearts - as we always should. Never try and hold back that by worrying about spelling, grammar, structure, whatever... just this: when our hearts tell us to write (our deep imagination drives an idea), don't hesitate. Write it down Now! Write how we like - write what we like. Write whenever we can - whenever our imagination sparks!
The Character-Driven Three-Act Structure is a tool for taking our writings into a format that works for mass audiences over a specific period of time. It's basically there to help us finish our complete work within that time, making sure that we hit all of the necessary bases that common audiences Need to feel fulfilled by the end.
Yeah, we can break away into other methods and structures. Go on... be a rebel! That might not be the best move if 'Selling your Script' is the goal, but hey... it's your time.
Many Screenwriters have deviated from this structure and made good. I'm not trying to deter anyone from trying. I'm actually not trying to deter anyone from anything. But I am trying to offer the idea that someone whom enjoys writing stories could make a fine living selling their work as Screenplays by finding imaginative ways to work their stories into such a successful structure and using the appropriate format.
Many of the folks whom would be the buyers won't even look at it if it's not in the expected format. If the structure is deviated in an all too obvious way, it might hit the trash can fast too. The Screenwriter's Bible does a beautiful job of teaching us how we can have a lot of fun working within this most popular structure, format it correctly, create a good pitch for selling it, and offering advice on how to get it sold... so there's that.
Trottier's advice on formatting is awesome. I won't really need any form of automated processing, but I do appreciate the thoughtful gift!
I'm starting to try and stay away from things that I can acquire for free as long as I give them my e-mail. My e-mail is already getting too full for me to even catch important news from my Dad... and that's a Bad thing in my world! ;)
It also looks like it's meant to help a Team or Teams work together within a particular format or structure... which is really cool. Valuable for teams to have such a thing.
I'm good though. With David's advice and lessons, I'm learning that it's really easy to do this all by hand - which also gets me even more in touch with my work. The more times we have to re-read our work, restructure it, describe it in four paragraphs, try and sell it to ourselves, rewrite it in outline format, ask a bunch of qualifying questions about it, etc., the more we actually 'feel' its contents. That statement, of course, does not come from any of my recent learning directly - just an observation I'm making on my own.
As much as I really loved Michael Lengsfield's teachings in his Intro course, taking a short 2 weeks, the Bible takes a less 'Intro' approach - actually taking on more of a 'full experience' approach, which gets more in depth through every aspect - which, for me, makes it a lot easier to grasp the concepts.
Anyways, I'm actually really enjoying the hands-on writing and formatting (well... haven't started formatting yet) and structuring my story into shape. So far I'm doing all of that part on paper. I find it easy to put an eye-catching mark saying (Jump to Page____) when I need an insert. That's why I'm happy to restructure as well - since I have to anyways!
So for my writing, I just go. I'll fit everything where it needs to go in my next step - when I create the (preliminary) structure.
For this first episode, like I might have said earlier, I'm hoping to just be done with the story... well... now. I've already noticed some spots that must change at least slightly, but that's okay. I'm still going ahead with the conceptual art, writing the final script (so I can get the voices recorded), and getting the sets ready.
I'm also already doing some animation rendering - stuff that doesn't rely on lip-sync dialog.
Thanks Chickenman, I've boomarked it for now. Thinking about getting the Pro version at $16.58 annually then cancelling it to renew if I'm not that impressed with it.
I've recently watched some DVDs... The Incredibles and Kill Bill P1 and P2 are both good examples for both Animation and Live Action films. A lot can be had from any DVD which also has a bonus DVD or even bonus features of the main DVD. What I had thought about earlier is the Director's commentary or any other commentary. I'll listen to those as some offer good insight into different aspects of the filmmaking process... why they did this... why they cut things out. I'll usually listen to those when trying to fall asleep but the really good ones keep me awake until I've heard them all the way through. I'll have to grab Fifth Element and LOR off the shelf and watch again.
I thank Pjotter and Dartanbeck for taking me from "I what to someday" to "I will".
Yes... I too want to thank chickenman for the excellent link. I hope I didn't sound ungrateful before. I do have it bookmarked and will certainly look at it if I go digital with my script work. For now it's all on paper.
I'd also like to - once again - thank Pjotter for the same reason as this:
Man, wgdjohn, that's why I keep writing in here. It's so easy to fall into the trap that I did - constantly working on "prep" so much that, until Pjotter gave me this incredibly worded nudge, I'd likely just keep on experimenting, prepping, adding more stuff to my browser with what seems in my mind to be a direction, but no 'real' story to follow - making a lot of it just added weight.
Well I 'know' that I can do this now... so why continue prepping without purpose?
Pjotter comes in and ramps me up.
I cannot say enough how excellent of a teacher he is for doing just that - he asked what I was stuck on... I told him... he sent me after 'books', for example, "Save the Cat", which led me to "Screenwriter's Bible", which sounds very similar to how Save the Cat works - so I'm hoping to grab that one too. Improving upon story-writing skills is something I never want to stop studying - for the rest of my days! And I'm hoping to have thousands of those left! LOL
So on that note, I cannot sat enough praise for David Trottier's teaching methods in The Screenwriter's Bible.
He brings up examples for Incredibles (a movie I absolutely adore!) and many, many others.
For me, he teaches. Not going on about "You can do it!" and other "Emphasis on Willpower" type "Go for It"'s I just don't want or need that kind of book.
This one is more "This is how to write, format and sell your screenplay". Someone like me, who's not yet really a writer, can pick up this book, read it from cover to cover, and become a professional screenplay writer for Hollywood, or take a different route and format on our own for more 'specialty houses' - and there's a lot of that in this world too. It's not all about 'selling to Hollywood'. Sometimes it's just all about an individual whom wishes to complete a project of their own - like me!
I personally find the Hollywood Script route being exactly the kind of writing I'm looking for. Beginning, middle and end - with powerful enough value for sequels. My whole production is based upon sequels. Not incomplete projects linked together either. I want each episode to be able to stand on their own - I just wat to make a LOT of them. Rate myself as I improve or decline.
WGDJohn, I know that I don't always express that I agree with you on some things. Please don't take that to mean that I don't appreciate the input. Same with you, chickenman. Sometimes we just have different opinions because our projects are set up differently, or we just keep enough of our workflows private, that the entire process is not easily read within this forum. But I really do love and appreciate everything that you guys say - I read and think about all of it - even if I've already expressed a negative response to it. Sometimes it's just a mood that I'm in at the time! LOL Please forgive me if I ever sound offensive - I consider you all to be dear friends!
Yes WGDJohn,
I watch a LOT of "Behind the Scenes" footage. It's my favorite thing to watch beside Phil's educational courses mixed with a bit of Mike Moir! I've also watched pretty much the whole collection of HitFilm tutorials from their official YouTube channel, as well as those from Eyeon Software (now defunct) on Fusion.
Lately, besides working me arse of with stone, I've been a big sponge, soaking up and trying to retain an awful lot of knowledge about this whole movie-making process that never occurred to me to learn before. I always watched those Bonus Footage discs, and thought I had a good handle on doing all of this - I was pretty far from the mark on that - for none of them actually share their biggest secrets - the actual creating of the screenplay.
Some of that is actually covered pretty well in the Clone Wars Featurettes that I link to all the time: Clone Wars Inspiration YouTube Playlist
Now that I'm learning screewriting from a professional, a lot more of what they say regarding their story methods is making a lot more sense to me! Lucas Film, even since Disney bought them, are still being fairly agressive at wanting to openly teach their craft to the masses - in the hopes that many of them will join in the millions of applications they must get - but they're always sharing and asking to see Fan-Made work with the possibility of getting a job within any number of their teams. Pretty cool!
Here is a scene I've started creating for my first episode. Without giving any of my story away, I can at least mention that this place is based upon, and looks an awful lot like the place where I first asked my Rose to "Be Mine"... and she said "Okayyyyy", which threw my mind for a spin. I was just on my way back to start setting up my drums.
Really cool: The ceiling 'can' lights share a shading domain with many other elements in the building structure - so it wasn't as easy as just applying a glowing shader to them. I've already spent a bunch of time making those spot lights, which have one just at the height of the ceiling, and one straight up from that into the ceiling which has the light cone effect - I recess them into the ceiling so that the vertex of the cone isn't visible.
Anyways, none of those lights were lighting up those ceiling cans! It looked odd having them dark... really odd!
I decided to try a quick trick that I've never actually done before - words from evilproducer ringing through my head at the time... I used the Light Sphere effect on the ones that were already recessed - creating the cones (which are also using a gel to create volumetric fog within the cone effect) - and just increased the radius to suit - altering the radius from light to light to add a little variance to them. Not all lights should created equal, after all.
I still have about an hour of work to do on the lighting and another hour on the shaders - roughly. Then I can fill it with life.
Oh... and I didn't use any post work on this set - though most everything will recieve a bit of work after the animations are rendered. A lot of little moving effects to just add living motion to CG - and techniques to help remove the CGness of it all - even though it'll be an entirely CG movie! LOL
I just want to put a lot of my new knowledge to use and have some fun with all of this! ;) And I am having an awful lot of fun so far!
Rather than using physics, I've made some morphs for the Billiard balls on the table. One morph starts the 'break' with a couple other morphs which create the resulting break - and they all (including the cue ball break morph) work nicely together to create various effects for the break. Then I have a duplicate copy of the balls themselves, deleted a few of them, shuffled them around a bit on the table, and created a seven morph sequence of a player shooting a combination shot - seven in the side pocket. The first one is just the cue ball, the second includes motion for the ball it hits, as well as the continuing angle of the cue ball, the next puts three balls in motion, and so on. The final one brings all balls slowly to their stop as the seven sinks neatly down the pocket! It's so freaking cool seeing it work!
Ahhhh but it'll likely end up laying on the cutting room floor in the end! LOL Kidding. It's nice to have some 'real' background action going on - even if it barely graces the frame. I like to add life to my scenes. Life in motion. The smoky atmosphere of the place is also animated. The sign will aslo flicker slightly - it's neon and currently not glowing as I haven't touched its shader yet.
You are definitely Rock'in it now. Wow! ... Waay cool even in it's infancy... won't be long before it's grown up.
I wached that movie at least 20 times (as I did SUNSHINE , anothoer inspirational gem), can't believe you are waching it now, I guess, better late than never ...
Danny Boyle and Luc Besson are my two very favorite directors
There is another very good book. Didn't think about it. "Your screenplay sucks!" Also a must have.
Dart - great looking set, the lighting effects are fantastic!
The stage lights in my sig are using Light Spheres - it's a cool effect :)
That is looking so awesome!!
So, ummm...will there be a drum kit on that stage?
Amazing set. Wonderful atmosphere. You should make an Iray/Studio version to help pay for your productions.
No... I picked this to watch from my library. I've watched this movie over and over and over and over! This time I was trying to watch it for a script-structure assignment instead of just, well... because I loive watching this movie. 20 times? I think I might have you beat! ;)
Gotcha! Will do! David is also suggesting some optional books to grab as well... I love books! ;) Thanks! Do you have Save the Cat? want that one too - for added reinforcement.
Thanks! I'm quite addicted to trying new ideas for gels to be used as volumetric light fog... so fun!
Yes! ...and evilproducer is always saying how powful a tool it is - and reprimands those who complain that "we can't enable Carrara lights to be Visible" in that they've yet to explore all of their options! LOL I Love evilproducer! He's so... well... Evil! LOL
Yes! My drum set! ;)
It's not mine. It's a couple of products kit-bashed from 3-D-C from Rendo. His 2260 bar and Rock Bar kits (older stuff)
But thanks ;)
Thanks WGD John! Yeah... once the initial ball is rooling, scene saved to the browser, it all finishes off pretty quickly after that. There might be a few subtle tweaks to be made once the (fussy) actors are bought in, but that's just to be expected! :D
Yup... gonna be wanting to check this out after all! LOL
Yikes!
I just watched John Carter again. I've seen it a couple of times before. Loved it then... love it now. Why do movies have to make me cry, yell, and applaud? Well, I guess that's the sign of a good story, right?
The problem is... I forgot to watch it objectively - folllowing my assignment. But wait... no problem at all... I've seen it - it's fresh.
Spoiler Alert - if you haven't seen John Carter, don't read any further - for your own sake.
I'm not entirley sure that I have a full understanding of the catalyst yet. To me, John Carter's catalyst must be when the Colonel gets shot.
The goal is the cave of gold. Or so we're led to believe.
The Big Event is when he repeats: "Barsoom" with the device in his hand.
Grand list of opposition throughout. What a wonderful story this is.
Crisis being sent back to Jarsoom (Earth) just after throwing his talisman away - stuck on Earth, just after marrying a Martian... not cool!
Showdown being when Ned goes out to check to see if John's body has been killed, being trapped, setting the trap for John - whom prevails and gets to go home to his Wife - changing his life (and Ned's, and everyone on Mars) forever!
I'll go through the first book of The Screenwriter's Bible again. read it all over, start to finish. That's this stuff I'm doing above - and it really helps when writing our own stories. Really. It's really beneficial to watch movies that we really like - shows that we want to be similar to - or within the same genre or other similarities. It helps to show how these concepts can help us to set about creating our works.
I've finished Book 1 and Book 2. The thrid book gets into Formatting. Yikes. I'll continue through that because:
That is where this comes in.
I've said earlier that, so far, everything I'm writing is being done by hand on paper - actually by pencil. I like that - it's fun for me to scratch out my thoughts using pencil and paper.
Getting to the third book "Formatting" from The Screenwriter's Bible we're taught in the first page - or is it the preceding page? - that we might want to grab some form of Screenwriting software. If I had my old manual typewriter, I might still go for it on my own - and I may actually go that route some day. My memory tells me how much I loved my old non-electric manual typewriter - but I may be dillusional. I'll get one and find out - but I'm not in a hurry to do so.
Formatting certainly doesn't (I don't think so - yet, at least) require software - but it seems like it might be a lot easier in the long run - less 'particulars' to remember - as the software will assist to let it just flow naturally.
More on that as I tackle it though.
Since I'm not needing to try and impress anyone with my formatting skills, nor will I be trying to sell 'this' script, I'm a bit more eager to pound through what I've just been learning once again to really pound these techniques home. It didn't take long to get through it - and it was very inspiring.
I'll also be looking into grabbing some more books on writing stories, creative writing, perhaps a few others. I'll check my library for some good examples.
Of course, formatting becomes REALLY important if you ever want to interest a film studio in your script. They will expect it to be in a certain format, and it will undermine your chances if it doesn't look and feel "right".
You have to see it in the right context. It is not an animation course you are following. You are not selling a script. It is a one man job, so no need to work with camera crew, lightning experts, actors, costume makers, etc. There is nobody else who needs a script. If your animation shot is wrong, redo it. This is hard for real shots; you have to call in everybody again.
If your head and writings can handdle it, you do not need software in my opinion. If you loose overview you could need it.
And I think you will me more creative if not everything is written down.
I agree, Pjotter. That's what I meant from the start when I mentioned that I won't be needing the software.
PhilW makes a fine point, too, which I've also mentioned in one of my long posts above - I do wish to complete my learning of Screenwriting - though I won't be actually wasting precious time getting heavily into it now.
I'll be learning as I continue reading - which I'm doing mainly to 'know where to go' within the book to get deeper at a later time, should I ever want to.
I do like to jot down notes of "Direction" if specific thoughts come to mind as I'm writing. After all, it's all part of the stuff that we don't want to forget - so we jot it down.