All you guys who produce dio-stories (one-offs, epic sagas, etc) - how much writing do you do beforehand? Do you do storyboards and full scripts, then take pics to fit this? Do a rough plan to decide on the pics you'll take (storyboarding, maybe), then sort out the script later? Or do you have a basic idea for the story then make it up as you go, depending on how the picture-taking goes, and assemble the story afterwards from the shots you have available?

I'm slowly crystallizing my own basic plot for what would probably end up being an epic story ('cause I'm like that), but it's the more personal character-driven aspects (which I feel tend to be key factors in the best dios) which are lacking from my plans at the moment. Do you guys have those in mind from the get-go along with the battle scenarios and Cobra schemes, or do they come together during/after the photo-sessions?

I guess I could find out what works best for me through trial and error, but I'm curious to know how it's done by those whose work I've already come to admire & respect (General Hawk, Self-Modifier, Sonnelion, snakeeater and everyone else whose dios I've enjoyed but haven't read in the last week or so - no slight intended by missing out anyone's name there!).

When I first starting doing dios, I just shot pics w/ a loose story and made up the stuff as I went frame to frame. I still do that to an extent. I make a few notes here and there so I can remember some 'major' things I want to do but I do NOT write a whole story and storyboard and whatnot. I would say about 80-90% of the story is in my head.

Now... I do sit on msn msgr and talk to a few people about things and I bounce ideas off several people. I also show a select few what I'm up to to get a bit of feedback. It helps to have a circle (or clique, if you must). I tend to bounce my 3.75" and S6 ideas off of Shane and Kevin the most. Sephron13 and Justin get my S6-only ideas while TG will hear only about my 3.75".

Afterall, Shane's the one who came up with the name of Shadow Walker for an S6 character.


Also, I tend to watch the same old movies over and over. Something like Doom and Aliens not only get the creative juices flowing and the mood, but I'll watch certain sequences to see how they do things. Like the S6 dio will have a huge outdoor battle AND an aerial dogfight. I've been watching the beginning of SW3 for a lot of ideas.

I don't have full scripts written or storyboards done, I tend to have most of the story in my head with a little written down since it can take a while for a story to be completed once I get the original idea. Once I have the initial idea I take a whole bunch of pictures and piece them together afterwards (taking best angles, closeups, ect.), and sometimes action sequences will come up spontaneously while I'm shooting (like the Lowlight and Hit & Run sequence at the end of Chapter 3 of Team Bravo), especially when I'm shooting outside.

In my last story, I had had the idea for CLAWS Commander's confrontation at the cell, but wasn't sure how to do the cell that looked good. Once I had an idea for making the cell, the rest of it came together pretty well. As I shot it, I would imagine what the characters would say as each event happened (angles, closeups, poses) then add the dialogue when I put it together.

Wow, thanks for naming me in such elite company! I appreciate the compliment!

As far as your questions: For my first story, since it was originally not intended to be a story, I just made the whole thing up as I went along. I'd come up with an idea for a scene and shoot it, then script it as I put the images together in Photoshop. Eventually I did have a small outline near the end, but that was it.

For the second, I've actually typed out a bare-bones outline, but I'm still adding and changing things as they come up.

For neither story did I ever storyboard anything. I've always been a very visual thinker, so I usually have an idea in my head for how things should look when I pick up the camera-- Though if a certain angle strikes my fancy after it's all set up, I'm always open to change.

Then after the pics are taken, I just script them as I create the word balloons in Photoshop-- For the most part. However, there are certain bits of dialogue I think up beforehand and make note of if they sound particularly cool.

I've noticed people like to compliment me on my dialogue, which I really appreciate. I do try hard to make it seem natural, and one technique I use to that end is to run all the speech through in my head using the original voices of the cartoon characters. It might not work for everyone, but it really helps me. If I can't imagine Michael Bell as Duke saying it, then my Duke ain't gonna say it either.

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is on indefinite hiatus...

I normally have an idea and try and get the pictures to match. Of course no one here has really seen any of my past work only because in doesn't really relate to the GI Joe world. These are stories I've written in the past. ( If anyone is interested I'll give you the link just PM me ) Sometimes I'll have an idea for a story, but during "mid production" the plot changes or I decide that the story is lame and go with a different plot. It just seems my biggest problem is time in that I don't have much of it with work, four kids and a sort of disable wife. So what tends to bug me is that I'll finish part one of a story, but never get to finish part two. So now I try to do a story in one shot which in my opinion makes it really hard. Anyway good luck hope every's advice helps.

I guess my main advice is to plan first. Theres nothing worse than having some 160 images on your cpu and not having any direction of where to take the story.. and trust me thats happened before..
However I start off with usually A4 and work on my basic idea of the story seperating each scene or picture with a bullet point or *
I add any major notes or point of interest with a different colored pen (usually red) so it stands out.
Once I start taking pictures for each scene to fit into the story its really then that my creativity begins.. because I usually have a different angle or approach to each scenario.
The actual speech is added in the photo editing program at the end. Usually using the notes I've done on the script. The whole storyboard thing comes into play when I add the images together using WMM.
Using this setup I've rarely come across a situation or photo/pic I havent been able to do.. and I think its because its well planned.
The downside to doing it this way.. well you have to have alot of time.. something I have in abundance...

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"I can glide silently and land without a sound, I am the eerie presence in the pitch black room"

I usually don't work in anything outside of short form, so I don't do a heck of a lot of pre-planning.

Generally, i start with a very loose idea in my head, then just sit and play with my figures. I turn them around in my hands, and make mental notes of camera angles and positions i want to try.

In terms of writing though, I'll usually start with dialogue . I love stuff thats dialogue and character driven, so i try to move the plot along with that.

My usual method is to have the main points and scenes already planned out in terms of writing, then just kind of flesh out the in-between bits though a process of improvisation and refinement.