First Panel Review held on 8th July, 2010

During this first review, the panel members were concerned about the following points:

THE STORY
1.What is the key with the central character? Is it that he has to learn to live with the paranoia?

2. Am I trying to escape having to create a plot by dismissing plot as unnecessary to the narrative?

3. If the character is driving the story, it gets tougher. I have three
aspects to think about:
a. I have to create a situation in which I can place the character
b. Otherwise, the character creates the situation.
c. How do you show character by revealing mental states visually?

4. What exactly is the narrative - it cannot just remain flat.

I felt that using sound, other devices like fast cutting, slo mo, warped angles etc would help me establish characters. The panel asked me demonstrate this at some point.

We discussed using certain references , primarily from cinema.
Requiem for a Dream, Wanted, works of the director Alejandro Jodorowsky (to understand shifts between reality/insanity), Bergman's Persona were some of the films discussed.

The idea of referring to fictional characters (Gollum, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the
protagonist in Kafka's The Trial and the Castle ) was also brought to my attention.

The panel members felt that expressiveness of my character has to go beyond my preliminary explorations. It is very important to consider body movement, postures, gestures, emotions on
the face, etc. as well as the manifestation of key characteristics.

I now have to do visual studies to get to the right expressions, postures, gestures that will establish my central character best.

A suggestion was made that I use live action footage to refer to when executing my storyboard and/or animatics for the film.

Finally, the jury decided to give me until the 15th of August to submit the film animatics, which will include background, timing, sound, important animation action keys as well as environmental audio.