Treatment

## What is this?

The first part of cinematic pre-production is the treatment, a write up of exactly what happens in the scene. When they're given a script it's up to the team to figure out every aspect of a cinematic before they commit resources into producing it. What characters and assets are needed, scene location, environment composition and shape language, character profiles, emotional beats, a step by step breakdown of the action and the character's physical locations, references to other movies and media with similar examples of content, color palettes, and literally anything else that brings the idea from the void to paper (or screens). The point is to get everyone on the same page so there's no confusion moving forward. Since this is the first step of pre-pro this document tends to change A LOT as different departments express difficulties and experts contribute new features or better ways to communicate the idea. The director or supervisor is responsible for creating the initial document, but representatives from all departments contribute.

## Summary

Two adventurers, Ystra and Link, are running away from an unseen force in a stone temple. Arrows whiz past them as they run down the broad hall. They reach a heavy wooden portcullis at the end of the hall. Link starts to lift it as Ystra whirls around throws up a shield. Arrows clang off the barrier as Link is able to work his way under the giant door enough to keep it open. Ystra drops the barrier and slides under, her hat arms deploying and wedging the door open. Link slips to the other side and Ystra snatches the hat from the door, letting it slam into the ground.

## Assets

List of assets needed to complete the cinematic.

 Link

## Characters

### Ystra

Young inexperienced wizard with an enchanted hat that allows her to summon sentient arms at will. She's plucky, eager, and a little reckless, reacting more than planning ahead. Her movements are buoyant but unrefined. Spending a a lot of energy but with no sense of training or elegance. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, and is frequently surprised or panicked by new dangerous situations. But when her friends are in danger she is capable of sudden focus and determination. The arms have no real personality of their own, behaving stoically like a golem or a thrall, reacting to her thoughts.

### Link

Grim warrior and weathered adventurer. Link has made a living as a sword for hire, retrieving people or items, escorting vulnerable targets, or taking care of local nuisances. His experience in the field has helped him stay calm and disciplined in tough situations. He has a solid understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses, knowing when to run and when to fight. His diverse range of work forces him to travel light which can be great for traversing unexplored areas but often leaves him unprepared for new situations, which forces him to improvise with what's around him. His movements are measured and calculated. And his expressions are stern and consistent.

## Blockout

1. Ystra and Link sprint down the hall, arrows whizzing past them.
2. Link immediately runs to the door and starts lifting it. Ystra plants her feet, whirls around and throws up a magical barrier (magenta). Arrows bounce off the barrier.
3. Link is able to lift the door enough for Ystra to slip under. As she does, her magical arms spawn and prop the door open so Link can get inside. She yanks the hat away, causing the arms to disappear and the door slams shut, ending the pursuit.

## Emotional Beats

As the two adventurers are running down the hallways I want to see the difference in their personalities right away. Ystra is in a panic with her limbs wide, her center low, and panic expressed on her face. Link should be more controlled, high center, determined expression, clean run.

Once they reach the door there's a shift in emotion. Link is straining to get the door open, a slight shake to his arms. Ystra gets put into an emotional corner and suddenly becomes focused and fierce, planting herself, leaning into the threat, and putting up the barrier with a wide sweeping gesture.

As they go under the door Link is straining under the weight, Ystra is worried and a little scared as she slides under. The hat goes on auto pilot. Link is briefly surprised by the hat's abilities but regains his composure and ducks inside. As the door slams Ystra is relieved and Link is more stoic.

## Style Guide

The animation style of this piece is "grounded appeal". Action is clear with clean arcs and silhouettes. Vertical changes in body language help emphasize power negotiation and changes in emotion. Facial expressions are exaggerated for readability but naturally occuring and timing is realistic. All motion has ties to real world physics for an easy suspension of disbelief but there is some wiggle room on weight and forces. Smears and exaggeration are used only in extreme situations to make specific moments really pop or for readability.

**Examples:** How to Train Your Dragon

https://youtu.be/Yk52kI87-VI?t=82