Project 6: Story

Story selection will be a two-phase process. For at least the first phase, you will work in groups of your own choosing. These groups can be of any size, and you can work in more than one group.

phase I -- before Friday, May 9

Work with your team to come up with a story concept that could conceivably be fully implemented by the class in the next five weeks. Don't start by thinking of people-hour constraints, though. Just like all the other steps in production, start with the ideal and then simplify.

Early in the story-creation process, as a team, agree on a one-sentence summary of your concept. The sentence for Fish Shtick might go something like this: "The protagonist, a young, naive cat newly arrived in a surreal world, attempts to make dinner out of a savvy, blasé fish and is trapped by his own assumptions." Coming up with such a sentence early in the creative process will help keep you focused and resistant to creative drift. (Fish Shtick could have profited from such an approach.)

critique I -- Friday, May 9

On Friday, be prepared to briefly present your story to the class. Due to time constraints, your presentation will be limited to your one-sentence spoken summary, accompanied by a one-paragraph written summary. The written description should include the working title of the story. Bring twenty copies of the paragraph to hand out in class. (There is a copy machine available in the cse department. The copy code will be sent out by email.)

Before 2pm on Friday, send email to Joanna (jpower@cs) naming your favorite three story concepts and which of those you would like to work on. If you would rather start over, you may ask to work in a new group on a new story. From this input, five or six story teams will be formed. The only group-coherence that we can guarantee is for groups whose story is chosen, assuming that all members of that group want to keep working on it. If you cannot possibly vote by 2pm, say something before then or you will lose your vote.

phase II -- before Wednesday, May 14

Work with your (possibly new) team to fully flesh out your story. Act it out. Think about scenes, shots, and timing. Draw a storyboard. Use last year's storyboard as a reference for a good level of detail.

critique II -- Wednesday, May 14

Make your story pitch. This is your seven-minute chance to convince your classmates that your story is the best concept for the final animation. Bring props. Act it out. Sell sell sell.

The final selection will be made by another email vote. Bribes in the form of money or chocolate will happily be accepted.