Log Line Definition
“A log line is a one-sentence description of your animated film, show, or short that summarizes what it’s about and gets people excited to see it”
Green Light
Green Light!
Section titled “Green Light!”Post-Development Expansion
Section titled “Post-Development Expansion”- Development completion: “So after a period of development, we have a good understanding of what the story is, and who the characters are, and the world that our project takes place in”
- Time to expand: “Really its time to expand that, bring more people on to help realize that vision”
Green Light Flexibility
Section titled “Green Light Flexibility”- Variable requirements: “When you green light a movie, there may not even be a script”
- Could be “a lot of concept”
- Could be “an outline”
- Could be “some storyboards”
- Could be “an idea that they want to move forward with”
Blue Sky Phase
Section titled “Blue Sky Phase”- Open-ended timeline: “It’s really a time when you don’t have a super stringent, we gotta get this sequence done in two weeks”
- Creative freedom: “It’s more, we call it blue sky, so the design is more open-ended, and what is the coolest thing we can come up with?”
- Uniqueness focus:
- “You’re trying to just find a unique look”
- “You know what’s in the industry or the animation world around you”
- “So you’re trying to create unique elements that will make the movie stand out in the end”
Discovery Process
Section titled “Discovery Process”- Fun exploration: “It’s a fun phase, and it’s a phase where you end up discovering things that you did”
- Visual surprises: “Like you were like, oh my movie’s gonna look like this”
Studio Structure & Support
Section titled “Studio Structure & Support”Executive Oversight
Section titled “Executive Oversight”- Creative oversight: “We have an executive that kind of oversees all of the creative, and is a direct link between us and the head of the studio”
- Regular meetings: “We also meet with the head of the studio very often as well”
Creative Solutions
Section titled “Creative Solutions”- Executive approach: “As an executive, I like to be able to present the creatives with as many different solutions as they can come up with”
- Studio identity: “We ourselves as a studio are constantly reminding ourselves that we pride ourselves on being a creator-driven studio”
- Resource utilization: “Our jobs are to really use all of the resources we have to be able to tell these stories and do it in a way that is impactful and feels big”
Marketing Integration
Section titled “Marketing Integration”- Team activation: “My team at Sony Pictures Animation starts as soon as the filmmakers are ready to share their babies with the world, and essentially that really begins at the green light process”
- Process beginning: “So we start when they want to plant the flag”
- Information gathering: “We start by learning as much as we can about the story and the characters”
- Message sharing: “Then we share that message with the larger marketing group at Columbia Pictures, and we give them all the tools they need to really market the movie”
Key Module Lessons
Section titled “Key Module Lessons”Idea Sources
Section titled “Idea Sources”- Infinite possibilities: “Hopefully you saw in this module that the ideas, they can come from anywhere”
- “A dream you had”
- “A song you like”
- “A manga you’re reading”
- “A classic film”
- “The list is endless”
Beyond the Idea
Section titled “Beyond the Idea”- Insufficient alone: “But the big lesson here is that an idea alone is not enough”
- Expression requirement: “You need to be able to express that idea in words and images”
- Scripts
- Story outline
- Storyboards
- Model sheets
Communication Tools
Section titled “Communication Tools”- Purpose: “Think of these things as tools you can use to help you communicate your idea to others”
- Collaboration necessity: “Others who will help you bring your idea to life and get it in front of an audience”
Hands-On Learning Introduction
Section titled “Hands-On Learning Introduction”Assignment Philosophy
Section titled “Assignment Philosophy”- Playful approach: “And when I say play, I mean it. These assignments you’re going to do are for fun”
- Encouragement: “Try your best, and who knows, maybe you’ll come up with something great”
Log Line Exercise
Section titled “Log Line Exercise”- Purpose: “So we’re practicing putting your ideas into words”
- Characteristics: “Log lines should be clear, brief”
- Practice approach: “I’d recommend trying a few times to get the hang of it”
Collaboration Testing
Section titled “Collaboration Testing”- Feedback value: “And if you’ve got someone you can bounce them off of, even better”
- Early collaboration: “See, the collaboration can start as early as now”
- Testing criteria:
- “When you test your log lines out on someone, see if they understand your vision”
- “And if they’re excited to see more based solely on that one sentence”
Quiz Question: At what stage can a film be given the “green light,” which means that the studio is going to produce and market the film?
Answer Options:
- Concept Stage ✓
- Script Stage
- Animatic Stage
- Compositing Stage
The green light phase represents a transition from development to expanded production, characterized by creative freedom and “blue sky” exploration. Studios can approve projects at the concept stage without requiring completed scripts, emphasizing the importance of expressing ideas through various communication tools like log lines, storyboards, and outlines to build collaborative support for bringing creative visions to life.