Often, I get asked where I get some of my ideas from, regarding my animated video shorts. For starters, a lot of my comedy ideas begin with observation. I might notice something at work that seems ironic or illogical, such as a policy that does not make much sense. I have always had a natural sense of sarcasm. Even as a child, I was the class clown, often mocking the teachers when they left the classroom. Other ideas may come from watching TV. A documentary about the French Revolution might inspire a short that features the guillotine. That will inspire something along the lines of the person about to be beheaded making a series of jokes like: "It's tough to get ahead these days but even harder to keep it."
So once I have an idea for a script for a short, though, I look for a theme that fits it. Some kinds of humor can work in many different situations, while others only fit one or two themes. I do a number of different themes like World War One, Horror, Western, Medieval and others. I also have favorite characters I return to often, especially Jerry and Jerome. Two sentimental favorites of mine. I also like to do ones between Jerry and Izzy, who are often cast as love interests, regardless of the theme.
Jerry and Jerome, the Primary Comedy Duo
Jerry was the first character I created in DAZ Studio, the program where I have created most of my characters. He was a punk rocker character. I liked him so much that I was inspired to create more characters. That eventually led to the Punksters.net Comic Strip. It was about a punk rock band called the Punksters. Jerry and Jerome became one of my favorite combinations. Jerry often plays the straight man, while Jerome is naive and childlike in his behavior. Their interactions have something in common with old-style comedy duos such as Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello, but they are cartoon characters that exist in my own worlds.
Choosing the Setting
I have several themes I focus on because they tend to get the best reactions and have been requested by followers. These include Nathaniel Goone and Mongo - characters out on the frontier, the Doughboys - World War One army soldiers, the Jesterman Family - a family of Medieval jesters, the Punksters punk rock band, Captain Jerry Driftwood - a pirate ship captain and workers at the PsychotiCorp widget factory. Each of the themes will obviously have sets that match the theme.
I usually have three to five sets for each theme. Most skits could take place in any of them, so I like to change locations to give each short a fresh look. Nathaniel Goone and Mongo might be in their cabin in one skit, outside the cabin in the next, or at a campsite by the river. Sometimes, though, a specific location is essential to the story. One skit has Mongo burning down the cabin, so the scene takes place outside while the cabin is on fire. Another is about Mongo failing to patch up the canoe, which takes place at a riverside campground.
Creating a new set can take several hours or even a full day. An outdoor set needs trees, for example, while a medieval village needs several buildings in the right style. I check how a set looks from different camera angles and adjust props if necessary. Once it is finished, I can use it again and again.
From Script to Animation
I finish writing the skit before I even open the iClone animation software. My production routine follows the same order each time. First, I write the dialogue. Then I open iClone, load the set, and place and pose the characters within the set.
Next, I generate text-to-speech audio files for the dialogue and assign each one to the right character. I always use the same voice for each character. I want each one to have a consistent look, personality, and voice. When I add a text-to-speech generated audio file to a character in iClone, the program automatically lip-syncs the character to the audio file, and I can set the eyes to blink automatically.
Timing the Performance
I begin with a camera view that is a little distant from the characters. This gives viewers a wider look at the area around them, for the viewers to get a sense of where the characters are. Then I zoom in on the first character who speaks. At 30 frames per second, I usually wait about 15 frames after the camera change before the character speaks. That gives viewers about half a second to see who is about to talk.
I time expressions as well. If the next character is going to speak angrily, I change his expression five frames after the camera cuts to him. His dialogue begins fifteen frames after the cut to him. After a line, I give the scene a brief beat before cutting to the next character. Those small pauses and changes help the exchange feel more natural. Initially the pause between the back-and-forth exchanges involving dialogue was longer and I felt that it did not flow naturally enough. So, I calculated the time between the line of one character and the line from the next one, in the conversation, to a shorter amount of time in order for the conversation to flow more quickly and more naturally. I calculated it to a specific number of frames and began to use that as a standard practice.
Finishing the Short
I try to do the whole skit in iClone because adding a separate video editing step would take considerably more time. Keeping the process streamlined helps me produce more shorts. Once the skit is complete, I render two versions: a 9:16 version for phone viewing and a 16:9 version for long-form compilation videos.
I use a video editor when I make compilations. I put several shorts together and add credits. After rendering each short, I watch it closely to check for errors. Then I can add the finished video to my library, where it is ready to share on its own or use in a future compilation.
The procedure has become a system of habit. Reusable sets and a consistent order of steps simplify production and help me work faster. I would encourage other creators to build reusable assets and a repeatable routine, too. It can make the process of creating videos much easier.
Bob Craypoe
Founder of Craypoe Productions®
