In the world of dancing pixels and mesmerizing characters, Animation is one of the most captivating fields of entertainment and career. Have you cried along with your favorite characters? Do you root for them as they embark on their transformative journey? If that’s you, you’re at the right place.

In this blog, let’s dive into the wonders of storytelling, the “Behind the scenes” of your favorite movies, the life paths of your favorite characters being written into existence. Every story that gets us jumped up on the edge of our seats in anticipation, starts with a strange idea in the writer’s head.

The Script

At the heart of every animated masterpiece lies a captivating story. In the animation world, we call it a script. A script is a blueprint that breathes life into mere characters and weaves the fabric of the story. It is written by a storyteller, to bring their ideas into existence. Every story that has ever been written, has sparked from a multitude of ideas in a creative head.

For our young storytellers, this is an epic adventure. Carefully choosing from hundreds of ideas to pick ones that would spark a revolution in the industry is a task. Every story is informative, the challenge is not to tell a story, but to tell it in such a way that it echoes in the minds of the audience long after the screen goes dark. It’s about actualising characters with icks and dreams, crafting conceptual dialogues, and mapping out a whole journey from start to finish to fulfill our character’s purpose.

Engagement

A story needs to be engaging. Engaging stories are not monotonous, they can surely start out monotonous, they carry a quick spark to them as the story unfolds. Good storytellers feel their characters, make it relatable to the audience, immerse the audience into their lives and enjoy this beautiful journey together.

Here’s a quick introduction to the 7 Elements of a 3-Act Story:

7 ELEMENTS OF STORYTELLING:

Inciting Incident :

Every story starts with some background information and prerequisites for the plot. It usually is referred to as an opening scene, where storytellers set up the world of their characters. Audience becomes familiar with the characters, their background, the visuals etc.

Good questions to ask yourself are:

What does my character look like?

Where are my characters set?

What’s the lighting scenario?

What’s the environment like?

Does my scene have enough information to convey to the audience?

First Turning Point:

Then comes the first turning point. As the main characters go through their lives, “some unexpected event” happens that becomes a turning point in the story. Here, the characters are unfamiliar with the change. As storytellers, you have full control over your characters’ emotional responses, attitudes,values and decisions. You get to craft emotions for your characters. It is important to keep the visual elements engaging to the audience.

Midpoint:

As we move forward, the story reaches a midpoint. A midpoint can be how the characters respond to the hand they’ve been dealt. The midpoint is relatively neutral as compared to the turning point. This is a good point to ignite curiosity and let your audience connect to the character.

Low Point:

This point is the high time to engage the audience, involving them into the movie with emotions, decisions and feelings. Usually, the low point tends to deeply shift your character, eventually pushing them to unleash their highest potential. This is also referred to as “Character Development” When your characters learn their lessons and embody the shifts, the process of overcoming their low points is called “ Character Development. Character Development is one of the best tools storytellers use to keep the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats.

Second Turning Point:

This turning point is relatively on a lighter and positive note. Pacing towards Climax. This turning point requires (not necessarily) the characters to lead subjectively inspiring decisions and actions. Storytellers tend to make these scenes wildly interesting. It’s not an easy task to give your characters whatever they want. Beautifully, that’s not how life works, in stories too.

Climax:

All of the above elements have been carefully crafted to lead to this point in the story- THE CLIMAX. The climax is the main focal point of the story. It is dramatic, engaging and fulfilling. It can involve a lot of frama, movement, and pain. The visual hierarchy and development plays a crucial role in the climax. Most of the character development work has been done upto this point.

Resolution:

Resolution is the relatively calm end of the story. This is where the important questions get answered. This marks a fulfilling completion of the story. Disney makes sure to craft their story resolutions in a way that the audience feels through the emotion.

Great examples include animations like the movie, Up. We all cried and laughed as we moved along the story of an old man, Carl Fredrickson. His journey made us cry in our pillows and laugh our tears out. Good storytelling in many movies like Up, delivers lingering moments in the minds of the audience.

Moreover,

This is not just storytelling, It is a beautiful amalgamation of sharing journeys with our favorite characters. The visuals are an important element that meticulously move us through the space of purpose.

“By all means, these are not rigid rules for a good story. 

Let them serve as stepping stones for your stories. 

Breathe life into your characters, 

Give them their identities, 

Push them through their journeys and let the audience follow through.”

We, at Frameboxx Ahmedabad, root for your success as a passionate creator. You are not just a viewer of this magnificence, you are a participant in a world where narratives unfold like a carefully choreographed dance performance. This is the magic of animation, where art meets science and reality. 

Moreover, For individuals passionate about Animation, 3D, Game art & VFX, enrolling in our Animation Specialization course at Frameboxx Animation Institute can be the first step towards a fulfilling career as a creator. Our commitment to nurturing talent, coupled with an industry-focused approach, ensures that our students graduate with the skills needed to thrive in the competitive animation landscape.

So, to the storytellers of tomorrow, embrace the magic of stories, where every story is waiting to be told. The script is your brush, the canvas is your stage, Paint a good one.

Happy Storytelling!

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