One of the challenges in a project like this is determining what is realistically feasible in the given time frame. It was clear my original script was way too long and needed to be much more focused. I had planned on covering a region or country (three in total), discuss how their local cultures viewed the fox, and then put forth two fox-centric tales. This might have worked for a longer series, but was not an option for this project. Cuts had to be made.
I chose to skip the anthropological bits and work with the stories on their own. The result was one story for each region: Japan, Greece, and the US. It was time for storyboarding anyway, so rather than continuing to editing my script doc, I started transferring voice over copy (more on that later) to the boards. This functioned as my working script.
I love storyboarding and feel that a project really begins to take shape at this stage. Creating visuals to go along with a script is obviously necessary but also one of the more creative parts of the entire process. Not only does it provide an invaluable blueprint for your project, it’s a chance to let your imagination run free. It also helps when your topic is as fanciful and myth-heavy as the one for this project.
A page from The Fox in Greece storyboard
For the storyboards and much of the asset creation for this project, I am using a Wacom Intuos Pro (large version). I’ve used Wacom screen-less tablets for years and have recently toyed with making the jump to a Cintiq display tablet. Much debate can be found online about which is superior, but I have found the Intuos to suit my needs the best. I like the large version because I can use my entire arm to draw. Smaller versions I’ve had in the past have really cramped my wrist and the drawing area on the large version has been a great help for that. In terms of software, I’m using Photoshop for much of this project. I know Clip Studio Paint, Procreate, and Krita have many loyal fans and I plan to explore them all in due time. For this project though, I’m sticking to PS. I’ve been using it for ages and I’m just more comfortable with it.
At the outset, I thought I could get away with telling the stories visually and with type, but after some consideration, I determined the abundance of text would really slow down the pace. The solution: do a voice over. Like many, I am not a huge fan of hearing my own voice on recordings. This led me to consider enlisting the help of a voice over professional through Fiverr. Ultimately though, I opted to take on the voice duties myself. I could be more flexible with the lines and it would save time. Plus, a new challenge and a learning experience. Can’t go wrong with that.
I’ve used a Zoom recorder and my iPhone for other projects, but for this I made the leap in purchasing a digital audio interface. The Focusrite Scarlett Solo was very reasonably priced and one of the best selling interfaces in the world. From my years of amassing a ton of gear as a musician, I already had a dynamic mic. stand, and cables on hand. The Solo is super portable, connects via USB, and has both mic and instrument inputs. It also comes with stripped down versions of Ableton Live and Pro Tools recording software. It was too tempting to pass up.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen
After making the call to do voice over, he next logical step was creating an animatic. I recorded rough (and by that I mean very rough) audio on my iPhone and started piecing it together with storyboard frames in Premiere. It is soooooo helpful to read your copy aloud. During and after recording the audio I found sections that looked fine in the script, but sounded really clunky when read aloud. I recommend having a scratch audio track in any kind of project like this that includes voice over. The animatic is also incredibly helpful as a blueprint. It gives you a great idea of the timing and pacing of the work. With the animatic mostly finished, I added some audio from the Free Music Archive to further help the mood of the piece. It may not make it to the final edit, but the light-hearted music of Serge Quadrado really fit the feel of this project.
With the storyboards, animatic, and technical aspects of voice recording complete, I could continue work on creating assets. This has been great fun so far and will continue into next week. Looking forward to seeing things come together in the coming weeks!
See below for a sample background for The Fox in Japan.
