The Beginning of the End

The title is a play on the plot of my story. I'm referring to it as "a villain origin story" and this is the start of me working towards that end.

I've taken the opening act and began thumbnailing how I envision the camera angles and character positions. I decided on a camera that would ground the location and show how the characters appear to the main character. Eventually, the MC would lower her notebook and reveal that what the camera saw was actually her notebook drawing. For this to work, I will need to change how the character is positioned on the bus and looking at the passengers. She will have to be looking back and drawing them from a font view, rather than from behind.

Before I started thumbnailing, I needed to decide what was important about the opening. Seeing her leave the big city? Seeing the other travelers as the MC sees them? Or a glimpse into MC's internal struggles? I will try my best to capture all of these, but I think the main emphasis of the opening is for the audience to understand the rules of the world. The MC imagines everyone to be unique and colorful (except herself). Leaving the city to go to a small town and picturing the other passengers as regular people are side points.

Since last week, I've added way more sticky notes to my original collection of ideas. I've done more concept doodles for the main characters, and I started rethinking the MC's clothing.

One of the things altering my progress is the balance between storyboard and story. I am hesitant to add shots to the script as a script dressing because I don't really know what works for camera changes until I see it in a visual format. After I have a more solid idea of the shots and sequences, I will add those to the script for a more formal "script dressing: before adding panels and alternative shots in the storyboard.

The next steps from here are to begin drawing more concrete shots and rethinking how the MC will turn and look at the other passengers. There are a few more shots to add to the opening, but I think the sequence is coming together!