Storyboard Panel of the Day

Post 200 approaches. Is something going to happen? Maybe. I might even get struck by lightning.

And die. Because of the lightning... That struck me.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

At LAST we get to the big sequence where they throw broccoli florets in their mashed potatoes to kill the pesky ants. On... A Monoply board...

It's not just me, right?

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I think the index finger point may be Scarecrow's all-time favorite gesture. He points at every damn thing in this movie, if it's not paths then it's woodmen made of tin, if it's not woodmen made of tin it's trees...

We get it guy, you can see... things. Stop gloating about it, will you?

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I think this is the longest single sustained action sequence in the film. The wolf battle is pretty quick and dirty and the river doesn't really count.
Child Protective Services need not worry, we had a mattress there to catch Mariellen. Scarecrow was on his own...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

It's tempting when I'm drawing these things to just be lazy and make every shot a static, tripod affair.

Probably cut my drawing time down by half... Too bad half the Mare footage is handheld and movement-crazy already. Aesthetically jarring and all. I'm having trouble with complete sentences today...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Boy did we ever have a hard time figuring out how to simulate Dorothy riding the Lion. We put poor Mare on some weird rigs trying to get that rocking motion.

We did get it in the end, but we couldn't have the Scarecrow puppet on there with her as we'd intended. There was seemingly no combination of loops and knots that would successfully tether him to that thing. I'm telling you these things in hopes that it will distract you from the wonky perspective going on here...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Poor Lion really is loaded up good with passengers, isn't he?

King of beasts of BURDEN, amirite? Probably not.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I very nearly posted part of the shot of Lion jumping the ravine, but if that all works out it's going to be pretty cool and unique, and I'd rather save it for the film. So have this instead.

It's just as momentous, really. I mean... Everybody else has noticed that I tend to favor the right side of the frame, yeah? Let's SMASH that pattern!

Storyboard Panel of the Day

THIS, on the other hand... There is ZERO chance this is getting cut.

My goodness, how I love the Kalidah sequence. I love chasms, I love narrow bridges, and I love high-speed chases. Thanks for that, Last Crusade.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

With the exception of the scene we've mentioned before that we're throwing out for technical reasons (Dorothy waking up in Boq's house), I'm doing storyboards for everything that we shot. Because you never know whether a scene is a keeper or not until you see them all in context. This scene was the first one that really felt like a cut while I was working on it.

It comes right after we've finally started building up some momentum, and we go right from here to an action scene, making this a weird little pause. The only new information that comes out of it is that Dorothy runs out of bread and Scarecrow goes to gather some nuts. Nuts that we never shot her eating, and so will never see again in the movie. Plus, we happened to shoot this on a day where... forces outside of control were making shooting difficult, so this isn't a shining example of film-making craft. Luckily the rest of that day was dedicated to the aforementioned action scene, which was much more suited to the environment of the day.

It's nice to see them settle in at night, and have a rest from the journey, but it feels more like a book scene than a movie scene. In the end, nothing gets removed until we see a full assembly and get a few more eyes on it, but for my part I'm betting on this one not making it in.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

This is one of the few shots I've had in my head since the moment I read the scene in the script. The camera move going on here is incredibly specific.

Probably going to have to do an animatic of this when the time comes.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I'm going to have to do up some nicer versions of all these pages with lovely typed text someday.

I shouldn't punish anybody who's nice enough to work with me by forcing them to decipher my frantic scratching.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I approve of T-Mobile's current sponsorship of Photobucket.

If I have to sit through ads every time I upload a picture, they might as well have Carly Foulkes in them. Who's with me?

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I'm really glad Sean wrote that Dorothy punches the Lion. It would never have occurred to me to make that change, and it makes for a much stronger character moment than the slap. I mean come on, she grew up on the mean plains of Kansas.

I thought going off the Denslow Lion would make it easier for me to draw him, because I'd have all this reference I could look at. But there are some WILDLY inconsistent profiles going on with that guy in Wonderful Wizard.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I regret switching back to the tiny panels before drawing this one. Like a lot. This is an extension of this raw frame from months ago. Her hair actually does that, no CGI required. As for the rest of it...

I don't love every shot I do, but I'm really satisfied with some of them. This is among those.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

While this isn't technically isn't our first glimpse of the Lion, it is still from the first shot he appears in. For those playing along at home, this puts us on page 43 of the script. And leads us directly into that yanking business we were up to in the first Scarecrow BTS.

I warned you that the large format panels were going away...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

There are those who already hate the idea of our Woodman and Scarecrow being around the same height as Dorothy. Those people might not want to think to much about the perspective going on here...

I screwed up real good. Dorothy is pulling some serious Hagrid up in this one.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Spoiler alert: I wouldn't get used to the larger-format storyboard panels if I were you.

Turns out touching my nose to the paper is just sort of my default drawing position. And they are now starting to slow me down, cumulatively.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

It took me a long time to figure this out. I really couldn't wrap my head around how the axe could slip and chop off an arm, because... well... You're using both arms and holding onto the handle. Unless Nick adopts a dangerously careless chopping style once he's got his two tin legs...

Why does Google Chrome's internal spell-checker always put the little red squiggle under "axe"? That is a WORD, dammit.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

It was at this point that I had burned through the stack of print-outs I'd made of the initial template. I wanted to try out something different, so I made a template of my own. Instead of six panels that are 1.25 inches tall per page, I did two panels that are 3.5 inches tall. And I like it. It doesn't take any longer to draw a panel, it lets me be a little cleaner with my lines, and it doesn't hurt my back. Because I no longer have to touch my nose to the paper to see what the Hell I'm doing...

I don't know if I'll be able to get away with this, admittedly ridiculous, shot. But I'm sure going to try...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Is weird for a character to take satisfaction in the death of another person in a children's tale?

Probably not when that person is responsible for them dismembering themselves one limb at a time across multiple weeks until in the end they're nothing but a robot.

Food for thought, anyway...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I love the flashbacks. Have I said that? The flashbacks add such a great texture to everything. They make Oz a real place where real people do actual things that don't have anything to do with Dorothy and her quest. Well done, Baum. Way to be a writer and that.

Dress fans take note... I am an ignorant man. The real Nimmie will have a real dress that a sane woman would actually want to put on her body. I will not play any part in designing it. Promise.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

My shameful admission... In my mind, Nick Chopper dresses like Blondie in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (pre-poncho), and has hair like Revenge of the Sith Anakin Skywalker...

The first phrase Sean uses to describe him is, "swarthy-looking."

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I don't usually post consecutive shots, but this one is kind of important.

I had forgotten about this shot. It's nice, though. Mare did a good job with a long take and little to react to.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

One of the most crucial jobs the director has is to keep all these disparate ideas and details clear in his head at all times.

I guess what I'm trying to say is... The best reference image I had for the Woodman model at this angle was an older one, and I got to the inking stage before I remembered that we'd removed his Dracula collar...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Baum's story is 100 years ahead of its time. This I now contend. Why is that? It's almost structured with the ADHD adolescents in mind. Bored with Kansas? Boom, tornado. Bored with Dorothy walking around on her own? Have a talking Scarecrow... for some reason. Bored with them? Here's a robot. Bored again? LION ATTACK. And so on...

I bet this shot ends up being really close in the final...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Whoa, earliest storyboard post ever... Whyever is that, you must be wondering? I have an appointment to do my taxes this evening... Which is so much better than being home at the computer. Too bad blogger doesn't do sad emoticons.

For those looking for actual applicable information, this shot puts us on page 32 of a 119 page script. And this is actually the shot directly before the beginning of the infamous concept scene! So there's some information for you. You can take that to the bank. And laugh all the way there. To the information bank... Deposit that nugget...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I have to say it; RIP to the amazingly talented Ralph McQuarrie. Without that man there would be no Star Wars, and without Star Wars I would probably be majoring in veterinary science right now.

So thank you, Mr. McQuarrie, for your hand in making a foolish dreamer of me. I'm sure my parents don't hold it against you...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

I wanted to put a wagon up on cinder blocks in front of the cottage, but Sean said that was a little on the nose.

Don't worry, there's still time for him to reconsider.

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Oh God, I think I might be turning into a Cubist!!!

That could hurt me later in life...

Storyboard Panel of the Day

Oh no, we're back to the storyboard stuff... Hey, do you suppose that if a cold dog took a drink of water, that would be a "brrrr lap"? Brrr lap/burlap...

Sorry... You're being nice and reading my blog, I don't know why I feel the need to punish you like this.