Writing a Script & Storyboard
- Mikey Owen
- Oct 25, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 25, 2024
Now that I've got some concepts and research under my belt, I feel in a good position to start writing a script for my animation.
I'm fully aware this will most likely change several times during the course of production, but it's essential that I have a base in place as soon as possible. This way I'll be able to build my initial storyboard off the back of the script and start honing in on the camera angles & shot types I'll be using. Then once these are in place, I'll know which parts of the environment I'll need to build to be 'camera-ready', and the rest of the animation will snowball from there!
With that in mind, I'll commence the writing of the first draft of the script below.
The Script
The first part of the script I'd like to focus on is the overarching monologue I envision being dictated to the audience over the course of the animation. I like to think of this project as being a tale read by a modern day individual from the written accounts of our plague doctor character. The things said in this monologue will also decide the on-screen events, and the flow of the narrative.
Before I begin writing this monologue, it's also important to note that I'm approaching the script differently this year to how I did in previous years. Previously, I'd have used my time limitation given to me on the brief, or the music a friend had produced, to establish how long the shots would need to be to fit the timings. However, this year I'd like to take a more free-form approach. The narrative will take as long to tell as I need it to, and the music and 'trimming' of the shots will happen as part of post production. With that in mind, the initial wording of the monologue is below:
"Humanity is no stranger to death. We have grown with it. Sunlight withers to give way to the night, but will be reborn anew the following day. With this new pestilence sweeping the southern nations, there will be no rebirth of the light. Only darkness. The great mortality they call it, and now, It has made it's way to our shores...
News had reached us of a Gasconian tradesman who had made port in Melcombe. His visage changing by the day. Now a twisted form, swollen and frail. The very air he breathed fighting to free itself from his damned husk....
It is clear to me as I walk among them, that he does not bear this alone. The people fall to their knees under the weight of their corruption. The smell of decay clings to my lungs like smoke. The plague is here...
The bloated sores of death rise like hillocks across his flesh. Fingers blackened and seeping puss. He knows his judgement is near, it can be seen on his face beneath the grime and dirt....
He begs for me to save him, to save them all, for he knew not what he carried. But he must understand, they all must. Their lives are forfeit. Though they will rise once more, they were lost the instant they fell. The only comfort I can offer, is that I will save their souls..."
Hopefully the above narration will serve the purpose of setting the tone of the narrative, and should complement the onscreen action really well! You'll notice the narration has been split into 5 distinctive paragraphs, this is because these will serve as my 5 key scenes for the animation. I've therefore split the below script into 5 sections as well to mirror the structure of the narration.
Paragraph 1:
Animation fades in from black as narration commences showing a wide establishing shot of a medieval dockyard at night during a rain storm. Slowly pans downwards and zooms in on a large tradeship.
The focus is on one sailor as he carries a large crate of wool off the ship onto the docks. The camera follows him on this journey, starting from behind him as he walks down the ramp and circling round to reveal his tired, sunken face.
The camera switches to the man's point of view as he looks at the sores forming on his hand. A vignette begins to encompass the camera as his vision blurs and he drops the crate to begin a fit of coughing. Camera then fades again to black.
Paragraph 2:
The camera fades back in to reveal a muddy trail on a sunny day with a poor but vibrant looking village on the horizon. Rolling hills make up the majority of the background, with a dense forest nearby. A Figure looms into view with their back to the camera and the depth of field shifts to bring their silhouette into focus. They stop and look for a moment, turning slightly to reveal the long beak of their mask. They then begin walking towards the village.
Camera shifts to a wide shot from the village square as the plague doctor enters the square.
Paragraph 3:
Camera changes to a dutch angle bird's eye view above the figure as they move through the streets. People run past with mutterings of fear, stopping only to look back a moment.
Camera shifts to the view from an alleyway, where a mangled corpse is slumped against the wall with flies circling. The depth of field shifts again to bring the doctor into focus as he walks past the alley.
Camera shifts again to an over the shoulder view of the doctor, following him and moving as he does, looking left and right to see people coughing. A woman falling to the ground as the husband collapses trying to rouse them. The doctor then looks towards the house in the middle of the street.
Paragraph 4:
The camera now sits alongside a man lying in bed in the dim candlelight. Coughing gently to himself. Sores visible all over his arms and neck. With blackened fingers. The depth of field shifts again as the door in the background opens to reveal the silhouette of the doctor as light floods the room.
We cut to a view from an off angle above the man as he turns weakly to the door and the doctor enters the frame to look down upon him.
Paragraph 5:
Camera cuts to a side view of the man's hand being raised weakly towards the doctor off-screen. A moment passes before a sword plunges forward towards the man. The hand hangs for a moment, then falls. Fade to black.
Cut to a view of the front of the house, as the doctor emerges with a cane sword drawn. Screams can be heard throughout the village, the sunny skies have turned to grey and it's raining now. Fires are burning in the background and smoke whips across the camera.
Camera shifts to the doctor's point of view, as figures looming in the distance can be seen out of focus. The camera zooms slightly as they come into focus, revealing a horde of zombies slowly shuffling forwards.
The camera then cuts to a dutch angle front on view of the doctor as he whips back his cloak and reveals an array of weaponry and vials attached to his waist coat. He assumes a battle stance. The camera then zooms quickly onto his eye as the reflection of a zombie lunging forward can be seen and a bead of sweat trickles down his brow. Camera cuts to black as the title card "Yersinia pestis: The Doctor of Dorset" fades in on the screen.
With that, my initial script is finished! I'm incredibly excited about the concept for this animation. I truly feel if I'm able to practically bring my vision to life, this could be an incredibly engaging tale, with cinematography far beyond what I've been able to demonstrate in previous projects!
Storyboard
With a script in place, I can now work on drawing out the panels of a storyboard to present to my lectures as part of my project presentation on the 4th of November.
Using the above bullet points as a base reference for the shots, I've created my storyboard panels which I've compiled into the gallery below: [NOTE: I have deliberately omitted shot timings & camera angles/shot types, as the timings will be based on the narration, and I'd like to complete some refresher research on camera angles/shot types before finalizing these decisions]
Hopefully this storyboard has given a clearer image of my narrative and general aesthetic of the animation. I'm really excited to begin production on my previs as the next step, but as I mentioned in the prior red text, I'd like to complete some additional research on camera shots/angles/movements to really nail down my pre-production.
I also will need to record a draft of my narration to allow me to finalize shot timings, as this will dictate the length of each animation per shot. Without this I'd be unable to complete an accurate previs which I can then build my final animation on.
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