Tuesday 30 September 2008

STORYBOARDS!









This will be the first post of finished storyboards, i'll upload them backwards and add them in order above this post (if that makes sense) So basically to see the zombie action in order start and the bottom and read upwards- click on images to enlarge.

Also some character artwork for the characters in the opening scene above!

Storyboards in this post by Michael Lansdell.

Any one else??

We now have the storyboard team together- 10 of us in total (but if I haven't contacted you today with a blank storyboard template and you want to be involved email me zombie.storyboarding@gmail.com there is still time!) I'm still awaiting confirmation on the script but any time soon your part of the script will arrive in your inbox.......

More news soon!

Monday 29 September 2008

Storyboard examples

Hello, today we should have the final final final script and i'll be emailing all of the storyboard team with a blank storyboard template and their part of the script. If anyone wants to read the full script that should be ok but contact me about that...

Here are some storyboard examples of the kind of thing we should do- in the right hand bit write the script details, any dialogue and key actions and in the boxes on the left draw a simple image of the action. Don't put too much detail in as this is just a tool for filming so we want it to be clear. Any questions contact me! As storyboards are completed I will upload them here (in script order if I can) :o)






Sunday 28 September 2008

......zombies zombie zombies

















Zombie concept art by Grace Burley



























Zombie concept art by Aaron Crowe


























Zombie concept art by Kevin M. Smith

Tuesday 23 September 2008

Characters!!

Here are the summaries I have been sent for the characters and the character designs. We will be adding sketches to the blog as they are received so keep checking!! When doing your storyboards use the descriptions below and the sketches as ideas for your drawings if you like. These designs are to help anyone storyboarding and a bit of fun in creating visuals of the characters and their personalities. If anyone has any designs or concept artwork of the characters or zombies or anything email them to me and I'll add them!! These awesome sketches are by Aaron Crowe, click on them to enlarge. (left images) **UPDATED 28th September with character designs by Kevin M.Smith (right images)**

Zombies!!!!-Like the living but...um...dead. Kind of gross and bloody. Make noises along the lines of "Ughh grrr nghhh arr ugggg hhhhhhhrrrr" Rotten flesh, ripped clothing, vacant expressions-you know, the usual.
























* BEN: (Ben's look is Grungy T-shirt & jeans, but almost borders on shabby-chic)
 Wants to be a creative writer, but has never gotten around to writing his groundbreaking and nobel prize winning novel. He lost his job in an electronics store and is now working as a low-rent web designer/ web admin. That allows him to stay inside all day and not interact with anyone, which has contributed to his withdrawing into the internet.
 Currently down and out but has potential to be successful. Has confidence problems but is also very witty and has a good sense of humor.















* ABBEY: (Abbey's look is arty, trendy and stylish) 
Is a student of fine arts who's passionate in everything she does. She is furious with fellow students who don't take university life seriously and with Ben who can never seem to properly get his arse in gear, neither with her or with life in general. She's level-headed and doesn't give in to pressure easily, but does have a bit of a temper. She has recently started dating Ethan, a more stable kind of guy with a job, a shiny white shirt and slick hair. Abbey likes that Ethan is confident and dependable, but she isn't always pleased with his tendency to be controlling.















* ETHAN: (Ethan's look is stylish, slick, business attire.)
 Is a newly trained and promising real estate agent. He makes steady money because he's a good talker and knows how to convince people of things. An opportunist who sees a chance to gain and grabs it. He feels that discussing what to do is pointless when you could just go bloody do something, and why discuss anyway when everyone knows Ethan is right... right? Very self-confident normally. He's used to being in control of all situations and gets defensive when he's not seen as the leader of a group. Ethan has recently started dating Abbey, a passionate art student who looks very good on his arm. Ethan enjoys the challenge of dating such a passionate woman but isn't always pleased with her tendency to ignore his quite obviously correct directions.















* KELLY: (Kelly's look is feminine, flirty and bright)
Is an old friend of Abbey's and is a girl who's full of life and positivity. Whenever Abbey is fuming over something, Kelly's the one to tell her to look on the bright side of things. She's flirtatious, though she doesn't necessarily mean much by it. She's just very open. When she breaks down, that's a sign things are REALLY not good. She works in a coffee shop in London. Kelly is a people person and works at a coffee shop in London because she enjoys the social interaction and working with the public.














* KAI (aka GUS aka Gustov): (Kai's look is utilitarian, working class, student attire.)
Is a friendly, hard working, college student in Frankfurt Germany who lives with his mother in an outpatient home for elderly people. Enjoys the social aspect of the Internet and uses it as a means to get away from his demanding life of school and chores. He is one of Ben's Internet pals and is friends with Eric and Angela also.








* ERIC: (Eric's look is "I don't care", T-shirt and jeans.)
Is a New Yorker with a loud mouth and attitude to spare. He is very sarcastic and has an edgy "rude American" sense of humor. Eric loves to argue with anyone he can and often finds himself involved in flame wars and controversies on the Internet. He often gets into political and philosophical debates about Liberal causes and conspiracy theories, but his real expertise is in computers and the Internet. Eric is a lazy slob to the extreme who spends much of his time playing games and surfing the net, however, his talents with computers allow him to make a good enough living as a freelance web designer. Eric is Ben’s best friend on the Internet and the two of them talk freely about their lives and also trade tech talk about web design and the Internet. Eric has a strong connection to Angela and is infatuated with her because she challenges him on every topic and isn't afraid of a good argument. Eric and Angela have an unspoken desire to date, but both know its probably impossible because of the distance between them both geographically and ideologically.













* ANGELA: (Angela's look is Texas, tomboy, sports gear.)
Is a college student in AUSTIN TEXAS who lives in an all-girls dorm. She’s a ballsy southern girl who plays softball, loves Jesus, and debates politics for fun. She believes strongly in her Conservative/Republican views and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Angela is one of Ben’s Internet pals. She also has a strong love/hate relationship with Eric because the two of them live to debate each other. Sometimes Angela will take a strong stand on a position she doesn't believe in just to argue with Eric.













-MOTHER: (Mother's look is utilitarian, working class, nurse attire.)
Is a demanding nurse and businesswoman who runs an outpatient home for elderly people in Frankfurt Germany with her son KAI. MOTHER and KAI have a relationship that is strained and somewhat distant. Mother is very demanding of Kai and he is secretly resentful that he doesn't have more freedom like his friends on the internet enjoy.















(above image shows zombies/mother top and Angela/Eric bottom)

More to come soon!! Don't forget to read through the previous posts for how to storyboard details etc.

Zombie Designs

To give people ideas should they need them, here's a sheet of zombie designs. A great zombie film is such due to two things, great gore and memorable zombie designs! So the gorier the better I say!

If you click on the image you'll get a bigger version, by the way!

Monday 22 September 2008

How to storyboard!!

Right. Some of you can already storyboard, others haven't before- so here is what to do! Please read even if you have done film work before because there are some things you need to know so our storyboards will go together.

On the side of the blog will be some links to great sites on how to storyboard so take a look at those for more detailed info.

Basically, for Internet Zombie Movie (aka World Wide Dead) I will be sending you

a) a blank storyboard template and b) your section of the script.

As I won't have the complete finished script until the script writers have finished in a week or two then i can't send you the full script as well so use the following summary of the film and contact me with any questions regarding your section.

Here is a very basic outline-

-Introduction: Autopsy video. Chomping videos. Vlog reactions.
There is a strange video on the Internet depicting a dead body coming back to life that has inspired copycats, harsh reactions from vloggers, and scorn from traditional media.

-First Act: Character introduction. Strange attacks. Exodous. Proof.
Ben and his pal Eric are introduced as Internet slackers from London and New York. Ben's best friend Abbey is introduced and she has a problem. Abbey also has a boyfriend, Ethan, and a friend, Kelley who make their way over to Ben's apartment at Abby's invitation because there are strange attacks going on in the heart of London and people are leaving the area on their own accord.
The Government isn't saying anything about the attacks and are urging people to stay in their homes and stay calm. Ben and Eric look on the internet and find proof that people are being attacked and killed in cities all over the world.

-Second Act: Zombies! What to do? Trapped. Prepare to leave.
Proof that the danger is being caused by zombies becomes undeniable but Ben and friends can't decide what they should do about it.
Ben and friends become trapped in his apartment for a night and must keep their sanity while trying to think of a way to escape.

-Third Act: Escape London. Kelley killed. Angela Evacuated.
The zombies move away from the area for a moment, giving Ben and friends a chance to escape. They make their way through the city in a desperate dash for freedom with zombies behind them all the way. Eric guides them to safety using the Internet to access surveillance cameras around the city, but Kelley is killed on the way.

-Ending: Soldiers. Abby killed. Ben & Ethan surrounded. Eric power outage.
Ben and friends make it out of London only to be shot at and turned back by nervous soldiers. Abby is shot and killed accidentally, leaving Ben and Ethan alone to face an oncoming horde of zombies spilling out from the city. End.

Now, as for the storyboard "look" as I mentioned before you must draw in black and red. this will unify the storyboards even though everyone will have different drawing styles. Pencil or pen is fine. Here is a great example from the free comic that came with the Shaun of The Dead DVD which is the kind of thing i have in mind for the way the drawings/colours might look.















copyright Shaun of the Dead dvd.

I'll be uploading an example of a storyboard that I have drawn up for the film this week to show you how to arrange the wording on the right, how to organise the script with the illustrations and how detailed you should be. Feel free to go for more detail if you have time! Hopefully I will get that on here in the next couple of days.

And we also have some people working on character designs, when i get those i'll put them up here and please use them for your storyboards- i'll upload them all for everyone to see and then the best ones i'll post as the final designs so please try to draw the characters like this so we can tell who is who in everyone's storyboards.

I think that explains the main things. Let me know if you have any questions. And have fun drawing! As I receive your finished boards (email to zombie.storyboarding@gmail.com) I'll upload them here, i'll try to add them here in order so there may be a delay as it depends how I receive the script from the writers....but we'll see how it goes. As soon as i email you a section of the script you should aim for one week max to complete it. If you are quicker email me for more script or if you have too much let me know as soon as possible and i'll send it on to someone else.

Oh one more thing, It would also be nice to have some concept artwork so if you are interested in this ie zombie images/how scenes might look that kind of thing work on those in your own time and i'll upload those too!

Storyboard-ists wanted!

Friday 19 September 2008

Update test

Some random zombie pictures, from the Bristol Zombie walk 2007: