For the project I would like to create a miniature movie based upon a short story. The goal of this project is to learn at least a little bit about every step in the creation of an animated film. This includes experimenting with lighting, camera motion, camera angles, cuts, sound (both music and ambient), and storing to video. Because this is fairly ambitious, only keyframing will be used, along with inverse kinematics, to animate the story. The story I chose is "Battleground" by Stephen King. This is a short story in the "Night Shift" collection. The project is broken down into the following parts:

1.) Create storyboard

2.) Create models for main figures

3.) Create background images

4.) Animate the beginning sequence

5.) Experiment with lighting and camera angles for this sequence.

6.) Store to tape and do sound effects/music/ambient sounds for beginning sequence.

7.) Do steps 4 -6 for middle sequence.

8.) Do steps 4-6 for final sequence.

Here is a textual description of my storyboard. I have handdrawn images for this, and I have a photocopy of the actual story.

(Beginning Sequence)

Scene1: Credits. Ominous music. black screen w/ green lettering.

Scene2: Fade in to close-up of a door in a room. Door mysteriously opens. (Sound of door creaking open)

Scene3: Mid-level shot with camera looking down at a package. Green with lettering. Slowly zoom in and focus on lettering: "GI Joe Vietnam Footlocker: Includes 20 Infantrymen." Box begins to shake.

Scene4: Mid-level shot of a figure backing away. Can see box in lower left corner shaking as he backs up. Attempt to put a look of shock simply by wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Sparse room: window to left, door behind. Low light, with only light shining on figure from window (hints at things to come).

Scene5: Low shot at footlocker level. Continues to shake until lid pops open. Dark light aimed at box to "shroud" it in darkness. Music stops. Pause.

Scene6: Same shot as #4. Figure takes one more step and then stops.

(Middle Sequence)

Scene7: Same shot as #5. Small men pour out of box. All in unison. Black lights makes faces impossible to see. Only light from face is bright eyes. "Carmina Burana" music begins in full force.

Scene8: High overhead shot. Figure turns and runs toward door as men advance and fire. Play with lighting here. Possible shot following figure from low-angle from mens perspective.

Scene9: Angle shot (mid -to- low level) See door shut as men continue to fire. Then they stop. Pause.

Scene10: Low level shot from in front of men. See figure coming from direction of window. Bright light ! Can see open door. Man has a "brick". Man throws the brick.

Scene11: High shot. Angled down from back of figure. See men scattered around. If can show collisons then do so, otherwise use noise and cut. (End Sequence)

Scene12: Eye-level shot. Figure wipes brow. Turns and stomps towards door.

Scene13: long-shot from back of room. See figure reach the box and begin to kick at it.

Scene14: Close-up of foot hitting the box from low-level side angle shot.

Scene15: Explosion

Scene16: Zoom in on charred floor. See a piece of paper. Focus on paper. Read the note.

Scene 17: Credits.