Aug 12 - Dialog

Writers love to write. They will write pages and pages of dialog and then you get to board it all! A good writer will give you some great lines to board. It's as if the storyboards draw themselves. Often times that is not the case. Your job as a board artist is to make good stuff great and boring stuff better.

You'll need to analyze your scene a bit to help you decide what to do with the characters while they are talking. The last thing you want is 'talking heads'.

 

 

Here's a fun clip from the Iron Giant:

 

Hogarth has just drank his first cup of coffee. Espresso no less! Look at all the acting the animators got into this scene. It really adds to the dialog because he is so fast.

 

Some questions to ask:

What is the subtext of the scene? A character might not say what he means, but he will show it in body language.

What contrast can you amp up? Are there themes in the movie that you can exploit in this scene with your acting choices?

Keep in mind:

The camera angle. How does it help or hinder the dialog
The shot choice. Do you really need to be close on the one speaking? Could it be more powerful to see a reaction?
What is the character doing while they are speaking? Actions betray more that words. When boarding dialog it often what you show that is more important than what the characters are saying.

Here's some boards from Iron Giant:

 

 

In this scene Dean is trying to explain the difference between art and junk to the Giant. The theme of the movie is you can choose who you want to be. Here we explore the softer side of the Giant. He's not just a hungry mouth. He can make art!

 

Okay, here is some horrible dialog and animation. Granted this was low budget and reusing animation was the name of the game. You could probably make this show in after effects today!

 

Now on to the assignment. The dialog I have taken from “Big Night”. Two Italian brothers are trying to make a go of a restaurant and, well, just watch the clip.

 

Woman

It's just not what I expected. But I get a side of spaghetti with this right?

Waiter

Well, no.

 

Man

I thought all main courses come with spaghetti.

 

Waiter

Well some, yes but you see risotto is rice so it is a starch and it doesn't go really with pasta.

 

Woman

But..

 

Man

Order a side of spaghetti, that's all. And I'll eat your meatballs.

 

Woman

Yeah, He'll have the meatballs.

 

Waiter

The spaghetti comes with out meatballs.

 

Woman

There are no meatballs with the spaghetti?

 

Waiter

No, sometimes spaghetti like to be alone.

 

Woman

Then I guess we'll have a side order of meatballs.

 

Man

This is fine. Lets just eat.

 

Woman

Alright, no meatballs. We'll just have a side order of spaghetti.

 

Add something of yourself to this one. Don't just copy the movie. There is lots of conflict already in this dialog, so lets mix up the characters a bit.

 

Waiter - small mousey man. He is very apologetic with every thing he says.

Woman - over bearing, used to getting her way. Think Hillary Clinton.

Man – Gangster. He has a gun.

 

What will you have the characters doing? Think of some subtext. Is the man getting ready for a hit? Is this a date? Are they an old married couple, his mistress?

 

Lets see what you can do!