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Illustration and Visual Narrative Task 3 & Final Project / Web Toon & Motion Comic

13.5.2022 - 1.7.2022 (Week 7 - Week 14)
Takuto Hozumi / 0354047 / Bachelor Of Design (Hons) In Creative Media
Illustration and Visual Narrative
Task 3 & Final Project / Web Toon & Motion Comic

LECTURES

Week 7 / 3-Acts Structure

Storytelling basics

1. Central theme
The theme is what the story is really about. It’s the main idea or underlying meaning. Often, it’s the storyteller’s personal opinion on the subject matter. A story may have both a major theme and minor themes.
  • Major Theme: An idea that is intertwined and repeated throughout the whole narrative.
  • Minor Theme: An idea that appears more subtly, and doesn’t necessarily repeat.

2.Conflict
The conflict is what drives the story. It’s what creates tension and builds suspense, which are the elements that make a story interesting. If there’s no conflict, not only will the audience not care, but there also won’t be any compelling story to tell. Conflict is what engages an audience. It’s what keeps them white-knuckled, at the edge of their seats, waiting impatiently to see if the protagonists will overcome their obstacle. 


3. Characters
A story usually includes a number of characters, each with a different role or purpose. Regardless of how many characters a story has, however, there is almost always a protagonist and antagonist.
  • Central Characters: These characters are vital to the development of the story. The plot revolves around them. 
  • Protagonist: The protagonist is the main character of a story. He or she has a clear goal to accomplish or a conflict to overcome. Although protagonists don’t always need to be admirable, they must command an emotional involvement from the audience.
  • Antagonist: Antagonists oppose protagonists, standing between them and their ultimate goals. The antagonist can be presented in the form of any person, place, thing, or situation that represents a tremendous obstacle to the protagonist.

4. Three-Acts Structure
  1. Setup: The world in which the protagonist exists prior to the journey. The setup usually ends with the conflict being revealed.
  2. Rising Tension: The series of obstacles the protagonist must overcome. Each obstacle is usually more difficult and with higher stakes than the previous one.
  3. Conflict: The point of highest tension, and the major decisive turning point for the protagonist.
  • Resolution: The conflict’s conclusion. This is where the protagonist finally overcomes the conflict, learns to accept it, or is ultimately defeated by it. Regardless, this is where the journey ends. 

Fig.1-1: Plot Points

INSTRUCTION


Week 9 - Week 14: Web Toon & Motion Comic


The Assessment Outline

Can you sense the upcoming battle between these two? Just like the story arcs for this manga/anime, you will be coming up with an  UNFORGETTABLE FIGHT SCENE  themed comic! You will also get a chance to join an official WebToon competition too! 

You are now tasked to create a one shot Web Toon short with the premise of a FIGHT! genre story of your own creation. Consider 3-act structures but with interesting twists and plots and action pack scenes. It can be wordless and presented only with illustrations, or it can be detailed with stories, filled with speeches and texts.

Think of creating a premise for a story that makes your readers creeped out, scared, and of course you can end the story on a happy note too! Use logline visuals to help establish your narrative.


Project requirements:
  • Must be published at webtoons.com
  • Story must have 3-acts structure
  • At least 60 panels
  • Illustrations (stick man drawing is not an illustration) can either be coloured or greyscale or screentone shaded render.
  • But if you are interested to join the competition, your Web Toon has to be fully coloured!
  • Content must be PG-13 and SAFE FOR WORK

*Required visual file and resolutions (JPG only) 

Week 7: Creating a Short Story (Homework)

You will need to prepare a short story for you to base your character on. Employ the three-acts structure, but limit the word count to maximum 300 words only.

Here is my story;

Idea 1

Act 1 - Setup (Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One) 
Once upon a time, there was a kind king. He was a very people-oriented king who always thought about how to improve his country everyday. But the situation in his country was terrible. The aristocrats monopolized the profits, and the commoners worked and worked, but never became rich. People are tired and have no motivation to work. Naturally, the entire country declined.

Act 2 - Conflict (Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two)
One day, he came up with an idea. To make everyone happy, why not give money equally to all people? He was willing to lower his own treatment to implement the policy, something that would have been impossible even in an actual communist state. Because of that he collected all of money from people, and distributed evenly. When the commoners heard this, they were very happy.

Act 3 - Resolution (Pre climax, Climax, Denouement)
At first it worked, but gradually the people began to complain. Isn't it strange that a job that risks lives or requires advanced knowledge and skills pays the same as a job that can be done by anyone? People's dissatisfaction grew even greater, to the point that demonstrations finally broke out. Until finally, the fake egalitarian was forced off his throne by a demonstration of the people. On the gallows, the king smiled. His real purpose was the people had regained the will to fight. However, his name will be spoken of as a bad king for generations to come!

Idea 2

Act 1 - Setup (Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One) 
There was a chime. The young man asks the person outside on the room's intercom, "Who am I speaking to?". Immediately a woman's voice said, "It's me, get me in, quick." was the reply. The young man wondered why the woman did not identify herself, but opened the door to check her face. However, there was a stranger in crimson, standing. The young man asked, "What happened in such a hurry?" then the woman said "I've just finished a hard job. Do you mind if I take a break here for a while?" The young man reluctantly said yes, but he felt strange.

Act 2 - Conflict (Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two)
The young man asked the woman if she needed anything, because he thought it was strange not to offer any hospitality to a visitor, even if she was a stranger. The woman looked a little strange, but said "Then I'll have some tea". The young man, with a troubled look on his face, looked around the kitchen for the tea and the pot.

She was waiting long time, but finally she asked the young man, "Why don't you know where the tea is? even though in your room". The young man thought for a moment and said, "I just forgot where it is. I'm forgetful".

Act 3 - Resolution (Pre climax, Climax, Denouement)
At that moment, there was another chime. Before the young man could answer, he heard a voice from outside saying, "This is the police, please open up."

The young man reluctantly opened the door, and the police began to speak. "There was a murder near here just a few minutes ago. A female murderer is now running away around the area. Do you have any idea?" Seeing the man's impatience, the police looked inside the room and found the woman's murderer. With a familiar hand, he arrested her in the few moment. The young man was horrified and told the police "I was threatened and I was harboring her!"

At that moment, more man's voice came from behind the police. "You! What are you doing in my house!" The man continued "You must be the burglar who's been getting a lot of attention around here lately!"

Plotting

I decided to proceed with idea 2.

Act 1 - Setup (Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point One) 

A chime sounds.
The only sound in the suburban mansion was the bell ringing to announce the arrival of a visitor.
The young man picked up the receiver of the intercom in the spacious living room and asked the sudden visitor, "Hello?"
A woman's voice answered immediately.
Please, let me in quickly."

The young man wondered why the woman did not identify herself, but decided to see her face.
Perhaps she knew him.
But there was a strange woman dressed in crimson standing there, looking fidgety.

The young man asked, "What happened to you in such a hurry?" The woman replied, "I just finished work there. I just got sick. ...... Can I rest for a while in this house?" I replied.
The young man felt uncomfortable, but reluctantly agreed, seeing that the woman was beautiful and that she looked so exhausted.

Act 2 - Conflict (Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two)

They entered the house and the woman sat down on the living room sofa.
After some small talk, the woman said to the young man, "It's a very nice house. I wonder how you make so much money for such a young man. What do you do for a living?" The woman asked him.
I don't have a job at the moment. I was fired from the company I was working for six months ago. I was fired from the company I worked for six months ago.
I see," the young man said. The woman thought it was a subject she was not supposed to touch, so she ended the conversation quickly.

The young man thought it was strange that she did not offer him any hospitality, even though she was a stranger, so he broke the awkward silence and spoke to her.
And addressed the woman, "Um, is there anything you need?"
The woman looked a little puzzled, but replied, "Well, I'll have a cup of tea.
The young man frowned for a moment.
The young man frowned for a moment, then disappeared into the kitchen for a cup of tea and a pot.

-The woman waited a moment.

Finally, numbly, she asked the young man in the kitchen,
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"
After a short pause, the young man replied.
"I couldn't find the tea ......."

Act 3 - Resolution (Pre-climax, Climax, Denouement)

At that moment, the chime sounded again.
"This is the police, open up!" Before the young man could answer, he heard a voice from outside saying.
The woman's face turned pale.

The young man went from the kitchen to the front door and reluctantly opened it to find two stern-faced police officers.
One of the policemen said, "Security around here has been deteriorating recently, so we are patrolling the area. Please cooperate with us. The other one continued, "You see, we are patrolling here.
The other added, "You know, there have been a lot of burglaries around here recently." The young man looked worried.

The policeman sighed and began speaking again with a mysterious look on his face.
There was a murder nearby just a few minutes ago. A female suspect is running around this area right now. Do you have any idea what happened?"
The young man was convinced that the woman was the murderer, given her attitude up to this point.
Seeing the complicated expression on the young man's face, the police force their way into the room.

-Battle scene (there should be a battle between the police and the woman, just a few frames).

The police, who are trained, are no match for the police, and the woman is soon caught in a noose.
The woman is quickly put in a police car.
The young man, taken aback by the whole incident, came to his senses and fearfully told the police, "Actually, I hid her because she threatened me."

Epilogue

At that moment, a man's voice came from behind the police.
What are you doing in my house?
There stood a well-to-do, well-dressed, elderly man.
*He is actually the owner of the house, the young man was an empty nester. 

Naming

  • Naming Ver.1 (16/6/2022)

  • Naming Ver.2 (17/6/2022) *after receiving advice

Inking & Coloring

Fig.2-1: Inking P.1 Ver.1

Inking is done while using the manga names as a rough sketch. Increase the transparency of the underdrawing and draw clear lines on the upper multiply layer. 

Fig.2-2: Colored P.1

Fig.2-3: Colored P.2

Fig.2-4: Colored P.3

Fig.2-5: Colored P.4

Paint the color on a layer further up. Paint the person and background layers separately, and add shadows to the new layer with a layer mask.

Here is the process;

Fig.2-6: Process 1

Fig.2-7: Process 2

Fig.2-8: Process 3

Fig.2-9: Process 4

Fig.2-10: Process 5

Motion Comic

Fig.2-11: Separation by Panels

Back to Illustrator, divide the manga into each panels.

Fig.2-12: Total 60 Panels

Each panel is now 60 images. (including smaller panels and filled backgrounds)

Fig.2-13: Sound Effects

Prepare sound effects and background music. In this case, royalty-free materials were used.

Taken from the following website;

Fig.2-14: Gave up to use AE

I tried After Effects first, but it was finally not used because it was deemed too difficult to operate, and that Premier Pro would be more optimal for videos with image material, such as this case.

Fig.2-15: Downloaded

Fig.2-16: Import the Materials

Import panel images, sound effects, background music, etc. to Premier Pro in a batch. A sequence is created and video editing begins.

Fig.2-17: Video Editing Screen

Fig.2-18: Timeline

All timings are managed by sequences. Once the material to be inserted has been determined, the next step is to create the animation. Animation is controlled by adding keyframes and controlling the points before and after the action.

Fig.2-19: Exporting

The video must be exported in h.264 at 25 fps as specified in the assignment outline.

Finally, upload the cartoon to Webtoon and the video to Youtube and it is done!

FINAL OUTCOME

Webtoon Final Outcome (24/6/2022)


Motion Comic Final Outcome (24/6/2022)


Documentation of Artwork Progress

REFLECTIONS

Experiences
Frankly, this assignment was very difficult for me. But it was also intrasting. I had to include story turning points and even battle scenes in this short story. If I included too many elements, the whole story could become a mess. So I paid particular attention to the first stage, the story structure.

Observation
Drawing as a cartoon was not simply drawing people as in an illustration. Without changing the point of view and composition from panel to panel, readers would feel monotonous.

Also, the timing of the video was very difficult, and I had a hard time finishing it so that it would not be boring. There are still many areas for improvement, but my goal is to make the quality higher than this time, if the next time I make a video for some sort of assignment.

Findings
From the further research, when I observed the panels of comic books, we usually read without thinking about them, I realized that the movements and viewpoints were well thought out and created.

As for the video, I thought it was important to clearly differentiate and contrast the parts that I wanted to emphasize and the parts that I wanted to lightly play off. This is something I learned by referring to movie and game trailer videos. Since this was a short video work, less than 3 minutes long, these were helpful.
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