Mark Travis staging seminar

This week we (The Rare animators) were invited to attend a staging and directing seminar by our colleagues from Lionhead Stodio's, also a Microsoft Game Studio. I had had some really good info on all this through Animation Mentor but when I Googled the name of Mark Travis... the person giving the seminar, I could do nothing but get really excited. Pixar, Disney are among the tons of studios he has been giving his view on staging and directing. I did not really know what to expect but I was more then happily surprised. He was clear, funny energetic enthusiastic... all the good things that make learning such a awesome experience. We ripped through a scene of American beauty and by the end of it a whole new perspective of film and acting and staging had opened for me. So much so that now I feel I should seriously take another look at my short film for class 6 and revise my multi character shot not only animation wise but most importantly staging wise and the acting choices that I made 6 months ago when I did the shot.

I have two quotes from him that really hit home for me:

1. Make the scene work first through staging. Then add the camera to reveal the situation.
Staging is more then just layout, it is finding the best way to tell the story. And levels of details should be layered in.

2. By saying a line on the move you weaken the line AND the move!

It seems simple enough but when you are still at a stage of being more concerned about overlaps, follow throughs and about another 27 principles of animation... this info doesnt stick right away. Now that the animation is becoming second nature more and more this sort of info is the new gold! Acting, staging... its a whole new universe to explore and I am super glad Mark Travis helped shared his experience and insight to this matter and I am really pleased and thankfull to Lionhead for inviting us and Rare sending us.

http://www.travis-johntz.com