From Script to Screen: Online Green Light Review

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Comments

  1. tutorphil22 January 2015 at 15:44

    OGR 22/01/2015

    Hey Chels,

    I've got just one word for you... fire extinguisher... It appears to have vanished from what is otherwise a rather mouthwatering prospect - a slapstick celebration of physical comedy and cartoon violence - and really, the secret to making this work is to really embrace the tradition of the knock-about set-piece and all the physical contortions familiar to us from Loony Tunes and Tom and Jerry etc. As I said, I'd suggest that fire is used as daring set-piece, so maybe the classic 'hoop of fire' spectacle - and of course, your 'fire extinguisher' doesn't have to be a contemporary job - it could be something a bit more like this:

    http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/old-fire-extinguisher-11329714.jpg

    which would let you're circus and character design go more in this direction:
    https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2757/4378820556_653cd510b0.jpg
    https://experimentsandaccidents.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/breathless-moment.jpg
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vWM3U2YoWi4/UEtSQE989AI/AAAAAAAAFH4/H-C2PoMkt-g/s1600/circo14.jpg

    You've got a lot of implied action there - easy to write - more complex to orchestra visually - so I suggest that you really drill down into the content here and start to sequence accordingly. Sound is clearly going to play a big part in this, so I'd start thinking about that too! Anyway, lots of lovely production design opportunities here, so get stuck in.

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  2. Spacer17626 January 2015 at 17:04

    Hi Chels.

    A fire extinguisher is one of those classic comedy elements. I like that the conflict is between to rivals-yet-partners as there is plenty of entertainment potential. Depending on the extinguisher you're using you have access to either water, carbon dioxide or foam, which could be used as an improvised prop to make them look better with some kind of spray to acrobatic trail. Make the improvisation specifics clear though, otherwise there's the question of "why not something else?"

    Maybe the fire extinguisher could be introduced via a high-flying snatch off one of the clowns?
    Maybe one of the trapeze artists uses it to sabotage the other's performance? (like foam-facing one of them. In real life this could lead to death but this is animation and but if the extinguisher's the property of a clown it's likely to be filled with cream or bubble foam or something.)

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