Sorry for the OT post in this forum, but you guys are some of the best around here at composition and overall camera "je ne sais quoi"
Sooooooo hopefully some of you will download this very rough working draft of the 2_10 "Meet the Witch" sequence and give some feeback on the camera placements and movement. I know there are some rough spots in there. I would like some suggestions before I do a second pass at the camera work for this sequence.

http://www.holmesbryant.com/files/am/2_10_...ce_version1.mov (14MB)

I've been having some trouble with this clip playing beyond scene 30, but I've checked and all the frames are there, so maybe my computer is just running out of resources or something by the time it gets to scene 30. Closing the video and starting the playback from scene 30 seems to do the trick for me.

Thanks.

can't play this file - it's looking for 2_10_14-take.mov

it looks like it's assembling a whole lotta takes when invoked from the qt player

Thanks Nancy. While I try to fix the problem, can you try to right click this link and choose "save as" and see if that works for you? Don't know if it will work but it's worth a try.
http://www.holmesbryant.com/files/am/2_10_...ce_version1.mov

OK, try this one. Hopefully everything is embedded in this one.
http://www.holmesbryant.com/files/am/2_10_sequence_v1.mov (30 MB)

Having just worked on storyboards for this sequence using Robert Taylors animatics I'd say you've blocked this one out pretty well. Nice job Holmes.

I'll try to post the first part as soon as possible as it might assist animators as they work these shots.

The song "Lonely" as sung by Mrs Yoop will defintely effect the latter part of this sequence.
As I'm seeing it Mrs Yoop breaks out into song as she introduces herself at 1_10_24.
She's just shrunk down to smallest size she'll be in for the entire sequence and is timid and motherly looking (as much as Mrs Yoop can be that is).

She breaks into song with the occasional objections/reactions of Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Woot accentuating her performance.

My suggestion is that much of the dialogue will be dropped after 1_10_24 and the story will be carried forward by the song as punctuated by the reactions and interjections of our heroes.

Here is a basic breakdown without imagery:

Woot asks, "Are...are you a Witch?"
Mrs Yoop responds, "Why I'm Mrs Yoop, perhaps you've heard of me?"
Our heroes look lost as they realize they haven't
Mrs Yoop doesn't wait for their response.

Cue music.
Mrs Yoop immediately twirls around... changing shape and size... and begins to dance.

Cue Lyrics.

I'm Mrs. Yoop,
And I'm lonely,
I'm lonely since they put my man away, (Introduce large portrait of Mr. Yoop)
Ozma put him in a cage,
Someday she'll feel my rage, (Mrs Yoop changes to noticibly angrier form)
I just want someone to play with... (drawn out last word as camera zooms in on TW, SC and Woot scared senseless)

(Mrs Yoops twirls away and again begins singing)

I'm Mrs. Yoop
And I'm lonely,
For my husband, the giant Mr. Yoop, (Could be gently touching a huge portrait of Mr. Yoop looking at it... then scratches a finger across the painting as she turns back toward our heroes)
Don't call me a witch, (Focuses on Woot)
And don't think I'm a gritch,
This is me and my way. (Dances daintily away)

I'm Mrs. Yoop,
And I'm lonely,
Because I'm a Yookoohoo, (She adjusts a small statuette of a family member or other ornamentary object related to Yookoohoos)
Changing things is what I do,
And I will change you too, (With a POOF Tin Woodman is changed to an owl)
(pause while camera tracks owl)
No matter what you say. (Camera follows tin owl as he perches on chair)

(Scarecrow interjects his objections)
(Mrs Yoop interupts him continuing her song)

I'm Mrs. Yoop,
And I'm lonely,
I stay cooped up in this castle all day, (over acting to stress the point perhaps as seen from strange angle through small window from outside (?))
Won't you be friends,
Until the time it ends,
I have no one here to play with... (words drawn out... face toward camera but eyes shift behind her to our heroes and in particular Scarecrow)

*POOF* Straw Bear is at camera center and exits the scene
Mrs Yoop continues...

I'm Mrs. Yoop,
And I'm lonely,
But I won't be that for long,
You'll be the company I need,
You'll satisfy my greed,
Until Mr. Yoop comes home one day. (Looks lovingly back up at portrait of Mr. Yoop)

Song ends and now she faces a terrified Woot.
Its now uncomfortably quiet.

Mrs Yoop: "Now what to do with you little Cuddle-kins?"
(Thinks for a brief moment)
"I have something very very special in mind for you"
Woot screams.
*POOF*
Enter Green Monkey

Sequence continues

I watched the whole sequence. IMO, you did a good job. You have good choice of staging overall and I see nothing to critique in this regard and not much to suggest. What you did is a very good start and when the decors, animations and lighting will be done, it should be easy to adjust the camera, composition and staging further. I mean, I don't see really dramatic changes from what you did but rather refinement adjustments.

The only thing I found doesn't read well at all is when the 3 characters are lying on the floor. I couldn't make a sense of this situation. Maybe the animation will make it clearer but camerawise, it creates very some odd perspective. The rythm seems rather slow and there are long moments where nothing is happening. I understand this is only rough blocking though so this might not be a relevant observation at this point.

Good work Holmes.

Thanks for the comments Rodney and Yves,

Rodney: Those are great ideas, but have you been talking to Rhett and Martin about your ideas? The reason I ask is that Martin told me Mrs. Yoop would sing her song right after she changes the three into animals, which is pretty late in the sequence. I got the impression I would take your storyboard work and simply insert it into the script that already existed. I didn't get the impression that the existing script would be rewritten to accomodate the song. Please talk to Rhett and Martin and get that all ironed out. It's important that we get on the same page.


Yves, I agree that the whole laying down thing is awkward. The script says the three heroes fall to the ground in terror but then it never says when they get back up. Plus, they are stuck in that narrow corridor and the options for placing the camera are very limited. There is some room for improvement here. But I can't think of any ideas.



Here's the part of the script where they fall to the ground.


2_10_13
MRS. YOOP changes size, shape and appearance at whim.

MRS. YOOP
181-03 Speak!!!

2_10_14
The CHAMBER reverberates with the sound of MRS. YOOP⿿S voice. TIN WOODMAN, SCARECROW, and WOOT fall to the ground, almost insensible with terror.

2_10_15
When the echoes have died away, SCARECROW raises his head, terrified.

SCARECROW
183 W-we d-didn’t know anyone l-lived here, M-Madam, s-so, b-being travelers and strangers in these p-parts, and w-w-wishing to find a p-place for our young c-companion to s-sleep—w-we v-ventured t-to enter your lovely c-c-astle⿦

Rodney convinced me.

OK, I guess I'll redo scenes 27-57. Rodney, please send me your stuff as you complete it.

Will do Holmes.

I'm going to break the storyboard down into two parts.
The first part has almost no suggested changes (I think none) and goes to the point where "Lonely" begins. Its pretty much straight from (it is!) the animatic.

The second part will attempt to break down of the song.

Obviously the second is harder because I'm no Robert Taylor and he wasn't psychic enough to draw that out.
Barring some unforseen event I'll have this completed this weekend.

My goal is not to interfere in any way with the story... the script or what you've blocked out here.
This is impossible of course so bare with me throughout.



I wouldn't redo much.

If anything I'd just concentrate on the settings... the camera placement and where everyone should be in any particular shot... you know... pretty much what you've already got.

I'll try to make the storyboard fit as much into what you have as possible.
What I'm trying to say is don't change anything unless you really feel it needs changing!

I'll post the boards as soon as I can. First one possibly tonight.

As for ideas from anybody...
I'll explore anything that needs exploring as thats what I figure storyboard artists are suppose to do.