[Figure 2] Storyboards for CG animation shots SF-02 and SF-03.

The Goal of the Shot
To begin any shot, the TD first needs a clear understanding of the goal for a shot and how it fits in with the surrounding shots. The storyboards offer a good starting point for obtaining a general idea of the story points and how they cut with each other. With the project for this book, called ISF (Inspired Short Film is the not-so-great working title), discussions were conducted early in the process regarding the story and the creation of the artwork. Once the story was ironed out and the script was created, storyboards were drawn to help with visualization (see Figures 1 and 2). Artwork used as a reference is usually discussed with the supervisor or the person in charge of the artistic direction during the shot production. The supervisor acts as a go-between for the original creators of the artwork and the people working on the shots. Because each of the participants in ISF was actively involved in the storyboarding process, there was no need for such a middleman. Storyboards offer a good starting point, and they are valuable to look back on at times as a reminder of the story’s intent. They are simply guides, though, and things can change as the shots develop and detail is added.

In an effects facility, a storyboard for a shot is usually accompanied by a chart providing many other useful bits of information. Because the ISF production was small, each of the participants involved was responsible for recording and maintaining this information during the course of the project. An online database was created, and each of us made updates and changes as the project progressed. Through e-mail, each member of the group was notified of every change, and all messages were stored for future reference if necessary. The pipeline for ISF required the ability to send large images and scene files back and forth among the participants on the project. Using this workflow, the requirements for the lighting and compositing were established.

Shots in Context
The surrounding shots and the story are important aspects to the goal of the shot. Familiarization with the sequence and how the shots cut together is useful both for establishing continuity and for understanding the major points of interest. The scenes depicted in the storyboard drawings of Figure 1 cut directly together. On the left is an opening shot establishing the scene in a workplace of cubicles. As the first shot in the sequence (labeled SF-00), it sets up the mood for the shots to follow. Shots in a digital production require names, and a common format is a two-letter abbreviation representing the sequence name (in this case, Short Film), and a two-digit number, representing the shot number in the sequence. Shot SF-01, depicted on the right of Figure 1, represents the interior of one of these cubicles and our hero stretching and yawning. Because these two shots cut together, it is necessary to match the general mood and lighting scheme. They are, however, different camera angles showing different areas of the workplace, so there is some artistic leeway with regard to perfect continuity. Cutting to the third shot in the sequence does not offer this luxury (see Figure 2, left). Shot SF-02, a close-up of the character yawning, requires accurately matching the previous shot’s lighting. The fourth shot in the sequence (see Figure 2, right) shows the character heading back to his chair and settling down to work. Once again, shot SF-03 must maintain the lighting and look of the previous shot due to the similar camera angle on the character in the shot.

The story represented by these boards is that of an energetic computer graphics artist dealing with many of the craft’s frustrating events. The four shots pictured are the opening shots of the short animated piece. They offer insight into the flow of the story and the goals for making each shot fit with those surrounding it. Each of these goals is related to the ultimate vision for the look and feel of the shot. Many opinions are involved in creating and improving the work, but in the end, it is the director’s vision that determines when a shot is ready for a spot in the final product.