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Pre-production steps

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Pre-production steps

*I posted this in the new member forum-by mistake*

Hi guys, please excuse and endure the intro-- I got a local studio interested in producing a 10min 2D short of mine if i have all the pre-prod work done.Me being only a writer, and this being my first foray into the animated world, I'm limited in my knowledge of the process (onl;ine and book research I've been doing myself).

In short, what i need is a clear step-by-step, detailed breakdown of the pre-production steps and their definition of making a 2D animated movie once you have the completed script.

Say for live-action it'd be like: Script -- Breakdown (A scene-by-scene analysis of cast, props, location, etc present/needed in a script) -- budget ( An estimate of cost to produce the movie) and so on and so forth.

I'd really appreciate if you're really detailed ( know i'm asking a lot:); Naturally i'll be hiring pros but i need to know what i need them for, and all the books kinda assume basic knowledge. thanks very much.

Okay, you are looking at a few things here:

For pre-production:
You need a outline/show bible and a final draft script.

You need character, location and prop designs. Pose sheets of the same, plus turnarounds and expression sheets. Mouth charts are needed too if you have dialogue, this is for all speaking characters.
Locations would need at least two views, and props would need images showing their functions, if specific. You'd also need size comparisons as well.
Any special effects animation should have its styling designed at this point as well, so that layout can take its cues from the style.
You also need complete colour models/ colour guide done for all 4 categories. Digital colour will need precise colour chips or palette for painting the animation.
The idea is to idiot-proof the material so that anyone can understand what characters look like, how they generally move, what their general expressions and etotions are, what the settings are, and how props work and are used.

Voice track should be recorded at this point.

Then you need storyboards done for the entire 10 minutes.
Storyboards need all scenes numbered, re-used cited, camera directions shown and labelled, and dialogue labelled.

Then the 'board needs to be slugged (timed out per the entire show, and per scene), and then an animatic shot.
Then the slugging needs to be broken down into sheet timing for the exposure sheets--based on the voice track, and then layout of the individual scenes begun.
Layout must supply key poses and timing charts fo the animation, including any breakdowns of the secondary actions and major inbetweens. Also should have mouth charts and all major lip-synch posed out, so that animation should essentially just use the provided moths and poses.
Layouts can be medium rough-but a sample clean drawing should be provided in every scene to give animation an idea of the line quality called for.

While Layout is commencing, background painting should be undertaken.

This so that all the studio has to do is supply animation key poses, clean-up and in betweens--and whatever post-production services they agree to.

Budget to get it to this point:you'd probably be looking at around $50,000 to $60,000 minimum.

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

Nice post.There are 5 Steps to Pre-production.These are:]
1.Cast actors
2.Scout locations
3.Work up a budget
4.Write a shooting script
5.Make a shooting schedule
Thanks for sharing this useful information with us.keep up posting.:):)

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scout locations??? where do we send the scouts inside the concept artists head.....Inner Space is about due a remake.

websiteEzromation blog/doodlesDeranged Scratchings

Nice post.There are 5 Steps to Pre-production.These are:]
1.Cast actors
2.Scout locations
3.Work up a budget
4.Write a shooting script
5.Make a shooting schedule
Thanks for sharing this useful information with us.keep up posting.:):)

________________
SEO Services

Um... o.k........

Yeah, I just recruited Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins and Sigourney Weaver for that thing I'm planning. They're happy to sit around the water cooler while I look at fun places. Who knows, travelling the world might give me the odd idea or two about how to pay them and what script to write. I just hope the water lasts another four months because the refill container is in the basement and the light's on the fritz down there. Ah well, I left them a note.

Yeah, I just recruited Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins and Sigourney Weaver

See this is where people are going wrong today.....and I dont know how many times I've had to bring this up, you have to use ashton kutcher. The three laws of animation are:

ashton kutcher

ashton kutcher

ashton kutcher

now weve cleared that up it's woth mentioning ashton kutcher prefers carbonated water. Ok we're ready to start production.:cool:

websiteEzromation blog/doodlesDeranged Scratchings

See this is where people are going wrong today.....and I dont know how many times I've had to bring this up, you have to use ashton kutcher. The three laws of animation are:

ashton kutcher

ashton kutcher

ashton kutcher

now weve cleared that up it's woth mentioning ashton kutcher prefers carbonated water. Ok we're ready to start production.:cool:

Him, really? What about Ben Stiller?

Here's a very good book that you may think about buying or getting hold of in someway. If you are wanting
knowledge about the animation industry it gives a great overview of the processes involved in developing a project from concept to final completion.

The book in question is Producing Animation by Catherine Winder & Zahra Dowlatabadi. Publisher is Focal Press.

Here is the link to the book at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Producing-Animation-Focal-Visual-Effects/dp/0240804120/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257414653&sr=1-1

Good luck with the project.