A Digital Showcase
Manifest RISES
Welcome to The Storyreel Showcase! The Animation Association at Columbia College Chicago puts together a showcase of story-reels each year. Each of these reels is the first pre-production tool of an animated piece, and it shows the sense, rhythm, art, and feel of the story. Although its production value is modest, the creative value is paramount for production artists, funding, and project pitch. The story-reels are highly appreciated by the animation industry, and specially by the animation community of the world.
Join us to watch a juried selection of animation storyreels from our college's animation story artists. A platform for Interactive Arts and Media students to screen their original animation projects to an audience of animation fans, and a recognition to the dedicated storyboard artists of our student community
There is a storyteller in all of us.
The Storyreels
This year, we have opted to showcase student work via an online platform for the very first time. This gallery includes work from both 2D and 3D animation students from all different grade levels. Each one of these stands as proof-of-concept for a potential animated film. These stories illustrate character, tone, setting, and action that would later be produced into a finished film.
Luis's Criteria
As Columbia's lead storyboarding instructor and father of the Storyreel Showcase, Luis oversaw the archiving of student work and organization of the annual event each year along with creating the criteria in which storyreels would be judged upon. One of Luis' gifts was his ability to see a storyteller in each student walking among the animation department's hallways. Getting work in front of an audience is both an artist's greatest opportunity and their worst nightmare all at the same time. Students of Luis will remember that it didn't matter if they believed their work was good enough to be submitted; somehow, the reel would still end up at the Showcase.
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During the traditional Manifest season, a jury of judges would step in to rate student work with a point-system based off of five total categories. These categories determined the success of student work and how effectively its story was told through the animatic.
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Image property of Luis Contreras
Continuity
It refers to the flow of the narration in its shots, posing, and frame sequencing to communicate the story. Transitions and pose matching.
Is it the passing of time, order, designed structure in the story-reel understandable?
Does the story create meaningful figures such as interesting metaphors, symbol building?
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Image property of Pixar Animation Studios
Draftsmanship
Is the drawing style agreeable with the overall mood of the story?
Are the shots and poses readable to the eye of the audience (understandable, discernible)?
Is there use of light and shadow values?
Is the sense of depth filed achieved (Foreground, Middle field, Background), tonal values?
Is there a clear Point of View, and focal point in the frame composition?
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Image property of SPA Studios (Sergio Pablos Animation Studios)
Cinematography
Does the reel offer camera movements, contrast in composition sequence?
Does the story offers a sense of rhythm and pace?
Does sound and visual work well together?
Does the reel have an acceptable feel for synchronization of sound and art?
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Image property of Laika Studios
Technical
Does the use of software, and tools support and move forward the intentions, message and story of the story-reel?
Is there any sense of technical innovation or originality in the building of the story-reel or art?
Does the story-reel present technical errors such as off frame compositions, white edges, accidental image cropping, tangents?
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Image property of Toon Boom Animation
Appeal
Appeal refers in commercial terms to its marketability. Under our academic approach, Appeal refers to the impactfulness to its audience. The resonance that the story-reel achieves to its public.
Can an audience relate to the story or art?
Is the story impactful in its message, art, visual/sound montage, or any other form?
Does the tone of the story-reel create emotional, humorous or mindful change?
Does the story-reel linger in the mind of the audience after the lights go on?
Image property of Luis Contreras
In Loving Memory of Luis Contreras
In Fall 2019, the Columbia College Chicago Interactive Arts and Media Department sent their deepest condolences to the friends and family of Luis Contreras after his transition. The impact that Luis made on the department and generations to come is immense and impossible to repay. He will forever be a lasting memory to faculty and students and his beloved Storyreel Showcase will continue for the coming generations during Manifest season.
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With the tools and expertise that Luis has left behind, let us educate ourselves with the craft of storytelling and learn to see potential in even the most infant of stories.
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Rest in Paradise, Luis.
Who is the Animation Association?
Club Profile: Animation Association
Contact
Columbia College Chicago Animation Association
Interactive Arts & Media Department
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL, 60605
