Paul Clatworthy speaks to the Championship field.

Getting ready for the competition.

The competition lasts throughout the week with finalist and winners being determined on Thursday the 24th.

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Beta Tester program. The Beta Test program is underway and we’re looking forward to expanding the Beta program and bringing you a new piece of the very best in film production software solutions.

A couple weeks ago we brought you the blogpost of Oklahoma Ward, a filmmaker working on his 2nd full length feature horror film and he’s documenting the entire process…including his pre-production and previsualization storyboarding work with StoryBoard Artist! If you missed his video showing off some features and work of SBA plus his own ideas of why storyboarding is absolutely essential to producing the very best end product, you can check that out here:

The Making of a Horror Film!

This week we heard from long time user and filmmaker Manuel Leon Caballero who recently completed his frighteningly good suspense terror short VERONICA. He wrote us, and had this to say about working with StoryBoard Quick:

I want you to know I’m a huge fan of Power Production Storyboard Quick! !, I’m a spanish indie film maker and my last short film is called VERONICA. It’s a horror short movie, a “demo movie” for a full length picture I have in mind.

My short film, VERONICA, was entirely storyboarded with StoryBoard Quick!!, and I’ve to tell you it helped me a lot and my crew was blown away with the storyboards I presented. I’m one of those directors who like to control every aspect of the project… and your wonderful storyboard software allowed me to show what I had in mind….

Thanks Power Production because I, like many other directors, can not draw to save my life… and SBQ has given me the solution I was looking for.

While Manuel’s film, Veronica, is in Spanish, you certainly don’t need to understand Spanish to enjoy this thrilling short. Check it out at the following link:

Watch VERONICA here

We’d love to hear what YOU are working on as well…so if you have something in the works you think people should check out, hit us up! Email: sales@powerproduction.com and let us know!

Best,

Jeff
PowerProduction Software

We have something very cool coming down the pipeline here at PPS and we’re looking for some of YOU to help us beta test it before we unleash it on the world! We don’t want to give too much away just yet but we’re looking for filmmakers, like you, to give us some initial feedback.

Applying is pretty easy – here’s what you do. Click the link below and sign up. We need your name and email and from there we send you an email with a link to a brief survey. We’re going to be selecting the first wave of beta testers from those who complete the survey. The survey is pretty short an should only take a couple of minutes. We will be contacting those selected via email and the entire beta process will be done via download. Sound good? If so, check out this link to get things started:

PowerProduction Software Beta Test Program

We’re really looking forward to getting this in the hands of some of you and hearing what you think.

Best,

Jeff
PowerProduction Software

p.s. Oh yea, one more thing, depending on how many submissions we get and take, this Beta Test Program may be paused at anytime. So just a little disclaimer in case you read this in the distant future!

Storyboard Quick Studio

Storyboard Quick Studio is Finally Here.

StoryBoard Quick Studio Press Release

Personally, I’m from the school of:  “it’s hard to beat great content, compelling story and slick presentation” but every now and then new technology entices me to the dark side.  Thought I’d share. The mind boggles at the possibilities – both good and bad. Would like  to hear what you think.

This is being billed as the first interactive theatrical commercial by Jung von Matt & Film Deluxe.
Agency: Jung von Matt, Berlin
Production company: Film Deluxe Berlin
Director: Milo
The action: Last Call is the first interactive horror movie in the world where the audience is able to communicate with the protagonist. A film controlled by a member of the audience, thus blurring the boundaries between game and film.

*This type of interactive film calls for using StoryBoard Artist’s multi-path/linking boarding feature.

“Share how San Diego State University has positively impacted your life by entering your video to the Aztec for Life Video Contest. Win an exciting vacation for two to Cabo San Lucas and other great prizes!” -

Check out their new Aztec for Life commercial spot to for inspiration!
http://www.sdsumonth.com

But hurry! Contest closes March 15.  But wait!… with StoryBoard Quick you’ll make that deadline, no problem!

StoryBoard Quick 6 software makes sharing your vision so simple and cost-effective. This superb program offers a new, script-integrated page layout that provides you with script formatting (with thumbnail shots). Going viral with your project ideas and putting them in front of the people who matter most can be as easy as pushing a button with StoryBoard Quick 6!

With our exciting upgrades, easy exports to Flash video let you playback animated previz storyboards locally, or on the Internet. It’s also a simple matter to export HTML code and project sizings that will enable you to play your storyboards back at full frame. As well, you can customize your storyboards for different media sources: this makes them “fit” the screens of today’s hottest electronic gadgets, such as iPhones…

As you can see, getting your storyboards out to interested parties, or just generally drumming up interest in your upcoming production, is a lot easier when you decide to go with digital storyboarding software from PowerProduction Software. But this isn’t the only benefit of this unique StoryBoard Quick 6 program…

One of the key features of this program is its ability to remove the artist from the equation. By offering a wide range of pre-loaded characters, props, and special effects, you can avoid expensive outsourcing and the drama it so often brings with it…forever! Instead of endless meetings with artists, and all the delays and missed deadlines that usually result, you can streamline your process, which will boost your productivity and keep you on schedule. If you’re looking for the best way to get your storyboards ready to film, this is it! There’s no faster, more affordable way to make it happen!

Our software is also designed to work with the programs and processes you already know and love. This familiarity and user-friendliness provides you, the director, with a much more pleasant and smooth storyboarding experience. You’ll be amazed by how easily you can import a wide array of images, photos, and text right into your digital storyboards! Drag and drop them exactly where you want them, and then import your script information and scheduling data. It’s also possible to type directly into a caption area on the screen. Obviously, this sort of intuitive interface allows for a lot more creativity, in a much shorter time frame!

If you’re looking for ways to trim the costs of your next project, look no further! Refining your storyboarding process is the first, crucial step towards getting the word out to a bigger audience. With the many capabilities of PowerProduction’s cutting-edge software, you can make it all happen, in less time…for much less money!

In the past, working with sketch artists and trying to get your vision onto finished story boards could come with a lot of stress and expense. Waiting for drawings, evaluating the ongoing process, and making refinements and adjustments could often waste hours of your valuable time, pushing deadlines and busting budgets. Today, PowerProduction Software has addressed all of the common pitfalls of facing blank storyboard template, and they’ve resolved creative issues through the wonders of new technology.

PowerProduction has a proven ability to remain on the cutting edge: their latest refinements continue to push the envelope. Patent-pending QuickShots technology gives you an unprecedented creative jump start to combine scenes and characters into your blank storyboard, without needing to wait for the sketch artist to complete their assignment or inspiration to strike. Eliminating the problems and snags of dealing with a “live” artist will turbo-charge your project and put the creative process into your hands. With the latest technology, you won’t need to outsource drawing anymore, ever: the program takes care of it all for you!

If you’re used to dealing with illustrators who bring a lot of baggage and drama, you’ll be please to note that our software really does take them out of the equation. Imagine the time you’ll save on meetings with sketch artists to explain your vision, evaluations of current drawings, and other common drains on your time and resources.

Sketches cost time and money: PowerProduction understands the travails involved with creating polished film storyboards and previsualizations. In order to make your project more efficient, we’ve created cost-effective software that places instant, high-quality artwork at your fingertips. If you’re looking for digital storyboarding that will pay for itself in the short term, you’ll love the new features we offer.

In the past, classic storyboards, such as those created for George Lucas’ sci-fi epic, Star Wars, became shining examples of the way storyboarding could capture the very essence of creativity and inspiration…in fact, many storyboards from decades past have become valuable collector’s items or even museum pieces…other seminal storyboards, such as those crafted for Warner Bros. cartoons, really embodied the sense of movement, drama and humor of the finished, Looney Toons animation. Today, you too can create stellar storyboards with a dizzying array of backgrounds, effects, and audio…without hiring an artist.

The best way to understand just how much power this new 2D animation software places at your fingertips is by viewing a free demo that shows off all the benefits of QuickShots technology. You will marvel at the user-friendliness and raw speed of this new feature: it’s been designed to make your job so much easier. It’s all about instant artwork that really delivers, as well as a prism of other creative possibilities. Whatever you need to bring across in your finished storyboards is exactly where you need it to be: nothing will hold you back from realizing your vision and moving closer to getting it all on film.

The freedom to experiment with your storyboard examples is one of the key advantages of choosing cutting-edge software: playing with different options can give you a perfect “first draft” that will save you time and money when you are ready to record or animate your project. Having computer-generated artwork in place frees you up to spend more time adding sound effects, voiceovers, and music. Give your storyboards more sophistication with software that also eases the pressure on your and your team…

The idea of completing a finished, professional storyboard in minutes would have been unthinkable in past decades, but technology has moved forward, allowing today’s visionaries to create slick, modern layouts that really pop. As well, the intuitive and user-friendly software offered by PowerProduction makes learning a breeze. As you move through the process, the software prompts you and directs your efforts: everything is planned and organized.

Storyboard programs, such as Storyboard Quick and Storyboard Artist are both available for PC or Mac computers. Storyboard Artist is a layered, dimensional program that includes everything you could possibly want, including a custom animatics with a pan and zoom feature that will streamline your whole approach to storyboarding and digital previsualization. Designed to work with today’s most popular imaging software, such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro, this program gives you instant access to great art and easy animatic creation.

Storyboard Quick is also a rapid-fire method of making things happen! This program offers lightning-fast custom storyboards that also utilize QuickShot technology.

Today’s budding directors and Indie filmmakers get results fast when they opt for all the benefits of storyboarding software. Since a director can previsualize in mere minutes, more time can be spent on achieving a perfect final result. Getting your storyboards out of the way is a key element in staying on schedule and on budget – and today’s digital methods make this goal easy to achieve. You may find your milestones and timelines become far more realistic and easy to achieve when you use software to map out your vision before the cameras start rolling…

To make the most of storyboarding software with built-in animate pictures, all you really need is a finished script and a vision: the flexibility of digital software takes care of the rest…

Today’s best and brightest director are converts to digital storyboarding software – they have learned how easy it is to get the cameras rolling by creating quick and professional storyboards. Joe Carnahan, writer/director of the hit film, Smokin’ Aces, has raved about the way PowerProduction’s storyboarding software has revolutionized his approach to mapping out his camera angles, close-up, and shot evaluations…

Taking things even further with special visual effects will ensure that you get a result that lets your entire cast and crew understand the scope of your project and what it will take to bring your vision to life.

Why not take advantage of today’s best digital storyboarding software when mapping out your own script – It’s a smart, affordable way to get what you need in record time.

]]> http://www.powerproduction.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=440 0 http://www.powerproduction.com/blog/?p=360 http://www.powerproduction.com/blog/?p=360#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:29:40 +0000 JWalsh http://www.powerproduction.com/blog/?p=360

Check out the storyboards here!

Hey everyone,

Thanks for taking out the time to check out the winner selection process for the Customer Survey iPod Contest.  Again, we really appreciate all of your time and input and your answers both shed light on how to make StoryBoard Quick better as well as let us know how much you guys enjoy the software.

Click here to view!

So, I thought it would be fun to create a short little video of how we determined a winner while at the same time show how StoryBoard Quick can help you prepare for even the simplest of projects.  So I fired up StoryBoard Quick 6 and first thought about what shots I would use.  You can see all of the storyboards at the link above, so check them out. One of the important starting points was that I didn’t get too detailed at first.  Since this was going to be a small crew (a couple co-workers and myself) I plotted the major shots so I could have an idea of where I was going.  The master shot in the office, a couple of close-ups of the process and then the name of the winner coming into the camera.  Some easy stuff, right?  The whole storyboarding process for this short video took me, maybe, 15 minutes but what it provided was a clear blueprint of how I wanted both the shots to look as well as what the final edit would be.

So while I was storyboarding I was thinking to myself “on this shot I’ll say this, and the next shot I’ll say that”.  I found that the visuals of the storyboards actually influenced my short script as there were things I could SHOW and not TELL.  I didn’t have to say “we printed all the names on the printer, cut them out, folded them up, etc.”  You could see that!  You gotta remember, always be showing!

But of course, as you can see, this couldn’t have been shot linear – we needed to actually DO all of those things you saw in the video before picking a winner.  So we shot “out of order” and once again, it was the storyboards that guided us when shooting.

Ultimately, my storyboards saved me a ton of time!  I’ve got things to do!  So I couldn’t spend all day figuring out what I was going to do on the fly, right?  I cranked out all of the intercut shots in a matter of minutes and had them ready to go once we were ready for the master shot, the next day.

Is this video Taxi Driver? Star Wars? Of course not, but we did board it and shoot it in about 30 minutes.  The master shot was done in a single take to preserve the credibility of the winner, so forgive me for my non-Oscar caliber acting job.

But I thought I’d put all of this down so you can see that the power of StoryBoard Quick comes in all forms.  It helps you organize and plan your shots, it can help you write what needs to be said while showing what can be shown and it saves you a ton of time in providing a production blueprint.  As short as it is, we cranked it out in record time as something fun to show you guys.

So thanks for reading and we’ll be making more videos and having more contests in the future so keep checking back with us and look over the new website while you are here.

Happy Boarding!

Jeff

We’d love to hear your feedback on the new site as well!  Just shoot us an email at: comments@powerproduction.com