This latest set of storyboards from “Inside-Out, Outside-In” is being used to bling out our investor powerpoint pitch and accompanying proposal. I chose to dig into this early audition sequence because it reflects the DIY sensibility of both our protagonist Nathaniel Quinn and the film itself. The storyboards were drawn by the talented Monte Patterson, who curates the amazingly successful and fascinating film blog, “The Final Image,” recently featured on The Sundance Channel (and deservedly so).
In the audition sequence, we open on a completely dark stage. The lights come on and we reveal Nathaniel standing alone on the stage. Unobserved, he raises his fist triumphantly and says, ““Enter Stage Right. A young man, filled with hope, crosses to the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen.” Nathaniel realizes that his face has softened with tears, feeling the opposite of the sentiment he expressed. From behind him, we hear a woman enter….it’s his best friend Dorothy, arriving at the theatre to help Nathaniel audition actors for his latest strange movement theatre piece.
This short scene sets up that although the auditions may seem harmless and fun, Nathaniel is covering up a wellspring of unprocessed grief and powerful unrealized hopes that won’t be satisfied with a theatrical piece alone…
We then go to the auditions, where we see a couple of goofy guys introduced – an adorable twink Eli, who bounces up from behind a cube for his audition and Clarence, a hip hop enthusiast who interprets Nathaniel’s deadly serious material via breakdancing moves. Finally, we introduce one of our lead characters, Jason Quinn, as he energetically crosses the stage on a Z-axis towards Nathaniel. The idea is that Jason has unstoppable momentum so that we know he’s destined to crash into our director. The solo shot of Nathaniel back to the solo shot of Jason are different from the previous actors, showing us that Nathaniel has now met someone who will change his life and cause it to go out of control, unlike the two more symmetrically framed auditions we saw previously, where Nathaniel’s status as a director was unquestioned. He has now met the character capable of throwing him off balance, into his grief and, through the course of the movie, back into the hope of a fully realized life.
In our industry staged reading, Nathaniel was played by Hunter Lee Hughes (um, yeah that’s me), Dorothy by Holly Elkjer, Eli by Daniel Berilla, Clarence by James Lee Hernandez and Jason Quinn by Jerod Meagher. They all served as the visual inspiration for the attached storyboards.
We’re confident these boards will help our investor proposal so we can raise the additional capital we need. We’ve found two major investors so far and once we raise another $80,000, we will begin our crowdsourcing campaign. So let’s hope these storyboards help us ignite the imaginations of a few brave investors….
We’re in darkness. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson)
Lights flip on. Nathaniel enters the stage…alone. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson)
Nathaniel, carrying a bag of groceries, looks around the stage wistfully. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel raises his fists in mock triumph saying, “Enter Stage Right. A young man, full of hope, crosses to the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.” He holds back tears as he says the line, ironically. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Dorothy enters from backstage, startling Nathaniel. He quickly gets out of his “hero” pose. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel and Dorothy realized they both bought food and drinks for the actors auditioning. Overkill. (Storyboard by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel and Dorothy prepare to watch an audition. (Storyboard by Monte Patterson).
We see the top of a cube on the stage. (Storyboard by Monte Patterson).
From behind the cube, Eli pops out, finishing his audition with a flourish. (Storyboard by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel and Dorothy watch the audition intently. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Eli looks for approval after his audition. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
From between Nathaniel and Dorothy, Clarence enters. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson)
Nathaniel and Dorothy watch Clarence’s audition. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Between Nathaniel and Dorothy, Clarence interprets the material in a unique, hip hop way. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Clarence really goes for it, diving on the floor. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel and Dorothy have to change their view to see the action as Clarence dives down. (Storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Jason powerfully crosses the stage in a Z-axis towards Nathaniel. (storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Nathaniel is taken aback by Jason’s performance. Note: It’s a solo shot, unlike the other two auditions. (storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson).
Jason finishes his audition and takes in Nathaniel’s feedback. (storyboard drawn by Monte Patterson)
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Hunter Lee Hughes is a filmmaker and actor living and working in Los Angeles and the founder of Fatelink. His current feature film Guys Reading Poems is touring film festivals and this blog is dedicated to the process of making his second feature film, “Inside-Out, Outside-In.” If you enjoy the blog, please support our team by following us on Facebook, Twitter (@Fatelink) or Instagram (@Fatelink).
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