The Wonderful World of Comics

[Admin]

Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:07 pm

JenDiMarco wrote:

When "The Crusade Battle Anthology" came in unexpectedly eight pages too short, I lost my mind and decided that what it really needed was an eight-page original mini-comic about Penelope Bayomi, the Terrapyre holy artifact hunter and partner of the carded character Jared. I thought I;d share what went into this insanity of mine In the end, I will say, I adore the finished piece and am very glad I did it. I learned a lot.

Total budget spent 20,000 credits ($12.50)

1 hour to:
Determine page count.
Decide plot.
Decide featured characters.
Decide emotional beats.
Decide supporting characters.

1 hour to:
Script by the page.

1 hour to:
Storyboard and create list of sets and props.

3 hours (for three characters, five outfits in total) to:
Design and purchase characters (this was done beautifully by Brianne).

6 hours to:
Create and purchase sets and props, making list of names.
Create list of poses and actions.
Purchase poses and actions, making list of names.
Texture and/or mesh original items.

2 hours (for two sets) to:
Build sets.

4 hours to:
Shoot.

6 hours to:
Edit shots in post production.

2 hours to:
Layout.

3 hours to:
Lettering.

Total hours: 29
Per page average time: 3.5 hours
Most important lesson learned: Lettering is very difficult. It must read emotionally (good line breaks, even better narrative panel divisions) and it must be properly placed for progression of reading but also to best blend with the artwork. I would love to say that for my next comic I'm going to hire someone to do my lettering... but the artist loses an enormous amount of control if someone else gets to place all those boxes. It would be like being a director of a film and then someone else comes in and edits it. Also, my sound effects (vital for a complete all-senses experience) were done at this stage. These proved much harder than I'd expected.

[Admin]

Fri Sep 18, 2009 10:43 pm

EJ wrote:

Oh wow... Jennifer, this is awesome. Really cool to see it all broken down like this. I'm very excited to read the comic Any chance it will ever be made into a full issue?

EJ

[EJ]

I just refound this post of yours, Jennifer. You know... I thought it was insane when I heard that you were short eight pages for the anthology and decided to create an entire mini comic... but now that I've looked at it, I can totally see what a good idea it was.

Like with film: They always say to start with a short and then move up to an hour and only then to a feature. I like the idea of honing your skills on the small stuff before launching into the major projects. Over confidence (rushing in) kills far too many projects in film and in comics.

EJ

[Admin]

EJ,

I see exactly what you mean. I think it's incredible that Jennifer's been able to start with something smaller, so she can build up her skills... I really just can't wait to see what she does next! ;D

[EJ]

Oh! Nicely posted by an artist on the other side of the spectrum! You learned the other way (and it worked too!): Trial by Fire! Thrown right into full-fledge issues! What was your progression like, Brianne? I mean, so far?

[Admin]

It's been... crazy and chaotic and incredible and inspiring. I love comics. But know I know the parts that I excel at and *adore* (like character building, searching and buying set pieces/props, and every bit of the post-production/layout/lettering stage), and the parts that I'm not so crazy about (like set building). As I begin more projects, I want to keep track of everything like Jennifer has done.

The best part about just being thrown into the middle of full issue comics, is I now know what *works*. For instance, I created an awesome template (it runs in Publisher) where I do my script (page by page) with the storyboard on that page, along with any emotions or poses needed to shoot that page and their triggers. I used this when I did the adaptation of Blood Trade, and it made everything really organized and go quite a bit faster than working on the first issue of Under the Influence. It'll be great to use this template in the future. =D

Brianne

[EJ]

Thank you for sharing, Brianne! Oh, using templates with the storyboard right there with the script is a great idea.

I understand that Eric (Chen) has been working as an amazing editor for all the comics, providing huge amounts of specific feedback. Summer? Since your illustrated story was also critiqued by Eric and we can all download that right now (and for free -- in the Official Fiction section) would you be willing to share your feedback?

And Eric? If you're lurking, which I think you always are, would you be willing to post a little bit about what it's like to edit comics?

EJ

[Cris]

Confessions of a Lurker...

I have become sponge brain for comic building... watching, learning . . . trying to avoid the learning curve when I begin on Divinity MX and other projects.

Thanks for this incredible opportunity to learn from all of you.

Cris

[EJ]

I love you, sponge brain! You rock! On that note (rocking about comics), let me share what I did today:

Today I had lunch with Eric Chen who, as many of us know, is the Eris character expert and all that groovy stuff but who is also working behind the scenes at MG3K with all our contracted comic creators. I guess you'd call him a managing editor because he has a specific expertise (comics) and he works under Cris (our Senior Editor) and doesn't choose what gets published.

So...

Like Cris, I've been on the outskirts just soaking up all the learning curve and I wanted to soak up even more from Eric. I know that Eric has critiqued the complete comic issues "Under the Influence, #1, Edge of Night" and "Blood Trade" as well as the mini-comic "Written on the Body" and the illustrated story "Crusade" for the MG3K brand so far. And his critiques are intense. Like, ten and twenty single-spaced pages of intense. Not only does Eric catch stuff about the universe but he contacts everyone with expertise in a character featured and double checks all facts. He can critique and provide fixes at script stage, layout stage, and more. I asked Summer and Jennifer (who have both received critiques from Eric) what they thought of his feedback and they both answered the same things: Eris knows the industry like no other. He's spot-on. His changes are brutal sometimes, creating an enormous amount of work, but they are worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears.

Wow! I knew I needed more. I asked Eric over lunch (I'd already insisted on paying to butter him up) if he had any advice for someone who hadn't jumped in yet, he answered this:

1. Let a professional see your script. If your script is flawed, you will waste dozens of hours.

2. In the side margins of your final script, leave room to record expressions and poses needed. NO DEFAULT IDLES should be used if using the IMVU platform. This includes default idle expressions.

3. Story board on the same page as your script. The more detailed your story board the better. Make sure your story board is in ratio to the actual comic page size.

4. Less text is more.

5. Every panel must crackle with an emotional beat. Don't waste space.

6. Never do "good enough." Every panel must be great.

7. Be unafraid. Push the limits. Use layers. Don't go fast. Go great.

Those are his magic seven rules Cris? From my brain to yours, grrl!

EJ

[Sunshine]

Anything to help more writers jump into this for MG3K's sake. It's such a visual brand! I'll post my feedback from Eric when I get home tonight (it's stored at home) but let me pull out two things:

1. My story isn't a comic. Only an illustrated story which is very different really and so I don't have as much feedback.

2. I agree with everything Eric said and would have changed everything but both Jennifer and I decided to allow our pieces to run as-is because of time restraints with the anthology (Jennifer's piece *is* a comic).

Summer

Here it is, friends:

Notes on “Crusade”

Overall, my major concerns with this piece is that the colors are so vibrant on-screen but print/produce very dark in all three of the out-sources I used. I would watch that with your own printer or print source to make sure the fine details and contrasts are not lost.

My other major concern is that a different softening feature appears to have been used for different pages or panels. I would highly recommend returning to the raw files (which should ALWAYS be kept) and matching the lighter soften effect (as used with the first image.

IMG 1: Kara’s hands are folded in mid-air instead of on her lap. Alter the image in post-production or reshoot. I do like the gray scale memories. Nice touch. The period clothing was an attention to detail most artists don’t take the time to include.

IMG 2: The central image is too blurry. The slicing effect is very nice but why the horse at such a distance? Why not a slice of just the animal’s head/face? Why is the body important as opposed to some hidden intelligence that might be in Pelucir’s eyes?

IMG 3: Again, we have a central image that is too blurry. I also wanted the borders in different colors so that the cut-away panels popped more. In black and white, this page will be indistinct.

IMG 4: I like how, after several pages of slices and cut-away images, this page stands as a single image. It breaks the pattern and rejuvenates the eye. However, the image is too blurry.

IMG 5: Hard to tell whether just the dream image or the whole image is too blurred. Check all. Powerful image here. Nice use of border-less story-telling with the dream a living prop in the room. Good expression.

IMG 6: The night sky should be darker. The central image is too blurred. The pull-out should be a CU of Kara’s face, shouting wordlessly.

IMG 7: Beautiful use of depth of field panels. Really like the super-imposed horse. Excellent effects and composition. A keeper.

IMG 8: Central image should be crisper and also cropped at the ends of Kara’s fingers for a closer image of the top in each other’s arms. Nice and powerful the way Kara is looking at Pelucir. Lots of promise there.

IMG 9: Gorgeous.

[Jennifer]

I remember being very young when I heard my mother tell a friend, firmly, "It takes a very confident person to admit their mistakes." In light of Summer's willingness to share her critique, here is mine from Eric. This is for the mini comic "Written on the Body" that I wrote and illustrated for the "Crusade Battle Anthology."

Like Summer, I agree with everything Eric said and when I flesh out the mini into a full-length comic during 2010, I will incorporate all his changes.

Jennifer

Notes on “Written on the Body”

PP 1: Nice opener. Right away we know our narrator and have an idea of the thematic quality of the piece. Smooth Penelope’s cheek bone.

PP2: Ward should be looking at Penelope even if she is lost in thoughts of Jared and looking over Ward’s shoulder. Reshoot.

Penelope should be seated further back on the saddle. Clone out the saddle horn as it would be hidden in her robes.

In the CU, trim away the corners of her mouth to give her a more serious look.

PP 3: Great central image. I feel like I know Penelope completely. Tough. Sexy. Loyal. Emotional. Steely.

In the CU pull-outs there is very little lighting contrast for the planes of stone. Because of this, someone has to look hard to see how amazing these climb moves are. Shoot other angles instead or extreme CU shots of her climbing to show the danger and height.

PP 4: Great action. Rope should be around her waist. Foot shown should be pointed. Rope should be thinner.

Nice pull-out of the falling rocks.

You’ll want to build a library of effects fonts and then use them.

PP 5: Opening in the stone in the first two pull-outs should be shaded to better show what she’s looking at. Nice camera switch showing the same shot from three angles.

PP 6: Scroll should be larger by 1/4 to match size ratio earlier.

Rope work and progression of action is excellent here.

Her exclamation should be larger and in an effect font. It can stay in a bubble if that is your style (vocal effects being encased).

PP 7: Place non-vocal (environment sounds and telepathic sounds) outside of vocal bubbles. I would make all telepathic speech the same font.

Her exclamation should be larger and in an effect font. It can stay in a bubble if that is your style (vocal effects being encased).

Nice sound effects.

PP 8: Very nice closing.

Overall, the script and compositions are strong. The reader can easily follow all actions and progressions.

[LaughingClown]

I'm honored that everyone is finding my feedback helpful. After two decades in comics, I feel very confident about my eye in terms of script and art but I know I can be demanding, especially for those of you brand new to the medium. Let me just add three things:

About "Crusade" -- Summer's use of texture and post-production as well as prop layers was excellet. Though not a comic, she captured a comic feel. The art lent very nicely to the story.

About "Written on the Body" -- Jennifer is the strongest script writer I've read in several years. Her script for "Under the Influence" was literally perfection and Penelope's mini comic here is very close. Jennifer's strength is in her use of vibrant language and unique angles.

A call to everyone -- I am willing to work with any MG3K comic creators. However, it takes me eight to ten hours to fully critique a script. If you are not serious about making changes to perfect your work, please don't contact me. I feel very good about Summer and Jennifer's response to my feedback and my work with Brianne (on two full comics) has been very rewarding as well. Please be ready to take a professional step before you send me material.

That being said... I hope to work with all of you!

Eric

[Admin]

I feel very good about Summer and Jennifer's response to my feedback and my work with Brianne (on two full comics) has been very rewarding as well. Please be ready to take a professional step before you send me material.

I don't know if I actually said it, but I *am* implementing every change you suggested, Eric. I wanted to tell you (publicly) that your advice and expertise is truly invaluable. And to everyone thinking of running something by Eric... Every single comment he made was dead-on.

Brianne <--- My two cents

[EJ]

Eric? If you ever gave me feedback on anything -- even my hair style -- I would take it, too.

EJ <--- who refuses to be left out