Komiks : Monster Construction 2
Komiks : Monster Construction 2
by cadaver lover fundamental comic book scriptwriting workshop
The workshop, in its conception, veers away from "critical analysis" rather it struggles to pursue "informative analysis". I might give side comments regarding an issue but these are personal opinions and not critical dissection. Putting that aside, monster construction is a unique technique in surveying a character's matrix that is referred to as the source of fear. This particular article is an introductory presentation of emotional baggage as the third dimension of a monster.
Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula explores inherent emotional baggage of the principal character. It is obvious that the material uses horror as a genre. It operates within the parameters of true horror as a tone and uses love plot as a structure. Story pattern is interesting because it uses a triangle blueprint wherein the third party is not a character but an abstract entity called destiny.
Portraying Dracula as a wounded lover makes the character unique. We find the character redeemable and expect that he will redeem himself. This adds the second depth in character called characterization. The unique irony in terms of characteristics and characterization has a jolting effect. We have our own construct of Dracula as a supernatural being from hell. But when this construct is shattered, we begin to embrace unique monster existing in an alternative world.
Hate is the operating emotion that imprisons Dracula in its chosen world of damnation. Surveying hate, as the emotion that affects the character's emotional baggage, will reveal intense anger directed towards God and the world that took away the woman he loved. Thus, his damned existence is a direct defiance to the law of God and nature, as expression of hate.
The inability of the character to overcome hate prolongs his agony and violence. The relentless actions of exacting fear are motivated by the desire to let the world and God know how he feels. "You hurt me, now I am going to hurt you."
Love is always a potent cure for a wounded heart. Dracula, when confronted by love, begins to regret his state of damnation. It is no longer a means to exact revenge but a prison that prevents him from experiencing true love once more. Realizing this, Dracula gains redemption by sparing the woman he loved from eternal damnation. Thus, the lover in the monster overcomes hate and returns to the grace of God.
Emotional baggage is vital in creating a complete monster. Without it, the monster loses a big chunk of its personality. Komiks' monsters do not exhibit this third dimension. Even superheroes are always two dimensional or worst cardboard characters.
The workshop does not teach students what to write. This is the realm of experience. But the means in terms of writing a material is beyond experience. This requires creative and technical knowledge on how to construct a material. Thus, knowing the content of the material is just half of the battle. Deploying the context of the material completes the whole exercise.
Cadaver Lover
Basic Comic Book Scriptwriting Workshop
December 2007
cadaver_ lover@yahoo.com.ph
1 Introduction
A. Basic Considerations
B. Writer / Artist Relationship
C. Basic Parts
D. Classifications
(1.) spot cartoon
(2.) comic strip
(3.) picture story / comic book or graphic novel
(4.) photostories : computer generated illustrations
2 The Team
A. Mission vs. Vision
B. The Set-up
(1.) Publisher
(2.) Story Editor
(3.) Creator
(4.) Writers
(5.) Artists
(i) Illustrator
(ii) Penciler
(iii) Inker
C. Establishing a Common Language
D. The Parameters of Discussion
E. Rules of Engagement
F. Managing Ideas and Creative Decisions
3 Brainstorming Techniques
A. The PEP method
(1.) people
(2.) places
(3.) events
B. The Mind Webbing Method
C. Six W Method
(1.) who
(2.) what
(3.) why
(4.) when
(5.) where
(6.) how
4 Forming An Idea
A. The Average Reader
B. Style and Tone of the Publication ( dominant strengths)
(1.) Western Comic Books
n North American Strain ( comics) action
n European Strain (graphic novels) suspense / romance
(2.) Eastern Comic Books
n Komiks ( Philippines) horror
n Manga (Japan) sci-fi / fantasy
n Manghwa (Korea) romantic comedy
(3.) Number of Pages
(4.) Number of Panels
(5.) Genre
(6.) Artwork
(7.) One Shot Story or Serialized
5 The Story Concept
A. The Character That Forms An Idea
B. The Character That Fits An Idea
6 Premise
A. Subject
B. Action
7 The Character Matrix
A. Character Formation
B. Character Revelation
8 Building A Character
A. Character is a Point of View
B. Character is an Attitude
C. Character is Personality
D. Character is Behavior
E. Character is Revelation
F. Character is Identification
9 Characteristics vs Characterization
A. Archetypes
B. Stereotypes
10 Evaluating A Character
A. Characteristics + Characterization = Emotional Baggage
B. The Need vs. The Want = Conflict
C. Conflict vs. Emotional Baggage = Character Arc
11 Story
A. Object (central value)
B. Theme (statement:central value)
C. Conflict ( the engine of the story)
12 Building A Story
A. Identify the arena of action
B. identify the situation
C. identify the established conflict
13 Evaluating The Story
A. what is the object or central value
B. what is the theme?
C. what is the conflict
14 The Story Outline : Framework Method: Identify the Plot Points
A. Exposition
B. Conflict (Content)
C. Complications/Obstacles (Context)
D. Climax
E. Aftermath
15 The Comic Book Material Treatment
A. Act
B. Plot Points
C. Pages
D. Panels
16 Method in Writing Comics ( Treatment or Script)
A. Master Page Method
B. Panel by Panel Method
17 Elements of A Script
A. Character
B. Dialogue
C. Action
D. Time
E. Space
18 Format
A. The Slug Line
B. Description of the Scene
C. Dialogue
19 Depth of Field On Paper
A. Foreground (In front)
B. Middle Ground (In the middle)
C. Background (At the back)
20 Project Development
A. General Market Analysis vs. Niche Marketing
B. Idea Formation
C. Concept Construction
D. Story Outline
E. Treatment
F. Script
G. Evaluation
21 Special Topic : Komiks "The 2nd Wave" : The Philippine Horror Genre
A. Features
B. Requirements
C. Dynamics
by cadaver lover fundamental comic book scriptwriting workshop
The workshop, in its conception, veers away from "critical analysis" rather it struggles to pursue "informative analysis". I might give side comments regarding an issue but these are personal opinions and not critical dissection. Putting that aside, monster construction is a unique technique in surveying a character's matrix that is referred to as the source of fear. This particular article is an introductory presentation of emotional baggage as the third dimension of a monster.
Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula explores inherent emotional baggage of the principal character. It is obvious that the material uses horror as a genre. It operates within the parameters of true horror as a tone and uses love plot as a structure. Story pattern is interesting because it uses a triangle blueprint wherein the third party is not a character but an abstract entity called destiny.
Portraying Dracula as a wounded lover makes the character unique. We find the character redeemable and expect that he will redeem himself. This adds the second depth in character called characterization. The unique irony in terms of characteristics and characterization has a jolting effect. We have our own construct of Dracula as a supernatural being from hell. But when this construct is shattered, we begin to embrace unique monster existing in an alternative world.
Hate is the operating emotion that imprisons Dracula in its chosen world of damnation. Surveying hate, as the emotion that affects the character's emotional baggage, will reveal intense anger directed towards God and the world that took away the woman he loved. Thus, his damned existence is a direct defiance to the law of God and nature, as expression of hate.
The inability of the character to overcome hate prolongs his agony and violence. The relentless actions of exacting fear are motivated by the desire to let the world and God know how he feels. "You hurt me, now I am going to hurt you."
Love is always a potent cure for a wounded heart. Dracula, when confronted by love, begins to regret his state of damnation. It is no longer a means to exact revenge but a prison that prevents him from experiencing true love once more. Realizing this, Dracula gains redemption by sparing the woman he loved from eternal damnation. Thus, the lover in the monster overcomes hate and returns to the grace of God.
Emotional baggage is vital in creating a complete monster. Without it, the monster loses a big chunk of its personality. Komiks' monsters do not exhibit this third dimension. Even superheroes are always two dimensional or worst cardboard characters.
The workshop does not teach students what to write. This is the realm of experience. But the means in terms of writing a material is beyond experience. This requires creative and technical knowledge on how to construct a material. Thus, knowing the content of the material is just half of the battle. Deploying the context of the material completes the whole exercise.
Cadaver Lover
Basic Comic Book Scriptwriting Workshop
December 2007
cadaver_ lover@yahoo.com.ph
1 Introduction
A. Basic Considerations
B. Writer / Artist Relationship
C. Basic Parts
D. Classifications
(1.) spot cartoon
(2.) comic strip
(3.) picture story / comic book or graphic novel
(4.) photostories : computer generated illustrations
2 The Team
A. Mission vs. Vision
B. The Set-up
(1.) Publisher
(2.) Story Editor
(3.) Creator
(4.) Writers
(5.) Artists
(i) Illustrator
(ii) Penciler
(iii) Inker
C. Establishing a Common Language
D. The Parameters of Discussion
E. Rules of Engagement
F. Managing Ideas and Creative Decisions
3 Brainstorming Techniques
A. The PEP method
(1.) people
(2.) places
(3.) events
B. The Mind Webbing Method
C. Six W Method
(1.) who
(2.) what
(3.) why
(4.) when
(5.) where
(6.) how
4 Forming An Idea
A. The Average Reader
B. Style and Tone of the Publication ( dominant strengths)
(1.) Western Comic Books
n North American Strain ( comics) action
n European Strain (graphic novels) suspense / romance
(2.) Eastern Comic Books
n Komiks ( Philippines) horror
n Manga (Japan) sci-fi / fantasy
n Manghwa (Korea) romantic comedy
(3.) Number of Pages
(4.) Number of Panels
(5.) Genre
(6.) Artwork
(7.) One Shot Story or Serialized
5 The Story Concept
A. The Character That Forms An Idea
B. The Character That Fits An Idea
6 Premise
A. Subject
B. Action
7 The Character Matrix
A. Character Formation
B. Character Revelation
8 Building A Character
A. Character is a Point of View
B. Character is an Attitude
C. Character is Personality
D. Character is Behavior
E. Character is Revelation
F. Character is Identification
9 Characteristics vs Characterization
A. Archetypes
B. Stereotypes
10 Evaluating A Character
A. Characteristics + Characterization = Emotional Baggage
B. The Need vs. The Want = Conflict
C. Conflict vs. Emotional Baggage = Character Arc
11 Story
A. Object (central value)
B. Theme (statement:central value)
C. Conflict ( the engine of the story)
12 Building A Story
A. Identify the arena of action
B. identify the situation
C. identify the established conflict
13 Evaluating The Story
A. what is the object or central value
B. what is the theme?
C. what is the conflict
14 The Story Outline : Framework Method: Identify the Plot Points
A. Exposition
B. Conflict (Content)
C. Complications/Obstacles (Context)
D. Climax
E. Aftermath
15 The Comic Book Material Treatment
A. Act
B. Plot Points
C. Pages
D. Panels
16 Method in Writing Comics ( Treatment or Script)
A. Master Page Method
B. Panel by Panel Method
17 Elements of A Script
A. Character
B. Dialogue
C. Action
D. Time
E. Space
18 Format
A. The Slug Line
B. Description of the Scene
C. Dialogue
19 Depth of Field On Paper
A. Foreground (In front)
B. Middle Ground (In the middle)
C. Background (At the back)
20 Project Development
A. General Market Analysis vs. Niche Marketing
B. Idea Formation
C. Concept Construction
D. Story Outline
E. Treatment
F. Script
G. Evaluation
21 Special Topic : Komiks "The 2nd Wave" : The Philippine Horror Genre
A. Features
B. Requirements
C. Dynamics
posted by cadaver_lover | 6:01 AM
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