Okay! Another week over. The big tasks this week? Reviewing and revising the script (a couple of times) as well as the creation and review of the Vision Document. Script: check. Vis Doc: really, really close.
(If editor-by-day, caped-protector-by-night Robert and I hadn't both succumbed to evil bacteria this week, we'd sooo be done.) Personally, though, I'm happy we've taken a couple of extra days. Some parts of this process were so new to me that I needed a couple of things to "click" for me before I could make good decisions. I think the whole project will benefit from every extra hour spent on both the script and the Vis Doc.
Like how I shorten Vision Document to Vis Doc now? Like I'm all hip to the lingo? Yeah...
Anyway. Thought I'd share a few of the things I found challenging this week:
1. Choosing which words will be emphasized in dialogue in the book, and whether that emphasis will be shown with caps, italics, bold, bold italics, some as-yet-uninvented visual cue, or a combination of the above. Who would have thought it'd be so hard? Or should I say, Who would have thought it'd be so HARD?!
2. Defining balloon styles. Dear God, do you know how many different kinds of boxes and balloons I didn't realize I'd written into Abigail's War? Dialogue balloons, thought balloons, caption boxes, remembered dialogue balloons, balloons containing dialogue that is heard but not "spoken"... not to mention that some of the characters who speak or are heard via the balloons above will also have distinct lettering styles...
3. Lettering styles. All caps, or upper & lower case? All the same type, or a variety? Different styles for present time and flashbacks?
4. For the Vis Doc -- finding great examples of tone and colour palette. I felt like I could imagine what I wanted, and could even describe it... and then when it came down to finding an example to refer to, I'd blank. (Lucky I have that encyclopedically-knowledgeable editor!)
5. Finally -- collecting examples of period architecture, clothing, landscape, props, etc. 'Cause to complicate matters, I've set my first comic in 1692. Which used to seem like such a simple choice.
Suffice it to say, my learning curve has been massive this week. It has also been an incredibly inspiring and exciting seven days.
Comments
03:20 Mon Mar 17th, 2008
Hahaha! Very cool! Thanks for keeping us up to date. Sounds like a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Look forward to seeing the final piece! Should be sweet! :D
05:10 Mon Mar 17th, 2008
Jeez, I never would have even thought of that stuff while considering what needs to get done. Also, I want to add a 'That's what she said' for you question about who would have thought it was be so hard.
05:23 Mon Mar 17th, 2008
Thanks for sharing this with us. Although it's challenging, it's great that you get to be so involved in the look of your comic.
05:59 Mon Mar 17th, 2008
I'm not nearly so far along as you, Yen, so thanks for the heads up on what's in store. Good luck with all those fun decisions!
03:09 Tue Mar 18th, 2008
A 'That's what she said' gag -- yes! Oh how I miss the gang at Dunder Mifflin.
03:59 Tue Mar 18th, 2008
I have to say, it did take me hours upon hours to do that vision document - making imaginings tangible is tough! And I never thought about all those balloons of yours, but now that you mention it, you sure do have a huge variety... eeps!
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MorganJ
02:58 Mon Mar 17th, 2008
My god I love comics! Next to the actual writing, this is my favorite part of the process. You can do so much with points 1-3, it's really mind boggling. No--seriously, my mind is boggling as we speak! Glad you're enjoying the process thus far. Oh,and get better would you?! M !!