Final Project: Planning the Opening

I tend to plan things based on how they looked visually, and I'm not great at drawing so a typical storyboard doesn't help me too much(I have started one and I will attach a copy of it in my next blog post). For this small 'problem' of sorts, I have an interesting and fun idea that I've been trying out to plan the shot. I've been using LEGO figures to try and map out where I would put the camera for scenes with various interactions in them. I have a few photos that I will link below. 

The main character is the stormtrooper with black arms. The first picture in the middle of the document, and they are leaving the home of the regular white-clothed individual(costumes will obviously be much more different on set). The second picture in the top left shows the victim being stalked by the would-be killer. I think that I will add a tracking shot, much like in The Shining, to heighten the fear and tension for the scene.

There are a few things that I have noticed with this setup. I cannot track movement very well, and scaling is extremely difficult. I also have to keep in mind size constraints, and thus I've avoided placing the camera too high above the figures. I still think conventional storyboarding is important, but I've found that this is a good way to physically interpret some of the ideas that I have without using any actors or setting up a camera rig. 

As I continue to develop the shots and angles for the project, I will move onto using real sets and people for test runs of the project, just to see how everything fits and flows, and if I need to add anything to the piece at the beginning or end.