Animation Basics Writing Techniques for Animation scenario 2
GCC Academy
Nice to meet you
I am Jae Woo Park, professor in Cartoon Animation Tech major at Sejong University
I will be teaching writing Techniques for Animation scenario 2
Lecture on compelling character creation
Basic pattern and type of protagonist
How is creating compelling characters for animation done?
Let's start by exploring the basic patterns of stories and protagonists
As well as the different types that exist
We'll explore, first, what immutable elements of human nature's emotions there are
Second, Patterns and types of fantasy and heroes
Third, How to analyze diverse reactions based on age
Fourth, Analyzing diverse reactions based on gender
Fifth, the four quadrants of storytelling
Sixth, we will be exploring the trend list
Immutable elements of human nature's emotions are
central to character creation in storytelling
Because, regardless of how we package a movie or craft a story
whether it's a tale of love, a story of good versus evil,
or a narrative about rediscovering independence
The truth is, no matter how times change, the ways we package it
And the trends may vary, but at the core of the conceptualization,
The immutable elements of human nature's emotions remain unchanged
Therefore, the most important aspect to consider when creating characters are
First, what emotional element of human nature to choose
For example, whether it's a story about love or a story about friendship
Selecting such primal emotions should be prioritized
I wrote some examples
Pride, self-esteem, attention, gaze, achievement, desire to win
Rivalry, sense of belonging, beauty, glamour, romance
However, what has changed is how we package these elements into modern sensibilities and current trends
The truth is, if you watch any animation,
at its core, the emotional elements of human nature lie
Secondly, let's talk about fantasy
When I refer to fantasy, I don't necessarily mean stories featuring queens and witches
I consider any fictional narrative in animation to be fantasy storytelling
What are the patterns and types of fantasy and protagonists, heroes?
What type is the most popular protagonist?
We often refer it to the Reluctant Hero
The hero is reluctant
I am not the one who came up with this, but there is a theologian named Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell came up with that idea
You know, cave paintings in Malaysia
or myths of Native Americans in the United States
They are similar
You guys know Park Hyuk Geo se?
He was born from an egg
There are lots of people said to be born from an egg in the myths around the world
So, what it boils down to is that all protagonists have their origin
They are reluctant, no one is born to be a hero
But ultimately, it's the character's desires, whether supernatural, scientific,
or driven by strong willpower and events and efforts
That eventually transform them into different characters
A story can have a fool become a genius
Or from ugly to cute
Human to animal or other way around
There is also one with a coward becoming the brave or victim to savior
Ultimately, the most famous protagonist is made when a reluctant, a common hero
Gets caught up in challenging events
And overcomes them as they rise up to the occasion
That's the kind of protagonist we find most relatable and compelling
In Batman series, there's a story when he is physically and mentally warn down
To the point where he considers giving up being Batman
That's when we feel empathy towards Batman
ultimately, Batman reluctantly returns
To being Batman to save the city
Even the strongest superheroes, as you all know, have weaknesses
And there are moments of great despair as well
If the hero already possesses abilities and strong mind
Then we might find it difficult to empathize with them
Especially for animation, it's important to determine the target age group
Let's say we want to create animations
Targeting age 2 to 5
We call this pre-school animation
We analyze how viewers might perceive it
For example, children are in a position of being protected
It might be different nowadays
But 2 to 3 year olds may tend to feel scared of violence
And it's also a time for them to learn things
They often respond with laughter to simple physical humor
In Pororo, a Korean animation series, Crong couldn't speak well at first
Kids were engaged in that
It's because kids are not good at expressing things yet
They are familiar with very simple things
And they like to be safe
So, for preschool children,
you can't really find a villain from famous animations series
that was successful around the world
They are all about having trouble, making up, reconciling within the group
Then, things develop as they target older audiences
If you go up to PG 13 of up,
And create animations having contents more for adults, it wouldn't work
So we have to analyze these attributes
And ultimately?
To create a successful work, you should be focused
To a certain targeted group,
And make sure you understand the character
If you do this to your character,
Other age groups also become relatable to the style
The worst case scenario is
When trying to make a character that is loved by everyone
Think about food
When you put in too many ingredients, the taste just doesn't go together
Not many people will like it very much
So, successful works always are focused to one target and stretches to others
They cater to various age groups while keeping the target age in mind
For example, on air for more than 20 years,
The Simpsons, Tom & Jerry
Incredibles and Toy Story
If you look at these Hollywood works
Adults can very much enjoy while they are meant to be for children
And also, if age groups are important, let's not forget about gender
However trends in gender tend to change over time
In the past, there were cases like that in the animation market.
When you go to the global market of animation,
Broadcasters or distributors worldwide
Look for action genres
That means if you purchase a boy action series
That appeals to 11 or 10 year old boys,
Girls will also watch it along with them
That was the trend of the past
How about now?
Nowadays, girl action series are also popular globally,
Just as much as boy action series
So, the world changes
But there are characteristics specific to males and females
The details within, differ
It's also crucial to analyze the characteristics of girls and boys
As well as the characteristics of women and men as they grow up
It's important to analyze these kinds of factors
In order to understand how to meet the diverse reactions
Of both genders effectively
In societies like the United States, there is also diversity in race
So, analysis is also done to see if this animation can appeal
More to the Hispanic community or if it can appeal more
To the Asian community
So, when creating my characters, it's important to remember
To analyze age and gender, as it's one of the key factors to consider
Therefore, when it comes to the storytelling's quadrant lawm
It's actually derived from the marketing's four-quadrant law by the way
It divides age groups from 1 to 14
And separates them by gender as examples
However, animations targeted for adults
Can extend from 14 and up to the age of 30 or even beyond
Depending on preferences
Nevertheless, it's crucial to have a precise target audience at the center
And Analyzing whether there are corners around that center where various needs
Of different ages, genders,
And races can be met within each storytelling element
Is considered vital
In character creation
So, successful works fulfill the quadrant law
I only mentioned women, men, young, and old here
But in reality, gender is also diverse
Therefore, depending on the type of animation you're creating,
The composition of the four quadrants can vary
When a work fulfills only one quadrant,
There should be sufficient reason to exclude the remaining 75%
In animation, however, there are cases like this
For example, Japanese animations are
Currently very popular on OTT platforms
Among them, there are quite gory animations
With high levels of action and violence
Which are specifically targeted at certain age groups
There are also animations that are calculated and
Created with a target audience of only 18 years old and above
Where the other 75% doesn't need to be considered
However, if we are creating animation
That appeals to families or all age groups,
The quadrant law plays a very important role
However, trying to satisfy all ages, genders, and races from the early planning stages
Can lead to a very scattered story line if we keep adding this and that to expand it
So, especially during the planning phase, it's important to consider what elements the characters possess
And whether my characters can appeal to a specific age group and gender
Okay, I want elementary school students to watch it
Counting that elementary students may think that they want to become like the characters
For example, there is a domestic series called "Tobot,"
Which was hugely successful in selling toys
Although the animation didn't have very high quality,
there was a time when boys in lower grades of elementary school lined up
To buy all the transformation robots of Tobot and a lot of toys were sold
In the end, that's what it was
Boys similar to me or older brothers operated the robots?
The robot being controlled transforms into a car from a specific domestic brand that we know?
Oh? That's the same as our mom and dad's car?
It drew a lot of empathy
Therefore understanding how my character will resonate
With specific age groups and genders is crucial during the planning process
There's something called the trend list
The trend list isn't just about what's popular
In fashion in fashion, TV shows, or OTT platforms nowadays
It's about defining what my own trend is, not just talking about what's hot in those areas
There are many new trends emerging in family structure as well
In the past, family structures were often extended families
But now, we've transitioned past the nuclear family era
There are many single-person households, and cultures like single moms and single dads are emerging
It's become incredibly diverse and how people take it is also different
So, it's very important to observe various cultural, societal, and pop culture
Trends to understand how they might influence my character and story
And how one can incorporate them
Because success and failure in love are universally relatable experiences at any age,
it's important to focus on the core elements of immutable human emotions
However, how you package those emotions within current trends is also very important
Creating the background of the story's universe and developing characters
The playground of the universe, where characters move, play,
And engage in activities, is crucial for character development and storytelling
Let's start by exploring the basic research on the background of the story universe and then dig into character development
First, let's focus on the background of the story universe
Secondly, let's delve into the background history of the universe
Next, the third step would be character archetype selection
Following that, let's explore the fourth step, which involves character development and change
We need to establish the foundation of the story universe
The universe can be formed by integrating various backgrounds and complexities
My character's background can't be limited to just one setting, it's a blend of various backgrounds
The background I'm referring to includes not only the physical setting
but also the world in which he or she lives
So, I need to establish the primary world-building background
Here are four primary examples are
That way, we can clearly communicate to the audience
What personality this story possesses and which genre it's heading towards
Setting up a background and context that allows for the realization
Of a unique and original story is crucial for the development of characters
Ultimately, these elements influence the aesthetic aspects when represented visually in a video
A great scenario presents well-developed characters
And their interactions with the backdrop effectively
Ultimately, since animation isn't a solo effort,
When animation staff see such a clear world
And backdrop in the scenario, they'll be able to express excellent visuals
Let's explore examples of story world-building backgrounds
The first is a realistic setting
The reality,
It would likely be the backdrop that resonates most with the target audience
Examples would be a story of home,
Family, school, festival, theme park, farm, villa, shopping mall, zoo, sports, or games
There's a superhero animation called "The Incredibles
It's a Pixar animation about a superhero family
Called "The Incredibles,"
But the storytelling itself is centered around the family
It focuses on family dynamics such as trust among family members, family issues, and the challenges of raising a teenage son and daughter
So, it starts from a very realistic backdrop
My story will have elements of fantasy and real life issues
But what is the main background
Is this a story of a family or restoring family bonds
Or is it centered around a specific profession like police officers or firefighters?
Or is it a school based story, a school drama
For Webtoons or animations like that
It's important to establish the primary setting first
It seems like most of these fall into the category of realistic backgrounds, ones that we can easily relate to in our everyday lives
The second is a fantasy background
Fantasy typically involves elements like fairy tales, legends, dinosaurs, pirates,
Or supernatural powers
That are somewhat surreal or beyond what we see in reality
In such cases, the fantasy backdrop takes precedence
With real-life issues, action oriented plots, and societal issues
Serving as additional elements within that fantasy world
We would still refer to it as a fantasy setting
Next, when we talk about "activity,"
Such as stories about martial arts or cooking
It refers to specific activities
Then, the activity will be the main setting
Then, when we say "issue," it refers to storytelling about social issues,
Such as conflicts with friends, bullying at school,
Or stories stemming from parental divorce
It could also involve societal issues like racial conflicts
And then, we need to establish the character types
We need to establish character types that align well with the content
Whether they are main, supporting, or minor characters
Let's first look at the first character type
Is it a character who inspires dreams and courage?
So, a character who inspires dreams and courage isn't necessarily someone who gives lectures or speaks in a hopeful tone
Rather, they're someone you look up to and think,
"I want to be like that person" or "That person is so cool."
They're characters like Spider-Man, Batman, or Iron Man,
Who have superpowers beyond human abilities but also possess human qualities
If they only have superpowers without any human traits, it wouldn't be interesting
Such characters said to be
Very inspiring with dreams and courage, but they're also human
Or characters who are like friends or colleagues,
Who initially face hardships
But eventually overcome them with their own strength
For example, there are some Hollywood movies
That have been regulars during Thanksgiving and Christmas for decades
It's really popular
How was this "Home Alone" movie very successful?
They're all like me, completely unrealistic characters
Eventually, he uses his imagination to defend his home and catch the thieves
So, there are characters
Who are like friends or colleagues,
Characters that make you think, "I could do that too,"
Or there are supportive side characters who guide you
There are characters like mentors,
Such as Yoda from Star Wars,
Or in Pixar's animation Ratatouille,
Where a famous chef, deceased,
Appears as a ghost to offer advice whenever the mouse struggles with cooking
There are also guardian-like characters
Surprisingly, many characters people empathize with are weaker or less capable than oneself
For an easy example,
Take Shin-chan from Crayon Shin-chan
He's quite foolish,
A bit dimwitted
But also has a lot of charm
And he makes a lot of entertaining actions
SpongeBob SquarePants Is another example
he often says nonsensical things
And acts like a fool,
but in the end,
with the help of other characters,
He carries the story forward in an entertaining way
Romantic character
Charming men and women
There are also somewhat wicked but charming characters who stray from the boundaries of morality
Like the movie called "Despicable me" with Minions
In there, you'll find that character called Gru, the villain
He was born from the question, "How can I do a lot of bad things?"
Also, the minions are actually henchmen of the villain
And they're never morally upright
They even play rough with each other, hitting and messing around
But it's really enjoyable
And most importantly, villains are never easy opponents
Someone like Batman's Joker
A villain that wouldn't be easily defeated by anyone
You also need to carefully consider characters
Like who could potentially steal away the person you love
You should carefully examine such types and establish their characteristics
Characters undergo changes
There can't be a character that never changes
If characters don't change,
The movie or series cannot succeed
Characters need to have goals
And respond to major changes challenges, and setbacks
Do goals arise from the beginning? Not necessarily
But gradually, as changes, challenges, and events occur,
Conflicts arise, and sometimes conflicts aren't resolved
Sometimes conflicts continues
And then finally,
They face a major conflict and resolve it
So, characters go through processes of challenge, setback, and achievement,
Ultimately undergoing physical change
Supernatural changes
Emotional changes
Or, changes caused by external factors causing
Therefore, it's essential to remember that characters must constantly change
To provide viewers with various forms of entertainment
Character creation
First, who will be my protagonist?
As the one writing the scenario,
I should understand him or her the best
If that's not the case, others won't be able to do better
Therefore, who is my protagonist
Second, you need to study the protagonist's behavioral patterns
Third, you need to learn about
The four elements of character creation
And be able to answer Questions about my character
From character creation questionnaires
Who is my protagonist?
For Hollywood directors,
There are times when I rehearse with the actors
I've seen famous actors like Tom Cruise
Reading something during rehearsals in certain movies
I've seen a behind the scenes story where Tom Cruise,
Who plays a hitman in a movie called "Collateral,"
Directed by the renowned director Michael Mann
He is seen reading something during rehearsals
He portrays a hitman who comes to Los Angeles
to carry out assassinations
That's the story of the movie
During rehearsals, Tom Cruise,
I mean "the Tom Cruise"
Was given a piece of paper
On that paper, details about the character were written,
Such as their name, birthplace, age when their father died,
Experiences of domestic violence
And the character's entire life story
Character's whole life was in that piece of paper
The director and the screenwriter
meticulously crafted the life story of a character
Which doesn't appear in the film, and Tom Cruise was studying it
That's a very important point, even in animation
"Who my protagonist is" is
Not just Knowing who that protagonist is, but about understanding their surface level
Writing out their life story can be incredibly beneficial
So, who is the protagonist, and how it was like growing up
What environment did they grow up in, and why did they end up where they are now?
And what did the protagonist initially desire?
It's important to understand the difference between wants and needs
Want is not the story it's just a person
They're not necessarily the protagonist, just one of the people, either Person 1 or Person 2
But as the desire for needs gets stronger
Then, they born as a protagonist, then
So, think about what they initially want
And then, what does the protagonist want in the middle of the story?
In the middle of the story, we often see the distinction between what they want and what they need
The midpoint between what they want and what they need to do
And what the protagonist ultimately want to achieve
The ultimate goal
That usually becomes clear towards the end
And then, there's often something or someone,
Whether it's a person, a situation, or an object
Often, there's another villain
They don't necessarily hinder the protagonist's circumstances
Sometimes, in certain movies,
Protagonist is there but there aren't many villains
The societal situation itself can become the antagonist
It can provoke conflict
For example, if a ethnic person or Asian is portrayed as the protagonist in a heavily discriminating society
That discrimination could become
The societal factor that is
The first obstacle to the protagonist's dreams
Furthermore, in such scenarios, creators might be used
To express those instances
Moreover, if people often overlook this perspective
When writing scenarios
It's often because students or novice writers
Might find it challenging
However, a helpful technique is to consider the inverse
By imagining your protagonist facing failure
It can often provide an easier entry point for character development
So, if the protagonist were to fail,
What will happen?
How the world will change
What about this world?
I recommend for you to look into that
Studying the protagonist's behavioral patterns you can use it like this
In the beginning, what kind of environment is the protagonist in?
Where do they live doing what for living?
In the next act, how does the protagonist become isolated?
Certain event causes the protagonist to become isolated
Next, in Act 2, Scene 1,
What kind of world does the protagonist find themselves in?
What are the circumstances, and how does the protagonist adapt to them?
How do they go about exploring it?
Things have to revolve around the protagonist
The protagonist must be the no.1 consideration
And in Act 2, Scene 2, what event prompts the protagonist
How to respond and what transformation do they undergo as a result?
And finally, in Act 3, what occurs?
How does the protagonist make the ultimate sacrifice
and what action in the final moments
Decorates the climax
To create compelling characters like this,
It's important to start by outlining the situation the protagonist finds themselves in,
Focusing on the protagonist's perspective
By the time the climax hits and the conclusion unfolds,
It ultimately boils down to what?
This is the pinnacle moment
Where the protagonist's ultimate goal is achieved
In the end, the protagonist's ultimate or dramatic goal is achieved
And the theme is often fully expressed
The theme is the message conveyed
By the director or screenplay writer, often expressed in a single sentence
Even in comedy or romance films, there's always a theme
So it's important to examine
Whether that theme is clearly expressed
Through the protagonist's final actions
There are four key elements to character creation
Well made or unique character creation leads the story
Unique characters make special actions
And also creates unique conflicts
A unique conflict arises from unique events
And unique events
Will overall compose a special story
So, characters should reveal their personality
And essence not only through what they say but also through their actions
It's essential to create a setting for the stage
For creating good and appealing characters
So, there are four elements to do just that
The first is called dramatic demand
Don't get confused with dramatic demands and wants
Dramatic demand is dramatic needs
The reason it's called "dramatic demand" is because
It's extremely dramatic
It's a demand or need so intense that it's either all or nothing
All or nothing
There's no in between, no room for alternatives
It's either everything or nothing at all
The character's initial desires may differ
From their dramatic demands at the outset
Dramatic demands typically emerge towards the end of Act 2 or early Act 3
The second is the perspective
How you view a particular situation from a certain perspective
The third is change
Characters change
There are no characters who remain unchanged
The fourth is attitude
By utilizing these elements,
Character traits and personalities can be enriched
Allowing the character to become compelling
Starting from the dramatic demand,
It's what the character acquires or achieves in the story,
Surpassing mere wants
At first,
I'll use the movie "Kung Fu Panda" as an example to explain
The panda in "Kung Fu Panda" is named Po
What does Po initially want?
"I'm just a big, fat panda who loves to eat.
Working at a noodle restaurant
I just want to do some Kung Fu
It's just for fun for him
That's what wants is all about
But what happens later on?
So, how does he end up being mistakenly chosen as the Dragon Warrior
Finding himself in a situation where he has to defeat the most fearsome villain in the village
Through various experiences,
He eventually transcends his mere wants
And becomes a hero, fulfilling a need
What are needs about then?
If I don't defeat the villain, the whole village will be destroyed. It's going to be blown up
What is that?
There's no way out
Dramatic need for an escape without a way out
So the dramatic need requires a significant obstacle
So, we need to establish the obstacles that must be overcome
To achieve the dramatic need
The perspective refers to how characters view the world,
And ultimately, it's the conflicting viewpoints
That trigger the conflict among them
In Kung Fu Panda, what is Po's perspective?
In Kung Fu Panda, Po
Sees Kung Fu as something others can do,
Something he can enjoy and have fun with
He loves his friends, food, and the ease of life
But what about Tai Lung, the villain?
Kung Fu, for Tai Lung, is a means to dominate the world
He has a different perspective toward Kung Fu
So, clear and dramatic expressions of perspective
Ultimately lead to actions based on those perspectives
And those differing perspectives clash, resulting in conflict
Next is change
In a screenplay, characters should undergo both psychological and physical changes
So, captivating characters are ordinary and flawed
In the end, they are characters striving to achieve dramatic needs
From loser to winner
From thief to righteous individual
From fool to hero
Extreme examples make it more exciting
Would it be interesting if a very handsome man,
Very intelligent, with no personal growth or flaws, and perfect manners,
Consistently succeeds in
A romantic comedy from the start?
I don't think so
So, there always needs to be something ordinary and slightly flawed about them
And they undergo at least two significant changes throughout the story
In Kung Fu Panda, for example,
How does the character Po a chubby, food-loving panda, change?
In the end, he becomes a selfless character
Feeling embarrassed about his initial selfish desire
To learn Kung Fu just for himself,
And instead realizes
He must save his friends
Attitudes
Attitude never changes
Despite various changes throughout a character's arc,
Their essence or core traits often remain consistent
Attitude toward certain things
Attitude toward societal norms
Or attitude toward others
In Kung Fu Panda 1, the character Po has a very cheerful attitud
He likes to eat
Even if he became a super hero,
The character's attitude don't change
Cheerful characteristics don't ever change
It can be considered crucial
To depict how thoughts and actions change
While maintaining that essence of attitude
Character creation questionnaire list
You have to ask constantly
Who is your character?
The protagonist, antagonist, and supporting characters all need to be analyzed thoroughly
Otherwise, especially in animation
There are often numerous characters with diverse traits
The multitude of characters often overlap,
With similar personalities and traits. Instead, each character,
Whether protagonist, antagonist,
Or supporting,
Needs to have a unique personality
They each have their own dramatic needs
Their dramatic needs are different from one another and differ from the protagonist's wants
And what each character is striving to achieve in the story
And what propels them from beginning to end, is crucial
Ultimately, try writing how the protagonist
Drive the story from beginning to end
And how the villain does the same
Compare two characters
It's important to see where they clash
Character's point of view refers to how they perceive the world,
The conflicts arising from different characters' perspectives,
How characters change and how many times they change,
And what the character's attitude is
Attitude here refers to the essence of the character, the character's temperament
A compelling character is born
When you, as a screenwriter or creator,
Intimately know that character as your alter ego
So, instead of just focusing on the characters that appear on screen,
It's important to analyze numerous factors
And dig into the character's life before and after their on screen appearance
This applies not only to the protagonist but also to the villain and supporting characters,
Understanding the journeys
And conflicts they undergo
Thank you
Summary Key Points in Story Development Successful concepts and stories must address both timeless human emotions and sentiments, as well as trends reflecting the changes of the times
Learning about basic patterns and types of stories and protagonists Successful concepts and stories combine familiarity and uniqueness simultaneously Successful concepts and stories establish a clear target audience
Based on this, the developmental stage should expand to meet the fulfillment factors Successful concepts and stories adhere to the 4 quadrants rule
Successful concepts and stories need to clearly delineate and allocate the main worldview background
Basic research and character setting for the background of the story's world Successful concepts and stories should establish characters that resonate with the content and appeal to the target age group
The protagonist of successful concepts and stories undergoes a journey from meaningless existence to meaningful existence and undergoes transformation The protagonist of successful concepts and stories is often an unlikely hero
Character Creation Analyzing the four elements of character creation dramatic needs, perspective, change, and attitude is crucial for crafting three dimensional characters
All stories are propelled and sometimes delayed or advanced by three dimensional characters