Ok… Here are the very rough storyboards for Rock Paper Scissors. I’m no Picasso, but the gist of the story is in place. Next I fill in the holes and make an animatic…
| 1.1. |
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| Crunch! | ||
| 1.2. |
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| 1.3. |
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| Paper inspects a pile of rocks. | ||
| 2.1. |
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| Jumps up. | ||
| 2.2. |
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| Celebrates. | ||
| 3.1. |
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| Paper hears a metalic sound (OS). | ||
| 3.2. |
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| Turns to see Scissors. Runs. | ||
| 3.3. |
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| Scissors chases after Paper. | ||
| 3.4. |
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| Pounces. | ||
| 3.5. |
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| Scissors slices Paper to bits. | ||
| 3.6. |
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| Paper falls like confetti. | ||
| 4.1. |
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| Scissors inspects pile of paper. | ||
| 5.1. |
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| Jumps up. | ||
| 5.2. |
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| Celebrates. | ||
| 6.1. |
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| Hears a rumbling (OS). | ||
| 6.2. |
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| Turns to see Rock. Runs. | ||
| 6.3. |
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| Rock chases Scissors. | ||
| 6.4. |
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| Rock pounces. | ||
| 6.5. |
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| Rock bashes Scissors. | ||
| 7.1. |
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| Rock inspects the pile of twisted metal. | ||
| 8.1. |
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| Rock jumps up. | ||
| 8.2. |
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| Celebrates. | ||
| 9.1. |
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| Rock hears wind (os) | ||
| 9.2. |
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| Turns to see Paper. Runs. | ||
| 9.3. |
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| Paper floats after Rock. | ||
| 9.4. |
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| Paper pounces. | ||
| 9.5. |
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| Paper crunches Rock. | ||
| 9.6. |
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| Pebbles fall. | ||
| 10.1. |
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| Paper inspects rocks. | ||
| 11.1. |
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| Jumps up. | ||
| 11.2. |
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| Pull out as Paper celebrates. Scissors comes and slices him. Then Rock pounds Scissors. Then Paper crushes Rock. | ||
| 11.3. |
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| Faster and faster. Around they go… | ||
| 12.1. |
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| Scissors runs. | ||
| 12.2. |
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| Closes in on Paper. | ||
| 12.3. |
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| It starts to rain. | ||
| 13.1. |
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| Close on Paper running through puddles. | ||
| 13.2. |
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| Stop on a puddle. | ||
| 13.3. |
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| Water emerges from the puddle. | ||
| 14.1. |
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| Water chases after Scissors. | ||
| 14.2. |
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| Scissors sees. Water pounces. Paper keeps going. | ||
| 15.1. |
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| Water attacks. | ||
| 16.1. |
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| Scissors slices back, but it has no effect. | ||
| 16.2. |
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| The rain stops. Scissors is rusted. | ||
| 16.3. |
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| Water subsides. | ||
| 16.4. |
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| Paper comes back. | ||
| 17.1. |
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| Tests that Scissors is really rusted. | ||
| 18.1. |
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| Small celebration. Paper runs away… | ||
| 19.1. |
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| Paper floats along. | ||
| 19.2. |
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| Closes in on Rock. | ||
| 19.3. |
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| It starts to rain. | ||
| 19.4. |
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| Water comes up. | ||
| 19.5. |
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| Paper sees. Water pounces. Rock keeps going. | ||
| 20.1. |
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| Water attacks. | ||
| 21.1. |
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| Paper’s covered with Water. | ||
| 21.2. |
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| Paper tries to crush Water. | ||
| 21.3. |
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| But Water squishes out. | ||
| 22.1. |
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| Paper dissolves. Rain stops. | ||
| 22.2. |
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| Water subsides. | ||
| 22.3. |
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| Rock comes back. | ||
| 23.1. |
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| Checks that Paper is really dissolved. | ||
| 24.1. |
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| Small celebration. Rock runs off. | ||
| 25.1. |
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| Ruck runs. | ||
| 25.2. |
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| Closes in on Scissors. | ||
| 25.3. |
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| It rains. Water comes up. | ||
| 25.4. |
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| Water pounces. Scissors runs on. | ||
| 26.1. |
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| 27.1. |
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| Water covers Rock. | ||
| 27.2. |
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| Rock smashes back, but it has no effect. | ||
| 27.3. |
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| Water rises. | ||
| 27.4. |
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| 27.5. |
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| 27.6. |
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| 27.7. |
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| Water subsides. | ||
| 27.8. |
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| There’s nothing left. | ||
| 27.9. |
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| Scissors comes back. | ||
| 27.10. |
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| Shrugs and leaves. | ||
| 28.1. |
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| All three chasing in their infinate loop. | ||
| 28.2. |
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| Rain starts. Water rises. | ||
| 28.3. |
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| 28.4. |
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| 28.5. |
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| 28.6. |
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| Water subsides. | ||
| 28.7. |
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| 28.8. |
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| 28.9. |
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| They’re all gone. | ||
| 29.1. |
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| Rock runs by. | ||
| 29.2. |
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| Then Paper. | ||
| 29.3. |
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| Then Scissors. | ||
| 30.1. |
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| All three in their infinate loop. But they don’t catch each other, only run. | ||
| 30.2. |
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| It starts to rain. | ||
| 30.3. |
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| They slow then stop. | ||
| 30.4. |
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| Push in as they move closer. | ||
| 31.1. |
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| Paper approaches Rock. | ||
| 31.2. |
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| Rock makes a spark. | ||
| 32.1. |
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| Close on Rock making spark. Paper puts hand in. | ||
| 32.2. |
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| After a couple of tries, Paper catches on fire. | ||
| 33.1. |
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| Scissors approaches Paper. | ||
| 33.2. |
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| Puts his hand into the flame. Turns red hot. | ||
| 34.1. |
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| They climb on Rock’s shoulders. | ||
| 35.1. |
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| Water wells up. | ||
| 35.2. |
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| They fight. Scissors slices through water with a hissing sound. | ||
| 35.3. |
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| More fighting as the water rises. | ||
| 35.4. |
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| 35.5. |
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| 35.6. |
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| 35.7. |
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| Just when the fire is about to go out, Scissors delivers the last blow to Water. | ||
| 35.8. |
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| Water subsides. No more Water. | ||
| 35.9. |
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| Celebrate. | ||
| 36.1. |
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| Scissors and Paper jump down from Rock. | ||
| 36.2. |
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| A tiny bit of flame jumps off of Paper. | ||
| 36.3. |
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| Fire wells up. | ||
| 36.4. |
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| The three run away from Fire. | ||
Thanks to Ralph Ambrose for pointing out a few typos…
Looks interesting man. Will you need any voice over work for this? I have been getting my feet wet in the industry and would love to help any way I can. I have a home studio.
Sorry, Brady, no dialogue in this one.
They’re funny looking, running stick figures. Almost Picasso…
This “Open Source” Screen-writing project is very cool! Thanks for sharing this with us all, especially in the draft stages. The writing book I learned the most from presented some successful novels in their draft stage as well as their final stage- I had to read a few of those novels just before reading that book. Anyway, it’s not easy to put stuff out there that’s not necessarily the finished product.
I like the way you personified the “five elements”: rock/paper/scissors/water/fire. I hadn’t seen them as so anthropomorphic when I read the script, but really I like it!
It may just be how things are laid out in the story board (which probably isn’t a very accurate indication of actual scene duration) but the bits with water started to feel like they were dragging out (12.3 – 30.3). But, I’m not used to looking at story boards. . . It’s not a comic book. I think you’re portraying that water initially divides and conquers them individually, until they stand united and enlist the help of fire, and that takes a lot of images that might flow pretty quickly on screen. (I look forward to the animatic you mentioned to get a feel for the pacing).
I did imagine more steam, however, and maybe the first appearance of fire on paper being almost consumed by water and the water boiling and bubbling, almost smothering, until the steam evaporates enough away and the water subsides.
Cheers! Ralph
Good stuff Ralph,
The experiment here is to debunk the idea that you have to be secretive when creating stuff. I’m going the other way with this. Trying to be as open as possible, taking in ideas and criticism along the way.
One thing that’s really interesting to me is the disconnect between the script and the boards (and the animatic and the completed animation…) When the script puts one image in your head and the boards show another, I want to hear about that because it can help me make my writing more specific, or turn the project in a direction I hadn’t planned.
Re. pacing. That’s always the problem with bards. You need more panels to depict complicated action even if it flies by. The animatic should help.
The idea is that they almost get consumed by water during the fight. Rock is submerged and at the end, only a tiny bit of Paper is left lit, just enough to let Scissors deliver the last blow.
And adding Steam is a great idea. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to implement it given the style I have in mind for the animation, but maybe Steam rises up and helps our guys against Water. Or he helps Water against our guys…
Have to think on that.
Thanks again,
James
Hi
Very nice and intrestingss story.