WEBTOON Basics What is directing? Directing inside frames
GCC academy
Learning Goals Learn about Angle and Shot Learn about Directionality and Rules Learn about Speech bubbles and Sound effects
Contents Angle and Shot Directionality and Rules Speech bubbles and Sound effects
Kim Yong hoi Careers: Former adjunct professor at Cheonggang Cultual Industry University Former head of SWA Seoul Webtoons Academy Works: The Flower That Blooms Again Just That A Dream of a Midsummer Night Masterpiece
Nice to meet you, I'm Webtoons artist Kim Yong Hoi
In this lecture, we are going to explore what directing inside the frame is about
The size and shape of the frame make it intuitive to understand the image and emotion
By varying the length of frames and the spacing between them, which is the gutter
We can adjust the reading pace to be either longer or shorter
With that, we prepare a story and using the concept of directing visual of the frames
We design frames to make a storyboard
When the shape and size of frames are determined, now it's time to draw
The artist must consider and decide
how to position and size the characters within this frame
Let's explore how time is conveyed through the angles and shots
within the frame to evoke emotions through the images within the frame
We will cover the different types of angles and shots
Secondly, we'll explore the techniques of directing within the frames through concepts of directionality and rules
Thirdly, we'll explore directing through speech bubbles and sound effects
Directing can be defined as the effective realization of the author's intentions
Through various means such as character expressions, gestures, and positioning
As well as background, lighting, and other elements
Screen directing varies in emotions depending on the positioning, angles, or distances of the space and characters
Also, it varies based on the direction of movement, contrast between subjects, lighting, and color
Webtoons, like other storytelling media, need to effectively convey
A cohesive narrative by connecting each frame where story and emotions are directed
On this one page, while looking at a working mom coming home late
Shows family members using eye level angle
Giving information about their age, characteristics and so on
Since it's a scene showing everyday life, a stable rectangular shape was chosen for frames
The layout of the frames is also kept stable and to portray a quiet evening in a quiet home
The size of the frames wasn't contrasted much
And it was placed according to the size with balance on the page
Now, let's take the page and use the scroll format
The feeling of being crowded with combination of frames in the page format is gone
Each individual frame has become more focused and important
It's a scene showing a working mom entering the doorway
with her husband welcoming her inside
The eye level is adjusted to give a sense of psychological comfort and stability
The scene of the daughter studying late into the night
Reflects the mother's guilt through a narrow, elongated view through the gap of a door
It portrays the mother looking in at her daughter from her eye level perspective
Showing a clean kitchen from the child's eye level perspective
The scene depicts the husband carrying his wife's bag ahead expressing affection
Both individuals heading in the same direction convey emotional harmony
The warm yellow lighting complements the atmosphere, creating a cozy ambiance that matches the scene
Carefully opening the door to the young son's room, already asleep
the narrow vertical rectangle frame encapsulates the mother's emotions
The camera angle is elevated above the mother's head, allowing viewers to feel her emotions
As she gazes through the narrow gap in the door at her sleeping young son inside the room
Like this, using the rules of directing images within the frame
We can design emotions to be conveyed
Directing screen is a choice of how to arrange images within a predetermined frame
Elements of directing
The composition, contrast, and color placement within the frame are used to direct emotions
Let's explore the basic concepts of angles and shots, which are fundamental to the composition of the scene
Angles refer to the concept of height and distance of the camera's viewpoint
Shots refer to the concept of depth of field and the resulting size of the image visible on the screen
Let's first briefly explore the types of angles
The types of angles include bird's eye angle, high angle, and eye level angle
There are also low angle, extreme low angle, and Dutch angle
Bird's eye angle shows a landscape rather than a person
Providing information about the location, era, etc., allows to experience the omniscient observer perspective
High angle is a viewpoint looking down on the subject
The subject's confinement within the background creates a feeling of being trapped in space and reality, enhancing the viewer's sense of superiority
Eye level angle aligns the camera with the eyes of the subject
Allowing viewers to feel comfortable with the same eye level perspective
It aligns with the eye level of the character regardless of whether they are standing or sitting
It's the most comfortable and commonly used angle, making it important
On the other hand, a low angle is a viewpoint that looks up at the subject
Showing a lot of ceiling or sky, giving a sense of liberation
The low angle creates admiration and worship for the character, inducing a feeling of relative submission from the observer's inferior perspective
Extreme low angle intensifies the low angle perspective, creating a more dramatic sense of intimidation
A Dutch angle tilts the camera to create an unstable angle
Expressing the character's tense emotions or increasing the depth of anxiety
Extreme long shot, which focuses on the landscape, shows the situation and location
Long shot shows the subject along with the surroundings
Providing information about the subject's relationship and position
Full shot shows the full body of the character
Knee shot shows the area above the knees of the character
It's useful for showing the character's body language
Medium shot shows the area above the waist of the character
Medium shot is good for showing both the character's expression and the scenery
And it's also suitable for showing multiple characters
Bust shot shows the area above the chest of the character
Focusing more on their facial expression than their body language
Close-up focuses on the character's face, cropping out the head
And allowing only the chin to be visible, directing attention to the facial expression
Extreme closeup intensely focuses on one part of the subject
It could be a part of the face, body, or even an object
As evident from angles and shots, the camera's distance or depth
Also represents the emotional distance of the characters
The closer they are, the more subjective the character's emotions become, while the further they are, the more objective
As the shot gets closer, it suits the character's inner and essential dialogue
While as it gets further, it suits the dialogue necessary
For the situation or story development rather than the character's inner dialogue
When inner dialogues suitable for close-ups are included in long shots
It gives the impression of observing the character's emotions from an objective perspective
The fundamental concept of emotional distance and angles becomes the basis of directing within the frame
If angles represent the camera's perspective and shots denote distance to evoke emotions
Then the positioning of characters also plays a role in evoking emotions
The positioning of characters refers to where they are located
In relation to the camera angle, whether they are facing the front, side, or back of the screen
Generally, when depicting a character, the default perspective is front-facing
However, to create drama, it's sometimes effective
To show the side or back of the character
A front-facing shot of a character focuses more on their emotions
In contrast, a side view gives a more objective feeling
Rather than showing a conversation between two people in profile
showing the front of a character on screen allows the viewer to focus more on the speaking counterpart
The back of a character allows for deeper inference of emotions due to hidden expressions
Through a character facing away, readers experience the landscape or reality the character is facing
A character shown only from the back, without any landscape
Represents the emotions they are facing, leaving the reader
To imagine the character's emotional expression
Let's explore directionality and principles
There are several basic rules for directing the screen
From classical paintings to photography and film
Let's explore the rules commonly used in directing the screen
The rule of thirds and the 180 degree rule are the most prominent rules
First, let's explore the rule of thirds
It creates four points where the lines intersect when the screen is divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically
Placing the subject we want to highlight on these points creates a strong focal point
In the same frame, subjects positioned at these four points will catch the viewer's attention first
This utilizes the instinctive gaze that is naturally drawn to the center of the screen
This helps place the subject at a stable position in the frame
Using guidelines, we can create a focus effect as well
Guidelines use lines such as horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and vanishing points on the screen
to focus the viewer's attention
These lines are used to guide the viewer's gaze to where the author desires, focusing their attention
The strongest line is the vanishing point
When organizing space around the vanishing point,
Naturally, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines indirectly draw focus to the screen
Even without a vanishing point, focusing attention is possible with just horizontal vertical, or diagonal lines
Creating lines that lead towards the subject of focus in landscapes or structures
Allows for focusing attention on the subject without necessarily having a vanishing point at the end
Additionally, these lines can be created not only by landscapes or structures
But also by the direction of characters' gazes or the movement of people
Due to the small screen size, it's more important to emphasize what you want to convey
And diminish the surrounding details, rather than cramming in too much complex information
When showing consecutive frames of characters,
Connecting shots with a size difference of two or more levels helps maintain continuity
When suing consecutive frames featuring dialogue or ongoing situations,
Frames either identical to the previous frame or have only a little difference
Might lead to boredom since readers cannot notice any changes
Even in scenes with continuous dialogue, varying the shot or angle in each frame
helps convey dialogue or situations without boredom
Since the sizes of characters or subjects noticeably change in the composion,
it visually enhances interest
The 180 degree rule is a film technique that maintains spatial continuity
by establishing an imaginary line between two characters
Sitting across from each other at a table and ensuring consistent eye contact
And ensuring consistent eye contact
And direction between them, preventing spatial confusion
I'm talking about a technique in scenes where characters face each other and converse where the direction
They face alternates between 180 degrees, similar to the numbering sequence of a camera in drawings
Drawing them symmetrically to 180 degrees ensures consistency in the direction of the two people facing each other
And maintains the setting that they are talking and facing each other in connected frames
The alignment of gazes is a rule that, along with the 180 degree rule, establishes spatial continuity
It dictates that in subsequent frames, the direction of characters' gazes
Should remain consistent with the initial setup to maintain coherence
To prevent confusion about directionality, consistent eye contact must be maintained
Separate from the rule of aligning and maintaining characters' directional consistency
Directionality in storytelling makes readers perceive
Whether characters are facing forward or backward as they convey the narrative
The flow of gaze is instinctively from left to right, and from top to bottom
Most of humanity, for reasons unknown, are right-handed
So, when holding an weapon, they tend to look left before looking to the right
And they naturally gravitate downwards, towards the direction of gravity
This is the most instinctive direction of gaze
Directionality is based on this
Let's express the instinctive direction
Scenes of walking or running naturally progress from left to right
It's the direction that's instinctively perceived as natural, following the instinct of gaze
Regarding Japanese manga, since the books are read from right to left, the horizontal gaze direction is opposite to ours
The natural direction in which characters move is from top to bottom
Progressing from top to bottom, simultaneously from left to right
Adding diagonal angles creates a more dynamic feeling
The direction that is instinctively perceived extends beyond just characters
It applies to all expressions of directionality
Not only scenes of people walking or running, but also
The direction of movement of a car or action scenes where fists are thrown are also the same
This instinctive direction is the default direction
Default direction evokes a sense of natural directionality without resistance
It's the direction of compliance, the power of compliance
Expressing force or speed in this direction naturally conveys a sense of speed
Additionally, incorporating motion lines enhances the sense of speed even further
As a guideline for directing attention, in comics, the use of motion lines and focus lines
Can be maximized to concentrate the reader's gaze
Let's add motion lines to the same picture
And let's also add large text for sound effects
Finally, let's add some effects
Let's express a sense of motion or impact, and add particles resembling dust or sweat flying in the air
Applying these decorative effects also follows the guidelines of directional rules and eye alignment
Consistency in directionality is essential
The ultimate way to create a sense of spatial presence is to depict the air, the atmosphere
The direction opposite to the default direction is the reverse direction
The reverse direction evokes a sense of resistance
People who feel comfortable with this direction are generally accustomed to the direction of Japanese manga
As I mentioned, in Japan, comic is read from right to left
Those who primarily read or study Japanese comics
Often unconsciously incorporate the directional style of Japanese cuts when creating storyboards
Watch for the reverse directionality when it comes to this aspect
Because the reverse directionality doesn't feel natural, even running individuals may give a sense of resistance
It evokes not the force of action, but rather the emotion of reaction, counteraction
In the picture, the car appears to be heading towards the upper right corner
The default direction evokes a sense of compliance, while the reverse direction evokes a sense of resistance
If the default direction represents action, then the reverse direction represents reaction
So, scenes where the protagonist is striking or blocking are better depicted in the default direction
Just by looking at the picture within the frame, you can naturally sense who is the actor in the action
The character moving in the default direction from the left is perceived as the actor in the action
Scenes with pulling action should place the action initiator in the reverse direction for optimal effect
In scenes with pulling action from left to right, it feels like the actor is being pulled towards the other party
The same picture, when reversed, becomes a scene of pulling from right to left
Making it appear as if the actor is pulling the other party
The directionality within the frames should be consistent with the concepts of default and reverse directions
Following the laws of directionality, to ensure that readers are not confused
Speech bubbles and sound effects
Let's examine the position and direction of dialogue and speech bubbles
In Webtoons, directing within the frame involves not only the placement of characters and backgrounds,
But also setting the position and shape of speech bubbles
And determining the shape, size, and placement of onomatopoeic words for sound effects
We prepare it in a screenplay style, with dialogue for characters and action descriptions
The minimum pixels to convey the emotion of a frame is the dialogue
Some frames don't have dialogue
Some frames have multiple speech bubbles for prepared dialogue
Some sentences are significant enough to be divided and placed in two separate frames
Surely, it's up to the author to determine the chunkiness and weight of that dialogue
Each author has their own sensibility, and the interpretation of the weight of dialogue
May vary depending on the story they want to convey
For frames with small emotional intensity, concentrating dialogue
Helps convey more common, plain emotions
Since the dialogue in these frames is also likely to be ordinary and common
Or, they could be foreshadowing dialogue, hinting at more significant conversations or situations to come in larger frames
Even if there's a lot of dialogue, filling small frames
with speech bubbles can make the dialogue flow naturally
Readers perceive it as an engaging image within one frame
A man is planning to express his feelings to a friend who he hasn't seen in a long time
Remember that friend we both liked? You remember, right?
We all hung out together that time, remember?
Everyone seemed interested in that friend, we all wanted to start a conversation
To be honest, I also liked that friend
I've been thinking that when we meet again, I should tell her that I like her
It's also effective not to include dialogue in frames with significant emotional intensity
Emotions don't always have to be expressed through words
That friend got married
Adjust the size and spacing of the prepared dialogue in the script to fit the flow of gaze
And prepare frames with emotional intensity to accommodate the speech bubbles
Then, arrange the dialogue in the next frame at a suitable distance to allow for emotionally paced reading
creating a natural flow of gaze over time in the scroll
The placement of speech bubbles should align with the flow of gaze
We shouldn't misplace speech bubbles' height, making the reader read dialogue that should come later first
Let's look at the diagram
The speech bubbles in the example frame made two mistakes
Firstly, the height of the speech bubbles should be different to ensure that the dialogue is read sequentially
Secondly, to maintain the progression of the character's situation
It would be better to move the speech bubble of the receiving character all the way down
We don't need to adhere to the restrictive habits of page format
Because this is a vertical infinite scroll
Narration also had to be placed inside the frame due to the narrow layout of the page format
But in a scroll format, placing narration between frames enhances readability
The font size is also increased for better visibility
The shape of speech bubbles is determined by the emotion of the dialogue
Dialogue that is shouting out loud is depicted with sharp, intense shapes resembling waves
While dialogue conveying subdued emotions is represented with crinkly, irregular shapes resembling deflated balloons
Webtoons is visual mediums that express drama through images alone
Sound effects are a way to express auditory sensations in the visual medium of Webtoons
Sound effects are sounds perceived outside of speech bubbles, recognized through illustrations
The font and shape of sound effects can express their characteristics, representing qualities like strength and dullness
And they can also indicate sharpness
We can use font size to represent the volume of sound and the shape of the typeface to express emotions
In Webtoons, directing a frame involves creating a container for the emotional content of the frame through its size and shape
Inside the frame, the camera angle, shot composition, and direction of the camera towards the characters are established
Guidelines for focusing on characters and shaping the background are set to complete the image of one frame
Adding speech bubbles of suitable shapes and sizes
Along with large text if necessary, completes the directing a frame
Dynamically intense and emotionally explosive scenes
Require large, impactful sound effects
Adding light and effects enhances the sense of speed and impact, making it even more powerful
Thus, we've explored effective screen direction utilizing angles, shots
And the flow of gaze within a frame
The shape and spacing of frames are designed to create a rhythm
With the images within those frames expressing emotions to drive that rhythm
The directing that creates emotions aims to establish the emotional atmosphere of the scene
Emotions refer to the feelings or mental states that occur in a person's mind or evoke emotions
Directing is precisely about controlling the rhythm and creating emotions to convey them to the audience
Thus, selecting speech bubble shapes that suit this purpose is
Akin to choosing the appearance of the frame
The large text sound effects, depicted as sound through images in Webtoons
Should align with the emotions conveyed within the frame to effectively communicate with the reader
Choosing colors that match the emotions conveyed within the frame is also essential
There's also the concept of temperature in colors, which is an important element in emotional directing
Ultimately, the reason for creating and evoking a sense of time is to establish rhythm
In dramas, each situation has its own tempo
There are also times when the scenes should flow quietly and slowly, just as they are portrayed
There are also times when dynamic and tense scenes should be shown quickly and forcefully
Showing the emotion of the scene along with
the sense of time passing is the purpose of directing
When a writer accurately conveys the emotions and rhythm of a drama
Viewers can experience the essence of the story more deeply
Thus, individuals who convey stories through imagery and also enjoy and understand music
May have an advantage in conveying such emotions more effectively
Keeping those fundamental concepts in mind, I hope you create even more impressive and entertaining Webtoons
Thank you
Summary Angle and shot Angle Camera angles, height, and distance Shot The depth of gaze and its impact on the size of the image visible on the screen
Directionality and rules The rule of thirds Utilizing the instinctual gaze naturally drawn to the center of the screen Positioning the subject at a stable point within the space
Guidelines Utilizing horizontal, vertical, diagonal lines, and vanishing points on the screen to focus the viewer's gaze
180 degree rule Alternating the directionality of characters facing each other in a conversation scene by adhering to a consistent 180 degree orientation
Speech bubbles and sound effects Dialogues Minimum pixel for conveying emotions in dialogue Speech bubbles placement Adjusts size and spacing according to the flow of gaze Varying the height to ensure sequential reading of dialogue from top to bottom
Speech bubbles for subsequent dialogue are positioned below Sound effects Sounds recognized through illustrations extending beyond speech bubbles
Directing sound effect Adding speech bubbles of appropriate shape and size, along with large text, onto the completed artwork to complement the dialogue Dynamic and emotionally explosive scene: Requires large text and impactful sound effects